Unbelievable! Wai does she have to meet this person every time she step outside of her parents home? She doesn't want to see him now until she have secretly handed over the token. Is she fated to meet him all the time? What is he even doing there for Allah's sake, of all places?
Hassana and her colleagues went to the neem river to gather some herbs as instructed by her uncle. She suggested they go at noon because in the morning, the river will be so cold and other people fetch water in the early morning. They ventured out at noon and arrived.
Only two females were fetching water with their tulu, clay jar used for fetching water. Hassana told the group to disperse in order to make the work faster. They already have the list of herbs they wanted and know where to find them. They shared the list of herbs among themselves with each person having one or two herbs to collect.
The water was quite warm and entertaining when hassana went into it. She submerged and dive straight down, searching for the sea weed in her list. It is always a welcoming sensation when the water hits her skin. Just then she began to think of her brother's story about a water witch called mermaid.
In his story, the strange creature comes out at dawn, grab a person and dive down to her domain to finish up the person, which means eat him up. How about she that brought herself into the water. Definitely the mermaid will just grab the free food and go so easily.
Why is she even thinking about her stupid brother's tale? And she allowed it to even disturb her. Hm! She scoffed while diving deeply into the neem river. Just then, her eye caught a sight of array of plants quivering. Yes! She jumped in the right spot. It didn't even take her long to find them.
Removing her knife from her waist, she approached the plant happily stretching out her arm, she hold the bottom and cut it when suddenly a hand emerged from the plant that shocked her to her wit and snatched the sea weeds.
A large hand protruded from the plants, snatching her hard work and hassana staggered back in great fright. Unable to scream in the river, only her eyes showed the sign of fright. A man emerged completely out of the plants and stopped to look at the frightened lady for a moment before he began to swim upwards. It was the general!!!! A lot of sea weeds...in fact all the sea weeds followed him upwards too to hassana's third surprise.
The first surprise was the popping hand, the second was the man was the general and now this! As quick as an eel, hassana swam upwards after the plants. Can you imagine how unlucky she was? This was her sea weeds and all of a sudden this man is stealing everything! He won't escape this time.
When she emerged from the water, she saw him putting on his short kaftan, not before she saw a large black scary scar on his back. How did he got that ugly scar oho? He was looking at her as she walk up to him.
"General! You nearly gave me a still heart. And now you have what I want."
"And what exactly do you want?"
Hassana pointed at the sea weeds. Shamsuddeen look at the weed he already gathered in a sac and look back at her then he look at the river.
"I bet if you venture further, you might get your own share." He began to bend trying to carry the sac.
"Wait! But there isn't. Beside, I will contact cold if I go back one more time."
The fact that she can reach to such depths was remarkable. Shamsuddeen was surprised to see a lady in the water at such depths. So she also came to collect the sea weeds. He lifted the sac and brought it to his shoulder.
"You wouldn't have problem with that, physician's apprentice."
What?! This man really wanted to steal her sea weed from her! In broad day light! He is even saying that if she go further into the river, she might get it. There's no assurance of getting it and now he is saying even if she contacted cold, there is no need to panic because she is a physician's apprentice!! Annoying things doesn't seems to end with this man.
"But I got it first. You snatched it away!" She said displeased.
Shamsuddeen came closer to her with the sac over his shoulder.
"Doesn't feel good to steal someone's things, does it?" he said in a cool tone.
"Wha…..what do you mean?"
"There are a lot of things that I can snatch away from you young lady, do the right thing!" he turned and left.
*
Oh no, did he know she is keeping the badge! No he couldn't. But he might and why wouldn't he by the way? It dropped right in front of her and it couldn't be found later.
Hassana was having a migraine and had to go to the chemist at their street to get the medicine because that her naughty brother finished the last one she have. That guy is always having headaches. It wasn't far from their house so she just trek and luckily, she met only a child buying sudrex, no queue, Alhamdulillah. It's even the sudrex she needed. It works miracle migraines. She gave the money and told the man what she needed. A packet will do.
"Give me a packet of sudrex." Said a cool voice.
Turning slowly, hassana was surprised to see the field marshal. Wait, the field marshal! What's he doing there?!!
"Oh I'm sorry sir, we are down to the last packet and this lady have already bought it." Said the pharmacist while holding the packet.
Shamsuddeen just snatched the packet from the pharmacist's hand, dropped five hundred naira note, told him to keep the change and turn to leave.
"Excuse me sir?"
Facing the young lady, he saw how red her eyes were. So she also came for the medicine.
"I have already bought the packet. Why snatch it?"
Looking at the packet, shamsuddeen look back at her. "I'm sure you will get another brand."
"But I have already bought this...malam tell him he can't do that!"
The pharmacist was about to talk but shamsuddeen gave him a fast one.
"And I heard you. Doesn't feel good when you steal other people's things, does it?"
This very words sent her into a shocking silence. What does the field marshal means? She just stared at him with wide eyes. Is he trying to tell her that he knew she took his badge?! But he can't be so sure she has it, right? Panic soon stroke her heart when she remembered his warnings.
Shamsuddeen walked ahead and turn to glance at the shocked lady.
"I will be expecting a gift from you soon." He walked out of the chemist.
A thin sweat rolled down from her temple down her face. If the field marshal wasn't even in doubt of his badge being in her possession, then she is in big trouble. Kai! Is she fated to always meet this terrible man?