Risen from the dark

It's her birthday

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you

happy birthday dear Naairah, happy birthday to you

Hip ! Hip! Hip! Hurray!

Hip! Hip Hip! Huray!

Naairah's face beamed with a smile. She was standing before a jumbo cake, beautifully decorated. Her dressing was elegant, portraying the c**k of the walk.

Her dress glittered and she looked like a celebrity on red carpet. There was a lot of her friends and relatives there, mostly young boys and girls.

The long table was stashed and cramped with varieties of food. Fried rice, chicken, salad, fish pepper soup, turkey soup, slopey joe, tex-mex, baked potato and lots more.

It was a humdinger of a celebration. The place was a cauldron of mirth, persiflage, swaggers,and youthfulness.

It was time for 'item 7': food.

Serve yourself.

Nadia tapped Naairah.

" Look who we have got there."

Naairah looked up and saw him.

She was just seeing him and it was obvious he had been around. He wore a clean white T-shirt. It was not expensive, but clean, immaculate and fitted his slim and well built body. His vantablack Gorgio Armani jeans was slim and straight. Sitting comfortably over a white, clean sneakers. The sneakers was not expensive but it looked so simple and chic.

He wore a simple wristwatch with black strap and white case band. His Afro hair was well oiled, combed and dark ending with short, thin side burns. His black eyes hidden behind plane white glasses that gave him a sparking façade.

He was sitting at a corner, sequestered and eating. Unlike the rest of the invitees, he had a large quantity of food in front of him with almost all the varieties.

Naairah could not believe her eyes. Was he the one? How did he get in? She watched him for a while. It seemed all that mattered to him then was the food. He was almost done with it. It seemed nobody was really paying attention to him.

Then she saw something that got her astonished. He removed from his pocket a nylon bag, then poured food inside, making sure he was not watched, he went and hid it behind a big trash can . Naairah guessed he would pick it up when he was leaving.

What? Who was this mysterious guy? What was he? He was esoteric, paradoxical, obfuscatory and bizarre. What did he want with her?

She excused herself and walked up to him.

" What are you doing here?" She asked he moved away from the can.

He gave a cosmic smile." Happy birthday Miss Sunshine." He said. " It is a day when an exquisite cynosure, in elation with proliferated measure, and pleasure becomes to me a treasure."

" I asked what you were doing here? You were not invited."

" You don't get the quiddity. How can you celebrate your birthday without a national representative? I am representing the nation. The Minister of Youths and Sport to be precised. And I must make an official report. So, I am a national assignment."

" And a minister's representative coming to hide food behind a trash can?"

He raised his eyebrow.

" She saw me! Ohhhh. I am not that smart after all. Okay, let's say my cousin's cousin's cousin's nephew's brother-in-law's wife's second cousin is a laboratory technician .We are going to give the food sample a lab analysis." He smirked. " Okay, let me just say, I am making use of an opportunity. Listen...." He made a serious face, " life is like a computer game. There are hidden treasures as you play along. Some times and most times they are hidden. When you take them, you get more life, or a weapon, or something to add to your value.

That is what I just did. That food would be of great importance to me later. Food is life, take that with you."

" Can you see how low you could get?"

" I can see. We all got talents. Can you see how rude you are? You just turned eighteen. I was once as young as you were. Things have changed. My era of being eighteen is different from yours. Those days....."

" When did you turn eighteen?" She cut in.

" One year ago."

" And you talk as if you were eighteen at the same time as my mum."

" One year, babe. I mean one billion, eight hundred and ninety-two million ,one hundred and sixty thousand seconds. That is an era. Listen to me . I am an old man with wisdom."

" Now I am not interested. How did you get in?Do you want me to get you arrested?"

" Okay, I saw a girl coming in so I met her and started talking and......"

"Happy birthday,darling." A voice interrupted. " Officially an adult today."

It was Zayyad. He was looking so good in his designer outfits.

"Thank you Zayyad."

" Please, close your eyes." He said.

She closed it. And a crazy thought came into Adnan's crazy mind. What if he told a girl to close her eyes and when she did, he gave a nice, hot and sound slap?

