The young Cavalry

Chapter 4

** I WAS ADOPTED **

Malam Idi and the man were back very early in the morning, they met Mr Mudi in a hurry. He wanted to go for his work but the man told him to wait.

The man was actually worried, thinking of how to put a smile on my mother's face and I then he decided to adopt me.

He called Mr Mudi alone and they went inside his car.

The man: Mr Mudi, I want to take care of your remaining child.

Mr Mudi:(eagerly) what do you mean?, you'll be sending some money for him ? Yes it's ok.

The man: No, I want to adopt him, I'll take him with me but I promise he'll be visiting you time to time.

Mr Mudi: Go ahead, I don't like him either.

The man: But I have to talk to his mother first.

Mr Mudi:(frowned) ok, whatever.

Mr Mudi stepped out of the car and went ahead to call his wife, she came out in tears and looked terribly disturbed.

The man: Good morning, I am still sorry for what had happened and I want to ask for a favour.

Mrs Rabi: Go ahead, I hope I can please you.

The man: I want to take Ali to the city where I can let him have a proper education.

Mrs Rabi: I cannot allow you to do that, you want to take him so that tomorrow you'll come and say sorry? No!.

The man: Not at all, that's not what I mean, all I want is to take care of your son.

Mrs Rabi: Then you should give us time, like two weeks from now. And before you leave i'll urge you to come with us to our village head's palace so that you can explain everything to him about what had happened and what's about to happen.

Malam Idi was standing there too and he said "yes, I had that idea too."

So they went to the village head and explained everything, and the man was allowed to come back after the two weeks together with his wife and a police officer.

The man name was Mr Harun, he was a very rich man and had one wife and a seven years old daughter. He worked in an embassy abroad, he was on a holiday the time he bashed Sani to his death. His wife name was Mrs Binta and their daughter's name was Zainab.

Two weeks after, Mr Harun went back to Balili village along with his lawyer, wife, daughter and a police officer. He bought some food stuff, clothe materials and a brand new bicycle for Mr Mudi and a sewing machine for my mother. He went ahead to the village head's palace where a messenger was assigned to call Mr Mudi and his wife.

Mr Harun then introduced his wife, daughter, his lawyer and the police officer to the village head.

After Mr Mudi, Mrs Rabi my mother and I arrived,they greeted and then Mr Harun "today exactly two weeks as promised and here we're. I promise with all my heart that I will take care of Ali as my biological son, thank you." he said, "I hope my son will have peace living with you." My mother replied.

Mr Harun gave them all that he bought for them and from there he took me along to his house in the city. I cried on our way because I thought he was going to take me back to Malam Idi's school.

We arrived Mr Harun's duplex house late so everyone was tired, there was a mature woman who worked as a maid in the house so I got settled in her room temporary.

Early in the morning after break fast, Mr Harun shouted "FATI!"(the house maid I settled in her room, she had my step-mother's name so I used to call her UMMA). "YES SIR" she came in a hurry.

Mr Harun: Take Ali, bath him and bring him to my parlour.

Umma: At your service sir.

He used the table napkin to wipe his mouth and went direct to his parlour while Mrs Binta was starring at him till he went out of the sight, she nodded.

Umma held my hand and we went straight to the toilet in her room, she gave me a warm bath and put me back the clothe I wore the previous day.

She then sent me to Mr Harun's parlour, I felt very shy and nervous, he smiled at me and said " you're looking handsome Mr man." I smiled too.

Mrs Binta was sitting next to him and she hissed, he ignored her " is there something that you want from the market or Zainab?" he asked her, "nothing" she replied slowly.

Then he held my hand and we went to his car, we drove to a clothing store in the market where he bought me some new clothes and some fabric in yards to be sewed. He asked me of my shoes size and I replied "I don't know.", he asked me to pull out the old slippers i was wearing and he put it inside a trash can.

"I know you're seven years old as my daughter Zainab and your shoe size won't differ much." He said while pulling out a pair of his daughter's size from the cabinet of the store and asked me to try which it suited my foot. He brought nine more pairs of shoes and " it's all yours Ali." He rubbed my back and said.

we entered another store and he bought me tooth paste and brush. We went back to his car, as he was driving he noticed that my hair looked bushy and my finger nails were looking long and dirty.

"one more thing" he said, i gave him a questionable face and "Barber shop" he replied. Before we reach the house he pulled over at a barbing saloon and asked me to follow him, as we entered i realised it was a modern barbing saloon. While someone is cutting your hair another person will be doing your nails and so they did to me. They finished and i stood up from the chair and i saw my face like a prince in the mirror, meanwhile my mind was telling that it was a dream.

Mr Harun "you look awesome my boy, let's go home now." He said, "thank you Mr Harun" i replied.

He frowned his face and said call me father.

I: My father is dead.

Mr Harun: Now i am your father.

I: That's what Mr Mudi said before taking us to his house.

Mr Harun: Just consider me as your father in the city, ok? I will not be like Mr Mudi to you i promise.

I said ok PAPA , he smiled and he drove us back to his house. Mrs Binta saw how smart i looked and joyful was i.

Mrs Binta:(yelled) WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOOD AM I SEEING?