"Kid, listen, if you want the whole treat to yourself then you need to do just as I tell you."
"Okay sir, I can do anything to have it."
"Wonderful, now have some." Najib smiled tucking a few chocolate bars into the young boy's pocket.
"Once you successfully do what I'm about to tell you to do, I will buy you the whole bag of chocolate."
"Okay, Let's do it." The boy excitedly replied.
"Good boy." Najib smiled patting his head and then he pointed ahead of them.
"You see that man seated over there close to the edge of the sea?" He asks.
"The man with the lady laughing?" The boy replies.
"Yes, I want you to distract him and keep him busy after I do this... Najib smirked, picking up a ball he aimed it at them and made sure it struck at the right place and time, and once he did that, the boy gasped.
"Wow sir, that's a great throw!"
"Thanks, kiddo, so now I want you to do your part by keeping him busy and distracted for at least an hour."
"But how do I do that?" The boy mumbled.
"You are smart, aren't you? How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
"Just 13, and you are smart enough to steal snacks?" Najib smiled pointing at the snack truck beside them.
"Shush! Don't tell anyone." The boy whispered.
"I won't." Najib smiled. "But once you promise not to do it again and help me out, I will buy you the whole chocolate bag, I have a lot of money." He says patting the boy's head.
"Okay, I promise I won't steal again, let's do this." The boy replied, convinced by Najib's words he agreed and was ready to do his part.
Now Najib silently prayed for a miracle to do the rest. "Get up...Get up!" He kept whispering hoping it would happen and it did, Faruk just left his seat.
"Sorry bro!" He chuckled watching him grumble as he walked away, it was easier than expected.
"Go now, he is heading for the restroom, you can lock him or distract him, be smart, okay?"
"Sure, bye." The boy smiled and hurried off.
"Thank you God, make everything go according to plan and I promise you, although I love braiding my hair but I promise to forever stop braiding, coz I know you are against it." He smiled gazing at the stars before he walked to her.
He pulled out his camera which he brought along to take random snapshots of her, he took a few and then stopped to gaze at her.
What he was about to do was reckless and stupid but he had to, to be sure if there was hope, her weakness and strength all lie in his palms and he was unapologetic for the consequences of his actions tonight.
He could risk it all without regret to have her by his side again, especially ever since he saw her earlier with Faruk smiling as he helped her change her shoes, at that moment, he wished he had the powers to reverse time, he wished he never took her love for granted, he wished he could right all wrongs and treat her better, but it wasn't late to do that either.
To make her his again, was all he wished for, to have his beautiful obsession.
He was a few steps away when he began to take her pictures which soon caught her attention.
"Najib?" Her eyes flared open once he came into sight, he stood towering over her with a smirk.
She wasn't expecting him here? So why the heck is he here?
"Hi!" He smirks waving at her.
"What...? She pauses as her words fail her.
"You must be surprised to see me?" He chuckled sitting comfortably opposite her, he picked up a slice of pizza and munched on it.
"Get off!" She whispered, suppressing her urge to scream at him.
But he ignores her, rather, he collects her glass of wine, sipping exactly where she drank from and he satisfyingly licks his lips afterward which irritates her.
"He has a good taste of wine, doesn't he? I enjoyed it." Najib smiled flashing his teeth at her, and that was the last straw he pulled as she had lost all ability to keep calm, she picked up the bottle of wine about to pour it on him but he grabbed her hand so tight that she couldn't feel her wrist and then he collects the bottle gulping the whole quantity at once.
"We shouldn't waste food." He smiles and she chuckles out of frustration.
"Why are you doing this?!" She glared.
"Why are you bent on wrecking my life? I have decided to move on and forget you and the past, so stop it! Please stop meddling in my life!?" She snapped.
"And, I'm now in a relationship, I have a boyfriend, he just stepped out and when he returns he won't be pleased to see you here, so please leave, go!" She yelled clapping her hands together.
"A boyfriend you don't love? Or do you?" He smirked and she went silent glaring at him.
