Days traveled and traveled, some even brought her sorrows along before sailing but it was as if her patience was doubling.
She enjoyed working with Hajiya lantana and her collogues were so nice, they became her best of friends.
Work was getting stressful and her health starts to deteriorate, Hajiya lantana seeing the girl look so pale and small made her worried
"Jidda muje asibiti" upon reaching the hospital she was admitted almost immediately
"I hope you are not pregnant?" Hajiya Lantana asked the poor soul
Pregnant, how can she be pregnant when her chastity has always been her pride, no man dare to even touch her hands talk less of mating with
"Hajiya aa wlh, nasaba irin wanan ciwon" she said anxiously
Hajiya Lantana complained that the expenses are too much and she will remove it from Jidda's salary.
Tests were conducted but they didn't have money to collect results, so after Jidda was alot better Hajiya Lantana asked the doctors to discharge her.
Zaynab and hadi her colleagues, welcomed her back from the hospital with lots of food and local drinks.
"Kisamu ki ci"Zainab said looking at her worriedly
She took the bottle of zobo and gulf it down because she remember the doctor asked her to take alot of water
"Sannu" Zainab and Hadi said in unison
After eating she rested a little.
This continued for a week, eating, sleeping and taking her medication , Hajiya Lantana starts to feel agitated
"How can I hire a maid that rest more than me" she said as she wakes Jidda from her peaceful slumber
"Girl, you! Are! Here! To work if can't then leave my house" she said stumping out of the room.
Days brought strength to the poor lady and she was completely healed.
This is her third moon in Hajiya Lantana's house and she has been the shade she have been looking for. But this spring night her stars were not actually in her favour
"Ke!" Alhaji Umar Hajiya Lantana's husband called, while she was sweeping the house
"Yes sir" she answered, because he has never talked to her or call her in this manner
"Ina Hajiya da sauran en uwanki" He asked
"Sunje aiki, today is my rest day" she replied silently as if in a whisper
"My room is so scattered, arrange it for me before I am back" he said and stomp out of the house.
Hajiya has forbidden us from going any where near her room, what can I do now she asked her self over and over again
Before finally stepping into the room and start arranging the clothes on the bed.
She felt a strong grip on her shoulders, turning around she saw Alhaji Umar "yes S-Sir, what is wrong" she stammer
He started to touched her in private places, it didn't take long before her heart send signal to her brain or her brain to her heart which ever one, she start to panic but there's something in her that told her panicking is not the solution, She recited the prayers that baba taught her, he said when she's in trouble She should recite them and will find a way.
She struggle with Alhaji Umar but like the clouds won't let go of the star, it became so difficult to get out of his clutches, when She finally managed to escape, She ran out of the room and straight to the room she stays and there the adrenaline rush started, she was scared, startled, horrified any word you could find in the English dictionary, she slumped to the ground and started taking count of her bruises, it was like counting the stars, she got lost.
She covered her mouth with a pillow and shouted in it, she shouted until her pain proved to her that it won't disappear even if shouts, then she braced her self, she badly wanted to take out the stink of cigarette from her body and his smell, she felt dirty and disgusting but she is afraid he will follow her to the bathroom.
A knock on the jammed door startled her,she knew it's him, it's that monster, so she hid in the corner of the room, after a while the knock subsided and she heard a faint noise
"If what happened inside that room leaves that room, you won't like it" Alhaji Umar's words were firm, leaving the poor girl to sob and sob, it's moment like this she needed her mother, but she knows what kind of a mother she has.
Minutes later she had a sharp pain in her back and her heart was beating faster, she knows the symptoms it happens whenever she was extremely scared,shocked or very happy, so she took the medication she was giving to at the hospital and lay on her back, sleep was slowly taking her away maybe is the drug effect but she slept for and hour before another knock woke her up.
She stood up and consciously walked to the door
"W-who is it" she asked in trembling voice
"Jidda" a soft voice called and she recognized it immediately, she opened the door for her friend and room mate Hadi and collapsed into her hands sobbing
"What is wrong" Hadi asked apprehensively and hugged Jidda even tighter, Jidda remembered the warning so she stayed quiet "Nothing, I had a bad dream about my father" she lied
"Silly, you should be praying instead not crying" Hadi says and assured Jidda that everything will fine.
Jidda went to the bathroom and cleanse her self, every part of her was sour but she scrubbed her body like she was promised a new skin.
After she was through she went to greet Hajiya and Hajiya noticed something was wrong but she denied it.
The clouds unveiled the moon and it was time for everyone to attain concord but after what happened earlier it seems Jidda won't be bless with any sleep.
