Nilefa: The Union

CHAPTER 22

Yasmeen tapped away on her phone as Amir, whom laid his head on her laps, whinged over Yaagana refusing to sit with him during the football game earlier at school. Yasmeen absentmindedly hummed and oww-ed at his relentless grousing.

" Jazz you aren't even listening.." Amir pouted.

" No baby I am listening. With whom did she choose to sit,over you?" Yasmeen rubbed his now trimmed hair.

" She liked your hair. Now it's gone, what did you expect?" Sadiq snorted.

" No she still likes me. She just wants some space.... I guess." He uttered hesitatingly.

" Baby are you two dating or something?" Yasmeen was amused. The baby that she could still remember the last time she diapered.

" What? No." He denied shyly, while his red cheeks said an entirely different thing." We are just friends. I just don't like her new friends. From the time she went to JSS 1 she has avoided me."

" Oh poor baby." Yasmeen hugged him.

" Poor baby indeed." Sadiq  laughed devilishly." Baby! Why would she want to be friends with a baby in primary school?"

" Don't laugh at him Sadiq." She turned to Amir whom was now sitting next to her." Long hair or not, Yaagana likes you, just focus on practicing your mathematics, beat her at the club quiz. When you get into the spotlight, she will be all over you again." She thumbed his chin lovingly, making him smile.

His new haircut made his face smaller, making him look like a cupcake. Yasmeen's phone rang from under making her spring up from sitting on it. AUDU the screen read.

" Excuse me." She said and headed to her room. "Assalamualaikum." She closed the door behind her.

" Wa alaikum salam." Abdulsalam's voice sounded different today, not like the hoarse kanuri-ish she was used to. " How are you, Yasmeen?"

And for the first time she was glad he didn't use to call her by her name because it sounded totally odd, and the Kanuri accent slid thickly through it. She almost let out a laugh, but chose to suppress it, sighing instead. " I am fine. How do you do?"

" Am I wrong to say 'how are you?'"  Abdulsalam asked aiming to start a conversation and to stretch the time until he apologized.

" No." Yasmeen put an end to his premature banter.

" Okay. So I can ask you in that manner everyday?"

" Everyday?" Yasmeen asked, seeking more clarity." We don't talk everyday."

"We can talk everyday from now on." Abdulsalam heard her breathe softly. " If you want" he quickly added. Yasmeen was quiet and it made him restless." Or I can call you once in a while... You know, twice in a week...or just once...-"

" Abdulsalam. Did you call me to discuss phoning arrangements?" Her tone was purposeful.

Her question made Abdulsalam sigh. He mulled what to say next." No. I er.. I want to know when you'll be free, so we can meet up. "

" You can always come over." Why was she making this harder for him? Abdulsalam bunched his free hand into a fist.

" I am making up for that date we missed." He applauded himself for being fast witted, coming up with a valid excuse to convince her without letting his intentions off completely.

" You don't have to do that. It's...-"

" Yasmeen. I insist." He felt a mild churning rising from his belly, indicating anxiety in anticipation of her answer. He was undergoing a myriad of feelings. He was terrified she was going to say no, and at the same time worried she would bring up last week's drama. He had not garnered the courage to call or reach her over the days, since the appalling encounter.

The past 7 days were filled with her thought. At first, he had believed it was because he had offended her in a contemptible way. He had convinced himself that what he felt towards her was just guilt, but as time passed, the feeling grew stronger and felt more like need. The need to see her, to hear her voice. After hours of staring at her number and reading her messages again, he tried looking her up online. It drove him crazy when he found that she didn't have any social media accounts. At last, he had managed to find her graduation picture on Sadiq's  Instagram. He remembered how delightful it felt to see her face again. She looked exactly the same as she did now, she hadn't aged a day.

" Okay."

" So..... I'll pick you up tomorrow at 4 ?" Yasmeen didn't see that coming. Tomorrow was too soon for her to ask Aishe for permission and wait to be approved.

" Tomorrow? No, not that's soon. A week from now, maybe"

"Okay. That's fine by me.... I will see you next week." Abdulsalam said, his voice failing to mask his sadness. It took him a great deal of resistance to end the call without starting a new conversation. He almost promised to build her a gazebo that she had once asked. If this was what guilt felt like and made one do, he vowed to keep a considerable amount of distance from it.

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A week passed quickly and here Yasmeen was, sitting in a lush restaurant with her face buried in the menu. Abdulsalam's stare was making her uncomfortable, she wished the lighting in the room was lesser. She remembered their first meeting, he was good at gazing, but this was different. This one lacked the blankness the previous ones had.

" I will have tea." Yasmeen said turning the leaves urgently.

Abdulsalam slyly suspended his handful task of gazing and gestured to the steward to come. Yasmeen found her breath then, trying to hurry her way to the end of the date. As the waiter approached them, Abdulsalam returned his gaze to her and her discomfort resettled.

" What do you want to eat?" He asked.

" I am not hungry. I just ate." Yasmeen quipped.

" It's 5:30."

"I ate after asr. I will just have tea."
Abdulsalam turned to the waiter. " Do you have tea?"

" We do Sir."

" We'll have tea then.-"