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“TAWA CE!!!”* (Parts 47 to 58)
Part 47
His secretary heard what sounded like a struggle in his office. Knowing he wasn't there, she opened the door and saw Dr. Jamcy choking Shukra, whose eyes were already rolling back. She rushed in, trying her best to pull Jamcy away, but she couldn't. She ran to the ward and found Dr. Thariq checking on a patient. Running up to him, she cried, "Sir, Jamcy is going to kill your guest!" Terrified, he jumped up, asked "What?", and followed her. Upon entering, he forcefully yanked Jamcy away and threw her aside. Shukra slid helplessly to the floor.
He turned on Jamcy fiercely, asking, "Were you going to kill her?!" His eyes were wild, and he wanted to choke her in return, but after a second thought, he grabbed her and threw her out of his office. He turned back to Shukra, whose fair face had turned completely red, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He held her close, saying, "Sorry Shukra, I'm here." He checked her over and saw there was no serious injury. In a faint voice, she said, "Take me home." He stood up, helped her up, took off his coat to wrap around her, and took her hand. She cried all the way into the car until they reached home.
At home, she sat in the living room crying. Highly distressed, he sat beside her and asked, "What happened between you two?" Shukra replied, "Wasn't it her who said she would deal with me? So I called her 'the one with the mosquito waist' (mai\ kwankwason\ sauro). That's why she choked me, punched me, and kicked me." (Look at Shukra exaggerating! lol 😜). “And I swear by Allah, you must retaliate for me!”
He found it amusing but suppressed his laughter. "But Shukra, why did you call her 'mosquito waist'?" She replied, "Wallahi, Yaya, she has no flesh at all. She looks like a stick; even I am thicker than her." Thariq burst out laughing, which made Shukra burst into tears again. It took a lot of coaxing from him to calm her down.
*Maman Shakur* 😘
### Part 48
Today was Monday, the day Shukra was to start her WAEC exams at Demonstration Secondary School, Samaru, which Thariq had paid for. She got ready early in the morning and put her phone in her bag because she wanted to call Nazir. At 8:00 AM, Thariq dropped her off, giving her plenty of pocket money for food. He told her he would pick her up when she finished at 12:00 PM.
As soon as he left, she took out her phone and called Nazir. He answered immediately, as if waiting: "Hello my baby, what happened to your phone?" She said, "My Yaya is back. You know if he catches me with you, he will beat me. I wanted to tell you not to come around anymore, please." Nazir asked, "Do you mean we won't see each other again?" She replied, “Not for now, not until Yaya goes on another trip.”
Nazir asked, "Have you started WAEC?" She said yes. He replied, "Honestly, the day you finish your exams, I will come. I want to give you a graduation gift." She agreed, telling him to come when Yaya went to the hospital. They continued their love chat until it was time for her exam, then she switched off the phone and went inside.
Days rolled by. Every day, Thariq’s love for Shukra grew in his heart, but he never confessed it to her. Instead, he constantly tried to distance himself by staying late at the hospital—all because he wanted to protect the trust placed in his hands.
Meanwhile, Shukra’s love for Nazir deepened. Every day at school, they would chat extensively before she went in for her exams. That was the situation. Shukra's Mum called Thariq daily to check on her daughter's health and her exams.
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 49
Today, Shukra completed her WAEC exams (she had already taken her JAMB before finishing WAEC). She spoke on the phone with Nazir, who said he would come tomorrow. She told him to make it around 11:00 AM, long after Yaya would have left for work. He agreed.
When the exams ended, Thariq picked her up, and she was overjoyed. At home, she went to her room to change out of her school uniform. Upon entering, what did she see? A small wrapped item and a large wrapped box. She opened the small one and found a beautiful Dell laptop with a small note: *"A gift from Thariq."* She opened the large box and found stunning clothes. She ran out to the living room, saw Thariq sitting there, and threw herself onto him in excitement. Pulling her back gently, he asked, "What is this?" Tears rolled down her eyes as she held his hand. "Thank you, Yaya. Wallahi, I love you so much, my second father. May Allah bless you with a good wife." In his heart, he thought, *“You are right here.”* As she kept thanking him, he said, "Alright, go and change your clothes." She stood up and left.
The next day, around 4:00 AM, Thariq was called from the hospital for an emergency. He bade Shukra goodbye and left. Shukra went back to sleep. At around 10:00 AM, she took a bath, dressed up glamorously, and sat down to wait for her lover, Nazir.
Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 50
Around 11:00 AM, he called to say he had arrived. She got up, sprayed more perfume, and went outside. To her surprise, she saw two cars: the one he was in, and next to it, a brand-new, shiny black Benz. She walked over and got into his car, smiling. Nazir swallowed hard and thought to himself how beautiful and well-proportioned she was.
He took her hand and said, "My baby, you look beautiful." She quickly pulled her hand away and gave him a playful, loving glare. "You know it’s not right to hold a woman's hand, right?" He replied, "Sorry, wallahi, whenever I see you, I can't control myself." They spent a long time chatting about love, but she noticed that the way Nazir looked at her today was different—sometimes he would stare and lick his lips. Around 1:00 PM, she told him it was time to leave. He looked at her and said, "My baby, wallahi, I don't want to be away from you. You are mine (TAWA\ CE)." She rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Don't worry, I will soon tell my Yaya about you so he can marry us off." He smiled. As she tried to open the door to leave, he said, “Wait a moment.”
She turned to look at him. He pulled out some keys and handed them to her. She stared in shock and asked, "What is this for?" He smiled and said, "See that Benz over there? It’s yours. It’s my graduation gift to you." Her eyes widened and her body began to shake. She said, “Do you want to expose my secret? A car? Where would I keep a car? Wallahi, I don't want it.”
He looked at her and said, "Shukra, do you love me?" She said yes. He replied, "If you love me, then wallahi, accept it." She shook her head, said no, and stepped out. He also got out of the car. Just as she was about to enter the house, he grabbed her hand, forced the keys into it, got back into his car, and drove off, leaving Shukra standing there in complete panic.
She ran to her room and sat in distress, wondering what she would tell Yaya when he returned. Not even 20 minutes after Nazir left, Thariq came home. He walked straight into her room. She quickly hid the keys under her pillow. He asked, "Shukra, I saw a car in the compound. Whose is it? Do we have a guest?" Her entire body began to tremble. She stammered, “Uhmm... uhmm...”
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 51
Her body was shaking violently. With just one look, he knew she was hiding something, because when he entered the quarters, he had spotted a car driving out of his house. Looking at her again, he said, "You haven't answered me." Avoiding eye contact, she said, "Yaya, I don't know. I didn't even go outside." He looked at her and said, "Ok." He turned and left the room, and did not come out again for the rest of the day.
The next morning, he went out. Around 11:00 AM, she saw a call from Nazir and picked up. He said, "Baby, I know I didn't tell you I was coming, but please come out so we can say goodbye. I'm going back to Kano." She went out. They didn't stay long because he was in a hurry. He offered her 100,000 Naira in cash, but she refused to accept it. As she turned to go inside, he followed her and grabbed her hand—just at that exact moment, Thariq’s car drove into the compound.
Shukra tried hard to wrench her hand free, but Nazir refused to let go, his eyes fixed on Thariq's car. Thariq stepped out of the car, hands in his pockets, the veins on his forehead bulging with rage. He walked over with a commanding, royal stride. Only then did Shukra manage to break free and run into the house.
Nazir smiled and said, "Big brother, good afternoon." Thariq gave him a cold stare without uttering a word. As Nazir turned to leave, Thariq said, "Stay away from my sister. She is mine (TAWA\ CE). Stay away from her." Nazir turned back and said, "You are lying, mister! I will marry your sister, wallahi, because she is mine (TAWA\ CE)! Otherwise, all the money I’ve spent on her must be refunded!" He got into his car and drove off. Furious, Thariq stormed into the house and went straight to Shukra's room.
Seeing him, she stood up and began crying and screaming, even wetting her pants a little out of fear. He stood right in front of her, so close she could feel his breath. In a thundering voice, he demanded, "Whose car is in this house?! Tell me the truth, or I will deal with you today!" Trembling and crying, she stammered, "I... I... it's..." Before she could finish, *SLAP!* She felt it across her face…
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 52
She held her cheek, crying bitterly. In a voice full of rage, he asked, "Where did you meet? And how have you been communicating? Wallahi, Shukra, if you lie to me today, I will beat you." Crying intensely, she pleaded, "Please don't beat me! I won't do it again, wallahi, I repent!" He demanded, "Where did you first meet?" Crying, she said, "Yaya, when I first started going to school in Kano." He asked, "How do you talk?" Trembling, she said, "By phone." He looked at her and said, "So you have the audacity to use that phone behind my back? Shukra, you are a trust given to me. I didn't confiscate that phone back then because I noticed you wanted it, and all I want is for you to be happy. I left it for you. But didn't I tell you I don't want you chatting with anyone?" She shook her head. “Yaya, by Allah, I won't do it again. Please forgive me, wallahi, I repent, Yaya.”
