Federal Capital Territory,
Nigeria.
"Maymuna." Sakeena yelled throwing the door open. Her yell got followed with a gasp at the sight in front of her. She's dumbstruck, her jaw touching the floor. "I cannot believe this." She finally voiced.
"Naisa." Maymuna broke the silence. "You're back."
"Hell yeah I'm back." She trudged further into the living room with Khalifa following her. "How can you both do this to me?" She crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her foot on the tiled floor.
"It's not like we're supposed to tell you everything going on between us." Maymuna's announced making Sakeena to glare at him.
"Ya Fahad don't. I'm always the middleman in your relationship even when we're in two separate countries." She remembered the first time Imran contacted her after a while about the fight between her brother and best friend. "I'm always the one trying to fix your relationship even when I've got my own to handle and you think I don't deserve to know." Sakeena huffed and sat down on the one sitter opposite her brother.
Khalifa shook his head at Sakeena's childishness and went forward to exchange bro handshakes with Fahad. He took a seat beside Sakeena who's fuming for nothing. He placed his hand on top of Sakeena's which earned him a glare from Fahad.
"Ya Fahad can you please stop sending daggers at my husband?" Sakeena chided when she noticed her brother boring holes into Khalifa's head with his eyes.
"I can't believe you're this shameless now Naisa." He tsk and shook his head. "Mamie's going to hear about this."
"Too bad because she's the one who got me married in the first place." Sakeena smiled sarcastically. "Back to the topic at hand, I'm disappointed in you too."
"You said it yourself, you've got your own relationship to handle so focus on that." Fahad shooed her off making her pout.
Sakeena scoffed then stood up and walked to where her brother is sitting. "Ya Fahad I missed you." She engulfed him in a bear hug.
Fahad hugged her back. "I missed you too Naisa." They pulled away. "I can't believe you came to see Maymuna first than your own brothers."
"Hey!" Maymuna exclaimed.
"Sorry Moon, bros before hoes." Sakeena chided.
"Not fair!" Maymuna rolled her eyes.
"When are you guys getting married?" Sakeena asked abruptly.
"Not any time soon." Maymuna flashed Sakeena a sarcastic smile.
"See." Fahad faced Sakeena. "I'm ready but she always turns me down. Talk to her please."
"C'mon moon." Sakeena pleaded.
"Not everyone can get married at a really early age like you do Naisa." Maymuna leaned her head back on the sofa. "Let me finish high school at least."
Sakeena's eyes lit up with amusement. "Then you'll marry my brother?"
"Not yet." Maymuna answered deadpanned.
"Why not?" Sakeena frowned.
"I'm not ready."
"Was I?"
Maymuna shook her head. "Yours was a different case."
Sakeena shot up from her seat. "Why are you giving my brother a hard time?"
Maymuna raised her eyes to look at her before looking away and ignored Sakeena's question which made Sakeena furious. "Answer me Maymuna." Maymuna kept shut making Sakeena more enraged.
"I always thought Ya Fahad is the one with the problem here but I was wrong. You're the one with the problem her. Ya Fahad loves you unconditionally but you always break his heart."
"Naisa." Fahad stepped in before all this blow up into a huge fight. He held her hand but she snatched it away.
"Ya Fahad no!" Sakeena yelled. "She can't keep hurting you over and over again." She turned to face her friend. "I was in Egypt when Imran called me and told me you two had a fallout but I still asked him to apologize to you which he did but you're still turning him down. Maymuna why are you hurting a soul that truly loves you?" Maymuna kept shut.
Sakeena took in a deep breath. "You're truly hurting him Maymuna and I can't stand it any longer. It's either you get back to your senses and set your priorities right or I don't want to be your friend anymore." Maymuna craned her neck towards Sakeena.
"Stay within your lane and mind your own business Sakeena." Maymuna hissed and walked away from the living room while Sakeena stormed out the front door.
Khalifa and Fahad shared a look debating on who will go after who. Fahad stood up and went in the direction Sakeena left while Khalifa dashed up the stairs and went after his cousin. Fahad found Sakeena leaning against his car taking in deep breaths to calm herself down.
"Naisa." He called softly.
"Ya Fahad take me home."
