Nineteen

24th May, 2015

Makera Motels, Katsina

10:27am

As I parked my car in the driveway, I’ve never felt this heavy all my life. I thought ut was something that happened to Madina, and I rushed towards the room. I had the key with me, because she said I should lock her up, she was afraid someone might intrude into her room without her knowing. I rushed to unlock the door and entered the room.

I found it emoty, there were no traces of her, only her suitcase that I dropped myself yesterday night. I looked around the room and still, I wasn’t hallucinating, Madina wasn’t there. I rushed down to the reception and asked him wether a lady had gone out, but he shook his head as a no. Panic surged through my heart, where is Madina?!

I rushed back to the room and looked around again, as if waiting for a miracle to happen. “Madina!” I called out, in a voice that spoke my panic. I waited, even for the walls of the room to answer me, but there was no answer.

Where had she goneto? Who might have possible broke into the room and took her away? I rushed to the windows and checked, they were totally fine. Nothing in the room seemed not okay, it looked as if she had gone out on her account. “Madina!’ I called again, this time with a loud voice that spoke perfectly my fear.

Just like a dream, I heard a voice, as faintly as it might sounded; from the bathroom. And that’s when it all occured on me, I haven’t checked the bathrrom. I rushed to the bathroom and tried to open it but it was locked from the inside.

I knocked on the as roughly as I can, trying so hard not to scare her. “Madina, it’s me, unlock the door please.” I pleaded, and it took sometime before she was abale to unlock the door.

The moment we stood in front of each other, she fell on me and broke into even more painful tears. She hugged me tightly as if she was deadly afraid and now had seen her saviour. No matter how I tried to rip her off my body, I couldn’t. I had no choice but to hug her back even more intensity than the one she used while hugging me.

“It’s fine, I’m here, you’ll be fine, Madina.” She was crying bitterly, as if she had no one in this world but only me. I wanted to know what happened that she locked herself in the toilet.

I guided us to the bed and I sat down and helped her sat down too. She was still holding to me, as if her life depended on me. If only Madina knw the kind of effect she had on me already, now that I felt my body clasped to her’s, I had no choice. I lifted up her face and cleared her tears away.

“It’s fine, I’m here, Madina. What happened?” I asked, and sbe looked directly into my eyes, and the look I saw there was what made all all worse on me.

She looked at me for some time, her tears making a mess of her cheeks. “I heard a gunshot yesterday night, and when I slept off; I dreamt about my uncles trying to kill me. I saw my Mom and Dad being brutally killed in the dream, I was the next one to be killed when I woke up and I found myself in this strange place. It’s so hard that I had to lock up myself in the bathroom. I thought I would really be killed.”

I brought her to my chest once again, making some soothing circles on her back. “It’s fine, Madina. I’m here, and I will never hurt you. You trust me, don’t you?” She nodded her head innocently and I found myself staring at her lips.

It was wrong, I know it. But I had no other choice when she’s glued to my body like a gum. She read my plea through my eyes, I wanted to kiss her, so bad that I’ve never wanted to do anything in my life. Silently, she nodded her head, as she wanted me as well to kiss her as well. It might be the best way for her to feel safe.

Gently, with my heart pounding, I placed my lips on her’s and I couldn’t do anything from there. My lips were just there, on top of her’s, but I was afraid to make the next move. I watched as she opened her eyes in surprise, my eyes glued on her’s. She opened her lips to speak me out of it, and I got the wrong signal;I thought she was inviting me, and so I kissed her. Hungrily, like a lion that spent his whole life with hunger. I’ve tasted even the most sweetest Ice creams, but her lips were something I would wish to have for the rest of my life.

It was the worst mistake, yet the sweetest mistake I’ve ever done in my life. What I did, without knowing where my self control went to; would be the worst wrong move I’ve ever did. And till my last breathe, I’ll cry and smile upon the thought of Madina Aminu Musawa. She gave me life, made me a man every girl would love to have. She gave me memories that are worth cherishing for eternity. She gave me the kind of lovestory that even the stars in charge of writing lovestories would love to read.

Because in our case, Madina and I found an empty canvas and we wrote our love story the way we wanted. I would forever love and cherish Madina. And for eternity, she would be the only woman in my life. Just like a book, they say every ending isn’t the ending, it ws just the beginning of another story, and that’s the same as our story. And I love my life more; with Madina Aminu Musawa in it.

Nasir Muhammad Tijjani.

❃

She had spent the next three day in horror, panic and pain. She wanted to deny what she had read on that day. She had never regretted something like she had regretted ever pulling down her trolley on that day. This wasn’t what she wanted to read about. And just like Nasir had written, the end wasn’t the end; she knew it. What happened after the kiss? She was sure the revelation of it would break her down. She couldn’t believed he had lived that life.

She wanted to know it all, what happened after that? She was sure he was succesful in hiding it away from everyone he knew in his life. Like the dead, that’s how he hid Madina from all his loved ones; but not Aisha. She wondered what she was to him, if what she took him as, was what he took her as well.

What would be of he now? She didn’t realized she liked Nasir so much until she read those letters, and they broke all that she had rigid in her soul. It was painful, so painful, that she will admit to. She got down from the tricycle and walked into the house after she paid the driver.

Today was her birthday, no one knew at school and she didn’t bother to tell. Ya Firdausi wished her a happy birthday when she was about to leave for school. The ending of 2017 and 2018 had taught her the best lesons of her life in the most painful way possible. She walked into the living room without looking at the cars parked in the lot.

