When yesterday Yusuf told me to meet him at Brimstone in order to prove how unclean his sister and Munir were, he had totally forgotten to tell me the time. Hence, I sent him a text asking about the time and he replied with "8pm dot" which made me to scoff. Me that curfew was imposed on ever since my parents found out he was my friend — I wasn't allowed to go out alone immediately I return from school. It had to either be with Munir or anyone in our house.
Sometimes even with someone, I would still be told to stay. Like I wasn't trusted anymore, and my mother was the one behind all the pressurisation. "I am only doing these for you" She had once told me that. And how's that even a favor? I used to always ask myself that question.
Today, as soon as I sluggishly arrived at our department I met many people by the notification board. "God, BFN 121 is our first paper o!" I overheard a girl squealed and that reminded me of the fact that our second semester exam was already fast approaching. "Two papers on Monday?!" Someone screamed. "Yes Nana, BFN and CBS..."
"Excuse me!" I uttered the moment I approached them. "I want to snap it"
"Okey... Alright..." They shifted for me. Thus, I snapped the timetable and left.
The lecture I was having today was one and would take place in two hours time so I headed to the library to read. After all, our exam was starting next week. I should start preparing for it from today.
While reading, four girls came into the library giggling and murmuring. It was as if they were gossiping... who knows? And soon after they all settled down in Section B, another girl came in with a very sad face and walked over to them.
"He despised you too, right? I knew it!" One of them sarcastically asked the girl.
"Mtsww, wallahi Aysha that guy is too holy!" The girl said lowering her voice. "I offered him my body but he rejected"
"That is Yusuf Dolari for you" The other one said thus luring my full attention to them. "I heard he had a bad past though but something changed him recently..."
That moment, I didn't know when my heart began beating fast, my Yusuf? I mean, my friend? I was so astounded.
"Maybe something changed him"
"Well, fuck the change!"
"Yes, I am also not happy. They are very rich and my dream is to... carry a baby for him. I really love him so very much"
"Abeg o, we all love him!"
"Yes Aysha, that's a very good point of correction because I love him as well"
"Hmm, okey o!"
"Yes, I will even call him again later..."
They kept on talking and talking as if they were parrots, turning the entire library into a market place. And when I couldn't endure their piercing noises I stood up, loaded my books into my bag and began heading towards the exit.
"Hmm, toh fa I guess we are disturbing some people here" One of them uttered.
"Let them go, jare!"
"Yesso, na dem sabi!"
I didn't utter any word to them, I only left the library because I could endup blasting them all if I should speak. But truly, I wasn't happy hearing all that from women like them. I was puzzled as well how such grownups would low their valence to such pathetic state.
Talking about valence, if something bad should happen to them now the person that the masses would blame would be Yusuf because he's a guy. Their words really had proved to me how evil most of us could be, forcing ourselves into men and if they impregnate us or infect us with something; we wouldn't blame ourselves but them... because we are so selfish to acknowledge our misdeeds.
Yusuf might be a bad person in the past and might also not be. Even if he was, it would be best if we judge him by what made him to be such. Was it the likes of the foolish girls I met in the library, or something domestically? Who knows?
God, please guide us all aright. Ameen!
I heaved a sigh while walking towards the rest area, I still had a lot more time to read before our lecture. Just as I sat on one of the benches, I pulled out my books from my bag and began going through them consecutively until it was quarter-to the time of our lecture. Thus, my colleagues gradually began arriving.
"Hey, lady..." Anastasia uttered heading towards me. "Waiting for your friend?"
"Not really" I beamed, loading back my books into my bag. "Just reading, dear"
"Oh nice, you must have seen the timetable too" She beamed back.
"Yes o!" I said as I gently stood up to my feet. "I even snapped it with my phone"
"Okey, so how are you?" She asked.
"Fine..." I said as we began heading towards the lecture hall. "And you?"
"Same" She said.
Thus, we went inside; looked for a seat and settled leaving a space for Qudrah. I really thought she would come but she didn't, and after the lecture I called her and she told me she was in Brimstone.
"Doing what?!" I yelled at her.
