HE IS MY CHAUFFEUR ✅

TWENTY THREE

She stepped out of her car, a huge frown across her face as she looked at the giant two storeyed house. The house was hers and years back, she was very proud of the house. She liked to call it hers, built with her own money.

When she knocked at the gate, the gateman bowed and allowed her in. The house was noisy as usual, women washing, sweeping, smoking and dancing. The women she called sisters and friends in business.

She went straight to her room ignoring everyone that was greeting her. Her room was the largest as she stayed there while other women pay rent to her. There were almost thirty women there and as part of her rules, after five years she send them out and take in new ones.

She removed her large veil and threw it on the bed. She looked at the mirror and inspected her looks as she wiped the makeup she wore on her face.

"Yar tsana, you're incredible." She praised herself with a smile. She opened the drawer next to her and called someone. She informed him that she would be on her way. She changed her clothes to more decent ones and wore a large hijab. She found her tally counter and placed it on her index finger and began tapping.

******

When she arrived at the house, she waited in her car and gave him a call again. She had to make sure there was no one inside because she hated waiting. When he confirmed to her that no one was around, she walked out and faltered into his house.

The house was small. After the small door that led inside, there were several plungers with rams tied to them. They had soiled the place and it was smelling terribly. Yar tsana scrunched her nose and entered.

The compound wad small too with a well situated by a side and by the middle was a moringa tree. Yar tsana greeted his wife and entered the room he sat.

"Malam well done." She said as she sat on a woven carpet.

"Sannu da zuwa Hajiya." She nodded.

"Weeks ago I called you and told you about a girl Adeelah. And you didn't tell me anything in return." She explained impatiently. She truly won't back off no matter what he would say. If tarnishing Alhaji Rabi'u Danbatta would cost her life, she's ready to do it.

"It's true. There's so many complications about that, that's why." He explained.

"What?"

"Another woman came with the same issue. For the same girl." Yar tsana smiled. It wasn't a surprise to her.

"Get to work kawai."

The Malam nodded and threw his rosary on a sand plate. Yar tsana knew what it meant. This wasn't her third visit, nor her tenth or twentieth. The Malam was literary her god whom she sought help from.

She looked at the rosary and heaved. She randomly picked it and hoped she's lucky.

"Always lucky." He said.

He added. "Now bring the water in that jar over there. Come and wash your face and hand. Let the water fall in this calabash." It hurt her pride to follow all what the Malam said but after all that, she ended up getting good results that's why she was always doing it.

"Now we will see." The Malam began some incantations and spitting it into the water until Adeelah's face showed inside the calabash.

The Malam stood up and brought a mirror from his bag. He shone the mirror before the water and there, Ameer's face showed. He dropped that and brought another mirror which reflected Salisu's image. He lifted the edge of the mat he sat and brought some blackish powder. He sprinkled it in the water and soon Adeelah's picture vanished and two men showed, one was healthy and muscular while the other was handicapped. Their faces, blurred. All the while, Yar tsana was watching.