Chereads / FINDING HABIBA / Chapter 29 - CHAPTER TWENTY NINE : STELLA III

Chapter 29 - CHAPTER TWENTY NINE : STELLA III

(Thursday the 23rd of September)

After my weird conversation with divine I kind of stay away from her these days, she always looked at me with sad eyes, I know right but what did she mean by the word *run*, I am still shocked, come to think of it what are my parents really hiding from me, its like I am in a trap or something.

First it was the head maid showing me my things that were burnt and hidden under our basement I still don't understand why all this thing happens, she was so nice to me then she turned rude, and now she is gone at least from the house, but the only thing I still could not get the hang off, was why she showed me the basement?, why she asked me if I trusted her?, and why divine is telling me to run for my own good?, why?

If there is anything I know asking questions does is to make me fell sad, I need real answers, but I don't know why all this thing is happening to me, I took out the book from under my bed it has been long since I looked at the picture, but I was interested in it now more than ever, maybe I could find someone from my past who will help solve this mystery maybe I can find... *yes I of and it* what the love of my life

And guess what

*what*

He lives five blocks from here

*neh, I don't want to bother him about my personal life*

Now where do I continue from again, oh yes, so I was busy searching for a picture, and I was running late for my so-called "work or job" even if I don't get paid, at least it makes me have interaction with the world and so on, besides that how I found my love, but he doesn't know yet, and I won't tell him.

Every thing was made clear to me by a simple photo it was an old picture and the picture quality was poor, but it showed me mom and dad, wow there are my real parents after all, *wait, there is a woman* she is slim and tender she looked young in this photo, she was a little light in complexion, and we were holding hands, I am sure this is the woman I should be looking for, even tho I have seen this picture a thousand times it all makes perfect sense now that I finally understood it,

"the woman in the picture is my mom and I will stop at no length until I find her" I said to my self as I took the whole book and kept it in my bag pack, the one I am taking to the news station today.

I bent down to pick my towel from the floor as it was already soaked in water, the towel was wet from the water that was dripping from my body while I was standing, turns out I was necked all this while and I did not notice as I was wallowing in my thoughts.

I picked it up and went to my closet I picked out an orange dress and wore it after I creamed my self with my body lotions.

Furthermore, I went to pray as Muhammad has inculcated the habit in me even if I still find praying stressful I had to do it because God commanded us to and besides it's for my own good I believe.

Furthermore, I was hungry as I hardly ate yesterday I am glad that my body has healed physically, but I will be needing my memory back before I can be free emotionally, I went to the kitchen, and they were all looking at me, I mean watching my every move, it was as if they were spying on me as if I did something wrong which was abnormal for the kitchen staffs cos normally if I went to the kitchen they will all be busy gossiping and talking to one another but this time they all paused, and they were all looking at me, I felt embarrassed as I was having a heavy lump for saliva passing down my throat.

Furthermore, I dished my food and did not wait for anyone before I walked out of the kitchen like a lost sheep looking for her shepherd, I ate at the dinning table which was unusually lonely as mom and dad were not to hear, where could they be, I had to ask, so I asked divine on my way out.

"Divine, where is mom and dad?" I asked with a serious tone.

"Oh, ma they left for a meeting you know mom and dad will be travelling on Sunday for the elections that will be held on Wednesday" she said as she walked past me

"Thank you divine, you are such a darling, sis" I said as I opened the entrance door to exit the house

"You have until Friday to save tour self from your past, habit please run away, habiba please run away" she said as she gave a simple that confused my brains, she said it as if she was telling me her good by speech

"okay, that was weird" I said as she turns back moving towards me again

"Habiba, they will come to your room tonight and tell you that you should come with them, if you say yes you will never come back to hear and if you say no they will shout you in the head, be wise and run for your life"

"Goodbye I will see you later" I said as I looked at her like an insane human

I entered the car and zoomed off to the office, I was actually having a date with Stella *PS we are not lesbians we just are interested in each other* that did not come out right

But I will be taking her to my house today because Muhammad is a man and I want her to stay with me, she will make me fell comfortable, I already told mom that someone from the office is coming, but I did not tell her who or her background story.

I was already at the gate of the office and I saw Stella outside the firm, she was looking so poor, so innocent, after hearing her story I really felt pity for her, I believe she would have heard a better life a better time with her parents, but now they believe she is dead and have buried her.

