As promised, Happy Birthday to my all time favorite, my ride or die, ammielo . I don't say this often but I love you and the endless support I've gotten from you. You taught me that no one's really perfect and that's okay. I'd be lying if I say all the books I've been writing recently weren't inspired by you because they are. In every book, every page, every line there's a sprinkle of you in it. I wouldn't chose any other person to be my friend other than you, and I mean that. So, this is a dedication I should've made sooner, every book I've been writing so far are dedicated to you for inspiring me each and every day. I promise to keep making you proud. Stay beautiful. Jannah loves you immensely.
Now without further ado, I present to you, your chapter!
Miya, Ganjuwa LGA,
Bauchi State,
Nigeria.
6th July 2007.
Rahma and Rabia had no idea where they were heading to. Rabia just followed Rahma's lead because the girl looked like she knew more than she does unknown to her, Rahma's just following her instincts. She was just as clueless as her friend is.
The two didn't really think through before they decided to act.
It had been a couple of hours since they left their homes, but they didn't know whether they left Miya yet or not. It also didn't help that it was around 3am at the time and both girls were scared to the core. Rahma being the strong minded one didn't let it show on her face.
"Rahma, I'm tired. Wallahi nagaji nikam" Rabia complained whilst heaving. She had never walked for that long in her life and besides, the fear of the dark was choking her up. She could only see due to how bright the full moon is. The eerie silence that filled up the place sent chills down her spines. She fell on the ground and panted trying to catch her breath with her eyes widened.
"Rabia let's just keep on going, kiyi haquri. The sun will soon rise and I'm just if we just walk for a couple of minutes more we'll get a vehicle to take us into town" Rahma said as she turned to look at her friend. IF it was up to her, she'd suggest that they should run but then again, she had no idea where she's leading them too.
Rabia sighed and wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead. She tried to stand up from the position she's in only for her to fall again, this time due to exhaustion.
Rahma held her clothes in one hand with the other, she helped Rabia up. The two continued walking for what felt like hours. With each and every minute that passes by, fear kept on choking the two girls. The only difference is that while Rabia let it show in how ragged her breathing came out, Rahma stood her ground and be the strong one as always.
The sound of crickets was the only thing heard in the quiet night. The full moon became their only source of light but even then, exhaustion was slowly eating them up. There was also lack of sleep, and hunger all coupled up together.
Eventually, Rahma's legs gave up on her making her collapse on the floor. She needed as much sleep as she could get at the moment and so did Rabia. "Just a couple of minutes" she muttered a she leaned back. Rabia collapsed beside her already drifting into a deep slumber. Rahma told herself that she'd only sleep for a couple of minutes and then she'd wake up, wake her friend up and they'll continue their journey. They couldn't afford to waste the time they don't have.
Using her clothes as a pillow, she slept off whereas Rabia had slept off long ago. The two slept off without any care of where they were and what awaits them.
"Rahma" Rabia muttered after an hour of sleep. She nudged her friend who groaned and pushed her hand away. "Rahma" she muttered again, this time more harshly.
She snapped her head in the direction she heard the voices, they were nearing them. She looked back at her sleeping friend and nudged her again, this time harder, "Rahma!"
"Na'am. What?" Rahma groaned again as she opened her eyes. Rabia quickly placed her hand over her friend mouth to shush her.
"Kiyi shiru. Listen" she murmured as she pointed at the direction of the voices approaching them but due to the darkness, she could barely see a thing.
Rahma kept quiet though as she heard the voices too. Her eyes widened slightly as the voices registered in her mind. She could recognize their tone anywhere. It was imprinted in the back of her head that as much as she loathed it, she couldn't get it off.
They were drunk.
"Kai Baaba! Are you sure you saw them here?" One of them asked, his words coming out muffled clearly having drunk a lot.
"I swear I saw them here. Two fine babes haka" Replied the second one, his voice sounded gruff but not as drunk as the first one. It was from his voice that Rabia could tell. She had a firsthand experience with this one more than Rahma.
The guy smokes. Just like her uncle.
"Then we better hurry up. Today is our lucky day"
Rahma quickly turned to her friend. The voice sounded so close that she knew the both of them couldn't escape without the guys catching up to them both. Besides, the two were both exhausted so they were no match for the guys.
