09

He was seated in the driver's seat and was listening to their conversation and acting as though he didn't know they were talking about him. "Anisa, you should just leave please. There's no way I'd enter your car while that dirty man is the driver." Jiddah said with so much conviction as she stared disgustingly at Abdallah. He could feel her gaze but didn't turn to look at her. If only she knew what he was planning about her, it had only been three days since when they spoke with Daada and in two days they were going back to the court for Aminah's next hearing. So much had happened in the span of some days and he just couldn't bring himself to think about them. He had been consumed with so much rage and hatred that he was no longer thinking about what the consequences of his actions might be. All he cared about was fulfilling the pomise he made to his mother and he knew he would. Aminah would be back home by the next court hearing, and those involved in this saga? The cause of it; Jiddah Maitaya and her father will feel so much pain that they'd wish they hadn't crossed paths with his family. "I wish I hadn't come to school today. My car has been with the mechanic for two days and I can't afford to miss today's presentation. We agreed with Ya Anas to come and pick me up because it was ya Abbakar that dropped me off today, but he just texted me five minutes ago that he had something urgent to take care of. Both Ya Ammar and Ya Abbakar usually close work around 6pm and they will make me wait until then. It's just 1pm, I can't wait that long..." Ilham scrunched her face, she was tired of standing under the scorching sun. "Then call your father's driver, I'm sure he'd run to get you. Or Ammi..." Jiddah chuckled painfully at the mention of Ammi's name. "Call Ammi to come and pick me up from school when there are thousand of public transports I can use? You too should know what her answer would be by now. And Abba has been in Abuja for two days now, I think he'd be there for like a week, you know they're now busy with the whole politics things because he's going to be our next Gombe state governor, insha Allah." She said with an excited voice and flipped her imaginary hair smiling brightly. She just couldn't wait for the day it will be announced that Abba was the governor of Gombe state. The whole of Gombe won't be able to contain her. They chuckled happily and Fauziyyah flashed her a knowing smile. "And truly, a would be governor's daughter shouldn't be seen in a public transport. Now, do us all a favor and get into this car, Your Excellency. I swear I'm dripping with sweat over here!" And with that, they were able to convince her to get into the car and she begrudgingly did. There was an eerily silence in the car because they still hadn't forgotten what had happened the last time Jiddah rode in the car. And they all were glad that she was silent and minding her business this time around. They first dropped Ilham at her house and she only waved at them before she walked into their house. Then next was Fauziyyah. "Thank you so much. Abdallah, thanks for driving me." She said humbly and waved at them with a smile. He had always liked the way Fauziyyah was the humble one amongst them and he wondered how in the world she was friends with them and how she was able to cope with their ways. Because he heard the way they conversed with her and treated her. Why was she still together with them when she getting insulted at the slightest opportunity? "You're welcome, Fauziyyah." He said shortly without looking at her. And the snort that escaped Jiddah's mouth as he drove off didn't surprise him. "Is this how it always happened?" She asked Anisa while stifling a laugh. In the most degrading manner ever, they burst into laughter together with Anisa. "It's not like you didn't know how Fauziyyah is, Jiddah. Of course she'd definitely act holy holy. I don't even know how she has his name memorized in her brain, the pushover." "I mean, I get why she does it to us, it pays her. They get to eat through our pockets, but him? What will she gain from licking his stupid ass but stink? If he was doing good by himself would he have stooped so low to being a driver? Mtsw!" She hissed so high and turned to look at the window, annoyed at the way Fauziyyah spoke to him. She thought they all were behind her in this invincible fight with him? That traitor! Abdallah wanted to respond to her, he saw the way Anisa gasped softly but acted as though nothing happened. But he kept silent, he knew what he was planning and it seemed that today would be the day he would execute his plan. Anisa turned to him, she had been a bit respectful since after they went to their house for the condolences, a bit. "Please can you drop me off at Ummah's house? Mama said I should meet them there. You can go and drop the car home after dropping Jiddah," she said, pointing at the corner he'd take to drop her off at her grandmother's house. He silently took the route and dropped her off, didn't even wait for them to finish saying their goodbyes when he drove off so fast that he heard the way Jiddah hissed, probably to show him that she knew what he meant by that speed but she didn't care. Abdallah brought his phone out and texted a few words before he placed it back into his pocket. Instead of him to take the road that will link them to Jiddah's house, he took a different route and Jiddah's attention was far from the road to notice. She only looked up when he turned off the car and saw that they already were at the outskirts of Gombe, her heart lost a beat. "What the hell is this? Where do you think you've droven to? Apart from being deadass broke you're now sick in the head?" She threw the words arrogantly at him and without a word, Abdallah turned and snatched her phone out of