***

Three steps. It will take Maleekah three steps only to undo the knots of her marriage. Maleekah's heart careened in her chest. She was confused of which to choose between the two.

Sadiqu opened his face and looked at her standing figure. He staggered on his feet and managed to where she was standing like a statue.

"Good luck!" He mumbled to her ears and floundered out. Sadiqu didn't know when a smile tilted to the side of his lips. He knew she would stay with him for, she loves him beyond measure. He was on a mission to make her understand that she was under him and she had to adhere to his orders willy nilly.

Maleekah went back to her room and put Yusrah in her crib. She fished out her phone from her bag and called aunty Tasneem to tell her what's happening in her home. Aunty Tasneem has told to her to call her whenever she felt like she couldn't make decision alone.

"Aunty Tasneem," Leek bit her lower lip to hold the cry that was threatening to escape.

"What happened?" Maleekah stood up and closed the door behind. She peeked through the windows to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Aunty Tasneem, he laid a very strict condition for me and I am afraid that what happened once upon a time will happen to me." Leek cleared the tear that dropped from her left eye.

"Go straight to the point. I'm at my workplace now." Maleekah sniffed.

"He said I should choose between my work and my marriage. I'm very confused aunty Tas," Maleekah said, throwing her hand in the air. She didn't know what to do. What Sadiqu said was the same as asking a child to choose between his mother and his father to her. Or even more.

"Does that needs a deep thought? You know the right thing to do. We've been waiting for the day he will say he's freed you now if has come and you want to let it go ba? Don't waste my time if you know you're not going to use what I will say now."

"I am all ears." Eagerness was visible in Leek's actions.

"You're not going to stay while he bullies you. A husband's house is not a prison. It's a house where freedom reigns. You better do the needful and come out. A lot awaits you." Maleekah cut the call as a strong whimper escaped her lips.

No, she couldn't do that.

She can't leave him. All what she did in bid to gain his attention won't go in vain. She has been praying all nights long for Sadiqu's love. And, when she talked to him about them, he agreed.

Maleekah took the pillow beside her and hugged it. She later drew the pillow to her face in such away that it blocked her mouth. Maleekah let out a yelp whose sound was muffled by the pillow. She kept quiet when she felt like she has spilled her guts.

****

Since on Mimi's way back from SeemahSponsor, she concluded that she couldn't go and see her step brother in the state she was.

What Sadiqu did left her baffled. Was that how people feel whenever she snubbed them and acted like she doesn't know them? Mimi never knew it was annoying as that. She never thought it hurts like hell. All she knew was, whenever she did it to people, there was always an evidence of displeasure smeared on their faces.

Mimi ran her hand from her hair to her face and looked into the mirror adjacent to her. Her eyes were sunken and she looked like a neglected child.

Mimi hissed and went for a shower. She was going to spoil herself today- going for a spa, to the salon and for a brief shopping. Then, she will go and see Noor at home.

****

Mimi carried Asnah with her to all the places she went. She didn't come back from the places until almost Asr. She was tired to bit but at last it was all worth it. She felt like a new baby. So refreshing and neat.

Mimi silently drove with Asnah saying baby's gibberish by the passengers seat. Mimi looked at her briefly and smiled. She wasn't crying much as compared to, when she was a baby.

It took her twenty minutes of drive to Badawa Layout where her step mother's house was located. The house was equally big, in fact bigger than Mimi's house. It was a two storey building painted in milk and brown.

From the inside by a corner, was a swimming pool and a gazebo by it's side. There wasn't any garden or so except for few flowers by the side. And an expanse parking lot where seven expensive model of cars were pulled to halt.

Aunty Ajidde owned the five of them and two belonged to Noor. Mimi's step mother couldn't drive but her love for cars was obsessive.

There was a smaller building - the worker's apartment. The cleaners, the gatekeepers and the chauffeurs all stayed there with their wives and children. Aunty Ajidde was social and she loved people around her. Well, she loved people around her that would be serving her and be everavailable to her needs.

Mimi heaved a sigh of relief and went directly to Bar. Nuraddeen's side which was close to the swimming pool.

Mimi silently walked muttering prayers. She didn't want her step mother to see her. She just came to see her brother and that's all.

"Tadaa!" Mimi turned around with a frown.

"Noor what's this?" She beat his arm and released a breath. He scared her but she was trying to be strong.

"Mimi!" He said, in utter surprise.

"What?" She deepened her scowl.

"I thought it's Intisar, mum's sister." He added.

"You know it's surprising to see you here." He arched his brow and extended his hand to collect Asnah.

"I see that you're even fine. Maama coerced me to come and check on you. Let me be on my way mister." She smirked rolling her eyes altogether.

