Episode Five: The Phone Call

Ta kalli ledar alawar kusa da ita ta sake karanta text din sai kawai tayi murmushi, sai kuma ta bata rai ta mike da sauri ta tafi dakin Fatima. Ta tarar da ita tana arranging kayan kwalliyar data siyo tace "ke kika gaya masa munje shopping?" Ba tare data kalleta ba tace "sure. Wani abu ne?" Diyam tayi tsaki tace "Will you please stop telling him duk abinda nake yi? I need some privacy and some space" Fatima dai bata ce mata komai ba har ta yi mata banging kofar ta tafi, sai kuma tayi murmushi a hankali tace "hypocrite". Sai da Diyam ta gama duk abinda zata yi ta yi shirin bacci sannan ta dauko wayarta ta tura masa reply “Thanks” Ta jima tana kallon kalmar, tana so ta kara rubuta wasu kalaman no matter how small wadanda zasu nuna masa irin yadda take ji a zuciyarta a game dashi amma ta kasa. Bata so tayi giving up, not now, not ever. Haka ta tura masa kalmar guda daya ta koma ta kwanta tana jin ranta babu dadi. Bassam kuma ranar kasa bacci yayi, yayi ta tossing akan gadonsa. Abu na farko daya ke ransa shine sabon aikin daya samarwa kansa, yaji dadin aikin nasa sosai dan shi tunda yake bai taba aikin neman kudi ba, komai yi masa ake yi. Yanzu yasan at least bashi da fargabar running out of money. Abu na biyu kuma da yake ransa shine Diyam, ya rasa dalilin da yasa yarinyar ta tsaya masa a ransa tun encounter dinsu ta farko, he just couldn't stop thinking about her. A haka har bacci ya dauke shi. Cikin dare ya farka idonsa ya sauka akan hoton Khausar dake kan bedside dinsa, ya saka hannu ya kife hoton ya juya ya cigaba da baccin sa. Ranar Monday ya rigata zuwa hall dinsu. Sai ya zauna akan kujerar da take kusa da wadda take zama koda yaushe ya dauko littafi yana bubbudawa kamar mai karanta wa amma sam hankalinsa baya kai, hankalin sa yafi karkata zuwa ga kofar da students suke shigowa zuciyarsa tana kara dokanta da son ganinta. Can ya ganta ta shigo, suna hada ido tayi masa murmushi and all his problems melted away. Tun kafin ta zauna lecturer dinsu ya shigo dan haka basu yi magana ba suka mayar da hankalinsu kan lecture. Amma Diyam tana lura dashi yafi mayar da hankalinsa gurin kallonta maimakon gurin lecture, and her heart sank. Lecturer yana fita ya juyo gaba-daya gurinta yace "so, miss Nigeria, you are from Yobe state, right?" Ta dan bata rai tana kallonsa tace "Yobe kuma?" Yace "eh, rannan kince min sunan ki Haleema Usman Kollere, and I know Kollere is in damagum local government, yobe state" tayi dariya tana rike baki tace "you are amazing" yayi murmushi proudly yace "I know my geography" ta mike tsaye tana zuba kayanta a jaka, shima ya mike, tace "You surely do, but I am not from Yobe. Kamar yadda na fada ranar nan ni yar Kano ce, yes, my grandparents na uwa da uba duk fulanin Kollere ne amma ni a Kano aka haife ni, Kano ne a birth certificate dina dan haka Kano nake amfani dashi" suka jera suna fita daga ajin tace "so you are from Abuja, where in Abuja are you from?" Yace "somewhere" ta tsaya a waje tana kallonsa tace "wayo ko? Wato ni na bude baki na gaya maka daga inda nake shine kai kuma zaka wani ce min somewhere ko?" Yace "a,a ke fa kawai kince min ke yar Kano ce, Kano ai tana da girma" direct tace masa "Municipal. Yakasai. Kai fa?" Ya sosa kai yana kallonta, taga bashi da niyyar fada tayi gaba tace "ohhh, I hate stingy people" ya biyo ta da sauri yace "I don't want to lie to you, kinfi karfin haka. And I also don't want to tell you yet" tace "saboda me?" Ya sake yin shiru. Ta karkata kai tana kallonsa tace "someone as shiny as you must have come from the Villa, not less" yayi dariya yace "You are wrong, ko kusa da Villa ban kai ba" tace "where then?" Ya kalli surrounding din gurin yace "ina zamu je ne naga mun fito waje" ta gane so yake ya chanja maganar tace "cafeteria, yunwa nake ji, I over slept har na makara kuma munyi fada da Fatima taki tashi na" yayi dariya yace "me ya hadaku?" Tace "girl's stuff, you won't understand" ya rungume hannunsa a kirji yana kallonta yace "stingy, are we?" Tayi dariya tace "ba zaka gane ba fa" yace "okay, let's go. Nima banyi breakfast ba". Shi yayi musu order abinci, chips and chicken da coffee. Suka fara ci sannan yace "so, how did a Fulani girl daga rugar Kollere ta samu kanta a Oxford?" Ba tare data kalleshi ba tace "luck" yace "hmmm?" ta ajiye chokalin