<p>He smiled broadly, thinking about how things would turn out with Abdulhakim's wife if he announced plans to marry another. She had always expressed her dislike for the idea since her younger days, let alone now that she had gained a better sense of control over her life.</p><p>He said, “Give me seven days, and by Allah's will, you will know everything. If it’s meant to be, it will be; if not, it won't. Send my regards to Mohammed.”</p><p>They exchanged phone numbers, and he walked her to where she had parked her car. He stood there for a while in deep thought before returning to his office. Overwhelmed by his thoughts, he decided to leave early and head home since he couldn’t focus on his work.</p><p>His heart was filled with sympathy for Farida, and he realized that her love for him had been the reason she avoided marriage until now. After freshening up, he put on a DKNY shirt and trousers and lay on the resting couch in his living room while his cook, Alfa, prepared dinner for him. He answered several calls on his phone before dialing Abdallah.</p><p>“Can you make it to Lagos so we can discuss something?” he asked.</p><p>“I’m tied up with work,” Abdallah replied. “Let’s meet next week at home. Is everything okay?”</p><p>“All is well, just something I need to discuss. We’ll talk later.”</p><p>Just as he ended the call, another call came in. This time, it was me. He declined it, then called me back immediately.</p><p>“How did it go, my dear?” he asked.</p><p>I smiled, imagining he was smiling too.</p><p>“Will you come on Friday?” I asked.</p><p>“No, not until the week after,” he replied.</p><p>I almost felt like crying. “But why, my dear Abdulhakim?”</p><p>“Come on, my dear! Work is overwhelming. Please be patient with me, okay?”</p><p>I laughed and said, “Am I really your baby?”</p><p>He laughed back. “Of course, you are—like my little teddy bear. Should I buy you one? I saw some adorable ones in a boutique yesterday.”</p><p>“Please, I want one,” I said, grinning.</p><p>“I promise to bring you a teddy,” he assured.</p><p>That day, I returned home starving, only to find that Sabuwa wasn’t around. She had left a note with our gatekeeper, Buzu, saying she had gone to check on Yaya Suwaiba’s health. Frustrated, I dropped my bag, took off my socks and sandals, and headed to the kitchen. The fridge was empty except for some cold water.</p><p>I quickly decided to cook two packs of noodles with eggs. While I was busy cooking, I felt something soft poke me from behind. Startled, I turned around to see a fluffy pink teddy bear, beautifully crafted.</p><p>I screamed in delight and hugged it tightly. Abdulhakim had appeared behind me, laughing.</p><p>“I thought you said you wouldn’t come until next week?” I asked.</p><p>He smiled warmly and replied, “I couldn’t focus on work thinking about you, so I had to come to see you for my peace of mind.”</p><p>Suddenly, we noticed the smell of something burning. I rushed to the kitchen and found the noodles and eggs completely burnt, the pan blackened. Frustrated, I felt tears welling up, but I held them back. He approached and said gently, “Why are you crying?”</p><p>“My food got burnt after all the effort,” I said.</p><p>He laughed, held my hand, and said, “Who’s to blame for the burnt food? Me? You’re acting like a child, Sakinah. Please grow up and stop shedding tears unnecessarily.” He wiped my tears with his handkerchief.</p><p>“Don’t be upset,” he added. “Cook another meal, and include me because I’m hungry too.”</p><p>Within 20 minutes, the meal was ready. We sat on the floor, sharing the food. He fed me a forkful, and I did the same for him. After eating, I cleaned up while he reclined on the couch, saying, “Tell me everything that happened while I was away this week.”</p><p>I told him about our school’s quiz competition at Queen Amina College Kaduna and how our school had won the trophy.</p><p>“Great job!” he said. “What was the quiz topic?”</p><p>“We discussed what needs to be eradicated in Nigeria to achieve progress—either poor governance or the rising fuel prices.”</p><p>“And which side did you support?” he asked.</p><p>“We argued against rising fuel prices,” I replied.</p><p>He nodded thoughtfully and said, “I believe addressing poor governance is more critical because stability is needed before worrying about fuel prices.”</p><p>I smiled. “True, but in quizzes, it’s not reality but strong arguments and evidence that win points.”</p><p>He leaned closer and whispered, “…Give me a kiss, Sakinah.”</p><p>Blushing, I covered my face and ran to my room, with him laughing as he followed.</p><p>The rest of the evening was filled with warmth and laughter, as Abdulhakim's presence made everything seem brighter.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
