It was the last day in camp and Saleem was unhappy. He was worried about Salamat and was curious to know how she was faring.
He felt bad for hurting her with his words, even though, they were meant to be words of encouragement and not otherwise.
During free hours and short breaks, he was always roaming the community to see if he could even catch a glimpse of her before their departure. But luck had not been on his side and he felt bad.
'If only I can just see her one more time', he thought to himself.
On Saturday, which was a day to their departure, he left the camp immediately after breakfast in search of her all to no an ail. He got back to the camp around 4 p.m so as not to miss the evening presentation.
After the presentation, there was a bonfire party till dawn and he was unable to sleep a wink throughout the night. He couldn't figure out the cause of his sleeplessness. Whether it was the loud music from the party or the thought of Salamat, his newly made friend, he couldn't say.
On Sunday, which was the day of departure, he sneaked out of the camp after the morning prayers to try his luck again. After searching for an hour and a half, he gave up and went back to the camp to prepare for his journey back home.
The crew left Radda community around 9 a.m and everyone was glad to be leaving except Saleem.
Some of his friends were talking about escaping the terrible mosquitoes and flies when they noticed his mood.
"Saleem, don't you want to leave Radda? Why are you moody when you are supposed to be overjoyed? If I could remember well, you were always complaining about flies disturbing your sleep in the daytime and mosquitoes disturbing you at night", Faith teased him while the rest of them laughed.
"Nothing, It's just that I am not feeling too good. I didn't sleep well last night and I am beginning to feel feverish."
"Sorry. Don't worry, I am sure you will get better when you get home."
"Yeah, I hope so."
They were all given a week's break from the department and Saleem quickly went straight to the park after their school bus dropped them at the Ahmadu Bello University main gate.
Saleem got to Kano around 2 p.m. He observed his prayer and slept till 4 p.m when his mother came back from her shop.
His sisters who were around when he got home, quickly left to their mother's shop to inform her of her son's arrival. They all knew Saleem was their mother's favorite.
His mother was very happy to see him and she engulfed him in a tight hug. She looked at him closely and told him he wasn't looking fine.
Saleem smiled. He knew his mother was going to figure that out, just by looking at him. That was his mother and Saleem used to ask her how she always figures out what was wrong with him and she used to reply by saying it's a motherly instinct.
"Mum, I think it's malaria. The mosquitoes over there were terrible and I forgot to go along with my mosquito net", he explained to her.
"Sorry, my dear. I will go and get you the herbal medicine for malaria later in the evening. By tomorrow, you will feel much better."
"Oh mummy, you know I don't like that concoction, I prefer drugs instead", he complained.
"Iya Baliki's herbal drugs work well and I don't have enough with me now for malaria drugs. You know Emeka's medicine is very expensive If the herbs don't work well, then I will get you the malaria drugs, don't worry."
"Okay, no problem."
"That's my boy, have you eaten?"
"No, I haven't."
"Ah ah... why didn't you tell your sisters to cook something for you."
"They disappeared immediately I arrived and I was too sleepy to think of food but now that you are here, I am more than hungry."
"Okay, let me go and prepare your favorite", his mother said.
Saleem screamed while she laughed.
"I love my mamma, she is the best mother in the whole of the universe", he shouted.
"Hey! Stop shouting, don't be naughty", his mother said smiling.
"Don't you wish your mummy was good like mine.....", he sang as she dragged him to the kitchen.