Amidst Our Hearts

Twelve.

Federal capital territory,
Nigeria.

Sakeena...

"Sakeena, Sakeena" all of a sudden I felt a hurtful smack on my upper arm. I looked up and found Safiya with her metallic water bottle in her hand ready to hit me again.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on" I said standing up and moving away from her aim. This girl is really crazy.

"We have been calling your name for the past 7 minutes but you seem lost and this isn't the first time I noticed this. You have been just zoning out since we started exams, are you okay?" Maymuna asked me staring deep into my eyes but I only looked away not wanting to spill everything if I hold her gaze.

"I'm perfectly fine just thinking about my result. You know my grades are seriously low in physics that's why" I said fiddling with my bracelet half lying. I am worried about my grades.

"You don't have to worry Naisa, In Shaa Allah everything will turn out just fine" Habiba said sitting down beside me.

"Alhamdulillah we're even done with the exams" Safiya said pulling out a bag of doritos from her bag and started munching on it. She's such a foodie.

"Let's go you guys, school is over" I said taking a glance at my wrist watch.

We all headed towards the gate but I couldn't sight the car Mallam Tahir always picks me with.

I felt a hand on both of my shoulders causing me to jump. I turned around to see the only person I wasn't expected to see.

"Yaya" I squealed hugging him.

"Naisa" he answered with equal enthusiasm hugging me back.

"When did you come back?" I asked as I waved goodbye to my friends and followed him to the car.

"This morning" he said entering the driver's seat while I enter the passenger's seat.

"I heard what happened and I came back to give my full support. You should know that we will never force this upon you. We will respect any decision you make Sakeena. We will all be with you every step of the way" he said giving me a reassuring smile.

"Thank you yaya" I said in a small voice.

"Let's go and get ice cream" he said trying to lighten up the mood while we head to cold stone creamery.

We got our orders and decided to take it home. I entered the house saying my salam only to meet the most annoying human being on Earth.

I went straight to my room ignoring him, took a bath, prayed and got dressed in a gown and sat down to take my ice cream.

"I need a spoon" I said to myself and went to the kitchen to get one.

"Didn't I earn you to always eat before you take any sugar?" Mamie said snatching away my chocolate flavoured ice cream.

"But I ate" I said lying.

"You didn't eat Sakeena. You really thought you an lie to me, yaushe aka haife ki" she said leaving the kitchen with my ice cream.

"But I'm not hungry, besides there's beans in the soup and you know I'm allergic to beans" I said following her.

"You proved your point but you still have to eat something" she said giving me back my ice cream that is already melting and dripping.

"Okay Mamie I'll eat" I said going into the kitchen to make a sandwich. I kept my ice cream in the fridge while I sat down to watch some tv devouring my sandwich.