Whenever she close her eyes everything becomes so Vivid like it's happening, Hadi notice that her friend is not asleep so she sat up and patted Jidda who was pretending to be asleep
"You're not asleep wake up" she said firmly, Jidda sat up and looked at her friend nervously
"When I hugged you earlier you were smelling cigarettes, what happened" Hadi's question shocked jidda "are you smoking, did Alhaji did something to you" Hadi asked again
"He threatened you right? He did the same with me
I have even lost count on times he tries to touch me and and promise to kill me when I tell" she boasted to tears, Jidda consoled her and narrated to her what happened earlier.
Will this happen again? She repeatedly asked her self.
After the two friends console each other they went back to sleep and woke of for fajr prayers, Jidda prayed to be protected from men like Alhaji Umar, she again prayed for her good health.
"Hajiya asamun shinkafa na jikka" a costumer requested and Hajia order Jidda to serve him the food
There eyes met for 2 seconds then it ignited this spark, to him she was a moth and he the firefly, Jidda was uncomfortable about the way he looked at her but at the same time she loved it, when ever there eyes meet he smiled and she feels shy, this continued for a while before he left.
The next morning too she saw him, she took time to scrutinize him
He is a tall young man with a built body, he had dimples when he smiled and his brows are deep, his eyes are laced with things she doesn't understand. Who is he she asked her self.
Giving him his food she turns to leave but he stopped her "you are beautiful" he said and she looked deep into his eyes before she smiled and asked "anything else sir?" He nodded his head and dismissed her.
He kept coming to the food joint for days and she was the one to serve him, but they never talked or exchange compliments, she does her work and he eat s, but she always thinks of him after work and took a mental note to ask him if he enjoyed the food or he has another motive coming here. Today after she gave him his food and water she asked "do you like the food here? Or there's a reason you always eat here?" She stammered, he took a while before he answered her and she was regretting why she asked "I come here to feed my eyes on things it love" he replied "what does your eyes love seeing" why is her mouth refusing to be quiet "another day I will let you know when its time" he replied, she went back to work feeling excited and she don't even know why.
Later in the evening a small boy was send to call her, she wondered who it could be so she followed him to go see who is looking for her, this has never happened in her long stay here in the city.
She washed her face and changed her Hijab, stepping outside she recognized the tall figure waiting for her "you!" She exclaimed "what are you doing here?" She was shocked to see him but again her heart couldn't stop running a marathon
"I came to see you" he said nonchalantly "look I know the implications of me coming here, but you keep running inside my mind, my eyes keep longing for, every bit of me shouts You, I don't know this feelings but the moment I met you they engulfed me" he said firmly
"What's my fault, you also make my heart beats faster and I find myself liking the way you look at me, the way you smile, every thing is so new, I feel it's a symptom of an illness that doesn't need cure" she shrugged
They stand there amazed with each other, he never expected her to reciprocate his feelings neither did she.
After He left she ran back inside with her smile touching her ear before she finning realize how silly she is, she didn't ask for his name or where he stays or anything, she knows nothing about the man she love, if it is love.
The next day she wore her new clothes that Hajiya bought for her and left for work, all day long she looked left, right,back, front but her gaze didn't fall on him, she was worried.
This is the 7nth night that she didn't set her eyes on him, she was devastated, shattered and angry
But what right does she have to be after all he is just a stranger or maybe an illusion, just a persistent illusion.
Her memories of him suddenly began to fade and she accepted the fact that nobody can be with her, she's just a poor young girl from the village looking for sustenances, love shouldn't even have a place in her life.
"Jidda, Jidda!!" Zainab called excitedly "SSCE is out and I just checked my results, it's a miracle" Zainab was happy to have passed all of her exams
Excitedly Jidda went to go and check hers and she passed with rainbows, the two girls were excited to pass their exams but sad as well because Hadi was not opportune, she is a divorcee and older than the both of them, she thinks education is not for her even after Jidda tried a thousand and thousand times to convince her.
Jamb form was on sale after 2 weeks, she collected her monthly salary and purchased the forms, Zainab too did same, they both applied for medicine at Usman Danfodio University Sokoto state, they wrote their Post UTME and passed, they were giving admissions.
When Jidda and Zainab talked to Hajiya Lantana about the admission they have gotten and how they need money for registration which will commence in two months time, Hajiya expressed her anger and offered no help "ku har kunada ilimin da zaku iyya karatu" she said to them.
After 3 days Jidda again was on leave, she swept the house and did all the necessary things, Alhaji Umar again tried molesting her, he even pledged to pay her registration if she agreed but she knows better than to do that, she left the house at stayed at the door until everybody is back so he won't have his way.
Jidda is going through hell
Will she pay her registration fees
Read the next cold chapter
Love,
