Unedited.
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"What are you doing with this Adeelah? Didn't I warn you all? You don't keep shut I am talking Adeelah!" Abba said in a high pitched voice that made Adeelah flinched. She didn't know what she had done.
"Abba..." She trailed timidly shifting her sight to the content of her drawer.
Adeelah put her hand in the drawer and brought out the satchets of pill.
"This is priton Abba, I take it when I am having cold. This is Ranitidine for my ulcer. And this is for..."
"Shut up there!" He almost smacked his arm on her face especially when he saw how calm she was. Adeelah almost shrug or purse her lips.
"Adeelah!" He warned before he exited the room. Five minutes later he was back with a cane that made her widened her eyes. Abba had never beat her. He had never laid his hand on anyone.
Her heart shook in it's confine for the first time.
"What are you doing with drugs?" He asked.
"Abba, drugs?" She repeated.
"Adeelah," he warned for the second time. Instead of giving him an answer, she pinned him with her blazing eyes. She knew he wanted explanation from her but what explanation would she give him when she had none?
"Excuse me," he told all his wives. Hafsatu groaned angrily before she followed Hajiya Sadiya's back. Abba's red eyes were now melting back to their normalcy. He closed the door behind them and sat by the side of her bed.
"Tell me." He said, this time around calm and slow. It touched the bottom of her heart but still sent a chill all over her system. That was the first time she saw Abba that way.
"Abba nothing else." She swore, opening the drawer and bringing out all it's content to Abba's sight.
"I know you're wondering why I did that. I am not going to beat you Adeelah. I am just trying to make your future bright. Drugs are so destructive." He rose to his feet shaking his head.
Adeelah felt that there was something more to what Abba said. It was as if what he did was triggered by an old memory but what did she know? She dared not to ask even though Abba's demeanor showed that he was open to questions.
One thing about her was she didn't push things. She let things take the pace of their own, she loved to see everything moving all correct and all in accord. She knew she's not a good company keeper since she hardly ask people about what's burdening them.
If they gladly open to her, fine. If they chose to bury their feelings, it was all good too. Because she didn't want to see someone at their breaking point.
Adeelah felt something warm circulating in her blood. It was that type of feeling that she couldn't describe. Maybe it's taking over the chill she felt earlier.
"Drug is so destructive, Adeelah." Abba repeated before he opened the door and limped out. She let out a sigh.
___________
Adeelah's face was all shade of anger. They had written the biochemistry test and the scripts have been brought back by the lecturer. Of course on the day of the test, he didn't stop her from entering the hall. He allowed her to sit even though he recognized her.
Eyes bored onto her paper as she checked everything and saw that she failed all. She didn't even know what to do about it. Adeelah fished out her phone from her bag and entered google. She searched the questions and read everything then compared it to what she has written. She made sure that it was correct apart from the different use of English before she sharply hiked up making her bag to fall on the ground.
Fatimah and other people around casted their eyes on fuming Adeelah.
"What did you score?" Fatimah asked after she had finished assessing her own. She got only one out of ten correctly. She wasn't disturbed however because she didn't like the course.
The whole class was loud as everyone checked their script. The highest score was four out of ten. Almost everyone failed woefully.
"I failed all and I am going to his office." She replied putting back her bag on the desk.
Adeelah had never scored zero even when she was young. She wasn't among those that would grow up to tell their kids that they were always coming first in their class but she wasn't a dumb student too.
It seemed like the biochemistry lecturer was challenging her. He just didn't know who and what she was capable of doing obviously.
"Adeelah..." She heard someone calling her. She looked at Fatimah and then left Fatimah's sight to the extreme end of the class where their class representative sat together with his friends.
As she thought, he was going through his script with both of his brows almost touching each edge emanating that he was deep in thought.
Adeelah knew everyone would let their failure slide because of the fear of the lecturer. Truth was, she couldn't let that go.
Like she couldn't imagine she scored zero. And the lecturer even drew ears and eyes on the zero.
She looked at the paper again and noticed that instead of his signature below the zero, he wrote something.
Donkey head fellow.
Mad. It made her anger rose.
"Sorry to disturb you Safwan," she said tapping the class rep's desk.
"Malama Adeelah," he grinned widely at her. Despite her anger, she stretched her lips to a faux smile.
"Which number is the biochemistry lecturer's office?" She went straight to the point.
She watched as Safwan gasped playfully at her. She knew what he was thinking. Everyone was foreseeing the danger of visiting Malam Hassan for her but she proved to be blind to them.
Allah knows she won't feel good for the rest of the semester if she didn't see Malam Hassan.
Safwan knew Adeelah since the day he came to collect his admission letter. He could remember when they sat in queue waiting for their turn. When their turn reached, the man in charge said he was closing for the day. They all had to leave after being in queue for more than an hour.
Adeelah didn't leave. She allowed the man to finish talking before she knocked at his office and entered together with Safwan whom she sought to escort her. Safwan didn't know what she wanted to do then, she just told him that she knew the man.
Once in and seated, she cleared her voice and told the man she wanted to collect her admission letter. He said they were closed but she refused to leave quoting that it was wrong to do that. She stayed for so long before the man got tired and gave her the letter with a laughter adding that she was just being naïve. Safwan was given too.
From there Safwan had an incline on which type of lady Adeelah was. Now he won't even try to persuade her.
"Office number 9."
"Thanks." She breezed out straight to the office.
_________
He swirled on his rotating chair in the office. The office was smelling nice with air freshner. It was chilly and serene-ful all thanks to the ac and drawn curtains. A soft knock came on the door of his office.
He divertef his attention from his laptop and looked at the door.
"Yes," he said, adjusting his spectacle.
Adeelah pushed the door and came in. The office was small but enough to contain a desk, a drawer, a fridge and a television by a corner.
Malam Hassan smirked. "I know you will come." The way he talked made Adeelah's intestine to twist. She suddenly felt her courage flying away. She started regretting coming alone.
"Sit." He showed her the chair opposite him. Adeelah sat down being alerted.
"Sir you failed me whilst I did everything correctly." She tried to be polite.
"Oh wow. Let me see." She placed the paper on his desk.
"I did everything right. Why did you fail me?"
"Because I wish." He replied.
"You wish because of cruelty?" She asked.
The lecturer looked at her sharply. She was a very beautiful lady with attracting plump lips.
"Well," he stood up and reached for the door.
Adeelah eqaullay stood up but he was faster than her as he raced too and locked it.
"You will never pass this course Miss Adeelah." He added.
That minute, Adeelah's palm started to sweat and her legs started becoming weak.
"I will surprise you." She replied.
"Your efforts are going to be in vain." He unlocked the door. She heaved a sigh. She didn't know why he locked the door though.
"If you're ready to pass, you can come again. I have a class now." He glanced at his wrist watch and at Adeelah. He carried his marker and laptop.
Adeelah rushed out without another word.
****
Okayyyy... I have finally updated for the sake of some people. Zainabu and Khadijatu😂🙌 not because of the votes. Please leave a comment.
Due to the fact that I have started my other books, I will fix a schedule on when I will be updating.
I will be updating this book on every Wednesday and Saturday in sha Allah. Unless something comes up.
Check out my new books:
Reemah's delusion and Beneath a stained heart.