hannunta tana kallonsa tace "you talk about kaddara ranar nan ko? To ita ta kawo ni nan, I was destined to be here and here I am. How about you? How did a guy from somewhere i n Abuja find himself here" shima yace "luck" ta daga gira daya sama tana kallonsa sannan yace "okay, I was lucky to be born into a wealthy family" tayi murmushi tace "Villa?" Yace "definitely not" sukayi dariya baki daya. Ranar kusan tare sukayi komai, har suka tashi daga school suka kuma tafi tare, sai daya rakata har bakin block dinsu sannan yayi mata sallama ya tare cab zuwa gurin aikinsa. Yana jin zuciyarsa fari kal kamar takarda, duk wani bacin rai da stress duk ya gushe daga ransa. He was finally finding happiness. Diyam kuma tana shiga parlon su ta yarda jakarta ta kwanta ta lumshe ido, tana jin Judith ta shigo parlon tana yi mata magana amma sai tayi pretending kamar bacci take yi nan kuwa idonta biyu, lissafi kawai take yi a ranta. Most of the time shi yasa tafi son zaman makaranta saboda in tana can tana mantawa ne da duk wasu problems dinta amma tana zuwa gida sai taji kamar damuwowinta jiranta suke yi a bakin kofa. Jiya da daddare sukayi rigima da Fatima, kuma ita tasan Fatima gaskiya take gaya mata, tasan yaudarar kanta kawai take yi amma taki admitting hakan. Ta dauko wayarta tana kallon hoton dake kan screen din tana murmushi, sai kuma ta shiga cikin ta fara kallon pictures da videos tana ta dariya ita kadai. She missed Nigeria sosai, but wannan zaman da take, wannan karatun da take, shine kadai solution dinta a yanzu. Me yasa mutane suka kasa fahimtar hakan? Sai bayan la'asar Fatima ta dawo. Kafin nan Diyam ta shirya musu pasta and tomato sauce saboda tasan Fatima tana so duk dan su shirya. Tana shigowa kallo daya tayi wa Diyam ta kara tura baki gaba ta wuce daki, sai da tayi wanka ta shirya cikin riga da wando budaddu kalar ruwan toka da suka kara wa bakar fatar ta kyau sannan ta dawo parlon ta tsaya ta rike kugu tace "shine kika taho kika barni ko? Kuma na tambaya ance min tare da wannan tsinannen Bassam din kuka taho" Diyam ta mike zaune tace "ayyah Fanna, kar ki tsine masa dan Allah, kinsan bakin ku dafi ne dashi, kar kisa ya tambade shi da baiyi miki komai ba" Fanna ta zauna ta dora daya kan daya tace "tunda yake kula matar yayana ai yayi min laifi, kuma wallahi daga ke har shi ku shiga hankalin ku idan ba haka ba yana zuwa next week sai na gaya masa, kuma kunsan sauran" Diyam tace "oh oh, to gaya masan mana, an gaya miki kowa ma tsoron sa yake ji kamar ke, ni kinsan daga ke har shi dai dai nake daku. Naci nasha tsumin fulani barebari sai dai su ganni su barni" nan kuma suka koma wasan fulani da barebari, sannan suka ci abincin su tamkar ba sune jiya suka yi fada ba. Tun daga ranar Diyam da Bassam suka zama abokai, kullum a school suna tare duk ya daina kula friends dinsa ita kuma dama bata dasu, daga school kuma zai wuce gurin aikinsa, anan zai samu kudin kashewa gobe. Sosai yake jin dadin sa hankalinsa kwance as if bashi da wani problem. Ranar Thursday suna lunch a cafeteria kamar kullum, Diyam ta tambaye shi "can you tell me about that not laughing situation da kace kana ciki? Because I can see yanzu kana dariyar" dariyar yayi sannan kuma ya hade rai yana jujjuya abincin gabansa yace "I got fired" ta zaro ido tana mamaki, fuskanta cike da concern tace "daga gurin aikinka? When?" Yace "no, ba daga gurin aikina ba, I got fired from my family" ta hade rai tace "your family? Ta yaya za'ayi familyn mutum su kore shi? Me kayi Bassam? What happened?" muryarta tana breaking kamar zata yi kuka ta tambaye shi, ba tare daya kalleta ba yace "nayi laifi, babban laifi and maimakon in tsaya in fuskanci hukunci na kuma sai na gudu na kama daki a hotel nayi zamana. When I did that na saka ran kwana biyu ba zasu wuce ba Mami na da Daddy na zasu zo kasar nan, nayi tsammanin zasu zo har dakin da nake, nayi tsammanin karbar wadansu kyawawan mari daga Daddy na kuma yi tsammanin in samu nasiha daga Mami amma shiru, basu zo ba ballantana su fada min cewa nayi ba dai dai ba ballantana su kaini gurin Aunty na da nayi wa laifi su saka ni in bata hakuri". Ya dago ido yana kallonta cikin ido yace "basu zo ba ba kuma su kira ni ba, they just cut me up, basu zo ba ballantana suyi min maganin problem dina, at least ko shawara ce su bani ". Tana kallonsa tace "wanne