Chapter 23 Rania

"So you are leaving?" Adnan said with a sad face. He had been my course mate since Bsc.

"Do you expect me to stay? I gotta see my folks, I missed 'em so fucking badly!" I uttered.

"But I love you, Rania" He lamented.

"Oh come on, Adnan!" I said as I waved a cab.

Adnan Abdul-Rasheed and I met in our first day at school. He was the caring type but I never liked him. Women used to rush him. He was an Arabian guy from United Arab Emirates. He was very handsome but I wasn't into him, in fact even his presence used to irritate me.

"You breaking my heart?" He calmly said.

"I never said I love you, Adnan" I rolled my eyes at him. "Hey cabman, get your filthy ass over here!" I creamed at an incoming cab.

"When I first met you, Rania...."

"Please don't start that crap, Adnan!" I yelled at him as I helped the cabman in loading my luggage into the trunk of the cab. "Goodbye" I winked at him as I stormed into the cab.

"I love you, Rania" He said through the glass.

"Thank you!" I squealed.

My destination was few miles away – the Los Angeles International Airport. I huffed as I dialed my father's contact and told him I was on my way home – Nigeria. He was very happy, same as my siblings who insisted they must talk to me like I wasn't coming back home.

I paid the cabman immediately he pulled over in the front of the airport entrance. It was one of the busiest airports in the world. I walked in and waited for my departure time. When it was time, I was cleared and I boarded into a Supernova Airline's Boeing 737-600.

The plane taxied to the runaway and took off after so much traffics in the runaway. We were supposed to land at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja but our plane developed some technical issues so we landed in the nearest airport which happened to be that of Maikunkele in Minna, Niger State. So tragic!

"Hello dad, we just landed in Nigeria but Minna due to some technical issues. They said we should wait for two days to be transported to Abuja but I can't stay that long so I'm going to board a wheel to..." I said as he cut in.

"You are not boarding any car, just wait for them. Ahmad Jaafar is living nearby so call him and tell him to pick you up" He said.

That moment, I wanted to scream but then I decided to compose myself. "Why Ahmad, dad? I don't even have his contact again, it been years!" I uttered.

"Just like I said, he's living nearby. Stay there until your departure day arrives, we will patiently wait for you here. I will send you Ahmad's contact" He said and ended the call.

Ahmad was my cousin brother and also my first love. He was six years older than me but we shared common senses. He loved me too but just infatuation – you know – but I took it serious, and even when he raped me at 13 and repeated the same thing at 14 and 15 I didn't say anything. Yes, I would call it rape because even with my consent at such ages it is regarded as rape in many countries. He was a pervert and a very bad guy. He was the reason why I didn't give a damn about love and men anymore because I didn't trust the two!

"Gosh!" I muttered a curse as soon as his contact arrived thus, I saved it as 'My virginity Tanker' before texting him a message to come and pick me up. He must be so surprised to hear from me after such a long period of time.

"Hello Ahmad, the son of Uncle Jaafar Zaki. It's me, Rania, the daughter of Bappah Zaki. I just came back from the States, we had an emergency landing at Minna Airport. My dad says you're very close, can you come and get me before my departure time? They promised to find a plane that will take us to Abuja next tomorrow!"

It took him almost forever to reply me, perhaps he was surprised as I presumed.

"Lost bird, I'll send my driver to pick you up"

He finally texted back and I glared at the text. Did I looked like a maniac to him? I hissed and quickly typed back.

"Don't even try that. Just come by yourself!"

Thus, he texted back with;

"Gosh, Rania you are wicked"

I glared at the text and just sent;

"Mtsww (Hisses)!"

...

Almost an hour later, he called me and asked me to meet him in the airport's parking lot which I did. I stormed into his car and I could tell that the guilt of his past evils was allover his face, he wanted to drive but he was too coy to do that. He wasn't coy when he had me back then.

"Are you gonna drive or keep huffing till I ask you to?" I said wrinkling one of my brows.

"Okay" He said and started the engine.

While on our way to his house, I decided to break the long silence that crept upon us. "Are you still the bad guy I knew?" I uttered.

"I've changed" He said.

"Wow, perfect!" I clapped my hands.

"Actually, things dramatically changed the moment I married my wife, Naziha" He said concentrating on the road. "Why didn't you come to our wedding? Were you still angry?"

"Yes I was still angry with you, fool!" I rolled my eyes at him. "So how's your wife? Fine?"

"Hmm" He heaved a sigh. "It's a long story"

"A long story that can't be summarized?" I gulped. "Don't tell me you guys broke..."

"Hey, I will tell you everything but wait till we reach home first, okay?" He calmly said.

"Okay!" I huffed.

"I love you, Rania" He said.

"What?" I glared at him. "Wanna take advantage of me again? Oh, come on not again!"

"No, it's not like that" He sighed and continued. "You are my first love, I thought I've forgotten about you but by seeing you today I feel like..."

"Raping me like you did in the past – not once and not twice, huh?" I wrinkled my brows.

"Rania I did all that with your consent. I am a horny type so please don't blame me" He said.

"I will always blame you because you changed my life entirely the moment you broke my heart. I forced myself to hate the people I loved overseas because I was scared they would do the same thing you did to me" I muttered.

"I am so sorry, Rania but I am now a... a changed man so forgive me please" He implored me.

"Are you asking us to come back to each other?" I scoffed.

"Ehm, not really but..."

"Just drive, Ahmad!"  I yelled at him.