ABOUT THIS BOOK
Description
A Rainy Evening in Gombe
Rain was falling gently from the sky over the town of Gombe, so much so that no sound could be heard except the rain beating against the rooftops of people’s houses, which was why everyone had retreated indoors. In this calm atmosphere, in a neighborhood called Tumfure, a couple sat in a large living room on a single couch. They were pressed close to each other, wrapped in a small blanket, talking off and on because the TV they were watching kept them from giving each other full attention. When the movie ended, they both sighed deeply and looked at each other with smiles.
Playful Love and Quiet Confessions
The husband adjusted the blanket for his wife when he noticed one of her legs sticking out. After finishing, he looked at her with pure love shining in his eyes.
“Riya, you’ve taught me how to sit and watch Korean series—and the worst part is that it’s me, Hafiz, doing it,” he said, pointing at himself to emphasize his words.
The woman he called Riya grabbed his finger and quickly brought it to her mouth, biting it lightly. Hafiz pulled back in pain, looking at his finger and trying to hide it, but his expression betrayed him—the smile never left his face.
“Sorry,” she said softly, holding one ear and laughing quietly.
“You’ve taken a debt, and I’ll pay you back when you least expect it, I swear,” he added, touching his finger to his tongue as a sign of an oath.
She smiled, revealing her white teeth, one cheek dimpled.
“You look childish when you do that. But Bee, didn’t I ask you to be patient?” she said, pouting playfully, which made Hafiz shake his head.
“Say whatever you want, but I won’t let it go until I pay you back. That’s why I swore. Come on, get up, let’s pray and go visit Muhammad. I don’t want him to be discharged before you go,” he said, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it and stood, facing him after removing the blanket from her body and setting it aside.
Desire, Delay, and the Road Ahead
She stared at him, admiring the figure that had fascinated her since the day they met. Hafiz was dark-skinned and genuinely handsome in her eyes—not the exaggerated kind described in Hausa novels, but perfectly balanced. She wanted nothing added to him and nothing taken away. To her, Hafiz was the perfect example of a man any woman would be happy to have. Because he was taller than her, she had to rise onto her toes before she could kiss his broad, dark lips.
He closed his eyes and quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close until she pressed against his chest, her own eyes closed as well. They stayed that way for about a minute, exploring each other, before Hafiz lifted her despite her weight and carried her into the bedroom.
He placed her on the bed and began trying to remove his singlet when she sat up, widened her eyes, and said,
“Bee, you said we were going to the hospital to visit someone!”
With ninety percent of his mind already focused on what he wanted to do, Hafiz climbed onto the bed, saying,
“That can wait, but for now let’s make love.”
She gave a mischievous smile, because that had been her plan all along—to stop them from going out. Without further explanation, she followed him, and they settled into the private camp of husband and wife.
Two hours later, the rain stopped, coinciding with six o’clock on a Saturday evening. Hafiz and his wife came out of their house after bathing and dressing; she locked the door, pouting. Relaxed and enjoying the cool rainy-season weather, Hafiz got into his car parked in the compound and started it. Hearing the engine, their gatekeeper came out and began opening the gate for them.
A few seconds later, she also entered the car, staring out the window with her face turned aside. Hafiz glanced at her briefly as he reversed to leave the compound, smiled, and said nothing. After they exited, he waved to the gatekeeper in greeting. Once they were on the road, he placed one hand on her thigh, teasing her gently as he drove forward, and her mood began to change within moments.
She pushed his hand away and pouted even more, clearly pretending to be angry, but he never stopped smiling. In the end, he returned his hand, continuing to tease her.
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