THE UNBROKEN TWO

Episode 3: MISS AMINA AND MR. AKIN

Mr. Akin is our Government Teacher who has passion for football and he is also a semi introvert, we usually refer to him as “Born Gentle” because he is always quiet about anything that has to do with his personal life.
  On this Friday, Classes were going on as usual, and to end by 12:00PM because of the school variety show where students showcase their talents, those who sing, Dance and also comedy, before 12pm we were having Mathematics class and I was really Pressed as beads of sweat were beginning to form on my forehead(I needed to excrete) and the math’s teacher’s explanation were not entering my head.
    I stood up and took excuse from our math’s teacher and walked out, I look round to see the fastest route to use, then I picked the bush part, as I was walking through the tiny part I heard someone talking in the bush who I suspected the person to be doing what I am going out there to do.
     My school is a government owned school that is semi abandoned only remembered when there is election, at this time it was that bad that we do not have a building for a toilet which means we use the bushes as an alternative.
   As I went deep into the bush I found a good spot to release my excretes’, I had no choice than to listen to this person’s conversation, the voice was a male voice so I know it was a man and he was caught up in serious conversation with another person who I suspect is an elderly person, and it seems he is on a call as he kept repeating “hello sir” “Yes sir” “I can hear you”.
“I don’t know what else to do, it is so difficult”, he said and waited like he was waiting for a response and then he continues,
  “I don’t know what she wants, I have proposed to her 3 times and all she keeps saying is “give me time”, the bad thing is that anytime I want to talk to another person she is always angry, and go about spoiling my name, this is too much, help me talk to her please”. he kept quiet for about a minute which I suspect it is because of the reply from the other end of the call, he continued and said “I have seen someone else that I want to try my luck on”, he kept quiet and then laugh aloud, at this point he said “let’s talk later I have a show to attend”.
  It was when I heard him talk about a show that I remembered that I was having mathematics class, so I quickly run out of the thick bush to the tiny road that leads to the school about to move further when I heard footsteps behind me, when I turned my back to see and discovered it was Mr. Akin I was shocked that I screamed “Jesus”  he was very shocked too probably because of the way I screamed.
    “What are you doing here?” He asked aggressively and I couldn’t utter a word, so I simply use hand gesture to point to the place I dropped those stuffs that were disturbing my stomach earlier and then I ran off from his presence. When I got to class the math’s class was already over, I went straight to the free sit at the back, “why you de sweat, were you go?” Mike asked looking at me ferociously.
   “I go shit” I said aloud, all faces turned to me as they all laughed continually.
   Few minutes later Mr. Akin walked into our class to take the last lecture of the day before the variety show begins,
“All stand greet” called out the class prefect we all replied in chorus “good morning sir”, I try not to make eye contact with Mr. Akin as I was also trying to compose myself, plus today of all days Vivian who he asked me to watch over was also sitting very close to me at the back because I have become her only close friend at this point in time.
   I noticed he looks at my position more often which makes me uncomfortable for most of the times but the lecture in general was interesting, at the end of the class I tried to ask him about what I didn’t understand and he refused to answer me saying I should look for the answer when I get home .
“Take it as your Assignment” he said with a very serious face.
  After the class he called me outside and asked “what was Amina talking to you about the other day, did she ask you to monitor me?”
“No sir” I quickly replied, “she was asking about the new girl in my class and also why you called me to the staff room that day”.
“Amina is possessed, what does she want from me uh, I asked her to marry me and she refused so now she is asking students to monitor me? He said with a lot of agitation in his voice tone
This his statement clarify me that the person he was talking about earlier in that call was miss Amina..
  Five Years Ago it happened that Mr. Akin and Miss Amina’ attended the same University in Zaria, Miss Amina’s home state. While Mr. Akin is a native of Ondo State, He is from a Muslim family and he himself is a well respected Muslim but before he got to the university he became a Christian.
