Forbidden Passion: 15

Shehu glanced at different parts of his birth home as sauntered through the massive sitting room heading for the staircase leading to the hallway. The hallway housed different rooms including the family parlour and his father's study which also doubled as a home office. 

He had called this place home for a little over three decades. But he had been away for ten years, which is a long time for him. Though it looked like the house had been renovated and seen a series of makeovers, it still felt like home. How he had longed for this feeling the years he had been away. Australia was cool but it lacked what he needed most, love and family. But this place, this house provided almost everything. Almost except for one thing. He thought as he walked towards the family parlour, which he had been informed his father was in.

Now that he thought about it, the house felt a bit quiet except for the few domestic servants that were in parts of the building. He was aware most of his brothers were married now, three of them except one, Jamilu. Jamilu was the last of his four younger brothers and the fifth child of Tijjani Maikudi. He had properly moved to the bachelor's pad of the building because most of the rooms on this part appeared deserted. He recalled he and his immediate younger brother had also moved there when they came of age. Twenty-five years. It was a common practice in the Maikudi lineage as that age was regarded as a marriageable age for boys. Once Aminu, his younger brother had clocked that age, they had both moved to the bachelors' lodging which was still in the same compound as the main house and could be accessed from the main building through a door linking the two buildings.

Aminu! He thought. He should inform him about his arrival. Even while he had been away all this while, they had stayed in touch. Aminu was the only one among his brothers who he had remained in contact with. He was also the one who kept him abreast of happenings within the family and the town. Though sometimes, he was not aware of some things because he was mostly out of town. His family were not based in Katsina but Kano. He also had to oversee the running of the companies, so he mostly juggles between Kano and Katsina and sometimes Abuja.

In the parlour, Shehu found his father Alhaji Tijjani Maikudi snr seated on one of the bigger sofas engrossed in the dailies he was reading. The TV whose volume has been turned to the lowest was tuned to an Indian channel. He chuckled at the thought of his father tuning in to the station to watch one of the series. He smiled it had to be his stepmother who was watching the channel before she excused herself.

“Assalamu Alaikum Baba.” 

Shehu greeted his father, announcing his arrival. The older man looked up from his papers. A warm smile lightened up his face. Even before the old man could speak Shehu realised things had indeed changed since the last time he had been here.

“Ah, wa alaikumu salaam Shehu. You came. Sannu da zuwa welcome back my son. Please sit.” 

Alhaji Maikudi said as he motioned for his son to sit on the sofa adjacent to his.

“Ya rayuwa a kasar waje? When Ummi told me you were coming over I couldn’t believe it. How long have you been back?” 

The older Maikudi asked curiously. He would be saddened to know his son had been around all this while but had chosen to stay away. He was already distraught because his daughter was still missing and Shehu could see that.

“Two weeks ago. I was told you travelled to Abuja. The plan was to meet up with you there but you had left before I could show up.”

Shehu recollected how he had planned to surprise his father even when he didn’t know if it would turn out well.

“Uhmmn...” 

His father nodded. 

“I was there for a short business meeting. If I knew you would come, I could have waited longer.”

Shehu smiled. His showing up there to meet his father was supposed to be a surprise. Telling him beforehand would have ruined the essence of it. Speaking about surprise, this meeting was supposed to be one. 

Only his brother, Aminu and their stepmother, Zulaiha whom their father fondly called Ummi and they, the stepchildren called her Aunty Ummi knew he was coming to town and when he arrived at the house, she had told him where to find his father. He guessed she had let the cat out of the bag then. It can't be Aminu, he thought or everyone would have known when he arrived in Nigeria. He only started communicating with Aunty Ummi when he arrived in the country.

“The prodigal son returns!” 

A voice he knew so well bellowed from the parlour's doorway. There stood his stepmom with a tray of tiny mugs and a jug. She smiled at him as she walked in to drop the tray on the centre table. Followed closely behind was his brother, Aminu, the owner of the voice. 

“Babangida!”

He called out as he got up to relieve Aunty Ummi of the load in her hands but she shook her head that it was okay. She dropped the tray on the table and sat next to her husband while they both watched in amusement the two brothers hugged and relived the past years they had been away from each other.

******

“So, what next?” 

Aminu asked, sipping the hot shayi, he had just refilled. It was just the two of them that were left in the family sitting room. Their father had left for his room after the discussion for a nap just before the adhan for zuhr prayer was called. Their step mother had also left for hers. The two had been happy and hopeful after Shehu revealed he had found their missing more like runaway daughter and he would bring her back as soon as possible. They had been too eager in offering their suggestions on how to bring her back without much resistance.

