The Second Path

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I woke up the following morning, only to realise I slept on the couch in the parlor all night. I looked outside the parlor window while lying on the couch to see it was just sunrise time. I glanced at the clock immediately and it was 6:05 am.

Why was I up so early?

I sat up from the couch and remembered what I dreamt about last night. I remembered that inna Hauwa dropped Kauna in my house before she ran away from Mansur.

I really need to visit their house this afternoon to see if all was well after having that strange dream.

After few minutes of deciding whether to stand up or not, I stood up to go to my room. The moment I opened the door, I saw Kauna sleeping on my bed.

It was... not a dream.

I rubbed my two eyes to be sure if I was still dreaming and yet, Kauna was still sleeping on my bed. She laid there like someone who was lying in a coffin and be prepared to be buried.

This was not good. I would have to go and tell mallam Audu that Inna Hauwa ran away and his daughter was here, and then maybe his mother or sisters or Miss Rosey, which I doubt, would look after her.

I walked into the room quietly and my eyes glanced outside my room window, only to realize mallam Audu's gate door was open. This was the opportunity to tell him.

I quickly grabbed my wrapper and tied it over my sleeping dress on my waist before leaving the house.

I walked into mallam Audu's house for the very first time in my life. Something told me to leave the house once I stepped into the compound but I knew this was for Kauna's good. The front compound of the house was just like every regular house with garden flowers around and an old-looking grey Peugeot 504 model was parked at the right side of the compound.

Silently, I walked up to the door and rang the bell. There was no answer. I knocked on the door but there was still no answer.

My consciousness told me to go to the back door as I made my way there. I knew this was none of my business but I had to deal with this once and for all. I could not look after Kauna. She was a stranger to me.

I walked to the back door and knocked on it, immediately the wooden door pushed open by my knock without anyone opening it. I slowly walked into the house, appearing into the semi-dark kitchen. Like I said, there was never light in the house.

"Mallam Audu?" I called out carefully. "It's Miriam!"

There was no answer.

I silently walked into the house more as I left the kitchen and came across the corridor and staircase side.

"Mallam Audu!" I called out, louder this time.

There was still no answer. Then I made my way through the curtain ahead of me which I knew was the doorway to their sitting room.

A faint smell hit me as I walked closer to the curtain and this caused me to cover my nose. Immediately I opened the curtain, I found a passed out mallam Audu lying on the floor with his back facing the ceiling.