"I don't know where we are now, but we've reached oke-ilewo, right Yazeed?" She was on phone with Farha while she directed them to her house, he nodded his head at her and fixed his eyes on the road. "Zone 2, yes, that's what we have been following on the map." She ended the close and turned to Yazeed, "Can I see your phone? She told me the exact location which is Tunde Osokoya close, house number two. We need to put that so we don't get lost." Without a word, Yazeed handed her his phone and she put in the details.

"You're talking to me now? I guess you were angry at me, Ballerina." She was silent for a while, suddenly remembering that she wasn't supposed to speak to him anytime soon. She scoffed and looked away from him.

"I have no choice unless I want us to be stranded in the streets of Abeokuta." She rolled her eyes at him and Yazeed and he laughed.

"You're so cute when you're angry, has anyone ever told you that?" He questioned, and she didn't hear everything he said. You're so cute when you're angry, were the only words that got stuck in her brain and Jalilah couldn't help the blush that painted itself on her cheeks. "I think I should make you angry often, have that pout and you know, the glare always on your face." He teased further and she glared at him.

"Don't even think just because I'm speaking to you now, I've forgiven what you did to me this morning, it's still fresh in my memory, in case you think I've forgotten." She whined and looked through the door, just in time when Yazeed pulled over the said location and she looked up at him with the widest grin he had ever seen on her face. "Are we here already?" She asked, and Yazeed nodded his head. She hopped out of the car and stared at him through the window, she was giddy, she couldn't hide her excitement. "Should I call her first or just barge into the house?"

He shook his head, his eyes intently fixed on her face, "That's not the right way to do it. Call her, if you want to surprise her you can tell her that you're there but you don't know if you're in the right place. I'm sure she'd come out to check for you, then she'll see you."

She nodded her head excitedly and dialled Farha's number, "Girl, I don't know if we're in the right place, but I can see those grasses you said. But I can't see the house you've described. Or maybe I was wrong?" She asked, trying so hard to hide her laughter and utter excitement. She was aware of Yazeed's eyes that was on her, and he was just staring at her with a smile on his face.

She heard the shuffling sounds as Farha walked from where she was, "Oh my god! I'll be out in a bit to check. Just hold on, okay? And that angry bird shouldn't complain please." Angry bird, another name for Yazeed that she couldn't help but laugh at. She somehow believed that the name suited him.

She ended the call and by then, Yazeed had come out of the car and she was just smiling, fixed her eyes on the gate to see how Farha would emerge. The door creaked ajar and a flushed and excited Farha walked out, turning her head across all directions to see where she could spot them, "Oh my amazing god! Jalilah!!! Please tell me it's the real you!!!" She screamed when she saw her calmly leaned onto the car and she was staring at her with a wide grin on her lips.

Jalilah sprinted off to her and they met in a bone-crushing hug, their giggles and laughter echoing through the empty street of the estate. "Farhaaaaaa!!! By Allah, I've missed you, oh my god!!!" Jalilah screamed and after breaking their hug for a minute, she stared at her face and hugged her tightly again, laughing so happily that Yazeed wished if this was how happy she would be if she saw Farha, he wished he had brought her here long ago.

"Girl, ya Rabb, you're more beautiful than the last time I saw you, my chest!" Farha stared at her face and then hugged her again, they had forgotten about Yazeed that had his hands wrapped on his chest while he stared at them with utter amazement in his eyes. He loved it when he saw people that were so happy, it gave him hope, that he too someday would be happy if god will.

They broke their hug and entwined their hands, Jalilah turned and that was when her eyes fell into his, "Oh, Yazeed. Oh my god, I'm embarrassed." She palmed her face and Farha turned to look at him. She had forgotten that they were together with Yazeed.

She gasped and smacked Jalilah so hard on her back, "Jalilah! Wallah, you aren't lying when you said his handsomeness is on another level, oh my god, how do you cope seeing him every day? Hi, Yazeed!" This girl had got to be the most outspoken person he had ever met in his life, there was no way Farha would hide something from her mind, and he found that amusing. Even though Jalilah was straightforward too at times, she wasn't this outspoken about her thoughts like Farha.

He smiled and nodded his head, "I don't know how she's coping, but so far she's a good girl, once broke some rules but that was the last time she did that." He teased while he stared at a now pouting, shy, and embarrassed Jalilah. He knew she wanted nothing but to choke Farha to death, maybe after she killed her she would cry about the loss.

Farha laughed and turned to look at Jalilah, "My girl is good. Can we get into the house?" She turned to him and he softly shook his head.

