I'm abandoning this book for real😌.

Kano, Nigeria.

2007.

Maleekah has moved on completely as she always tell her mind. Sadiqu was on the least on her list, she barely think of him talk less of being worried about him. She believed if things were actually going to work out, they surely will without any external influence. And so, she kept everything aside and moved on with her life.

"I love your name, it rhymes with you." A voice brought her back from reverie. She's forgotten that there was a man beside her. This was their second time meeting and it sounded so awkward. The coldness in their conversation was icy.

"I'm sorry my attention is not here. What were you saying?" She adjusted her veil and smiled. For the first time in few years she's known him, she looked at him for a second and put her head down. Well, it has been a while.

"You must be tired from school." He concluded rubbing the hair on his chin. There was another long silence between them as though they never met before. Armaan Ibrahim Maidila (dealer), was his name.

"Will you leave this place? Stupid girl with a head like tomato basket." Maleekah mirrored the seven year old her in her mind and busted at the memory.

"You don't sound like that bully I used to know." She added still laughing. Armaan's parent had been their family friends since before her birth. She grew up to be so scared of him because of his bullying attitude. When Armaan's family moved to Brighton, Leek was so elated and had not seen him again until last month when she met a handsome guy at the mall and it turned out to be him.

They had looked at each other sharply and looked away. After a minute, they looked again but still didn't recognized each other. At last, Armaan waited for her outside the mall.

"You look familiar." He had stopped her when she opened the door of their car.

"That's a pick up line. I'm used to it." She had bluntly replied.

"I'm bring serious stu-" he had remembered that he's not supposed to say that to a stranger. It was a normal thing to call everyone stupid, not because he's rude but because the word has lingered on his tongue since childhood days.

The other time he mistakenly called his grandfather stupid and he got the beating of his life. Since then, he monitored his mouth and always try not to say it in the wrong way.

"Hellfire is the home for those who insult. I still remember my mom's earliest lessons." She glared at him. Maleekah's mum has always console Maleekah that way.

There was a time Maleekah cried for days and when she was asked, she said she's sad because her father is going to enter hell. Everyone was surprised until she said her father pointed his five fingers at her and said  gidan ku when she stepped on his leg.

"Tomato basket head, it's you!" Her eyes had grew big like soccer ball before she began to laugh. She remembered when he put the name for her; when a woman plaited her hair and said it's called basket style.

'You don't know how good you look with this basket head.' The woman had said in the verandah where everyone was present and then Armaan began to call her tomato basket head.

"Ya Armaan!" She had clapped and hurried into the car like she was afraid of him. After giggling she came out and that's how he told her his father sent him to someone in Nigeria for some business deal. He followed her home, ate and bonded with the family. She didn't missed the look on her parent's face.

"You seem to be so quieter," he said when their laughter died down. Maleekah didn't like the way he looked at her, the way he says her name and the way he's being too gentle. She doesn't like him a bit.

"Do I still look scary?" He raised a questioning eyebrow which Leek found it too thick and bushy for her taste. Suddenly, she felt the parlor too hot. She pressed the A.C remote on the wall and sat back.

When she didn't say anything, he gave up. "I will get going then since you're still giving me that you're not welcome look." He hoped it will change her facial expression to a grin but a small guffaw was what he got. For him, it was love at first sight and he would do anything within and beyond his reach to make her his.

There was something new and special about her, something mind gripping about her dark brown eyes that drew him. Her composure and humbleness was disturbed-mind- clearing, the whole sight of her was soul soothing.

"It's not like I'm ignoring you, I'm so tired today plus I have an exam tomorrow. Regards to Tai." She gibbered through a yawn and stood on her feet.

"You still remember we call her 'Tai', well, the younger ones switched to calling her 'mummy'." Maleekah just nodded not wanting to drag the topic.

"Which course are you studying?" Maleekah almost hissed. Can't he see she's using the last string of her patience to resist sitting in the same parlour with him? He should please notice.

"Level one. Law. Bayero university Kano." She all said in one inhale of air to avoid him from further asking. Her legs were in urge to come in contact with the next cold tile that will lead out out of the guest's parlour.

"Thank you for your time. Best of luck on your exams." He prayed with a smile. She returned the small halfheartedly.

"Thank you." She exited the parlour immediately. Armaan shook his head and faltered to her mother's side.

***

"School is scam!" Mimi threw the handout at the backseat and entered the passenger's seat. Maleekah sighed and looked at her. Just a year at the university has changed the shade of their skin. She wondered how they would have looked if they were taking public transports as others do.

"It's a matter of time, it will all pass." She began to steer away from the school premises. They barely meet this days because they study different courses and have different time for their lectures. Mimi applied for sociology because she thought it would be simple. Although she's a brainy when it comes to school, she said she can't study law.

