After we ended the call with her, I felt deeply upset. It was then I thanked God that I hadn’t deleted his number from my phone. I called him twice but he didn’t pick up, so I sent him very harsh messages and switched off my phone.
I knew he would see them in the morning, even if he had already slept. That gave me a little relief, and I eventually fell asleep that night.
I had barely closed my eyes when my phone rang. I answered, thinking it was him calling back after seeing my message, but it wasn’t the same number.
I said “Hello,” and then I remembered they say you should answer calls from unknown numbers cautiously. I heard Yusuf’s voice and said, “Oh, it’s you, my brother. I thought it was someone else.”
He said, “Yes, it’s me. The fever hasn’t let me go.” I laughed and said I had poured hot water on myself. He replied, “Good.” Then he said he called because your man had taken your number from his phone, and he knew he might call me. He begged me not to follow his behavior or react harshly, because he didn’t know what he might say to me. He said the man claimed he wanted to call me regarding Hajiya Mama.
I interrupted him and said, “He already called me. In fact, we already exchanged words. He thinks everyone is after him, and I completely washed him clean.”
I heard Yusuf raise his voice, “Please now—”
I said, “Wallahi, I told him everything, including the harsh text I sent him.”
He replied, “You didn’t do well at all, honestly.”
I asked, “Why should I spare him?”
He said, “Khadija, don’t you know it’s you we want to use as our weapon against that foolish man in the future?”
I said, “Please, I don’t care about him. Why would I become a weapon against him and his foolishness?”
He laughed and said, “You are the one, Khadija. You have everything it takes to fight his foolishness. You deserve to do so.”
I said, “My brother—”
He replied, “It’s true. I love you. But when we meet, I’ll explain everything in a way you’ll understand.”
I said, “Alright.”
He said, “It’s not my decision alone; I was instructed to say this.”
He added, “When we meet, I’ll explain everything.”
I replied, “May God make us meet. I’m listening.”
We ended the call, leaving me lost in deep thoughts.
---
In the morning, Zarah knocked on my door. I woke up and opened it. She stood at my doorway, and seeing she wanted to enter, I stepped aside and let her in.
She asked if I was going out early. I said yes—I was getting ready so I wouldn’t be late. She said she was also going out, but someone would bring her a message, so she wanted me to receive it.
I asked where she was going. She clicked her tongue slightly and said, “A friend of mine is traveling, so I want to go and say goodbye.”
I said, “Zarah, why don’t you bathe, sit down, and eat what our parents sent us? This lifestyle you’ve adopted won’t help you in the future.”
She smiled and went to where I placed the plate of food and the pot. She opened them, then looked up laughing and said, “They’ve told you how naïve you are, right? That’s how everyone is now. Looking at you, one would think you’re the most old-fashioned person alive.”
I said, “If this kind of ‘smartness’ is what you mean, may God never lead me into it. I seek God’s guidance away from such behavior. May God guide you too to understand the truth.”
She took rice onto her plate, sat down, and started eating. I continued getting ready and told her to hurry so she wouldn’t delay me.
Smiling as she ate, she said, “Where did you get this attitude from? School upon school—Khadija, where are you going with all this?”
“Khadija, look at you. You lack nothing. You are your own investment, yet you’re stressing yourself—cooking from morning like a married woman, while insisting on suffering through school.”
“Wallahi, if you agreed, I could link you with someone in two days and your life would be clean. Take me as an example—am I suffering?”
“Now look at me—since the road opened for me, I lack nothing. But you—you have something that brings money and you’re hiding it inside yourself,” she said, laughing mockingly.
I stood there staring at her in shock as she preached devilish sermons to me. Even my room echoed with her words as I watched her.
She said, “I want you to understand something—the system of life has changed. Just enter where the opportunity is, girl.”
I smiled and said, “Zarah, you don’t understand me. My life system is different from yours. I don’t plant greed or the love of pleasure in my heart under any circumstances. So don’t think your little sermon will affect me.”
“I have my dignity, and I know my worth and that of my parents. Don’t think the shortcuts you’re taking can confuse me.”
“Pleasure comes when its time comes—not through throwing oneself away the way you people do. If you listened to advice, you would abandon this life and embrace what brought you to Abuja.”
“Even the men you chase benefit from education now. I’m not saying I won’t marry or live life—but I’ll be brief: when I do, it will be clean and dignified. I don’t sleep around like you people.”
She smirked and laughed. She was used to my advice. To her, I was still naïve, clueless about life.
I said, “Laugh if you want, but when I rise in life, it won’t be through these small shortcuts that ruin lives—it will be through dignity and self-respect.”
She stood up after finishing her meal. I kept checking my watch so I wouldn’t be late. She said, “Understand this—men like the ones you imagine no longer exist. You’ll suffer looking for them.”