There was only one solution.
"Rabia remember when I said you owe me one?"
Rabia's brows furrowed as she turned to look at her best friend. She didn't understand why she will bring that up at a time like that, "Yeah what?" she muttered.
Rahma looked at the direction where the voices came. The footsteps were moving closer aby the second that passes, "You have to do what I want now"
"Which is?"
"Run" she swiveled her head to look at her friend. A lump forming in her throat but she swallowed it. She didn't want this to happen but she knew that was the time for the two to part ways, "I'll distract them, I want you to run Rabia. Run like you've never before. Even if your legs want to give up, even if you're tired, I want you to run. Don't look back and do not stop for me" she muttered as she quickly held Rabia's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Rabia shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, "No. I won't leave you here. We'll figure out a way together" She said, her words came out a bit jumbled up due to how she rushed them out.
"There is no other way. If we stay here, we'll both be doomed kina jina?" Rahma stated harshly. She knew she had to use that tone else Rabia won't leave, "You promised you'd do what I ask you to do. This is what I want you to do"
Rabia was about to reply when one of the two guys appeared, "Baaba I found them" he yelled calling out his friend.
Rahma reached her hand out and grabbed the first big stone that her hand fell on. She held it tonight and without a second though swung it successfully hitting his head in the process, "Rabia run!" Rahma half yelled the minute the guy fell on the floor clutching his bloody head.
Rabia didn't need to be told twice. She ran. She ran till her legs ache but even then, she didn't stop. She promised Rahma and she was going to keep that promise. She left everything behind; her clothes, money, even her bathroom slippers. She left her friend behind. She left the one friend that had saved her three times. This time included.
Tears well up in her eyes as her vision blurred. She didn't know where she was going. She just kept on running just as she promised Rahma.
And because she wasn't paying much attention to her surrounding, she didn't notice the car driving towards her, nor did she notice the honks. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was her eyes widening when she noticed the car too late.
~*~
Bauchi,
Bauchi State.
7th July 2007.
The doctor walked towards the man that stood outside the room Rabia is admitted. He looked at the man and then sighed, "She still hasn't uttered a word"
The man looked down as he ran his fingers over his knuckles. He was beyond nervous. "But she's alright right?"
The doctor nodded, offering him a reassuring smile, "She's okay. It's a good thing you didn't hit her. It's just the shock that made her faint. That and exhaustion coupled with the lack of nutrients in her system" he then turned to the policemen that stood behind the man, "The girl is stable now"
One of the policemen, seemingly the one at the helm, nodded, "Thank you dakta" he then turned to the man that brought Rabia to the hospital, "And thank you for rushing her here. If it was dome other person in your shoes, I'm sure the person would've ran away but you stayed even though you're innocent"
The man smiled as he looked down for a second, "It's nothing. But what are you going to the about the girl now?"
The policeman glanced at his partner and the two exchanged the look as if silently communicating with their eyes. He then turned to the doctor and the man that brought her to the hospital, "By tomorrow, if no one comes looking for her, we'll have to send her to the orphanage since she won't speak up"
The others nodded in agreement.
~*~
Rabia walked out of her hospital room when she was sure no one was keeping an eye on her. The policemen have left to verify something while the man that brought her left since he's innocent. The doctors thought she was asleep so they let her be.
She didn't have any place in mind that she wants to go. She just knew that she had to leave the hospital as soon as she can. She couldn't stay in that place when she has no idea where Rahma is. She might've promised to not look back, but that was her best friend she left behind. She had to go back for her.
There's just one problem, she didn't know where she is or how to start looking for her.
She walked around the hospital, hiding in the shadows whenever she spots a doctor or nurse that she recognizes. Blood dripped from where she removed her IV but she didn't care about that. She had dark bags under her eyes and her lips were chapped.
"I know right. It's so sad what happened to her" she heard one of the nurses say to her friend as she was about to pass by the emergency room. A couple of hospital beds, about four adorned the room, each occupying a patient. But, the nurse she overheard along with her friend crowd over a bed.
"Abun ma ba dadin ji.She just a little girl for Allah's sake" Her friend replied. "How could someone rape a twelve-year-old?" the woman hissed as she shook her head.
Rabia was about to walk past them and run to the exit when she caught a glimpse of the person on the bed. A familiar face that she'd remember everywhere.
