Chapter 09

Hassan and Hussain would be leaving in a few days, and they wanted to have as much time with their families as they could. They had their breakfast together in Hajia's chamber and Nadia would have loved it if Hussain wasn't there and flashing her those cold looks that sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know what was with him and unnerving her soul in a way only him could.
Hajia looked at Sohila and Mufeeda that were eating while giggling, looking at their phones. "Mufeeda, you know you have to go back to Kaduna today, right? You should do fast and finish eating, get ready before the driver arrives. The roads are bad, you shouldn't be late."
Mufeeda looked up from her phone, and after stealing a look at Hussain, she flushed and nodded her head at Hajia with a soft smile. "Yes, Hajia. I will be fast."
Nadia internally giggled and cleared her throat, all her attentions turned back at her, "Hajia, I thought you said Hussain will go to Zaria today, that his friend's father has died? Why don't they leave together? Wouldn't it be easier that way?" She asked, doing all she could to avoid her eyes from having a look at Hussain that looked murderous. She knew she could use this way to hurt him as she could. Those cold looks wouldn't go in vain.
Hussain turned to look at her with a quick and murderous look, "What do you mean..." Hajia cut him off before he finished.
"Oh my god, I should've thought about it. You're taking Mufeeda along with you, she can offer her condolences to your friend's family then you can take her to Kaduna. Don't leave her in Zaria, I'm warning you, Hussain." She knew Hussain could ask her to get someone that will take her to Kaduna from Zaria, hence the warning.
When Hussain looked up at Mufeeda, she had a pleased smile on her face and he knew it was only taking all she had in her not to burst into a peal of giggles. "I'll be leaving in thirty minutes." He pushed his chair back and left the dining room, behind him, he could hear the laughing voices of his family and the screaming of Suhaila and Mufeeda as they ran to her room to get her bag ready because they knew he could leave her behind as easily as breathing was.
Nadia turned to Hassan that was smiling while he shook his head, he had never seen the person that got to the peak of Hussain's nerves like Nadia and when he wanted to annoy her too, he was the best at it because she looked like cutting off his throat. He knew they didn't have a good relationship, hell, they could hardly tolerate each other.
"I should go and console Second H, lest he commits a crime on their way to Kaduna." He pushed his chair back and chuckled at the innocent and pleased look on Nadia's face. He pinched her cheeks, "Singleton, you should stop annoying my twin, we both know that's the least thing he would love to do and he couldn't say no to Hajia." She giggled and dived more into her plate and he left the living room.
Hajia turned to look at her and she flashed her that motherly smile, "I don't understand why he doesn't want to be together with Mufeeda. I believe she's a nice girl, isn't she, Nadia?" Hajia asked and Nadia almost immediately nodded her head at her and she got her encouraging facial look on her face.
"That's what I wanted to ask you, Hajia. The thing is, he doesn't even stand her presence, he makes sure to stay away from wherever she was, and how could he get to know her that way? And the poor girl is already in love." Nadia giggled and Hajia laughed along.
"I think I'll have to make the first move for him, because from the looks of it, Hussain wants to stay for as long as he wanted, unmarried. We can't let that happen."
Nadia shook her head, "We shouldn't, Hajia. It's high time he settles down..." her words got choked up into her throat when she saw one of the men walked into the living room and she needn't be told that he was Hussain because of the hard look he had on his face.
"Are you done getting ready?" Hajia asked, masking up her emotions. She wanted to laugh at how he was scowling but she knew that would only rile him up, so she avoided it.
"I am, and she better be done or else I'll leave without her because I have to come back tonight, Hajia." He didn't wait for Hajia's response as he walked out of the living room and walked to Sohila's room, where he met them briskly getting her things into her trolley.
"I can only wait for five more minutes." He said from the door and turned to his heels, ignoring the way Sohila kept begging him with 'Please, Second H, she's not done yet. Maybe ten more minutes? Please!!!'
He went to his car and sat down, clenching his fist. He really wanted to smack Nadia until he knocked her off her breath. How dare she? She knew clearly that he merely tolerated seeing Mufeeda on that table but she had to go on and make this suggestion knowing quite alright Hajia will take up her advice?! He would have to think of a way to hurt her as well, and he knew just what he had to do.
At exactly four minutes, they were all out to escort Mufeeda to the car and he could say he was fairly disappointed. He wished she would be late so he can have an excuse to leave without her. Hassan put her things in the trunk of his car and they shook hands.
"Drive safely, Second H, okay? Don't drive aggressively because you're angry, we can't bare to loose you."