"Mahmud's best friend invited me to his birthday party!" She screamed hard due to the booming background music that was played in the place with heavy beats that could kill one's eardrums.
"How mad of you? So, that is far better than ECN class right?" I angrily asked.
"What did you said?!" She screamed again, this time around more loudly.
"I said..."
"Sorry Fatimah, I will call you later. I really can't hear you clearly" She said.
And before I knew it, she hanged off the call. And just as I was about sending her a text to come to school that instance, a Salaam from behind halted me. It was Yusuf, thus I responded to his Salaam.
"Can I sit close to you?" He asked.
"Yes, sure" I gulped shifting a little bit for him. He was in his usual bodyhug caftan, although this one looked new.
"Thank you" He beamed as he sat down close to me. "Hmm, how are you today?"
"Fine..." I gulped enjoying the pleasant smell of the scent he might have spread allover his body. The smell wasn't new though but today's was too much and I liked it so very much. "How about you?"
"Fine too" He cleared his throat.
Thus, the thought of the girls I met in the library suddenly popped into my mind. I would like to warn him to be more careful about them but what if that was a wrong idea? I wondered.
"And studies?" I asked.
"Alhamdulillah, dear" He huffed. "How about yours? Exam is even next week"
"Yes, I have even started reading" I said.
"Good" He said and continued. "Our meeting won't be possible again, my father suspended my sister yester..."
"What!" I cut in. "How and why?"
Actually, I was so surprised.
"She really messed up with our funds, in fact some of the board members are thinking she's a looter" He explained.
"Which means she's no longer a threat to us, right? But how about Munir? If he is not exposed he would team up with another rival of ours someday..." I said.
"I don't think so" He heaved a sigh.
"Why?" I gulped staring at him. Those library girls were right though, Yusuf was way too handsome. Sometimes I used to wonder why he even chose me over all the beautiful girls in our school. Was he after my body? I really used to think he was after my body in the past but now I realised he wasn't after that.
"Munir was only betraying your father because he still love my sister" He said.
"And she was using that to manipulate him? That is... selfishness!" I lamented.
"Yes, but that story is now over. She's even returning back to Egypt in two days time, she needs some time alone" He said withdrawing to his feet. "Can we please go to the cafeteria? I'm very hungry gaskiya. How about you, dear?"
"Hmm" I huffed. I wasn't really feeling hungry though but I couldn't resist his request. "Okey, lets go" I stood as well.
That was how we went to the cafeteria together, with some people jealously looking at us. We ate to our fill, gisted, share our stories and eventually left the cafeteria. Thus, Yusuf bade me goodbye and headed to his lecture. It was time!
The moment he left, I felt like a part of me had been taken away. I even forgot about Qudrah... What was wrong with me? I wondered as I looked for a place in the corridor of the hall and then sat down. His story was heart touching, it was even the part that he killed a boy with his car that touched me more. An accident that changed his whole life. And then his father added more to his problem, some parents are just selfish.
I kept thinking until their lecture was over, he came out perplexed together with Adnan and said he thought I was gone already. Well, I also didn't know what kept me there. Yes, I didn't know.
"Let me leave you both alone" Adnan said about leaving when I halted him.
"Why? We are all friends" I said.
"No, Yusuf is the only friend I have here. Goodbye" He uttered and left.
Ahh, what is wrong with this fool?
Why is he acting like a kid?
This is ridiculous!
Yusuf didn't say anything about it, me either. He brought a fresh topic which we started discussing about... until the moment we arrived at the parking lot. Thus, we stared at each other for like forever before my phone interrupted us. The most annoying part was that, the call was from MTN customer care.
"Mtsww!" I hissed returning the phone back into my bag. "Mtn and there prob"
"Customer care koh?" He asked.
"Yes" I nodded.
"Hmm" He sighed.
That was how we continued staring at each other until we were tired. Hence, we bade each other goodbye and drove to our homes. Immediately I was home, I met my parents and some staff from our company celebrating God Knows What. It was after I asked that I was briefed. "We are now leading!" My mother said wearing a broad smile.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Hmm, surely with Allah everything is possible. We are moving gently, I like how you people are enjoying this book.