Within the span of three days. Alex and Hadeza became engaged. Ma Kesem moved to Tokyo. Aisha and Fatima moved to an exotic apartment where they lived together with their pet dog Sonja. Cathay's company was losing a lot of money and, worse, buyers. She didn't care about her straining relationship with Hadeza. She had bigger problems. Things were falling apart; they were no longer at ease. Obadiah Reign got a release statement from the court three days after he was found by the police. Nostalgia wasn't pleased to hear about Obadiah's release statement either.
While grocery shopping one afternoon, Aisha hummed the song that played loudly in the speakers She danced as she walked through an isle in the supermarket, she bumped her head happily and snapped her fingers to the rhythm of the music, totally ignoring the other customers in the store.
"Hey," a man said to Aisha. She had accidentally knocked off his fruits from his basket while she was dancing.
Aisha realized what she had done, quickly turned around, and helped the man pick his fruits from the floor. She took off her headphones as she helped pick the last fruit item on the floor. She stood and stared at the man. She was a few inches shorter than him. She thought he reminded her of someone.
"Thank you," the man said with a small smile.
Aisha shook her head and tapped her chest. "I should be the one apologizing." Her eyes lit up through her glasses as she spoke. Her blue pupils were more visible through her glasses.
The man had a firm grip on his shopping basket. He noticed the scar on Aisha's left forearm. He suddenly remembered who she was. The girl he saved some time ago was now a woman. "It's nice to see you again," He said in a confident but still voice.
Aisha tilted her head. She couldn't remember who this man or how he knew her name. Perhaps he must have mistaken her for Hadeza. "I don't know your name," She said in a low tone.
"You never asked," the man said.
"Okay," Aisha whispered with a nod. "What's your name?"
"Clinton"
"Clint?" Aisha gasped. She knew he looked familiar, just older.
Clinton extended his hand for a handshake. Aisha leapt and gave him a hug.
"Clinton," Aisha said in a voice full of excitement. She withdrew herself and slapped his arms. "Look at you." She was more surprised to see him than he was.
"What are you doing here?" Clinton asked.
"You know, hunting elephants," Aisha joked and smiled. "I live here with my family, We relocated here some years ago, I'm a lawyer now, my mom owns a restaurant downtown, my other mom has a big housing firm in the city, I met my-"
"That's great to hear," Clinton replied. He saw how happy Aisha was telling him everything that had happened in her life so far.
There was a short silence between the two for a moment.
"Sorry, I'm talking too much. I'm just really happy to see you, " Aisha said. She couldn't hide her smile.
"I don't think I can ever repay you," Aisha began. "You got me out of that desert. Drove me back to my home. "
Clinton panted out and held Aisha's left hand. Her scar was deep.
Aisha looked at Clinton's hand in hers and then looked up at his face. "I don't know if you'd like to come over for dinner and meet my family."
"What's for dinner?" Clinton asked. He sounded interested.
"Me," She said in a childish voice, then laughed. "Just kidding. Rice. Jollof rice. Will you come?"
"I would love to, but I have a business to take care of."
"Business" Aisha corked her right brow.
Clinton released Aisha's hand and began walking backwards.
Aisha followed like a little girl again.
"What kind of business, Clint? I thought you were out of the game."
"It's a court case,"
Aisha covered her lips with her fingers. "What's the problem? Maybe I can help"
"I've been trying to get custody of my daughters, but I can't afford a lawyer." Clinton said.
Aisha felt concerned "Well you don't need to afford one anymore."
Obadiah coughed as he inhaled a great deal of coke from the table. The powdery white substance made him feel like his head was about to fall off from it neck. The loud music bumped loudly in the club, and Obadiah could hardly hear a word from the half-naked women seated around him. His beard was smeared with cocaine and he had deep black eye bags.
A waitress handed Obadiah a small piece of paper and then walked away.
Obadiah held the paper at arms length. He squinted as he read what was written in it. There was only one word. RUN. Obadiah looked around, dazed and confused. He felt threatened. "Excuse me, ladies,"
"Where are you going? The party's just begun, " the women said to Obadiah as he walked away.
Obadiah made his way to the men's toilet. As he entered, someone else was leaving. He was the only one in the toilet. He washed his face at the sink to calm down. He froze when he looked up in the mirror and saw an unmasked Nostalgia standing behind him like a ghost.
"We need to talk," Nostalgia said in a brooding voice.