"Open it." Zayyad said.

She opened her eyes to see him holding a ring box.

" Whoa! Diamond ring!" She exclaimed. " Thank you Zayyad."

Zayyad smiled proudly. " You deserve more."

It was only at that time Zayyad looked at Adnan.

" Hello. I am Zayyad Ibrahim Tofa."

" Herge Ibrahim Tofa's son." Naairah added.

" I am Adnan Abber. I am Herge Abber' son."

They shook hands.

" Your face looks familiar." Zayyad said.

" I was about saying the same thing." Adnan said. " Melberyy High school, California, right? We were part of the few Vaberians in Rosetales chalet. I am Adnan, the little boy to use to get bullied by Nathan Myers before I got me and shawn to give him a black eye...."

"No..I guess you get it wrong. I had my high school here."

" What a resemblance. You just look like Zayyad ab...oh, he was Zayyad Abdul not Ibrahim. Anyway, nice to meet you."

Naairah knew it was a lie but she did not talk.

" I was just trying to see him off." Naairah said. " Excuse me Zayyad."

Zayyad nodded and left them.

" If I give a girl a diamond ring and she dismisses me like that, I will bite her ears. You are so rude."

Nobody ever talked to her like that .Nobody!

" Now you will leave." She said.

" But I have not proposed yet. I came to propose to you."

"  May God forbid it.Will you leave or till I get you out?"

He saw the seriousness in her eyes.

" Okay. I will leave." He said, began to walk out then paused.

" What?"

He smiled.

" My treasure."

He went behind the trash can and picked up his nylon bag stashed with food. She marvelled. This time, he was seen and some girls stared at him.

He smiled at them.

" There was a prostitute who was forgiven and granted Aljanna by God for giving a dog water." He said to the curious girls. " I got a big dog to feed." He said and in his mind, he said. " and that is me."He held the bag and she walked him out." Okay Miss Sunshine, thank you for your hospitality." He said as he got to the exit. " when  is our next rendezvous?"

" With who? I don't want to see you again."

" Listen, Miss sunshine. Find time to come out in the night, when the weather is pacific and the sky is Naairah. Take your time to look up, you will see a star shinning so bright and distinct from the rest. That was the first place our hearts met.

They sat on the star to rest, and they were unaware of each because the rhythm were the same. Same wavelength, amplitude and trough. Then they saw each other and fused.

When you look closely again, you will realise that you are a light, and I lost mine, and you led me into brightness. I was lonely on the star and you gave me company, and we formed a new world: Our world.

There was no water but you gave me out of your cell water and I became stronger. I asked who you were, and a voice whispered to me that you have come to be my soul's companion. You came when I was stranded in the sky, in a vacuum, and lost all link with my crew.

A panacea from heaven. A blueprint from above to be materialized on earth.

Look up in the sky Miss Sunshine, what you hear is the song of love sang from above in dedication to us,

and what you feel is the wind of love, that smoothens the soul. No astronaut has gone to the sun where your heart came from Miss Sunshine, so no one can change this heart of yours that is fused with mine except when he goes into the sun.

My heart is bright because it reflects yours. What happens when you take the sunshine away? I will be left in a murky world. Freezing with no sunshine to warm me up. Do that Miss Sunshine and tell me what you see.

Each question carries 200 marks. Happy birthday. Keep the gift I brought for you. It might just be a reminder of me if I am no more."

" Please leave now." She said firmly. " I have got important things to do."

" You just did the most important." He said. " Meeting your future husband."

" Ya God! Get out!"

" I love you too."

Before she could utter another word, he was gone. This guy!

Adnan held his polythene bag dearly. He had a lot of chicken meat, fish soup, fried rice and drinks there. The night was going to be a memorable one.

Then he saw the car. Oh God!

He quickly swerved and hid against the wall. He had to change his route .

" I left the car there. " She said from behind him. " And came to wait for you. We have an appointment, right? It seems you have forgotten the micro-chip era. Don't you think this is your last chance?"