Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Twenty-four

Simultaneously, they blinked and rubbed their eyes in order to be sure they were seeing clearly... that they weren't hallucinating. Upon looking back again, their gazes collided and locked with each other and they knew then that this wasn't a hallucination.

No figment of imagination could feel so real and evoke such feelings from the body all of a sudden.

Habeebee.....

Zahra.....

They both whispered under their breaths at the same time.

Then like a zombie,Christopher started advancing towards Fateema in a slow,trance like state while she remained standing, frozen on the spot.It was as if she was a magnet and he, a piece of metal being drawn towards her.

He kept advancing, slowly and slowly with his eyes fixed unwaveringly on hers until he reached a spot right in front of her.

Minutes ticked by as they stood there lost in their own private world--a world where everyone and everything else ceased to exist except them and them alone.

It was his low whisper of  "My Zahra..."  that jolted Fateema back to her senses.

Suddenly jerking back to reality,she quickly surveyed their surrounding and lo and behold,they've attracted a group of spectators to themselves (not that it was a new thing where these two are concerned lol..).

Scanning their faces in trepidation,Fateema heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that they were all unknown faces,all family and friends having already left.

Turning abruptly, she pushed open the gate and as soon as she stepped foot into the house, C.J followed suit.She quickly surveyed the compound and was relieved to see that the coast was clear except for a few maids cleaning the area.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she stealthily turned back to face him and opened her mouth to question him when suddenly out of the blues they heard, "Uncle Chyish!!" in Abdallah's loudest voice.

Fateema turned her head and watched as Abdallah scampered up to Christopher who scooped him up with a wide grin on his face as he exclaimed,"My big soldier!Look at you all grown up.What has Mummy been feeding you?".

Grinning,the little boy replied,"Yeah I am getting bigger and styonger.Last night I even made Aunty Ikyam to cyiy!"

Wiggling his tongue,C.J returned,"La la la.Big soldiers don't make girls cry.Their duty is to protect them,fight for their rights and make them smile and happy all the time" he concluded in his fluent Hausa.

Shocked,Abdallah asked him in Hausa,"So you can speak Hausa,Uncle Chyish?".

Christopher laughed at that and continued chatting with the little boy while Fateema demurely checked him out with downcast eyes.

He looked dashing and regal in full Hausa native wear--coffee brown getzner tailored perfectly with a matching cap which looked soo good on his fair skin.

Indeed he looked extremely good that Fateema couldn't help but ask herself did he even miss me?.Did he suffer the same sleepless nights?.

Her thoughts were interrupted by C.J's clearing of throat and his amused voice asking, "Like what you see?"

Adopting a haughty attitude, Fateema arched her eyebrow as she retorted. "Don't flatter yourself. I was just wondering how on earth you got here."

Smirking,he replied "Ai ni mayenki ne. (I'm a wizard after you).I am everywhere you go!"

Raising her hands to cover her niqab-covered face,she said,"So you heard me say that that day at the centre!"