It had already been a week since they had come to what should she call it? Their house or his house? Whatever it was, she preferred to refer to it as his house. That made it nine days since she had left Abuja and ten days since she left Adamawa. It had been one hell of a ride, it had just been ten days since she had her life crushed down, her tears drained and she emotionally locked up. Mama was still not answering her phone call and she got tired of calling Fareeda to ask her to take the phone to her. She realized she was only making Mama angrier than she was by constant calling her, she finally decided to give her time, just like Farha suggested earlier.

She was in front of the building waiting for the driver to come to pick her up, she usually closed at 4:30 pm and she had called him but she guessed he got caught up in the Lagos traffic for nearly an hour now. Yazeed found the driver for her, he said that it would be tiring for him to be taking her to the ballet school and taking her back when she was done, the traffic in Lagos wouldn't easily support that. She loved that, because for the past three to four days, she couldn't be able to point a finger at the Yazeed she once knew. It was as if he got changed again. Not in a bad way, but he made sure their ways didn't cross in the house, it had been four days since she last saw him, but she didn't mind. She guessed it had to do with what he had done to her, somewhere in her heart Jalilah was sure there was that feeling still lingering.

"Khadija, your driver isn't here yet?" She heard her name being called followed up with a question and a tender hand on her shoulders. She wondered who it was, but when she turned, her eyes sparkled with her smile.

"Eunice, yes, I guess he gets caught up in the traffic. Today being Friday doesn't help a bit. I think I'd have to wait some more, leaving already?" She asked and stared at the bag slung on Eunice's shoulder.

She nodded her head softly and smiled, "Yes, I'm done with everything. My boyfriend is here to take me home. Until Monday, right?" She asked as Jalilah softly hugged her and nodded her head. She was the only person she had close to an acquaintance in the ballet school. Eunice was around her age, even though she looked more matured than Jalilah could ever pretend to be, and she was Igbo.

They bade each other goodbye before she walked across the street, where her boyfriend had parked. Jalilah watched as she waved at her until they disappeared before she heaved a sigh and smiled. She hugged her arms around her body and smiled, she truly loved Lagos in its late evenings, she didn't mind the bustling sounds of the vehicles as everyone rushed back home. Most of the times she knew those people wishing to go back home had someone or something waiting for them. It was either parents, siblings, girlfriends, wives or children, and it sounded appealing to her ears. Some rushed to go back home to watch football, some just plainly wanted to sleep like her. Just that she had to practice ballet before she always retired for the night.

When the clock moved past 6 in the evening, Jalilah knew she had to do something. She called David's phone again but it wasn't even going through, what happened along the way? She wondered and walked out of the building in its whole. She began trekking on the street while she wondered what would be of her life today. Yazeed must have gone back home already, even though she wasn't sure of the time he closed for work, it wasn't up to 6 pm. She put on her AirPods and began to cherish the solitude if she could call that solitude. As much as she was amid passers, rumbling vehicles and honks wanting to scare her soul out of her body, she felt alone. Just her thoughts, her legs walking to a direction she didn't know of, and the soft music gliding through her ears. Don't forget about the chilling wind, that was what made her felt as if she had won a marathon.

For some reasons unknown to her, she had gotten attached to Tatiana's songs that it got worse for her, she listened or hummed her songs when she wanted to sleep. She believed that the woman knew her way with her songs, with the voice that made sure it calmed you down before anything. And her lyrics were always poetic that Jalilah could imagine then being recited with a poet's intonations, it would have been beautiful. She heard a honk in the distant, but she didn't budge because she knew there tenths, if not, hundreds of thousands of vehicles aggressively honking at one another.

But it seemed this was directed at her, and she turned to see what went wrong. It was a car with a tint all over, she didn't know who it was. And for sure, it couldn't be Yazeed. Even though she didn't know all his cars, she was sure he wasn't the one. She tried ignoring the car but the driver drove softly ahead of her until she got directly to the window and he swung it down. "Hello, Jalilah, right?" She needn't be told that he was from Arewa, from his dressing and the way he spoke, she knew he was one.

"Yes, but I'm sorry, I don't know you." She quickly shook her head and thought of the worst-case scenarios about this guy, which made her walked past the car, but he drove close to her despite how the other cars were aggressively honking at him to drive fast.

