UNTIL I MET YOU

Chapter 2

If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success. -James Cameron

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SHARADA PHASE II KANO STATE NIGERIA
A heavy rain had begun before dawn on Monday morning, and it was still raining when he woke up for work. He was drowsy and struggled to wake up because of the dreary weather, but after hitting snooze a few times he rolled out of bed reluctantly. He showered and got dressed in a black tuxedo paired with a black D&G vaticano shoes."a black Gucci sunglasses perched on his eyes and a tom ford wristwatch on his wrist he spread a bit more of his chanel perfume ." he stepped into the kitchen to make breakfast. Upon glancing at the clock on the wall he realized he was later than he usually was. He drew back the blinds that hung over the sliding glass door of the kitchen, letting in the soft gray light. Being late used to make him anxious, but he didn't care for his job anymore, and hadn't for a long time. No real punishment had yet been issued when he was late so he felt little motivation to hurry.

He disliked his job but he didn't want to look for another job elsewhere. He felt trapped. Still, he didn't like to disappoint his boss. He didn't like to be disagreeable. Since he was later than usual he grabbed a coke to take on his way there and got in his car. He sat unmoving in the dead silence for a moment. Then he turned the key in the ignition and pressed the garage door opener. He heard the rain roll over the top of the car as he backed out of the garage.The windshield always fogged up during cool rains, and while he was driving he had to put the windshield defroster on high heat. It got hot quickly in the the black Mercedes Benz .

The rain lashed against the windshield, its steady beat pushed aside by the wipers. Water streamed backward with the wind, flowing across the front-door windows and over the car's roof. Though the rain had eased, the freeway's speed made it seem heavier. He passed a flashing sign on the median: "CRASH AHEAD BY HILLSIDE - RIGHT LANE CLOSED". He is in the far left lane, maintaining his speed alongside the car ahead.

Suddenly, the brake lights of the car in front lit up, and it rapidly slowed. His heart leapt into his throat as he pressed the brake pedal, feeling the tires slip on the wet asphalt. He quickly released the pedal and gently pumped it, slowing down evenly. He merged with the traffic, his heart still racing. Just as he took a deep breath, his phone rang. He sighed, glancing at the caller ID before answering.

"What do you want, exactly?" he asked in his deep, calm voice, his masculine tone unwavering.

"Khalifa, what do you mean by that?" the lady's voice boomed through the phone, her agitation evident. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by her behavior.

"How much should I send to you?" he questioned, his attention diverted to the scene unfolding ahead. He passed by a car crash on the shoulder of the right lane, its bumper hanging off and front wheel smashed inward. Two police cruisers were parked behind and in front, their red and blue lights flashing sharply through the falling rain.

"Must've hydroplaned," he thought, eyeing the crashed car.

"Actually, I need 300k," the lady continued, her voice still booming through the phone. "I want to buy that aso abi I told you about. And by the way, I'm calling to let you know I won't be coming back. I have to stay for Salma's wedding, which is just a few days after Rabi'a's own."