Dear diary,
The last 2months since my wedding have been a fairytale. Abdulzahir can't get enough of me, he took a months leave from work and ended up adding another month and a half making it 2 and a half months. We still have a week to ourselves before he has to go back to work, what would i do with myself when he can no longer be with me 24/7.
My mother in-law is lovely, she's the nicest person I've ever met and for that i consider myself luck. She sent me recipes to Abdulzahir's favorite dishes, my husband prefers home made meals. I've been making a mess of everything, my cooking skills are below average, even at home Ummi prefers to cook whenever it was my turn to cook. Lucky for me regardless of his desires for home made meals Abdulzahir is a modern man, he doesn't mind taking me out for launch and dinner.
As for his ex-girlfriend Fateema, I was more than happy that she was now gone from both our lives, she messed up my wedding and i still had fears that she was going to reappear and destroy my very fragile happiness. Ummi has been calling and pressing me for information about my marriage "ciki gare ki Zainab?" she would ask, but that wasn't any of her business.
Tahira seemed to have finally ended her circle with Abdulmaleek, sometimes when he came to see Abdulzahir he would ask me about her. I could see why she loved him, he was responsible, funny, thoughtful and he had this charisma that came with his good looks. Every woman's dream well.. except me. My dream was Abdulzahir and his crazy personality.
Abdulzahir talked to me about going back to school, but i really wasn't interested in going back, it seemed like another life ago. To write JAMB again is a problem, in fact to read for the JAMB examination was the bigger problems.
✴✴✳
Unlike Tahira and her list, Zainab only ever writes to her diary on important things, feelings, events and others. Just a week left before Abdulzahir has to go back to work and these past 3 days he's been spending his nights out with his friends. Today he and the boys where playing cards in Hadi's apartment located in his parents house on Isa kaita. Abdulmaleek traveled to Abuja.
At around 8pm Fateema called Abdulzahir "Long time no see, is she taking care of you for me?"
"Are you sure thats why you called?"
"Well i missed you, is why i called"
"kina ina?"
"Gida, can i see you? "
"All you have to do is ask and I'm there, Abdulmaleek is out of town, do you maybe wanna hang out?"
"sure, meet you there."
When he was done, his friends where both carefully observing him, Hadi was never one to keep his mouth shut "kai ba wai da auren ka ba?"
"so?" Abdulzahir was unphased and he replied with little or no interest .
"So you're not supposed to be seeing your psycho ex girlfriend" Kamal replied him abruptly.
Abdulzahir standing up from the mat where they played "Yeah well i am going to see her" he took his car keys and walked out without more explanation.
Hadi cleared his throat ahem "If only she wasn't such a nut case, Abdulzahir baya ji ko kadan"
Kamal didn't comment he just started to reshuffle the cards.
He drove in and seconds later he heard her honk, he rushed to open the gate for her and she drove in with a brand new sparkling silver KIA sportage. How in God's name is Fateema changing cars like she changes dresses, he wondered.
She stepped out in a clingy tea length black straight skirt and a close-fitting short-sleeved blouse with a small scarf tied on her head letting her weave down the left side of her neck. She wore blocked heels which gave her a 'i'm in control' look. She came out holding a two small sized food flask' which she dropped by the staircase and turned around to Abdulzahir who was coming back from the gate.
"Fateetee" he smiled as they walked to a closer proximity .
She suddenly frowned "I told you i hate when you call me that" that's exactly what his father calls her, she actually truly hated the name.
"Teemah!!!! da ga haduwa sai masifa"
She rolled her eyes "Shut up and get here" she commanded.
And he obey without question "i missed you and.." he paused taking a step back to observe her whole look "you look magnificent"🔥
"Oh! but I'm all dressed for you love" she turned around to show him the whole view.
"i love this"
"i know something you'll love more"
"tell me" he begged curiously.
"your favorite, sakwara and vegetable soup plus ganda" she winked 😉
"My God you're something else, i haven't had that in 2months" she knew he must have missed it, Fateema normally takes her time to make him a perfectly set pounded yam, and she missed cooking for him. One of her favorite moments is watching him enjoy her meals.
"Oh! You don't say?!"
