I still couldn't believe Bilal stopped picking my calls just because I told him we should end our relationship some days ago. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't calling to tell him I loved him. I only wanted him to help me get his wife's car out of our compound, the one she said she bought for me.
I didn't want any trouble, plus yesterday Hajiya told me on phone that she was coming back soon. I didn't want her to come back and see the car there, what would I even say to her?
If only Fawad and I were on good terms, I would have told him to help me do that. He would surely return the car since he could drive unlike me. I huffed helping Balaraba in preparing lunch. "When did you even said Hajiya is coming back?" She asked.
"She didn't specify when, she only said she's coming back soon" I replied slicing the onions.
"Oh, okay then" She said and then changed the topic.
We were busy chitchatting when my phone buzzed, Fawad? I glanced at the caller I.D for like forever before picking the call.
"Hello, is this Aliya?" The speaker said and guess what, it wasn't really Fawad. I had to check the caller I.D again.
"Yes it's Aliya, isn't this Fawad's number?" I asked out of curiosity as I gently walked out of the kitchen.
"Yes it is, can you come down to the station please?" The speaker said making my heart to flip a beat.
"Station? As in how?" I asked.
"Actually," the speaker said and continued. "Fawad has been apprehended together with other gamblers in a raid at a gambling den"
"Gambling den?" I puzzled wondering what took him there, the Fawad I knew wasn't even a gambler.
"Yes, gambling den and you know it's illegal here. Come down to the station and bail him out with the sum of N10,000" The speaker said and quickly hanged off the call.
To say I was dumbfounded was an understatement, what had Fawad got himself into? I wondered while panting.
I could just leave the idiot there but I wasn't that kind of a person, and if Hajiya and his mother finds out what happened then things might just end up pretty bad so I decided to go after him.
I went back to the kitchen, pulled away my apron and told Balaraba I would be back in a jiffy. I didn't tell her about his arrest because she disliked him for attempting to rape me weeks back, she might pursuade me not to help him.
Even the rape attempt story, she had wanted me to tell Hajiya about it. I had to tell her what Bilal told me, that we shouldn't let Hajiya or anyone know about it to avoid creating a big family problem that even Hajiya herself won't be able to solve.
You know, Fawad's father may never believe in the story. Same as his mother. And Hajiya that I trusted would believe in the story, she might not let Fawad go scot free. She may try bringing him to book and that would definitely lead to a big family problem that Bilal warned us about.
Before I left to the station, the thought of ASP Salis bounced into my head. Yes, that young Police Officer that once tried to get into my contact list. By the way, the last time I saw his card I kept it on my drawer... only for me to misplace it again. God, I need to talk to him about this.
I headed to my room and searched for the card thoroughly until hopefully, I found it somewhere between my drawer and bed. Ma Shaa Allah, I heaved a sigh in relief and quickly dialed his number.
Sadly, he didn't pick up until I called him again. "Hello!" He said making me to wonder where he was, the place seemed to be crowded because it was noisy.
"Hi, good afternoon sir" I greeted him.
"It's evening here, is this Aliya?" He asked.
"Hmm, evening?" I huffed and continued. "Yes it's me!"
"Wow, Aliya!" He said obviously happy. "How are you, how have you been? Sorry I couldn't check on you since that day, wallahi I am presently in China that's why"
"China?" I puzzled.
"Yes, I've been there since the last time we met" He said.
"What are you doing there?" I asked out of curiosity.
"I am on a special mission and I am presently working hand in hand with The Chinese People's Armed Police Force" He replied.
"Wow, sounds great!" I said smiling as if he was right in front of me.
"Thanks, so have you finally decided to give me a chance?" He said making me to chuckle.
"Chance for what?" I asked.
"You know what I mean, Aliya" He said making me to sigh.
"We will talk about that later, right now I need your help. My brother has been arrested for gambling and now I am told to come and bail him with the sum of 10k in that station adjacent our area. Money isn't the problem, I just don't want to sign any paper there with my name" I said as he busted into laughter. "Is it funny?" I asked.
"No my dear, it's not funny but nothing will happen to you if you do that. That's the protocol, you have to sign Aliya or get someone to bail him out for you" He said and continued. "It's just a record, it doesn't mean any harm"
"Even so, I still don't want my name to be implicated. If possible I would like his name to be erased too, can you help us please?" I asked.
"Hmm, okay. Anything for you Aliya" He said making me to joyfully sigh.
"Thank you sir" I cheerfully said.
"You are welcome" He said and then told me to call him as soon as I was in the station, he would talk to the person in charge to let Fawad go without us paying a dime or signing anything, and also for Fawad's name to be erased from their record.
"Thank you so much sir!" I uttered.
"You are welcome my dear" He said.
Hence I put on my hijab and headed out, I didn't even notice it was the one Bilal bought for me until I was finally outside. Well, it's not a big deal isn't it? I stopped a cab and headed to the station. Immediately I was at the station I did what ASP Salis told me to do, I called him and he talked to them.
Fawad upon his release was surprised to see me. I only gave him a slap for putting me into such stress, "Are you mad?" I asked him.
"I am sorry, Aliya" He said with his face turning red already. I usually use lots of force when slapping people.
"Sorry for yourself!" I hissed at him and turned leaving the station.
"Aliya forgive me, please..." He said trailing me. And just as we were finally by the roadside, he ran over and knelt in front of me with tears streaming down his cheeks. Wait a minute, where did he got all those tears? "I am so sorry Aliya," He pulled me out of my trance and continued. "I know I messed up, and that's because I chose to follow the devil inside me but now I've changed I swear..." He kept begging me while on his knees, and when I realized he was drawing people's attention to us I decided to tell him to stand up but he insisted I must forgive him before he does that. I shifted, he followed me. I did all I could to avoid him but that boy, he had to force me to forgive him.
We returned back to Hajiya's house in the same tricycle, and together we headed into the flat. I thought he would ask about the car Rahina bought me but he didn't seem to care, his face was guiltily down as he trailed me. And when Balaraba saw us together, she screamed and began yelling at him to leave. I had to pursuade her to let him be by narrating his arrest story to her even though I didn't plan to. I also begged her not to tell anyone about it, ever!
Fawad was served launch out of mercy, and with glares from both me and Balaraba. He really looked so sympathetic, he must have gone through a lot in the station. He picked his food and went and ate it on the floor as if he was a slave or something, I didn't even know when I started laughing at him from the dining area. After the food, out of mercy, I gave him access to the guests room to take shower. And after that, I gave him Rahina's car keys and told him to return it to Bilal's house. "Alright ma" He humbly said and left.
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Finally, God has given Aliya a slave 😂
Can't believe I updated again o!
Two more chapters to go.