Replacement Girl

Chapter 16 - Ahmad

Ever since Naziha and I visited that clergyman, I refused to follow her to any clergyman's house again and that made her furious. She said I was irresponsible.

Today, she went out as early as possible without my knowledge. I could tell she went to see a clergyman again. It was obvious because I couldn't find the money I kept in my drawer when I woke up from sleep. The money was almost N200k, something I kept to settle Humairah and Sarah's monthly salary.

Sarah started working in my house few weeks ago, she had been helping Humairah in many things. I was told she was a good cook but when I first tasted her food I couldn't help but to make a witty remark on it. I told her to just leave the cooking to Humairah and concentrate on other aspects. I thought she would be sad but she smiled and took her bow. She was a married woman with no children yet.

Today being the first day of the new month, I supposed to pay both Humairah and Sarah their salary but since Naziha had took the money from my drawer and I didn't have much money left in the house, I had to take a drive to the nearest ATM to withdraw some money from my bank account, or was there any other alternative?

Dressed in a black polo top and a blue jeans, I put on a black face cap, took my car key and master card from the drawer and left the room. Both Humairah and Sarah were in the sitting room cleaning and mopping when I walked to them. They both greeted me and I could see the - where is our salary - look in their faces. I smiled and shook my head lightly. "Maybe I should start paying you both via bank transfer" I said as I brought out my phone from my pocket and began swiping through.

"Yes!" Sarah said.

"Huh?" Humairah uttered.

"Sarah, give me your account number" I said and thus she quickly called it for me. "Did you receive it?" I asked after having successfully transferred the money to her. I heard the beep of her small phone but I had to ask to be sure.

"Yes, thank you so much sir!" She said.

"You are welcome" I smiled and turned to Humairah. "How about you, Humairah?" I wrinkled a brow.

"Actually, I... I don't have a bank account" She coyly stuttered.

"Like seriously?" I teased.

"Yes, she doesn't have any" Sarah chimed.

"Hmmm" I huffed and shook my head. "Adjust your veil, let's go to the bank and open a tier2 savings account for you" I said.

"Sir?" She dropped her jaw in surprise.

"Yes, or don't you want to have an account too?" I wrinkled a brow.

"I... I want to!" She said as she rinsed her hands in a bucket and adjusted her veil. "Let me go and get my slippers"

"Okay, meet me in the car outside when you are done!" I said walking out of the house.

...

While waiting for Humairah in the car, I tried calling Naziha to hear from her but her number was unreachable. Where could she be for God's sake? I mulled over as I began texting her.

"Naziha, where are you please? I tried calling your number again and again but it was unreachable. Please call me when you get this message. I love you!"

I plugged the phone on charge and quickly ignited the car engine into action as soon as I saw Humairah coming. She had wanted sitting in the front with me but then she moved to the back door and stormed in. Was she shy or what?

"Why?" I asked staring at her through the rearview mirror.

"Why what? She puzzled.

"Why did you change your mind?" I asked.

"I don't understand, sir" She said.

"Okay, forget it" I muttered as I drove us out of the house in speed.

I was a lover of driving, I didn't like to be driven by my driver unless if I was sick or something. I loved to drive myself always and I never get tired of doing that.

"Do you have a phone? I mean, a number because it is essential" I said.

"Presently I don't, but..."

"No buts, let's get you a new phone" I said as I made a U-Turn and changed our route. She was very happy to hear that.

"Thank you, sir" She said.

"It's okay" I said as I pulled over - adjacent a phone shop by the junction. "Let's go" I said storming out of the car. We went in and surprisingly I saw one of my old friends. "Bashir, is this you?" I puzzled.

"Ahmad Jaafar Zaki, the sole heir of Zaki Company!" He squealed as we shook and dragged each other into a hug. "Kai, ba-ba ka boye fa (Oh man, you've been out of the radar)! How have you been?" He said.

"Hmm, bazaka gane ba abokina (You won't understand, my friend). How's Raliyah? Hope kun fara zuba (you've started giving birth to) children already?" I teased him forgetting the fact that a teen was standing close to me - Humairah!

"Ba kaki zuwa auren mu ba (you refused to come to our wedding), anyways yaran mu yanzu biyu (our children are now two)" He said.

"Kai (what?), you are a sharp shooter al qur'an (I swear)!" I teased.

"Ni koh (me, huh)?" He laughed out louder. "How is Naziha? Don't tell me kishiyar ta ke ga (this girl here is your second wife)!"

"No! Naziha is fine, and this one here is my employee. I am here to get her a phone" I said.

"Phone?" He gave me a weird look. "I am sensing something here!"

"You are sensing things, do you own this shop?" I changed the topic before he killed me with his exaggerations.

"Yes, I have two more others across the city" He said smiling broadly.

"A man who finds a good wife finds good thing, Raliyah has really changed you!" I smirked at him. He wasn't the type that liked business. I knew it was the work of his wife, she was a business woman.

"Of course she did, and I am very happy wallahi (I swear). We do have our ups and downs but Alhamdulillah (thanks to God), things are moving just great with us" He said.

And that made me to think about my own wife, Naziha. If only I could change her back to who she was. "You are lucky" I gulped and smiled at him. "Anyways, I need Galaxy S9 if you have it and also an MTN sim card"

"Yes, there is S9..." He brought it out of a glass shelf with its container and placed it in front of me. "Here is the MTN sim too, but she needs to register first. Let me call one of my boys to do that for her" He said with a broad smile.

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Yay, another update!