"I'm just pretending to be fine. Just coming back from my gym." He pinched Asnah's cheeks and led Mimi to the gazebo.

Once they were sitted, a maid brought drinks for Mimi and left.

"I missed you so much," he confessed.

"And you want me to believe you?" Mimi scoffed.

"Why won't you?"

"Have you ever been to my house? Or do you even care to call your sister and hear how she's faring over the loss of her husband?" Mimi's eyes began to itch. She knew tears were on their way out.

"But I don't remember you liking people around you. I can remember the only person you love close to you is Maleekah. How's she even?" Mimi rolled her eyes as she dabbed a tissue around the bag of her eyes as if pushing back her tears.

"I don't know for that girl." She shrugged, holding a glass of ginger drink.

Mimi sipped it twice and dropped the cup on a wooden table.

"I don't understand her anymore. That aside, how are you?" Mimi flipped over the topic.

"I'm good physically but emotionally, it will be a lie to say I'm fine."

"Is it a mental problem? Dawanau isn't far from here." Noor chuckled. He was surprised to the core. To all his knowledge, Mimi doesn't like talking a lot talkless of cracking a joke. When you hear her utter more than two words then she might be rambling and insulting.

Mimi herself didn't know how she felt somehow talking to Noor. Perhaps it's true that blood is thicker than water. Mimi used to think that everyone hated her. Mayhap she's wrong.

"You really changed. You hardly talk with me. Ya Muhammad was your favorite." He spilled it out.

"I know. Is mummy around?" She dodged.

"She's probably sleeping." He answered checking his phone. From the way his hand was moving up and down, one could tell he was scrolling pictures.

"Have you by any chance came across this face?" Mimi took a glance at the screen of his phone.

She looked at the image. She knew that face somewhere but she couldn't point out where exactly. The eyes looked familiar as well as the shape of her face. Mimi stared at her for two minutes straight but the bell of recognition refused to ring in her head.

She gave up. "She looks familiar." She gave him back his phone.

"Her name is Fatimah. And I'm sick over her." Mimi sharply looked at him. Fatimah...?

"But mum said no. Because she's from a poor background. She said you used to love a poor guy. That's why I want you to help me with the tips you used and moved on. It's been more than a year but I'm still not over her." Mimi sensed some bitterness from the way he talked. It made her remembered that one person.

"Leek took him away." Mimi shrugged as if it doesn't hurt her.

"Now I get why you said you don't know her anymore." Mimi giggled dryly.

"It's not the way it seems. Despite all that, I tried to keep our friendship because it's not her fault. He chose her and not me. After all no one likes me." Mimi fluttered her lashes.

Barrister Nuraddeen looked at her. He could see how broken she was and how she was trying to act like it was nothing.

"I'm so sorry that happened." Mimi shook her head when she said that.

"You don't have to be sorry." She stood in her heels and took Asnah from him.

"And don't you ever think like that. Okay? General loves you if not because death took him away. Maama and Baaba love you. I and Muhammad will always be there for you." He said, noticing the way she's breaking from the inside.

"He doesn't love me. He never did." And the tears began strolling like they were waiting for an outlet for decades. Mimi left them flow because they were so strong. As physicists would say, they were flowing in a turbulent way. An unsteady and non uniform way.

The sight of Mimi crying touched the bottom of his heart. He extended his hand and gave her a brotherly hug.

"It's okay please. Please stop crying. He loves you I assure you." His eyes were beginning to water too. He doesn't understand why life was like that. Why won't their parents leave them marry the person they wanted provided that the person was good.

Why does it have to be that way? As Hausa people say qwarya ta bi qwarya ? Why was it a must that the rich marries the rich and the poor marries the poor? When will that mindset change? When will this indifference change?

Noor wished his mother would understand his point. He wished she would understand that the status of opulence or penury doesn't matter at the end of one's life. Person's status will be of any help to him in the hereafter.

As Allah described the day of resurrection to be the day when wealth or children will not benefit one. Yaumu la yanfa'u malun wala banun. It was furthered said illa man atAllahu bi qalbin saleem. Except the only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.

When will people reflect on that?

Humans were created to be dependent on each other. Why will the rich ones be seeing that they can't mingle with the poor? Allah gave them wealth to test them and see who will give out the wealth in Allah's sake.

Mimi remained silent when she felt like she had cried enough. Noor used the tip of his thumb and cleared the mist around the corner of his eyes before he released her. He didn't want her to see that he was crying to lest she will be weaker.

"He divorced me before his death. What do you think is the reason? If he truly loves me, he won't divorce me." Mimi beat Noor's arm as though he was the one who hurted her.

"That's quite confusing. Maybe he wanted to explain but he wasn't opportuned." Mimi walked to the tap and washed her face. She dabbed some powder and smiled at Noor who was looking at her pitifully.