He asked, "Where are the things he has been giving you?" She pointed them out. He went and brought them out; she hadn't touched a single thing. Even the money and biscuits were exactly as they had been given. He came back to stand before her. "Why did you lie to me? So he was the one who gave you a car, and you refused to tell me, even giving him the address to this house? Do you even know who Nazir is, Shukra? Do you have any idea who that man is?" She shook her head. "Yaya, please forgive me. It's just that I love him." Another hard slap landed on her mouth, instantly cutting her lip and making it bleed. He snapped, “You have the nerve to tell me you love him?!”
Being just a young, naive girl, she burst into heavier tears. “Yaya, please stop beating me, wallahi, I repent. Allah, it's because I love him, and I was afraid you would separate us, that's why I didn't tell you. Wallahi, I love Nazir.”
Furious, he unbuckled his belt and whipped her severely. She screamed, but there was no one to rescue her. When he finally stopped, he shouted, "Where is the car key?" Trembling, she fetched it and gave it to him. He demanded the phone, and she gave it to him too. He walked out of the room, but turned back to ask, "Did Nazir ever ask you to take off your clothes?" She said no. "Did he ever take you anywhere?" She said no. He sighed in relief (Hamdala), knowing Nazir was a predator and Shukra was just naive.
Returning to the room, he gathered all the gifts Nazir had given Shukra and put them in the Benz. He called a driver, wrote down Nazir’s family home address, and instructed the driver to deliver the car and the items there. He had already investigated Nazir thoroughly ever since Nazir started stalking them.
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 53
Shukra cried bitterly, completely devastated that her "second father" was angry with her. She stood up, her body aching all over, went to the bathroom to wash the blood from her mouth, returned to the bed, and wept until she fell asleep.
Thariq went to his room, utterly furious. Nazir had deceived him and made Shukra fall in love with him. Later, Thariq began to blame himself: *“What have you been doing? A young girl has started a love affair, bringing a boyfriend home, talking on the phone, and you knew nothing about it? Thariq, you failed to guard this trust. If she were wayward, Shukra would have been ruined without your knowledge. You dedicated your whole life to the hospital. Even while working, you need to keep an eye on the home and care for your family. Shukra started a relationship, but wallahi, it’s not her fault—it’s my fault. I didn't watch over her well enough, even though she is my responsibility.”* He thanked Allah for letting him find out before Nazir could ruin her, and resolved to watch over her strictly because Shukra was *his* (TASHI\ CE) and his sacred trust.
Meanwhile, Nazir was sitting in his room when he was called out. The driver had dropped off the car, handed the keys to the security guard, and left. Nazir took the keys and checked the car. Seeing that Shukra hadn't touched a single thing he gave her, he was surprised, but then he smirked. He said to himself, *"I must find out who that guy (Thariq) really is in Shukra's life. Is he really just her brother? Because I saw love for her in his eyes."* He smiled wickedly. *"You may think you're clever, but Shukra is mine (TAWA\ CE). Wallahi, even if I don't marry her, I will taste her sweetness. And if that fails, I will leave Shukra with a scar that will stay with her until she dies."* With a sinister smile, he went back inside.
*Dear readers, what kind of scar does he want to leave on Shukra that will stay with her until death? I am waiting for your comments.*
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 54
In the evening, Shukra came out and didn't see Thariq in the living room. She went to the kitchen and cooked coconut rice and stew for them. However, she couldn't eat a single bite. She sat on the floor, holding her chin in silence, even though her stomach ached from hunger.
Around 10:00 PM, he came home. He found her sitting in the living room with her eyes closed, holding her stomach. He quickly rushed over, held her, and asked, "Shukra, what's wrong?" Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at him and said, "I'm hungry." He went to the kitchen, brought the food, and began to feed her, avoiding eye contact. When it got to the last spoon, she placed her hand over his, looked at him with tears in her eyes, and said, "Yaya, please forgive me, please. I won't do it again, okay?" He set the spoon down, stood up, and went to his room. She followed him and stood at his door, crying bitterly. Thariq didn't open the door. When she eventually fell asleep right there on the floor, he came out and carried her to her room.