"Who are you to conclude that?!" She scowled.
"Say you love him and I will leave."
"Huh?" She scoffed squeezing the tissue in her hand, she threw it at his face.
"Najib Aminu Garba! A narcissist, self-centered, heartless murderer, is what you are, so stick to that and stop meddling in my life, get out of my sight! Right now!"
"Hmm, too harsh but it's fine Coz it's quite clear you don't love him, you are just leading the poor boy, and you will end up breaking Mama's boy heart...
"Najib!" She yelled shutting him up, she yelled so loud that Najib got terrified but it wasn't enough to make him stop, in fact, he was determined to go on as he was getting his effect on her.
"I hate you, I detest your presence!" She glared and tried to leave but he held her wrist.
"Let go!" She fumed angrily.
"You don't hate me, you could never." He smiled.
"Huh? I could never? Why are you so certain? What makes you so confident?!"
"Because you're mine, and you will always belong to me."
"Gosh!" She chuckled. "You amaze me, how can you say it like I'm some object?" She laughed and realized he was still holding her hand, she tried to free herself but his grip on her was too strong so she sank her teeth in his hand till she could feel the taste of blood on her tongue before she released his hand and spat out wiping her lips aggressively, but it didn't seem to affect him as he had a big smirk on his face which annoyed her more.
"Stay away from me, I wouldn't think twice to hurt you the next time you touch me!" She glared and picked up her phone, hastily, she walked away.
"Gosh! He gets on my nerves!" She fumed wiping her lips again. "And where the heck is Faruk?" She sighed searching around for him but he wasn't in sight.
"Let me give him a call." She says and in a bit, she hears his phone ring, it was ringing on the mat.
"He left it?" She sighed and went to fetch it but she quickly got distracted by the crowd gathering by the edge of the sea.
"What is going on there?" She muttered and joined them, but once she got there she was shocked to see people murmuring and videoing instead of doing everything to stop him.
"What are you doing?" She whispered while walking slowly towards the water.
"Why? Does it bother you?" He smirks.
"Stop it, Come out!"
"I don't want to." He smiled.
"Get your feet out of the water Najib!"
"I'll do just the opposite." He smiled and continued to walk in, he wasn't swimming but now running further into the sea, the water had started to cover him, it was halfway to his head but he didn't seem to care about the danger looming.
"He's a crazy dude! Does he want to commit suicide or what?" Someone laughs and that made Hanan more apprehensive.
"Shut up!" She scowled. "Instead of blabbering rubbish why don't you try to stop him?"
"Because I'm not stupid to risk my life, I've got a family." The man replies.
"So does he." She whispered remembering Grandma.
"Najib, why are you doing this? Please get out of there!" She yelled but he simply laughed and continued to go further in.
At the pace which he was going, he could drown if a wave should erupt but he didn't care he seemed to enjoy what he was doing. But why? Has he lost his senses?
"Najib, please, for grandma's sake come out, don't do this!" She pleads while her heart races, she feels equally tensed too.
"Is there no rescue team around?!" Hanan looked anxious as she yelled out.
"Ma'am, why don't you go and stop him if you are this worried, stop making a fuss and yelling so much, your voice is getting into my video!" The man scowled.
"Go in?" She muttered, gazing at the massiveness of the water, she swallowed hard, it wasn't a pool but an ocean that almost took her life the last time.
Slowly she mustered courage and decided to go, she was just at the rim of the water when those horrifying flashbacks came back.
She remembered the night she almost drowned in this same sea, and then, he didn't think twice about diving in and saving her.
"He must be mad or intoxicated." She muttered seeing the water covering his entire body, it wouldn't be long before it reached his shoulders, and then...
"No!" She snapped. "I can do it, I survived the last time and I will this time too." She moaned taking a further step into the water, her feet instantly became cold-blooded.
She shut her eyes forcing herself in, her body slowly began to freeze, she almost couldn't feel her feet either, they felt too heavy to lift but she struggled anyway, despite her anxiety, she was determined to save him.