“I will be going back to Lagos soon but I need to stop in Abuja first. I will need Kabiru's contacts.” 

He said as he dropped his empty mug on the side stool.

“I will send them to you via email and message. But let me warn you, he doesn’t know you are back. You know how Kabiru can be.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I still intend to drop in on him. I would like to see the surprise on his face.”

Shehu smiled. Ten years was indeed a long time for things to change. His little brother Kabiru had been devastated when he left the country. The three brothers had formed a strong bond since the passing of their mother. 

While the relationship between Shehu and Aminu had grown into that of friendship considering the close age gap between them, that of Kabiru and him had been that of a sibling bond. Kabiru saw his older brothers as role models and had a great deal of respect for them. 

Shehu and Aminu were the closest things to twins in the family. They were Irish twins, with just seven months gap between them. Their mother had found out she was pregnant with Aminu shortly after Shehu was born. The pregnancy had gone through some complications and Aminu had been prematurely at twenty-eight weeks and four days. Shehu and Aminu had been born in March and October respectively 1977. Kabiru had been born six years later. Two years after, their mother passed away after a brief illness. So their younger brother barely knew their mother. Shehu still recalled fond moments with her and how deeply he had been affected by her death.

“Kabiru is no longer the young indecisive man of ten years ago. He's now a family man with two children. Same as Bashir. His son is only a little over a year.” 

Aminu chatted happily but Shehu knew it was a reminder that he was getting old. Almost all his brothers now had families of their own. So he tried to change the topic a bit.

“Speaking of Bashir, he now heads the Maikudi business branch here right? His family should be in Katsina. I thought the Maikudi mansion is big enough to harbour every Tijjani Maikudi blood.”

“Baba suggested that but Bashir said, they as young couples and I agree with him. Maikudi mansion may be big but Baba's eyes are everywhere.” 

They both laughed at the final statement before the Aminu added.

“They live in one of the new estates on the outskirts of the town but they have travelled. The wife has taken the son to visit her family in Kaduna while Bashir and Jamilu are presently in Abuja for business meetings. We voted that they should both represent the Maikudi group. So I'm the one managing things here and in Kano while they are away. It’s super tasking!” 

Aminu heaved a sigh before saying to his brother.

“I really hope you are here for good. We need you here brother.”

“It depends on things turn out.” She said, he had a sad smile on his face. 

“And you guys have been doing well without me. I'm sure you will do just fine."

He needed another drink now. His throat felt patchy, so he picked up his mug and got up to refill with shayi from the jug.

“I must say you look so good too, Dan uwa. I must confess I'm jealous. You look very fit. You embody your new line of career very well.”

Shehu scoffed.

“You have no idea. Gym and exercising did wonder for my mind. Moreover, I run a security outfit so I need to look the part. You don’t look bad too.”

Aminu made a show of trying to punch his brother.

“Da wannan katon cikin nawa? I'm sure you are just trying to be nice. I already look like a man in his fifties with this non-active lifestyle of mine. You on the other are every woman's dream. Rich, good looks, well built and much more.”

“Yet with all that, I'm still the unmarried one. At forty-one I have no family of my own and I don't even see that happening any time soon. Babangida, if I were you, I will cherish the potbelly because it came by as a result of love. Hadiza is taking care of you.” 

He said patting his brother.

“Hmm, you have a point brother even though I don’t think this is healthy. I just can't resist that woman’s cooking. I want the same for you brother.”

With a raised eyebrow Shehu, asked. 

“You want for me a potbelly and a good cook? Potbelly is not my thing and I'm already a good cook, you are the one who can't even boil water to save your life.” 

To that, they both busted out with laughter.

“How are Tokunbo's family. Have you visited them?” 

His brother asked he wore a serious tone.

“No, I intend on doing that once I'm back to Lagos. I already told Hamza to take some things over to their place and I have informed them about my visit.”

Aminu nodded. 

“That’s good. You've been a good pal through to the end.”

“He was a great friend to me. A true friend. It was very unfortunate the way things ended for him.”

Aminu bobbed his head in agreement before saying

“You should visit Kano first before this long sojourn. I don’t know how long you will spend in Abuja and Lagos. My twins will be so delighted to finally meet you. I bet Maimuna does not remember you, she was so little when you left.”

Shehu concurred, that the girl was just a little over a year when he left the country. He asked about his brother's last child. A boy, Adnan was just three years old. That makes the total of his children four. One girl and three boys, including the twins. The Maikudi family was full of boys and the few girls they had, they treasured.

Now all he thought about was finding a way to bring their sister home. He would hate to use force but if that was the only way he would seize it. After that was done, he would face the main reason why he was back home.

...to be continued.