"I'd find a hotel first, we're spending only a day. I'll be back after I've rested and done some work, she pulled me out of the house knowing so well I have a meeting today." He turned to Jalilah with the safest expression she had ever seen on his face. As if she was a nagging wife, whom he happened to love so much to the point that if she said yes, no matter how he wanted it to be no, he wouldn't change that for her.

"But you promised, Yazeed. Didn't I apologize, please?" She whined, turning away from him.

Farha giggled and clapped her hands, "I'm seeing wonders today, girl, you've never told me any of this." She smiled and turned to Yazeed, "I'll be back inside if you're done with her if she's able to convince you to add another day, or maybe you'd want to run away from her whines and agree to it, she can find me inside. Please come for your lunch, don't buy food outside. As for the hotel, I'll recommend Daktad, they have the best services. I know there's even a hotel over there, but you should go there, truly." She didn't wait for any of them to reply her when she made one of those funny surprising sounds and walked back into the house, Jalilah had never told her any of this. Was it because she was the dumbest girl on earth not to realize it or what?

After Farha walked back into the house, Yazeed looked at a pouting Jalilah that was doing all she could not stare at him and he smiled, "Come here, why are you sulking your face?" He waved at her, he was still leaning on his car while she was a few feet away from him.

She looked at him but didn't make any effort to move, "Jalilah, come here. I promise to listen to you as long as you have reasons to stay." He waved again, motioning for her to come over which she reluctantly did. She stood beside him and fixed her eyes on the ground, fidgeting with her fingers that he feared someday she would break her fingers herself. "Someday, you'd break your fingers, and sadly, you can't paint then." She looked up and their eyes met before he lifted one brow and nodded, "Yes, they'd break someday, and I'd make sure you're not taken to the hospital until after a day so you'd take care of them next time."

She groaned and stomped her feet on the ground, "Please, Yazeed, you know we aren't just going to speak about my fingers, right? You have to fulfil what you've promised to."

He fully turned to face her and she was finding it so hard to look into his eyes, "I said that unless you have your good reasons, we're leaving tomorrow."

Suddenly, she looked up with a mischievous grin on her lips, "What if you leave, and I'd call Jibril to bring me back to Lagos? He said he'd be coming to Lagos today, I'm sure he'd be here tomorrow if I..." The knock she felt on her head was what cut her words off and she wailed, "Yazeed, why do you have to be this violent?" She placed her hand on the crown of her head and when she looked up, he was looking right into her eyes.

"Don't force me to take you back into this car and we're driving back to Lagos now. In less than two hours you'd be sitting in the downstairs living room crying your eyes out, deal?"

"No, I'll be a good girl, I promise..."

"What are you still doing, Jali-" Farha's voice chirped in and they all broke their eyes contact and turned to the gate, but when she saw that Yazeed was still there, she smiled, "Oh, you're still there? Sorry to interrupt. Girl! You have a lot of explanations to do!" And just like that, she disappeared back into the house.

Yazeed chuckled before he turned to look at her, "You should go, she's waiting for you. Fulfil your promise of being a good girl and I'd fulfil mine, deal?"

With her hand still on the crown of her head and the pout visible as ever, "Pinky promise?" She lifted her pinky and stared at it, he laughed before he nodded his head, merging their pinkies and they sealed the promise.

"Yes, pinky promise. But you're too childish for a--" he realized he didn't know her age and had never asked, "What's your age?"

She looked confused, but answered him anyway, "I'm 21, anything?"

"You're too childish for a 21-year-old lady, that's it." He smiled and motioned for her to leave.

Jalilah walked off with the soft smile still on her lips and she suddenly turned before he ignited the car back to life, "You can't back out from the pinky promise, right?" She yelled and he nodded his head.

After she walked into the house, the smile was still yet to leave her face when she felt herself being snatched away and when she turned, a thrilled Farha stared back at her, "Girl, I mean!!!" She was out of breath, did this girl eavesdropped? Or she was staring at everything by the gate? She had this sly smile and she seemed utterly excited.

Jalilah hugged her with a tired sigh, "My heart, it's not okay. It's doing some things I don't think it has ever done, Farha..." She broke their hug and looked into Farha's eyes, "What's wrong with my heart? Wallah, it's still making those moves. Some times it feels like it's melting, and sometimes it's so exciting not to make these moves that are making me restless. Feel, it's still thumping." She brought Farha's hand onto her bosom and she felt the erratic beating of her heart. She didn't know what was wrong with her.

