• ZAIN-ABEED

• Hausa Novels Complete

• Writing by Nimcey Sarauta

DESCRIPTION BOOK

Despite the fog in Moscow, the Aeroflot-Plus plane landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. The weather was intense, and the pilot could barely see the landing direction. Other than snow, nothing else was falling. The cold was dangerous for people with asthma, as it could put them in critical condition. The plane slowly parked and found a spot to stop. Inside the plane, passengers began unbuckling their seat belts to prepare to disembark. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he clasped his hands in exhaustion. Glancing at his wrist, he saw it was 1:15 AM.

 

• He stood up slowly, his hands tucked into his suit pockets, and walked over to the VIP section, thinking about why his twin hadn’t come out yet. Was he alright? Was the cold affecting his health? Out loud, he whispered, “Oh Lord, look after Your servant.”

 

He opened the VIP door gently, peeking in, and froze upon seeing his twin lying down on a long chair. Abeed was lying down with no sign of waking up, his eyes closed, arms folded over his chest, breathing peacefully. Abeed looked very serene as he slept, his hair falling slightly over his forehead like a woman’s. Zain’s gaze softened as he looked lovingly at Abeed, his twin brother. He walked up to where Abeed lay and carefully unfolded Abeed’s arms from his chest. Zain observed his chest rising and falling, and he gently placed his head on Abeed’s chest, trying to figure out why his breathing was unusual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• He pulled his head back, muttering softly, “I don’t know what my twin is hiding… Could he be hiding something from me? No! Abeed wouldn’t keep secrets; he’s my life, and I am his. He wouldn’t do that… definitely.” As he said this, he picked up Abeed’s iPhone and noticed with surprise that there were 20 missed calls from Riya, who had been calling him since they were in Nigeria, yet he hadn’t responded to any of them. Worried, Zain said, “Sorry, Riya. I’ll look out for him, insha’Allah.” He put Abeed’s phone in his pocket and murmured, “I love you, my twin.”

 

Just then, he heard movement. He turned quickly, locking eyes with Abeed, whose usually blue eyes had taken on a reddish tint. Zain watched him in silence, trying to make sense of the situation. Then, smiling, he asked, “When did you wake up?” Abeed hesitated, then opened his mouth slightly and, with a faint voice, answered, “From when you said ‘I love you,’” standing up as he adjusted his suit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Zain smiled, aware that Abeed often hesitated to speak even to him, his twin born on the same day, at the same hour. Abeed only felt truly at ease with three people: his twin brother Zain, the King (their father), and Naila. Zain, who was tall and fair with light eyes and a calm, approachable demeanor, never hid anything and was only ever concerned about his twin. Abeed, on the other hand, had a serious nature and disliked unnecessary attention, except when he was performing his music on stage. Honest to a fault, he would never lie; a “yes” from him was a firm yes. People could distinguish him from Zain by his unique hairstyle, with his hair falling over his forehead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• But Abeed had a secret he hadn’t told Zain. What was it? Abeed quietly walked to the restroom in the plane, hands in his pockets. Once inside, he locked the door, leaned against it, and breathed heavily. He didn’t care about his own life, but if something happened to him, what state would Zain be left in? That thought weighed heavily on Abeed and kept him from sleep. An investigation had revealed he had only five months left to live.

 

Zain, not hearing anything from Abeed, knocked on the door and asked, “Hey, my friend, is everything okay?” Abeed didn’t respond, as he was busy vomiting, blood included. He washed his mouth and face, unlocked the door, and walked out without stopping for Zain, wanting to hide the situation from him. Zain only followed him with his eyes. Just as he was about to walk away, he saw Abeed’s inhaler. He shook his head, picked it up, and followed him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• In the airplane’s aisle, he saw Abeed standing with his head bowed, his face showing signs of strain and redness. Zain moved closer and saw that a foreign woman was staring at Abeed intently. Smiling, Zain asked, “Can I call her?” Abeed said nothing, so Zain added, “Shall we?” Finally, Abeed lifted his now normal-looking eyes and glanced at Zain, as if he needed something from him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Zain placed his hand on Abeed’s shoulder and remembered he’d almost forgotten. He took a Mars bar from his pocket, brought it near Abeed, and asked, “How’s your body? The cold didn’t bother you, right?” Abeed closed his eyes, opened them, and was about to speak when he noticed the foreign woman staring again. He turned Zain around so that his face was hidden, then took out a diamond ring, held Zain’s hand, and slipped the ring onto his finger with a faint, shy smile, saying, “You’ll be my replacement.” He took Zain’s hand and led him to an elegant car parked nearby, where they both sat in the back while the driver loaded their luggage, got in, and drove off from the airport.