•Jameel

"I heard they're on your trail."

"Be careful."

"Somebody is trying to pin you down."

"I'm not a part of the squad in charge of her case."

" I know someone came to see oga yesterday and he promised to kill you when we were in the office."

"I Dey fear o oga. I just said let me tell you before something bad happens."

I had returned to a few bottles today out of frustration. One of my informants among the police officers had thought of tipping me off so that I could find my way out of the country before I would be caught.

My twenty four hours was spent in my room trying to find ways to move to the nearest country or Europe maybe. I had been searching for tickets that would be available for us to travel in the night but it seems other people had the same idea as me.

I forfeited the idea to travelling by road through a chartered bus or a private car but was it a good idea. I wasn't sure the roads were in the safest condition for travel.

Chaima was at the door with my food. I was hungry, terribly hungry but I couldn't let her see me in this impure situation so I asked her to leave it at the door. She sounded worried but I couldn't care less at the moment.

My head would start to spin any second and I knew the next was for me to get a bucket for my vomit. I could already feel my insides churning with disgust and anguish. I rose up with my last strength and ended up on the floor again with my insides spewing atop my arm and sweatshirt.

I layed there in my slobber for hours until the sickening smell of my emesis brought me back to sobriety and a welcoming hangover.

My eyes hurt, they felt heavy. I was sweating so it mixed with my vomit to form a potluck of disgruntlement.

I dragged myself to the bathroom on my knees and came back with a buck of water and a dirty shirt I found in my laundry basket. I dropped the bucket beside my bed and moved to grab the shirt and throw it into my dustbin.

I cleared the bottles into a large black bag including the ones hidden under my bed to be thrown away with the shirt I'd thrown to my bin tomorrow morning when I go for my run.

I squeezed the shirt I'd brought in the bucket and used it to rid the carpet on my stomach's emission. Bashir called and I stopped answer. He asked a few strange questions and asked about my welfare which was typical of him but when has he never been one to ask weird questions? It didn't bother me. I trust him.

After that, I continue to scrub till all stains of my vomit had vanished then I poured all the water into the tub rinsed it with the bucket before taking a shower and rushing to eat my dinner.

If Chaima was here I'd reign all sorts of praises on her. I loved her food undeniably especially when she made me pounded yam and egusi. I always liked to imagine she was Nigerian because I found it strange that she could cook Nigerian food.

She was lovely but very talkative. Of all the years we were friends I had no idea she cared for me until the day she called me asked me to come to Morocco where she had the power to protect me and because of our attachment I chose to protect her from my burdensome life until now.

Admittedly, I know I've been very uncivil and rude towards her but if there's anything I know it's that she's very understanding so she doesn't nag at me for my attitude. She still cooks and cleans despite the number of times I've asked her to hire workers to do it for her.

She was very successful and had more than enough to take care of an entire village but as ruthless as a businesswoman she was, she also reminded stingy to herself. This mansion being bought is the biggest she's ever done for herself.

I ate all her food and dropped the tray outside before shutting the door and laying on my bed to think now that my cognition was not being hindered but intoxicants.

An idea popped into my head and that was the reason I slept peacefully before the morning my in-twenty-four-hours wife would be on a trip to another city with me.

****

"Wake up, we have to leave!" I shook Basma's arm to make her conscious.

Her eyes lazily opened and she stared at me confused, unable to speak.

"We have to be on the road by twelve. Be fast." I ripped her body of the bed in the most kind way I could without hurting her and I led her to the bathroom.

I left her to join Chaima downstairs to discuss the change of plans and how I was going to her find a new place to stay in with Basma before we left the country.

She offered to call her uncle in Casablanca but I didn't want to involve her family into this mess so I rejected the offer and explained my reasoning behind it.

She began to weep and begged me to accept it with a promise to visit every weekend we'll remain here. Out of the blue she rose up and marched to where I sat on the table and kissed me.

She pecked my lips and stroked my beard before moving back to her seat. A smile cling to her lips and she watched me, waiting for my reaction that was late to show.

I was too shocked to give a response so I smiled and rose to find Basma upstairs.

"Stop right there!" She commanded.

"What's wrong?"

"You're just going to leave as if nothing happened?"

"I just don't know what to say."

"Well tell me this," she hissed, "Did you like it or not?"

"Obviously."

"Then why didn't you show me even if you had nothing to say?"

"This could complicate our friendship Chaima."

"We're grown now. We are smart enough to handle our relationships."

She walked closer to me and pulled me to smash my lips against hers that was softer and marred with lipgloss. I lifted her and we went up the staircase and into her room.

I dropped her and she turned the lock. It was when she stripped that it became all too real. My lips went dry as I watched her take off her hair band and let her hair fall down to cover her face.

