Our Stormy Ride

*42 °A Leap Forward

Jamal

"Good to see you smiling again," Stephen says as he saunters in, a smirk on his face.

I pause the podcast I was listening to, turning my attention to him. "I never knew you loved me enough to pay attention to everything about me."

He laughs. "Try to brush it off as much as you like, but I was the one who got to spend two weeks with your grumpy butt. And you expect me to believe there was nothing behind it?"

His question brings back memories from the weeks I'd stayed in Lagos, and perhaps running away would be a suitable description. I couldn't trust myself to be calm enough to face Nadia after that night, and not let my anger lead to a much worse situation.

Two days ago, we'd been able to resolve our issues, talking deep into the night till we'd fallen asleep. And I got to tell her everything that occurred between Badra and I at the hotel. It was then I started to see the loopholes in the details of that night, and started to realize why Nadia had been suspicious of Badra. From the probability of the drink I'd had being drugged to the unknown number who'd sent those photos to Nadia, the whole thing was a mystery waiting to be deciphered, and the only person who has the answers is Badra. Unfortunately, it seems like she's dropped off the face of the earth, seeing as there's no way to contact her. And maybe that in itself is a blessing; a way to avoid a confrontation I'm not eager to engage in.

"So, what's this new project I heard Umar discussing over the phone?" Stephen queries, reminding me of his presence.

"You heard or interrogated him?"

He fakes an innocent look, "I was just curious."

I sigh, "It's personal, but you'll soon find out. I haven't had anything finalised yet." The clock strikes 5 o'clock and I start to gather my belongings scattered on the desk.

"Leaving early?"

"Yeah, Nadia's mom is getting discharged today, so I want to drop by to see her."

I sling my bag after clearing the desk of any important documents and follow Stephen out the door.

"Your flight has been booked sir," Umar says as I walk past him, stopping my tracks.

My brows furrow in confusion, "Flight to where exactly?"

Stephen speaks up, "Well, since you now love going on business trips, I figured I'd let you take this too."

My patience wearing thin, I cross my arms. "Where to?"

"South Africa. One last meeting with our clients, and a final inspection of the shopping mall. Hard to believe it's been a year since we started."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, calming myself before turning to Umar. "Last I checked, you were my secretary, not his. At least inform me before making any arrangement for a trip."

He apologizes for the mistake, and Stephen come to his aid, saying he'd been responsible for asking Umar to make the preparations.

"You did promise you'd be the one to finalize everything," Stephen recalls.

"And I'm not trying to get out of it." I turn to Umar, speaking gently. "Send me the details later, I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He nods eagerly, a relieved expression on his face. I say my goodbyes to both of them before heading for the car park.

After a brief stop at Nadia's parents to check on her mom, I offer Maghrib at a mosque before reaching home.

"Salamualaikum," I call out, stepping into the living room. The inviting aroma from the kitchen sends my stomach into a growling fest, and that's where I turn towards.