Farha giggled and hugged her before she answered, "Let's get in first. You have a lot of explanation to make and I'm sure I'd spend the whole night interpreting a lot of things for you. Because you, my best friend, is the dumbest girl on this planet." She smacked her head and Jalilah whined before she guided them to the living room. Jalilah loved the house at first glance, typical Farha house that was full of colours and whatever piece she could lay her eyes on. That was how her apartment looked so lively when she was in Adamawa.

They went directly to the kitchen and Jalilah saw that she was already cooking, did she ever mentioned that she had missed Farha's cooking? Because she was one of the best cooks she had ever gotten the chance of testing their foods. "What are you cooking?" She asked excitedly and began opening the lids of the pots, forgetting about her heart sickness.

"They're all your favourites, I don't know what Yazeed likes to eat most, but I figured out as long as he lives with you, he'd like to eat what you love, especially your favourites. But for now, I baked a bounty cake for you before lunch will be ready..." Jalilah squealed and hugged her, giggling like a teenager giddy in love.

"Wallah you're the sweetest soul out there, you know the right way to my heart." She broke their hug and they took the cake slices with their yoghurts and walked back to the living room after Farha checked how her lunch was doing. They sat down and Farha didn't bother to put the tv on for them, because it was crystal clear that none of them needed it. They would entertain themselves today.

She turned to face Jalilah with an inquisitive look on her face, "You haven't told me that's how you two treat each other, Jalilah." She accused, even though deep within her heart she was thrilled and afraid altogether.

Jalilah turned to look at her with a sigh, "I don't even know where to start, Farha. I'm glad I'm finally seeing you because right now I'm confused as ever. But how do we treat each other, isn't it normal? Like, maybe friends?" She asked, unsure whether her answer would satisfy Farha's curiosity.

Farha stubbornly shook her head, her beautiful face gleaming as she smiled ever so happily. "That's not how friends do, not even close. You don't pout for your friends, you don't whine and tell them they've promised you something while they are staring at you with the utmost affection. Friends don't ask you to come over while you stood far away, friends don't knock your head in the way he did, they don't look you deeply in the eyes while speaking to you. Friends do pinky promise, but not in the way you two did. The way he looks at you, are you so dumb not to understand? The way he smiles at you, seriously, I'm going to disown you if you tell me you don't get it all."

Jalilah was just hearing her, and even after she was done speaking, Jalilah didn't think what she said made sense to her. She shook her head, "What should I get? Farha your crazy mind is just trying to confuse me. What are you talking about?"

Farha laughed before she shook her head and took hold of Jalilah's hand, it was such a pity that Jalilah didn't even realize what was going with the two of them, and she wasn't going to voice it out to her because she knew the hope she would give her will break her someday. She hated it when she was in pain, and as much as she wanted to pull her out of her ignorance, she preferred she stayed with it as long as she was safe.

"You said your heart is sick, what's wrong with it?" She thought she could be able to keep up with the expression, but the moment these words rolled out of her lips, Farha didn't know when she burst into a peal of laughter. "By Allah, I hate to say this, but you're very stupid, Jalilah. Are you having a heart attack? Do we need to see a doctor?" She asked, and the way Jalilah's confused and innocent eyes stared back at her made her felt for her. She didn't know what it was yet in her heart, but she was certain this would land her in even greater pain, so as long Yazeed didn't change from his old self.

"Farha you know I hate it when you do this. If you understand something while I don't, just tell me. You're just confusing me further, it's so hard to even comprehend a thing." There were days Jalilah wished she could beat Farha up until they both ended in the hospital, and today was one of those days.

"My food!!!" Farha screamed and frantically ran into the kitchen. But before Jalilah made the next move, her phone rang and she heard Farha's voice from the kitchen, "Is it him? He's missing you already?" She wished if she threw the cup in her hand, it would reach her and smack her head into two.

After she saw it was Mama, Jalilah didn't know when she grinned widely and picked the phone. "Mama! I've missed you, wallah."

Mama hissed softly but Jalilah hinted a smile in it, "You're just acting it up. How are you?"

She shook her head as if Mama could see her, "I haven't been fine, but now I am. How are you, Mama? How are twins?" She asked and wished she could ask Mama about all the questions she had in mind. But sadly, she only had that crazy best friend who is now crazily dancing happily to whatever it was that made her this excited while she cooked.

"They're all fine, exams have started already, they don't even have the time to fight. I've been in peace for nearly two weeks now." Mama chuckled and Jalilah smiled.

"I'm glad you're at peace. Thank you for forgiving me, Mama." She smiled, because truly, in her heart, no joy could beat this. She was beyond happy, having Mama's forgiveness had been the best thing that had happened to her in nearly two months now.