“That’s your view,” I said. “We’re here together—you’ll see one day.”
She handed me her key and said, “So today again, you’ll stay indoors?”
I said, “Yes.”
She replied, “Why not?”
She left. I locked my door and we walked out together. She looked for a lift while I headed toward school, amazed at the life Zarah had chosen.
She was like a younger sister to me—that’s how we became close, even though we weren’t from the same neighborhood. Before Abuja influenced her, she was well-behaved. But I never accepted anything she got from her reckless lifestyle.
---
Meanwhile, Samad read the message…
As he read the long text message sent to him, his body trembled. He couldn’t finish reading it. Furious and humiliated, he rushed to the bathroom, bathed, and left to meet Yusuf, dragging him forcefully.
He was burning with rage—how could a mere girl insult him and his wife like that?
When he returned home, his anger doubled when he saw Nafisa still sleeping. He struck her brutally, shouting at her about her lack of devotion. Then he stormed out of the house.
Later, he met Yusuf, who laughed and said,
“Khadija is the one who can save you from the accusations involving Nafisa and Fatiti.”
Samad didn’t understand how—but Yusuf told him time would reveal everything.
---
Later that day, I went home as usual. There were no lectures, so the house was noisy. I was hungry—I had only prayed and drank tea in the morning. I changed clothes, cleaned my room, and cooked rice and stew like students do.
As I sat thinking, Zarah crossed my mind. She hadn’t returned for five days.
I prayed silently,
“Oh Lord, protect us and strengthen us. Life is frightening these days.”
---
The next day, Zarah returned briefly to collect her key. She later came back wrapped only in a towel, asking for food.
I asked her, “Didn’t you eat where you’ve been staying all these days?”
She said food was scarce. I told her I hadn’t cooked.
She accused me of stinginess. I replied sharply, calling out her lies and recklessness.
She left angrily.
---
Later, Yusuf called me again, joking as usual. He asked about the weekend. I told him I planned to go for hair washing and body care.
He teased me, and we laughed. He offered to take me, but I declined.
The next day, I went to the salon. After finishing, Yusuf called and said he was nearby.
When I came out, I realized he wasn’t alone.
Inside the car, a man insulted me harshly, belittled me, and threatened me. When I defended myself, he slapped me hard on the mouth, locked the car, and threatened to kill me if I ever entered his car again.
After we ended the call with her, I felt deeply upset. It was then I thanked God that I hadn’t deleted his number from my phone. I called him twice but he didn’t pick up, so I sent him very harsh messages and switched off my phone.
I knew he would see them in the morning, even if he had already slept. That gave me a little relief, and I eventually fell asleep that night.
I had barely closed my eyes when my phone rang. I answered, thinking it was him calling back after seeing my message, but it wasn’t the same number.
I said “Hello,” and then I remembered they say you should answer calls from unknown numbers cautiously. I heard Yusuf’s voice and said, “Oh, it’s you, my brother. I thought it was someone else.”
He said, “Yes, it’s me. The fever hasn’t let me go.” I laughed and said I had poured hot water on myself. He replied, “Good.” Then he said he called because your man had taken your number from his phone, and he knew he might call me. He begged me not to follow his behavior or react harshly, because he didn’t know what he might say to me. He said the man claimed he wanted to call me regarding Hajiya Mama.
I interrupted him and said, “He already called me. In fact, we already exchanged words. He thinks everyone is after him, and I completely washed him clean.”
I heard Yusuf raise his voice, “Please now—”
I said, “Wallahi, I told him everything, including the harsh text I sent him.”
He replied, “You didn’t do well at all, honestly.”
I asked, “Why should I spare him?”
He said, “Khadija, don’t you know it’s you we want to use as our weapon against that foolish man in the future?”
I said, “Please, I don’t care about him. Why would I become a weapon against him and his foolishness?”
He laughed and said, “You are the one, Khadija. You have everything it takes to fight his foolishness. You deserve to do so.”
I said, “My brother—”
He replied, “It’s true. I love you. But when we meet, I’ll explain everything in a way you’ll understand.”
I said, “Alright.”
He said, “It’s not my decision alone; I was instructed to say this.”
He added, “When we meet, I’ll explain everything.”
I replied, “May God make us meet. I’m listening.”
We ended the call, leaving me lost in deep thoughts.
---
In the morning, Zarah knocked on my door. I woke up and opened it. She stood at my doorway, and seeing she wanted to enter, I stepped aside and let her in.
She asked if I was going out early. I said yes—I was getting ready so I wouldn’t be late. She said she was also going out, but someone would bring her a message, so she wanted me to receive it.
I asked where she was going. She clicked her tongue slightly and said, “A friend of mine is traveling, so I want to go and say goodbye.”