"Which home?" He asked.
"Our home." He nodded and went round the car to the driver's side while Sakeena got into the passenger's seat. Fahad didn't say a word about the fight to her because he knows just how bad her anger gets.
Fahad pulled up into the empty parking space and turned the car off. Sakeena made a move to get out of the car but Fahad's voice stopped her. "Naisa wait."
Sakeena didn't say a word and leaned back into her seat. Fahad sighed. "Why did you yell at her?"
Sakeena scoffed. "Why did I yell at her?"
"I know you're looking out for me but it's not right to fight with her over something so small." Fahad drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the car.
Sakeena rolled her eyes. "Something so small? I can't believe this."
Fahad hissed under his breath. Their fight is draining the energy inside of him. "Whatever issue we have between us we'll resolve it on our own, what's the point of fuming up?"
"I did that for you."
"Naisa please try to understand."
"What is there for me to understand?" Ya Fahad Maymuna can't keep breaking your heart anymore. She's hurt you enough." Fahad let out a shaky breath. "You may not say it but I can see right through you that she is giving you a hard time." She took in deep breaths trying to calm her angry self down.
"Like I said earlier, we'll resolve it. Text Khalifa and tell him to come over." Sakeena nodded and did as she's told then they both exited the car.
Sakeena looked around the compound. Nothing has changed since she left. She took small steps to the front porch and pushed the front door open. The scent on bakhoor hit her nostrils, the one her Mamie always loves. A wave of homely feeling washed her. Noises coming from the kitchen pulled her out of her reverie and she found her legs moving towards the direction of the kitchen.
Lo and behold, she found her birth mother clad in a cotton boubou with sequins arranged in a floral pattern all over the dress. She tiptoed silently into the kitchen towards her mother. She wrapped her arms round her mother from behind and rested her head on her back.
"When will you grow up Fahad?" Sakeena giggled at her mother's oblivious state.
"Toh Mamie, koh dai kin har manta da d'ayan d'iyar ki?" Sakeena chided into her mother's ear.
Her Mamie froze and turned around to face her daughter. Sakeena hurled her herself on her mother hugging her right. "I missed you Mamie." Sakeena sniff.
"Kuka zakiyi?" Her mother teased when they pulled away.
Sakeena shook her head as she wiped her face with her veil. "Nayi kewarki sosai Mamie."
"So nawa zaki fada?"
"Ba iyaka." Sakeena followed her mother out of the kitchen to her room. She jumped on the bed while she waits for her mother to come out of the bathroom.
"Ya Egypt in?" Her mother asked. Sakeena went into narrating her entire trip to Egypt to her mother even her birthday and all the gifts she received, except all her intimate moments with Khalifa. She's not that shameless.
Her phone rang in her bag and Fahad's name showed on the screen. She picked the call and pressed the phone to her ear. "Your husband is here." Then a beep followed.
Sakeena got up from the bed. "Khalifa's here."
They both walked out of the room and met Khalifa with Fahad discussing. He exchanged pleasantries with his mother in law and she excused herself leaving Sakeena, Fahad and Khalifa.
Sakeena looked around for her other siblings but didn't find them. "Ya Fahad where's Amrah and Ya Adam?"
"Amrah's somewhere around and Ya Adam when to bring Hidaya over." He answered.
Sakeena raised a brow at him. "Who's Hidaya?"
"His fiancee."
"Fiancee?"
"Yeah, the gaisuwa was sent last two weeks and Mamie is fixing the lefe. How are you left behind?" Sakeena rolled her eyes.
"Just because I'm no longer in this house doesn't mean you should leave me out." Sakeena flared.
"Sorry sis."
"I won't take it." She made way to the kitchen and met her mother. "Mamie how can you not tell me I have a potential sister in law."
"I skipped my mind to inform you. Besides, I didn't want to disturb your vacation."
"Still." Sakeena munched on a banana.
"She's on her way, you'll meet her."
"I'm pained Mamie, you didn't do all this cooking because I'm visited, you did so for your potential daughter in law." Sakeena placed her hands on her chest dramatically.
"She's coming soon."
"Adda Naisa." Amrah jumped on Sakeena making them to crash on the ground.
