I'm not happy with my readers🙃.
They don't vote, as in not the half of the viewers per chapter vote. Issokay oo😤😪🚶

Those of you that were with me since the very first chapters of this book knew I'm not really attached to the book😸😸 I can keep it aside if that's what you want😂😂😂.

Regular voters, I hail you.❤❤❤

Anyway, don't mind me but please leave a vote and a comment. I'm seriously loosing my motivation. The reason why I'm writing today is because I received a private comment about the book yesterday. If not, I won't have written any time soon.

Well, the nags are enough...or not?😂

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Very unedited.

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Very unedited.

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Garejin Labaran was the name of the place. It was a large unplastered fenced building where cars were being repaired. Most of the workers were illiterate but they could repair any kind of car due to great experience. They were mostly between the age group of twenty to thirty. Every one of them was there for one reason or the other.

Sadiqu was dressed in a dark blue yard dress and trouser with some patches on it and spilled engine oil. The garage was the new place he found recently and he normally goes there from eleven to two on weekends. At the end of every day's work, Malam or Haji Labaran gives him his pay.

His hand was black of dirt of engines underneath a car at the garage, repairing it when his phone rang. He cleaned his hand with a hanky beside him and picked the call.

"I have searched and searched but he's no where to be found. I even asked some fellows in the location they gave us but..." Sadiqu's anger built up.

"Excuse me Malam Lawal, what are you trying to say? You've been into this for more than twenty years. Can you please reinsert the words? I don't understand." Sadiqu was sweating profusely. He didn't want to believe what his heart was musing to him. How could that happen?

"Remember you called me and said you want the house to be sold urgently. I called and searched for buyers at that same days. I did told you that the only serious buyer has an advance of a million only. You agreed. Now what do you want me to do?" Sadiqu stood up and held his waist with his other hand. This matter was too much to be handled whilst sitting down.

What was Malam Lawal saying? That he's been duped or what?

"Malam Lawal," Sadiqu said in a calm voice looking skywards.

"Let's meet at two. At Hamisu's joint." He added and cut the call. He could remember that all those explanations that Malam Lawal uttered, were real.

When he called him and told him his request, Malam Lawal told him that the person willing to buy didn't have money in hand. Sadiqu agreed to that without seeking advice from anyone.

Sadiqu opened the bonnet of the car and checked some things before he closed it back and opened the door of the car and put the car to ignition. He whined the engine and drove about the space before he switched the car off.

It was good to go.

Once done, he cleared the sweat on his forehead and drew water from a well situated at the far end of the building. Sadiqu filled up a bucket and went to the secluded area they had, for bathing. He washed himself and dressed in a plain white shirt and a jean which he came with at the morning.

After rubbing the pomade he had in his pocket, he marched to a smaller building where Haji Labaran was staying. It was an only one room and a corridor building which Labaran called his house where he does whatever his heart desired for him. It has a chair, a mattress and a standing fan.

Sadiqu stood by the door and knocked twice. If not because he has seen a slipper by the door, he would have said the man wasn't around.

He knocked for the third and final time but silence greeted him again. Turning to leave, Sadiqu heard clings of keys and waited. The door clung open while Sadiqu was looking back.

"Ah, cripple how far?" Sadiqu turned around. His gaze fell on Haji Labaran. He was a short man, dark in complexion and skinny with big belly. He often boast about his big belly to be a sign of how rich he was. Unknown to him, everyone knew what he was doing in the dark.

He was called Haji Labaran because he was born at the holy city. His mother worked as a maid at Jeddah before she was caught and sent back home, Nigeria. Ever since Labaran learnt that he was born there, he started calling himself Haji Labaran and so, the name followed him.

"Ya akayi ne? How far?" Sadiqu scratched his nape and braced up for what he knew was coming with no doubt.

"I came to collect today's money?"

"Matsiyaci." Sadiqu almost chuckled. He knew Labaran so well. He hated it when someone asked of money. He normally insults people before giving them. Some days, he says he won't give. That's why most of the youth couldn't stay with him for more than a week. He was capable of making a person cry when he starts raining insult.

"It's not yet time even." He said, glancing at his wristwatch which he possibly won in a gamble. He was known widely in the village to be a gambler and most of his properties were gotten from there. He always win except on rare occasions when luck decided to play with him.

On those days, Haji Labaran would shout and beat whoever crossed his path. He wasn't good at accepting defeat and such made him a man with a complicated attitude.

"Yes I want to leave now because I have something important to attend to." Sadiqu replied, feeling his phone vibrating from his pocket.

