Hidden Sun

chapter five

Chapter five
In Abuja, Laylah was enjoying her stay with Ummi, aunty bilkisu’s friend, she has written her JAMB and applied for fine art in the University of Abuja, aunty bilkisu is the one sponsoring her to achieve her goal.
Admission list was out and Laylah has gotten the admission, she was so happy that for a while she thought how her mother will feel if she was alive. When she told aunty bilkisu the good news, bilkisu decided to visit her in Abuja, this news made her even happier because she was missing her aunt too much.
Aunty bilkisu brought so many things for her, which include new cloths she sew for her, and also a new bag because she was planning to stay in the school hostel, aunty Ummi also bought new things for her, Laylah was so much happy with her new life and the thought of studying fine art was mind blowing for her but suddenly she remembered Yazeed, her childhood friend, if only he was with her to witness this day but where would she see him, she thought and if she would see him, there is so much to discuss with him. Yazeed and his parent left Zaria because his father has been transferred to Nasarawa state, Yazeed told her they would be living in Lafia from then.
Aunty Bilkisu called Laylah and said she wanted to talk to her about something
“My dear, when are you coming to Zaria? Your father is really worried about you”
“Did you inform him of where I am?”
“No, why would I “
“Then please don’t, because I don’t want to see him after all what he did to me because of his wife, and Aunty, if not because I came here then I would’ve being married by now, but because of you I am finally going to study fine art”
“Ok Laylah, I respect your decision but he is still your father after all”
“Thank you so much aunty”

It was a day to the school resumption and Laylah was packing and getting ready to leave because she was going to leave aunty Ummi’s house to stay in the school hostel
“Hope you are well prepared for school” aunty Ummi asked
“Yes I am; aunty thank you for everything”
“You don’t need to thank me dear, but are you sure you are ready for this”
“Yes aunt, it has been my childhood dream how can I not be prepared”
“That’s not what I mean, are you sure you want to stay in the hostel, child you can stay with me if you want”
“No aunt, you have really done enough for me and am really grateful, I will never forget you in life”
“That does not matter, but if it pleases you then it’s your wish, but in case if you need anything please come to me, I will always be there for you”
“Thank you aunty, I wish all people were like you; nobody will ever get into trouble”.

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“Wake up miss, the doctor is here to see you” the nurse woke Laylah up; she got up and entered the toilet to wash her face before the doctor gets to the room.
“Miss how are you feeling, hope there is no problem”
“Yes doctor, I don’t feel any pain except the pain in my head but it is fine now”
“Alright I think we need to conduct a test on you so get ready, the nurse will take your sample and we’ll conduct the test” The doctor went out followed by the nurse, Laylah was left alone in the room and after a short while, the nurse returned with the syringe and took the blood sample
“Let me take this to the lab quickly and bring your food, I guess you are hungry by now and you also have to take the afternoon medicines then we will sit and talk because I am done with my work for today”
“Ok thank you nurse, I will be waiting for you to return” meanwhile Laylah entered the bathroom and performed ablution to pray.
The nurse returned a little while after Laylah was done with her prayers
“Hope I did not take long”
“No, I had actually prayed, I was done just now”
“You said you are from Zaria, if I may ask you, what brought you to Lafia?”
“I came to see a friend but I guess I would not see him again”
“Why did you say so, you mustn’t conclude things like that you don’t know what God might do”
“But I have lost my phone so how will I know where he is?”
“Just forget all that what is the name of your friend and where does he stay in Lafia may be I can help you to look for him”
“Actually I don’t know where he stays, I only know he lives in Lafia and his name is Yazeed”
“Oh I see, so what is between you and him”
“Oh nothing much, just childhood friends”
“Ok, sorry I forgot to ask your name”
“Laylah”
“What a nice name, so Laylah tell me more about yourself”
“My story is not an interesting one; it’s just full of dark paths and hard times, but if you want to know, then I can’t hide it from you because it is always good to share your problems maybe you might get a solution or someone might get an inspiration from it”
“Ok go on I will like to hear your story” Laylah narrated her life story to the nurse and she felt sorry for her but she said
“Yours is nothing compared to my story”
“Oh I see so what is your own story, when I was going through my hard time, I thought I was the only person suffering and nobody can survive in such situations, talk more of something more than it”
“Well if you think that there is not, then am sorry but there is, my parents both died in a car accident, when I was seven years old, and I went to stay with my Uncle in Kano state. I was made to look like a slave in the house, my uncle and his wives treat me like a maid, but when my father was alive, he was the person who satisfied all their need because he was very rich; when he died I don’t know where all his properties went to, I was withdrawn from school and I started attending government school but after some time I stopped going to the school because they think if I go to school, I don’t usually have to do their house chores. So I managed staying with them until I was fifteen years, then, I thought I was old enough so I left the house without their knowledge and came to Lafia; I started working as a maid in a very wealthy man’s house, and with what I earned, I enrolled into a school and with the help of the man, I finished secondary school and then I started looking for scholarship to further my education, but while waiting for the scholarship, something terrible happened, the man and his wife travelled to Keffi to attend a wedding, to return the next day; in their absence when I was sleeping, their  eldest son came home drunk and raped me; he warned me not to tell his parents or he will  kill me I was very scared of his threat and decided to keep quiet about it but after three weeks, I started having fever and vomited a lot which made the woman to start suspecting me; she called me and asked me but I denied it which made them take me to the hospital, they had a test conducted on me and they found out that I was pregnant, then they asked me to leave their house, once again I was on the streets, helpless as I don’t know where to go, then suddenly a car came from nowhere and hit me, the man rushed me to the hospital but in the process I had a miscarriage, when I got better the man asked me of my family and I told him my story, hopefully the man was very kind hearted that he promised to take care of me and from then he made me like his daughter and treated me well and he was the person who sponsored me to this level, really I am very grateful to him, may his soul rest in peace”
“Has he passed away?”
“Yes he has, two years ago”
“May his soul rest in peace”
“Thanks Laylah, you know, people say after a dark night, comes a beautiful morning, my beautiful morning is here, I hope yours comes soon”
“I pray so too”
“I will get going now, I will leave you to rest, it was nice talking to you”
“Yes I had a great time talking to you too”
“Good bye”
“Have a nice day” The nurse left the room and Laylah thought for a while about the nurse’s story before she slept.

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