Gossip to secret

6.

It had been a few days, and everything seemed fine. I was standing by the table in my room when Hanifa's phone, resting there, chimed with a message. A smile crept across my face as I glanced at the screen.

"I can't wait to see you today, lovely damsel," I read aloud the message from Hanifa's phone. She quickly approached me, a hint of shyness in her expression.

"Why are you checking my phone?" she asked, picking up the device.

I inquired gently, my gaze fixed on her, "So you and Musbahu are chatting now? Tell me more."

She let out a sigh as she put the phone back, using a towel to dry her wet hair. "We're not in a relationship; we're just texting each other, that's all."

"Wow," I murmured, shaking my head slowly as I studied her face. Continuing, I said, "So you're both just chatting, pretending to be friends, when you actually have feelings for each other."

"Come on, the ultimate gossip girl, who wouldn't love a guy like Musbahu? He's so cute and handsome, a bit on the chubby side. I have a thing for dark-skinned guys who are a little chubby; they just look adorable to me," Hanifa remarked, speaking openly with me.

Ever since Hanifa had confided in me about her parents, she had grown comfortable sharing her thoughts and feelings. It warmed my heart to see her opening up to me.

Smiling, I replied, "I don't particularly go for chubby guys; they're not my type."

Teasingly, Hanifa asked, "Oh, so is your type that Ashraf guy?" We both shared a laugh.

I inquired about her work since she was teaching at a secondary school as part of her NYSC service.

"Well, school is going fine. It's my first time as a teacher, and it's been worth it. The students are quite bright. They have a good command of English, which makes explaining things easier. That's one thing I appreciate about this town; the residents speak English well."

Nodding in agreement, I added, "This town used to have a lot of educated people, which might explain it." I casually chewed the gum I had taken from my purse.

"Put on something nice; we're going to take some pictures," I suggested to Hanifa.

As we prepared to head out, we left the house and strolled towards the city market, knowing today was market day. Our first stop was by the coconut trees, where we decided to capture some pictures. Along the way, Hanifa brought up a topic.

"What about your friend Khadija?"

I responded, "She's doing well. We had a phone conversation yesterday."

Hanifa hesitated slightly before confessing, "I kind of feel like she doesn't like it when she sees me spending time with you. I hope saying that doesn't upset you."

I reassured her, "Oh no, it's fine. That's just Khadija for you; she often gets a bit jealous when she sees me making new friends. It's in her nature. She just wants me to be her closest friend."

Hanifa admitted, "I thought she was a bit hostile toward me."

I clarified, "No, she might get jealous, but she doesn't hate you."

"Okay," Hanifa nodded in understanding.

Playfully, I teased her, "Oh, isn't that Musbahu waiting for you already?" I lightly smacked her shoulder.

Hanifa blushed, and Musbahu, who stood a bit farther from us, wore a bright smile, clearly aware that I was teasing her. He continued to grin as we approached him.

"Musbahu that's not fair. You went and got yourself a girlfriend, and I don't even know about it," I said with a playful smile, adding, "What's happening to us? We don't fight or argue anymore, or even share secrets."