THE HEARTS REAWAKENING

45: ANOTHER PAST?

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KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

Lateefa grumbled, turning off the computer on her desk to leave the office knowing she is really late back home that day and her mother will skin her alive for being late and switching off her cell phone yet again but she needs to finish her work for the rest of the week and focus on helping Amirah deal with Imad. She feels the need to be there for her friend and help her through it since she is willing to give her the chance to unlike couple of years ago when she blocked them.

Unwrapping her skinny jeans clasped legs against one another, she unfolded her height of the chair and took her tote bag from the table clearing all the things she won't need for the next day. She might be a cuckoo but she don't like any place being pigsty and all that. Satisfied with how it now looks, the bits and touches of feminine nude pink, coral and fuscia pink pigmented the table space meant for her.

Just as she yawed around to check whether her boss left or not, she bumped into Salim who was whistling his way down to her boss' office. It took all the courage inside of her not to bash his head on the wall close to her because whenever she sees him, she just feels this anger taking over her entire being. Whether he breaths or stills, it makes her head pound in utter annoyance and irritation.

Flared nose and high chin, she brushed past him and decide to walk towards the parking lot sooner than she'd wanted. She wanted to go check in Amirah then thought against it, the woman leave as early as she could to tackle with her other work. Poor girl, she always sympathise with her when she thought about it. She wanted to press about the matters with the reason she needs to work so many jobs at the same time but little by little. She is already working towards the end line.

She was about to call the elevator when the man she brushed past behind her called out her name and not any other name, the useless nickname he gave her and she had to stop to make sure she is not hearing things. "Hooligan!"

That awful moniker she's almost liked with her foolish head.

After making sure she's heard him right, she touched the button to call the elevator, totally ignoring his existence. He does not have the right to even breath the same air as she does but what can she do? She must work there to save herself from getting harassed by her mother to get a husband especially after her father's death. If she takes care of herself half the time, her mother won't remind her of how much a burden she is at her age. She is just twenty for goodness sake!

That woman somehow got circled with Hausa women and they are filling her head with their mentality which is unnerving. Just because your daughter has finished schooling at an early age doesn't mean she must get married. How about if she were studying law? She wouldn't have graduated for the next two years or so, then what would she have done? Still force her to marry while schooling not that she is against it? She just won't burden it up for no man!

Few months ago, she would've jumped into that idea with the aforementioned man but right now, the mere thought of settling down makes her nausea. Men are scum! She won't be surprised if Amirah says Imad broke their marriage or did something terrible to it. She's long gone forgotten how incredible love could be. One poisonous relationship could ruin all other expectations. No cap!

The elevator just wouldn't come and she is hearing footsteps echoing throughout the eerie hallway behind her which means the man is coming towards her. She looked up at the white ceiling shining with snow lights, she don't want to create scene so she is summoning as much calmness as she could. Murder shouldn't take place and she won't kill him on Friday too. He does not deserve to die on a Friday night, not any good day anyway.