She was cuddled up on her bed like how it had become a routine for her, whenever she came back from work, she did nothing but curled up into a fetus position in her bed or her living room, nothing appealed to her anymore. She wanted to go back home, so that maybe if she was there, she would feel relieved. But she couldn't do that when she was in this state of mind, she knew Mama would bombard her with questions of what was going on in her life, and there was no way she could tell her the truth. She'd rather go after she was back to her normal self when it didn't hurt as much as it did now.
Farha always made sure she called to ask how she was doing but it was always not like before. She didn't like the phone calls that much. She just wanted to be herself, alone, in her little world. She was sure she saw the flashing of her phone, it had been on silent mode for all she could remember, but she chose to ignore. Because she knew she wasn't in the right mind to have a proper conversation nor could she act as every other human did. She did more of breathing than she lived. The real meaning of life.
After a few seconds or even up to a minute with her phone's screen flashing, she heard the knocking sound on her door. Maybe it was the delivery man, because for the past days, since it happened, Farha almost ordered for her dinner and had it delivered to her. Jalilah would forever be grateful to her, because most of the times, she would have starved to death. She didn't have much energy left in her to cook for herself. She wanted to ignore the knocking, but the grumbling sound her stomach made was what reminded her that she needed the package, and she lazily pulled herself up from the bed. She wore her hijab and walked out to the door.
The knocks were getting persistent that she softly hissed and wondered what kind of an impatient man this delivery guy was, "I'm sorry, I'll be at the door. Don't break it please." She wasn't strong enough to yell, she would have done that.
She unlocked the door and when she saw the intruder, Jalilah couldn't hide her bewilderment. She couldn't believe what she was seeing right in front of her, were they the one. "Can we come in?" That was Wafiyya, as she smiled softly at her and that was when Jalilah knew what she was supposed to do.
She absentmindedly nodded her head and moved to give them the space to enter. She was glad Farha had forced her to clean her house yesterday if not, she would have been embarrassed. Because her whole house was a mess! But at least today it looked human enough. Wafiyya guided them to the living room and Jalilah walked toward her kitchen to get them refreshments. She was still not over the shock, and she wished she hadn't left her phone in her room, she would have called Farha and asked her what she should do, even though she didn't know what they came here for.
She walked into the living room with a feign smile on her lips as she dropped the refreshments and her cookies on the centre table. "You're welcome." She found herself a seat on one of the unoccupied sofas and stared at Wafiyya, that was the only safe place to look at. Sulaiman, had this big brother look that she suddenly found unnerving, and to talk about Yazeed? She knew if she looked at him there was nothing that could stop her from breaking into tears, she was still not over everything. Just seeing him now had brought everything back to her in such a speed that it nearly knocked her out of her breath.
They took the refreshments before Wafiyya looked at her with a smile, "I just escorted them, more like escorted him." She pointed at Sulaiman and that was the first time he had smiled. "I'm team Jalilah today, forget about the Bunza I have on my last name." Jalilah forced out a chuckled and she turned to look at Sulaiman. She wondered what was happening. And who the hell among them managed to bring Yazeed to her house?
"Good evening, HR." She greeted once again, and he smiled at her.
"Call me Sulaiman, please. You're looking up the creek, we're not here to kidnap you, Jalilah. Please be your normal self." He joked, and she eased off a bit. Funny how having a visitor in your house would make you such uneasy that you'd wish you were the visitor so you could leave.
She only smiled and ducked her head, that was when Sulaiman began speaking. "Wafiyya told me everything, Jalilah. And I figured out there was no way I couldn't try my best to make sure you've had what you've always been dreaming of. I'll start with what I'd do on my part, for your NYSC service, I'll make sure your clearance is done and you wouldn't have to worry, okay? You can go there and chase your dream, spread your wings until you achieve what you want."
Since when he started talking and Jalilah figured out what he was talking about, she fixed her eyes on him and couldn't take them off. It wasn't like she wasn't happy with all he had uttered, but that's not what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear what had Yazeed involved, they all knew that, and that's why they had this teasing smiles on their faces. When he was done, he turned to look at Yazeed with a soft and pleading look.
"You promised to say it yourself, right? Do that please." She didn't want to, but her eyes naturally looked at him, and he had a cool smile that she wished she could scrub off, she didn't want him to be this cool when she was fighting her heart to hate him. He shouldn't look so handsome like he did, even if it was evident that he had something choking up his chest with each passing second.
