Chapter 69: Chapter 69

Humaira didn't reply. It took about 20 more minutes for her to digest all she had just seen. She couldn't help but to cry.

[10:45 p.m] Idris: Did she tell you about the virus?

[10:45 p.m] Humaira: What virus?

[10:46 p.m] Idris: Oh! So she didn't tell you? I thought you guys were very close? Why wouldn't she tell you about her virus?? I don't get...

[10:47 p.m] Humaira: Subhanallah! She's having a virus?

[10:47 p.m] Idris: Yes, it's HIV

[10:48 p.m] Humaira: Audhubillahi Mina Shaytani Rajim! HIV?! How manage?! I didn't even know

[10:49 p.m] Idris: It was through the rape case. It's been six years now and she haven't received any treatment. Zainab is really sick Humaira. She badly needs Antiretroviral therapy...

(Humaira broke down in tears. How is it even possible. How came she never told me? Why did she have to suffer like this all alone? And I was thinking she had a normal life! What on Earth stopped her from opening up to me. And we slept on the same bed in Zaria, she didn't even utter something like this to me... )

[10:50 p.m] Idris: Umm... Are you there??

[10:50 p.m] Idris: The guilt of knowing all of these and not telling you has been eating me up for long... So, I decided to find a way before Zainab leaves at least.

[10:51 p.m] Idris: Well, she kept everything to herself. Even as her friend, she hardly opens up to me.

[10: 53 p.m] Idris: Please, whatever step you want to take, make sure it's the right thing. Zainab has gone through enough already. I'm happy she's finally leaving this hell of a place.

[10:54 p.m] Idris: Ummm... Are you still there? You're not replying.

[10:55 p.m] Humaira: I'm so heartbroken right now. I can't believe all of these. I'll expose them tomorrow. Thanks a lot, Idris.

[10:55 p.m] Idris. You're welcome. I'm just doing this for Zainab. She deserves better.

[10:56 p.m] You're such a good friend and son too.

[10:57 p.m] Idris. Thank you, Humaira. I'll be going to bed now, it's almost midnight.

[10:57 p.m] Humaira: Okay, bye.

[10:58 p.m] Idris: Bye.

Idris went to bed with a smiling face. He felt as if all his worries were now settled, He hide the hotter under his bed and went to sleep, praying tomorrow would be better.

Humaira's eyes were still streaming down tears. She was confused. HIV?! Why would it be Zainab out of everybody in the world? Those stupid robbers weren't yet caught, Humaira cursed them in her mind and scrolled through her phone. She went to the contact list and made a call.

****

It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and a dun-coloured veil hung over the house-tops, looking like the reflection of the mud-coloured streets beneath. It was a Saturday morning and everyone was in their homes.

Humaira drove her Jeep down the road and packed it carefully by the side if the Bala's compound.

Meanwhile, Zainab was ready she's been told that morning about Humaira's call. All Idris effort to speak with her before leaving were abortive. So, he decided to wait for Humaira's arrival.

Knock! Knock!! Knock!!!

They heard a knock on the door.

"Zainab!" Amina called.

"Yes ma!" She answered from the room

"Go and check who's at the door."

"Okay ma." She replied and rushed to the door from her room.

Amina was watching the latest series of her favorite soap- Opera on Telemundo while Mr. Abdullahi was going through some of his old newspapers.

Zainab opened

"Assalam 'Alaikum."

"Wa'alaikun Sallam sis!" Zainab opened the door and welcomed her sister with a soft hug.

Come in." She muttered, leading her inside the house.

"Assalam 'Alaikum. Good-morning, sir,"?Humaira greeted, stepping forward in the most urbane manner, and stopping Mr. Abdullahi, with a high-bred resolution impossible to resist, "Good morning ma."

"Morning my dear. They welcome her heartfully."

"Please take a seat." Mrs. Bala offered.

Humaira sat down somewhere beside Mrs. Bala. The sofa was beautiful and soft, but already torn by the side.

"Welcome my daughter. When did you come back." She asked with a wide, toothy smile across her face.

"Late yesterday evening ma. Just before the call."

"Oh! I see.." she replied, reducing the volume of the television.

"Humaira, go and get your sister something to drink. Maybe a fruit juice or something."

"No ma, there's no need for that. I supposed to be going to town to do something today but I only came to pick up Zainab."

"Oh... Okay." She smiled and turned to Zainab but Zainab has gone to the kitchen to bring the juice in the refrigerator.

Just then, they heard chatters of something. As if she'd broken a glass or something.

Mrs. Bala rushed to her in the kitchen while Humaira faced the TV but all her concentration as on Mrs. Bala.

Getting to the kitchen, she saw Zainab holding a broom and Parker to clean up the mess. The glass cup she wanted to carry from the top of the shelf mistakenly dropped.

