THE MASKED GIRL

18

My stranger guy is Suhail. I literally told him I like him an hour ago. How did I not notice? The nose is still the same, and his dimples too. God! How could I be so oblivious? He knows I called Mommy, Mommy without telling him. He said some things never change because he knows I rant. He said the tree held a lot of memories because he knows. He knows it's been me all along.

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Mommy asked as she stands to leave, she has to push me away from the door to go out. I was frozen to the spot.

"How could you not tell me that you are him?" I asked throwing the couch pillows at him when I returned from my world of embarrassment.

"You never ask" He answered laughing.

I told him that I like him. I told him my deepest thoughts about him. I stormed back to my room running away from the shame.

I called Maryam immediately after I hit the bed. "You will never believe who my stranger guy is?" I breathed in after she answered.

"He is Suhail right?" She guessed so easily. Remind me why I have a smart-ass best friend. "You are too smart for my liking"

"It was pretty obvious but I thought you would recognize Suhail at first sight that is why I did not bring it up"

We then talked about how foolish I am and for running out of the parlor.

Mommy asked me to escort her to market the next day, a place I hate going to and she will take no for an answer so I ditched her. There's this restaurant I saw nearby so I ran there. I cannot go to Suhail's house not after making a complete fool out of myself.

I ordered chips and a smoothie to have something to keep me busy and continue reading a book I was reading on you know the app, wattpad.

"Ditching Mommy are we?"

A voice questioned, I mean Suhail as he sits next to me taking my smoothie in the process.

Somethings just never change.

He was wearing an apron with the restaurant logo on meaning he works here. I still asked

"So you work here?"

He nodded sipping on the smoothie.

"I cannot believe you did not recognize me" He said breaking the silence that was beginning to engulf the place.

I laughed at his statement it is not my fault that he become more handsome than I thought but I did not tell him that. "At least I did not pretend to be someone else" I said instead.

And it was his turn to laugh. "You should have seen your face when you realized it" And I couldn't help but laugh with him.

We then talked and catch up on each other's lives. He is twenty, in his third year in medical school. I can still remember how he has always wanted to be a cardio surgeon just to operate on his Ummah she had been sick since we were kids, with heart issues. And then me I'm seventeen, in my final year in secondary school, and my hatred towards chemistry.

His break ended, ending our conversation and he stands to go back to work. "When is your shift ending?"I asked after making up my mind to wait for him.

"You don't have to" He answered

I scoffed "Don't play the gentleman card on me"

He smiled. Those dimples again. "3 pm"

And I waited.

We walked back home talking about random stuff and topics, I just realized how much I missed him.

I want to know why he is working while being in medical school the third year precisely because I know is not because he needs money asap. I won't say he is super rich but average rich that he doesn't need to work as a waiter. "Why are you working?"

"For money of course"

I can see that he don't want to tell me and that makes me want to know so I kept pestering him till he did.

"My school give scholarships to the best year three medical student to Nile University at Abuja. I got one but I have to deal with accommodation and stuff and I don't want to add responsibilities to Babah so that is why I am working to help before the semester starts" He explained and I understand. His father takes care of his family, Suhail's grandparents, his three cousins, and some relatives in the village which is not easy, especially for his average paycheck.

"Happy?" He asked when he didn't get my response and I smiled. "Isn't the semester starting in like two weeks?"

"Yes I will be leaving next week to prepare"

I now see why he didn't want to tell me. "We are also leaving next week"

"This was why I didn't want you to know" He stated. "I'm not following you" He added

Well if you have not noticed, Suhail is the type of person that don't depend on others, even as a kid. He likes doing things on his own.

I only nodded cause he is definitely going back with us.

"Let me not hear this somewhere" He warned.

I nodded again.

The first thing I did after I go home was tell Daddy on the phone. It is not like they are going to fend for him, it is just the accommodation and our house isn't very far from Nile. Suhail is family, I know he didn't tell anyone about it because he don't want to stay at our house but he told the wrong person cause everyone is going to know.

I went to the restaurant the next day to wait for his shift to end.

"I thought I told you to not tell anyone," He asked as he bring my order. "You did?" I questioned playing the innocent card on him.

He runs his hand through his hair in frustration and walked away.

"I am sorry I didn't know you really really don't want that" I apologized when he was done I was selfish.

"It's okay I'm not mad," He says as he opened the door for me and we walked home. "At least I get to be with you all the time" He added

And my heart flustered at his words.

That is how my remaining days were spent in Adamawa. I went to the restaurant every day and waited for his shift to be over and we walked back home together just talking.