His eyes fell on her, and she felt every jacking feeling in her body. She was quick at looking down onto her fingers, but before he spoke, Wafiyya stood up abruptly, "Sulaiman, I have bought something online, I need to go and pick it up, will you please drive me there? Your son makes me so weak that driving is proving to be hard these days."
Sulaiman stared at her before he stood up as well, "Yes, Jalilah do you need ice cream on our way back?"
She looked up at the two cousins and smiled, she needn't be told that this was their way of wanting to let them have a time of themselves. She nodded her head at him, "Yes, any flavour will do."
Wafiyya turned to Yazeed that had his face scrunched up into a frown, "What about you Yazeed? Or you don't need anything?"
She glared at her before he replied, "I need a new leather belt that if I strike your body with it, you'll have to find a doctor that will stitch your skin for you." That was the first time he spoke since they came to the house, and Jalilah wished he had spoken since when they arrived because somehow, his voice managed to calm her down.
"You're so mean, make sure you rectify what you've damaged. Sulaiman, let's go, you're the sweetest among the two of you, he's so violent and..." She let her words trialled off until she was only a foot away from the door when she yelled, "And grumpy! Jalilah wasn't lying when she said you were grumpy!" And in a flash, they were out of the living room, Jalilah could hear Sulaiman's laughter until they walked out and drove off.
She smiled and naturally her eyes turned back to Yazeed, that was when she realized he had been staring at her. "So, I'm grumpy and mean?" The question took her off guard, she quickly shook her head and slyly smiled.
"No, it was just Wafiyya being herself. But in some truth, yeah, you are. Especially the grumpy part." She chuckled softly, not knowing how or where the awkwardness vanished into.
"I won't apologize to that though, it's not like you've worn an Ankara gown and I failed to notice." This time, they smiled at the same time. She was looking at him with sheer admiration, loving the way he complimented her house with the way he sat down and the cup he took a drink from? She was making sure she had marked it with her eyes so she would be taking her drinks from it. And no one is allowed to use it but herself.
"So..." They started at the same time and broke into a peal of laugher.
"You go first..." They uttered in unison and this time, Jalilah had no choice but to seal her lips with her fingers. "I'm shut, you go first."
He nodded his head with the remains of the smile and took his time like the real Yazeed he was before he began talking. "I don't know how to put the words, but I think I should start with an apology right? I'm sorry, Jalilah. I know I've hurt you even though I'm totally at fault, I had my reasons until Sulaiman made things clear for me. So I think now I could be able to do it, I mean...to help you get what you want. But you know, living together..."
She cut him off before he was done with one of the most ecstatic smiles he had ever seen on her face. "I know, both our religion and culture didn't allow it, but you know, it's not like we're getting into a haram relationship. Do we have to set some rules out if that will be okay with you? I know you're a reserved person, I'll make sure to get along with your rules, I promise." He kept staring at her while she rambled in one breath, the smile not leaving her face.
He nodded his head at her, "Yes, I think that will be better. What are your rules?"
She shook her head at him, "I don't have any rules, but I'm sure you have yours already drafted maybe with your signature on them, right?" She asked, and he laughed before he nodded his head.
"I have them drafted already, not with a lawyers signature though."
She abruptly stood up, "Why don't we write them out now? Should I bring a notepad and pen for us?" She asked and he stared at her. Even though it was kind of a crazy idea, he liked it. She seemed to be getting back to her old self and he was so much liking it. He couldn't believe in just three days they were going to start living together. That was kind of strange to him.
"I'll bring them now," she said after he had nodded his head at her. In no time, she was back to the living room with her phone in one hand and the notepad with a pen in the other. She looked at him and then back to the sofa she was seated on.
"Where should we sit on then, we have to agree on everything we're going to write." She looked at the space beside him, he was seated on the three sitters and she knew that was the only place they could seat without brushing against each other. "Can I sit?" She asked, and he nodded his head while he adjusted himself to provide more space between them.
She sat down hesitatingly and placed down the notepad on the table in front of them, "What's your first rule? I'll write, or you'll do that?" She asked he nodded his head.
"Yes, you should. The first rule is, you don't have to come anywhere close to my room." She looked at him, and for a split second, Jalilah had forgotten that they fought, they were just speaking again as they used to, after a long time. She rolled her eyes at him and scoffed.
"What do you mean by that? Please don't even make me angry. How could I even come close to your room?" When he hadn't voiced a word out, she pouted and scribbled it down, "Fine, I've written that. But you know that even if I were to break some of the rules, I can't break this. What's the second rule?"
"The second rule is, you can't check my things. You can't ask me personal questions."