"Hi" she said as I came closer towards her for us to talk

"Stella, how are you feeling today" I asked as she looked at me with a suspicious face

"Well, I am better" she said with a disappointing look in her face

"Okay! Let's go in" I said as we walked into the company, we were both alike no matter what anyone says, even if we had different religious background we were still two lost girls looking for peace and homes to call our own and thank God she escaped from her captors hands because only God knows what they would have done to her, even if I have found my home I still have not found peace.

We walked into musa's office, musa was a young man who Believed In helping the poor and needy, like Stella, but he does not know that I am also a victim of kidnapping whether I liked it or not, I was taken from my family and I want to go back, who even knew if they sold me to Mr. and Mrs. Haruna, who knows?

The day went really fast as it seemed like time just wanted me and Stella to have a wonderful time in my house, and besides the day was also fast because no one could keep me companied, I mean *my Muhammad was not around* I think that was the only thing missing in my day, today.

We walked out of the office as the time was now 1:54pm I was exhausted, and I wanted us to go home early, it took him some time to get to the firm because of the traffic, and it even took us an even further time to get home because of the traffic again, looks like today is "world traffic day" I suppose.

But there was something tho when the driver came as he parked the car, I entered and Stella entered the car he turned back and as he saw her he gave a very suspicious look, like he was scared and angry at the same time, it was really weird, and it took him sometime to get his eyes off her and start driving, normally he would ask some annoying questions like his was the office and so on, but today he stayed put and did not utter a word.

We entered the house and my parents were around, so we went to the dinning table to greet them.

"Salam ya ummi wa abi" I greeted in Arabic

"Good afternoon" she greeted

"How.w are.e you.u. gir.rls.s" mom said in slow motion as she stammered while she looked deeply at Stella

"Fine ma" Stella answered as we left for my room

We walked all the way upstairs to my room, and she looked tired already, I opened my room door, and we saw divine, she was arranging my cloths in a bag, I don't know why.

"Habiba, please get your things and go" she said as she wallows in tears

"Divine?" Stella said.

What how did she know her name, okay maybe she is gifted with the power of guessing people names really fast

"Stella?, how are you?" Divine asked as she hugged her *okay, so now divine has joined the name group*

"Habiba, I am sorry, but we have to leave this house now, we have to" Stella said

Okay so I now have two sycophants in my room, I need a break

"What why?" I said in total confusion.

"Okay, let me beak it down for you…" Stella said.

"Okay"

She continues "when I was brought to Abuja, this people that you call your parents were the one who took me to their wear house in Lagos, I don't know if you noticed the looks they gave me, but they knew they have seen me, and I was one if their girls, if you were a good observer you would have also noticed the way the driver gave a deadly glance at me, they all know me, and habiba we don't have enough time we have to leave now"

"Well, let's wait till night, because if we do anything now we won't get far from it, and divine we don't need cloths all we need is a credit card and money"

"Okay"

I was scared but still I was not shocked by the news I heard I was tired and stressed out, and they did not shock me, I mean the news was not that strange to me as I hardly beloved that they were really my parents anyways.

I did steal a heck of cash from my moms drawer I also took hers and dads master cards, we planned to leave by 11:00pm when every one was asleep, we were going to leave the house from the front door and since Muhammad's house was only five blocks away we would spend the night there and tomorrow shall tell where we will spend the rest of our lives hiding, we wanted divine to go with us as she was the only one keeping me safe, and she agreed to come with us.

We carried a travelling bag and a handbag, the only thing we took that was not money was the picture book and that was it.

The time was now 10:50pm and we were ready, and so we moved downstairs without making a sound, we also passed through the front door without any sound, we actually made sounds but anyone who heard it would have thought it was the fate of men playing around to keep themselves busy as they do come into the house anytime they are hungry especially in the night.

We walked past the door and walked towards the gate we gently moved it, but it was locked, the gate men were busy in the post which was outside, but it was connected to the house, and the door was opened, we decided to pass through it as there was no turning back for us, *not now, not ever*, the guards inside were sleeping but we knew the once outside were not, and so we decided to risked our lives, as we went out of the building, we opened the door and the three of us ran for our lives, "kpuu" we heard a gun shot behind us, and we even got scarred, I heard a sound, but I did not dare to look back, I ran until I reached the fifth building, then I knocked, it was a Saturday night, so I had to be quiet because most people do not go to work during the weekends.

"Knock knock" it was not too loud, but I hope he could hear me, I tried pushing the door opened, and it did not move it was locked with a password

"Knock knock" I knocked again

"She.e.e is.s dead.d.d."

"What?" I said as I was shocked with those words.

"Call him" she instructed, and I did as she asked