   “Why did you change your religion?” I asked Mr. Akin since he already started telling me his story he looked at my face like a child trying to get parental approval and continued the story of how it happened.
  “It is a long one but a short version is that I have been writing waec exams for a very long time and I have been failing major subjects like mathematics and English though my family has been so supportive, since my father is very rich, he keeps telling me not to worry about school since I will be the one to inherit his wealth and property but I refused to listen to him on that because I just want to go-to school and have a degree also to be the first to go to a university in our linage.
One section I decided to change my Environment also to change school to see if it was my school, teachers or me that is the problem or cause of my constant failure, those days it was really hard to just change school but with money I will be able to make it work, so when I got home I discussed it with my parents whom I am staying with in Akure, Ondo State and they agreed to support any decision I make because they are also tired of my failure. Few days later I picked up some of my things and travel down to Zaria to meet my Uncle that faithful Sunday morning, got to his place by 11pm.
The next day my uncle carried me to a school to register me, it was very easy since my uncle was popular in that area, the registrar gave us a warm welcome and my uncle paid for the registration fee, uniform, books and lockers fee, after the payment I was to go to my class to become familiar with my mates, a teacher walked me to a classroom, SS3C and introduce me to the students, few hours later I already settled in.
After One Week I noticed that there is this girl in my class who is very brilliant and all the students keeps wondering why she is not in class “A” Since pupils in the school are arranged according to their intellectual capacity/school performance, I also noticed that students don’t regularly associate with her except on special occasions, even me that is new to the school I already have two friends and I was curious to know who she is and why people don’t talk with her.
Any time I tried to talk to her my friends always discourage me but on this special Thursday I decided to come very early to school in case I see her, as I was just wondering if she’s already in school boom, the mysterious girl was already in school “This is my opportunity I said to myself”, I walked up to her.
  “Good Morning” I said in Hausa since that’s one of the few things I understand in Hausa language.
She replied “Good morning” in English.
“Sorry” I said quickly apologizing for using Hausa (I thought a topical Hausa girl will not understand English language well, I was wrong).
“Don’t worry about that” the Young lady said, continuing she asked how she could be of help to me the first thing that came out of my mouth was,
“What did you do wrong to everyone?”
“What do you mean?” she inquired.
I was a bit confused trying to sound polite I said “Sorry but nobody wants to associate with you”.
She looks straight to my eyes and smiles then said “But you are associating with me now”. She wanted to say something like introduce herself but I interrupted her by saying “I really need your help”.
On hearing this, the mystery lady was shocked and surprised due to the fact that no student has asked her for help before, she was quiet for a while then asked me what is it that I want? on telling her what I want I noticed some students have gathered around us, whispering to themselves, he is talking to her, one said I looked up and it was me they were pointing at so I ran off.
Throughout the Assembly ground I couldn’t looked up at her, I was also Moody in my heart I was just wondering why I ran off like that, when we got to class some of my friends went to meet her initially I didn’t notice until someone called my name and I looked up to see that they were calling her all sort of name’s, I felt a force pushed me and I walked towards her seat, she looked at me deeply, but then I looked away surprisingly what came out of my mouth was, “Leave her alone and stop calling her name’s”.
  Hearing this all the students were shocked that I took her side, my friend Yakubu was very angry and said choose between us or her, immediately I turn to this lady she was shaking her head like I shouldn’t choose her. My heart was beating too fast I just said if you want me to choose I choose her.
Her identity
I never knew who she was until I said I choose her, her eyes was brighten like they want to Pop out also she started crying. Yakubu on hearing what I said shouted in Hausa language saying he chose a Christian over us, this shocked me to my bones as it never occurred to me that she was a Christian, it also explain why no one wants to associate with her, before I could get out of my thoughts my two supposedly friends grabbed my two hands and some other guys started beating me heavily, I was screaming and no one was ready to help me, so my new Christian friend ran to the staff room to call a teacher who finally saved me from death. Instantly my uncle was called because I was bleeding non-stop, my uncle came and took me to the hospital and my new mystery friend pleaded with my uncle to follow us, apart from the fact that she was afraid they will beat her too she was also blaming herself to be the cause of me being beaten up, so my uncle allowed her, her mother later joined us at the hospital later that evening.