"If you keep bringing that back, I'd take my words of forgiveness back. How are you? And you know I don't mean I want an 'I'm fine, Mama' answer, right? I mean deep within, how are you? How have you been doing? Is it all good with you?" Jalilah felt tears pooling the brink of her eyes, even though she was no longer in that kind of pain, she still had the memories. She wished Mama had asked her this on those days she wanted to kill herself and bring an end to everything.

She chuckled to hide her pain away and smiled, "I'm fine, Mama. Like, I'm so happy, wallah. Those times were so bad for me, but I survived, you were my mother, after all, the strongest woman I've ever known in my life, you can't expect me not to have your strength." She chuckled at the dramatic sound Mama made, this day had got to be the happiest day of her life in the past two months, seeing Farha and reconciling with Mama felt too much of goodness for her.

"I'm glad you are. How about the baby, then?" Jalilah whined but she couldn't help laughing. She didn't know why Mama was hell-bent on the pregnancy thing. How could she think that way, she had never imagined Mama would be like it.

"Come on, Mama, I told you yesterday, I'm not pregnant." The rest of their conversation with Mama was all about how she wasn't pregnant and it was taking a toll in Mama to believe her. Jalilah finally relented and told her that in five months to come, she would snap of picture of her, maybe they would even have a video call to see if there's something like a baby in her stomach. She ended the call laughing so hard that Farha had to stop from her journey from the kitchen to the dining table and stared at her.

"Is it all okay with you? Or you've gone crazy?" She made a crazy gesture with her hand and Jalilah stood up while shaking her head.

"It's Mama, she couldn't believe it when I told her that I'm not pregnant. This is the woman that gave birth to me, if I was pregnant I would tell her, Farha. If she knew I'm not even married, I don't know which way she would use in killing me."

"And you're so happy because Mama presumed that you're pregnant with Yazeed's child? That's so much better, girl." She smacked her back and began helping her in arranging the table.

"You aren't serious, Farha. I was just laughing at how persistent she sounded, she couldn't believe it even when I swore that I wasn't pregnant." They finished setting the table and went into her room to pray. Jalilah ran to her bedside drawer and picked up a frame.

"You still have this painting?" She asked, admiring the way it looked. Even though she wasn't as great as she was now, it always gave her a feeling of triumph whenever she saw a canvas with 'Khadija Fufure' signed under it. Sometimes if she didn't feel like using 'Khadija Fufure' because she only used that name whenever she painted something close to her heart, she used 'Jalilah I. Fufure'. And to her astonishment, she signed the painting she gave Yazeed with 'Khadija Fufure' because it was close to her heart, or maybe because she knew even before she started painting it that she was going to give it to him. Or maybe someday in the future, if he looked at it he would smile and remember she had a name apart from Jalilah.

"Why are you smiling and turning the frame? What are you thinking of?" Farha asked as she sat down beside he and Jalilah turned to look at her, the cool relaxed smile still prominent on her lips.

"No, I just remembered the painting I gave Yazeed, and just like yours, I signed his own with 'Khadija Fufure' as well. You know I only do that when that paint is close to my heart, and who I'm going to give the painting to." She smiled and placed down the frame. Farha looked at her and held her hands.

"You have a warm heart, Jalilah. I don't want you to get hurt in the future. Are you sure about this? Don't you feel you need to pause yourself for a while? She asked with tenderness and Jalilah wondered what she was talking about. What did she need to pause herself about? And why did she predicted that she would get hurt in the future?

"What are you talking about, Farha? I don't understand."

"I don't know how to say this to you, but a quick question, you know you like him, right? Mind you, you like him doesn't mean you love him, even though it's just a flimsy thread between the two." Farha asked, and Jalilah pondered over her words. Did she like him? She didn't know yet. But the way Farha asked the question it looked as if she knew the answer and was so sure about it.

What would she say? Did she like Yazeed? She softly shook her head, "I don't think I like him, Farha. The person bearing the name Yazeed Adam Bunza, but I do like a lot of things about him. I like the way he smiled, I like it whenever he talks freely with me, I like it if he sets his soul free and senses his environment, let himself feel whatever was worthy of feeling. I like the way he talks, so calm and tenderly that you'd think he's a mother babying her child. I like it whenever he laughs, whenever he whines about something and pouts without knowing he did. I also like it whenever he tries to hide his smile because he looks so handsome. I like a lot of things about him, he has a good heart but I don't think someone has ever told him that."

Farha was silent for a while before she smiled and stood up, she was afraid. "Let's go and pray then, I think he will be here anytime from now." When Farha didn't argue about it, she didn't say anything when Jalilah denied liking him, she felt it was something good. Because if what she said wasn't true, Farha wouldn't' hesitate to tell her. And so far, Jalilah felt she was safe, she didn't like him, yet.

