Destiny

Chapter twelve

-Ameena-

I think a fuse just blew up in my brain, because all my thoughts were scrambled. I am trying to process what my first line of action will be.
'just make a mad dash for your room' a voice in my head screamed.
'that's the worst idea you have ever come up with' another voice cautioned.
'what's he doing here? '
'how did he... '

Okay, slow down I said to myself. Slow down nice and easy. Now, breath.

I must have been standing there for a while because I heard the stranger beside him clear his throat and said the Salam.

It was then I realized he was also looking at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"Wa alaikumussalam" I answered and in the awkward silence that followed I heard Deejah's voice as she came in carrying a cookie tray with Karima in tow holding the tumbler filled with kunun zaki. I didn't even know when she came.

"Toh Einstein, will you just keep standing there or are you going to go in and cover up that mess? " she said making both Ahmad and the stranger smile.

Seriously, Einstein? That guy has the worst hair in human history. Couldn't she think of anything less horrible? At least a porcupine will do nicely. I thought to myself as I grumpily made my way to the room.

I grabbed a wide toothed comb and began combing my hair and removing the remaining debris that had clung onto it.

This guy decides to show up today of all days. It's almost six months now, where was he all this while? Why did he chose today? Why not some days when I looked like a normal human being, presentable and even pretty? This has got to be the worst timing ever.

Why am I even thinking in that direction? Why do I care how I looked? It doesn't matter. Look at the bright side. He will probably take to his heels and never look back when he realizes what a weirdo I am.

I squeezed a sizable amount of Cantu Shea butter and worked it into my hair and grabbed a hairband and tied my hair into a bun.

I chose a purple atamfa with large green leaf patterns and slipped out of the hideous yellow top and black sweatpants I was wearing. I drape a black sheer veil on my head and took one last look at the mirror before walking out.

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Six months ago

-Ahmad-

After she left, it felt like she took a part of me with her. I felt incomplete, it's as if I have known her all my life. At times even I am baffled by the way I feel about her. It's as if she was always here. Except for some crazy times in my teenage years, I can't recall any time I fell in love, hell, I wasn't even searching and she appears and it's like she was there all the while tucked in a corner of my heart without me knowing.

Being around her is like a whiff of fresh air, relaxing and invigorating.

There are some loose ends I needed to address before I meet her again. I needed to talk to Lola and my mom, clear things up before going after my dream girl.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, life takes a different turn.

The sudden discovery of nickel in the northern state of Kaduna has put a tremendous amount of pressure in the company as mining companies in and outside the country are trying to get the deal.

Although Zirconia is the largest solid mineral mining company in Nigeria with over twenty mining sites strewn about the country. Its hold on the north is rather weak.

The company boost of the best geoscientist, mining engineers and the most sophisticated extraction and refining equipment in the whole country.

Nickel has never been mined and so needed a good persuasion on our side to the Kaduna state government to get the deal. A lot of time has been invested in order to present them with a plausible proposal which will result to a win win in both side.