I said, “Zarah, why don’t you bathe, sit down, and eat what our parents sent us? This lifestyle you’ve adopted won’t help you in the future.”
She smiled and went to where I placed the plate of food and the pot. She opened them, then looked up laughing and said, “They’ve told you how naïve you are, right? That’s how everyone is now. Looking at you, one would think you’re the most old-fashioned person alive.”
I said, “If this kind of ‘smartness’ is what you mean, may God never lead me into it. I seek God’s guidance away from such behavior. May God guide you too to understand the truth.”
She took rice onto her plate, sat down, and started eating. I continued getting ready and told her to hurry so she wouldn’t delay me.
Smiling as she ate, she said, “Where did you get this attitude from? School upon school—Khadija, where are you going with all this?”
“Khadija, look at you. You lack nothing. You are your own investment, yet you’re stressing yourself—cooking from morning like a married woman, while insisting on suffering through school.”
“Wallahi, if you agreed, I could link you with someone in two days and your life would be clean. Take me as an example—am I suffering?”
“Now look at me—since the road opened for me, I lack nothing. But you—you have something that brings money and you’re hiding it inside yourself,” she said, laughing mockingly.
I stood there staring at her in shock as she preached devilish sermons to me. Even my room echoed with her words as I watched her.
She said, “I want you to understand something—the system of life has changed. Just enter where the opportunity is, girl.”
I smiled and said, “Zarah, you don’t understand me. My life system is different from yours. I don’t plant greed or the love of pleasure in my heart under any circumstances. So don’t think your little sermon will affect me.”
“I have my dignity, and I know my worth and that of my parents. Don’t think the shortcuts you’re taking can confuse me.”
“Pleasure comes when its time comes—not through throwing oneself away the way you people do. If you listened to advice, you would abandon this life and embrace what brought you to Abuja.”
“Even the men you chase benefit from education now. I’m not saying I won’t marry or live life—but I’ll be brief: when I do, it will be clean and dignified. I don’t sleep around like you people.”
She smirked and laughed. She was used to my advice. To her, I was still naïve, clueless about life.
I said, “Laugh if you want, but when I rise in life, it won’t be through these small shortcuts that ruin lives—it will be through dignity and self-respect.”
She stood up after finishing her meal. I kept checking my watch so I wouldn’t be late. She said, “Understand this—men like the ones you imagine no longer exist. You’ll suffer looking for them.”
“That’s your view,” I said. “We’re here together—you’ll see one day.”
She handed me her key and said, “So today again, you’ll stay indoors?”
I said, “Yes.”
She replied, “Why not?”
She left. I locked my door and we walked out together. She looked for a lift while I headed toward school, amazed at the life Zarah had chosen.
She was like a younger sister to me—that’s how we became close, even though we weren’t from the same neighborhood. Before Abuja influenced her, she was well-behaved. But I never accepted anything she got from her reckless lifestyle.
---
Meanwhile, Samad read the message…
As he read the long text message sent to him, his body trembled. He couldn’t finish reading it. Furious and humiliated, he rushed to the bathroom, bathed, and left to meet Yusuf, dragging him forcefully.
He was burning with rage—how could a mere girl insult him and his wife like that?
When he returned home, his anger doubled when he saw Nafisa still sleeping. He struck her brutally, shouting at her about her lack of devotion. Then he stormed out of the house.
Later, he met Yusuf, who laughed and said,
“Khadija is the one who can save you from the accusations involving Nafisa and Fatiti.”
Samad didn’t understand how—but Yusuf told him time would reveal everything.
---
Later that day, I went home as usual. There were no lectures, so the house was noisy. I was hungry—I had only prayed and drank tea in the morning. I changed clothes, cleaned my room, and cooked rice and stew like students do.
As I sat thinking, Zarah crossed my mind. She hadn’t returned for five days.
I prayed silently,
“Oh Lord, protect us and strengthen us. Life is frightening these days.”
---
The next day, Zarah returned briefly to collect her key. She later came back wrapped only in a towel, asking for food.
I asked her, “Didn’t you eat where you’ve been staying all these days?”
She said food was scarce. I told her I hadn’t cooked.
She accused me of stinginess. I replied sharply, calling out her lies and recklessness.
She left angrily.
---
Later, Yusuf called me again, joking as usual. He asked about the weekend. I told him I planned to go for hair washing and body care.
He teased me, and we laughed. He offered to take me, but I declined.
The next day, I went to the salon. After finishing, Yusuf called and said he was nearby.
When I came out, I realized he wasn’t alone.
Inside the car, a man insulted me harshly, belittled me, and threatened me. When I defended myself, he slapped me hard on the mouth, locked the car, and threatened to kill me if I ever entered his car again.
Tears streamed down my face as fear gripped me.