Yushraf's POV
"Reedah, be fast, we are getting late. You know today is Friday and we will soon be back." I reminded, checking my gold wristwatch.
Reedah took almost an hour before she came out of the room putting on her hijab.
I went to the refrigerator in the kitchen and brought three bags of bottled water and gave one to Reedah and carried the remaining two myself.
******
We were hawking in the streets, When I sighted my former best friend Bashar, leaning on his car. He was my closest friend and a cousin. His dad, uncle Jaafar and my dad were brothers. They had only one sister Aunty Salamatu. She lived in Canada with her husband and three kids - two boys and a girl. Hafiz was the firstborn and was older than I, by a year. Noor, the second-born, was of the same age as Reedah and the last born Afzal was sixteen years old.
While uncle Jaafar had just a son named, Bashar. We had been friends ever since childhood, but after baba and ammi's departure, Uncle Jaafar and his family had cut ties with us. Not even once were we welcomed at their house. We only went there once, when we did not have any place to go, thinking we would be welcomed because aunty Salamatu made us believe she would always be there for us.
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Flashback3years ago
It had been more than three months since Baba and Ammi left us all alone in this vile world, and everything started changing for us. Things had started becoming unbearable and aunty Salamatu too had gone back to her husband's country, where she stayed with her family.
We didn't know how it all happened, but we found ourselves losing all of Baba's belongings, to the extent that we were told that baba's companies had gone bankrupt... How? when? we didn't have an idea. The companies were then sold to repay the loans we never knew dad took.
We tried to take the issue to court, but uncle Jaafar stop us, insisting we were the ones that would lose the battle and face severe consequences. He told us about a time baba was facing some difficulty and went to take a loan. We found it very difficult to believe, but what could we say when uncle Jaafar and baba were very close and he even shared his secret with him, so we believed it might be one of the secrets he kept from us in order not to make us worried, so we gave up fighting.
Reedah and I were sitting in the living room when a knock on the door interrupted us. I stood up and went to the door to get it. Immediately I opened the door, I saw some men at the door staring at me.
"Good afternoon." I greeted them and welcomed them in, but they refused to enter.
"You must be Yushraf Sufyaan by the look of your face." One of the strangers at the door said and I nodded and asked if I could help them with anything. They show me their ID cards "We are EFCC from Abuja, and we are here to close down this house in other to repay the loan your father owes the central bank." One of the men I assumed to be a police sergeant said and before I could say anything out, Reedah spoke first.
"What about the companies sold, are they not enough to pay off our father's loan?" She asked.
"No, ma'am. It was not enough the loan was up to 20 billionaire dollars, so I think this one will be the last we will sell to gain back the money borrowed." The sergeant said.
We were both dumbfounded and speechless. We never knew dad could collect loans worth billions. All for what? We tried everything possible to beg them to let us stay for few more days, but they disagreed and closed down the house immediately.
We tried to enter and pack some of our stuff, but they did not allow it. We were only able to take our phones, wristwatch, wallets and some of Reedah's golden pieces of jewellery.
That was how we left the house we had been living in for the past twenty-one years of our lives, empty-handed.
Reedah kept on crying, I tried to console her, but it all fell on deaf ears.
"Yushraf, what are we going to do now? Where are we going to sleep and how will our life be from now on?" Reedah kept on asking me questions.
I was still in deep thoughts when Reedah started suggesting where we could go.
"Yushraf, why don't we go to Uncle Jaafar's place In Lagos? You know he is the only relative we have now, especially now that our favourite Aunt has gone back to her husband's country."
"We can go and stay with uncle Jaafar. He can accommodate us, You know how he and baba are very fond of each other." She added.
I just nodded, assuring her I will think about it, before tomorrow, as it was already getting late and I knew how Ammi hated night journeys."