"That's two rules at a time, noted. What again?" She scribbled it down and waited. When he didn't voice a word out, she looked up from the notepad and found him staring at her, she smiled.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked while palming her face to see if she had something on her face.
He quickly shook his head at her with a smile. "No, you don't. I'm thinking of the next rule, it's about you. You can't walk around the house with any type of clothes..." He let his words trailed off when she began to laugh.
"I can't walk around the house with skimpy clothes, just my gowns with my hair fully covered, you've got nothing to worry about. I know I shouldn't have too much makeup on, because it makes me look like a runaway angel, right?" This time, he was the one that laughed, but he nodded his head at her.
"You can't wear too much Ankara, because it makes you look so beautiful as well..." She was about to speak when he added, "Anything Hausa attire! Laces, anything!"
She squealed and chuckled, "Am I hearing you're so beautiful Jalilah and sometimes it's so irresistible?"
"You're not serious, we're just trying to make it as halal as possible." She nodded her head and scribbled the words down with a smile.
"Written down, what else?" She stared at him but after so much thought, he shook his head.
"I think that's all, but I can add more if I want even if we're there. But for now, that's all. Say your rules out."
"Okay..." She was about to say out her rules when she remembered that she didn't even know what he shouldn't do to her or around her. She picked up her phone from the table, "Wait, I have to call my best friend. You wouldn't mind, right?" She asked, and he chuckled before he shook his head.
"You can call her, Farha, right?"
"Yes," she answered and dialled Farha's number. It was as if Farha was waiting for her call because she picked up at the first ring, "Farha, you're going to be on speaker, behave yourself. I'm not alone. I'm with..." She didn't know what to call address him as so Farha will fully understand. They had different bad names for him, she prayed it wasn't going to be embarrassing for her.
"Who are you together with? And don't put me on speaker yet if you don't want me to embarrass your ancestors, Jalilah."
"I'm with Yazeed, my boss, you get?" She bit her inner cheek and waited for a response from her, she prayed she had recognized.
"Oh, the I'm on my period boss? Okay, then. But wait, what are you two doing together? It's past 8 pm, Jalilah. No, that's not even the right question, has he agreed?" There was an edge of hope on her last words and Jalilah smiled before she nodded her head as if she could see her.
"Yes he did, and we're setting rules before we leave. I don't have any rules, you're going to help me with that. Is it safe now if I put you on speaker? Won't you embarrass my ancestors, Farha?"
Farha laughed so loud before she spoke, "I can't do that to you. Go ahead."
Jalilah put the phone on speaker and placed it between them on the table. "Girl, we're all ears, what should be the first rule? Or should I call his rules out for you?"
"Come on, wait. You said his name is Yazeed right? Yazeed, oh sorry, you're our boss. Good evening, I hope my best friend is doing fine?" Way to go, Jalilah knew from this how my best friend is doing, it will escalate into something she would either end the call for or live through the embarrassment forever.
"She's doing fine, Farha. Yes, my name is Yazeed." Jalilah was surprised at the way he spoke lively to Farha as if he had known her before.
"I'm glad she's doing fine. Even though you've hurt her some time ago, I've forgiven you because she kinds of likes you, and I like whatever she likes. I've seen your picture too, so much beauty for a man, her words though, not mine. And also..." He was staring at Jalilah doing all he could not burst out into a peal of laugher lest the sound of his laughter brought back some senses to Farha and she stopped speaking.
"Farha!!! What are you doing? You promised not to embarrass me! Are you telling me the rules or you're going to spill my secrets from childbirth?" Jalilah screamed and they both burst out laughing at the way she seemed embarrassed.
"Okay, I'm sorry, come on Baby Jally. Yazeed, I call her this or An Jali Jali whenever I want to beguile her with my words. It's safe to try it as well." Farha mischievously chuckled before she heaved a sigh and began, "For the rules, call out his rules first, so I can see the direction he has taken."
"You're dead, idiot," Jalilah spoke through gritted teeth but she called out the rules to her nonetheless.
"Yazeed! That first rule, she's the one that's in the right position to set it, because I won't hesitate to have you locked up if something happens to my..."
"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihir raji'un, Farha!!!"
"Okay, I'm sorry. But all his rules apply to him as well. But yours will only be yours, you get? Women are privileged. He can't be wearing kaftan all over and have you drooling over the way he looks, you mentioned that he looks..."
"I'm dead, please I don't want the rules anymore!"
Yazeed laughed and questioned, "Don't mind her, Farha. I look what?"
"I don't know, she made mention that whenever you wear a kaftan, it's so intense that she finds it so hard to take her eyes off you, that you look so much like an angel, and when you speak, it's always like..."
