•Bashir

Alone in my room with no one to talk to about my worries and of course the nagging feeling that Bilal and Rayyan are somewhat more than just her friends. A replay of yesterday's episode of our assembly at the police station kept haunting me.

Rayyan was the most silent among us but that didn't stop him from airing his views which only made me more suspicious with the way he spoke.

I admit I'm insecure but the way Rayyan even called her name sounded as if he was too scared to say it loud so the skies don't strike him with thunder. He stared at the floor mostly and refused to even keep eye contact as he spoke.

His voice was low and so was his head. His eyes were casted to the ground but I could see the tears gathering within and he occasionally sniffed to everyone's ignorance except mine.

"You drove her to the airport that day?"

I nodded without speaking. He stared intently before excusing himself.

"I need to make a call outside. I'll be back in a few minutes." Rayyan rose from his sit, walking to the door.

"You can't do that—not until we're done here." The inspector stated.

Rayyan willfully sits back down with a lethal glint in his eyes, his knuckles turning red from gripping the arm of his chair too hard.

He doesn't speak for the remainder of the time but I can tell he has so much to say. He texts me while we're the meeting was on going and asks if we can meet up again at his house after leaving here.

I reply with an ok and listen attentively to the inspector as he continues rambling about something he heard from Basma's family which at this point was of no use to us if they still couldn't pinpoint her location.

"Sorry to interrupt but I have a lot to say with so little time and if we can skip this lecture I'd like to start."

The inspector gruffly answered with a hum and waited for me to begin.

"Now, I'm sure not a lot of you do not know but I'm good friends with Jameel but he has taken someone precious to me and I can't sit back and watch." I sassed trying to make eye contact with Rayyan who's face doesn't show any reaction until he hears my next words, "She happens to be in a relationship with me and we were about to get married before this."

I hear a murmur from him but don't quite catch anything. So I continue with the jeering of a petty Rayyan.

"I don't know who told you that she loves you but go on."

I stop myself from lying more before it turns to a river I can't dispel. I decide to finish off with the truth I know.

"He calls me regularly whenever he travels and also notifies me before he does. This time he didn't and now he's calling me in a place he withheld from me. For the first time I had to ask him before he told me and I think I heard Basma's voice arguing with him in the background."

"You think?" The inspector hisses, his eyes stay on me and he starts on laugh, "You said you had information we need so where is it?"

"Calm down sir. I heard her speak so I'm sure it's her. I'd know her voice anywhere. Something suspicious happened too that night I spoke to him—when she started to talk he hung up and told me he'll call me back."

"Ok, how do you suggest we get him to tell you he's with her?" Bilal asks.

"I want to go there instead of just calling. He'll think it's suspicious that I'm asking so much questions so I'm proposing that you, inspector, give me some of your men and we'll leave to Morocco as soon as possible so we can arrest him."

"That's not very smart. If he knows you're coming he'll even say he will come back to fix whatever problem is happening here." Bilal avowed.

"I know." I answer, "I know this man very well. He can't work on impulse. If he doesn't know of my arrival. He won't know how to evade everything coming his way."

"I like the sound of that." Inspector scratches his hairy chin and smiles, "We have a shot at this." He then added, "No one is allowed to leave the country and, or this Abuja. In this moment you'll all be pronounced fugitives if you run."

"I'll make arrangements this night for my flight and you can handle your men." I say.

"Me too." Bilal says at the same time with Rayyan.

I just wished they'd stayed but now I understand that Bilal is being prosecuted by the police for alleged involvement in her disappearance and Rayyan is here with his heart on the line as well as I am with not only my heart but everything I've got to save Basma El-Nafaty.

"Agreed." Inspector shakes me with a small smile. Rayyan rises and we exit the office.

We walk silently to the gate and find a cab that takes us back to the restaurant to get our cars. From there we stop at his house and that's where things got heated.

He closes the door behind him and climbs up his stairs, ignoring me. I make my way to the living room and admire his house from where I sat.

It was too large for someone his age and seemed too expensive but who knows if he's a yahoo boy? But who was I to judge when I lived in a somewhat similar house? Only difference is that Jameel pays my rent. I sat on one of the couches and stared ahead at the television screen, looking at my wretched appearance.