Yushraf POVFlashback continues 3 years back After strolling on the empty street for what seemed like an hour, I started thinking deeply about where we would spend the night. We listed the friends we had and if they could accommodate us, for just a night, but couldn't come to a decision. After several thoughts, I suggested we go to Jibrin's - our secondary school friend's house. After our parent's death, he was one of the people that stood by us. We took a cab and gave the driver the address of where we were headed. Immediately we alighted, I brought my wallet out and paid the driver. We knocked on the gate and the security men opened the gate and asked us who we were looking for at that time of the night. "Sir,
EditedYushraf POVFlashback continues 3years agoWe left Aunt Sarah's house and went straight to the car park, where we would board a car from kano to Lagos - to uncle Jaafar's place. We had been seated inside the bus for a while now and it wasn't filled up yet. We were told it was remaining just two passengers before we would embark on the journey. It didn't take too much time before the bus got filled up. Immediately it did, the driver began to drive, but not before exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues. Because it was our first time travelling in a commercial car, everything seemed so funny to us. Indeed it was the beginning of knowing what poverty really
Yushraf's POV "Yushraf! Yushraf!!" Reedah yelled, bringing me back to reality. I wiped away the tears that threatened to fall on my cheeks."Reedah, let just go home. I can't stay here anymore please. " I beseeched."Yushraf, you want us to go home and we haven't even sold more than two bags of the bottled water here. Remember we really need money, especially now that our resumption day is already approaching and we need foodstuff and other things. We've been given scholarship doesn't mean they will provide for us. We have to struggle for our needs ourselves." Reedah said, getting pissed off."Reedah, you don't get it. I can't stay here and watch Bashar humiliate us like his father did that day." It was really unfortunate and unforgettable memory that will never be erased.She turned back and saw Bashar leaning on his car, with a gi
Deejah's POVI was bored and tired. I couldn't wait for this fucking lecture to be over. Mina did not come to school today and I had no idea what happened to her. She wasn't the type to just skip school, without a valid reason, especially because her dad was very strict and didn't play with stuff concerning the academy.I made a mental note to call and find out what stopped her from coming to school today.*******I heaved a sigh of relief, as the lecturer finally stepped out of the classroom. I brought out my phone from my bag and dialled Mina number. After the third ring, she picked up."Hey, babe! What stopped you from coming to school today?" I inquired."I'm not feeling fine. I've been feeling discomfort in my stomach." She responded."Oh! miss foodie. What did you eat to upset your stomach?" I asked, t
Deejah POVI couldn't not even make it to Mina house again after what this guy did to me today.I felt embarrassed about it but I won't let it fade he must face the consequences of slapping me.I drove back home, Without even answering anybody greeting I went straight to my room.I could feel my cheeks go red and wet from the amount of tears that drop, and I quickly got off my bed and rushed to the bathroom and locked the door behind me.As I stare at my reflection on mirror, my eyes were red and swollen, another tears streamed down my face I didn't wipe them away, nor stop my self from crying. I spilt the tears.My heart was hammering in my chest, and I can't seem to stop replaying the moment.It was just too embarrassing that the person I've had a crush on since i first stare has his brown eyes, even if it was just for a short w
Yushraf POVToday was very hestic for us especially what happened between us and that stupid girl, I don't really know why she have to act like that just because Reedah advertised water to her. Everything just seem to be annoying.I just hate her with even mere looking at her face. Quiet alright she's beautiful, but God she's just too repugnant for my likely.I stood up after taking a short nap which make me feel relaxed. I went to the bathroom and took a long shower, then went to my closet and change into something casual.I could smell the burning of something from the kitchen. I quickly rush down to the living room only to find Reedah on the floor sleeping. Which already gave me answer that she's cooking but unfortunately slept off and now the food is burning.I went straight to the kitchen and quench the charcoal. It was making m
Yushraf's POV After pushing me hard inside, the door closed behind me. I swallowed hard, not forgetting the dirty slap I received earlier.When I alighted the van and was taken straight to the interrogating room. There, different questions were thrown at me.The sound of the locks clicking shut behind me, loud. That was one heavy chunk of metal and I heard the bolts slide on the inside. For a fact, I knew I could never open that door even if I spend the rest of my life, trying, unless they open it themselves.No one looked back after locking it behind me. I was just another breathing corpse in there.I turned, eyes rolling over the concrete walls looking from the corner of the cell. It was just a box for a human yet there were other people inside too. There wasn't anything else, except for the bunk. The bars were really thick, and I
Deejah's POV It had been three days, since I made dad call on detectives to arrest that man. I didn't even know his name, though the sister had mentioned his name, but I couldn't remember what it was.It was not like I even cared to know actually.I should be happy that I got my revenge in a better way, but no, I couldn't actually pinpoint my exact feeling.I wanted to talk to dad about it. He should let him go, because he had had enough of the suffering. After all, he was arrested to face hard labor and for the past three days, I had been already regretting the action dad took. It wasn't his fault entirely. I should also be blamed for taking the issue too seriously from the beginning.I hated that sister of his more, because had it not been for her, everything would have been okay and that guy wouldn't have slapped me.