Soiled #ProjectNigeria ✔️

Chapter 43:Ibom Meridian

Nabeela.

I don't think anyone or anything can trump what Adeel has done for me right now. He has absolutely amazed me, I'm in one hundredth heaven right now.

Oh Ya Allah, Bless Adeel beyond his imagination.

I look back to see his long legs eating up the distance. He reaches me in no time.
"This." I spread out my hands out. "Is oh so amazing. Thank you." He nods and smiles at me, he's been doing a lot of that lately. Smiling I mean.

"We have a reservation. Let's go down there." We enter the elevator and I immediately whip out my phone to take pictures of both of us, elevators this days now come with mirrors. I'm so excited.

We reach the lobby in no time and a smiling waiter directs us to a two chair dining set. Adeel helps me sit and the waiter hands out menus.

"Good afternoon Ma'am and Sir, welcome to the Ibom Meridian." Adeel greets him back and he begins to rattle off the specials for the day. I look at the menu and one food catches my fancy. Edikaikong and pounded yam.

"Can I have that and lemonade." He nods and smiles again. Adeel orders Afang soup and pounded yam too. The waiter leaves pepper soup with us as appetizer.

I sip my soup slowly, blowing the steam off my soup spoon. I watch him roll up the sleeves of his white shirt.

"Why Nigerian cuisine? You could have had Italian or Chinese cuisine?" I sigh as I cut into the tail of the sumptuous catfish.

"I could have all those in Abuja, what's the use of coming to this part of the country if you won't have their food. Its like pouring water into a basket. Completely pointless." He nods and sips from his Offal pepper soup.

A few minutes later, the waiter comes to take the plates away. Afterwards, our second course is served. He rolls up his sleeves further, probably to avoid spills from the soup.

When our plates are cleared and we are quietly sipping from the contents of our glasses. I ask the very question that has plagued me since he came into my room after Fajr .

"Adeel." He looks up from his glass of freshly squeezed watermelon juice, the colour sticks to his lower lip.

"Why have you brought me here?" He sighs and leans back in his seat to watch my face. He stares at me till I get mildly uncomfortable.

"Beela. Its absolutely nothing. I took my wife out on a date to get to know her." I open my mouth to speak.

"Don't. At least not yet." I swallow and lean back in my seat.

"At least, now I know you love Catfish pepper soup and lemonade. I didn't know that previously." I look down at the contents of my tumbler. Mortified.

I feel like he sees through me. Like he sees my very thoughts and acts on them.

"Are you ready? We have to go to a resort." I look up at him sharply and when he meets my eyes, he smiles deeply.

"I'm not doing that. I told you, that when we do take this forward, you'll be thinking of only me." He hums and pulls back my seat for me.

"Aren't you paying?" I ask bewildered.

"Its all been taken care of." He answers offhandedly as we reach the elevator.

We are back on the rooftop in no time and getting back into the helicopter. This time I strap myself in without any help.

*****

"Wow. Allahu Akbar." The sands are a pure startling white. I look out again and the view is cut shut as the chopper has to park. I feel excitement begin to radiate in me. Like I'm in the Maldives on a pseudo holiday.

"I know right. In Nigeria." He puts out his hand for me to take and I grab hold of it without really seeing it.

"Thank you Captain. We'll see you by five." The rollers have stopped whirling by now.

"Wow. Adeel. Wow." He laughs and we step out of the cool air-conditioning of the main resort out into the open.

I walk unsteadily to a small thatched hut lined with other thatched ones where anyone could sit and watch the waves roll back and forth in solitude.

"Let me help you with that." He bends down immediately to help unbuckle my sparkly navy blue sandals that hindered my movement. We walk out into the open sun afterwards, my sandals in his hands after an argument.

"The sands are so white. Lagos beaches have that nearly cappuccino colour that makes you want to lay on this one and never go home." Adeel laughs out loud. A loud belly laugh that has me looking in his direction.

"I know and Glory be to Allah for he made all these things that we may marvel at His works." I mutter an Alhamdulilahi. Everything looks so surreal.

We move to the last thatched hut and enter into it. The seats are made of clear glass and turned so that we can watch the waves roll unto the shoreline. Its much cooler than the hot sun due to its makeup.

I feel appreciation deep in me and decide to voice it out.

"Adeel." I call again. He looks at me as though I have all his attention.

"Thank you for sharing this with me. I'm very grateful." He nods and looks out into the ocean again. He leans forward to fiddle with the buckle of my sandal on his blue trousers.

"I just need you to know, that I'll always be here, to talk anytime." I nod stiffly and blink to hold my tears back.

A waiter disrupts our peace with a tray of two large coconuts with straws sticking out of each one.

I grab one in glee once the waiter turns his back on us, Adeel takes his at a sedate pace watching me sip through mine.

"You know." He puts his coconut back on the tray. "I've never told you why Amira and I separated."

I purse my lips in annoyance. Way to spoil my pseudo Maldives.

"We both broke apart after a while. It just wasn't working." I turn to look at him

"But, that is not what she told me." He smiles, one that turns his eyes into slits.

"I see. Did she tell you exactly what she did then?" I shake my head.

"We were married early. Just after my second masters. I'd only just started my second business with Mu'adh, and you know new businesses need nurturing, just as new marriages." I nod and take a deep sip of my chilled coconut drink.

"Then, we began to have fights. She didn't trust my business meetings anymore. Not that I allayed her fears too. And her mother had to resort to bringing her herbs and all to make me stay at home." He curls his  two index fingers to emphasise on stay at home.

"When it didn't work, she began to bring men home. She wasn't the very patient type and at that age, I didn't want a clingy wife too. We had to separate and I've never been in a relationship till you." I sip my drink again.

"Oh." I say and look out in the ocean

"Yeah." He replies and silence ensues, each in his own thought.

******

Hi guys, how are you all doing? I'm hoping this sends because I don't know what in the world is happening.

And Adeel 😵😡😠I don't know how someone so intelligent can be so thoughtless 😳😳

Anyways, have a great weekend and enjoy the new Soiled cover. Love y'all.

God bless you.

TheOmoope