SECOND CHANCE

12

LUCK

" Please stop! It hurts! Am in pain! I beg you stop! I can't do this any more!" Amanee kept pleading but Alhaji didn't care to spare her even for a minute.

Alhaji Jatau was trying by all means to penetrate in between her thighs then suddenly he felt his chest wall getting constricted and his breathing fastened, the more he tried having his way with Amaanee the harder breathing becomes for him. He rolled his body to the side of the bed and he sat up trying to figure kept where he kept his drugs.

Amaanee quickly left the bed and started putting on her clothes. She looked at Alhaji and saw him scattering everywhere indicating he was looking for something.

" Where is it!" he kept muttering. Amaanee could hear a wheezy sound at every breath he took. Seeing that it was getting harder for him to stand, she quickly held him by his elbow and asked what he was looking for.

"My drugs! I can't find them anywhere. If I don't take them soon my breathing will be more difficult and I can die as well but..." he started coughing, it clearly showed that he was using all his strength and he started sweating profusely.

Amaanee ran to the sitting room and picked his phone, she ran back to him and asked who he wants her to call and he said his doctor.

She gave him the phone to unlock it and she started searching for the number. She dailed the number in no time and informed the doctor on the situation which he promised to be on his way as soon as possible, the doctor then instructed her to loosen Alhaji's clothing and position his body in an upright position, give him a cup of water and make sure there is cross ventilation in the room.

Amaanee did all she was told and sat beside Alhaji crying bitterly and begging him not to die.

" You will be alright Alhaji, the doctor is on his way. You need to be strong, I will stay right here with you no matter what happens next." She kept saying reassuring words but Alhaji could only comprehend little from what she was saying as he could hardly take in air into his lungs with difficulty and pain.

The doctor came in later and gave Alhaji the required medical attention and Alhaji fall asleep. He looked at Amaanee and said; " He must have not been taking his drugs or a while. You were very brave little girl, you are small for this kind of services though. Don't you have a family to take care of you? I can help you if you promise to quit this nasty job. You look very innocent, here's my card you can call my number anytime. I am Doctor Zubair".

Amaanee collected the card from him and turn to leave without uttering a word to him. She suddenly turned and asked; " How much will you charge me if I call you to treat a very sick patient?"

Doctor Zubair smiled and said; " I will collect nothing if you promise to leave your job and go back home. Give me a call whenever you are ready dear, goodbye."

Amaanee met Cokali sitting in the car and seemed tensed. The moment she entered, he turned on the engine and zoomed out of the Guest house and headed to an area Amaanee was not familiar with.

The houses looked quit old. She kept peeping through the window, trying to figure out where they were. She turned and asked Cokali but he didn't utter a word.

The car came to a stop in front of an old house with cracked walls and gutter running out of the house that has formed a small pool at the door, Amaanee fixed her gaze on Cokali without finding the right word to ask what they were doing there.

" You stay here, I want to check on something, I will be right back and don't you dare think of going anywhere." Said Cokali as he left the car and headed to the house.

Amaanee sat in the car and waited for his return which looked like forever to her.

" What is he doing in there? Whose house is it? Does another package lives here?" she asked herself. Those were questions only Cokali can give her answers she thought.

Hanne went back to her house after insisting that Inna keeps what Maigari sent even though she heard the whole story and she was convinced but she still said she promise no harm will come to her again.

Inna had no choice but to heed to her friend's advice. She opened the box and cooked food from the raw food the box contained.

She finished her daily activities and went into the house to rest for the night. She checked her old wall clock and saw it was only 10:00pm, thoughts of her daughter creeped into her mind which made her went outside, performed ablution and started praying for her daughter's safety wherever she was.

Inna Hassatu was fully concentrated on her prayers, suddenly she felt someone pushed her to the floor and started removing her clothes. She started shouting on top of voice praying in her mind that a good Samaritan might hear and help.

Out of no where she heard sound of strokes of cane almost 5 times non stop, the person on top of her cried in pain. Light brightened the entire room and the person on top of her was dragged to the corner of the room, trying to understand what was happening she felt someone hugged her tightly. She tried pushing the person away, then she heard Hanne's voice saying:

"It's alright Hassatu, we are here now, no one will ever lay a finger on you again, calm down."

Inna released a sign of relief and said; " Thank you Hanne, you are indeed a friend in need all the time but who was the person that was trying to rape me?"

They both raised their heads to where Hanne's husband(Malam Buba) has tied the person up. He was wearing a mask which Malam Buba pulled out. The face behind the mask was a man non of them has ever expected. They were all silent trying to apprehend the whole situation.

"Bappah Audu!" they all shouted in unision.

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