The Replacement Girl

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

“So you’re 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 f—–g badly!” I blurted out.

“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 Arab guy from United Arab Emirates. He was very handsome but I wasn’t into him. In fact, even his presence irritates me.

“You breaking my heart?” He said calmly.

“I never say I loved 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 in Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos 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 Lagos but I can’t stay that long so I’m going to board a wheel to…” I said as he cut in.

“You’re 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 decided to calm down. “Why Ahmad, dad? I don’t even have his contact again, it been years!”

“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.

Ahmadwas my cousin brother and also my first love. He was three 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 d–n about love and men anymore because I didn’t trust the two!

“Gosh!” I muttered a curse as soon as his contact arrived thus, saved it with ‘Virgin Taker’ before texting him a message to come and pick me up. He must be so surprised to hear from me after a very long period of time.

•”Hello Ahmad, the son of Uncle Jaafar Zaki. I’m 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 Lagos next tomorrow!”

It took him almost forever to reply me, perhaps he was surprised as I predicted;

•”Lost bird, I’ll send my driver to pick you up”

He finally texted back and I glared at it. Did I looked like a maniac to him? I hissed and quickly typed back in the blink of an eye;

•”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!”

•••••••••

Almost an hour later, he called me and asked me to meet him in the airport’s parking lot which I did. Thus, we stormed into his car. The guilt of his 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.