{}

They were back in the living room, chatting that Jalilah felt if she stopped speaking for a minute she would forget all that she wanted to tell her. She didn't realized that all she spoke about was about ballet, painting, some parts of Jibril, Yazeed, and Yazeed, and Yazeed again. They spoke about Nura, and Farha became so annoyed that Jalilah couldn't stop her laughter. She wished she could see this Nura and see how bad he was that Farha hated him. She was still laughing when her phone rang and she smiled before she picked it up.

"I was about to call you, we've been waiting for you." She said immediately after she placed her phone on her ear and Yazeed smiled, what was she so eager about?

"I'm at the gate." He answered shortly and she ended the call without replying him.

She looked at Farha while fixing back her veil, "He's at the gate, I'll get him in. Please call Nura, he can make it from Lagos today, it's just two hours drive. I want to see our future in law." Farha glared at her and Jalilah walked out of the house still laughing at how she was sulking her face.

She met him leaning by the car and like a baby that was happy to see her father after a long trip, she walked to where he was with excited steps while smiling ever so gracefully. "You're here!" She said breathlessly as if she had taken months or even years without seeing him.

He chuckled and nodded his head, "I'm here, have you missed me?" Without knowing, Jalilah nodded her head.

"Oh my god, no! I didn't miss you." She was about to keep about arguing about that when began turning his hand while staring at his pinky to remind her of their promise, "Oh, yes, I've missed you a lot, Yazeed."

He was laughing when they walked inside and Farha was by the door when they entered the living room. "Finally, Yazeed is here so my ears can rest hearing about him. It was always Yazeed this and that. You're welcome to my house, Yazeed. Please feel yourself at home, at least she's your home." She's your home. It had been long since Yazeed heard words that sounded so perfect, so real and true like this. They were just three words but by Allah, he felt them to the deepest core of his heart. He didn't think he had realized it before, but she was his home. It had been long since he found the closure Jalilah gave him. There were lots of things he had given up on, but she was slowly reviving their souls in his life that he wondered how she did it.

She's your home. He wished he could openly agree to what Farha had said, but he couldn't. And realizing what she said was true gave him a feeling he wasn't sure about. He was afraid and glad altogether. Jalilah guided him to the dining table and the two ladies sat down, she served him like she always did at home and they began eating with Farha speaking her soul out.

"Please, Yazeed, I have a question." She didn't wait for him to ask her to go on before she did. "Please, how do you guys know you've fallen in love with a lady?" He nearly choked on his food when Jalilah poured him a cup of juice and he gulped it down.

"I don't know, you just know you're in love?" He turned back the question at her because he suddenly felt blank, how could he answer this question? And for the time he knew Farha, he was sure she wouldn't let him be until he answered her question.

"No, I want to prove this guy wrong. He has been claiming that he loves me but I don't believe him. Let me be frank with you, I don't like him and don't want him to love me. I want to know how guys feel when they love a girl so I can ask him how he feels about those things to prove my point that he doesn't love him."

Jalilah chuckled and shook her head, "I feel sorry for Nura already. He has to give up even if he doesn't want to."

She glared at her which made her raised her hands in surrender and she turned to Yazeed. "Can you answer me, please? You have to help, please. You can hear his name already, Nura, and you don't even want to see his face."

"What's wrong with the name then? It's a good name, it's Nour but our Hausa people turned it to Nura." He couldn't help asking while trying so hard not to annoy her, because he could see it wasn't a pleasant topic for her. He turned to Jalilah for help but she shook her head and suppressed her laughter.

"Will you please answer me?" She asked, and he nodded softly.

"I think if you love a girl, you begin to notice even the little things that don't matter about her. Like the way she smiles, the way she walks, the way she laughs. You'll be so careful as to what makes her happy? What she is most excited about, What easily makes her sad? And if she cries a lot, what triggers her tears so fast? How she makes you feel if she does some things like just stare at you, or smile when you're speaking with her, or pout if you're trying to annoy her. Do you feel your heart moving if she's shy that you wish she will be shy all the time but you want the carefree her, the version of herself that doesn't realize she does things until after the deed is done? If she's angry, is she cute? Do you want to stare at her forever until she gets tired of sulking and speak to you with a smile because you're so handsome in her eyes that she couldn't be angry at you for long..." He wasn't done yet, but he found that ever since he started talking all his thoughts wandered around Jalilah, all he said was related to her in one way or the other. And right now, as he slowly turned to look at her, he found that her eyes were fixed on him, and until now, he didn't realize she had such beautiful eyes.