She plans to kill me

He remembers that night

2008

“ My name is Danjuma , AKA Black. They say I am dark, is it true?” Black said as he sat opposite Maryam in a room somewhere around Abattoir, Garki.

Maryam said nothing. She kept muttering Ayatul khursiyu, Suratul Falaq, Ummul khitab.

“ It seems you are praying. Do yo think we don’t pray?" black smiled, “ back in my secondary school days, we had a gang. We specialized in goats and rams before we graduated to cows. Before we go out at night, for operation, we would perform raka’ats and pray. And we do succeed. We pray for success. We had mallams who gave us things for protection.

I know what you are thinking. How can we pray for success when what we intended to do was a sin. Okay, back to history. When Iblis disobeyed God and refused to bow before Annabi Adam, and he was cursed by God, he begged for a chance and he was allowed.

Did he pray for forgiveness? No. What did he pray for? He prayed for respite, to be given a long life, so he could make God’s servants derail from siratal mustaqim except a few and he was granted.”

“ Will that stop him from been punished? Will that stop you from God’s punishment if you don’t repent?”

“ So you talk? Hehehe.” He sat forward, “ I don’t care about that. The qiyama is tomorrow but the world is today. Let me tell you this, I have plans. If I am about to die, I would recite the kalima and …..that is it.”

“ Who told you  have the power to recite the kalima without God’s will?”

“ This is not a court and don’t ask me stupid questions. I will not be buried in the same grave with you but……” he glanced over her body, “ it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be buried with you . Like together in that tight hole.”

God! Was this guy normal?

“ Queen is on her way and that means ….today could be your last day on Earth. I hope you would behave . Why did you travel to Kano? You went to meet somebody. Who is it? Better talk to me before her majesty comes.”

Maryam was now sure it was Jezebel behind this. God! Where had she been all these while? Was she going to kill her? And what happens to  Danny? The case would be dismissed because only she found what may help him if at all it would work out.

“ I went on a personal trip.”

“ On the eve of a major case? You lawyers always call yourself learned and think everyone else is a fool, ko? You have been travelling about, going to place to place, trying to dig things up. You are lucky we found about you late but…it is not too late.”

“ Your queen has nothing to fear. Nobody knows anything about her. She is very smart.”

“ I know but we don’t trust you. Someone called her and he sounded worried about the way you were going with things. You bloody family of lawyers. What is wrong with you ? I know of a family where there are six lawyers. Gani Fawehinmi has a son who is a lawyer. There is a guy who I know, he is aspiring to become a musician and plans to start professionally next year,  he is called Falz the Badguy.

His father  is the famous lawyer, Falana the activist and his mother is a also a lawyer. One day ,you will turn it to inheritance.”

“ I like your sense oh humour.” She said, “and your shiny black skin.’

“Ke dan God! My skin is shiny ko?”

“ If not for the kind of job you do, I would have invited you for a lunch.” She rolled her eye.

“ You are trying to trick me. I am not that expendable. But what is wrong with my job?’

“You just kidnapped me. That is a bad job.”

“ But……”

She took the gutsy step. Like a wild cat, she sprang on him with  fingers which she transformed into claws and scratched his eyes. She had it well calculated.

He lost balance and the gun he was holding fell off his hand, and he covered his eyes with his hand , moaning in pains. His eyes!

She got off him but he sent a blind kick which blundered into her side. She  hit her back on the floor and it hurt. She gave a short cry but when she thought of Jezebel, she managed to get up at once. Black was still covering his eyes. She had really injured him. She hesitated then picked his gun. She did  not know where she was.

At a point when they were coming there, he asked her to pull up, then he put her in the boot,turned and brought her Garki.

She ran out and realized it was an uncompleted building. Her car was parked in the compound. It was an estate under construction. She ran to the car, opened the door and slid in. Damn! The car keys.