"Will you please get into the car? You can see the other drivers are honking at me." He spoke again, and she slightly turned to have a look of his face. He didn't look like someone that would harm another, but she knew better than anyone that you could never tell from the looks. If someone looked at Yazeed, you could tell he was the most innocent and kind person in this world, but the only god knew the kind of damage his words were capable of making.

She contemplating and realized that she was just walking on the streets, not even knowing where she should head to locate their estate, it was as if she was walking in the dark. The best way to save herself was by riding with this man, and she discreetly sent a quick message to Farha about him, the kind of car he drove, his car plate number, and a little description about him from what she could see through the mirror. In case something happened to her, she was sure Farha will fight until she couldn't fight anymore. She got into the car with numerous supplications on her lips and he drove off.

"But I can't tell where I met you for you to know my name." She softly said and he smiled at her, he had this smile that made him look boyish. She kind of liked it, Yazeed didn't smile like that. Even when he did, as much brightly as it looks, it felt as if he was just hiding something. As if he was just getting out of his comfort zone and would run back the moment that fleeting feeling vanished. Why was she suddenly comparing everyone she had met with Yazeed? What was wrong with her.

"My name is Jibril, Sulaiman's friend. I met you at his house during his son's naming ceremony. Do you remember?" He asked, and she looked at him for a split second before she nodded her head with a soft smile.

"I think I do, the one Wafiyya spoke with, right? She teased you to collect my number fro Yazeed." She pointed out, and he nodded his head with a wide grin on his lips, it was evident he was happy that she had recognized him.

"Yes, and I've been asking Yazeed to send it to me but he kept ignoring it. I'm so happy we've met again. What brought you to Lagos?" He asked and that was when she didn't know what to say to him. Was she going to tell him that she was here with Yazeed and they stayed in the same house because she wanted to practice ballet so bad that it ripped her out of her sanity? He knew Yazeed wasn't married, so lying about it would only make her paint a fool out of herself.

"I should ask you that, do you work here?" She turned the question at him, and he softly shook his head.

"I work in Abuja, but my dad mostly sends me here to run some things for him. Which is most of the times. I'm glad I've met you again, my name is Jibril Musa Lawal."

She smiled and offered her short introduction too, "My name is Khadija Ibrahim Fufure, but mostly, everyone calls me Jalilah. You can call me that too." He asked her where she stayed and she told him the address, praying silently that Yazeed wouldn't be at the door because she didn't know what he would think of her. There were only a few people that she could trust with this, not everyone would know you're staying in the same house with a guy and believe you could spend more than three days without seeing him. And that nothing haram was going on between the two of you.

They conversed in their way to the estate and when he drove into the black huge gate, Jalilah was relieved when she didn't see him outside. It was dark already, and from his parked car, she knew he was back home. Maybe an hour ago or two. Didn't he wonder why she had stayed so long without coming back home? Did he even notice? She wondered if he did. She hopped out of the car and Jibril did the same, fondly smiling at her.

"Can I have your number now? Please?" He added with a soft smile and she nodded her head at him, watching as he walked across the car and handed her his phone. She hit the numbers before giving the phone back to him, and he immensely thanked her.

"I'll call you tonight inshallah, maybe take you out tomorrow or on Sunday, I'd be leaving first thing on Monday. Please don't reject my offer, I want to know you more." She shyly smiled and nodded her head.

"We will have to choose which day would work for us before you leave Insha Allah. Thanks for the ride, bye." With one last smile, Jalilah turned and walked into the house, she had a key with her. The downstairs living room had always been her favourite, sometimes she stayed up late at night just watching a movie or having a time of herself while she took chocolates. Yazeed hardly made an appearance in the house, it was as if she was living all by herself, and she kind of liked it.

But to her dismay, as she walked into the living room with a soft smile on her lips and threw her bag onto one of the sofas, ready to loosen her veil and have some air move freely into her hair, she saw him. He was standing by the window, just staring without his body moving. She wondered if he had seen what had happened, who brought her home and if he would ask her why David didn't do his job. But when he turned to look at her, she slightly shivered. What was with this man and unnerving her soul? He looked angry, that was obvious.

"Where did you stay all evening and you aren't back until after 7 pm, Jalilah?" He inquired, sounding like those annoying big brother's she heard her friends always complain about. Just that this wasn't what he meant, he wanted to belittle her, maybe he was waiting for an answer from her so he could tell her that she had no right to do that, she wasn't up to that standard.