"Careful Amrah, don't make me have a concussion." Sakeena dusted her dress when she got up.
"I missed you so much Adda."
"If to say I was here you'll be disrespecting life out of me. But, nonetheless, I missed you too." She pinched her little sister's cheek making her groan.
"Go and help set the table." Sakeena nodded and did as she's told. She didn't meet Khalifa and Fahad in the living room because they've left for the mosque as it's time for Zuhr prayer.
She went to her old room to pray also. The room is sparkly clean and neatly put together. Trust her mother to keep the room clean everyday. A knocked came on the door while she's folding the hijab she used to pray.
"Hey." Khalifa leaned against the doorjamb his eyes watching her every move.
"Sup." She winked at him.
Khalifa chuckled. "Do you just wink at me?"
Sakeena shrugged. "Maybe." She took slow steps towards him with a smirk on her face. Sakeena entwined her fingers on her neck as he straightened his posture.
He snaked his arms round her waist. "What are you doing?"
She wiggled her brows at him. "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Kinky much."
"I can say the same for you." She rolled her lips inwards then she sighed. "But, we can't do anything. We are at my parents house."
"Anything like?"
"I don't know, whatever crossed your mind." She released his neck and sidestepped him then walked out of the room leaving him flabbergasted.
Mehn, that girl definitely makes him go nuts.
Khalifa caught up with her at the top of the staircase and they went back to the living room together. A loud squeal came from Sakeena and in the blink of an eye, she jumped on her brother hugging him tight.
He twirled her round before setting her back in her feet. "Lollipop." He called her by the childhood name because of her love for lollipop back then.
"Ya Adam stop calling me that." Sakeena whined.
"But you'll always be my lollipop." He pulled her nose.
Sakeena shooed his hand off. "Ya Adam stop."
"Sakeena get off him, you're no longer a little girl." Their mother scolded. Sakeena pouted and sat beside her brother.
"Hidaya." Their mother called and that's when Sakeena noticed her tall and slender lady behind her brother. She is clad in a baby pink abaya that compliments her creamy skin colour with the veil on her head and the ends on a criss cross resting on her shoulders. She is an epitome of beauty which got Sakeena staring at her.
"Mamie." Hidaya bowed her head her cheeks turning into a light shade of red. Mamie enveloped her in a hug.
Sakeena wowed in her head. Had it not been for her dark skin, she would've definitely blushed harder than this and she'll look as red as a freshly plucked tumatur.
"This is Sakeena." Mamie introduced. Hidaya glanced at Sakeena and sent her a smile. Sakeena returned the gesture. "She wasn't around when you first came her." Hidaya's gaze moved to Khalifa who's quietly sitting. Both Fahad and Sakeena noticed the stare.
"And this is Khalifa, Sa-"
"Our cousin." Sakeena cut Fahad off. He chuckled earning himself a glare from Sakeena. Khalifa folded his lips inward preventing himself from bursting with laughter. Khalifa waved at Hidaya and she did the same.
Mamie pulled Hidaya to the table leaving the siblings and Khalifa behind. "Had it been you spilled it, I would've killed you."
"Sorry lollipop but she's going to become part of the family, she needs to know or she'll even find out herself." Sakeena scowled and rolled her eyes. She walked over to where Khalifa is sitting and sat on the arm of the sofa.
"One, don't call me lollipop. Two, you don't go around spilling everything." Khalifa placed a hand on Sakeena's mid back telling her to take it easy through body language. After the outburst with Maymuna today, he knows she's still infuriated.
"Okay then." Fahad shrugged. "Welcome to the family cousin." Fahad gave Khalifa a high five.
"That's what Maymuna calls him." Sakeena wiggled her brows in a teasing manner.
"You're still on with Maymuna?" Adam asked.
Fahad scratched the back of his neck and whispered a low yes.
"We met him there." Sakeena announced.
"Kai wai baka da zuciya neh." Adam wondered.
"Exactly. She keeps leading him on."
Fahad blew out a shaky breath. "Naisa not now."
Adam noticed the growing tension between the two. Sakeena and Fahad may argue most of the time but they never let anything come between them. "Did something happen?" Adam asked.
