Basma likes Fendi

31 | Bad Boys For Life Too

•Bilal

Tonight we set our sights on Morocco. I get to clear my name and I can go back to my peaceful life. That is all I pray for everyday—will Bilan let that happen though?

I can't stop thinking about her. Cliché but true. I keep dreaming of the night she decided she was leaving. It always starts well—the barbecue at her parents house, her parents speech—we go back home and everything goes blank. I never make it inside the door after she goes in.

Next thing, I'm sweaty and breathing fast, eyes wide open as if I saw a ghost and never am I ever able to go back. I thought of speaking to a therapist but I weighed it down me to being traumatized with the divorce and having to raise kids. Kauthar was already getting her period and it was hard talking to her about it.

Bushra's clock is ticking, her soon to be hated sister of monthly visits knocks in a few years and I hope they'll have a mother to help me take care of them. Afaf and I have been speaking since that day I left her uncle's house and I pray she'll be able to fill the gaping hole in my chest.

One by one, everyone is trooping in and setting their bags seat by seat in front and behind me. Inspector Leke is yet to arrive, only his team has made it to the airport. Rayyan and Bashir just came in through the doors dragging travelling bags and typing with reckless abandon as they moved to find chairs apart from one another. Like a train they parted ways as soon as they reached the last chair available to my right.

Both men sat on two different aisles and inserted the earpiece to their phones to listen to whatever it was they were going to watch or listen to while I remained the light house waiting to send a distress signal as soon it was time for us to leave.

With Baba Imran's help, we wrote a letter to the Nigerian embassy in Morocco for a plea to help with Basma's case but I hadn't gotten the chance to tell anyone yet. I was waiting till we reached there before I gave them the good news.

"Attention, flight...is ready to board."

"Attention, flight...is ready to board."

"Attention, flight...is ready to board."

People begin to drag their luggage, those who came with family are trying to awaken the sleepy ones to join the herd boarding the plane,  husbands are packing their wives hand luggage with theirs and mother held the tiny hands of their kids, so they don't get trampled upon in the crowd.

Still, the inspector hasn't appeared. His men start to leave until it is only me, Rayyan and Bashir. We begin to march down the aisle with our bags while the officers went the opposite direction. From afar I notice inspector Leke standing with his left hand pointing at his wristwatch in the air.

Tick tock.

There he was staring till we would soon disappear from our lines of view with a dark smile on his face. Who was I kidding? It wasn't dark, he's already black. It was a sinister grin that just told me he'd been bought by the highest bidder.

I want to say if you know, you know but who was I deceiving? Nobody knew and I sure as hell know who it is but Rayyan and Bashir have no idea that we're going to war alone. I appreciate the little decency the inspector had to let us leave without any interference.

Somehow, I believe that inside that subvert heart of the one they call Inpector Leke, that there's a chance that he still has some good in him. He may have taken the money to look the other way but he's still letting us take care of this mess ourselves.

I'm not even shocked. Truth is, I saw it coming. The police force has always been corrupt so one man can't make them turn over a new leaf for night when he can make averagely the millions multiplied by his meager salary by protecting a villain.