But she wasn't going to let him do that to her again, he had done it once, but not twice. As long as what she was doing wasn't wrong, which she knew the difference between right and wrong just like the obvious lining between day and night, she wouldn't let Yazeed make her feel little and of no regard with his words. She held up a stoic expression and imagined what Farha would say if she got herself stuck in a situation like this. "I feel like this isn't the right question to ask, Yazeed. You would have politely asked, what happened that it isn't David who brought you home?"

He stared at her longer than usual before he moved to a sofa far away from her but opposite, in such a way they could burn each other with their gazes if they wanted. "I asked you a simple question, no need to be beating around the bush. If you feel like the question you feel I should have asked first, then why not give me the answer?" He had crossed his legs and was fiercely looking at her that she felt she couldn't take it anymore, she looked away from his face.

"At some point, it's your right to know. I've called David but he didn't show up, I related it to the traffic for nearly two hours and when his phone didn't get through, I began to trek. Jibril saw me by the roadside and he offered me a ride, he's Sulaiman's friend, I'm sure you know him. That's what happened." She shrugged off her shoulders to make it seem as if she wasn't bothered even if he believed her or not, if he wished, he could think otherwise for all she cared. But deep down, Jalilah knew she wanted him to believe her. Because right now, even if she wouldn't fold her hands and watch him say whatever he wanted to her, it would strike through her with a force even the lightning wouldn't dare strike into the sky.

"Why didn't you call me?" He asked, and she wondered what had gone wrong in Yazeed's head today. Wasn't he the one that made sure they both felt as if they were the only ones living in this house? Why all of a sudden would he seem to mind about her affairs? Nonetheless, she answered him.

"If I called you, would you have picked? Even if you picked, what will I say to you? That you should please come and pick me up? Imagine what your response will be, I wouldn't dare to destroy my good mood for anything else." She looked away from him and wrapped her hands around her chest, suddenly angry at him. She didn't why as much as she wanted to be mad at this man, utter some words that will stick into his head for some time, she couldn't. The mere sight of him was enough to loose whatever she had in her.

He sighed and stood up, "What would have happened if you didn't meet him? Will you have been wandering on the streets of Lagos without knowing anywhere to go to? And what if he wasn't Jibril, or if he had bad intentions towards you, Jalilah?" She hated the fact that she liked the way her name rolled out of his lips even though all he did was trying to accuse her, to let her know that what she did was bad.

"I would've booked for a nearby hotel when I get tired, maybe you'd call if you notice I'm not in the house, that's it. And for Jibril, I don't have anything to say, it's not like you care, do you?" She fixed her eyes on him and waited for an answer, but nothing came but a shrug of shoulders and softly muttered 'Do what suits you best.' Before he ascended the staircases and walked away. She stared at him until he fully disappeared from her sight before she heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. She was annoyed at herself because she was suddenly feeling guilty of how she had responded to his questions, she felt it wasn't right at all.

She lazily walked to the kitchen and started cooking dinner before she walked to her room, she was confused, but she didn't want to call Farha to ask her what that meant because she was sure before anything, Farha would have to insult the living daylights out of her. That she was an idiot for letting him accuse her like that, why didn't she yell at him? Why didn't she make sure he knew that he was an idiot and a rascal? Farha's insults knew no bounds especially when it came to Yazeed, the number one listed person on her hated list, and her only reason was; he always made her An Jali Jali cry, which always warmed Jalilah's heart whenever she said that.

She took her bath and was rushing out of the room when her phone rang and she remembered she had nearly forgotten her phone. She took it and was surprised when she saw it was Farha calling, but no matter what was going to happen, she wasn't going to tell her about today. She answered with a smile and asked, "I thought you've said goodnight to me since 3 pm?" She chuckled at the thought.

Softly, Farha hissed and immediately she did that, Jalilah knew she was either in a bad mood or angry over something. "You know I can't do that, not when I have something to tell you."

"What's wrong, Farha? Who dare touches my best friend?" She chuckled when Farha hissed again.

"I'm going to kill this guy, Jalilah. I'd much prefer living in prison than the annoying smile he flashes me whenever he calls my phone. I can't see him but I can already tell the way he was smiling, I hate it when he calls me Farha na, as in, the audacity! When did I become his?"

Jalilah threw her head back and laughed when she was descending the stairs and aiming at the kitchen, not wanting what she was cooking to get burnt. "Who's that? Don't tell me it's Nura again. Didn't we deal with him just two days ago?" She asked when she turned the door of the kitchen and entered.

