C6 Bilal
When Aliya and (perhaps) her mother went into the jewelry and gold store in the mall, I decided to walk back to my car and head to our Head Office. I wasn't really that worried, after all she would be coming for screening around 10am or wouldn't she? I mulled over.
As soon as I was in my office, I called out for Sufyan through the intercom. "Send me my schedule for today right this instant!" I said.
"Right away, sir" He uttered.
Thus, I released the button... and relaxed in my swivel chair – staring at the POP ceiling while thinking about Aliya. God knows how much I love chubby ladies, and Aliya wasn't just chubby but also hot to the highest level. God, could she be a fallen Angel of yours? I am asking because, Oh God, she's beautiful!
"AsSalama Alaykum..." Sufyan uttered as he walked into my office with a file in his hand.
"Wa'alaykumus Salam" I responded.
"Here is your schedule, sir" He dropped the file on my desk. "The first is meeting with..."
"Meeting?" I wrinkled a brow. "How?"
"Actually," He cleared his throat. "The board members are eager to talk about your trip..."
"To the Emir's palace?" I snapped at him.
"Yes, sir" He said with a nod.
"Fine, then!" I said going through the file. "By what time is the meeting going to hold, 9am?"
"Yes, sir" He said.
"Okay, at least we would be done before 10. I don't want to keep Aliya waiting today" I said.
"Hmm, I pray she comes" He said.
"And what do you mean?" I glared at him.
"Nothing sir, it's just that I... I... I..."
"Get out of my office!" I yelled at him.
"Okay, sir" He bowed and left.
He must be nuts, I thought to myself.
*******
As soon as it was 9am dot, I was summoned into our conference room for the meeting. The board members stood to their feet, and after greetings we all sat down in our chairs like always. "Sufyan told me you all want to know about my visit to the Emir, well the Emir didn't agree with our project. He want the people's consent to be sought first by the government, only then would he agree to the project. The meeting ended so badly!" I said.
"I knew Zaki would disappoint us!" Ali said.
"Meet too" Engineer Abdullahi uttered.
"Zaki is not like his father" Said M.S Yahaya.
"Exactly!" Ali said.
"Now what should we do?" Alhaji Kabir said.
"Well, lets just wait for the government and the Emir to settle things out. Thank God we have not even started the project yet" I said.
"But some of our facilities are there" Ali said.
"Yes!" Bashir chimed. "What should we do?"
"Lets just leave them there" I muttered.
"Leave them there?" Alhaji Kabir queried.
"Yes! Or are you suggesting we bring them all back? You too knows how much we had spent in conveying them there, what if we bring them back and then the Emir and the Government later settled about the dam? Wouldn't it be a waste of resources for us to transfer the facilities back there?" I uttered.
"You have a point, sir" M.S Yahaya said.
"Sir, I am also with you" Said Ali, and so did the rest – with the exception of Alhaji Kabir.
"How about you, Alhaji?" I wrinkled a brow.
"Well, since you all agree to keep the facilities there — fine then, lets keep them" He uttered.
"Good!" I heaved a sigh.
That was how the meeting ended at 9:23am. Thus, I returned back to my office to wait for Aliya. By the way, she would be surprised to find out I am the acting CEO of this company. She might as well regret ignoring me in that shopping mall earlier today. Hmm, I know she would be like; "I am so sorry, sir. I never knew you own this big company😭". And I would be like; "Don't worry, baby. Everything would be okay 😍". Hence, I would hold her hands and stare into her beautiful and hot eyes. then I would kneel in front of her and said: "Baby, will you marry me, or at least be my besty?". That moment, she would shyly react and then turn her face from me with a "Yes, sir. I will be your everything, after all you're cute 😍 and..."
Knock!
Knock!!
Knock!!!
"Who's that?!" I queried angrily.
"It' is me, Michael, and I'm with the rest of the Corpers" He said and continued. "Should we..."
"Mtsww, I am busy" I muttered.
"Oh, sorry sir" He said.
Thus, I continued with my wishful thinking until it was finally 10am. And from 10am to quarter to 11am, Aliya had not yet arrive. It was heart breaking, I had to summon Khalil and ask if really he had sent her the email I asked him to yesterday, and he replied with "Yes sir, I can even show you the evidence"
"No need, I trust you" I huffed.
"Why are you worried, sir?" He asked.
"Worried? No, I... I am not worried" I lied.
"Hmm, okay sir" He sighed.
"You can go" I said to him.
"Alright" He said and gently left.
And when it was 11am dot, I called him over again. This time around, I asked him to send her a text message and ask if she's interested in the job or not. Well, her response baffled me. She told him she didn't want it. "Ask her why she didn't want the job!" I said to him.
"Okay sir" He said and then texted her again. "She said she has already gotten another job"
"What?" I puzzled.
"Wallahi, sir" He said.
That moment, I felt like the whole world was onto my head. How, I mean... what the hell is going on? I thought I had gotten her already? I sighed. Perhaps I should collect her contact from him but wouldn't it sound suspicious? I really should be extra careful with my moves else rumors may just start spreading allover!
"You can go, we would talk later" I muttered.
"Alright, sir" He said and left.
*******
The whole day was a mess to me, I could not stop thinking about Aliya. Why on this earth would she do what she did to me? I thought while on my way home... "Sir, is everything okay?" My driver asked as he glanced at me through the car's rear–view mirror. Well, I only nodded my head at him and huffed. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, I just wish that I could set my eyes on Aliya once again. Verily, I had never fell so deep for someone before but here I was, falling for her. Please God, don't kill me before my time. I beg You!
Buzzz!
Buzzz!!
Buzzz!!!
My phone began ringing, it was my wife so I quickly picked the call. "Hello, Rahina" I said.
"Hi, please can you come over to the station? The gateman's daughter has been arrested!" She said and continued. "She and her friend"
"How? For what reason?" I queried.
"They were caught trying to steal a jewelry, right now the police are saying they will not release them until we first meet the woman that got them arrested. Please come, Bilal. I don't want her to sleep in cell!" She uttered.
"Okay, Rahina. I would be there" I said.
"Alright" She ended the call.
Hence, I tapped my driver and asked him to change our destination which he hastily did. Just as we were at the station, I alighted the car and went into the building. The tears in the face of my gateman and that of his wife broke my heart. They welcomed me amicably, and so did my wife. After the greetings I talked to the police and they explained everything that had happened to me. It happened in the jewelry / gold store I saw Aliya earlier today.
"The owner said this is not the first time, so she asked us not release them until they fully learn their lesson and promise never to ever try it again" One of the police officers added.
"Where does the woman live?" I asked.
"Here is her address, sir!" He wrote it for me. "But don't you think it's late already? This is..."
"6:43pm" The other police officer chimed.
"Lets just go" Rahina held my hand.
"Okay" I huffed.
And just then, the gateman began thanking me... same also his wife, they were happy. I wonder why they were even worried in the first place, why should their daughter even steal? If it was my child, I would let her stay till morning. That way she would learn a lot but I know Rahina wouldn't consent to that.
We drove to the woman's house and thence knocked her gate. A man came out and after I had told him who we came for – he headed back inside before he later came out again and ushered us in. And to say I was puzzled was an understatement, the woman we met was the same woman I saw with Aliya. The same woman I assumed was Aliya's mother. So, does that me that jewelry store was hers?
