Chapter 15

Her sneezing could be heard from downstairs where Amir sat with his laptop on his lap. The thought of what happened yesterday crossed his mind and he got up knowing that she might had gotten a cold. He walked slowly towards his sisters room where he saw her seated with a tissue in her hand.

"Ruma I did warn you"  he said almost in a chuckle.

"Yes you did" she said whilst wiping her noise with a tissue.

"I'm just home sick" she said feeling some tears threatening to spill.

"You miss your family?, Don't you?"  He asked and she nodded while sniffing.

"Do you perhaps know their number off head?" he said and she nodded.

"I know my cousins number"  she said referring to zarahu.

"Give me, I'll call her now" he said which made Ruma smile.

"+2348__" she called out zarahu's number and Amir dialed it real quick. It rang and zarahu immediately picked the call.

" Hello wa ye ne? (whose that)" zarahu said the minute she responded to the call .

"It's I Amir sheikh, your sister wants to speak with you" He said making zarahu swallow a lump. She had always feared Amir, though  he had done nothing to her.

"o...o....k"  Zarahu said.

"zarah!" Ruma squealed.

"Rumaiss, How are you?" Zarahu said with emotions in her voice. It sounded like she had wanted to cry.

"I'm okay. Just missing you guys"  Ruma said trying hard to avoid the gaze of Amir who looked at her as though he was watching a movie.

"we miss you more, tell me, how's that brat treating you?" Zarahu asked making Ruma chuckle as Amir roll his eyes.

"That brat is here oo" Amir said and ruma couldn't help but laugh as to how zarahu gasped

"Yana wurin ki ne (is he there?)"  zarahu asked thinking Amir couldn't understand hausa .

"Amah kin San ce wa Yana jin hausa ko (you do know he understands hausa)" Ruma said, she tried hard to hold in the laughter which threatened to spill. Amir's face was funny

"Maybe o, okay tell me something. When are you coming back to Nigeria?"

" don't know" She said looking at Amir who looked back at her with guilt.

"toh sai ALLAH ya kawu ki"(till GOD permits)" Zarahu said.

"How are Abba and the rest doing?" Ruma asked.

"Abba is okay and the rest are good, Musbahu misses you Alot" She said and Ruma couldn't help but let out a tear.

"Ruma I hope his inhaler is still remaining?" She asked worriedly.

"Yes Abba bought him another one like two weeks ago, Don't worry I'm here to take care of my brother" Zarahu said.

"ok then thank you, suna kusa (Are they near by?)" She asked, she wanted to speak with them, especially her uncle.

"I'm at the shop, If I go home I'll inform them of your greetings" Zarahu said and she nodded.

"Toh thank you, take care please" Rum said

"Okay sai mun gani (till we see again)" Zarahu said and Ruma smiled before saying.

"INSHALLAH, Toh bye (by God's grace, okay bye)" She said.

"Bye bye my crazy sister" Zarahu said.

"Bye bye Magajiyashe said and with that the call was over.

"You wanna go back home, don't you?" Amir asked on seeing Ruma's face turn sad.

"Yeah" she nodded whilst sniffing.

"By tomorrow, 6:30pm get ready" he said avoiding her gaze which dared to make him sad.

"Really? " She said with a grin. If only she knew how this smiling of hers makes him happy, she wouldn't leave him. He thought.

"Yes, get ready" he said with a Stern face as he made his way out with only one thought in his mind, RUMA, he didn't want her to leave but he had to, he wasn't selfish to the extent of keeping her to himself while she had a family who she loved.

No he couldn't, he had to set her free. She wasn't his to take from the beginning, he thought.