"Wallah I've disowned you! Yazeed, I'll tell you my rules later. Don't even try calling me for the next decade!" She screamed the words out and ended the call, switching off the phone in whole.
He was laughing so hard even after she had turned the phone off and had her palms covering her face. "Ya Rabb, I'm so embarrassed right now, what should I do?"
He laughed before he replied her, "Nothing, just compliment me all over. Like you've done to her. So all this while I've been looking like an angel to you and you haven't mentioned anything about it?"
"Yazeed!" She whined and covered her face, even more, he laughed and relaxed back onto the sofa, admiring the way she looked and acted when she was shy.
She abruptly stood up and was looking at everywhere but his face, "Do you know how to cook?" She asked.
"You can't be asking me something while you aren't even looking at me, Jalilah."
She sighed and turned, "Okay, can you cook?"
"Yes I can, what's with the question?" He held her gaze and replied.
"I'm hungry, but I don't have enough energy to cook something. What and what do you know how to cook?"
"Pasta and some few other things. You don't mean that I should cook for you, right?" He asked with amusement in his eyes, how she looked all whiny and cute.
"Please, I've cooked for you times without number, just this once. I can make the salad while you make the pasta, I have orange juice in my fridge, so?"
"Why don't I call Sulaiman and ask him to buy something for you to eat?" She quickly shook her head.
"No, I want it made by you." She made sure she emphasized you and Yazeed was even surprised at himself when he sighed and stood up, muttering "Okay, where's the kitchen?"
She guided him to the kitchen and after she had brought out all the ingredients they would need, she turned to look at him. "I'll just go and quickly change into a free gown, I don't like cooking in abayas. You can start before I'm back."
She was about to leave the kitchen when she heard his voice, "I'm not your chef, Jalilah. In case you've forgotten about that."
She raised her voice to make sure he heard her, "You mentioned that I look like a runaway angel, treat me like one!" He could only smile and he couldn't believe himself when he started moving around in the kitchen. Like she had mentioned, she was back in no time and they began working together while she asked him all sorts of questions that crossed her mind.
He was stirring the pasta when he turned to look at her, "I think it will be best if we leave to Adamawa tomorrow, what do you think?"
She grinned and spoke, "I can't believe this is happening. I haven't even gotten the chance to thank you. Yes, we should, and thank you so much, Yazeed."
"I can see you're now accustomed with calling my name, that's a good step, Jalilah." He joked, and she laughed before she turned her eyes back to the bowl of her salad.
"Before I forget," she began when she looked up at him, "I have two of my maternal cousins living with us, they're twins; Fareed and Fareeda. They are the craziest teenager's I've ever met in my life, get ready."
After she was done making the salad, she kept looking at him as he expertly moved around the kitchen. She couldn't control the feeling that surged through her mind. She wished they were more than what they were now. She did. He felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her, "Why are you looking at me?"
"Nothing, it just feels good seeing you walking around my kitchen and cooking for me like the angel I am." He chuckled and shook his head.
"Get the table ready, I'll be done now." She nodded and did as he asked of her. She was in the dining table when he walked out of the kitchen holding the tray he had served their pasta in two plates. She waited until he placed the plates before she spoke.
"We're eating from the same plate, and you can't say no because you were the one that initiated it and I've missed eating with you." Yazeed had no choice but to oblige he had been wanting to serve them in one plate but he didn't think she'd like that anymore. He thought to her those were moments she wouldn't want to recreate again, as much as he wanted to do recreate them with her every passing second.
They sat down and she placed down two forks in front of them and shuffled through the television channels until she found the one that suited her. They kept eating while their attentions were fixed on the television before she abruptly turned. "They aren't back yet!"
He turned to look at her and nodded, "Yes, maybe I should call them. You need to sleep early because our flight will be at noon. I've noticed how you had to sleep in Sulaiman's house, was it because of you..."
She didn't let him finish his sentence when she squealed and threw her head back and laughed, "Weren't we fighting then? Girl! He cared!" She made some funny dancing moves with her upper body and he laughed watching her being that ecstatic just because he knew what happened in her life when they were fighting.
"I don't know what's wrong with you. I've said this times without number, but I'll have to say this again, you're crazy, Jalilah. It's not like I found out about that when I wanted to, I happened to be there when Wafiyya was telling Ilham that you were asleep." She rolled her eyes at him and shrugged off her shoulders.
"Whatever, at least you knew."
