Bound ✅

Aftermath

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Summayah looked at Jamal from beneath her wet lashes and after contemplating a few seconds, used the advantage of her height to pull him by his left ear to her own room. Once she shut the door behind her, she wiped her tears and angrily eyed her older brother.

"Life is so unfair on her." Jamal started, knowing he was in for a long talk. Summayah pulled her lower lip down in a sneer and asked scornfully "Why did you eavesdrop? You should have let her tell you the story by herself. It's not for you to hear when she's not ready to tell you."

Jamal sunk onto Summayah's bed and didn't even bother replying her question. Instead he furiously remarked "I wish I could really go without her consent to report Muhsin and his brothers. They'd be court-martialed."

Summayah laughed at his words and walked to her dresser to sit at it's chair. " I have an ace up my sleeve-" She raised a finger at her brother. "Don't even ask me what it is. And if you really value your neck, don't make any rash moves. I'll be watching you." Jamal slumped back on the bed, fisted the bed sheet and growled out loud.

"How much did you hear by the way?" Jamal raised his body up from the bed and blinked innocently at his sister. Summayah picked out tissues from a box next to her and blew her nose really loudly.

"Since you heard, then you've put two and two together by now?" Jamal nodded and clasped his hands behind his head.

It seemed he had heard all that needed to be heard.

"If she ever tells you, you better play surprised."

"I will." He raised a hand at his sister.

****

Halima wore her jacket at the door.  Summayah who was wearing a khimaar under her down jacket rubbed her hands as they stepped outside.

"Soon it will be spring and we can go out with lighter jackets." Halima smiled at her words. Summayah wss clearly tired of dealing with the cold. She was too but it gave her less to to think of how life would be in Nigeria. And what she'd do with her future

"When are you returning to New York. You've been here almost three weeks." Summayah stopped behind Halima a step and thought of how to say it.

"I took a job here here in London." Halima stopped suddenly and Summayah rammed into her from behind.

"You did what? Summayah Abubakar!" Halima shouted.

"I wanted to be close by, besides-" Halima cut her off. "You wanted to be close by, leaving a job." She raised her index fingers to make an inverted comma.  "A Bloomberg financial analyst job. Are you a dunderhead?" Summayah shook her head in mocking remorse.

"I got one at Goldman Sachs. Does that satisfy you?" Halima refused to reply and walked forward. Summayah's hug stopped her from inching forward.

"Sadiyya boo." She cooed at her. "Halima? Why are you so offended?" Halima shook Summayah off and after glaring dramatically at her, she walked down Maguire street to Lubna and Jariyah's Nursery school.

****

"Are you still mad about the job?" Halima looked up from writing in her book of report for Jamal and answered cheekily. "Shey na your job? You fit do wetin you want." Isn't it your job? You can do whatever you want.

Summayah groaned out loud and pushed the door  open further and set the covered tray she was carrying on Halima's dresser. Then she walked over to perch warily on Halima's bed.

"Halima. I just wanted to be close to y'all. You don't know how empty my apartment in New York is. With this job however, I could go from home here comfortably. Be with my mom, help her with Dad and my nieces. And you my friend. Work on relationships." Halima sighed and put the book down.

"You're sure you're not throwing a lifetime opportunity away?" Summayah shook her head and got up to care the tray from the dresser. Glasses clinked against one another as she carefully setbit on Halima's bed.

"Really, I didn't think I'd be affected by someone's pain until a week ago when that distasteful human came around. And, Halima, I didn't leave Bloomberg for anyone. I left for myself.

In the years I was at Bloomberg, I fufiled my dreams, I worked hard but I became noticeably antisocial. I want to change that. And the reason I went to work there was to gain experience and work later with Jamal. That was and is still the endgame." Halima smiled and pulled the coverlet off the tray. And then she screamed.

"Where in the world did you get yams from?" Summayah smiled the smile of a rat who had cheese in it's paws.

"Well, you better thank me first and give me the post of resident best friend, so I can treat you right always." Halima laughed really hard and put out her hands for a hug.

"I want you to know one thing Haleey, I'm here anytime. When the nightmares come and they won't In Sha Allah, we'll tackle them together. I found a friend in you and I'm very grateful to the Almighty for that." Halima sniffed against Summayah's shoulder and they both laughed.

"Can I confess something?" Halima started. Summayah pulled back and watched her friend's face.

"Maybe I was jealous. Insanely sef, that you'll always have opportunities I'll probably never have." Summayah's reply was to lean back before saying.

"Now Halima, you can grasp opportunities, you know them when you see them. You see money making avenues? Grab a hold of them. Do what you enjoy, make money while at it. And at least you agree you were jealous, people just cut ties with me and don't tell me the reason." Halima smoothed her bed cover in nervousness and they both laughed.

They began feasting on coated fried yams and chilli sauce. Halima checked her phone nearly twice in one minute, Jannah had called her earlier and told her Asma had been given her phone number. So she was expecting a call.

"What is it?" Halima pursed her lips and chewed her yam completely before speaking.

"I met these really amazing ladies at a fair, the week before your mom offered me this job. We couldn't get together like we planned and i had to change my phone number as I travelled. Then today I heard they went to ask at my father's house for my new number.  And now they haven't called." Halima told her their names and Summayah wiped her hands with tissues and whipped out her phone from her pyjama pocket.

"What does Asma do?" Halima replied with her mouth full. "Henna artist." Summayah typed in, typed some more and asked.

"Is she fair in complexion?" Halima nodded. "She doesn't wear hijabs ba? Just scarves?" Halima nodded again.

Summayah typed some more and put her phone in Halima's face. Asma'u smiling face stared back at her. As she made to grab the phone, Summayah took it back and pocketed it.

"Download Instagram and find her yourself. It's not my phone you'll use to message my rivals." Halima's only reply was to laugh at Summayah's face for it was comical.

******

Happy New year 🎉🎉🎉🎉❣️

May this year bring us so much more than we asked for(beautiful things of course) by God's grace. Have the most wonderful year.

Also, Jamal really eavesdropped oo. Ah, baba no just get any chill at all. No worries, saves me and you all a lot more trouble.

Alsoooo, it's my birthday in nine days💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾(People who read soiled know how many times I disturbed them.)

I'm super thankful to everyone who commented on the last chapter 😩😩😩😩I really tried to reply all. I'm so glad you all did.

See y'all soon.

TheOmoope