The next day I couldn’t go to school because I have not been discharged from the hospital, my friend and her mother where there with me throughout the night, she also brought food for me. That night I got to know that the mystery friend of mine is Amina by name an they’re one of the few Christian family in Zaria as at that time, they also told me about their God, though I know about their God while I was in my home town but it was a different part of that Amina’s mother was talking about and it was also very interesting, since I will not be going to school Amina’s mother suggest Amina stay with me at the hospital until everything was settled at school.
That day we had a very constructive conversation as I told her all the failure that I have been facing, which is the reason I moved to her school, she comforted me with some of her religion book citations and I was somehow comforted.
“Can you marry a Muslim?” I asked Amina, she was so surprised as she hastily raised her eyebrows, and replied loudly
“Impossible it can’t happen”. She said, I tried to ask her why it’s impossible, she insists we don’t talk about it until I had recovered.
  “Amina’ what are you doing being awake at this time of the night?”, I turned to look at the hospital wall clock it’s 1am in the morning, “why are you not sleeping is anything wrong?”   I asked as she was seriously reading her religion book and also writing something’s down on a small notebook, Amina’ turned and look at me and said
“I am talking to my God, don’t worry you can go back to sleep”. I watched her throughout the time she spent praying, reading and writing, she finally went to bed at 3am, After this encounter I desperately wanted to read what she has been writing on that small notebook but Amina’ always carry it wherever she goes to so it was very hard to get to read it.
  “Good morning Brother Akin” as she fondly calls me, I opened my eyes and looks at her, she was very happy and holding a cup of tea “This is for you” she said smiling and looking very happy, I took the tea from her as I was still trying to understand what was making her happy so I asked “What is the good news this morning?”. She said the doctor told her, he is going to discharge me today, I opened my eyes in surprise, are you joking I said still looking surprised, I began to have mixed emotions first I was really happy to be discharged secondly I am beginning to get use to Amina and her way of life, amidst this feeling I realized that I have not read Amina’s small notebook, she was surprise to see me struggle with myself about been discharged so she ask me if I am  not happy about being discharged, I quickly replied I am happy with a faded fake smile which she will probably know that it is a fake smile anyways but it works for the moment.
   Not long after the doctor walks in to check on me before discharging me, he met me and Amina having a high tense conversation about our religion, “Hope I am not interrupting you guys, should I give you some space?’ the doctor gently said trying to look away from our direction.
  “It is fine sir” Amina replied as she let go of my hand and walked outside, the doctor was fast with the check up, when he was done I got into a conversation with him.
“Sir is it possible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian Lady?”
He first smiled and then looked at me ferociously without breaking the eyes contact and side “Yes it is possible, just convert her to Islam then you can marry her, as a faithful Muslim that is what will please God” He said still not breaking the eye contact. Even with him looking at me in that manner I was still very much pleased with his response, my heart was glad that there’s a possibility to my greatest desire, my next milestone is how to convert Amina to Islam.
  Six weeks later, after I had been discharged from the hospital, by now my friendship with Amina has become very strong, she is more or less the only person that really associate with me after the last incident, we have learned so much from our religion and it was so surprising that Amina's mom allowed her daughter to associate with me after knowing that I am Muslim boy, her open arm of love keeps compelling me to want to know more about them.
