Handsome Devil ✅

Twenty-six

Living every day, minute hell even seconds was becoming a threat to Zayyad knowing fully that miles a way his child was kicking in the womb of a teenager in what was proving to be the most difficult situation he has ever been in.

He had prayed for her to die or the child to die or they get lost but he wasn't sure his prayers were answered because that nagging and dreadful feeling was there beneath his chest. It was slowly becoming a part of him and life was not fun and interesting anymore. He had not the faintest idea what Layla was going to do but this was surely and painfully a beginning for her. It was ridiculous that where he wanted to end the story had emerge as a new beginning to something he so wanted to be out of.

Days had slowly rolled into weeks and with each passing day, he felt it brings him closer to a thing he wanted to be far away. As he sluggishly moved his blanket away from his body, Zayyad sat up on his bed to a drizzling morning that was 14 days away from his so called matrimonial celebration. He was getting married to Noor. That girl had successfully found a way to cling to him and he was hating her for that. He had wanted to disappear or hide somewhere until the 'dry joke' was over but it seemed Abba and Maama were observing his every move.

He hasn't seen Noor since last weekend. It was Maama that sent him on an errand which he swore it was her own way of making him go to see Noor. He hated Noor, he hated Layla for making him jumpy in his own life where he was supposed to be the one leading it and then subtly, he hated himself for letting his stupid hormones get the hold of his sense which landed him in this mess. Thank you damn testosterone!!!

He lazily dragged his exhausted self and mind to the bathroom and left the door ajar. Everything felt like a dream and he so wanted out of that dream.

ZARIA

Layla had successfully entered the riskiest part of her pregnancy. A journey she had endured and tolerated out of horrendous quest for vengeance. She had thought of giving up times uncounted but whenever she does, she felt an energy charged within her to make them pay. To make Zayyad pay and to make Innah pay. She scoffed as she folded her clothes arranging them neatly in her box.

It was time to leave Zaria.

She had secretly saved enough money to leave. It wasn't much but she knew it would help her along her journey. They had not been on a smooth mother-daughter relationship and with each passing day she suspected Innah was trying to sabotage her child and she would never let that happen. Not until Innah hold her dear grand child!!

When the house was quiet and Rahama had gone to the neighborhood to watch TV, Innah had since been out as always, Layla wore her long black hijab and tucked her small box beneath her. She picked up her slippers and tip toed out of the house her heart beating erratically.

She looked back at the house she had spent most of her life in, where she had been hated by the one person who should've nurtured and cared for her and she didn't feel remorseful about her living for they did not deserve her. She felt an empty tears rolling down her cheeks and hurriedly hailed an okada for the park.

Layla reached the park when the sun had set and walked sluggishly to the line where she saw Kano. She was the last passenger and with a heavy heart, she watched as she the car taxied out on the road and enroute Kano.

Every minute of the drive was literally Layla feeling unshackled from those emotional chains that kept bringing her down. She felt like a dove spreading her feathers to fly and the sky was just the beginning.

Seated next to her was an older woman who was quiet for the most part of the journey. Layla thought she was deaf because even when she greeted her the old woman barely acknowledged her.