The Size of our hearts

25

It had been a week since I'd gotten back to Nigeria, I had to tell my Dad everything to prevent him from shipping me back to London. I've been grounded, not for punishment but for my own safety and my Dad has sent out the flash-drive to the biggest News Agency in Nigeria (NNA).

He says the newspapers will be out tomorrow and News Channels have offered huge amounts of money for the flashdrive including International channels. I don't know how to feel about it. I want the news to get out but I don't want my family business out there. 

Speaking of Family. I need to find Rashida but I have no idea where she could be, There's a huge chance she could've left Nigeria by now. I couldn't ask my Dad for help because I may have left out the details of my mom's rape. It hurt to think about that. 

Then again maybe not everyone was imperceptible like Hamid and she'd have a social media account, but I didn't have my phone, My Dad had taken it. He'd be leaving for work in 10 minutes and he'd be gone for 6 hours so I decided that I'd stop by the local cyber cafe to find her. 

I got to the cyber cafe an hour later, I opened the door and smiled to the cleaner as she gave me a sorry smile. I gave her an interrogative look as she returned it by gesturing to the sign on the front desk. 'WI-FI DOWN', I stared at it in disappointment before turning around to leave then I bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry" I said quickly until I realized it was Dave. "Neveah, Hey" He said as he put his hands in his pockets. "Dave, Hi how have you been?" I asked.

"To be honest, not good, Kiyana has been really worried for the last two weeks and I don't why, she refuses to tell me" He said, distracted.

"I'll talk to her, anything new at school?" I asked casually.

"Nah just the same old thing, there's this really new hot girl tho.. she's tall and super sexy" He said as he practically drooled at the thought of her.

I shook my head in disgust until I realized the person I was looking for was "tall and super sexy". "Dave what's her name?" 

"Rashida" He said simply, probably wondering why I cared. I had to play it cool.

"Oh my God she's a family friend, I've been waiting for her to get into town do you know where she lives?" I said a little bit too enthusiastically, luckily he didn't notice.

"Yeah off Yawola street, house 27" He shrugged as he put his hands into the pockets on his Jacket.

"Stalker, why do you know that" I smiled.

"A predator should know it's prey" He winked.

"ew"   

"Well see you around Neveah, I'll tell Kiyana you said hi" 

"Appreciate it" I said as he put on the apron on the reception desk. I walked out and looked down at my watch, I still had five hours until my Dad would come back from work. I didn't know where Yawola street was but I didn't live in a large estate so finding it wouldn't be a problem. 

****

Thirty minutes later after all the directions I had gotten from strangers, I was standing in front of her house and it was huge. Way bigger than mine. I knocked on the gate but there was no answer. After a while I decided to turn back but then I heard her voice from the intercom. "What the hell are you doing here and how did you get back."

"I'll explain everything once you let me in, I have a feeling you're going to want to hear what I have to say" 

There was silent buzz and the gate slid open. 

I walked in and was greeted by the sight of a huge fountain and lion statues around the fountain and right up to the front porch, For someone that supposedly escaped, she had a lot of time to get so much money.

The door opened and I was welcomed with a cold stare of disgust. I returned her stare with a colder one and walked past her and into the first room I saw with a couch. 

I realized she didn't have much furniture yet as I sat down. She sat down on the chair in front of me and crossed her legs.

I looked up at her.

"You're scared" She said without any question in her tone.

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Why else would you come to me?" 

"Look, I came here for help, for my mom... our mom, Jafaar and Hamid."

"Your mom you mean, as for as I am concerned I do not have a mother" She stated simply.

"She wanted to come back for you,  you know but Ibrahim wanted to kill her, and there was no way she could get into the Saud without being seen, I never knew too, I found out when I got there so it hurts too, knowing that I could've had a sister" I said thoughtfully. 

Rashida remained quiet so I continued. 

"We use to have a brother, he died at 15, so the past two years I spent alone, I could've had you even though I only got to see him during holidays"

"Why?" She interrupted.

"My Parents are divorced, so my mom took me and my Dad took Seth, that was his name."

"Hmm" She said as she straightened her posture. "So what can I do to help?"

"First of all, considering you're on the run, isn't this a pretty obvious house?"

"Seems like you came here for interrogation but um no, I'm not on the run" She replied slowly.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"They know I'm here, in fact they paid for this" She said as she looked around the house. 

 "After all these years, why now? I mean why release you now?" 

"I made a deal, I'd find Hamid and in return I'd be granted my freedom but my location will always be known in case I spill the beans about your mother's rape" She said as she crossed her legs.

"So it was you that sent the old lady then?" I asked.

"Uhm no that was them, I actually had one of the students of your school spy on him"

I already knew she was talking about Kiyana. 

"How did you know what school he was in and how did you know to choose Kiyana?"

"Someone's done their research, How did you know about Kiyana?" She asked 

"Instinct" I replied quickly.

"Well in order to find Hamid we were checking the news to see if he'd been spotted anywhere then one of our computer geniuses at Saud tracked down an Ip address that had been researching about Hamid since he left in the same vicinity as him, we traced it and it led to Kiyana, Immediately I got a private investigator to do a backround check on her, obviously to make sure my cousin was okay" She smiled. 

I rolled my eyes and gestured for her to continue. "Well we found out she had major financial issues due to her crackhead of a mom and I decided that if I settled her financial issues she'd comply and of course she did." She shrugged as she checked her perfectly manicured nails. 

"So Kiyana was using me the whole time?" 

"Afraid so" she smiled.  

"So I'll ask again what can I do" She asked politely.

It was at that point that I knew I couldn't trust her, she was being watched, there was no guarantee I wasn't being watched either. 

"Don't worry about it, I just needed clarity and I wanted to tell you about my mom so I'm leaving now." I said as I stood up. 

I grabbed my bag of the counter and left. 

I had been sitting in my room for an hour or so contemplating what to do.

I really needed to talk to Kiyana.