ECHOES OF DEFIANCE

chapter 11

It's been nine days since Zain left, and he hasn’t called me once. I miss him so much—his presence, his love, his protectiveness, his innocent gestures. It’s like a slow ache in my chest, gnawing at me with every passing moment. I miss him so much it’s killing me. I can’t help but confide in Saddee about it, pouring out how badly I miss Zain. And in this time apart, I've come to realize something—I love him. Dearly. But there's the matter of marriage looming over my head. I don’t want to get married anytime soon, yet Zain has become a significant part of my life. How can I break up with him when he's woven into the fabric of my everyday thoughts?

Before I could spiral further into my thoughts, I remembered—I'm heading to the airport in an hour. Saddee’s already in Nigeria, and now it's my turn. I didn’t bother packing much since I’ve got all my clothes back home. Just my tote bag with essentials—laptop, charger, lip gloss, and my purse. For travel goodies, I’ll grab them from duty-free. Instead of sitting idly during layovers, I always go shopping—it keeps my mind busy.

Ya Usman and Saddee came to pick me up from the airport. Germany has done wonders for Saddee; he's looking sharp and confident. After greeting Ya Usman, we headed to the car. As we drove, Ya Usman casually asked, "How’s Zain?"

I hesitated for a moment. "He’s in Morocco," I replied softly.

The shock on their faces was instant.

"What?!" Ya Usman exclaimed. "Zain told you where he is headed? That’s the first time anyone has ever known where Zain was headed. He usually just... disappears." He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, visibly impressed.

I mumbled under my breath, "That’s kind of what he did." Neither of them heard.

"Is Aisha coming for the wedding?" I quickly changed the subject, referring to Ya Usman’s girlfriend, who happened to be my senior in school by a year.

"Yes, she’s already in Abuja. She arrived yesterday," he responded.

"Masha Allah," I said, trying to check my phone again. But there was no message from Zain. He knew I was traveling, yet he hadn’t even called. The sadness crept in again.

We arrived home, and as soon as we entered the gates, I greeted the soldiers outside with a warm smile.

"Barka da dawowa, Hajiya," one of them said.

"Ya aiki?" I responded with a smile.

"Kwana biyu, Hajiya," he replied, and I nodded before heading inside.

The moment I stepped through the door, my mom came out to meet me. I ran to her, hugging her tightly, feeling the warmth and safety of home wash over me.

"I missed you, mom," I murmured into her shoulder.

"And I missed you too, my darling," she said, pulling away and smiling at me.

"Daddy fa?" I asked.

"He’s with visitors," Mama replied. "Sadiq, make sure you rest a bit before you start running around again," she added, directing her attention saddee.

I couldn’t help but laugh. "If not him, who else would help me?" I teased.

Ya Usman smirked. "I do all the work, but he gets the credit."

We all laughed as we made our way inside. "Come in, boys I made coconut milk," Mom announced.

"Alhamdulillah!" Ya Usman said, already rushing ahead of us.

We laughed at his enthusiasm. "That man’s love for coconut milk," Mom chuckled as we all headed in.

After a quick shower, I made my way to my dad’s room. "Daddy!" I called out from the corridor.