EIGHT ENTRY MR KIDNAPPER BY ALIYA

 

A family friend of ours was getting married and the wedding dinner was later at night, I had dragged my last kobo,#1500 and had carried my two yam legs to the salon to stretch my hair wai ni adole team natural hair. Mama had already warned me to forget about it because the weather was unstable, one minute it will be clear, and the next it will be pregnant. But no,Amira didn't listen, Amira had to slay.

My hair was hanging well below my shoulders after the yeye looking salon woman was done. Fam! I had already envisioned it hanging out of my gyale while I do rawan kai all over the wedding hall because the abokan ango are sure to be loaded,I mean his father is into oil, oily kids only hang around with fellow oily or political kids. Slayage was calling my name. And to top it all, I am going to be the MC to the event, all eyes were to be on me that night, looking drab was not even an option (Besides I was a damn good MC if I could say so myself).

That was how I came out waiting for Napep without a kobo one me,I planned on asking Mama to give me the money after I reach home, dama na saba. Imagine how my heart melted when I heard the rumble of thunder, Wallahi the prayer I did for that rain not to fall ko but to no avail. I quickly looked for the nearest tree to serve as shed as I didn't find any building I could squat under but the rain was unrelenting. I felt every strand of my hair get wet and loose it's strechiness until all I was left with was an empty pocket,a recently stretched hair turned natural and a broken soul. Even the Napep men were running like crazy not even willing to stop, it was like they had x-rayed my wallet and had seen a fat zero.

About 5 minutes later when I had almost succumbed to the feeling of depression enveloping me, a car rolled over and stopped. The driver wound the glass down.

'Get in' he yelled over the rain. 

I was grateful. Even though I knew chances were he was a serial killer or kidnapper, I was still grateful. As I stepped into the fine car (I have a soft spot for fine cars), I made up my mind that if he was a kidnapper, I'll just tell him to kill me there. I know my Mama she likes money too much, she won't even listen to him not to talk of negotiating ransom,she will say she has five more kids, Allah ya sa na huta.

The man did not even mind the fact that I entered the car along with enough rain water to fill a bucket and my shoes had carried almost all the mud of the world into the car, if he was a killer then he must be a nice one, and he wasn't even bad looking. I peeked at his face again, you could even call him handsome if you are into that beardless look, I'm #beardgang forever.

'Ina wuni' I said after settling down. I have to showcase my tarbiya, maybe he will have mercy on me.

'Lafiya yaya kike?' he answered and started the engines.

'Sorry about this' I apologised for the mess I turned his front seat into. 

He smiled 'No problem'.

Water was still dripping on the car seat. I resisted the strong urge to just wring my clothes in the car, da sai ya kore ni.

'Are you from school?' He asked maybe to break the uncomfortable silence.

 

'No,the salon' I answered.

'Heading home?'

No I'm going to the market in this rain. I thought sarcastically in my mind.

In reality, I merely nodded and gave him the address.

A few minutes later,he took a turn that was opposite mine. My heart skipped a bit. Calm down Amirah, I comforted myself, maybe he doesn't know the way.

'Ermm that's not the turn. It's the other way'.

'Oh yes I know I just want to get something from my sisters house. Sorry'.

I swallowed hard and let him drive on but a voice at the back of my mind was cautioning me that that's how they deceive there victims. The moment he started talking some weird turns and going through some lungus,I knew I was in trouble. Just last month my best friend had been almost kidnapped, ashe nima nawa na kusa.

'Maybe you should just drop me here, the rain has even stopped' my voice was obviously shaking and I could barely hear it over the sound of my heart beating 150km/minute. Ni kawai nace ma heart attack zai kashe ni kafin mutuminan. My fear is not of being murdered or kidnapped, it was of being raped. Dama Mama had warned me of the growing rate of kidnappers in Kaduna but did Amira listen? No. Now I am riding in a car with one, live and direct.

I tried to open the door but it was locked.

'What are you doing?' He asked with a frown.

'Mallam dan Allah kayi hakuri ka ajiye ni a nan Wallahi iyaye na ba suda wani kudi. Dan Allah'. 

The problem with me is that I have mouth amma tsoro kamar farar kura. I didn't even know tears were falling from my eyes .

'Who told you I am trying to kidnapp you?'

'Mallam the nooks you are entering ai mun kusa barin Kaduna. Nikan dan Allah kawai ka kashe ni amma please don't destroy my dignity. Yau ni Amira na shiga uku'.

'Look Mallama I was just trying to help you because I found you stranded in the rain. Ke ba 'yar gidan Alhaji Zubair Azare bace?'.

He even knew my fathers name. 

Maybe he had noticed that my panic had renewed because he said ''Look maybe you don't recognise me because you were younger when we last met, I am Anty Hassana's brother and her daughter is getting married today. I just got some souvenirs I am trying to take it there on time so that they can arrange it before the dinner then I'll take you home'.

Ni kawai naji da na tsaya cikin ruwan hankalina kwance. Wallah the kunya I felt cannot be described. And it was after he said it that I recognized him. It wasn't my fault mana I hadn't seen him in over ten years and the rate of kidnapping in Kaduna was enough to make me reach that conclusion. 

'Then why are you following lungu?'

'It's a shortcut'

'Aw' I mumbled. By the time we arrived Anty Hassana's house, he was already laughing at me. Baqin ciki mutuwa ne kadai banyi ba.

You know the worst part? It was the same wedding I was hosting and he attended the dinner. 

Ai throughout the wedding I was as uncomfortable as anything because he was just staring at me and laughing. Did I slay? I didn't even apply any makeup yaran masu kudin sunci gidansu. But I tried my best as a host despite the embarrassment eating me whole.

Anyway at least something positive came out of it, Bashir (That's his name) and I are now in a serious relationship and he never misses any opportunity to remind me of that incidence, it isn't even funny.