"Hey! What have you done again? Zainab!"

"I'm so sorry ma. It slipped by mistake." She explained, trying to cover up where the glass had mistakenly cut her.

"Shut up! You idiot?! So because you're going today you want to break down this house, right?" Amina blared at her like a thunder.

"No ma. I don't know. Wallahi I don't know."

Amina pinched her two ears and draw them up. She squeezed it like a hold and draw them out like that of a rabbit. Zainab cried silently as her ears hurt. Humaira knew all what was happening. She had a feel something was happening so, she stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"She said it was a mistake. Can't you leave the poor girl alone?" Humaira muttered from behind

Amina turned to her, almost shocked because she didn't expect Humaira to come into the kitchen, let alone withnesding any of it.

"I was just scolding her." She defended herself.

"By cutting out her ears? Just because of what?... A piece of cup?" Zainab frowned. "Come here Zee!"

Zainab's heart almost popped out of her throat seeing her sister defending her like this.

"No... It's nothing sis." She stammered but Humaira called her to stay by her side.

"I'm sorry to be rude but this is so unfair ma. Can you treat any of your sons like this?" She asked.

"Are you speaking to me in this manner? How ungrateful?" She sounded so pompous.

That moment, Amina suddenly felt speeches. Nothing was left in her mouth to say thank curses and insults, she just kept quiet.

Buzz Buzz

Buzz Buzzz

Humaira's phone rings. She quickly swiped receive on the screen and received the call.

"Hello!"

"Yes, were already at the gate. Should we come in?"

"Yes! Come in right away sir." She stuttered over the phone and ended the call. Zainab had ever seen her that serious. She wore a frown. A big grown. A big, bold frown that Amina started wondering what was really happening.

Then she held Zainab?firmly by shoulder and pulling her to herside, away from Amina.

"This won't just be the end of you, tormenting Zainab, this would be the day you'll star regretting ever touching the strands on my sister's hair. I'll make you pay today, Mrs. Bala... I promise."

Humaira hissed and rolled her eyes at Mrs. Amina, grabbing Zainab to the livingroom by the wrist.

Getting to the livingroom, three men had entered, two were in police uniforms while the third one was in mufti. He seemed to the a senior officer because, he did the talkings.

"I'm inspector Abdur-razak Oyose閚i, from Pious Police station. He introduced, showing his identity card.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Mr. Abdullahi asked feeling a little bit tensed. He wasn't expecting them that morning. Hearing the stranger voices from the livingroom, Ibrahim and his brothers came out of their rooms to withness what was happening. Idris wore a puzzled face as if he didn't know while others just couldn't understand why. Who called them in the first place and how did Humaira know?

"I'm looking for one Mr. And Mrs. Abdullahi Bala... Are you the one sir?"

"Yes. I'm Abdullahi Bala. What's it?" He frowned.

"You and your wife are under arrest for child?violation. The two sergeant moved towards Mr. Abdullahi, with handcuffs.

"Wait, what? How possible? And who reported me."

"Just follow us silently, Mr. Bala. We know you have a respectable personality within the society that's why we're being calm with you."

Just then Humaira, Zainab and Mrs. Amina came from the kitchen.

The police officers handcupped Mr. Abdullahi?with his left hand and his wife by her right.

"But.. I don't understand. Where are your prroves that we actually maltreated this girl. Zainab is like a daughter to me, how would I ever maltreat her?"

"Stop talking Mr. Bala. I've known enough."

"Don't look at if you don't know what's happening, Mr. Bala. I respect you a lot but seriously, you don't deserve any respect. Maybe you watch this video." Humaira showed him the video from last night. He almost peed on himself due to the shock that streamed down his body. Amina was speechless. She don't know who recorded it.... It must be someone living with them.

'Or is it Zainab? Did she finally revealed their little secret to her elder sister?' she thought as they placed the sergeant handcuffed her hand.

***

"Subhanallah! Ya hakuri Humaira, ban sanmi bah. Wallahi we didn't know it would end up like this." Mr. Abdullahi begged. His wife, Amina was just so pissed up. She couldn't beg, yet she couldn't swallow the bitterness in her mouth. She just felt like stabbing the two sisters to death. She regretted not poisoning Zainab then.

"What would she do? It's not as if we killed someone... Humaira is just so ungrateful. After taking care of Zainab for 6 years, so this is how you pay us? C'mon honey, let's go." Amina hissed as they walked outside.

"No... Officer! Please don't take them away. They're innocent." Ibrahim and Isah begged.

"Don't worry Ibrahim,your dad and I would be back home before you know it. Just take care of yourselves for me." Amina consulted her sons as she wore a cunning stare at the two girls.

Idris just folded his arms and followed them outside.