"No, nothing happened." Sakeena looked away.
"Fahad." Adam snapped. Fahad didn't answer him either instead, he looked away. He knows how those two always keep things between them so his turned to his last resort.
"Khalifa what happened?" Khalifa's eyes widened at the question. Adam's intense stare on him make him want to cower but he didn't. He glanced at Sakeena then Fahad before he returned his gaze back on Adam which made his insides churn.
He never thought Sakeena's brother can be this intimidating. Sakeena's always liked to tell him some of her childhood memories and he didn't take him to be this strict. If Fahad is strict and hard to please he understands because he's in the military but Adam, this is new to him.
Khalifa narrated everything that happened at his uncle's house. Sakeena huffed, just why the hell does Khalifa had to narrate whatever happened? Sakeena raised her gaze to meet her elder brothers and looked away.
"Sakeena you should let them resolve their issue by themselves, don't interfere again." Sakeena opened her mouth to talk but got cut off. "I don't want to hear anything from you, patch things up with Maymuna." Sakeena felt tears stinging her eyes, she always hates it when someome yells at her, her brothers included.
"Am I talking to myself?" Sakeena shook her head, she knows better than to enrage her brother further. "Open your mouth and reply me."
"I'll apologize." She whispered.
He gave her a curt nod and walked out of the living room. Sakeena fiddled with her fingers. Khalifa noticed the action and grabbed her hands stroking it gently. Sakeena squeezed his hand. He muttered soothing words in her ear while she nodded.
Fahad could only stare at the two. His heart ached and filled with misery. He felt gloomy and dejected. His sister has a relationship anyone will pay to have, he wants that kind of relationship but, he just can't have the one he wants. He also doesn't know why.
Maymuna is on his mind, body and soul. She has been since when he and his sister were in diapers. He is scared, scared of falling and hitting the ground hard with no one to help him back up, at least not the person he needed.
•••••
"Where are you going?" Sakeena shot Khalifa a questioning look.
Khalifa leaned forward and placed his hand on the headrest of the sofa Sakeena's sitting. "I need to be somewhere with Ya Abdul and Ya Fadeel."
"Somewhere has a name." Sakeena faced him completely.
Khalifa pulled Sakeena's nose causing her to scrunch her face. "You're being nosy."
"So I'm the one being nosy?" Sakeena faked a hurt expression and turned to walk away but Khalifa kept her hand and pulled her back to him.
Khalifa wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer. "You know I'm just teasing you." Her hands automatically dived into his curly hair.
"I know." She placed a peck on his right cheek. "Can't I come?"
"You can't."
"Why?"
"You just can't."
"I want to."
"That's it. You can't."
"Please." Sakeena batted her lashed him and gave him her best puppy dog eyes.
"That won't work on me." She puckered her lips because of his reply and laid her head on his chest.
"You'll come back to me right?" She whispered.
He placed his chin on her head. "No matter how many times I run away, you'll always be the one I'll run back to."
"Duh!"
Khalifa chuckled. "Thanks for ruining the moment."
Sakeena hummed and lifted her head from his chest. She stared into his dark brown orbs. She stood on her tippy toes and captured his lips with hers. She felt Khalifa's body go stiff for a second then he responded into the kiss. Their lips move together in sync till they were out of breath.
Khalifa merged their lips back together, his heart as heavy as a pregnant cloud heavy with emotions and desire. Buried memories flashed behind his eye lids. A hot tear rolled down his face. He never thought that his heart will beat again in a way to make frisson run down his spine.
Sakeena felt the salty taste in her mouth and pulled away only to see his eyes clenched but tears still rolled down his face. "What's wrong?" She asked in a timid voice.
"Please don't leave me like Haaya did. I can't take it." His voice broke. He hid his head in her hair, her lavender scent calming his racing heart down while she rubbed his back soothingly.
A knock came on the door interrupting their moment together. "Khalifa let me go. I need to see who's at the door." He shook his head. "Please." She begged but he still shook his head.
With great power and struggle, she finally opened the door. Fadeel stood on the other side of the door hands tucked in his pockets. "Ya Fadeel." Sakeena made her presence known.