Obadiah groaned and quickly ran out of the toilet. He made it out of the club in less than a minute. He anxiously opened the door of his car and drove off. His car tires screeched on the road as he drifted into the main road. He drove with speed and took different shortcuts, hoping Nostalgia won't find him. "No! No!" He grumbled as his car began to slow down in a less empty road.
The car stopped close to a subway station. Steam came out from the bonnet like smoke rising from a chimney.
Obadiah saw the fuel gauge blinking. He breathed out and rested his head on the headrest of his seat. He scratched the side of his neck and looked outside the window to make sure he was safe. He thought he was until a voice called his name from the back seat inside his car.
"Obadiah Reign"
Obadiah slowly turned to see who was in the back seat.
Nostalgia was seated there in the middle of the back seat. He could only see her lips.
Obadiah quickly removed a gun from under his seat and pointed it at Nostalgia. "What do you want from me?" He asked in a grumpy voice.
Nostalgia's eyes were hidden in the shadows as she sat calmly in the backseat while Obadiah pointed a gun at her. Obadiah could hardly see her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That you killed my father," Nostalgia said calmly.
"I've killed a lot of fathers. Be more specific, " Obadiah said rudely while pointing the gun at Nostalgia face.
"Benjamin Williams. Remember him? The man you murdered in cold blood. " Nostalgia was calm as she spoke."Remember?"
Obadiah looked surprised. "You were here in the States with your mother. How did you know I killed your father? Even your own mother doesn't know I killed him."
Nostalgia giggled. "I was there the night you shot my father?"
"Impossible" Obadiah held his gaze at Nostalgia. He smirked in a sinister way and gritted his teeth. "I regret nothing. I'm going to kill you like your old man, kid. " He pulled the trigger of the gun twice, but it didn't fire. Rather, it just made a clicking sound. He let the gun slip from his hand as he came to a sudden realization that Nostalgia was a step ahead of him.
"I am sorry for you, old man" Nostalgia said sharply.
Obadiah pushed open the door of his car and ran as fast as he could. He ran until his muscles burned and his veins pumped battery acid. He ran into the underground subway station. He looked back once in a while as he ran down the stairs. He only met a homeless woman sitting on the floor as he walked fast on his feet. He didn't care to look at her face. He breathed heavily as he walked. He jumped down the railway tracks to get to the other side of the station. A train passed with speed in front of him. The sound of the train speeding on the tracks almost blocked his eardrums because he was standing directly beside it. After the train passed, he took a step forward on the track only to see Nostalgia standing on a ramp outside the tracks in front of him.
Nostalgia smiled at him.
"You want to kill me because I killed your father," Obadiah shouted.
"I just want to talk. It's nothing personal, Reign"
"This feels personal"
Obadiah grew angry and turned back to run, but his foot got stuck in between the tracks.
The sound of a train coming was heard from the tunnel ahead.
Nostalgia knew the train was moving on the track , and Obadiah's foot was stuck. She stood under the light, fully revealing herself to Obadiah. She wasn't holding any weapons. No sword. No gun. Just herself. Her blue eyes didn't look innocent as they used to. Her long brown hair shivered on her back, making her look like a wolf gazing at the full moon.
Obadiah struggled to set himself free, but it was no use. He turned his foot sideways, but it didn't work either. "Help me!" He cried, stretching his hand at Nostalgia.
The sound of the train coming became louder.
Nostalgia looked at Obadiah.
"Have mercy," Obadiah yelled while struggling to set his foot free.
A small grin grew on Nostalgia's face as he replied, "Mercy is a luxury I can't afford you."
"You think you're any different from me? You're a killer and a monster, " Obadiah said, scared for his life. He realized she was really there the night he murdered her father.
Nostalgia squatted and pointed at the incoming train light inside the tunnel. "Do you know the difference between you and I, Obadiah. I was never scared of the light at the end of the tunnel."
"Godspeed Reign," She shouted at the top of her voice so Obadiah could hear her over the sound of the incoming train.
Obadiah turned and saw the train light coming closer. He could feel the tracks vibrating in his foot. His face was covered in sweat, and he was breathing heavily. Pity filled his eyes.
"Damn you, bi -" The train light shined bright on Obadiah, and before he could finish speaking, the train ran him over and crushed his body into the tracks. That was the end of Obadiah Reign.
Some minutes later, Nostalgia boarded a train that was moving on the same track that Obadiah's body was crushed.
As the train began moving, she walked to a table and sat opposite a dark-skinned lady. The lady gave her a glass of milk, which she looked at and drank like an eight year old. She cleaned the milk on her upper lip with the back of her of her hand and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Home," Khadija replied.