"You should go and clean up before we talk." He offers, "Let's go to the guest room."

I follow him silently till we reach a door not far from the living room entrance and he points at the bathroom.

"Go ahead." He smiles subtly, "I'll leave some clothes for you to change into."

"Thank you."

He reversed out and shut the door while I slowly dragged my feet to the bathroom. I felt embarrassed to say the least. This was a man that made me feel insecure especially with Basma as the center of the matter.

He seemed better off. Emotions were in check, no anger issues, no bad past, maybe daddy issues but not relationship issues that hopefully, could be unrequited. In fact he seemed contented with life and was blessed to be in this lovely house which his daddy might have given to him.

I quickly shower and change before returning to an empty living room. The television was turned on though so I just sat there watching NTA showing news about the recent kidnap of some school children in Niger state.

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be out so soon. I went to get changed too. So let's talk strategy. How and when do we enter Morocco?"

I flinch from hearing his voice. He comes out of the shadows and into the light of his living room, finds himself a sit and the Basma games began.

"I'll have to make some calls then know when he's leaving and how long he'll be staying. For now let's just make preparations on how to get passports for the policemen who don't have and get a reliable travel agency to aide the trip."

"That's a good idea. Do you hav any travel agencies in mind?"

"Yes, I know one but I can't remember the name. I know their office at Sheraton Hotel. We could all go with the inspector when we're ready. I've used them to travel to some places."

"Oh places like where if it's not too much to ask?" He asks.

Granted, I lied but I didn't want him to think I was some rugged boy who grew from nothing to something just a few years ago.

I wanted him to think I was also from old money so he wouldn't disrespect me or downgrade me.

As usual I was a pro at lying so it wasn't hard to formulate the stories which were just figments of my dreams to actually go those places.

"Jamaica, Honolulu, Egypt, Italy and a whole others but my favorite was Maui island. It was amazing. I have so many interesting stories from when I went there but I'll save them for another time. Where have you taken trips to? Have you ever been outside Africa?"

Rayyan just smiles and tries to hold back an internal chuckle but doesn't seem to find all I've said impressive or shocking. He just nods and looks at his clock as if to say he was telling me I'd overstayed my welcome.

"I've been to a lot of places but telling some people the places doesn't matter because they may have never been there so I wouldn't want to trigger some ill feelings." He stares straight at me with an artificial look of delight that breaks evenly into an unreadable smile, "They could get jealous or misinterpret my words for mock."

"I understand that feeling bro. They won't get it."

Oh no, he's not talking to me.

"Yes, true."

"So, what's your friendship with Basma like?" He asks. I've been waiting to hear this all night. Cue the clearing of my throat and an evil grin.

"It was.." I want to say she loved me to spite him but I didn't have the energy for as much stories this night so I closed it off with a simple sentence, "Lovely. She was very helpful and kind. She just wanted to make all her friends and loved ones happy."

"That's my Basma!" He cheers.

"Your Basma?"

"Yes, she's mine."

"What do you mean she's yours?"

"Well, when two people are in a relationship and love each other unconditionally decide to make things official they become boyfriend and girlfriend but in this case she's almost my wife so I won't call her girlfriend but she's definitely mine. Do you understand or you want me to go on?"

"I am not an illiterate, don't insult me. But as her family she never spoke about you and we're very close. She tells me everything but never once has she ever brought you up as a subject."

"That's because we never spoke about..." he pauses, "That's our business. I don't need to tell you anything."

"I see," My phone rings and I reach for it in my pocket, it's Inteesar so I ignore it and set it down on the couch. "I guess I'll take my leave now. Have a goodnight."

With the clearing of his throat he says, "You can let yourself out."

We both get up but he's going the opposite direction as he calls on a maid to lock the door once I leave. He doesn't follow me to the door. Rather, he makes for the staircase and ignores me standing in his living room like a moron.

Embarrassed doesn't begin to explain how I feel about today's episode of Basma chronicles. Our coincidental kidnap by the police and getting beat up but for Basma, it was all worth it. At least I can say I've gotten a step closer to finding her.