  The next morning which was on Monday the school principal walked into our class to announce the date of our Waec exams, from the announcement our principal made the statement that exams will start on the 12th of July, every student in the class was happy, jumping and screaming but at that moment I was downcast because the reality of failing came to me again, after school I followed Amina to her house which is not the first time of going with her to her house, along the way I stopped and looked at Amina who was walking by my right hand side,
“What are your plans after school?” I calmly asked, she looks at me and smiled for a while, looks up and down like she was looking for the right word to answer me, finally she said
“I leave that to God to handle”
“Are you kidding me?” I asked looking at her surprised, “just tell me you don’t want to talk about it” but she insisted that, that is the plan, when I realized she was really serious it then became something to worry about to me because I have never left anything to God to handle before, I always have it planned out before it happens, Amina also included that she knows and believe that her God has better plans for her than she can ever imagine for herself.
  On another occasion I ask her if she is going to pay a teacher to assist her during the exams period, since that is what is reigning at that time but she refused stating that God is not is not happy with exam malpractice though my religion also frown at exam malpractice anyone caught in the act is greatly punished but I am considering it because of my past failing experience, I need to pass this exam by all means possible I exclaimed looking straight to Amina’s eyes. She wanted to say something but we have already gotten to her house, we went inside and greeted her mom she was just dropping lunch from stove “you are on time” she said as she served us.
On the dining table Amina raised the discussion we were having, I wanted to stop her because her mom was there but this is her house I can’t just tell her to stop so I let her, she told me of so many people from the Bible that God changed their stories some which I already know of, like David and Peter when he had a large catch of fishes. Her mom also added that if we study well and pray to God we will pass the exams and those of higher institution too.
At a moment I remembered that I was suppose to convince Amina to become a Muslim so I came up with a plan. Because I was young when I left home, I barely remembered most of the things I use to say when I am about to convince someone to do something they will not ordinarily do because I know that it will take extra ordinary power to bring Amina to the mosque, here is my plan I call it “follow me, I follow you”.
  On a Saturday Evening to the week we are to start our exams, that evening I went to Amina’s place to tell her about my plans of following her to church if she follows me to mosque first the coming week Friday, I was able to bring up the conversation because she and her mom has been inviting me to their church since the day I got to know them but I have not had time to honor any of the invitation, My agenda is to convert Amina to my religion so that we can get married later in the future.
Amina also came up with her own condition, which is for me to follow her to church this Sunday since it is closer than next week Friday at first I disagree but Amina’s mom volunteer to follow us to the mosque if I follow them to church first, at this point I agree thinking that what will attending the church one day do to me, that evening when I got home I explained everything to my Uncle, my uncle is a straight forward man, when he wants something he doesn’t pretend, I started explaining the arrangements of going to church and Amina coming with her mom next week to the mosque, immediately I mentioned church, he said no not again, I tried to get him to listen to me but he didn’t listen he keeps repeating no no.   But I also insist on going because I thought that was the only way to convert Amina to Islam. That night my uncle called my father and told him everything that has been going on with me, I overheard him saying they should talk to me so I quickly turned off my phone.
  The next morning which is on Sunday I woke up very early, dressed up before my uncle noticed and went straight to Amina’s place, they were really surprise to see me at their place since that is not the first time they are inviting me for church, Amina’s mom was very happy to see me. After some minutes they were ready to go, we enter a cab and drove off to the church.
  “Finally we are here” the driver said looking through his side mirror to see the church sign post, we all came and walk towards the front door.
