• Rayyan

I've been in the hospital since I heard Basma was kidnapped.

To make it worse, the police keep visiting me. I don't get why I'm a suspect too when I'm a victim just like her.

I dreamt of her and woke up crying because I saw her pregnant and in pain—pain that I felt deep within my guts—it was like no other.

My family thinks it's because my car crashed into a trailer that I'm sick but I even feel sicker when I think of her kidnapped.

I wish I could speak to her. Maybe her voice would heal my bones and strengthen my sick body to health.

Today will be the sixth time the police is visiting me this month. I don't understand why I'm being questioned unreasonably about my car, the driver of the truck and a man I've never heard of in my life.

They keep mentioning a Bashir and I don't know who he is. They say a phone was found in the supposedly drunk driver's trailer beside an empty bottle of local gin, kola nuts and an envelope with a picture of me.

Coincidentally, the driver was gone before they reached the scene. The only mistake he made was leaving his phone behind and on it, a message was found from a 'Oga nomba 2' saying : is the work done?

They called the number and the recorded network providers voice kept repeating the same thing which was that the number didn't exist. Soon a lead was gotten after the number was traced to a Bashir Jalal who I was sure was a stranger to me as much as he was to them.

The doctor says I'll be discharged in 24 hours and I can finally move back to my house. My parents have begged me to return to my old room in their house so they can take care of me but I refused since I was able to walk and feed myself.

I only agreed to follow them back home so I could eat my mothers cooking and ask Aunty Yusra about Basma's wellbeing.

I slept off as soon as everyone left and proceeded to wake up to perform the magribh salat. I'm not sure how I woke up but I remember feeling a light breeze and fingers touching my face.

My eyes were welcomed by nothingness but I was scared as hell. The lights were bright and I could feel the emptiness of the room but my body still felt the presence of another watching me. Really I thought waking up in the middle of sleep was for horror movies and at 03:00am but like in the movies, a spirit was staring at the person.

Figuratively, or should I say theoretically jinns are living creatures and I very much believe in their existence. What's worse is the fact that I can hear footsteps of hooves yet I can't see anyone.

I repeat some duas silently till I feel better and less consumed by the thoughts of sharing a room with a being I can't see.

Slowly, I lift myself off the bed and stalk to the bathroom to purify myself before praying. Once that is done, I return to pray and plead with Almighty Allah to save Basma and to safely return her  return to her family and to me of course.

Upon folding my praying mat and getting off the floor, I notice a piece of paper on my bed. I open it and read it's contents, with fear, for it was never there to begin with.

It reads:

For the sake of a lover
You should strive
In her honor you shall survive
Bleak is this moment
And you're all in need
Step forth to a path of danger
It's there, a seed you'll see
It would come in two
But when it sprouts
Only one of its leaves bears a healer
Someone within is a killer.
-A concerned individual.
080********.

I  read the note continuously till my brain felt worn out and sicker than before. I stared at the number and kept asking myself time and time again who was it? A friend? A colleague? An old classmate or a stranger I may have met before?

I stored it in my pocket and fell to typing letters I could never send to Basma even if I got the chance to. And so I started;

Dear Basma,

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you do things you warned us about. I'm sorry I couldn't help you when you needed me the most. The truth is I'm a coward. I may have tried to help but I'm still scared to tell my parents about us. In your voice, 'but you're a grown man!' It still sounds funny but it's harder to explain to people you've never disappointed in your life. We can't all be perfect though. And this is a flaw I plan on keeping from them till I am ready to take them to you. Don't think I'm unserious about you. I have met several women in your absence—not intentional though—but they're all works of my mother to get me married before they allegedly die. I feel tired so I'll stop here for tonight and I'll see you in the morning. I wish I could give you a kiss but I know you'd be against it 'till we're married' —again, in your voice—goodnight sweetheart. I hope my prayers reach you wherever you are.

-From your slightly obsessed lover.

The next morning...
08:59am

"You're awake Rayyan."

Mama touched my forehead and smiled.

"Good morning mama." I smiled as she pinned me down with a bone crushing hug.

"I can't breathe mama." I choked out.

She let's go, "I'm sorry."

"Did you come alone?"

"Yes." She sat on the chair beside my bed.

"Nobody wanted to follow you to ou chose to come alone?"

"Nobody is at home except that your fathers stupid wife and I didn't want her to come with me."

"Mama she's not really a bad person, you need to give her a chance."

"Shut up! What do you know?" She hissed, "Are you now siding with her?"

"Mama there are no sides. I just know I have two mothers and that's about it."

"Keep quiet and go take a bath so that we can leave."

"Can I have my breakfast at least?"