He smiled and brought his phone out of his breast pocket and dialled Sulaiman's number. "I don't know what has kept you this long, Sulaiman. Is it the online shop or the ice cream parlour that has a long queue or what?" That was a sarcastic reply, Jalilah couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, come on. Ilham called that Yazeed has been coughing, we just went to the pharmacy and got him some medicines and drove home directly. We've forgotten you were there, maybe she should just take an uber home?" The moment he said those last words, Yazeed knew it was a setup. He could hear the distinct sound of Wafiyya and Ilham's laughter even though they were trying to make it not sound loud.
"Okay, please make sure he's fine. Goodnight." He ended the call and Jalilah had her curious eyes fixed on him.
"What is it? Why are they not back yet?" She asked.
"Yazeed was having a cough, they bought medicines for him and left home, forgetting they have left me here." She stood up the moment he said those words.
"I'll drive you home then, I'll just bring my keys from my room." He nodded at her and waited until she was back from her room before he stood up and went to the sofa he had left his cap on.
"Wait! I'll help with that, please? I've always loved how they wear it, can I wear it for you?" She shamelessly stood in front of him and stretched out her hand to him waiting for the cap. She had always admired it when a wife put the cap on her husband's head, it gave her this fluttery feeling, and she felt the urge to try it today when she had seen his cap today.
He laughed and shook his head, "No, I'm too tall for you."
"It's not like I'm short myself. You'll just have to bend over a little. I can even climb on the sofa if you want." She tried climbing onto the sofa when he stopped her.
"I don't know the kind of crazy thoughts that are running in your head, I'll just bend over." He handed her the Zannah bukar.
She smiled and waited until he ducked his head down and she donned it on his head, smiling as she made sure she adjusted it like the way they did for their husbands. The only difference was, those husbands kissed their wives foreheads after and hugged them to show their appreciation, but she wasn't getting any. Nevertheless, she was happy that she at least knew how it felt.
He stood straight after she was done and smiled appreciatively at her, "Thank you. Can we leave?" She nodded her head at him and they walked out of the house. They sat down in the car but before she turned on the ignition, she lifted her phone.
"Can I take a picture of us? It feels good being to...what are we? Last I remember you said I wasn't your friend."
"I don't know, boss and employee? Anything. Yes, as long as you won't drool over the picture later, you know? I'm wearing a kaftan."
She whined and rolled her eyes at him, "Farha, this reminds me, I'm going to kill that girl." She took a picture of them and after she did, she shared it with him through airdrop before they drove off. Silence prevailed in the car, filling their hearts with so much peace that Jalilah had longed for in the last few days. She had this cute smile as she looked at the google map that was directing her to his house because he made it clear he hated giving directions and receiving them.
She suddenly parked beside an ice cream parlour she had seen and turned to look at him, "Do you want some? Which flavour?"
"I don't take too much sugar, remember?"
"Escort me please, I don't want any Abuja guy hitting on me. I don't know, is it because they hardly ever see the kinds of beautiful Adamawa girls or what?" She taunted and Yazeed glared at her before they hopped out of the car while she laughed.
"Why are you frowning? Come on, I said the truth. They're always drooling over a beautiful girl, I wonder why."
"Are you going to buy this ice cream or you prefer I take you to the joint you can meet tons of Abuja guys in a day?" She scoffed and went silent until they bought the ice cream and were back in the car.
They shared no words as if they weren't the ones that had the best time of themselves today. She couldn't believe it she was sharing these moments with Yazeed, the person she had long given up on having any interaction with. She parked in front of his huge luminous gate and turned to look at him with a bewildered expression. "What a huge house you've got there, should I drive you in?"
She softly shook his head with a smile, "My gateman will be having some crazy thoughts. I'll walk in myself, enough time to clear my head."
"To clear your head of my thoughts? Woah, great job, Khadija."
"You're sick, I have a lot of things to worry about. And what's with the Khadija?" She had once heard that there was a certain feeling brought to one's soul by parked car conversations, but she had never believed this but today. They weren't having any meaningful conversation, but she felt it was everything she needed and more.
"I tend to call myself that at times to remind myself I have a name apart from Jalilah."
He chuckled softly, "Should I be calling you that? Or it should be Ballerina?"
She squealed and clapped her hands together, excited. "Oh my god! Ballerina...Yes, please! God, I feel like hugging you right now." It wasn't until the words slipped out of her slipped and noticed the expression he had on his face that she realized what she had said. God, make her vanish right this instant.
Guyss...is someone cutting onions?🥺❤️
Jalilah and Yazeed are sooo cute! ❤️
If you can't wait, don't forget the complete book is available on both OkadaBooks and Selar ❤️