"Money monger. Useless cripple. Maybe it's your rotten leg that sucks money. Who knows?" He blabbed, dipping his hand into his pocket. He brought out a squeezed two hundred naira and put it in Sadiqu's hand.

Sadiqu looked at the note and then at Haji Labaran.

"Remaining two hundred." Sadiqu raised his brow.

"This is what I can give you. Besides it's not even time for you to leave. I'm not even supposed to give you a penny." Sadiqu checked his watch and saw that it was only ten minutes to closing time.

"Haji Labaran, the prophet SAW said pay the worker his wage before his sweat dries up. That means a worker should he paid in full for his hard work. It's his right and..." Sadiqu was cut shut with Labaran's higher pitched voice.

"Kai, kai it's enough. Don't even think of preaching to me. I'm your father's mate and that's how he died as nothing because he chose to be pious. If you say you're going to preach I will deal with you now. Mtswww donkey in human skin." Sadiqu rolled his eyes without saying a word but Haji Labaran continued shouting nonsense.

"Everyone knows who your grandmother is." Sadiqu's eye grew bigger. Grandmother? No one has ever mentioned of bad about her. He didn't even meet her. She died early, when his father was a youth.

"Yes, everyone knows her to be an old prosti..." Labaran's door opened and a girl came out, retying her wrapper with a large empty plate of groundnut. Sadiqu didn't looked at her. He was focused on what Labaran said.

"Haji my money." She said in a slim voice, fluttering her lashes. Sadiqu now looked at her.

"Is this Sadiyan Iya?" He asked, to confirm his suspicion.

"Malam wallahi..." She said, her eyes brimming with tears once they fell on Sadiqu.

"Get lost and wait for me at the gate." He thundered, Sadiya's body shook in fear as she pranced out of his sight in tears. She's doomed.

"Thank you and good day." Sadiqu dumped his uniform in front of Haji Labaran. He has dropped the work today because he won't tolerate being humiliated because of a job that hardly helps him. He would rather stick to riding his rickshaw alone.

Once out, he saw Sadiya squatting with her plate hugged to her chest.

"Sadiya!" She whipped her head up and looked at his eyes. The aura in them made her looked away.

"What are you doing in Malam Labaran's room?" Sadiqu stuttered.

"I.. Malam... I swear... It's..."

"Cut it all and tell me the truth." Sadiqu's eye turned red. The sadness of what Malam Lawal told him and what happened between him and Haji Labaran amalgamated and made him furious.

"Iya said I shouldn't come back home if I don't sell the groundnut that's why I asked Lami where she used to get money and she told me it's Haji Labaran used to give her... Then I also come to him today." Sadiqu closed his eyes in regret.

"Does he give out money free of charge?" Sadiqu knew that wasn't the case. Labaran was a miser. He had three wives and thirty three children, seven of which, whose mothers' have been divorced. There was no food in his house. Every member of the house, fend for food for themselves.

"He's started touching me when you knocked." How old was Sadiya? She was only twelve.

"You want to enter hellfire right?" Sadiya shook her head in negative.

"How much do you sell a day?" He asked, feeling his heart as if it will burst open. What was happening to the world? What were parent thinking?

"If it's groundnut One fifty. Highest two hundred. If it's maize season, I sell up to five hundred naira own when I get in the city." Sadiqu removed the two hundred naira he collected from Haji Labaran and gave her. If that would make her stop, he was willing to give her daily even if it was the only one he had on him.

Sadiyan Iya collected with trembled hands and thanked him. Sadiyan Iya was an orphan whose mother died immediately after her birth and she was taken to her grandmother, Iya. She was one of those little children he used to do Islamic lessons to, when he graduated from secondary school.

She was always quiet like Fatimah and she barely mingles with people. Iya started giving her items to hawk when she was seven. According to Iya, that will serve as the money she would use and buy furniture for Sadiya when the time of her marriage comes.

Sadiqu watched as Sadiya wiped her tears and faltered home. He wondered how many girls of her age were doing the same or worse in order to satisfy their guardians.

Sadiqu knew he can't help them all but he would try his best and help those around him. Better little, than never. With a heavy heart, he headed to Hamisu's joint where he scheduled to meet malam Lawal.

****

Sadiqu came back to an empty house after Isha prayer. He drove his rickshaw to the backyard at Inna's house and went to the kitchen for food. The kitchen was locked so was Leek's side.

He went for a shower and spread a mat under the shade of the house's tree. He was about sleeping when he heard Inna's and Fatimah's background noise approaching. Sadiqu sat up wondering what was happening.

A minute later, Inna came in, throwing her hand in the air.