She stood, looking at me. I guess she was waiting for me to help her but I didn't. It was still so surreal. I was conflicted. My heart was with the woman in the other room but my body was begging to be touched by the woman in this room.

Her hands froze on her skirt and she reached for my hand. I helped her pull it down but I still didn't touch her.

"Is something wrong?"

I shook my head quickly, "I just don't know if this is what we should be doing."

"If it wasn't you'd be in her room."

"But..." I protested and she held her finger to lips and dragged my free hand to her butt.

Her lips met mine again and this time I wasn't unresponsive. My hands roamed any and everywhere till we were on the bed and her legs were wrapped around my waist.

A knock from the door and a short laugh brings us out of our whimsical juncture of bliss. My mouth remained straying from my neck down to her chest and onto her breast.

She tried to lift my shirt off then another knock came in.

"I know y'all are messing around." Basma stated from across the door.

"We're just talking." I lied.

"I'll just go back to my room and sleep since I've had my breakfast."

Chaima pulled my jeans and I stopped her hands from going further after realizing I had a trip to make.

"We can continue this when next we meet." I put my shirt back on and buttoned my jeans.

She got off the bed and moved to stand before me with her hands on my chest with my hands wrapped around her naked waist.

"I know but you still have time."

"It'll be too late when we finish."

"Ok then. But again, this is not the only thing I want and you know it."

"We'll talk about that in your uncles house."

"No problem. I just have to leave now. Wear your clothes."

I slapped her butt and left her to wear her clothes back. I heard shuffling in Basma's room and I saw her stuffing the clothes I got her into a duffle bag. She was acting as if she was even more eager to run than me.

She picked up her hand bag and the duffle bag to exit the room and she staggered back.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry I scared you. Are you all set? I'm about to call the driver."

"Yes I'm ready."

I left the room and dialed the drivers number. He answered and told me to expect him in the next fifteen minutes.

We stood by the entrance of her mansion waiting as soon as he called to tell us he was at the gate. He drove in and stopped before us and we entered the car.

Basma forgot something in the house so she ran back to go and take it from her room while I struggled to find comfort in the car but I don't blame Chaima. She got this so we wouldn't be noticed in a flashy car driving around the country.

Before Basma was able to reach the door of the house Chaima came out with a small duffel bag and handed it to her. Make-up, I presume because I could see her stuffing lipstick into the bag before giving it to her. She neither smiled nor waved back at Basma. She turned and walked back into the house as Basma jogged to the car.

I and Basma settled in the back seat then drove off into the heating sunset before my worry died down.

"So show me what it was you wanted me to sign."

"Here." She got it from her bag and handed it to me with a pen.

"Let me read it."

"You don't have to."

"Why?" She laughed nervously, "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you."

"Then sign it."

I hesitated looking at the paper for a while trying to see what it was about.

"If you're not signing it, give me back!"

"I will, calm down."

She looked out the window and I took the time to flip through the first few pages.

"Basma what's this about?"

"I knew you didn't trust me. Just give me back. You said you'd just sign it."

"You're not explaining much that's why I'm scared."

"So the almighty Jameel is a scared today?"

"How won't I be scared when you have a similar document my father wanted to force me to sign months ago with you?"

"Your father didn't give this to me."

"Then who did? It states here that I will allow the marketing of  drugs supplied to me by his fake company name. Do you even know what he's trying to do?"

She stiffened with my question urging me to go on.

"He's planning on establishing a kind of intermediary for sellers of body parts in the black market and customers who are ready to buy. Is that what you want me to endorse?"

"Really?"

"Yes Basma and if I sign this to please you I'll put my hospital in jeopardy."

She didn't say anything after that. I waited for an answer but all she did was sleep till we reached our destination.

The door was opened for her by the driver and Chaima's uncle Bakr let us into his house with his beautiful wife who was homely. Their workers took our bags to the guest room and they asked us to have dinner with them.

We joined them for dinner and Basma still wasn't speaking to me. I wondered where her head was at. The couple asked us questions and she only spoke to them without directing it to me or involving me in her discussions.

After dinner, Basma left to our room and I followed her immediately. As soon as I shut the door I began to ask all that I'd wanted to ask her.

"Are you ready to speak now?"

She layed on the bed and only spoke when she wanted to tell me to sleep on the floor.

"What is wrong with you? Have you gone mute?"

Her hands reached for a book inside her bag that was on top of the bed side drawer and she shoved her face into the book, ignoring me completely.

I snatched the book from her hand and held it to my chest, "I'm speaking to you. Better talk or I won't leave you alone."

"You want me to talk? What do you want me to say?!"

"Why you want me to sign the papers."

"Because that's what will make me happy. Isn't it obvious?"

"Nothing makes you exactly happy especially if it concerns my family so why are you asking me to do this?"

"Because I want it."