Mr. And Mrs. Bala were taken into the police van as Ibrahim and Isah took the car key and immediately followed them to the police station.

"Why didn't tell me Zainab? How long were you willing to pile up all that fear and anger in you? Why didn't you tell me about your sickness too? Don't you care about me at all, Zee?" Humaira asked, looking so emotional. Her eyes eyer filled with years again as usual.

"I'm so sorry sis. But you shouldn't have don't that. I mean, I hold no grudges against Mr. And Mrs. Bala. They're like my parents. They used to love me but now, you've put them in so much pain and hardship. They would never forgive me... They'll hate me the mor-"

"No Zainab, they wouldn't dare. I'll make sure they spend their complete term imprisonment. They won't stay there for long I promise you. All I want is to see you happy... And teach them a lesson. I want them to know that what they did wasn't right, Humaira. Nobody would be able to hurt us anymore." Humaira gave Zainab a hug and asked her to go and get her luggage out.

Idris helped her carry some of her bags outside. But Zainab didn't even look at him.

"Zainab... There's something I really need to tell you." He muttered to her, dryly.

She looked away, not wanting to listen to whatever he has to say.

"I know I could be stupid sometimes but. I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry sir taking advantage of you the other day...but my feelings for you are true."

She rolled her eyes at him and carried the last bag into the boot of Humaira's Jeep.

"Come on sis, let's go." Zainab muttered. She seemed so pissed up with everything about him

"But try and listen to Idris first. You guys are friends, right?... You have no idea how much he has sacrificed, Zainab."

"What do you mean, sis!"

"It was Idris that saved you today. He gathered all the evidence and told me about everything you went through, Zainab. Idris loves you so dearly, he even exposed his own parents. Don't you know how painful it is? Can you even imagine what he's going through right now..."

Zainab stared at him pitifully as their eyes met. "So you are responsible for putting your parents through all these pain? God would definitely judge you, Idris!"

"Zainab!" Humaira cuts in. "What are you saying?"

"Let me finish sis!" Zainab stopped Humaira, rudly and turned back to Idris. "And what are your reasons? To impress me?"

She clapped her hands at him. "Congratulations looser! You're such an heartless human being, you disgust me." Tears flowed down her eyes as she talked. Idris too was heartbroken.

Come on sis, let's leave this place." Zainab muttered as Humaira welled to him.

"Don't worry, everything would be okay... I'll make sure of that. I'll talk some sense into her, she'll come and apologize when she calls down and.... Your parents. I'll make sure they're safe okay?" She assured.

"Okay, Humaira. Thank you." He muttered to her as she got into the car and turn on the engine. She drove into the main Street as Idris watch them leave.

***

Humaira drove to the police station to settle the Bala's case.

They were sentenced to six months imprisonment by the Abuja mobile court. The prosecutor, Barrister Edward E. Eze, along side Humaira had earlier informed the court on that day, so Mr. and Mrs. Bala were arrested by the ministerial task force while taken out if their compund.

***

Later at the police station...

When they charged was read to them, they pleaded guilty and begged for leniency, promising not to do it again.

Barrister Edwards, the prosecutor urged the court to try the couple summarily under section 157 of the criminal procedure code. The magistrate, Magistrate Aminu Muhammad爏entenced Mr. Abdullahi and his wife, Amina to six months imprisonment with a fine of #20,000.

After the departure. The arrest of the Bala's sparked off things in their house as they wind up in prison. This was a new beginning in Zainab's life. It marked as a new chapter in the life of both sisters and now, they were totally free from all the worries, hunting them. They would live happily together without worrying about tomorrow. Humaira drove back home and showed Zainab her new house. Zainab looked puzzled. She didn't even know about the house.

"Don't worry, Zee. I'll spoil you for being my sister." She joked. "C'mon, let me show you your new room."

"My what?!" She jerked at her sister's words.

"Come, let's go in." Humaira muttered while going in.

Everything about the house looked executive. Even the plasma tv was as wide as the windows.

"Subhanallah! This house of only three of us?"

"Yes Zee. Away from troubles from the outside world. Now, were going to make a little celebration. Celebration to better life and freedom." Humaira smiled. She was so happy that finally Zainab is back with her and those that have done evil to her are suffering for it. At least, it won't be like her own case. It's believable that, some people in this life are just unpunishable. Someone like Alhaji Musa. Only God Almighty would be able to punish such people. And maybe God brought him into her life as a blessing afterall.

She has a son now, and he has never met a monster yet. She wouldn't let them meet no matter what.but for se reasons, Humaira felt a little bit scared and threatened. If Alhaji Musa knows she's still alive.

'Well, he wouldn't dare! Else, I'll see he rots in jail!' Humaira muttered to herself.

***

Words and Translations

-Ya hakuri, ban sanmi bah: I'm sorry, I didn't know.

***