"I mean, that's what I'm still wondering. Are you sure I told you all that I did to him? Or I was hallucinating that? This guy is so persistent, Jalilah. It's like he didn't have a heart in his soul. That's why at some point I wish he was something like that stupid guy of yours because his kinds are never persistent, it's rare to see a guy with a personality like that of that idiot chase a girl this shamelessly. It was either do or don't for them, and as much as they love you they prefer to suffer than chase you and make clout out of themselves." Jalilah had never gotten accustomed to how in Farha's life, Yazeed didn't have a name but either 'idiot' or 'stupid'. She feared the day the duo would meet and Farha would say something of that nature to him.

"Just like you said it, Farha. I feel like it will be on national news for him to even admit he likes a girl, not to even talk about chasing her heater skelter, and if he did, make sure to have that girl's picture taken to the museum, because it's directly a diamond medal for her, not even gold." She chuckled and put the phone on speaker, moving around in the kitchen as she heard what Farha was saying while she laughed wholeheartedly.

"I don't know what I should do with this guy, and do you know what's frightening me about him? It feels like all I'm saying to Baba about him is directly getting into the drainage, he didn't hear a single word from him. He truly loved him. Please, imagine our wedding invitation, Nura weds Farha, please!!!" She whined and Jalilah burst out laughing while she continued dicing the onions.

"And if you want to name one of your daughters with my name, it will be Jalilah Nura, no! I don't like the namesake anymore!" Teasing Farha had always been her favourite thing to do, especially when Farha seemed truly worried about what they were discussing.

"Stop, will you? But I'm sure if you marry that person, and decide to name one of your daughters with my name, it will be nice. Farha Yazeed Bunza, did you sense the sweetness?" Farha whined and sounded pitiful, Jalilah had no choice but to laugh out loud and got fully immersed into their conversation and what she was cooking that she didn't know he had walked into the kitchen and was standing by the fridge.

"No, Insha Allah my first daughter's name will be Intisar, I love the name. Maybe something like Intisar Ya-" she wasn't able to complete her sentence when she heard the sound of a cup being kissed by the floor and the way its shreds got splattered everywhere around its vicinity. She turned with terror evident in her eyes and ignored the way Farha was asking her what was that what sound was that? Was she fine?

Yazeed looked like someone whose breath had been taken out of his soul and his heart seized to beat. It was as if she said something that she shouldn't have uttered her whole life. She knew even if he heard Farha calling out her daughter's name with him being the father, this wouldn't have been the way he would have acted. She wondered what happened to him. "Yazeed, are you fine?" She asked softly and she heard the distant sound of Farha's hiss. She smiled and turned to her phone, "I'm coming, Farha. I'll call you when I'm done," she said before she ended the call and walked to where he was still rooted to his spot.

"Yazeed, I said are you fine?!" This time, she yelled out of the question and he seemed to have in his right mind. He turned to look at her before he slowly nodded his head in such a way they both knew he was just telling a lie, a perfectly painted one at that. He tried walking out of the kitchen when he marched on one of the glass shreds and didn't even notice he did until she pulled his shirt backward with a terrified expression.

"Yazeed, what the hell is wrong with you? Can't you see what's happening to your foot?" She asked and pointed at his feet to him, and he heaved a sigh, closed his eyes before he leaned onto the wall. The way he acted, Jalilah was sure he heard something that shocked the living daylights out of him. Maybe what he shouldn't have heard, maybe something he had long given up and didn't want anything to do with. There were different maybe's going on in her mind but she had to take care of his foot first.

"Stay here for a moment, I'll bring the first aid box." She said cautiously and walked to the living room to take out the first aid box before walking back into the kitchen. "Let's get to the kitchen island, can you move?" She asked, and he turned to look at her softly before he nodded his head and walked cautiously to the said place. Jalilah knew he wouldn't just act the way he was doing because he heard their conversation, if anything, he would even throw his words at her if it didn't suit him, but not act this way. There was more to this, one of them had said something that stirred him deeply.

She knelt and brought his feet up, carefully taking the shred of glass out of his flesh, she dressed the feet and stood up. "I'll sweep the place first before you go to the living room, I'll be done with dinner in a few minutes..." She let her words trailed off and corrected herself, "That's if you'd want to eat." For the whole week they had spent in this house, he didn't eat whatever she cooked. Even though some times she felt cooking for him was among the things she could do to pay for what he had done to her, she stopped being sad after two days. She always saw him disposing of nylons which she was sure had bought food in him and wondered what was wrong with him again.

