A BOND OF FATE

Chapter15

"Good morning, sir. I came to report that I'll be traveling to my grandmother's house in Katsina and won't be back for a week. I expected a response from Oga Hamza, but he ignored me and continued writing. I gave him a stern glance and sat down in the chair facing him. I'm not a soldier or security personnel who can stand for hours, and I know exactly why he didn't respond. I have been absent since the start of Ramadan and I'm just informing him of my trip.

It is not my fault, after all! My father has instructed us to make this trip, and it so happens that my parents were married in an arranged marriage and share a familial connection as cousins from Katsina state."

Why haven't you been coming to work, and why haven't you report your absence? And why have you been avoiding my calls?" he exclaimed, his voice stern and laced with disapproval.

"I see no reason why my boss would be calling me, and that's exactly why I've been avoiding his calls. I'm trying to avoid the cliché boss-worker relationship, knowing that if I start answering his calls or giving him face, it could lead to a closer relationship that I'm not ready for. I'm trying to maintain professional boundaries and avoid any unnecessary entanglements."

I am  still frustrated about mr detectives
as my family turns against me, all because of one guy - a single individual who's hell-bent on turning my world upside down. It's as if my family members have fallen under his spell, loving him more than they love me, their own flesh and blood. Because of him, My father is angry with me, and so was my mother. Not to mention Ya Hamad and Aunty Yesmeen, who also scolded me because of Ameer. And to top it off, Ya Marwan called me personally to reprimand me.

"Since Mr. Detective left our house, he hasn't called me once - not even by mistake - and it's been almost two weeks now. I'm glad I stood up for myself and chased him away. He thought he can handle me, but he is  wrong."

You need to learn to prioritize your responsibilities,your absence has put extra workload on your colleagues, and it's not fair to them."oga hamza exclaim I nodded, attempting to appear agreeable with a forced smile., my facade quickly crumbled when he continued, 'We have a meeting with the SARS teams today. We've enlisted their assistance to deliver justice to the victims and restore peace to the community.' My smile vanished.

"You have to be part of the meeting, and afterward, you can go home and take a week's leave for your trip.' Oga Hamza concluded, '

I started to respond, but the knock on the door interrupted me. 'Come in!' he exclaimed, and I stood up immediately. The door creaked open, revealing his assistant, who announced that he has a guest.

Since I haven't  been dismissed, I remained standing. The door creaked open again, revealing three SARS officers in their uniforms, including Mr. Detective, who seemed oblivious to my presence. The uniform suited him well, but I am not  interested in acknowledging him. I quickly covered my face with my hijab and tried to slip away unnoticed. Alhamdulillah, I managed to escape without being noticed."

"I desperately want to skip the meeting and head home, but I have no idea how to escape. As I enter the office, Moureen and Oga Muhammad greeted me, engrossed in their computer work.

Where my Sallah meat dey, Moureen ask me as I sit down for chair.

You no come my house, come dey ask me for Sallah meat, Moureen. I respond."

Oga Muhammad chimed in, ', Jalila Ke fah gudun mu kika yi why didn't you answer our calls? We could have come to your house to ask if everything is okay.' I shook my head, laughing, trying to deflect their concerns."

I'm already here today," I said, just as we were called into the meeting I was trying to avoid. I frantically searched for my face mask, which is  always in my bag, and put it on. I decided to text Mamah, hoping she can help me find a way out of this situation. But instead, she replied with a humorous but unhelpful message:  "Chicken wey run way from borno go Ibadan go still end up inside pot of soup"

"I rolled my eyes at her humorous but unhelpful response. I am trying to find a way to escape this meeting, not laugh about my predicament. I typed out a quick reply, 'Mamah, this is not the time for jokes. I need a serious solution, fast!' But before I could hit send, Oga Hamza's voice boomed from the meeting room, 'Alright everyone, let's get started!' I reluctantly put away my phone and joined the meeting, my mind still racing for a way to escape..."

"And there he is, settling into the chair opposite mine, leaning back with his hands folded across his chest. That cocky bastard carried his ego everywhere, sitting as if he owned the place, like he is in his father's house. The audacity of this Ameer know no bounds."

Oga Hamza cleared his throat and began the meeting. "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming. We have a special guest today, Mr.Ibrahim , and his team from SARS. They will be sharing some insights on the recent security concerns in the community."

Mr.Ibrahim stood up, his eyes scanning the room. "Thank you, Hamza. As you know, we've been working closely with CCPA to address some of the security issues in the area. We've noticed a rise in robbery cases, and we believe it's connected to a larger criminal network." We've  been gathering intelligence and working with the community to identify potential hotspots. We believe that with CCPA's support, we can make a significant impact in reducing crime in the area."

Oga Hamza nodded, "That's great to hear. We're committed to supporting your efforts and ensuring the safety of our community. Let's work together to make this happen."

"The meeting continued, with discussions on strategies, resources, and timelines. I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept drifting back to Ameer and his annoying confidence. Suddenly, he looked up, and our eyes met. I glared at him, knowing he can't recognize me behind my mask.
He quickly shifted his gaze away from me, and I sighed in relief. But then, he totally disengaged from the meeting, his eyes locking onto mine as if trying to place me.

He couldn't quite figure it out, and his reaction is a mix of confusion and curiosity, all while maintaining that cocky smile. He finally looked away, but I could sense his eyes still trying to linger on me, trying to solve the mystery of my hidden identity."

"He cleared his throat, seeking attention, and the room focused on him. With a hint of a lopsided smile, he exclaimed, 'Ah, it seems like this lady wants to engage in a discussion!' His gaze remained fixed on me, and I clenched my teeth behind my mask, frustrated with his antics. 'This bastard...'

Hey beautiful peeps ! How have you all been doing?I just wanted to drop a quick update before I head off to sleep.

It seems like Ameer is trying to recognize jalila ,but her mask is keeping her identity hidden... Even with a mask on, someone who knows you well can still recognize you, and it looks like Ameer is determined to figure out who she is.

I'll leave it here for now, but stay tuned for more updates Thanks for reading, 🥂🌚and don't forget to vote, comment, and share! Sweet dreams, everyone!

- Ummeetarh05"✨