Like a thunderbolt, that was how his voice struck through her heart, and she found her hands gripping the wall for support. With her head held high, she walked into the living room and saw them; Khalid, Firdausi and Nasir. They were conversing freely and Nasir was laughing at what Firdasui had said.

“Good evening, Ya Firdausi.” One by one she greted them, and Nasir noticed something was off about her. She didn’t look happy when she saw him.

She wa at school until 6pm, and he thought she was knackered. Even after that thought crossed his mind, this wasn’t Aisha. What happened when he was in Lagos? Something huge must have happened, he knew that for sure.

She excused herself and walked into her room, she slumped on the tiled floor while ters washed down her face. This was the man she loved, the man she had her life anonymously set with. She had planned everything with Nasir, even the time she was going to tell him baout Mommy, and she knew he would take her back to her Mommy. He was the one that made her fall in love, she was so naive that she thought she was the only girl in his life. So unthouful of her. He wrote that he would forever love and cherish Madina. Even the name suited the girl Nasir was capable of falling in love with.

To avoid meeting him, Aisha spent the rest of the evening in her room. Firdausi walked in and asked her what that matter was, but Aisha said she wasn’t feeling fine. “I’ll call Nasir to check up on you.” She touched her forehead before she walked out of the room before Aisha could even say what was in her mind.

He knocked on the door and entered when she muttered a throaty “Come in.” She looked away fom his face and he pulled out the vanity stool and sat down beside her. She had been lain on the be since her breakdown. What hurt he more was that she knew she had no reason to be angry about him just because she read about his unforgettable lovestory and knew that he had kissed a girl before he would kiss her. That’s if he would even kiss you…She thought, and the thought even pained her more.

She din’t know she was crying until she heard his voice, “Aisha, it’s fine. I’m sorry, I’m here now.”

I’m not crying because I missed you. I’m crying because you love Madina, not me. She wanted so bad to utter those words to him, but she knew better not to. She turned to look at her, and the moment she set her eyes on him, she felt as her heart swayed, he was charming and irrestible.

He handed her his handkercief and she collected without bulging. “Go and wash your face,” He said, and for a split second Aisha thought they were living the life he lived with Madina. Only that she walked into his life when he couldn’t hide her away. She was as clear to his family as the morning sky was.

She did as he said, and she came back and sat on the bed, opposite him. She remembered the day he helped her pack, it was one of the best days she had with Nasir. Even after this, she had no one she wished to spend all her good days apart from Nasir.

Intently, Nasir looked at her snd she turned her face away, afraid he might saw the pain he inflicted on her. It might be deliberately, may be she was tooobvious that she was falling for him and he wrote these letters for her to read. So she will get a grip pf herself and let him peacefully love his Madina. Or he wrote it for hismelf, so he can treasure the words for ever, not to forget a single imformation.

The Ring! As she though about it, she let her eyes wandered on his hands, and there carefully touched by Nasir, even when he sat with her, was Madina Aminu Musawa’s ring. It was the ring he said he can’t give her but he would buy her a diamond ring. How did she gave him the ring? There was more to what Nasir had written, Aisha knew.

“Will you please tell me what is wrong, Aisha?’ There was a pleading tone in his voice, he wanted to know. Every single ting that made her worried and she cried.

It’s you…She wanted to say, but she smiled ruefully at him. She figured that wallowing into pain and sadnes will never change the fact that Nasir had loved Madina. This was Nasir in front of her, she should better use the chance life threw at her. After all, there was no point in crying because of Madina. She didn’t know wether he was still hiding her away from his family, that’s his poblem to think about.

“I’m glad you came, I missed you like to the extent I couldn’t feel it in my chest. I’m glad you came, Dr.” She was telling her utmost truth. She didn’t lie to him.

“Happy Birthday, Aisha. I missed you more. Welcome to adulthood, my dear.” He smiled at her and played along. She didn’t want him to know what was making her cry, and he would play along with her and respect her decision.

“You’re back at it with the young age, right? You don’t want me to vent at you, Dr. You aren’t even ready for this outburst of mine.” She glared at him and walked towards her trolley, yet again. She prayed she can be able to brush her eyes off the zip he had his beloved Madina Aminu Musawa locked.

“What are you doing?” Nasir asked, cluelessly looking at her.

She turned to look at him and glared at him from the corner of her eys. “I’m angry at you, I want to read the letter you made me promised that I can’t read, unless I’m angry at you.” He laughed, and that’s when she remembered what she was supposed to do ever since she saw him. She was supposed to be happy and laugh until she couldn’t anymore.

She let go of the hands of her trolley and walked slowly towards him. She stood beside him and smiled widely, their eyes met; and that’s when she let out her laughter. “God, I missed you so much, Dr.” She wanted to hug him, for once, to feel the warmth Nasir had to offer to soul. But she knew better not to.

He watched her from his sitting position and felt like he was walking on the cloud. How she smiled, how she laughed; by Allah he felt like he couldn’t wait any longer. He thought he can wait until she was into her second year before te told Mama what he felt for Aisha, but it was getting painful as the day passed.

“Aisha, can I wait any longer?” He asked, with a voice that spoke his desperation.

“Wait for what, Dr?” She asked, and shrieked when he brought out her gift from his pocket. As he pormised, it was a ring. An expensive ring that she din’t want to believe the stone she saw there was a diamond, as he said.

She looked as him as she slipped the ring on her right hand. “I’ll have this ring on my finger until the day I’ll die. Thank you, Dr.” She thanked him, and for the hours he spent in her room as they converse, Aisha forgot he had ever loved Madina. He made her fell in love even more fiercely. That’s the thing about her, when she loved, she do that with all the might in her.