Her eyes widened as she staggered. She blinked furiously as if trying to see if her eyes are deceiving her or something. Her feet moved on their own accord as she started making her way to where the two nurses are.
A third person she didn't notice was with them earlier, a female doctor, raised the white sheet covering the girl's body and moved it to cover her face completely. The doctor blinked back her tears. She knew she could never get used to such cases.
It was then that what happened reigned in Rabia's head. She didn't want to believe it. It can't be, she thought.
The last thought in her head as darkness consumed her whole being was;
Rahma,
She is gone.
~*~
19th October 2007.
Bauchi State,
Nigeria.
It has been two months since Rabia left home and has been staying in the orphanage she was sent to. In the span of that two months, she had only spoken when it was really necessary. Other than that, she hardly utters a word. She goes days without uttering a word to anyone. Unlike the other kids, she wasn't jovial or made any attempt to interact with her peers. She kept to herself and stay in the room she shares with the other kids all day except on occasions the caregivers make her go out. They knew staying inside all day isn't healthy for her.
Today is another day she wanted to stay in her room but was forced to go outside.
Someone wants to adopt from the orphanage.
Usually, when someone wants to adopt a child from the orphanage, all the kids are made to go outside and interact with their friends while the couple, or single parent that wants to adopt can see them and pick the child they want.
Rabia hated it. She hated every minute she stayed in the orphanage.
She didn't see any reason to live anymore. She was filled with anger, and pain.
She was angry at how her life turned out to be. She was angry that if it wasn't enough how her uncle and his family treated her, they wanted to marry her off to a womanizer. She was angry that the only friend she had, and the strongest girl she knew was raped and murdered after saving her again. She was upset by how someone could do that to someone as innocent as Rahma.
But most importantly, she was upset at herself.
She was upset at herself for running away like a coward instead of sticking by Rahma. She was upset that she let Rahma follow her thinking that if she had made her stay back in Miya, then maybe she would've been alive by then.
She had a lot of anger in her for a twelve-year-old.
She found a spot under the mango tree in the play yard and leaned on it. That's the place she always stayed whenever she was forced out. It's the one place the children do not bother her and so she could enjoy some alone time. Before, the children do try to talk to her but after a while of she ignoring them, they gave up.
They chose to interact with kids who do want to make friends.
She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around it as she sighed. Closing her eyes, she hoped the day would end faster than all the other times. She wanted nothing to do with this. It was bad enough she was forced to come out, but she didn't want to put effort into people who want to adopt. The likelihood of them adopting her is slim, and she didn't want to get her hopes high. If it was up to her, she'd much prefer to be left alone to roam on the street where death would find her.
An American man walked around the orphanage with the owner of the place beside him. The Nigerian man kept talking about how great the orphanage is and how much he had invested into it and helping children. He was bragging all about how great he is.
Typical Hausa man.
"These are the children. As you can see they're all jovial and energetic" Said the Hausa man as he pointed to where the kids played in the play yard. A wide smile etched on his face making the corner of his eyes wrinkle.
The American man nodded as he gazed at the children. He watched them up closely looking for the one he wanted to adopt. For some reason, none of the kids met his standards. He wanted someone that looked like he or she really needed help.
And that's when his gaze fell on Rabia.
His brows furrowed, "Who's that girl over there?" he asked in his accent.
The Hausa man who was so caught up in bragging stopped what he was doing and turned to the man, "Who?" he asked completely caught off guard.
"That girl, under the tree"
The owner's gaze followed the man's line of sight. He hummed in realization when he saw who he was talking about, "Oh that? She's Rabia" he said without much enthusiasm. He tends to forget about the girl since she didn't like to get involve with anyone.
The American man nodded, he made up his mind at the instant "I'll be adopting Rabia then"
The Hausa man snapped his head to look at the American. He then gazed at Rabia again and then back to the man, "You mean..."
"Yes. She's the one I'm adopting and taking back with me to America"
~*~
Today's update is here!
Another one coming soon...
Stay tuned because we're about to start my favorite part of the book.
Ladies and gentledudes, get your Pepsi and popcorn for the drama is about to start!!!
I'm not exaggerating...lmao.
Anyways, dazzal for tonight.
Love, Jannah.