That night, Thariq couldn't sleep. Finally, he decided to take Shukra to her mother so she could mature and learn the realities of being a woman.
The next morning, he called Hajara and discussed it. She said, "Thariq, it's better we meet in Kano so that Baffa (Thariq's dad) and your Mum can find out who Shukra really is. This might even help your Mum and Baffa reconcile, right?" He agreed. She added, "Let's all meet in Kano today. Let me tell Honey so we can prepare." They said their goodbyes and hung up.
He went to Shukra’s room and saw her looking miserable. He felt deeply sorry for her but had to remain firm. He said, "Pack your bags, we are traveling." In a low voice, she asked, "Yaya, where are we going?" He said, "I am taking you to your Mum." She cried, "Yaya, wallahi, I prefer staying with you." He glared at her. “Pack your bags, I said!”
*Maman Shakur* 😘
Part 55
Thariq and Shukra didn't hit the road to Kano until around 4:00 PM because he had to stop by the hospital. Hajara kept calling him since they had arrived long before.
Around 6:00 PM, they reached Kano. Seeing that they were entering Thariq's family home, Shukra started crying. "Yaya, please let's go back, wallahi Mum will beat me." Seeing how panicked she was, he said, "She won't do anything to you, I promise." He took her to his side of the house first so they could pray. When they finished, she held his hand tightly, and they entered the main living room, greeting everyone.
Everyone was in the living room: Dad, Mum, Hajiya Amina, Hajara, Alh Tafawa, the twins, and Imran. Dad was the first to stand up. "Shukra, baby, is that really you? I always said you are mine (TAWA\ CE), I knew you would return to me." He looked at Mum—with whom he was still feuding—and said, “Look, she has returned to me, you might as well die of frustration.”
Mum stood up, pointing a finger at Shukra, who was clinging tightly to Thariq, trembling. “What did you come back here to do? Leave this house before...”
Hajiya Amina stood up with a smile, looked at Dad, and said, "Yaya," (which is what she called him since he was the younger brother of her late husband, Alh Muhammad). "Yaya, Hajiya, please sit down. Now is not the time for fighting." She turned to Thariq. "Doctor, find a place to sit." He sat down, and Shukra sat on the floor, gripping his leg tightly.
Hajiya Amina then revealed to everyone who Shukra really was to them. Shukra wept bitterly. So Dad was actually her grandfather? Yaya Thariq was her cousin? The truth was finally out. Hajiya Amina explained, “Indeed, the late Alh Muhammad, my husband, was the elder brother of Thariq's dad...”
*Maman Shakur* 😘
### Part 56
Dad’s heart softened. He said, "So everything I felt towards Shukra wasn't in vain. You are my granddaughter, which is why Allah put so much love for you in my heart." He explained, "My late brother, Alh Muhammad, married long before me. I didn't marry until I was 45. That's why Alh already had Hajara while I was still single. Shortly before Hajara got married, I finally married, and soon after, Allah blessed us with Thariq.
About 15 years after Thariq was born, Hajara got married but didn't conceive immediately. When she finally gave birth, Alh called to tell me while we were in Mecca. He told me he had a granddaughter named Shukra. I was so happy for my brother. When we returned, we visited them to see Shukra, and then we went back to Kano where I worked.
A few months after my brother passed away, Hajiya called to claim that Shukra and her father had both died."
Everyone was deeply moved. Shukra wished her father were alive to see this. It wasn't her mother's fault after all. Thariq's Mum walked up to Shukra and said, "Please forgive me, for Allah's sake." Shukra wiped her tears and said, "Mum, I forgive you, you didn't do anything to me." Hajiya Amina came over too, and Shukra said, "Grandmother, wallahi, I forgive you." Shukra raised her head and looked at her mother, Hajara, who was crying heavily. She slowly stood up, knelt before her, and said, "My Umma, please forgive me for what I did to you that day." Hajara replied, "You didn't do anything to me," and they embraced tightly. The twins also came over and hugged their mother.
Shukra then walked up to Alh Tafawa, who was shedding tears of pity. She said, "My third father, good afternoon." Everyone in the room laughed, happy with how she addressed him as her father. Shukra then went and hugged Thariq’s dad, who held her tightly, saying, "My granddaughter, that's enough crying. You know I hate seeing you distressed." She stood up, turned to Thariq, ran to him, and hugged him tightly, weeping loudly. “You are my second father, you are my brother, you are my blood, you are my protector. You are my everything, Yaya Thariq...”
*Maman Shakur* 😘