She got out of the car and ran back. She did not want Jezebel to meet her here. She had heard a lot about her to scare the hell out of her. She met black still moaning in pains. She could not risk going close to him.

“ The car keys!” she said with an authority in her voice that brooked no joke.

“ Get out!” He barked, “ they will soon be here and you will pay for this!”

“ I guess you won’t be alive then. I swear, I will shoot you and get the keys off your filthy deadbody.”

“You are a fuckin* lawyer. You can’t do that.”

“ Be my guest!”

She pulled the trigger and the gun almost fell off her hand. She had never fired a shot and did not know  the impact felt like that. If he could open his eyes, he would have seen how bad a shooter she was.  But it worked. He flinched and removed the keys from his pocket.

“ Throw it here!”

He obeyed. She picked the keys and ran out.If  Jezebel caught her. Phew!

She was shivering as she got under the wheel, started the car engine with a shaky hand then reversed with an incredible speed.

She had to leave. Damn! Her first case! Advocating was a job for the brave. In the line of duty, you step on toes, learn secrets, and prone to many hazards. But with God, you overcome all hurdles. She would never be deterred. She had made up her mind. She would fight it to the last.

She drove the car at a  high speed on a dust road that met the highway. She nearly hit a coming SUV with a woman behind the wheel. The woman glared at her and cursed before she drove on. Just a few yards away, she guessed that she just drove past Jezebel.

SubahGod! She pressed her leg on the accelerator. She only decelerated when she climbed the highway. Then she set the car in a slower motion. Watching her back frequently to avoid a trial.

Alhamdulillah! She escaped.

2005

“ Come here!” Saratu shouted.

Mina walked back to the older lady and stood expectantly.

“ Why are you always wearing a veil?  Don’t you see how we dress? From which village were you brought?”

Mina said nothing.

“ Talk to me. You act as if we are infidels. Always reciting the Qur’an, praying and covering your body. Munafiqa(hypocrite)! We know your types. Remove that veil!”

“ But I don’t feel comfortable dressing the way you people dress in public.” Mina said.

“ Oh!” Another girl, Lubabatu exclaimed. “ So this house is  a public place, right?”

“ I don’t mean it that way. But men do come in here and …..”

“Shut up!”  Saratu shouted.

“ Men! You are scared of men. Well, I don’t blame you. This is your second month and you have not been baptized. Very soon, you would be the one flaunting…” she started swaying her hips, pushing her buttocks backwards and her chest  forward, “ you will be begging with your eyes for attention because babes must what?”

“ Live large.” The other girls answered and they clapped.

“ I can’t wait to leave this country ni kam.” Said Lubabatu. “ By the time I come back and start cruising Hummer enh!”

“ I said pull off that veil!”Lubabatu  said, “ and you would learn how to cat walk today. You have a nice shape and you must flaunt it. That is your asset, your power to rule over men, control them and make them bow. That is your capital, girl. Wake up.”

Mina was sick of this! This was not what she bargained for. She never wanted any of this. But she felt it was better than living with her horrible aunty. At least living abroad, working and schooling would help her and plan to help her siblings.

But she was having a second thought. She did not like the setting. From Hajiya Binta to her girls. Why did Gogo Uwale decide to take her through this? Oh. How could she handle this for the next four months?

“ I am sorry, I can’t.” she said almost in tears.

Saratu jerked her, and Lubabatu tried to pull off the veil. She struggled, begging them to leave her alone.

“ Stop it!”

Everybody went silent and calm. That was the voice of the queen. Most of them were stubborn girls but when it came to Jezebel, they mellowed.

She stood by the door, a big wrap of hasheesh between her fingers.

“ Come with me, Mina.”

Sobbing, the girl followed her. She took her to her living room.

“ Have you ever done it?” she asked her.

Mina bowed her head.

“ Done what?”

“ That thing girls do with a man.”

“ I have never been married.” She replied feeling embarrassed.

Jezebel chuckled then busrt into laughter.

