Because they are together almost every day with Ayatullah after lectures made them become so close to each other, seeing them together will be difficult for someone to Identify who among the two friends Ayatullah loves.
The fact that he’s older than them made them respect him even so they are his seniors here.
They were all together busy chattering when Khadija said suddenly after rosing up looking at the watch on her wrist “none of you love me for sure how could you not remind me about being late although you know that I have classes today.”
Ummi hummed, “Do you think we are here to keep reminding you on what you need to do, when I told you not to register that course why didn’t you listen” Ummi said laughing.
“That’s all a bygones, now you need to accompany me to class, you know how scary that lecturer is” Khadija said with a serious face.
“Who is the lecturer to make you worried like this?” Ayatullah asked.
“Is Dr Jabir, I need to go? That man isn’t an easy lecturer please accompany me” Khadija begged.
“Am not going anywhere, do you think my presence can stop him from humiliating you for being late.”
Ayatullah rose up “Let her be, I will accompany you” he said.
Ummi rose up too, “Are you planning on leaving me here alone she said with a long face”
Khadija laughed ” That’s what you decided for yourself” Ayatu let’s go “She said still laughing, Ummi had no choice but to follow them.
“We are here thank God he’s late too” Ayatullah said to Khadija.
She sighed softly with relief “Why not you join me the man might be harsh but his lectures are interesting Khadija insisted”
“Are you kidding me? How can you ask me to be in his class that should be over my dead body? ” Ummi said and turned to leave only to see the lecturer behind her, her heart almost fall down and fear suddenly grabbed her. ” Good morning Sir” she said, her voice trembling.
“Morning,” he said, wearing a smile on his face before he looked at Ayatullah and said, ” So it’s true that you skipped classes.”
“Sorry sir” he said innocently.
Dr Jabir shrugged “Sorry for yourself” he said and left.
Ummi looked at him annoyingly before taking his time table from her back to check ” OMG you even have class now less go” she said and started walking towards level 2 hall without waiting for his response which left him with no choice but to follow her.
It’s after they reached the hall entrance that he decided to leave after seeing Fatahurrahman lecturing but she stopped him and dragged him in, to his surprise Fatahurrahman pretended not to see them coming rather he continued writing on the whiteboard. He snapped with relief but before taking another breath he heard Fatahurrahman’s Voice saying you that just come in, you need to stand up.
Fatahurrahman steps closer and looks at Ummi who is standing in fear and says ” what is your name?”
“My name is Amatullah Usman Bashir”
“Ok Miss Amatullah can you tell me our last topic of discussion” he said his eyes pinned on her he asked the question knowing that she is not the member of his class.
She gathered all her courage in place before saying ” Sorry sir for distracting your class but I am not a member of this class, I accompanied my friend who doesn’t want to attend lectures” she said looking at Ayatullah who looked disappointed at her.
Fatahurrahman smiled and stepped closer to Ayatullah who was begging him with his eyes to let him be, ” Ok Oga Sir we are waiting, what’s our last topic of discussion?” he said, smiling wickedly.
Ayatullah Smirked before telling him what the topic was because he knew this would happen. He asked the class members the day before today.
Fatahurrahman keep quiet for a while before saying ” Ok I get it, but I don’t care whether you know what we discussed or not but what I won’t tolerate is coming late pls carry the legs than brought you in to my class out of it”
Ayatullah take a chance and made eye contact with him and glared at him and Fatahurrahman smiled “am waiting can you please leave.”
“We are sorry Sir” Ummi begged but before Fatahurrahman could say anything Ayatullah had already left, she had no choice but to follow him too.
The way Ummi keep complaining about the attitude he show to his teacher made him say ” ok I will go to his office and apologize let Khadija come so we can meet him the three of us”
“No we will not accompany you, you made the mistakes yourself so you go alone” Ummi insisted.
“Ok ma don’t worry I will go when I am less busy.” He said grinning at her.
“What do you mean when you are less busy?” Ummi said angrily.
He smiled “Sorry Ma, but i’m actually afraid of that man, it will be better if the two of you come with me, and he might takes my apology serious when take you with me”
Ummi thinks for seconds before saying, “Ok then let her come back.”
They were together when Fatahurrahman came to pass, Ayatullah excused himself and followed Fatahurrahman. He wanted to have some words with him.
He went directly to Fatahurrahman’s office, the office was closed, and a lot of students were waiting for him. Nigerian lecturers are something else, just how could they handle students like trash, Ayatullah thought.
Like so many young lecturers Fatahu walk his face held forward in a steady gaze answering student greeting in a low key voice, it’s after he come closer that he roared at the students waiting furiously and send them away saying after all the exhaustion you guys gave me while lecturing you still followed me here to kill me.
Ayatullah turned to leave without saying anything. Fatahurrahman looked at him, you wearing a blue dress can come in, he said before going into his office.
Ayatullah glance around the office before taking a step closer to where fridge is he took a bottle of water and drank the water before he sit.
“Aren’t students your friend, why are you treating them badly?” Ayatullah said looking at Fatahu.
“You won’t understand Nigerian students are not like Saudi Students. Most of our students here are waiting for a slight chance to humiliate us so it’s better if we do not let them find any chance.”
“Well it’s your opinion” Ayatullah said while taking water.
“What’s your relationship with those girl I could remember today wasn’t the first time I saw you together.”
“Look Am not here to answer any of your Question am actually here to ask for a favor please do not affront us again I begged you”
“When did I humiliate you?” Fatahurrahman said.
“But you see me pleading not to send us away,” Ayatullah said, frowning.
“Sorry man, I only see you blinking your eyes, ” Fatahurrahman said after he tapped Ayatu’s shoulder.
“Won’t you tell me your relationship with those girls I had been crushing on them for long.” Ayatullah said cunningly.
“You will never change, I already know your way of tricking people so you can’t trick me to tell you what I don’t want to, they are my friends nothing more.”
Ayatullah said with seriousness.
Fatahurrahman takes a step closer to Ayatullah. Are you sure it’s only friendship, I am afraid you might fall for the girl I had been crushing on” He said, grabbing Ayatu’s hand all in his efforts to make him tell him the relationship between him and the two girls.
Ayatullah pushed away Fatahu’s hand before he rose up saying “you better not humiliate us again” he said before taking the handout from the table “I need this” he said and walked toward the door.
Fatahurrahman smiled happily as he couldn’t remember when last Ayatu took something from him.
Ayatullah went back to where he left. His friend Khadija was still complaining about how harsh Dr Jabir is.
“I thought you run away” Ummi said
“No, it’s an urgent matter, that’s why I left.” He said shortly.
“Ok I think since you are back we can go to him so you can apologize” Khadija said.
“It’s better to apologise now than to regret failling his course” Ummi said “you better act meekly in his presence” she added.
He squeezed his mouth then hissed before saying “my problem is I hate nonsense.”
“What are you out of your mind?, you better take back that nonsense, being rude to a teacher isn’t a character of good students. To have a blessed knowledge one has to be respectful to the teachers in their present or not and you need to endure any kind of embarrassment from them.” Ummi said.
“Oops my mistake, I take back what I said,” he said languidly looking down. They all burst into laughter seeing how he said it.