Unedited.

***

Maleekah was drained, both physically and emotionally. For the past four weeks, all she did was to pace between her home, work, and hospital. She was slowly loosing the exceptionally perfect color of her skin. All the glow, sheen, and tone were slowly fading away. Her belly has rose little than normal.

Her face was becoming chubbier, and she doesn't like either of the changes her body was going through. She felt like exploding because of the tensions on her.

Sadiqu wasn't up yet.

They had been transferred to another hospital but still the story was still flat. Sitting in front of the ICU, Leek held her head with both of her hands. She later went out to the hospital premise.

The sound of heels smacking the coaltar floor made her raised her head.

"Hey Leek," Mimi increased her pace and then leveled to Leek's position with baby Safiyyah on her hand. She was named after General's mother.

"Hi," Leek turned her head away chewing some tigernuts.

"Ya me jiki? How's he faring?" Mimi went straight to the point. Because, there was no point in waiting to inquire about Leek who will not give an answer at the end.

"Fine. I've always wanted to tell you something. Thank God you came here thereby making it easy for me." Leek stood up from the slab. Mimi thought she was going to collect Asnah.

"Is your husband a dayooth (a man who's not jealous of his wife)?" Mimi looked at Maleekah sharply. What an insult! But she remained quiet.

"What brought this type of question?"

"Ah, I'm just wondering. If not a bozo, who will allow his nursing wife to be wandering about in the city?" Mimi's grip on her child tightened.

"Maleekah watch your mouth." Mimi warned.

"Stay away from my husband." Leek's upper teeth and her lower teeth sandwiched her tongue. It was a gesture she used in remaining sane when she's angry.

"We aren't kids anymore. You know there's nothing between me and him. Plus we're both married." Mimi turned to leave.

"Who knows what happens in the dark? Most married women these days are not faithful." Leek smirked.

"I have a baby to take care of but I abandoned all that to be there for you because you've onced be my pillar." Mimi sniffed her tears away.

"When I was in need of blood, your husband didn't help and you're also ready to see my corpse. After all Maama is right. You two don't want me in your lives. Leek check the date and mark this. I'm done with you forever and more. I've cut all the ties that hold us together from this instant. But for your husband, mark it clear that I love him and I won't stop mingling with him!" Mimi spat and left the place before Maleekah said a word.

Leek's throat went dry as she watched Mimi walked into the hospital. Leek followed her. There was no way she was allowing her close to her husband.

****

Jameel and Mufti who changed his name to Muhammad were sitting at the farthest end of the forest when they heard the sound of gunshots. They looked at each other before they all went on their feet.

"What's happening?" Jameel asked Muhammad. Muhammad has been his best friend since that day. Normally, Jameel spent the night awake thinking of how to escape from the forest. And in the morning, he shares it with Muhammad.

"I have no idea too." Jameel motioned for him to approach where the gunshot was coming from. Jameel began to think that someone had overheard their plans. He hoped it wasn't so.

"Do you think we will make it out of here?" Jameel nodded.

"Allah is with us." He replied.

"Akramallah Jameel." Jameel quickly turned back, terrified.

"Muhammad? What happened?" Jameel became confused.

"Remember I told you to be careful with your right hand." Jameel blinked his eyes.

"And I said that my right hand will forever be right." Jameel replied.

"How about this?" Before Jameel could react, Muhammad has shot his leg and burst into fits of laughter like a maniac. Jameel collapsed on the ground which was filled with dried leaves. He held his leg and winced.

"Jameel, you trust people easily," he paced about. Jameel looked up and saw different leaders emerging from where they were hiding. They were all strongly armed. Jameel's liver danced.

"You've told me all your plans and I planned ahead." Someone tied Jameel's hand with a rope and another slapped him with the back of his gun.

"You're nothing but a little child." Sheikh Bukar smiled as he marched towards Jameel.

"I knew you wanted to leave since from the day you started talking to that girl. I shot her thinking that it will make you abolish your plans but I was wrong. Mufti has been appointed as the new leader in charge of this place unknown to you. We told him to be close to you and understand your motives. Quite unfortunate, you fell for the trap." He twirled his gun in the air and squatted before Jameel.

"Do you know what? Your brother Sadiqu is currently at the hospital almost dying. Don't worry I don't know what happened so," he held Jameel's cheek and squeezed it.

"If you dare do a thing, I will make sure he goes to his grave before his time. Good news? Fatimah is dating one of our men and you will soon see her here." Jameel didn't know where a synergy came from. He roared like a devastated lion and stood up despite the wound on his leg.

"How dare you do that?" He shouted at the man.

"It's a lame joke Sheikh Jameel. I wanted to see whom you love most between them because Mufti has told us you don't like your mother that much. You were always talking of Sadiqu and Fatimah. I heard that the Fatimah is rotten. Try any nonsense, I will make sure I hold her captive in my custody and she will be my slave." Jameel's anger built to his throat.

"I leave you in peace."

"Allahu Akbar." The thick forest echoed. They were all absorbed in praising the group when they heard some gunshots coming from everywhere including the sky. They all layed on their stomach and held their guns.

"Soldiers. Nigerian army." One of the men shouted to everyone and they began shooting in the direction of the gunshots. At the end, five soldiers have been shot dead while most of the jihadists have been killed. Some, of them managed their way out of the forest because they were wearing bullet proof clothes.

****

Mimi has just finished taking her bath when she received a call. It was her mother in-law. She smiled before she picked the call.

"Ummah you're sick. Aren't you?" Mimi queried while putting on a diaper on baby Asnah. Her aunties were the ones doing that for the past weeks. Now, they have all left because Mimi has completed her forty days ritual stay at her parent's house and was going back to Bauchi the next day.

General Aliyy promised to come and fetch her by himself. They had been on call for more than an hour the previous day.

"Aliyy has been admitted." She shortly replied Mimi. Mimi didn't know when the phone slipped away from her hand. Was he sick?

She picked the phone back and put it on speaker. "He's currently at Abuja receiving treatment. Get ready we are going there in an hour. I've booked the flights." Mimi couldn't form any word. She only nodded and left for Maama's room without cutting the call.

"It's Abu Asnah." She fell onto Maama's body and began sobbing. Dr Bashir, her father was at home.

"Mimi what's happening?" He asked upon entering the room.

"She just received a call. That..." Maama's sentence was cut when she heard her phone rang. Dr Bashir passed it to her.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. We will be on our way." Maama chanted, dropping her phone on a console. She shook her head and headed out without saying a word. Both Mimi and her father followed her out.

She went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of canned date drink and gave Mimi.

"Chill yourself." She managed to smile. Mimi collected the bottle and uncapped it. She gulped the drink without savoring the taste before she returned her gaze to Maama.

"We lost someone." She said, handing Mimi a hijab and carrying the baby on her back. Maama called a driver and told him where he was taking them to.

"Who's someone?" Mimi croaked.

Mimi's nerve were a bit calm when she saw them following the route to her step mother's house. It wasn't a relief but at least her closest ones were sound.

Mimi tried to call her mother in-law once again after she has tried calling General.

"How's he faring Ummah?" She asked.

"Alhamdulillah. He's been discharged. They're even on their way to Bauchi." Ummah replied her and cut the call.

Mimi sighed in relief.

——————

Ghen ghen . . .

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