her hands in a single breath. She opened her mouth to speak when he turned and Jiddah saw the look in his eyes, she gulped down a lump in her throat and fear instantly engulfed her soul. She turned around, it has been almost three minutes since they parked by the road side but there hadn't been a single car that passed by. "If you want, scream until your voice fades. No one will ever hear you and come to your rescue, especially not that father of yours." His voice was so deep and icy that she internally shivered. He hopped out of the car and opened the door she was seated by. "Get out of the car!" He ordered in an enigmatic voice and with her entire body that began to shake, Jiddah silently walked out of the car and saw him holding her phone that was now switched off. "Look, I'm not in for any drama of yours, okay? Whatever you think you're doing or you can do, is very stupid of you, okay? Don't think that you can scare me off with this stupid and childish trick! Now, get back to the car and drive me home, you dirty broke..." She wasn't able to complete her sentece when Abdallah slapped her so hard across both cheeks and Jiddah took in a very sharp breath. "How dare you slap me!!!" She retorted angrily, the fear she was feeling minutes ago vanishing instantly. She lifted her hands to slap him back when he held both her hands and squeezed them so tight that she screamed out in pain. She stared right into his eyes and saw the anger in them and something so dark she instantly shivered. "You're hurting me, let me go, you stupid man!" "I dare you to say one more word and by Allah, you'd regret the day you first saw me and did what you did. It's like you've forgotten the warning I dished out to you about what will happen to you the very day you make the mistake of getting into this car." She was trying so hard to get her hands out of his hold but she had never felt someone so strong in her entire life. And she had lived with three brother! Or was it because they always babied her and treated her like a princess? Tears began pooling in her eyes and she quickly flicked them off. She wasn't going to cry in front of him, there was no way she was going to give him that satisfaction. She knew he was trying to threaten and frighten her and she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction he was looking for. She chuckled painfully, trying so hard to stop her tears from rolling down on her cheeks. "You think that there is no implication for what you're doing right now? You dare try to kidnap me, bring me here, slap and insult both me and my father and then physically hurt me? Is it that you have already forgotten what had happened the day you talked back at me? Or the fact that your useless stealing sister is still in custody shamelessly claiming innocent..." She screamed when he twisted her hands so painfully that despite her attempt, a stubborn lone tear rolled down her left cheek. Before he said anything, a tricycle parked beside them and two guys came and hopped down instantly. Her entire body shook and she kept staring at them and awaiting the worse that could happen. "Take her, I'll be there once I have everything settled, okay? Make sure everything goes as planned." He said and pushed her roughly towards them and before she caught her balance, she fell onto her knees and scraped one of them, bursting into tears at the kind of pain that shot into her brain. One of them roughly pulled her up and the merciless look she saw in his eyes made her gulp back the words she had intended to say. She turned and watched Abdallah walking back to the car and her heart lost a beat, fear engulfed her entire being and she cried even more. "Where do you think you're going?!" She yelled at him and he turned, smiled enigmatically at her before he walked back into the car and drove off. Jiddah opened her mouth to speak when one of them placed a piece of cloth on her nose and mouth and instantly, everywhere went black. * Jiddah opened her mouth to the smell of sand. The smell of a mud house, a hut, she knew the smell because she had once went to a wedding at a Fulani village with Ammi and they even spent the night there, that was the worst and most traumatic experience of her life. Her heart lost a beat, where was she? What had happened? She opened her mouth and felt something wrapped around her mouth. She couldn't be heard even if she could scream her entire lungs out. Her hands were tied and legs too. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she felt so afraid that her entire body began to shake. 'Where am I ?' she wondered, her tears rolling uncontrollably on her cheeks, her heart pounding so hard in her chest. She shifted and tried to sit up but felt as though she had been tied to something behind. She tried moving and felt the creak of an iron, as though it were an iron bed or something. She kept looking around but couldn't see a thing. It was so dark and she wondered what time it was. All she could think of was that she had been kidnapped, by that stupid guy and now she was doomed. Because she was certain he was either going to have her killed or harmed generously that even her mother may not recognize her once she is released. Her heart lept to her throat when the door creaked and a stream of light rolled into the room. Five men walked into the room but Jiddah was so afraid that she couldn't even look up to see their faces and her eyes were filled with tears to even see clearly. Minutes passed and they all sat down before one of them yanked off the cellotape from her mouth and she yelped painfully. Instantly, she burst into tears, begging them with her eyes even before her mouth spoke. "I beg you in the name of Allah not to hurt me. Wallahi my mom will die if something happens to me. Please call my father, he will give