She grimaced, "You're not eating till you're fresh and clean."

"I'm hungry!"

"Stand up now."

This was how she was whenever you tried to show her she was wrong. It angered her to see correlation between her children and Aunty Yusra which I took no offense in but my mother thought otherwise.

She looked away angrily and I walked to the toilet quietly sulking about being hungry. I forgot my clothes in the room so I had to return and take them back with me to the bathroom where I dressed up and shaved my beard.

My bags were already in the car when I returned to the room. I was famished so it hurt that she sent the food to the car. My mother was sitting on the bed and humming a hausa song  absentmindedly. She looked up, smiled and started to cough unexpectedly.

I handed her a bottle of water to drink before we exited the room. The note I found yesterday on my bed came to mind and I realized I had forgotten it on the sink of the bathroom.

"Mama please stay here. I'll be back."

"What happened?"

"I forgot something."

"Ok, be fast."

I quickly ran in there and grabbed it off the sink before joining my mother down the stairs and into the car as the driver warmed the car.

"Rayyan guess what I made for you?"

"French toast?"

"No! Guess again son."

"Tea with bread and egg?"

"Just open the basket." She replied, disinterested.

"Ok."

I lifted the lid of the basket, dropped it beside me and picked up the cooler to see it's contents.

"Boiled yam!" I opened the second cooler, "And egg sauce."

"Yes." Mama answered.

I grabbed a plate and impatiently charged at the yam, scooping each yam onto my plate with the egg sauce till I was satisfied with the amount resting on my plate.

I covered the coolers and spread my legs as wide as I could in the backseat to enjoy my impromptu breakfast.  The hunger was all consuming so before I knew it the entire meal had disappeared into my belly.

I belched and opened a bottle of water that layed inside the basket, drank out of it and dropped everything inside the basket before gently dropping the cover onto its body.

I slept off for a moment till my phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored it and began to imagine what it would be like to tell my parents about the woman I wanted to marry and her connection to my stepmother.

I worried they wouldn't take it kindly and it hurt to know that Basma would most likely expect me to take her to them soon. I wish I was as bold and slightly more mature—mentally—than her.

"Rayyan!" Mama called.

"Rayyan!"

"Rayyan!" She slapped my arm.

"Yes mama." I looked at her angry form in the front seat.

"Where did you go to? I've been calling your name." She stepped out of the car, "We're home."

"Oh."

"Yes Rayyan. I don't know what's taking your mind away."

She disappeared into the house and three maids came out to take my things in. I followed my mother inside but instead of going to my room I turned to go to Aunty Yusra's side of the house first since I knew Baba wasn't at home.

Clouds of perfumed smoke flew out from under her door indicating she was inside. I knocked and she opened it immediately. With a smile, she welcomed me in.

I bent to the floor and greeted her before rising to find a seat in her armchair.

"So Aunty how's everything."

"You came for Basma right?"

"No! I just came to greet my sweet mother."

"I know you came for her and I'm sorry but as you know she was kidnapped and is yet to be found."

I sighed and looked away as tears started to gather in my eyes. I felt mucus fill up my nose and dryness in my throat.

"Take a minute to calm down then we'll talk."

I smiled and saw her walking out of the room. She returned not long after with drinks and glasses.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yes. Thank you Aunty."

"So how is your arm? I didn't want to visit because of your mother."

"I feel alright. I understand why you couldn't come."

"You know," she started, "Basma is in love with you but the problem is that you and her can't be together for reasons best known to your parents. Your mother especially."

"I know."

"I can't imagine her reaction once she finds out."

"Do you even plan on letting them know?"

"Yes, of course."

"When?"

"Hopefully when she's found."

"Just know that if you betray her, you've betrayed me and we'll react."

"I understand Aunty Yusra. So are there any leads on finding her?" I smile nervously on account of her miniscule threat.

"Her family hasn't said anything yet. We're still searching. Her sisters believe it's your friend Soldierboy but we're not too sure though they said they spoke to him on the phone."

"God forbid! He's not my friend Aunty. I've never liked him—from childhood. He has always been the bully to our other childhood friends and so I never cared to be friends with him."

She nodded, "Well, you've always been good and I see you with good friends so I believe you. What I don't believe is that you will take her to your parents. Don't make a mistake and loose my trust."

"Insha Allah I won't Aunty Yusra. I'll also do my own research to see if I can come up with anything."

"Alright, alright. Just go before your mother realizes you're here and she comes to cause me problems."

We rise up from our seats at the same time and head for the door. She opens it for me and I rush to my room to make a very important phone call.
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-Aisha SafiyanuXo💚