"What happened Inna?" He asked, upon her entrance. She didn't say anything rather trudging in to her room and bringing out a suitcase.

"I'm not allowing that to happen Fatimah. Take this money and go to Katsina. Once there, call me I will direct you on where to go." Fatimah watched with zero interest.

"Inna don't work up yourself. Uncle Habu is like a father to us. I will rather marry his son than to go somewhere where I have zero knowledge of what I'm going to face." Fatimah cried.

"No Fatimah!" Sadiqu interjected.

"Tell her, she's proving to be stubborn. I have talked and talked but her head is as strong as that of the people of Thamood and Aad." Sadiqu took Fatimah's wrist and dragged her to the backyard.

When they sat down, with cool breeze blowing from every angle, Sadiqu hummed, gathering all he had to say in his throat.

"What happened?" He asked, being serious and responsible like the big brother he was.

"Dan Asabe saw me since last week and since then he's been begging me to marry him. This morning while you're away, he came and greeted Inna. He told her he wants to marry me and it's either she agrees or he does the unthinkable." She sniffed.

"And?"

"I'm afraid of what he's going to do so I agreed to marry him but Inna is against that. Hence we went to uncle's house together where she shouted off her guts." Sadiqu listened attentively.

"Inna is right. You can't subject yourself to eternal slavery. You know who DanAsabe is. He doesn't even know himself properly talkless of a wife. He can't keep a wife."

"But I have an assurance that he won't humiliate me despite my flaws. And he's poor like me."

"You can't make that mistake Fatimah. Inna is saying no and I'm backing her." He stood up.

"Inna warned me not to marry Maleekah but I was blind and dumb to her warning. Now, Leek is something else. Look, it's eight in the evening and she wasn't back from work. Just follow Inna's wish." Fatimah sharply looked at him.

"Who knows what I will face there? Inna is calling Katsina. Who do we know there?" And then it dawned on him. Katsina, for what?

"Let's go." Fatimah followed his back to where Inna was.

"I will go Inna but please leave it until morning." Inna shook her head.

"I've had a rethought. You're not going anywhere anymore. Get in." Fatimah and Sadiqu exchanged looks. Sadiqu nodded at her.

He said goodnight to them and returned to the backyard.

"You should have left her go." Sadiqu didn't react. He was tired of the pranks this voice was playing on him. It wasn't funny.

"My love, I'm sorry I know you're tired of everything. I'm here for a reason and I'm so eager to tell you what it is but whenever I come, my grandfather stops me from talking." Sadiqu turned around in fear.

"You can't see me for now. I haven't been granted that permission yet. The first thing is I want you to calm down and trust me. True to your instinct, I'm a jinn." Sadiqu muttered some prayers under his breath.

"I'm a Muslim brother. I know you're angry that you've been duped. I mean the uncompleted building cost five million naira but you were only paid a million which you bought a rickshaw with and keep the change. Don't worry there's light at the end of the tunnel."

"What do you want from me?" There was a strong laughter after he said that.

"I want you to do a favour for me." The voice echoed.

"Favour?" Sadiqu asked, becoming less scared.

"I'm leaving now. Whenever you want to hear me, recite what is in the paper on top of your wardrobe." Sadiqu almost hissed. What type of nonsense was his brain doing? How could he be thinking like a mad man?

"You're not hallucinating. It's real. The favour is, please marry Mimi as soon as possible." Sadiqu stood up. For a moment, he's forgotten about her. Since after the day she came.

Two months ago. Wow.

"No matter what, you must marry her. But please hasten it. Yes I mean Amina Bashir. I leave you in peace." After that, Sadiqu felt the atmosphere cold, and silent again.

Marry Mimi?

How?

Where's she now? What was she doing? Does she think of him?

Sadiqu brought his phone out and subscribed to a daily data plan. He opened his WhatsApp and went through so many unread messages.

Something that left him edgy was, he has been removed from all Mimi's foundations' group. That's it. Mimi has cut ties with him forever and forever.

What to do?

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What to do? The answer is with you🙄😌. If only you didn't marry Leek at first ai duk da haka bata faru ba😒😒.

Your thoughts?

There are a lot of graduates out there, searching for jobs. I used to know one Engineer that sells coals by the road side😖😖. A whole engineer with a good certificate I tell you! This is how bad our country has gone. May Allah ease our affairs!

(On that Sadiyan Iya part. That's what happens in reality. We might not know but by Allah those hawkers are going through a lot in life. Yes, some of them are rude, and whatnot. It's not their faults. They're being exposed to the world whilst they're very young hence their attitudes. Sha, I will write more of this later...)

Vote oo before I disappear for a long time.