"Not him, his wife that isn't even his wife yet. He should treat her with so much care, like the queen she is in his heart!" Nadia called out from where she stood and Hussain flashed her a murderous look that forced her to take her eyes off them, he turned his gaze back to Hassan.
"First H, warn your wife. One thing, and she'll be crying, running to Hajia to vent out on us." He said through gritted teeth and no matter how much Hassan wanted to stifle his laughter, he couldn't.
"We're sorry, she dare not make her husband's twin angry. Drive safely, and call me when you've arrived." They watched as Hussain drove out of the house while the women waved at them and Hassan immediately dragged her to their chamber while she laughed at the pitch of her voice, "Twin! I haven't done anything wrong!" She whined when he closed the door of their room behind them.
"You did, you made Second H angry and you should be punished!" There was a smile and laughter on his lips but he was trying all he could to sound serious.
Stubbornly, Nadia placed her hands on akimbo and stared at him, "How will I be punished then?" He moved closer and with just one move she knew what he meant, she began to take a step back until they reached the bed and she stumbled on it. When his whole body hovered over hers, she giggled. "I'd love to be punished this way for the rest of my life!" She said before he sealed their lips in the most passionate way ever. Had she ever told someone how much she loved Hassan AbdulHamid Alkali?
*
Mufeeda cleared her throat and Hussain tightened his hold on the steering wheel, he didn't want to vent all his anger on her, and he knew one word from her will make him all riled and that would be so ungentle-manly. They had passed Malumfashi already, driving for almost two hours now.
"I want to ease myself, Second H." She called him with the name she heard Sohila did, and when he turned, he had a cold and red look in his eyes. She had remembered, he had once warned her not to call him with a name only Hassan and Sohila are allowed to. "Ya Hussain," she quickly corrected herself.
He wanted to shout at her but he knew if she had any control over it, she wouldn't have told him. And if someone did what he wanted to do to her to Sohila, he would make sure whoever that person was, visited the orthopedic hospital with fractured bones. He stared at his fuel tank, it was low.
"There'll be a fuel station ahead, you can find a toilet there." She knew not to add anything from that. And that was how they drove in silence, when they got to Zaria, he left her in the car for over an hour before he took her to Kaduna. She wished she hadn't followed his car because nothing good happened. Hell, he hadn't even looked at her the way she thought he would. No word was spoken!
When he honked at their gate to be opened, it was dark already. Around 9pm and he knew his family were all in Hajia's living room because be could hear their giggles. No, he heard her giggle. He quickly brushed that thought away from his mind and walked to their chamber.
He freshened up before be went to Hajia's chamber and the moment be made his appearance known, Nadia turned to look at him with excitement flowing from her eyes.
"Twin! You're back already? I thought you won't be back until after 11pm? What happened? The game wasn't interesting enough?" She asked and motioned for him to come and sit down.
He turned to Hajia and Sohila that looked struck, he knew he had a chance to tell her he wasn't the one, but this would be the greatest comeback he would give her, she would cry so badly. He motioned for Hajia and Sohila to stay mute, and they stifled back their words with a hint of smile.
He sat on the sofa, making sure he made a reasonable distance between them. "I left, it wasn't as interesting as it should have."
"But you said that your friends would be there, Second H isn't here you would've watched it with him" He didn't know, and Hassan had always loved watching the ball with their friends, he sometimes forced Hussain and they had to watch it with the men.
"I'm hungry, is there something?" He looked around, avoiding Hajia and Sohila's eyes because he might end up laughing.
"I'll go bring something." He ate his food while they continued watching their movie.
"H, can you please bring me that hot balm you once gave me? My knees are hurting and I felt good when you gave it to me the last time." Hajia said, using just the H because she didn't know what she would address him as. Hassan or Hussain?
He knew there was no balm, hell, Hajia's knees were alright unless she had never told any of them. She wanted him to end the pretence game, he was tired as well. "Yes I know, I'll go and bring it now." He left the living room before Nadia got the chance of speaking to him.
Nadia followed his retreating back with a known look, something was definitely wrong with her twin. He looked cold and odd and also tired. She smiled shyly at Hajia and stood up as well, "Hajia, goodnight, I'm sleepy." Hajia wanted to tell her that he wasn't her husband, but then she knew Nadia would feel fooled and betrayed by all of them.
Nadia rushed out of the chamber and she watched as he walked into their chamber. She called out his name but it was evident he didn't hear her. She ran to their chamber and he was walking toward their room when she reached up at him, panting for her breath. She held his arm and he turned to look at her, "Twin..." she whispered.