The next day zahra'u and Aliyah go to the landlord, they pay for the apartment and he give them the keys, zahra'u take the remaining money with her to the market, with the help of Aliyah she buy all the necessary things she need, a medium mattress with a pillow, some plates, cooking pots, spoons, a frying Pan and some of her daughter's baby food with diapers by the time they are nearly done with the shopping zahra'u is left with 68,000naira, she bought some food stuffs with the 8000naira even do aliyah tells her she don't have to she can start managing until she gets a job but zahra'u refuse, aliyah gave her a black carpet she told her one of her boyfriends bought it for her when she first move in but after they broke up she didn't use it, she also gave a gas cylinder with the burner on the head, she gave her some curtains and 3 bed spread.
"Such a long day,
Mamah you are good girl you didn't cry." Aliyah say dropping the little girl on the bed with a sigh.
"Zahra'u won't you rest,
You have been working since we got back, the apartment is not running away you can sleep in my bedroom until you arrange gradually." Aliya say looking around the room.
"Just help me give mamah her food and take her with you, I will soon finish washing this bathroom and arrange the kitchen that's the only thing remaining." Zahra'u say and Aliya shrug.
"Mamah let's go,
I will show you around this area,
Hope you don't mind if i go out with her?,
Zanje nan gidan wani coursemate dina ne." Aliya say and zahra'u stay quiet for a while in hesitation before nodding.
"But please don't give her to anyone,
Especially male." Zahra'u say the last part in a whisper but Aliya hear but then question her.
"Mamah tell mummy bye bye." Aliya say and exit the apartment with the little girl giggling.
Zahra'u sigh and continue her chores,
She knows somehow she need to find a job, 60,000naira won't even last her six months especially with her baby little demands, she will also need to start saving for the rent even do it's a yearly payment but still, she need a job somewhere no one will want to take advantage of her, working as a housemaid is something she cannot do, she push all the negative thoughts churning in her head and continue her clean up.
Zahra'u spend the next 2hours cleaning up, she finish mobbing the apartment and come out with the bucket when Aliya comes in with her daughter with a boy probably in his early 20s walk in.
"Zahra'u har kin gama." Aliya say and zahra'u humm in response pouring the dirty water into a plant.
"This is Hashim my coursemate,
We call him computer H because he knows everything." Aliya say laughing and zahra'u smile weakly at the boy.
"Sannu maman mamah Right?" He say and zahra'u nod.
"I will go and pray,
I have finish everything i just want to cook something." Zahra'u say as she drop the bucket by the apartment door and grab the kettle by the burglary.
"What do you want to cook,
Wlh it's been a while i eat moi-moi." Aliya say and zahra'u shrug.
"Let's cook it then,
Help me pick the beans and wash it." Zahra'u say and Aliya sigh.
"Hashim help me mana,
Kaga ni ina wasa da mamah." Aaliyah say and Hashim shake his head.
"The woman with the commercial grinding machine isn't around or did you repair your blender?" Hashim ask and aliyah sigh.
"Zahra'u maybe we should cook something like noodles." Aliya suggest and zahra'u shake her head.
"We ate noodles yesterday night, this morning and after we got back from the market,
Let's eat something healthy i will Cook don't worry." Zahra'u say with a smile and begin performing ablution.
Hashim who's standing by the door just staring quietly at zahra'u, he's not the type that love talking, he didn't have friends except for Aliya who keeps pestering him since there 100level.
"Aliya let me get going,
I want to go and finish what I'm doing." Hashim say and she give him a confuse look.
"Why?
Hashim get some break we just resume and you are studying already." Aliya say and zahra'u look up at the two with a smile.
"Is that not what they send you to school to do, Hashim you can wait and eat with us,
I will cook tuwo with dry okro soup thank God i bought that meat " da na biye naki da i will come and eat noodles this night. "Zahra'u say finishing her ablution and drop the kettle by the door.
" Aliya start washing the meat for me it's in the kitchen, inside the small pot on the gas."zahra'u say and enter her bedroom as she hear Aliya asking Hashim to help her do that making her to chuckle and shake her head.
Zahra'u spend the evening with Hashim and Aliya who sit in front of the apartment as she cook and they talk mostly about home, she learn that Hashim is an orphan and was raised by his uncle who's wife literally makes the house a living nightmare for him and he have to leave after he got a scholarship from the state government after his secondary school, zahra'u realise she and Hashim somehow have something in common, he told her he work as a fuel attendant in a filling station and also do some of the lazy student assignment and project for them to pay him,
By the time zahra'u finish cooking it's already sunset.
"Mamah wants to sleep,
You need to bath her." Aliya say adjusting the little girl who's slump tiredly laying on her laps.
"Hashim do you want to eat here or you will take it home?" Zahra'u ask from where she's standing in the kitchen.
"I will take it home,
I will bring the flask tomorrow." He say and zahra'u nod with a smile.
"NEPA please bring light,
I will sleep with mamah I'm pretty sure she will prefer the AC than this ceiling fan that rotate as if it's hungry." Aliya say and zahra'u ignore her as she quietly dish the food into the small flask she bought even do Aliya say it wasn't necessary but now it turns out to be useful.
"Hashim gashi." Zahra'u say handing the flask to him and he collect muttering a thank you.
"Goodnight maman mamah." He say with a smile and slightly touch the little girl on the leg before leaving.
"Hashim so I'm invisible only maman mamah and mamah that you see,
We will meet tomorrow." Aliya say as Hashim laugh exiting the compound.
"Nikam nache where are the remaining people in this compound?" Zahra'u ask curiously and aliya shrug.
"That first flat belong to a final year student Raziqah as far as i know she barely stays in the apartment,
She's all this highlife big girls she even have a car." Aliya say and zahra'u nod.
"The first flat there belong to some couple i think they travel, the second flat is Bolanle he's also barely home he work in ministry of education that's what he told me do but i think he's a yahoo boy,
That flat the owner well i don't know him, he is always reserved and he usually comes home very late and leave early in the morning if he comes he park his car and enter his apartment." Aliya explain and zahra'u shrug.
"Weird people that rent the house." Zahra'u say as the light comes on making Aliya to shout.
"Thank God,
Please bath mamah so we can go and enjoy our AC." Aliya say and zahra'u pick the little girl laughing.
Zahra'u bath her daughter and mama instantly fall asleep, Aliya already dish the food and is eating making zahra'u to sigh and join her on the bedroom floor.
"I'm suprise this gas reach,
You will have to fill it tomorrow if not zai ka re" I just abandoned the gas since Aliya bought this fancy table gas and new cylinder for me."Aliya say once zahra'u sit.
The two continue eating, talking about random stuffs as zahra'u wonder what life has in store for her in this new town she will have to call home.
YOU ARE READING
Patsy (the victim)
RomanceSTARTED 29 MARCH 2022 FINISHED 19 JULY 2022 Patsy as the tittle state "the victim" is a story of pain, so if you are going to read this get your tissue next to you, Searching for a story that will make you accept your fate and teach you to neve...
