My Lifeline

How Noor met Yusuf

Yusuf and Noor met 7 years ago when she was just 12.

He was an only son of some business tycoon, a spoiled brat, a drug addict and a drunkard, he was imprisoned 3 times of rape and harassment, but his father managed to get him out Everytime and cleared his criminal record. That makes Yusuf fearless and trample on any person that became an obstacle to his enjoyment.

He attended the most expensive private school in town. and was feared by not only the fellow students, but also the teachers. He is allowed to do whatever he wishes whenever and nobody ever have the courage to question him. unfortunately Husnah also attended that school on scholarship. And that's how he met Noor, one faithful morning.

They were dressed in different uniforms with different badges which shows that they attended different schools. She's spending the week at uncle Isah's so the school is not more than 35 minutes away. she believes she can manage if she treks and saves her transport money to buy more books, but Husnah's school is just ten minutes away.

"You can keep this Noor" said Husnah handing Noor some cash. "I hope it will be enough to buy all the books you need"

She looks at the money in her palm, then hand it back to Husnah shaking her head "No I can't. it's your savings, I'm sure you wanted to buy something important with it, i just can't make you forsake your needs over mine".

She smiled "it's fine, seriously I'm not saving for something important, you know food and books are free in my school that's why i used to save the money given to me in case of emergency"

"Ohh thanks Husnah, i will escape today's beating because of you"

"Don't worry my best friend, no one will get to beat you again as long as I'm here" she smiled proudly raising an eyebrow and i chuckled.

"Oh. No, Shit!" Husnah swears tapping Noor shoulders rapidly. She turned to look at her but she was looking at something else completely frightened.

"Let's go back Noor, hurry please" she tried to dragg her but she stood still holding her back.

"What happened Husnah?"

"We cannot follow this way, let's go back and take another road please"

"But why?" Noor asked looking ahead to see if she can catch a glimpse of what made her this anxious. "I can see your school gate from here! We already arrived, why are you doing this?"

"It's Yusuf. He's here with his boys, i just saw one of them"

"Yusuf ? You mean that fatuous, silly, irrelevant and dumb boy you always told me about? The 18 year old grandpa who's still in 10th grade?."

"Shhh! They might hear you, please let's leave this place before he sees us, we both might end up getting in trouble"

She pressed her lips in a straight line, acting nonchalant "I don't mind getting into trouble for you, let's go i will deal with him"

"Are you kidding me? You can't!"

"I can, just follow me. I know really well how to deal with stupid people, and that Yusuf is not an exception."

And lucky them they spotted them immediately, and stopped them as Husnah deliberately turned to run away but Noor stopped her eyeing Yusuf who is about to light the cigarette resting between his lips.

"What are you doing here?" One of Yusuf's boys asked.

"As you can see, she's wearing the same uniform as you So she's going to your school. Can you excort her to the gate please?"

He let out a humourless laugh and turned to Yusuf who've accepted Noor's staring challenge and is trying his best to win, not even blinking.

"Boss, should i send them away?" He asked Yusuf only because he is present and don't like inferiors taking actions without his decision.