"You don't even have the right answer. Did he make you do this?"

"No! I told you before."

"You're lying Basma."

She hissed and closed her eyes on the bed.

"I won't sign it unless you talk."

"I don't even believe a word you say. Why should I trust you? How do I know you just don't want to sign it?"

"My father just wants money and he'll do anything for it and I want you to understand that that's why I refused to sign it when he brought me the offer."

She rose up from the bed and stared at me with a look in her eyes that told me she was starting to believe me.  My father was a crazy businessman and if he knew where to get the money, he would go even if he knew the chances of him returning was little.

"Ok. I believe you. Now can I sleep?"

"We still have to get married."

"Now?"

"No, tomorrow."

"Why can't we do it in Nigeria?"

"That's just how my plan was supposed to go."

"Something is definitely wrong with you tonight."

"I'm serious."

"Go and marry yourself."

"But you agreed to marry me."

"Not when you've slept with Chaima."

I wanted to rush our re-union so that we would leave this country as husband and wife and if the police ever caught up to me, I would say that it was just a quiet trip we decided tot ale as a couple. I had already made plans to do that at the court today but we came late so I didn't know if we would be lucky to do it tomorrow.

"We didn't sleep with each other."

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"I'm telling you the truth."

"You know what, I don't even care. Just give me my first dose from Dr. Sara so that I can sleep."

I give her the pills and allow her to sleep, allowing us more time for me to convince her to marry me again.

A few hours later she wakes up and she's yelling. I help her off the bed and now she's standing with blood dripping down her soaked dress and feet.

I call for the couples assistance and they help us get to a hospital ten miles from their house where Basma is rushed in quickly. Unfortunately she'd lost consciousness before we reached the hospital.

___________________________

•Basma

"I'm sorry but she lost a baby?" The doctor tells Jameel. It sounds like a whisper but I can see hands in the air and Jameels dragging the doctor by the neck of his coat. I'm dispirited.

"They were two?"

"Yes sir, I'm sorry."

"How? What happened?" He's about to punch the doctor who dodged by an inch.

"We found traces of some drugs she's not to be taking. Do you know where she got them from? If yes, do you know when she started?"

"Yes. Some days ago we visited a doctor at...hospital and she was prescribed these drugs to help her."

"How long has she been taking them?"

"It's only been 6 hours. This was her first dose."

"Don't let her take them again."

"Alright doctor."

People ran in and out of the room murmuring. My head hurt, same with my eyes. All I could see was a blue and everything was shuffling from the ceiling to the floor and sideways. Everything was a cacophonous perplexity and I prayed someone would slip in and inject me a toxin that would end all of this. It was better than getting better so I could marry this devil.

Fool me once, I married you. Fool me twice, I bury you.

Eventually the dizziness and initial shock of hearing that I'd lost a baby was gone and I felt dead inside. My breathing was steady and everywhere was silent but I couldn't stop thinking about Afaf, Sa'adatu, kawu uncle, my aunt and Ajman.

The doctor struts in cheerily with his stethoscope in one hand and a file in the other.

"You're awake, Alhamdulillah." He beams, pulling a pen from his breast pocket to write on one of the pages in his folders.

"Where am I?"

He rests on the sit beside my bed with his legs crossed. "The hospital."

"Why? Have I given birth yet? But I'm still like eight months due!"

"Calm down you didn't give birth. But you..."

"What?" I sit up quickly like the undertaker rising from the dead, almost ripping the drip needle attached to my wrist from my body.

"You have to calm down before I say this."

"Ok I'm calm." I was lying.

He didn't believe me. How? "No, you're not. Your face says it all."

"What do you mean? I'm fine."

"Just close you're eyes, take some deep breaths to actually calm you so you can brace yourself before the news comes."

Jameel appears at the door. Hands in pocket. The model look but with an intimidating scowl. He sends the doctor out and covers the chair with his crusty buttocks.

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

"Speak now or hold your peace because that wedding is not happening."

"Fine, just promise that you won't overreact."

"How will I know if I won't overreact or not? Just say it let's get it over with."

"You lost one of your babies."

"I don't understand."

"You had twins inside you."

"My goodness! Ya Allah how did this happen?"

"They said it was the drugs that other doctor gave us."

I hold my stomach. "It's your fault for taking me there. I hate you, get out! They weren't your children so you wanted to get rid of them. Get out!"

"Please let me speak."

"I don't want to hear anything from you."

"But I didn't do anything."

"Who took me there?"

"I didn't know she was a quack doctor."

Chaima. This was all Chaima's fault. Since I was leaving with him she thought she'd lost him to me again. I'll confront her once I can survive to escape from Jameel.

"Liar! Why did you pick the hospital in the first place if you didn't know it was a bad one? You're also a doctor, don't even start with your lies."

