MANAL

76: Na'eem

I dedicate this chapter to Sopheeia_ Thanks for all you do ❤️

•

I paced to and fro in the garden. For the past hour, I had been trying to reach Imani, but her number wasn't going through.

I sat down on a bench and tried again.

This time, she picked up at the third ring.

I heaved a sigh of relief before bringing the phone to my ear.

"Hey!" Came her voice. "What's up? I just saw seventeen missed calls from you and-"

"Where are you?" I cut her off.

There was silence for a second or so before she finally responded.

"In my house. Why did you ask?"

"Because I want to..." I trailed off, thinking of an excuse that would fit the situation. "I want to come over."

"What?" She shrieked. "You can't come over."

"Why?" It was my turn to bombard her with all of the questions I had in my mind. I wanted so badly to prove to Manal that my cousin was innocent and that she was not a bad person.

I still could not believe everything Manal told me. In all the years I had known Imani, I had only known her to be an innocent girl. A sweet, innocent girl.

"Because...because I'm currently not staying there. I'm staying somewhere else now."

I furrowed my brows. "But you just said you're in your house in Abuja."

"Did I?" She questioned. "I didn't mean in Abuja. I meant my new house here in Lagos."

My eyes dilated in a combination of shock and disbelief. "Lagos? You're currently in Lagos?"

"Yes." Her reply was curt.

"Why? What are you doing there?"

"I have relocated."

You better believe me because I'm telling you the truth. Your cousin isn't what you thought she was. I believe you have nothing to do with this. I defended you when Farida brought it up because I trust you. I know you'd never side with the wrong person. I'm counting on you to help us get something out of your cousin. She just needs to tell us where she took the man to.

I shook my head. "Why so suddenly? You didn't even tell me you'd be relocating, the last time you visited."

"It must have slipped my mind." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

I hummed. I didn't know what to do or say in that situation. I was rendered speechless.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm surprised rather. Lagos is a very far place. It's surprising how you decided to take such a big decision without telling anyone. I thought we were close."

"Of course we are." I couldn't see her, but I could sense her rolling her head on the other side of the phone. "Don't play that emotional card on me, kiddie."

Typically, I would get irked by the word she used to refer to me and our usual bickering would commence, but at the moment, I was not in the mood to argue with her about that. I just wanted to get answers to my unasked questions.

Finding out that Imani was in Lagos made my heart leap.

Are you even aware that she defrauded Jawaad? That cousin of yours isn't as pure as you think. Maybe she once was, but remember, people, change. She changed as well. She's not innocent.