problem ne kenan? Your smoking problem?" Ya girgiza kai yace "basu san wannan ba ai" sai kuma ya bata labarin feelings dinsa for Khausar, da kuma yadda ya tarar tana dating cousin dinsa Ayan, tun daya fara bata ce komai ba har sai daya gama sannan tace "how old are you Bassam? You know nothing about love, do you? That girl doesn't love you, cigaba da jan magana tsakanin ka da ita ba abinda zai yi sai bata zumuncin dake tsakanin ku. Kuma ni a fahimta ta familyn ka ba wai cutting dinka off suka yi ba, suna keeping tabs on you tabbas tunda su suka haife ka and they love you. They just want you to grow up, they want you to make the right decision by yourself daga nan sai su san hukuncin da zasu yanke maka. Kafin Mami da Daddy su zo su baka shawara ni ga tawa, ka koma gurin auntyn ka wadda kayi wa laifi kaje ka bata hakuri on your on ba wai sai ance maka kaje ba, ka bawa cousin dinka hakuri kuyi shaking hands kabar maganar Khausar because you definitely don't want to marry someone that doesn't love you, you don't know what God has planned for you". Yayi murmushi yace "I guess you are right, maybe wadda zan samu nan gaba tafi Khausar komai" ya karashe maganar yana kashe mata ido daya. Tayi saurin dauke kanta tana jin zuciyarta tana bugawa da karfi. A take taji abincin ya fita daga kanta, ta ture plate din ta mike tace masa zata je class in ya gama ya same ta a can, ya bita da kallo har ta fita yana mamakin me ya chanja mata mood. A ranar haka ta wuni tana jin ranta babu dadi, kar dai abinda take tunani akan Bassam haka ne, kar dai he is developing feelings for her, kar dai abinda Fatima ta fada rannan gaskiya ne, cewa she is playing with fire, in haka ne kuwa to tabbas tana gab da konewa. Tana zuwa gida ta tarar da abinda yafi wannan daga mata hankali. Fatima ta gani zaune ta zuba uban tagumi, ya yarda jakar hannun ta ta zauna a gabanta cike da concern tace "Fanna? Lfy?" Ta dago tana kallonta tace "Yaya ya kira yanzu, wai in gayawa Judith ta hada kayanta ta bar gidan nan kafin weekend" Diyam ta mike "au wai har yanzu bai bar maganar Judith ba? Me ta tsare masa? Akan shi take zaune? Ni ba zan iya korar Judith ba tunda babu abinda tayi min, dama baki gaya masa sakona na ranar nan ba?" Fatima tace "ni na ce miki bazan iya gaya masa ba Diyam tsoro nake ji" Diyam tace "mala'ikan mutuwa ne shi da zaki ke tsoronsa?" Daga haka ta figo wayarta daga cikin jaka and for the first time tun zuwan ta kasar ta danna number dinsa, bugu daya ya dauka, bata ko saurare shi ba ta fara zazzaga bala'i "wanne i rin mutum ne kai wai? When will you stop playing god? When will you stop making decisions a rayuwar mutane? This is my life and I asked you to stay out of it" I nutse yace "Diyam...." Ta katse shi "kar ma ka gwada yi min dadin baki, bazan kori Judith ba and that is final" yace "am sorry dear, I was just trying to.." tace "trying to protect me? To kayi hakuri but I don't need your protection" ya sake cewa "I was just trying to.....to provoke you into calling me" sai ya kyalkyale da dariya. Ta tsaya tana kallon wayar da mamaki, sannan ta kalli Fatima taga ta durkushe a kujera tana ta kyalkyala dariya harda rike ciki, sannan tayi realising abinda ya faru. Ta jefar da wayar kamar wadda aka ciza sannan ta dafe kanta da hannu biyu tace "oh God, Fatima what have you done?" Da gudu Fatima ta mike ta shige daki tana dariya ta rufo kofa. Diyam ta zauna akan kujera ta dauki wayar da har yanzu take a kunne tace "this is cheating" har yanzu da dariya a muryarsa yace "kin tuna abinda kika ce min ranar da zaki bar Nigeria? Kin tuna alkawarin da muka yi dake cewa in dai kika dauki waya da hannunki kika kira ni to nayi winning, zan yanke duk hukuncin da na ga dama" ta sake cewa cikin raunanniyar murya, "but this is cheating" yace "in life, my dear, cheating is allowed once in a while" sannan ya kuma dariya yace "see you on Saturday" ya katse wayar. Ta kife kanta a kujera tana jin hawayenta yana jika kujerar, sai da tayi kukanta ta gama sannan ta dago ta dauki wayarta ta tura masa message "You always claim that you play your games fair and square, but this is not fair" Bayan yan mintina reply ya shigo mata "Nothing is fair my dear, life in itself is not fair, you just have to be smart and have eyes like an eagle's so that you won't get cheated on. My regards to your lips".