INSIDE AREWA

Chapter 32 - Idris

We arrived at Minna late in the evening, if only our roads were good! I fed Amani and took her to her bed in her new room as soon as she fell asleep. While praying Magrib, rain started falling heavily to the extent I couldn't even hear my recitation clearly. After the Magrib, I waited and prayed Isha before going to the parlour to watch news. It was a miracle there was still light despite the heavy rain, but just as I sat comfortably on the sofa and switched to Al Jazeera, AEDC took their light. I really wasn't expecting it so I was dumbfounded.

God, this people will not kill me. I sighed as I on my phone's flashlight. I took an umbrella and walked outside to the backyard. There was a roof there housing my Mikano 300KVA power generator. I turned the switch to GEN and then powered the generator. After that, I returned back to the flat with my umbrella to watch news. While watching the video of the missiles launched by Iran to American bases in Iraq as retaliation to the assassination of their Army Chief, someone began banging my door.

Shit, who could that be? I wondered as I lazily stood from the sofa and gently walked over to the door. I was sure to punish my gateman if he was the one banging my door like that. I really was eighty percent sure he was the one but when I opened the door, it wasn't him - it was someone esle, someone I least expect at the moment. It was my Manal, and she was outrightly drenched. She was wearing a backpack and was quivering unstoppable.

"Manal?" I uttered in puzzlement.

Just then, she gave me a hug like she was going to break me. "I... love you, I... I love you Idris..." She kept stuttering while crying heavily. I was scared and at the same time confused, what happened to her? I kept wondering as I walked us inside the flat and shut the door behind us.

"It's okey, Manal" I said as I sat her on the couch. "What happened to you, tell me?"

"I... I need to change my cloth!" She said. "I... I am feeling ex... extremely cold, please my bag"

"Okey, okey" I pulled off her backpack and guess what? All her clothes weren't drenched. It was a waterproof bag. Thus, I removed a hood sweater for her and a very tick trouser from the bag. "Lets go to the bathroom first, you need to take a hot shower okey?" I said.

"I... I can't walk anymore" She said in tears.

That moment, I felt a big punch in my heart. I quickly took her into my arms and rushed her to the bathroom. I laid her in the bathtub and showered her with the not so hot water while still on her old dress. Thus, she stopped quivering. I shouldn't be saying this but Manal was the beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Seeing her in the bathtub drenched and vivid made me to have erection. I had to control myself to the highest level even though she was still in her clothes. Alhamdulillah for the kind of person Allah created me to be. I showered her with the water until her temperature was finally normal. Thus, I went and brought a bathrobe for her to wear.

"Thank you" She said.

"You are welcome" I said with a smile and left the bathroom. As soon as she was done changing into the bathrobe she called me.

"Is it okey if I hang my drenched clothes here to dry?" She asked while pointing at a hanger.

"Of course, yes!" I said and helped her hanged the clothes. "So, how are you feeling yanzu?"

"Normal" She said as we walked out of the bathroom. "I was in the rain for an hour..."

"What? You trekked?" I was puzzled.

"Hmm, the cab I boarded broke halfway and I couldn't get another one, so I trekked" She said.

"Oh God!" I lamented.

"I am sorry" She sighed drawing closer to me.

"It's okey" I held her waist. "But can I ask you a question?" I uttered as I rose one of my brows.

"Yeah, is everything okey?" She said.

"Actually, I don't think so. When I went to bring Amani back from Salim's house he... he was so angry with me, not only him but Hauwa and Hajiya also. He said Qasim told him I slept with you" I said not mentioning the punches I got.

"I know right? It was all my fault" She said.

"How?" I asked. That was when she told me all that had happened, how she forged everything and how it all worked out. I was so astonished.

"They eventually realised it was a big lie but by then, Ya Qasim's dad had already cancelled the wedding" She said wearing a smile on her face.

"But that was risky, and you should have told Salim and Hajiya the truth as well" I uttered.

"When yesterday in the evening Hajiya called my mother and told her all that had happened between you and Salim, she was literally told the whole truth and was told to tell Salim as well. Am I a devil for all that I did?" She said.

"You are not a devil for solving one of our biggest problems" I uttered embracing her.

"I love you, Idris" She said.

"I love you too" I huffed. Thus, I walked her to the bed and covered her with the blanket. "Goodnight" I said walking towards the door.

"You forgot to peck me on my forehead" She said and that made me to gulp. "Please, Idris"

"Okey" I walked back to her, pecked her and left to the parlor to continue watching news.

******

The following day I woke up so very early and checked both Amani and Manal before praying Fajr. They were both sleeping soundly in their respective rooms. It was after the prayer that I decided to wake Manal up. She changed into a hood sweater and very thick trousers before praying her own fajr. "Please don't tell me your kitchen is still dry..." She said as she headed to the kitchen after the prayer. "If not wallahi..."

"Hmm, I am sorry" I cut in trailing her. "If we get married I am going to add things, okey?"

"Even if you don't I will do that myself" She said taking two hungry man sized indomie from its carton. "Eating indomie like a kid!"

"Is someone angry?" I giggled.

"Angry? To say I am angry is absolutely an understatement" She said feigning sadness.

"Okey let me go and... and buy some bread for us to drink tea, should I..." I said as she cut in.

"Yes please, hurry up!" She squealed returning the two indomie she took into their carton...

I walked out to a nearby shop and bought two N150 Golden Bread, 5 sachets of Peak Choco and a packet of cube sugar. On my way back I saw a big highlander parked close to my gate.

"Who could that be?" I wondered.

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Thank you for reading #InsideArewa