"Hey Naisa." He scratched the back of his neck. "I need to borrow Khalifa because we have somewhere to be." Sakeena nodded. She went back into the room and dragged Khalifa all the way to the door.
"Let's go Khalifa." Fadeel said.
"You can go along, I don't want to." He pushed his overgrown hair out of his face.
"You have to, the anonymous person want's to meet you." Fadeel replied in Arabic.
"I DON'T WANT TO!" Khalifa yelled. "Why don't you just go by yourself or forget about it." He banged the door in Fadeel's face.
Sakeena watched Khalifa pace back and forth inside the room. She didn't know the cause of his sudden outburst but she definitely knows that Khalifa yelling at his elder brother that way means it's something big.
"Khalifa." She took his clenched fist in her hands. "What's wrong?" He averted his gaze from her and shook his head. He snatched his fist from her hold but she took a hold of it again.
Sakeena placed a hand on his cheek while her other hand is laced with his. "Tell me."
"It's nothing big." He muttered his eyes closed. He pressed his forehead against here and placed his free hand on hers that is resting on her cheek.
"Calm down." She whispered. "You should apologize to Ya Fadeel." It took him a while to nod his head.
Sakeena pulled him out of the room to the living room downstairs where both his elder brothers are sitting. She said the salam and entered gaining both their attentions. Sakeena nudged Khalifa forward. "I'm sorry Ya Fadeel." Khalifa apologized his head bowed.
"It's fine." Fadeel waved him off. "But we should really get going." He stood on his feet.
"Ya Fadeel did he really apologized?" Sakeena asked not sure what Khalifa said to his brother in Arabic.
Fadeel chuckled. "He did Naisa."
"Do I really have to go?" Khalifa whined. "I want to stay with her." What Khalifa said got all their attentions on Sakeena.
"What?" She asked clueless.
"Nothing." Khalifa squeezed her hand.
"You have to." Abdullah chided. "The person wants to meet you."
Khalifa sighed. "Let's go then."
Khalifa faced Sakeena and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be back soon, before maghrib InSha Allah."
Sakeena gave him a smile. "Be safe, for me."
Khalifa leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead completely forgetting about the presence of his brothers.
"Whipped." They both said earning a glare from Khalifa and the three walked out of the living room.
Sakeena watched their retreating backs till she heard she sound of a car zooming out of the living room. She went back to their room to get her phone and then went to kitchen to make iced coffee before she settled in the living room downstairs to watch Netflix using Fadeel's account.
After binge watching Far From Home, she checked the to time and it is to six pm. Her brothers and Khalifa are still not back so she decided to call up Khalifa. Before she could dial his number, Fadeel's call came in. Perfect timing, she thought.
She answered the call and pressed the phone against her ear. Before she can say a word, Fadeel's words beat hers. "Khalifa... hospital... now." Sakeena felt her heart fall to the heel of her foot. Her mouth became dry and throat parched. Her brain finally processed what he said.
"What happened Ya Fadeel?" She asked suprised her voice didn't break. Her heart is being with great speed.
"He had a seizure and it lasted longer than the limited time so we had to rush him to the hospital."
"Has the seizure stopped yet?" She asked.
"The doctors have taken him into the ICU. I'll explain what happened when you get here. I can't reach Amma's phone." Sakeena's already running up the stairs to Amma's room. She ended the call and rushed through the door.
She didn't found her mother in law in the room but heard water running in the bathroom. Her anxious heart couldn't wait for her to come out so she banged the door hard.
The door opened, revealing Amma. "What happened Naisa? Why do you look scared?"
"Khalifa had a seizure and now he's in the hospital." Her Amma's face became pale. She ran out of the room to theirs to grab a hijab and met her mother in law already downstairs waiting by the door.
They reached the hospital in limited time and headed straight to the ICU where they met Fadeel and Abdullah restlessly pacing back and forth in the hallway. Their mother asked them what happened and they started speaking in Arabic which Sakeena decided to tune them out and focus on silently praying for Khalifa to be safe.
He promised to come back to her only for her to receive information that he's in the hospital. What happened?
•••••
So... How have y'all been?
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*Me packing my stuff and disappearing till further notice*🚶🏽♀️
Love, Aishatou❤