Every day, I visit Karan Daya, but today when I dialed Janan’s private phone number, she didn’t pick up immediately. She only answered after I called about five times. Before she picked up, my patience had already run out, so I didn’t even let her greet me before I blurted out, “What in the world, Malama? Why are you holding people up like this?”
She replied, “Jeez, girl, take it easy. I’m waiting for Aunty Raheemah to return before I leave.”
I lowered my voice slightly, “Just come out and leave her in the house like that. Isn’t Maigadi around?”
Janan hesitated, “You know what happened last time I did that. Someone broke in and stole money and jewelry, and it wasn’t until Yaya Bilal followed up that things settled. I don’t want something like that happening again.”
I said, “Then you’ll just have to keep waiting for your guardian. Honestly, if you’re not here in the next ten minutes, we’ll just meet there!” Without waiting for her to say anything else, I hung up and placed the phone beside me.
I continued browsing on my system, and about fifteen minutes later, I turned it off and put it away. I called Janan again, and this time she picked up, saying, “I’m here now, for God’s sake, King of Patience!”
I clicked my tongue, ignoring her sarcasm, and said, “Better. When you arrive, just call me, and we’ll meet at the main entrance.” She replied, “Alright.”
I adjusted my outfit before she arrived. By the time Janan called me, I was fully ready. I wrapped a scarf around my head, covering half of my chest and my back, then grabbed my phone, purse, and my flat brown shoes that matched the floral print on my long chiffon gown. I slipped them on and headed out, waving goodbye to my roommate, Aylah.
At the entrance of Queen Amina Hall in ABU Zaria’s campus, I stood, scanning the area for Janan. I tried calling her again when I spotted her near the car park beside the hostel, waving at me. A joyful smile spread across my face as I hurried toward her. We met halfway and hugged tightly. To me, she was like a blood sister, and I knew she felt the same way.
I glanced at the iNext she had stepped out of and raised an eyebrow, “Almu, is this a new car or what?”
She shook her head, laughing. “Almu, when did I become rich enough to buy something like this? It’s Yaya Bilal’s.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Holy wow!! When did Yaya Bilal get this? I’d even forgotten. Today, God has truly destined for us to meet!”
She laughed, her dimples deepening—something that always melted my heart. “Exactly. God didn’t bless me with a car early enough, so he said I should take his since he’s also around FCE. Come on, let’s go, we’re already late.”
I followed her to the car. Janan opened the front door while I opened the back, and we got in at the same time, exchanging greetings. The cool scent of citrus air freshener mixed with strawberry hit my nose, blending with the slight chill from the AC. We were in the middle of May, so the heat in Zaria was no joke.
As I greeted Yaya Bilal, he turned briefly to respond before starting the car, and we drove off. There was nothing I could—