"If there's anything like 'singing course' it will be the one I will apply for." Mimi whined and undid her veil as the air conditioner in the car circulated. She sighed as the tiredness veer her away.

"See even if you're to study 'shouting,' study is study it will be equally hard. You better stick to your sociology and try to graduate with flying colors. That's it." Maleekah demonstrated with her hand and tap the brake as the traffic light went red.

"Hmmm." Mimi just hummed and nodded with closed eyes.

"Put on your veil. It's not like I have a tint on my windows. People are oggling at you." Maleekah hiccuped a laughter at the end when she saw a boy selling local sweet looking at Mimi via the window.

"Mtssw. They will never mind their business." She muffled the veil loosely and chased the boy away with a glare.

"See you another time. I'm so tired today I can't attend that party please send my happy birthday wishes to Beeby." Maleekah entreated. Beeby was also their friend who was throwing a party to celebrate her seventeenth birthday.

"That's why I will never drive myself to school. Anyways, see you later in the week." Mimi hopped out and bade her bye. Maleekah smiled as she drives, there was nothing that will break the bond between her and Mimi. Mimi loved her so much like a sister and she did loved her the same way.

***

"Where are you planning to spend the long holiday?" Mimi asked Leek while picking on a flavored popcorn. They were at the park yet again. It was the second semester break.

Maleekah drew a chair on rested her legs on it. "I was planning on going to visit Hajiya." Leek fluttered her lashes continuously.

"Your paternal grandmother at the Bauchi emirate yeah?" Mimi questioned. There was something common about them. Mimi's mother was from a royal family while Maleekah's grandmother was a princess.

"Yes. Are you joining me? I will just spend a week and come back."

"Spare me please. I hate the royalty, I mean I hate visiting the kingdom. Imagine, before you talk to your father some useless people must be bossing you around. I was once in mother's home and I won't go back. That life is hell!" Mimi finished with a sigh. She was barely twelve years then but it still angered her, she still feel upset with the way the guards screamed at her just because she approached the throne of her granduncle.

Maleekah sipped the cold Fanta drink and said "where are you planning on spending yours then?" She watched as Mimi briefly closed her eyes and opened them in glee.

"London." Maleekah didn't know how it happened, she just felt the bottle of the drink slipped down and shattered into shards of glass. Her grip had tightened on the bottle before it slipped down. Her dentition also clenched against another.

"Are you okay Leek?" Mimi stood up and held Leek's hand which was trembling. She tried to stop a tear from dropping from her eyes but it claimed stubborn and dripped down.

Leek didn't know the reason she felt this way, it looked like an act which was over acted. Hasn't she discarded Sadiqu long time ago? Was it an unfinished something? Does that mean there was a remnant of the love of someone who doesn't even know she loved him? She's going craze.

"It's cramps." She bit her lower lip and sucked it in as though she was really in pain. How was she back to square one?

Mimi made a sad face and then replaced it with a stern one. " I told you to order for coffee but you went for Fanta. How many times will you forget what Dr Muraq told you? Sugar.causes.cramps miss Maleekah!" Mimi scolded her and dragged her into the little cafeteria in the park.

Maleekah was quiet all the while. She alone knew what was really wrong with her. Something she couldn't share with anyone.

"Date coffee please." She ordered and then drew her own chair.

"Sorry Leek, let me get you a pain reliever outside," Maleekah felt something moved within her. If Mimi was to know her problem will she help her find the solution? Will revealing what's on her mind break the bond between them? Mimi to be disappointed in her was her scariest dream. She can't afford to betray their friendship.

"No," she held Mimi's hand looking at her.

"I'm fine. Now." She enclosed her statement. The aroma of the coffee was what alerted them that the waiter has brought the coffee.

Almost a thousand millimeter thickness silence erupted the place, each of them clouded on her thought.

"You chauf is here let's go." Mimi stood up and flung the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"Thank you." Leek took the last sip of the coffee which was now cold. They checked out and left.

"I'm not going home anyway." Leek told the driver and Mimi.

"But you're ill." Mimi reminded her still concerned with her health.

"I said I'm okay, don't you have ears anymore?" Leek shouted with fury. She too, didn't know how it happened or why it happened. The sight of Mimi irritated her that instant. All she needed at that time was space. Her heart loved Mimi and don't like seeing her at the same time.

One of the two has to be chosen. Either to love or dislike her but the two can't stay together. Leek picked the former but her heart seemed to disagree.

"Oh mood swing! It's normal I get it." Mimi leaned her head on the headrest and keep mum until the car came to a halt in front of a mansion.

What brought them there? How was Maleekah connected to the people in that house? She looked at Maleekah for any clue but her face was straight.

"Hop out or stay in." Maleekah purred.

...

***

Hello somebody. It's been a while right?

Who can guess where Maleekah took them?

Shall we cross to London and hear what's going on with our peeps there?