As she goes, he swims further in and now the water has fully covered his body his head is barely even showing.
"Najib!" She yelled. "Please stop it, don't do this, come out!" She pleads and at once his head sinks in causing people to scream which increases her fear and immediately, she becomes numb.
"Najib?" She whispered.
"Najib, No, please... She moaned her voice trailing off, she felt something stuck at her throat preventing her words from coming out.
Her breath suddenly turned harsh too, she was finding it difficult to breathe while her chest began to hurt, hot tears streamed down her face, and she felt helpless as she couldn't even talk or move properly.
Shortly, the pain in her chest increased, she clenched her chest and continued to force her legs to move.
Cold, fear, and pain are all displayed on her face. She couldn't utter a word but cry.
In her head, she screamed, cried, and called for help but nobody heard those wails except her.
She swam to the spot where she last saw him but he was nowhere to be seen, struggling to keep her head out of the water and body from drowning, she turned around shaking her head vigorously, and with force, she cried out, her voice returned but the pain in her chest turned unbearable.
"Please, someone help... she whispered with the little energy left in her, she was slowly losing the ability to swim and just when her legs had given up, Faruk showed up.
He struggled to drag her as he swim out of the sea, and quickly he laid her down and examined her face cold, her eyes half open, red and moist with tears.
"Please everyone leave!" Faruk growled at the crowd that was slowly covering them, he was disgusted by them, how could no one try to rescue her when they all saw her in danger?
"Go!" He yelled and gently moved her to their mat. Resting her on the ground, he wrapped her cold body with the mat and pulled her into his arms.
"Hanan, you will be fine." He sighed "How did you end up in the sea?" He asks and she manages to speak.
"My... chest hurts, but Najib could be more hurt."
"Najib?" Faruk muttered looking at her confusingly.
"Yes, Faruk..." She whispered. "He was also in the water and he has drowned, please help him." She cried while he wiped her tears.
"Hanan, you are experiencing a panic attack, stop talking, just breathe in and out."
"It's painful..." She moaned.
"I know and I'm sorry." He apologizes feeling guilty, if not for the stupid door that got him stuck in the restroom he would have protected her, she wouldn't have been in this situation, what would he tell Abdul?
"Please do me a favor and rescue Najib." She muttered cutting him from his thoughts.
"Najib? Oh my God, stop talking, Najib isn't even here, just breathe!" Faruk snapped, irritated to hear her take his name again and again.
"I can't believe you are thinking of him in such a situation, you are just hallucinating."
"Hallucinating?" She muttered and struggled out of his arms.
"You don't believe me? I'm not hallucinating." She frowned.
"Ask around they will tell you he was just here, and probably must have drowned now, I swear Najib is there." She cried pointing at the ocean.
"Okay, I believe you, I will have him searched, first, let's get you to the hospital." Faruk smiled cupping her cheeks, he wiped her tears.
"No, please, search for him now."
"Why?" Faruk snapped. "Why do you even care?!"
"Exactly, why do I care? I have no idea, it just hurt." She says while her tears persist in flowing, he hugs her again patting her back, she remains in his arms crying till she stops.
"Take me home."
***
"Kiddo! Where is he?"
"I locked him in the restroom, just as you said."
"Good, now release him, hurry, and tell him his girlfriend is in danger, go!"
"Okay, but where is my reward?"
"Meet me at the snack truck, hurry and release him." Najib says and heads off hiding behind the building, and once he sees Faruk dashing out to the sea, he heaves a sigh of relief.
"She never stopped caring, she still love me." He smiled.
"Forgive me, I will make it up to you, I will make them pay, and everything will be fine again, thanks for not giving up on me." He says and pulls out a nylon from his pocket, it was his phone wrapped in a nylon bag, he places a call.
"Mr Caleb, tomorrow as early as possible, arrange for Musa's press release, and make sure it gets circulated across all media houses and platforms, I will be there."
***
A/N
The story has just begun, stay updated.