“ Jib did you hear that?”

Jib exhaled a thick cloud of smoke then grinned.

“ Yarinya ce(she id a little girl) .”

“ A’ina? When I was like her,boy,I knew what’s up.” She said proudly. “ She is fifteen.”

Mina still had her head bowed. She was sick of this.

“ You will get married someday but you are here for a purpose. You are here to make money…..and school. You are too naïve for my liking. I don’t know why I accepted you. Was it your beauty? But it is sometimes like that from the start. Jib, you remember when Lami first came?”

Jib nodded.

“She would cry when we ask her to meet a man but today……even me dey fear that girl. Phew!” she regarded Mina, “ You are going to that room with Jib. You need to be babtised.”

Mina did not know what they meant by baptism. She only knew what it meant as used by Christains. But asking her to go into a room with Jib or whatever he was called was sticky.

“ To do what?”

“Are you asking me?” That was the scariest voice Mina had ever heard. The intensity of the voice hit her brain and stomach. She was now quivering and her eyes full of tears.

“ Please, I want to go home. I don’t want to go abroad again.”

“ You are wrong there girl. The woman who brought you  knew what she was doing.Jib! Go and baptize her.”

“Please, Hajiya! I don’t want to do this!”

“ I swear nothing will make me change my mind. And if you piss me off, I will show you the other side of me.”

She was now crying. Jib was happy. He had been eyeing since she came. She was one of the not beautiful girls there and fresh. He had fantasized and it seemed his dreams would come true today.

“ Please this can’t happen.”

Denny who had been sitting in silence said. He had been boiling inside, feeling his hands clenched in anger.

“ What did you say?”

“ This should not happen.” He said sternly.

Jezebel loved it when he was like this. She wished he was as spoilt as she wanted.He never smoked, drank or took drugs. He never had women. Tessy said nothing happened between them and the stupid girl started falling in love with him.

Denny had stopped seeing her . She would spoil him, get him dirty because he had the potential of been a rugged fearless soldier and his handsomeness was a big advantage to business.

Then the idea dropped into her evil mind.

“ It must happen Denny and there is only one option….”she looked into his eyes, “ If Jib would not have her,  then you would have her and that means….through out the night. She is a virgo intacta and I want her really drilled. You know me Denny, if you don’t do it, I swear nothing would stop Jib from doing it.”

Mina was crying. No doubt she was going to be raped. Suicide? No! That was straight way to hell. This devil was not going to change her mind. She had noticed how Denny had been looking at her, and trying to get closer but she had been pushing away with  taciturnity and lackadaisical approach . She did not want to get close to anyone there.

She felt there was no single responsible person there. But he seemed to be a better devil. He never mixed with the rest, or give attention to the girls that try to talk to him. He seemed to be disgusted with them. But why was he with them?

“ I will do it.” Denny finally said and turned and started walking out.Mina began to follow him, still crying to the room set for them.

“ I will check.” Jezebel said after them. “ No tricks.”

They entered the room and the door closed and a clicking sound told them the door was locked. That was the day Jib began to hate Denny.

2008

Maryam alighted her car at the court parking lot and saw them come out of a big SUV. This woman had guts. She had the effrontery to come to the court after what happened. She had thought of reporting to the police but changed her mind.

She knew they would have been out of there before she  got any police team there and it was going to be her word against theirs. She did not even tell her parents.

Seeing Jezebel dressed in rose patterned atamfa, followed by a short stocky man made her felt  chilly and the devil was smiling at her. What did she have up her sleeve? What? Was she walking up to her? Security…but she could not harm her here.

“ The sagacious and ambidextrous lawyer.” Jezebel said with a roguish grin, “ I am pleased to meet you. My name is Binta, a big fan of yours.”

“ It’s been a long time, Jezebel.” Denny said from behind. She turned to see his hard sapphire eyes piercing through her with hot grudge. As he looked at her, he remembered the night………..