Too late

mubashir's pov

Something in me keeps giving me this feeling I might not find my sister today, are we too late? oh God I hope this is it, I hope this is where we find her.

We got to the supposed house by 10am, it was a two hours flight and a two hours drive from the airport to the house, we were welcomed even though we were strangers, I guess this is one of the traits of the northern people, good hospitality.

Forgive me to say but we don't know you!

Yes, my name is Mubashir and this is my elder brother Ahmad.

Okay, you are both welcome to my house, how may we be of help?

Our little sister has been missing since January this year and we got a call yesterday, that she was seen at your daughter's wedding party yesterday, not just that sir, we were also informed that she had been staying with you for a month or two.

This is serious, who is this your sister?

Nu'ayma! Sir

Toh oh! Hajia zo ki ji fa, abun da mutani nan suke cewa akan yarinya da ta zo tare da yar mu!

La! why did Nusaiba lied us?

They explained everything in detail to me and my brother, I am still surprised how that little girl pulled this whole thing off. but then I asked

But sir, did you ever ask her to call her parents in front of you to speak with them and assure them their daughter is in good condition?

That was our mistake, but you see I and my wife are busy people, moreover she was with the kids the entire time and ...

And my bro cut him off.

But sir with all due respect as a respectable man and a father, the first thing you ought to do is insist on calling her parents if they're aware she's in Kano.

Hajia! kin gani ko? na yi magana akan yarinya, ki ce a'a babu matsala, ga shi yanzu abin ya zaman lefi mu, ya kamata ace mu sane da iyayen ta, ban gan lefin sun ba gaskiya, lefin kin ne da Nusaiba ba ku ji magana.

I heard him scolding his wife but had no idea, what it was, he was saying but I had to cut him off again.

Please sir, where is she now?

She accompanied our daughter to her husband's house in Jos!

What's wrong with this girl!

They're supposed to be on their way back because I heard from my daughter this morning that everyone left since 6am, this morning as she and her husband are leaving for their honeymoon.

How long would it take for them to get here?

About six to seven hours.

If your daughter said they left 6am today and it's almost five hours, then that's approximately two hours for them to get here, right?

I think so.

Can we wait in your house, please?

Be our guest.

We waited for around three hours and the girls showed up and Nu'ayma wasn't with them.

ina Nu'ayma?

Oh, she booked a bus back to Lagos while we took a bus back here, sis Nusaiba asked her to go back home.

With that we thanked them and left fortunately for us we caught the next flight back to Lagos we went to almost all the packs, in and around Lagos the next day to check on all bus arriving from Jos, they showed us all the list of passengers that boarded from Jos unfortunately none had her name on it.

We called back Kano if they could give us her contact and that was when they realized that she never had a phone.

This is indeed a dead end for us, why is she doing this? doesn't she pity her mother? I thought this could be easy, I thought I've found her already only to land at another dead end.

This time around, mom has locked herself in her room, how do we even console her? my bro had to leave to attend to his business in London. I also have no choice but to go back to my job, I hope she comes back soon on her own.

****

Nu'ayma's pov

Ha! Abuja thanks for having me, it's been two days already, I'm almost out of money, God bless Nusaiba for giving me a large sum, if I don't find a way soon, I would be kicked out of this hotel and become homeless. then I remembered the woman I accompanied Bad to deliver some fabrics before Nusaiba's wedding, fortunately for me, I remembered the address and also met her but unfortunately she didn't recognize me.

I told her I was interested in working for her, in exchange for food and shelter, since today's my lucky day I got the job, she must have been desperate to get a salesgirl and now she has one, no need to ask questions.

six months had passed since I came to Abuja and I am planning to get into the university.

I have been doing well with my madam, Mrs Nana, she still hasn't try to find out who I am or where I came from, she's satisfied with my diligent work.

Mrs Nana, long time no see!

oh, my friend it's been a while! we haven't seen you in Abuja for a long time.

you see, things have been upside down for me, but I'm grateful I am back on my feet now.

Thank goodness, you look so gorgeous, you guys are really enjoying and having a nice time in Lagos!

spare me that! aren't you guys in the capital city? infact I am planning on moving to Abuja.

don't do that to your business, you already built a solid foundation there, you want to come to Abuja to start from scratch? what about your loyal customers? c'mon!

how do you mean?

instead, why don't you just open a branch here?

Mofe ba eh soro kan! frowns at Mrs Nana

wetin that one con mean?

who's that girl that just passed?

that's one of my best salesgirl!

ma binu, I'd just make a quick call

OMG! that's mom's customer whom she gets fabric from, did she see me? who's she trying to call? I have to eavesdrop and find out.

hello, mommy Ahmed, I saw your missing daughter ni oh, right now in Abuja working as a salesgirl in my friend's shop. I advise you take next available flight here before she run off again.

oh no! what do I do now? should I wait for mom? or runaway again? but I'm tired of running and mom must have suffered enough. is this it? is this where my journey ends?

who did you just call, and whose missing daughter is working with me?

that girl, her dad is one of the richest business man in Lagos, her mom is my biggest customer. I just called her mom, she's been missing for like is it three or two, yes, about two years now.

two years! I am in trouble, I hired someone without knowing her roots, what if I am arrested?

kilode! calm down! you're not at fault.

something in me was excited mom would be coming, I just hope she comes here alone, I trust she won't cause a scene unlike dad. and my madam's call brought me back from my thoughts.

Nu'ayma!

what if she runs away if she sees me?

that's why I am calling her here, so she doesn't behind our back.

oh! mommy's customer.

so you recognize me?.

yes ma!

ba'oni?

mowa!

Nu'ayma you didn't tell me you're Yoruba!

I am not ma, was just born and brought up in Lagos.

I heard you speaking hausa to some customer last time, I thought you are one.

I learned hausa while I stay in Kano for a few months.

wait a minute! I remember you now, God I'm so careless, you came here with my supplier's son once.

yes Madam, that's how I relocated and came to you.

I hope you don't land me into trouble.

I'm really sorry ma, it was never my intention, you have been nothing but kind to me and took good care of me, maybe I should just leave.

kini? leave to where? sit down and wait for mommy she's on her way.

two hours later, my mom called saying she had landed on Abuja international airport, they gave the cab driver a detailed direction to the fabric store, thirty minutes later my mom arrived.

OMG! my mom has loosed so much weight looking dark and with eye bags , I couldn't control my tears what have I done to this ever glowing woman, it was tears of both regrets and joy.

Nu'ayma why? why did you chose to punish your mother? I thought we were best friends and talk things out.

mommy you said there was nothing you could do, I'm sorry!

Nu'ayma you caused me so much pain, just look at me, I am not that woman anymore, I now hide behind my shadow.

I'm sorry mom, please forgive me even though I don't deserve it, I've wronged you, I'm so sorry for being selfish mommy. I promise I regretted it but I felt it was too late to go home.