I get into my car and drive back to my house before the next day would arrive with a new ton of its trivialities and I'd have no energy to tackle it.

****

A few days later...

It's 10:00am and I do not have any errands to carry out or needs to cater for, or Inteesar this morning so I'm free and with the boredom came a sudden urge to make danwake. This was to me, the best thing my mother used to make for me and I loved it with all my heart. She would serve it with a special sauce she made and even if it didn't have chicken or any beef I enjoyed it.

As kids I and my older brother, Bala would have contests of who would eat it the fastest because our mother would award the winner a piece of beef on days she made good sales in the market.

Thinking back, I understood that she just wanted us to finish the food knowing we were hungry but couldn't it because of how unsavory it was; the rice would lack the necessary ingredients to make it Jollof rice or Rice and stew so she wanted to encourage us to overlook it and consume it to be healthy.

Sometimes she would give us a piece each if her savings could afford it but on days we had to compete, he would leave it sometimes for me to eat but one day he went for a walk in the evening and that was the last of him we heard. Some say he was eaten in the forest by animals but I knew better. I didn't believe he was dead. I felt he was rebelling against my father who'd said he had to start farming with him since he couldn't pass his exams in school. I still believe that one day I would be able to find him.

I keep hearing knocks that sound as if they could tear down my door and I wondered who was here this early morning. I open it and see my security guard looking scared.

"Good morning oga."

"What's wrong?"

"One policeman talk say he dey look for you."

"Ask him who sent him."

He's back with the name immediately, "He said Inspector Leke."

"Let him in."

I stand outside the door I've locked behind me because I have no intention of letting him step into my house. I expected the inspector when my security guard knocked but it's one of his lackeys.

"Good morning." He greets.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Secondus. The inspector has asked me to tell you that he would like to see you today sir."

"Ok, by what time?"

"This morning by 11:00. He said it won't be at the station. You'll be meeting with him and the El-Nafaty family at their family house."

"Tell him I'll be there."

"Ok sir, he said he has already taken your number from Alaji Ra-yan."

He leaves for the gate and I, into my house to continue to make more danwake.

I made as much as my mum would make which is sad because I have no one to eat it with. It would probably go to waste but I'd give the rest to the security guard and his friends who come to gossip with him occasionally.

I call him once I'm done to take his share while I munch on mine in my room. This time, I want to cry and the only person I know, who can make me stop is Basma and I miss her. I miss my mother and my brother but not my father because he has given me a name I do not want and a life I can never stop lying to maintain.

It had come to an end but Basma is gone and Jameel has disappeared as well but as soon as she's found I will have to tell her how I feel. It was all a joke, I know.

We have joked about becoming a team to dupe other people but we never had the time to make actions of our words. I miss the banter and the arguments, the good and the bad—every encounter we'd ever had. I'd taken them for granted and now she's gone.

I do hope I'm not the first to meet Jameel because I could do some unspoken things to him. In about thirty minutes I go to take a shower after leaving everything in the kitchen neat and rinsing the dishes. After Basma's kidnap I became paranoid so I discharged all my workers.

Now I'm ready to head out but still feeling strange about seeing Rayyan again after our last encounter. We were both hostile and maybe jealous but I think we could work it out as adults.

I'm locking up my room when I remember the paper I'd been given by Miriam was still on my seat drawer so I go downstairs and get it so I can hear the entire story as I have an hour to spare.

Word by word, I pronounce all she'd written on the paper with an uneasy feeling and before I can say another word she's already there on a couch opposite me.

I could feel the breeze I normally felt from her appearance and it came from a window that was closed not long ago which was open now. I  try to lock it but  she says not to so I sit back on the bed and wait for her to continue where she stopped.

As usual I never noticed when she would appear before me but here she was sitting on the floor cross legged with a pink veil tied to hear head and henna shining from her dark skinned fingers that wouldn't stop touching her face.

"Why have you called me?"

"I just wanted us to finish our conversation."

"Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me everything. From the start."

"Like I said, we came to your village but it wasn't for a wedding but to kill a woman that had stepped on my little sister in the market. We spoke to her and she wasn't remorseful so we decided to punish her with an ailment since she has a family to feed.