you everything you want. But don't kill me, please." She was crying profusely, turning side by side with so much fear rattling in her heart. "Will you shut the hell up?" She heard as his voice thundered and outwardly, Jiddah shreaked and her entire body trembled. She had never been so afraid of someone like she was afraid of him today. They all had a mask covering their faces, only their eyes were showing and while looking around to see if one of them had a soft look in his eyes, she noticed that one of them was an old man from his eyes, but he quickly took his eyes off the moment their eyes met. "Baba, please tell them not to kill me..." "Will you shut up or will you rather I forcefully shut you up?!" One of the men thundered and she pulled her lips into her mouth, trembling as her tears intensified. "Listen to me here, okay? I'm going to use your phone and call your father now. Only speak when I ask you to or you'd regret not listening to me." She heard Abdallah's icy words but could only nod. With tears trembling from her eyes, she watched as he pulled her phone out of his front pocket and turned it on. There were thousands of notifications and missed calls which with no doubt were from her brothers and family in general. Thinking about how crazy her brothers will go about the fact that she was missing? And how profusely Ammi would undoubtedly cry, Jiddah cried even more. She was so afraid that she could pee her pants right this instant. She didn't know what was going to happen to her. If she was even going to be alive by sunrise. She didn't know he had dialed Abba's number until she heard his frantic voice. "Jiddah? Baby? Where are you? We are going crazy over here, Jiddah please tell me you're fine. We've been looking for you for hours now!" She had never heard Abba's voice carrying such fear in her life. Abba had always been in control, confident, weilding so much power. And listening to him trembling, made her insides churn and she understand how truly scary the entire situation is. "Listen, Alhaji. If you want your daughter safe and alive, there are only two things you need to do. And you must agree to them whether you like them or not. One is so easy and simple, could be done in a minute and the other may be a bit hard. But if you do little as hesitate to answer, I swear to you that you may never see your daughter again." Abdallah spoke with so much enigma, so much hatred and power dripping from each voice he uttered. "Jiddah? Innalillahi! You were kidnapped Jiddah? Look, please don't harm my daughter, wallah I can give you anything you want..." "Shut the hell up!" Abdallah thundered so loud that Jiddah had to close her eyes. She couldn't believe that it was Abba being shouted at this way. "I don't want a dime from you. Your daughter is the reason my entire family is in anguish. She made a perfect mess of my family to the point that I had to loose my father and I've never seen my mother cry as much as she did, all thanks to her. I'll make sure I use her to avange for my family. I'll make sure you regret never giving her the right upbringing!" "Innalillahi wa'inna ilaihir raji'un, what has Jiddah brought upon herself? Na shiga uku!" Jiddah heard Ammi's voice breaking into tears as she lamented on how doom had befallen her. "If I hear another person's voice apart from you, I swear you won't ever hear from us again." "I'm sorry, no one will speak again. Kuyi shiru, Hajia. I'm listening to you." She heard Abba's humbled voice as it broke while he spoke and Jiddah could only cry, she was afraid to even breath. "I have someone waiting in front of the gate of the prison my sister has been locked unlawfully by your daughter. Have her released this moment and harm her or take her hostage, I'll rescue my sister but you'll never ever get to see your daughter again. Call the prison right now and order for her release!" His eyes turned bloodshot as he yelled, the sound of his voice echoing through the night. "PA, call them, call them right now. What's her name? Please, I beg you, don't harm my daughter." "Aminah Nuhu Gidado." He said her name with so much venom dripping from his voice. They all listened as his PA made the call and it took less than fifteen minutes as he were rushing the warders to release her immediately and make sure she left along with the man waiting at the gate, unharmed. One of Abdallah's men called a number from his phone and he confirmed that they had left with Aminah, safe and sound, before Abdallah turned to Jiddah's phone. "Your sister has been released, I don't know what had happened between her and Jiddah but I beg you in the name of Allah to forgive her childishness. Please where can I get my baby now? Please..." Abba's voice broke at the end and Jiddah couldn't hold back her whimper. "That's just one of the two requests I have for you. It will only determine the duration your daughter will stay with me. Now, since it has been done seamlessly and fast, here comes the second one. Which is basically your daughter's lifeline. Agree to it and she lives, if you don't, I'll make sure you listen as she takes her last breath on earth. I don't care what you'd do to me if you find me, so long as you feel what my family did? I'm good. That's if you ever find me. And don't forget, if you hesitate for a minute, it's over." "Innalillahi wa'inna ilaihir raji'un." Abba prayed, they could hear him panting, an evidence that he was pacing back and forth. "Okay, I'll agree to it. Just that, I beg you, don't harm Jiddah." Abdallah waved the old man to move forward with the other men in room. One of them, which now Jiddah noticed was older than them just not old as that other one cleared his throat. "Alhaji, I'm requesting for your daughter, Hauwa'u Jiddah's hand in marriage for my nephew Abdallah Nuhu Gidado..."