When we got to the church Amina and her mom followed the back of the church to join the workers of the church but before they left they followed me to the entrance and hands me over to a guy (usher) that was standing at the entrance of the church, the guy looks really scared probably because of the way I dressed, after a few minutes of him gazing at me like he was scanning me, he finally walks me into the church and led me to the second roll, left angle of the church, the church was arranged into four part, two to the right and two to the left leaving the middle with a large space for people to walk on. Directly opposite the congregation there were 9 black chairs 4 to right and 4 to Left the last one was a bigger chair than the other 8 chairs and was set at the middle of the 8 chairs, it is obvious that it belong to their leader, I  muttered to myself, at the front of the seats there’s a podium made of ceramic glass, altar was written on it at the bottom of the altar Jesus was written on it, the walls of the church was painted with grey color paint, while the place where the altar was placed was covered with some clothes material like the type used in wedding ceremonies decoration, the light at the altar also shine with different colors while every other part of the church has white color bulb which makes the altar stand out and attractive to look at. I also noticed that the usher who led me in has his eyes fixed on me, this arrangement is quite different from the way my religion sitting style is, I muttered to myself again, the service went well apart from the fact that when the preacher (pastor)was talking I felt uncomfortable as most of the things he was saying could not actually relate with what I have known when he was praying he asked everyone to close their eyes but I refused to close mine, in the process of praying my heart opened and I began to cry, I saw a man like in a vision walked up to me and ask me to walk to the altar so I did at first I thought it was one of the ushers but when I got to the front of the church the man who led me to the altar entered into me, at this moment I was overwhelmed by the things I have done wrong as they all displayed before my eyes, I cried a lot asking for forgiveness the person leading who is the pastor ask those of us who came out to say some things after him which I did, after the prayer the leader congratulate us with a handshake and asked us to follow the counseling team to the back of the church, Amina's mom was in tears as she could not believe at the fact that I came out to accept Jesus as my lord and savior. After the service I noticed that there was this joy in their faces including the face of Amina, I was very happy about this and I know because she was all over me throughout the rest of the day, That evening I got home to meet my things at the front of my uncle's house so I tried to open the door but he has changed the lock of the door, when I noticed it I called out to him all the responses I got was that I should go and stay at the church, it was really a heartbroken moment for me, well I have nowhere else to go outside, I mean her and her mum's house and that is how we became one family at least I was welcome there I had time to read and also pray with them although I have not known what has happened to me or what I have gotten myself into but I know for sure I was safe with them that is how we became a family after sometime we started our Waec exam it was very interesting due to the fact that my uncle has paid someone to teach me on the exam before he drove me out of his house, On the first paper the teacher came to me with a prepared material which I refuse to take from the teacher I told the teacher not to give me anything because I believe God will help me and I will pass and not fail as usual the teacher was also pleased because I have just saved him the risk of losing his job I believe that wasn't a big concern to my uncle so we wrote the exams and when the result came out I had merit in English and C5 in mathematics this is a great miracle in fact the greatest miracle that has ever happened to me out of excitement I called my uncle so I could let him know what has happened to me, but he wasn't answering so I sent him a message and also call my parents to share the good news with them, they were very happy and pleased even though they were angry that I went to the church my uncle later called back that evening around 7 p.m. to congratulate me he also explained that he was not angry with me but to keep me safe he has to send me out of his house as a sign of disowning me, he also apologize for not telling me this earlier it was so refreshing to hear him talk like that, that evening was amazing my mum was very happy but my dad is still very much angry with me that I converted but he still congratulate me anyways he also stated that he will be giving 60% of his properties to my other siblings whose name were not originally written in his will because they were female which I totally agreed on, after all there's a place for everyone of us. 
  After some few months later I took jamb form did the exam and also pass with a very good score. I Gained admission into the University of Zaria the same year with Amina we went for a 4 years course graduated with a good grade of 4.5CGPA and here we are serving.
  I was posted to Enugu but I did transfer just to be here with Amina, ever since Amina and I confessed our love for each other  at our graduation party I have always wanted to marry her,  my mum and uncle agreed with the idea but my father won't buy it - left to me we can do the marriage without my Father's Blessing since my uncle will be there to celebrate us but Amina won’t hear it stating that my father's blessings is the most important in our Union and that has been the problem why she keeps rejecting my proposal and also guarding me from other ladies”. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on my shoulder and said “This is the first time I have actually talked about this, keep it as a secret” he looked at his wrist watch and screamed oh my God, time has gone, Sorry David I have to go” He hurriedly left.