~Day 13~

"Hey go and clear the weeds", said a warder while Islam walked tiredly to the field.

She has been sick for the past three days, especially because her lawyeress was nowhere to be found.

She unintentionally jolted someone's shoulder then apologized.

"Are you mad or insane. See I've been noticing you and this rich girl thing but I don't say anything", she said savagely then grabbed her collar.

"Hey stop", said another prisoner who conciliated the dispute and walked Islam away.

"You should be very careful".

"That's why I don't talk to anyone because I hate troubles", she said then picked the cutlass to cut the tall weeds.

"By the way, my name is Hanan".

"Islam. Thanks for saving my life".

"Your case is very complicating Islam".

"Really, what about you?"

"I'll be out in six months time but too bad I'll be an ex-convict".

"Well I know sooner or later all of these will end".

"Well I'm a bad person, I sold drugs because I was so desperate. The police arrested me at the airport".

"That's cruel", she finished pruning the weeds then tossed the cutlass and they left for the kitchen.

The seller served her a morsel of the tasteless white rice then they both sat together.

"What will you do when you get out of here?" Asked Hanan.

"I don't know what about you?"

"I'll just be good. Right the wrongs and be honest because I can't come back here again, it's very disgusting".

"Me too. Well my case is about to be finished and my fate will be declared but why do I feel like I'll lose".

"No you won't, you're an optimistic girl and I can see it in your fierce eyes".

"Thanks".

                              **
It was already visiting time while all the prisoners were waiting for their family.

Islam just laid on her bed and was expecting no one.

"Hey you have a visitor", said Hurairah who was also a prisoner.

She wore her scarf and shuffled to the waiting room then met the graceful lady in white and peach.

"Mich."

"Islam".

They raced and hugged each other forevermore.

"I missed you", she was in the verge of tearing up.

"How have you been doing?"

"Why didn't you visit?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm very busy these days", she said while they settled on a bench.

"How's everyone and Firdausi?"

"We can't find her?"

"What, how comes?"

"The police are doing their job so be optimistic".

"What about Zubayda".

"There's still no news of her location".

"I don't know what to do. If she doesn't comes to court tomorrow, then I'm dead".

"No don't say that. You should be zealous. I know Zubayda right from highschool and she's a tough lady and she will challenge them".

"I hope she comes".

"Don't worry, I brought rice cakes and waffle fries for you", she offered the carrier bag then she received it.

"Thanks Mich."

"I'm always the best".

"Yeah".

                             **
Ali was driving thru the town at the top speed without looking at his side.

He's been driving for two hours and fifty-six minutes from Kaduna state to Minna, Niger state where he was currently in Suleja.

He was searching for Zubayda who was nowhere to be found for the past days.

He also got information about her family who stayed in Dauraka in Suleja and were working class people but used to be wealthy.

He was tired of driving but didn't relent because it was his utmost priority.

He kept glancing at the GPS from time to time to make sure he wasn't lost then finally arrived near a restaurant which could lead him there.

"Excuse me", he called out to a young lady who was fair and tall and also covered.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"Please what's the name of this place?"

"I don't understand, so you're lost. You're in Suleja".

"Is this Dauraka?"

"Yes, who are you looking for?"

"Umm do you by any chance know Mallam Dauda Shagari?"

"There are many men like that?"

"Okay he has a daughter who's a lawyer and she studied outside Nigeria".

"I think I know her, Zubayda".

"Yes".

"Okay, keep going straight then you'll see a mosque and the house with black gate opposite the mosque is theirs".

"Thanks very much for giving me your time".

"No problem. By the way my name is Sadia".

"And I'm Lahab", he lied then continued driving where he arrived at the mosque and the black gate.

He parked his car then knocked the door.

A little boy opened the door and let him in due to naiveness.

There he met Zubayda pushing an old woman in her wheelchair outside the storey.

She stopped after seeing him then froze, "What are you doing here?"

"Where have you been?"

"Get out", she said brusquely.

"Who's he?" Asked the old lady.

"Yusra, take kaka inside".

"We need to talk".

"There's nothing to talk about, Mr Ali", she turned her back to him and folded her arms.

"Yes there's, you called me and said you need help then never appeared again".

"I can't continue the case".

"Why, we're almost there?"

She then walked to the corridor and brought a plastic chair for him to sit.

He sat and crossed his legs while she sat opposite him.

"Tell me what's wrong with you, the highcourt will imprison her forever if you don't do something or might cost her life".

"What do I do? I love Islam very much but my family's first and I can't watch them get ruined because of me".

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, when I called you, I was going to tell you about how a man threatened me in my own car.

They're watching over and you shouldn't have come".

"No, you can't just give up because of this, if you're a real lawyer, you won't give up easily.

I won't leave this place without you Zubayda. I drove for hours and starved so I won't leave without you".

She gave him a dreadful look then said, "I need to tell you something".

"What's it?"

"Someone called that night and asked to meet while he tells me who killed Sadia".

"So my sister was really murdered?"

She nodded her head and bit her lip.

                            **
Firdausi and Amina were strolling through the market while buying groceries.

She stopped at a shop where newspapers were sold which was the only place for newspapers then saw the paper with her sister's photos as a murderer of Sadia Nagogo which weakened her nerves.

"What's going on at home?" She asked herself while they walk back home then remembered what Azare told her.

She was very eager to runaway from the place before the next day which there will be a festival.

Sharo festival. This was when a boy comes of age and is becoming a man, to show how agile he's; flogging is introduced.

They finally arrived at the hut then she lied, "Excuse me, I forgot to buy something".

"You should give it to Garga", suggested Dada.

"No it's very important", she said then left the hut alone.

She started to run as far as she can from the village to get out of it but she could only leave through the river.

She decided to leave on the small boat Buba sails across the river because he offered to take her back to where she came from.

She couldn't wait to meet Islam after all those months.

He eventually dropped her out of the village and turned to live.

"Tell Dada I'm very thankful and I'm sorry for not letting her know".

"It's okay. You should go because this is the fastest way to the city".

During those days she spent time with them, she fell in love with Buba because he was smart, responsible and good-looking.

He was the epitome of handsome fulani men. While Garga was vagrant and a womaniser which made her disliked him.

She couldn't reach her family because there's low network in the site.

She watched him sail away in the tide across the horizon of the sunshine of the brown water then turned her back and started running away and as far as she could go.

She reached a point where she started seeing people but it was getting dusky then asked a girl, "Please where's this place?"

"Why does everyone keeps asking, by the way it's Suleja, Dauraka".

"Thanks", she said and realized her kidnapper drove her very far from home.

"How many hours will it take to Kaduna?"

"I don't know but it's not much".

"Thank you very much", she said and kept walking where she reached a restaurant then stopped by but was penniless.

She was looking around the place where people were eating but she wasn't then started begging for food but didn't get even a morsel.

Just then she sighted a man in black kaftan standing beside his car and focused on his phone then ran to him.

"Help me please, I'm very hungry and tired", she pleaded.

He then raised his head and was shocked to see her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Yaya Ali", she said then losed her stamina and fainted because she's been running for more than couple of hours.

Watch out
Approaching the finale