They pled with us and we healed her but it took us a bit of time and that's how we ended up staying longer than we expected. Your mother used to visit the woman to greet her so we now entered her body. She was someone with a kind heart that was also pure so we now chose to stay after healing the woman.

We didn't know who you were at first until one day when she said your name and then I told myself I must befriend you." She looks at me "You should check your phone. I believe you have somewhere to be."

Before I could say jack it was already time for the meeting time and I started to rush to gather my wristwatch, shoes and rings to go downstairs. She's talking but I can't see her again. I hear the sound of laughter like the first night she scared me at my old house and I was scared all over again.

"You'll keep suffering for her until you realize you will live a happier life with me."

The window closes again and I continue picking my stuff and putting them in my pocket. One thing I realized was that my car keys were gone. I search all the drawers in my room and everywhere downstairs then try summoning her again but she refuses to appear and I just had to order a Bolt that was able to get me there in time.

"Hello everyone, good afternoon."

Murmurs corresponded in unison to reply to his greeting.

"Good afternoon Inspector Leke. Thank you for all your help in finding my niece." A light skinned woman with a bony structure straightened to greet him and us, next.

"You're welcome madam but all the praises shouldn't go to me alone." He cleared his voice pointing at me, Rayyan and Bilal, "They've been of great help to me."

What about me, idiot?!

"Thank you my children." She smiles, "Please can you all introduce yourselves? I wonder why Basma never thought of bringing any one of you to me."

"I am Rayyan."

Her sisters begin to stare as they whispered, giggling.

"I'm Bashir."

"I'm Bilal."

"It's nice to meet you all."

She nods and her husband shakes each of our hands firmly.

"So, what is the plan to find our Basma inspector?" He asks.

"We've decided to go there ourselves and ambush him."

"Yes," Inspector Leke interrupts, "We've got eyes on them already. Bashir here has made contact and we know the exact location."

"That's great! If it's not too much... we'd like to join you all too. We miss her so much." Afaf says for the first time since we started the meeting.

"That won't be possible." Inspector Leke cuts.

"Why?" Her uncle asks, sounding distressed.

"If need be, it could turn into a gun fight and we don't want you caught in the cross fire. We will try to get her safely." Inspector Leke spells out.

"We can wait in a hotel for the signal to join you after. We just want to be there for support." Sa'adatu inputs.

"Ok, but you'll have to stay away for at least 24 hours because it could get bloody so we want to take care of her extraction safely first then figure out how to handle him because we know he won't go down without a fight."

He didn't want to tell them we still couldn't get Jameel to tell us exactly where he was staying with Basma so we are now looking to track his number but he's using a burner phone so that's not plausible.

"We're ok with that as long as you'll be able to get her from his dastardly clutches." Sa'adatu concurs and her uncle and aunt do the same with synchronized nods.

"I'm sorry I've been so focused on hearing your plans that I forgot to offer you anything. What would you all like to have?" She turns away to grab a phone and calls a maid to join us, "She'll bring whatever you'd like to drink or eat."

I, Rayyan and Bashir accept water and unwillingly eat the lasagna she forced us to have then the inspector and his colleague asked for rice, chicken and Five Alive.

Afaf made moves shooting her shot to Bilal who wasn't even paying attention at her but his phone. She kept offering to refill his glass of water and asking if he needed help with anything. He left to answer a call and returned to thank our hosts and apologize to them for leaving too soon.

It became like a small celebration for almost finding Basma. Inspector Leke ate twice his size and was still asking for takeaways and Rayyan just joined them in talking about his last memories with Basma. I was too distracted because of what Miriam said today and what she'd said.

You'll keep suffering for her until you realize you will live a happier life with me.

What did she mean by that? Was it her fault Basma was gone? If that's true, how does she communicate with Jameel? Was this their plan all this while? I don't know but I'll get to the bottom of it soon. I just needed to get home so I can speak to her once more.

I'm the only one who's not telling a story or laughing at a story. My mind has travelled to further depths and all I can think of is the connection to Basma, Jameel and Mariam. Soon enough the noise dies down and all the attention is on Sa'adatu.

"Hello, who's this?" She gasped, "Basma?"
_____________________

Aisha SafiyanuXO💚