"I had no idea. Wallahi, I didn't. Please forgive me."

"Excuse me sir, she needs time to herself. You can come back later."

"What do you mean? I'm her husband."

"Yes, visiting hours are over."

"I want to stay here with her."

"I could hear all the yelling from outside the door. I don't think she wants that now."

"Where's the head doctor?!"

"Sir, no need to make a scene. He'll tell you the same thing."

"Get out of my way!"

"Nurse, please tell the security I don't want to see him again."

"I'm sorry that's not possible. Part of the hospital policy is that your family is allowed to visit even if no other person is allowed."

"But he's not..."

I realized if I said anything hell could break loose so I decided to play it cool and tell her to leave.

I heard the door click and jumped off the bed to the bag I packed my emergency hospital necessities, took out the phone that was in my bag and called the first number I'd ever memorized after my parents number which was Afaf then Sa'adatu but none of them answered so I left them a text and switched off the phone when I heard footsteps approaching my room.

My body shook feverishly out of excitement as I go back to sit on the bed. The needle of the drip is gone and I'm only just noticing. I could've called for the nurses but decided tomorrow was another day and the doctors would still come for their rounds. I couldn't possibly die before then. Right?

Sa'adatu called back a few hours later and that's when I told her everything that'd happened and begged her to not tell anyone till I was back so I could do it myself.

She passed the phone to Afaf who spent most of the time crying than speaking on the phone then our uncle and lastly our aunt who took up all the time asking questions.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Not really."

"What do you mean by not really?"

"All I know is that we're in Morocco."

"How did you get there?"

"I was drugged."

"I'm sorry baby."

"Thank you Aunty. Please tell Afaf to stop crying."

"I will."

"I've stopped." Afaf yelled in the background, laughing as spells of cough keep stopping her from speaking.

"Cry baby." I remarked. "Sa'adatu said this was a family meeting with some extras. Who's there? Is Ajman there? He can help with the investigation." I suggested.

"Inspector Leke, some guy named Bilal, another one named Bashir and one fine one named Rayyan."

Everyone is struggling with my abduction and all she can think of is how handsome Rayyan is, shucks.

Trust Basma to always speak like that. Just like me, she had no filter and wasn't scared as opposed to me in some moments.

"Ajman's not here. Last time we spoke, he said he was travelling for work but he never said where. He told me he tried calling you but your number was not reachable." Sa'adatu states.

"Is everything ok with him?"

"Yes, he's fine. He already messaged me twice in the last month not to worry about trying to calling. He later found out  you were not here too and offered to help but he's been unreachable since then. In the message he said it's a secret investigation. I just hope he survives."

"Me too. Ok, I have to go. I know Jameel will be back soon." I sniffed.

"I love you all."

"We love you too."

Bashir, Bilal and Rayyan were in the same room. That has got to be my greatest nightmare. I don't know how many men I've been involved with over the past few months and these three are just my regulars.

I stopped talking to the rest once I knew I was in love with Rayyan. Bashir was the best friend and Bilal was just a stranger so I didn't care about him but if Rayyan was with them that means he's also a part of the investigation.

I never doubted him.

Oh I'm so stupid for doubting him.

A knock resounded from the wooden door of my room and I shoved the phone into my shirt to fit inside of my bra before whoever was behind the door came in.

"Come..."

Jameel came in before I could finish inviting him in.

"What do you want?"

"I just came to apologize. I know you miss your family and everyone and you've just lost one of your babies. I can't imagine how that must feel."

My hands were shaking. I shoved them behind my back and tried to maintain a harmonious semblance.

Sweat was already pouring down my forehead because of how petrified I was thinking he'd heard the conversation I'd just had with my family.  That means—he knows I have a phone?

He hasn't made a move yet so I'm not sure what to think anymore. He approached my bed and lays a hand on my forehead then begins to yell.

"Doctor. Doctor, she's sweating and her temperature is hot. What's wrong with her?"

The doctor enters the room in a rush and begins to check my heartbeat with his stethoscope and write some stuff down then he wraps a thin paper like object to my arm which becomes like a balloon after he continuously pressed on a button. A nurse attached the drip needle to my wrist again while the doctor continued to write more into his folder till he was satisfied then he said, "She's fine. Let her rest. Get her food immediately, please."

I almost guffaw in sheer bewilderment when the doctor seemingly ordered Jameel. He looks petrified and Jameel watches him from the window silently—angry essentially. Doctor somebody—let's call him that because I never got to know his name—is shaking in his tailor made coat and his pen falls hard to the floor which eases the tension a bit.

Jameel left and I fell asleep immediately and the sleep that I had was the joy of my entire kidnap because it was peaceful and the most calm I've been since I left Nigeria.
_________________________

~Aisha SafiyanuXO💚