"Thank you for coming." He said when he walked her to her car.

"So what's your plan about the girl?" She said after fastening Asnah to the baby sitter in the car.

"I have given up," he threw his hands sideways.

"Just like that?" Mimi asked taking a reverse to the gate. Noor followed her. The gatekeeper hurried to the gate and waited for her.

"We will talk on phone." He said, noticing that she was eager to go.

"Alright, bye." Mimi drove out. She was about setting on the tar of the road when the car died down. She put it to ignition again but it didn't came to life. Mimi punched the steering wheel and called Noor.

"My car broke down near that signboard." She whispered leaning her head on the headrest. She wished she came with the chauffeur.

"I will call the mechanic. Just wait for him." Five minutes later, Noor marched to where she was in the car in his denim trouser and a puma shirt.

He opened the door to the passengers' seat and unfastened Asnah while he sat and let the door opened.

"It's been ten minutes already." She hissed after they had sat in silence.

"He isn't around. He's sending one of his boys. You know the garage is a little bit far from here." He answered her, ruffling Asnah's full and silky hair.

"You seem to like her. You better find a girl and marry. So that you will have your own child." Mimi chuckled together with him.

"You find me a wife then. If it's not Fatimah, then whichever girl it is I will marry." Mimi sharply looked at him. That was what she onced said. If not Sadiqu, then every other person. That's why she married General and she thought she was lucky until after he humiliated her and hurted her pride by divorcing her just when she gave birth to his child.

Mimi swallowed something bitter. She would never ever forget about that divorce. It was something that stabbed her deep. It was later that she realised that his death was a blessing in disguise to her. Since at least it covered the divorce part. No one aside her close family knew of it.

"I hope you find your true love soon." She prayed.

"And by the time I get a male child you should make sure you give birth to his wife by then." Mimi laughed at the way he did to his face. So that's how it felt to have a conversation with your brother? Wow. It's overwhelming.

"I won't disappoint you." She mumbled.

A knock on the glass made them all silent. Noor dropped Asnah and went out to meet the mechanic that has been sent.

"Salam alaikum." He tapped his shoulder.

"Wa'alaikumus salam Barrister." Sadiqu couldn't form a smile. He had been standing for five minutes as he watched Barrister laughing with Mimi. Something very hot kept boiling and churning in his stomach.

"Big bro, good evening." Nuraddeen was trying to kneel down.

"Such a joker you're. Don't even try that." Sadiqu managed to laugh.

"Where's the car at fault?" It was then, Barrister Nuraddeen noticed the little bag on Sadiqu's hand. He looked at him for a brief.

"What do you mean?" Nuraddeen asked to be clear of doubt.

"I'm the mechanic sent to repair the car." Sadiqu walked to the car and requested for the bonnet to be opened. Nuraddeen remained rooted at the spot.

Mimi decided to come out of the car and let the mechanic do his job properly.

"The key is inside." He acknowledged the voice immediately. Sadiqu wanted to whip his head up and looked at her. She was smelling nice due to the places she went earlier in the day. The mixture of Oud and Musk hit a spot on his brain but he managed to remain focused on his work.

Mimi walked to where Noor was busy rubbing his face continuously.

"He's Fatimah's brother." He told Mimi even before she inquired about his sudden change.

"I will be back Mimi." He waved. Mimi nodded and watched his shadow diminished from her sight.

She walked back to where the car was.

"Please be fast I'm in a haste." Sadiqu looked up the same time she looked at him feeling like she knew him. Their eyes locked. Mimi swallowed the lump in her throat and broke the gaze.

Sadiqu's Adam's apple bobbled up and down. He wanted to talk but he's learnt a lesson.

"What's the pretense all about?" Mimi couldn't hold it any time longer. The words were stuck to her throat since the other day. Now, they let out themselves.

Sadiqu ignored her and got under the wheel to put the car to ignition.

"Did you turned deaf all of a sudden?" Sadiqu got out, rechecked the bonnet and closed it. It was a minor problem.

He checked the tyres to make sure they were guaged to the required level and heaved a sigh.

"I don't know when you started mingling with guys and even laughing with them." He trotted handing her the key.

"What's that?" Mimi tried to hold her laughter.

Sadiqu was jealous. Interesting.

Sadiqu didn't say anything. Mimi stared at him. He looked up and yet again, their eyes met. This time around none of them try breaking the gaze.

Mimi's eyes melted in his, such that she began to feel some strange feelings and goosy. The way he was looking at her was intense enough to destruct all the barriers she built in her heart. It could make her say the words she doesn't want to say.

Sadiqu didn't stop looking at her because her eyes were like a window to her soul. He could see a lot from them; the unpassed message embedded in her heart. He could see those things that only his heart could comprehend.

