Soiled #ProjectNigeria ✔️

Chapter 29: The Test

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I prayed Asr in the house  masjid together with Baaba, Mu'adh, the Katsina state police commissioner and so many police men roamed our compound, scaring the little children of our many  relatives. I've been asked over and over for the Amarya. I've given the same answer with a tight lipped smile and gotten prayers for her health in return.

I have no idea what Mu'adh told his relatives. He's not holding well at all, he's fallen apart many times today. He spent Zuhr in sujood. He cried himself hoarse and his fair face is red with blotches. Perks of being a fair man, welcome to our world.

I'm holding myself by just a string. I can't call Beela's parents yet because the police say they will get them back before Isha which doesn't look possible with the way things look now at Asr. I looked round again, children ran past us with pieces of fried meat in their hands. They have no idea what pain and torment I'm going through. All the days of my life,I'll remember this Eid as the one Allah used to test I and Mu'adh.

I walk to the kitchen to look for Maama, she's trying so hard. Knowing how much she holds Beela as hers, she's directing other women for Eid food and at the same time keeping it all together. She told me earlier in Fulfude how women have been asking her why she let her daughter in law sleep upstairs on a day like this. Women are the biggest challenges of other women in this life. Wallahi.

Zahra. Zahra am. Zahra has held my hand. Pulled me in for hugs. Plied me with bottled water and been my clock for prayers. Today, my heights of respect for her grew. She took charge of things Beela planned to do while in Chiroma. I should thank her properly later.

"Maama, I wish I had asked her to come to you. You know, I feel so bad about it now. Probably, she could have asked you and you might have given her a trackable one. Since most of your jewellery are tracked." I smile sadly.

"Zahra, now is not the time to talk about Have been or should haves, now is the time to pray. What will  happen next, we have no idea, we can only pray. For the first time in my entire life, I'll be telling a mother I have no idea where her child is. I don't know how I'll deal tomorrow." I lean back on the wall beside Maama's room door. I was about to knock.

"By the way, which of your earrings did you give her?" Maama asks and I find myself wanting to know too. I don't remember looking at her ears, I only looked at her face and thought she looked beautiful with those eyes and those full lips.

"My Tiffany tear drop crystals that I wore for valedictory night." I remember how Zahra screamed when Baba handed it to her. She kept dancing around the house. At the time, I felt its just earrings, why scream like a banshee.

The door opens and I nearly fall into the room and Zahra's words stop me from feeling sheepish about eavesdropping.

"Maama says to call you." I walk in and she's on the phone with Baba. She drops the call and throws the phone on her bed in excitement. What could be so joyous.

"They will be found. As long as she was wearing Zahra's earrings, they will be found. And soon. In sha Allah." I look around for a chair and I fold myself into a small blue armchair.

"What do you mean they'll be found. Saratu, what do you know." Baba asks maama, i didn't even hear him come in. Maama begins a story of how she made a security company place trackers on Zarah's earrings so if they got lost while she was careless, it would easily be  found. And she can call the security company right now and they can activate the tracker.

"Let's do this." Maama calls and twenty minutes later, we are on our way to last known area the earrings were seen as one of the trackers have been turned off and the other is weak.

Two police vans follow our four wheel drive. Mu'adh is sitting beside me while Baba is sitting next to the driver.

"I just hope Ajike is fine.I should have forced her to come with me this morning, all these would not have happened."  I let Mu'adh rest his head on my shoulder and I watch as we drive on a road linking Chiroma to the next town. Children play by the road side dressed in eid clothes and no doubt walking around for Goron Sallah. 

We hit a dusty road and we sway due to the many potholes and how fast the vehicles are going. Children in new clothes by the side of the road are coated in the  heavy dust we leave behind.

We soon park near a large building, looks like a duplex but it was left unfinished. Becoming a hideout for robbers and kidnappers. Our vehicles are still covered by heavy bushes. An ambulance drives in and parks behind our vehicle silencing the engine quietly.

The police have an order to arrest all in sight. No shootings in places that may kill anyone. Tough task but  we need to know who did this and why.

Baba's phone rings and Mu'adh is still resting on the car. He's looks so broken even though he's a few minutes away from seeing the love of his life.

"They have been found. Let's move in. Your wife is in Labour." The ambulance people bring out a stretcher and follow us. Mu'adh runs up the unfinished stair case past  me and looks into the first room, nothing. Looks into the second and the police is handcuffing a man who blood is gushing out of his thigh.

The police push two women out of the room and Mu'adh runs in to untie his wife. Once he's finished, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her.

"I missed you so much. I thought I was going to go mad. I thought the worst." Ajike holds his face and holds him in. I feel like a fool looking at  them. I quickly untie Beela  and hold her close.

"I'm sorry I came so late." She nods into my chest.

"Innalilahi!!" Mu'adh tries to carry up Ajike's body while shouting her name. He calls her repeatedly and she's out cold. Very cold.

***"*"

See y'all on Monday. I know its bland 😢😢But at least its something. Have a blessed weekend.