Patsy (the victim)

27

"They kicked you out?" Bashir say baffle and Zahra'u nod.

"Didn't i told you in the first place not to ever give mamah to him,
Why didn't you call me or my sister?" Bashir say as he sway mamah who's half asleep.

He cannot even believe what Zahra'u is telling him, he came back barely 3weeks ago and they told him Zahra'u ran away, even do he didn't believe them he decide to keep quiet since he doesn't have a solid proof, he went to gurara and even went to Zahra'u step dads house but there's no trace of her, it's like she disappear.

"How are you?" Bashir ask worriedly staring at her, she really changed, she have loss weight and just doesn't look like the Zahra'u he left before getting deployed.

"Fine." Zahra'u say staring at the floor,
She never thought for once that she will ran into Bashir, atleast not so soon.

They stay quiet for a while, bashir wondering what trouble Zahra'u have faces since he left, he shouldn't have leave her in that house, he's also at fault somehow.

"Do you work here?" Bashir ask, he's just noticing the uniform she's wearing and Zahra'u nod.

She doesn't have a single courage to look at Bashir, how can they even work especially now that things are just extremely rough for her.

"I'm here for a business meeting and decide to meet with an old friend of mine." Bashir say and Zahra'u sigh tiredly.

"Zahra'u is everything alright?
You can tell anything you know that right?" Bashir say and Zahra'u breakdown.

Bashir release a deep breathe and place his hand on her back, it's the least comfort he can give to her,
He do be lieing if he say he was not worried, everyday he think about her and wonder how she's coping all alone by herself with mama, he will make sure his step mum and petulant sibling pay for what they did to his fiancee.

"Mamah have kidney disease." Zahra'u say with a sniff and clean her tears, she begin explaining everything in detail to him, from when she moved back to minna down to mamahs sickness, the only thing she couldn't tell him is the fact that she herself need medical attention.

"Zahra'u why didn't you go back home to even check if i come back, I came back for mama's one year birthday as promise but you weren't there and I have to leave because I went AWOL from the Base and.....he pause.
You should have try harder,
What if something had happened to mamah." Bashir say glancing at the liitle girl on his lap who's fast asleep.

"I'm sorry,
I was just overwhelmed by everything khalifah did and i couldn't even stay in the town because the image just got stuck to my head." Zahra'u say and bashir sigh.

"It's fine,
How is mama doing now?
What did the doctor said?" Bashir ask and Zahra'u sigh.

"She will be on dialysis for a while until there's a kidney donor." She sag and bashir nod.

"You are coming with me,
We will go back home." Bashir say and Zahra'u give him a confuse look.

"But........

" no buts,
Look at you?
What about mamah, she need good medical attention.
You are coming with me tomorrow,"Bashir say as Zahra'u stand up.

"I can't,
B me going back won't make any difference,
I am happy here and i don't want to continue been a burden to anyone's life, i..........Zahra'u pause with a sigh.

" I can't B."she say tiredly and bashir shake his head.

"You can't what?
Zahra'u we were engaged or did you meet someone?" Bashir ask and she shake her head.

"No,
It's just.......Zahra'u pause she can't even bring herself to tell Bashir.

" fine i will go."she say and bashir shake his head with a sigh.

"Where do you live?" He ask standing up with mama on his arm as he answer his ringing phone.

"I can't just leave immediately B,
I have friends and I'm in debt of the hospital." She say and bashir shake his head.

"Debt,
How do you manage to even pay for the treatment zahra, please tell me everything." Bashir say as they walk to his car and Zahra'u begin explaining everything to him.

"Sadiq is my friend and I'm pretty sure he won't accept the money,
Everything is going to be fine kinji,
My brother is also back,
I will make sure khalifah will never repeat what he did to mama to anybody's daughter,
He was once charge for that in school and got deported." Bashir explain and Zahra'u nod.

"B." Zahra'u call once they are by his car.

"Yes." Bashir say opening the back passenger car door and drop mama.

"Thank you." Zahra'u say staring at him for the first time.
"Thank you for everything, for believing in me and treating me the way you did." Zahra'u say and Bashir smile.

"Come on Zahra'u, I do all this because i care about you and I love you,
It's not your fault that whatever it is happen to you and God doesn't love you any less for him to make things difficult for you, let's go to this Hashim guy you seem to care about alot." Bashir say opening the car door for her.

Through out the drive Zahra'u mind keeps wobbling around deliberating on wether or not to tell bashir what the doctor said about her health she give up and decide she will tell him when it's the right time, once they arrive at Hashim house he is about going out but he stop after seeing Zahra'u.

"Maman mamah." He call as he glance at Bashir.

"Hashim this is Bashir,
I used to work in there house." Zahra'u say she haven't really tell Hashim or aliya about her relationship life.

Hashim exchange pleasantries with Bashir and the two exchange phone number since Hashim say he's in a hurry to go to work.

"He seem like a nice guy." Bashir say and Zahra'u nod.

"He is." Zahra'u say and she begin directing him to her own place.

Bashir halt outside the gate and Zahra'u come out just in time Aliya is coming out of the house.

"Aliya." Zahra'u call gaining her attention and Aliya begin walking towards her.

"Maman mama." Aliya say just I'm time bashir comes out of the car.

"Ya Aabbah." Aliya say a bit confuse as she glance at Zahra'u.

"Aliyah,
What are you doing in school i thought you are on strike?" Bashir ask closing the car door shut as Zahra'u look between the two.

Bashir is aliyah's fiancée she thought and that instant Zahra'u know there's no way she and bashir will ever be together especially after how Aliya treated her, the last thing she will want to do is become the obstacle for her to get married.

Don't forget to comment and vote