Most importantly, he could see the way she loved him.

"My kkeys." She stammered breaking the silence between them. Mimi feared that once she remained lock in his stare, she might fail and confess those feelings she had about him. Those feeling, she wasn't certain about them. She didn't know whether they were real or not. She didn't know if they were deceiving her. Mimi doesn't want to rush.

She doesn't want to regret later.

Sadiqu gave her the keys without muttering another word. He was also being cautious. He doesn't want to make another mistake in his life. It's better he bottle up his feelings for her to an unknown time. He wanted to make sure they were actually real first.

"Why are you pretending?" She repeated. But unknown to him, he was lost. Lost in staring at her as the cool and mild scent of her diffused into his nostril.

He loved perfumes.

When he didn't give her an answer, Mimi quietly walked very close to him. They were almost touching each other. Mimi cleared her voice and staggered back.

"Wannan kallo haka? Ko Hajiya bata kaini kyau bane? What's with the intense stare? Am I more beautiful than your wife?" Mimi winked.

Sadiqu opened his mouth to talk but he didn't find the right word to say.

She snapped at his face. "That's the disadvantage of being a henpecked man you know. You can't do anything against the wish of your Hajiya you call wife." Mimi got under to wheel and drove away with a smile. Despite that, she wondered why Sadiqu was now a mechanic.

Mimi wondered how many jobs he does in a day.

She won't allow him go hurt her alone. He must also feel what she's feeling in her heart.

Mimi drove summing up some things in her head. Fatimah? Noor? Sadiqu? She needed some time alone.

Sadiqu threw his fist in the air when Mimi zoomed away. He was angered to the core. She just knew the right words to use to make him angry.

Was he the henpecked man?

Was that what people think? That he's under Leek? Sadiqu slapped his hand to the signboard beside him.

But it's the truth.

Noor came back in a jog but didn't see any of them. He went back in order to persuade his mother then call Sadiqu to meet her.

Urgh! He lost this chance.

****

Sadiqu came back home late at night. His body was seriously aching him due to the way he was overworking himself this days.

But he had to do that. The money he was getting daily was dropping down hence why he got another garage and started working there.

At the end of the day after working in three places, he got home with spare one thousand naira. That's better for him.

"Yaya aunty Maleekah went out today and left Yusrah and I together at home. Inna went to the market. Please tell her to be leaving Yusrah with me." Wali told Sadiqu after Sadiqu has given him his stipend.

What? Maleekah thought she's outsmart him right? On his way back, someone stopped him and said he should stop his wife from roaming about.

"Where did she went to?"

"I don't know. She went out with her car. When are you buying a new car too?" Sadiqu smiled.

"Very soon. Goodnight." He jammed the door and left for his side.

Sadiqu met her and Yusrah fast asleep. He extended his hand to wake her up but gave up. He won't judge based on hearsay.

****

The next morning, Sadiqu didn't see when she went out. He stayed until eleven o'clock and he didn't see a sign that she would go somewhere.

The following day very early, he decided to go and have a stroll before going inside the city of Kano. After he's out and on his way out, he and Leek crossed at the gate.

He let her be until when she got to her car.

"What did I tell you the other day?" He asked chuckling- surprise of her she didn't took him serious.

Leek saw him laughing and thought he was joking.

"I want to go to work. It's been days since I went there. If not, they will sack me." Sadiqu dipped his hand into his pocket and laughed again.

"You thought I don't know?" He raised his thick brow.

"I know you will understand." She whined.

"Don't try me Maleekah. Now get back in."

"But..." She said, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Go ahead and see what I'm capable of doing." He saw his friend and waved at him.

"Please sweetheart. I will be back on time." Because he wasn't frowning, Maleekah thought he's withdrew his condition. After all, he didn't sounded serious. She got under her wheel and began driving while she looks at him.

Sadiqu remembered the way Mimi always say he's under Leek's control. He wondered if that was what people thought of him.

The thought alone clicked his anger and pride button.

'You're trying me.' Sadiqu whispered to himself. He went back inside the house and took a brief shower then got out to his places of work.

He stopped on his way and made another photocopies of his CV and distributed it to places.

****

Leek returned from work very early and cooked. She was going to bribe him with good food and a killer dressing today.

He would be left with no option than to withdraw his condition.

Leek was rubbing a perfume when she sighted a brown envelope on the floor. She picked it up in curiosity and opened it.

I, Sadiqu Mamman have divorced my wife Maleekah once. May Allah give you a better spouse!

Maleekah screamed out loud and thudded to the floor.

*****

It has happened.😪😪😪

Team Mimi y'all should come let's dance shaku shaku.

So what's next?
Who's eager for the next chapters to come? I know I am👻💃

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