Kabir could have slapped himself twice for sending that message.
PS: I love you? What did that even mean?? He sounded like some school girl..or a teenager excited about his first conquest.
Maybe he should send another message saying he sent the wrong message.
Yaqub interrupted his trail of thoughts as he entered the living room shouting on the top of his voice.
“we got the case” he said. Smiling from ear to ear. In his excitement he jumped to sit beside Kabir on the smaller cream settee.
It took Kabir almost a minute as he tried to rearrange his thoughts. He answered his friend nonetheless,not wanting to look stupid.
They discussed the case all night as most lawyers did. The two lawyers went on to continue research on the case online, gathering as much information as they could about the opposing counsel and the case itself. It was such a big catch for the fresh minds,especially seeing as Jibrin & co had just taken off barely a year ago. They shared the same zeal for justice. Reason why they had clicked right from their library days back in the university of greenwich.
Yaqub Jibrin was the only son of Justice Sani Jibrin. The first attorney-general of the federation from Katsina. The name Justice Jibrin was synonymous with excellence and perfection. Anything he did and all he had achieved all these years had been built on justice, equity and fairness. It was a tough call for Yaqub all his life. As most people used his father’s success as a yardstick for his own achievements. They viewed all he did as right or wrong. There was no grey area. He only found solace with his mum most times. As she corrected his mistakes with the understanding only a mother could. He had been such a rogue at first, not wanting to study hard and always partying around. He even repeated his class in year one, which had been the main reason why his uncle had presuaded his dad to bundle him abroad.
“let him come here and stay with me. I will teach him some manners. And please yaya, don’t come visiting or send him any money until he has graduated” His uncle,Bako had told his dad five years earlier.
But even uncle Bako was amazed at the level of commitment and dedication Yaqub had shown once he thought his family had abandoned him. His mum’s resolve to shut him out until he made her proud especially, had got him thinking real hard for days after sulking and dragging his feet about for days on end. His turn around and transformation had become an example for other boys that were family friends with the Jibrins’.
It was his dad’s idea that he start up the private legal firm. Seeing as he had come back with a broad spectrum of ideas and plans. Justice Jibrin thought it wise to shield his son from the inevitable conflict between politics and justice.
Yaqub had however faced the issue head on. His first case had been with a councilor from Daura. He won the case fair and square regardless of the threat to his life once the hearing had begun.
This new case was similar. Only this time,they were going into the big leagues. They were going to be facing the dreaded Tom Dike (SAN). He was known as a ruthless lawyer and a bitter loser. He fought hard and dirty. Which suited him well as most of his clients were politicians who were willing to pay any price to win. He didn’t take any chances, and crushed anyone that stood between him and the results he wanted. Yaqub had his father’s years of experience and strategies to guide him, without that, he was no match for Tom Dike. Even with the enormous bounty of wisdom they were expecting to tap from, Kabir was still having seconds thoughts about taking on Tom Dike. He had suggested they seek the counsel of an older colleague. There seem to be enough candidates for the slot. Tom Dike had more foes than friends afterall. But, Yaqub will not see reason. He wanted this victory to be his to savor and a big plus for his new law firm. It was something the two friends had argued over for days before they finally agreed to start wooing their client. It was such a keenly contested race, and so many others had even taken to sending personal gifts and granting favors to get the job. Yaqub had used his father’s old method of being available to the client, but assertive and professional when need be. It was the combination that got him the case at the end of the day.
It was almost some minutes to 3am when Yaqub finally began to doze off . Kabir tapped his shoulders with his tired fingers from his squating position. They had moved to the library and were all covered in multitude of paper and case study. Yaqub yawned in answer and shifted his gaze to take in Kabir.
“You should go home,mallam” Kabir said, suppressing gales of laughter. He was exhausted himself,but he could bet that he wasn’t looking as bad as Yaqub.
“ko? Anya zan iya zuwa gida a haka?” Yaqub reasoned inspite of himself. Kabir assesed him and had to agree. He will end up by the roadside or far worse if he left like that.
He threw his weight sluggishly on the tiled floor and began to snore solfty before Kabir could even reply him. He was like a dead log when he was asleep. Kabir often wondered how he will cope if there was an emergence or a call for help late at night. He had once slept off in the middle of a conversation with his girlfriend,Zainab. His old friends still teased him about it,but they had all come to agree that Yaqub functioned better during the day. Even the fear of exams didn’t keep him from meeting up his appointment with Mr. sleep.
Kabir put down the ball pen in his hand and picked up his iphone from atop the stack of files he had already gone through. He scanned through his unread messages using his left index finger to navigate the device. He was expecting a reply at least. It was so unlike Naima not to have replied him by now. He went back to view his outgoing folder. The message had been delivered alright. So, why didn’t she reply? He wondered if she was still mad at him, or if she didn’t even feel same. He feared the latter as he realized that they had never talked indepth or even defined their attraction to one another.
With a sigh, he put down the phone from where he picked it and yanked the file off his lap. He stretched his sore frame and yawned loudly. Then joined his friend on the floor using the stack of files as pillow.
Naima shifted in her sleep. She was in her “C” sleeping position as always. With her knee close to her chin. Her alarm went off minutes earlier, but she was far away in dreamland to even think of waking up. Her phone began to buzz again. This time louder, as if the urgence of the call was being transmitted via the device. She moved again,this time with a murmur and her eyes drooping. It took her some seconds to figure out what the sound was and the line was about to go off when she finally hit the green button and took the call.
“Hello” she muffled into the speaker.
“yan’mata kenan”
That was all he said, but it was enough for her to sit up excitedly as the sleep flew away from her eyes and lit up like a christmas tree…
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