Abdulzahir was getting all excited. She didn't want to mention his new bride, Zainab wasn't her problem, well at least not just yet. Right now she only really missed him and just wanted to spend time with him. He helped her with the food into the house, after eating they sat on Abdulmaleek's couch and had a long conversation about what they missed about eachother .
***
Zainab was worried, its 1am and he's still not home yet, and he wasn't answering his phone. She wanted to call his mom but she didn't want to raise a false alarm, he told her that he sometimes stayed late at work but he still had a week left.
She couldn't sleep, so she called the only person she thought could help her "Hello, Tahira I'm so sorry i called you this late, are you sleeping? "
"Its one freaking am Zainab of course i was sleeping, whats up?"
"Sorry! Abdulzahir is not home har yanzu, and not picking his phone either"
"kin kira gidan su? "
"Bana so ne ya zama ba wani abu bane in tada musu da hankali"
"Maybe he's just with his friends, kin san ba'a raba su and you managed to keep him for 2months "
"well still suna zuwa ai, and jiya da shekaran jiya he was with them har 11pm"
"well problem solved, he's with them, goodnight."
"No wait!!! Tahira please help me call Abdulmaleek mana and help me find out.. Pleeaaasse"
"Wa?" Tahira unconsciously raised her voice "a'a Zainab ba zaki tada min da na kwance tsaye ba, zan dai baki numbern shi"
"No dan Allah ki kira shi, i don't know where to start ne wallahi, just to ask a simple question Tee haba"
"you dont know where to start? Start from the beginning, ni dai ba zan iya kiran shi ba"
"i thought you said you where over him, prove it" Zainab asserts daring Tahira.
"sister sister that move is not gonna work"
"you'll never be truly be over him until you can be around him and still feel that you made the right choice, did you make the right choice?"
Tahira was getting tired of dragging and truth be told she was very sleepy and Zainab was interfering with that "fine, I'll call him, and then I'll call you back."
Tahira hung up only to sleep off immediately without thinking twice. 5minutes later Zainab called her back. "I'll call him now" she promised Zainab is becoming a problem to her peace of mind.
He picked up on the first call "Hello"
"Hey"
And they both kept quiet listening to each other breathe "Errm i was hoping if you could help me locate Abdulzahir please?"
"Oh! Yeah I'm fine thank you for asking "
"My God I'm sorry, I'm just so sleepy wallahi, had a rough day, ya kake? "
"no don't worry, lafiya nake, ya kike?"
"Alhamdulillah" then she was quiet .
"So what's this about Abdulzahir? " he enquired .
"Zainab can't find him and he's not answering his cell"
"when last did she see or speak to him and where was he then?"
"she said ya je wurin su Kamal or is it su Kamal sun fita da shi, something along that line"
"Ok, don't worry I'll locate him, i'll call you"
"thanks, incase you call once ban dauka ba please karka ji haushi call a few more times, I'm very sleepy ne wallahi"
He laughs "alright sleeping beauty, I'll do that"
She blushes and he went off.
15 minutes later he called her back and she woke up on the second call "Hey"
"Hi, so the good news is he's fine"
"and the bad news? "
"Tell Zainab to calm down and sleep, he won't be coming home tonight." he sounded a bit disappointed, his voice lost its confidence on the last sentence.
"why?"
"well errmm, he kind of errr well, he wasn't feeling too well so he's spending the night at Hadi's. He'll be fine by morning and tell her he'll be home"
"how do you know he'll be fine by morning?" it just didn't make any sense and she wasn't about to let it slide just like that, something didn't add up.
He paused, sometimes he forgets how she thinks "Tahira just tell her what i told you, wala tajassasu"
Now she was sure that he was lying , but she knew better than to insist, if he was going to tell her he would have. "OK toh I'll tell her, thank you"
"you're welcome"
"Goodnight"
"sleep well"
She called Zainab and told her, Zainab was still worried "da bai dawo gida ba at least i could take care of him" she kept repeating Tahira was so sleepy and tired of being in the middle of it "OK Zainab gobe idan ya dawo ki fada ma shi, sai da safe" she hung up and switched off her phone, finally she can rest up for whats ahead tomorrow.