He swept the place like she had said and spoke to him again. Jalilah watched him walked to the living room and he directly laid on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling as he closed his eyes. Maybe he was thinking, maybe having a flashback, whatever was wrong, Jalilah didn't care. She didn't even want to know. Because with each passing, Yazeed proved to be a mystery to her. Some days he was like an easy puzzle that she had no difficulties solving, but most of the days he was a mystery to her. The kind of mysteries bundled in the nest of a tragedy that she felt it was the hardest thing she had to unravel. And avoid herself from shedding a few tears here and there, she preferred it all the way he wanted.

When she was done with the dinner, she set everything on the dining table and brought her phone along with her. She walked to where he silently laid and spoke to him, "Yazeed, the dinner is ready. I don't know what has suddenly gotten wrong with you, but please if you're sick tell me so I can bring out your pills and inhaler. If it's something else, I pray Allah heals you."

He opened his eyes and stared at her, and somehow, he had looked calm and at peace. He stood up but winced when the pain in his foot finally got registered in his brain. She watched him walked to the dining table and he sat down at the opposite end while she sat at the other. Far away from him, but she was seeing everything he was doing. She served him and sat back on her seat. With no words shared between them, they began eating their meal and Jalilah was halfway through when her phone rang, it was a new number.

She slightly looked at Yazeed and sensed that he was already in his little world. "Hey," she whispered, wondering who was calling her with a new line. And if it later got revealed that it was Farha playing one of her pranks with her because she hated it whenever she was together with Yazeed, she wouldn't deny that fact.

"Hello, Jalilah?" Oh, it's a man's voice. And she was certain no matter how Farha would fake it, she could never sound like this.

"Yes, who are you please?" She asked.

"It's Jibril Musa Lawal." She wanted to laugh, how could he say all his names out? With just his name, she would recognize him, she knew.

"Oh, sorry I didn't recognize your voice, Jibril. How was your drive back home?" She didn't want to believe this, but she was sure she had seen the way Yazeed sharply looked at her when she called Jibril's voice out. His expression was like he couldn't believe she was now even having a phone call with him.

"It was fine, nearly got into an accident though. I kept thinking about you that I failed to notice a man trying to cross the street." She couldn't help but chuckle. Was that a pickup line or he was telling her the truth? She would have to ask Farha after they were with this call.

"Oh come on, how could you have an accident just because you're thinking about me? Why would you even do that? We just met for the second time, I don't think you've known me more than just my name and where I came from." Her eyes softly lifted to where Yazeed was, and he had his eyes fixed on her as if he was calculating every word she had uttered and was weighing it to guess what Jibril's reply would be.

"You might not believe this, but having to force myself to concentrate on work after seeing you in Sulaiman's house was the hardest task I assigned on myself for the month or nearly two months I've seen you there. And now seeing here was the blessing I've been praying since." He sounded like a gentleman, Jalilah knew she would have condemned his talks for a lie. But how could he have such effrontery to be telling her this now? Wasn't it too early even if it were the truth? But maybe he was like her, the kind of people that found it so hard to hide their feelings for long.

"Well, I can't say anything about this then. Will thank you suffice?" She smiled ever so gracefully, not knowing why she was suddenly enjoying this conversation. It all sounded like flattery to her.

"You don't have to thank me, hearing your voice after months of searching has done that for you. Now, about our outing, or should I call it a date? You know, just a decent date between two people, no strings attached. Just to know you more and spend some time with you before I leave."

She looked up at Yazeed, and he was still shamelessly staring at her. Well, she could even refer to that as glaring at her. She felt a little unnerved because it was evident Jibril was waiting for an answer from her, she didn't know what she would say to him. But knowing so well if she told Farha was she would say, Jalilah answered right away without a second thought. "I think Sunday will be more convenient. I have my painting canvases delivered to me, they'll be here by tomorrow. We can go and collect them, find a decent painting school for weekends and enrol me. After that, we can go somewhere and have fun a bit, but I should be back before it's dark, you know...?" She let her words trailed off and immediately stood up from the chair she was sitting, Yazeed's eyes were so hard on her that she didn't know when she had uttered that last sentence.