❝and like clockwork, she always found her way back to him❞Noorul-Huda Al'amir Belko has always viewed life with indifference after an event that changed her life. She is given a chance at redemption after a handful of scandals that led her to a downward spiral.After a chance encounter led to an inevitable heartache, she's faced with a dilemma; choosing between two men she cared about without destroying them all.
Voir plusSummer, 2007
Ecuador
Sun rays shone on her olive skin as she twirled around in the sand, her pigtails bouncing along with her, a broad smile adorning her face.
Farther away from her sat a petite woman on a lounge chair, sipping cocktail while conversing merrily with the people around her, every once and then glancing at the spot her daughter played, offering a smile to her before returning her gaze to the women.
A mischievous smile broke on the little girl's lips as she glanced at her mother whose gaze now lingered on her phone, halting her dance. She bounced off to a little kiosk by the side of the beach, bought a blueberry cone ice cream then took off towards the dock.
She sat on the dock, her feet dangling off the edge as she licked her ice cream, wishing she could go into the water instead but she knew not to—it was strictly forbidden—as it is, she had already broken another rule, wandering off alone.
She glanced around her environment, her eyebrows furrowing when her gaze fell on a boy who stood a few inches away from her, hands tucked underneath his chin as he stared unblinkingly at the calm waves.
She hadn't noticed him when she arrived but for some odd reason, she was unable to take her gaze away from him now that she had seen him. Tilting her head backwards, she studied him curiously wondering if she should go and say hi to him.
Again, she remembered her mother warning her against talking to strangers when she was alone but what harm could there be in talking to him? After all, he seemed to be only a few years older than she was.
Cheeks tainted pink, lips curled into a dark scowl, he turned around and clashed his gaze with hers, narrowing his eyes into slits. Well? his gaze seemed to question as he continued to stare at her.
She waved at him, rising from her position. She walked towards him and stood a few feet away, tilting her head backwards.
"What do you want?" he glared, looking down at her. He towered over her with a good three feet but despite his build and visible anger, something in his eyes made her stand her ground.
"You look sad," she stated, hugging her midsection.
"I'm not sad," he laughed bitterly. "You can go away now."
"Bobbo* says that it is not good to lie," she replied innocently. "Why are you lying?"
"I'm not lying," he furrowed his eyebrows.
"You're not?" she frowned.
"Yeah," he nodded. "You can leave now."
"It's okay to be sad," she smiled, bobbing her head. "It is okay to be sad, sometimes you need to be sad in other to be happy."
His scowl deepened, wondering where the conversation was going to. The girl looked wiser than her age and she talked with air of authority which made him listen to her even though he was annoyed with her presence, something about her reminded him of Hermione Granger.
"Well?" she tapped her foot impatiently, thrusting her hand forward. "Do you want some ice cream? It'll make you feel better."
He stared at her hand warily as if she had offered him more than a handshake, contemplating whether to accept it or not.
"I'm here for you," she urged him again, clasping his hand—which laid unmoving by his side—with hers, tugging him forward.
"But I don't have any money," he protested, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. How he let the girl talk him out of his misery surprised him to no ends, when he ran to the beach all he wanted to do was stew in silence.
"I have money," she grinned, producing a dollar bill from the pocket of her dress. "Bobbo gave me some."
"But..."
"Ice cream," she whined, stomping her foot on the ground.
"Ice cream," he nodded.
She smiled then bounced off towards the kiosk and bought two new ice cream cones, handed him one, proceeded to lick hers as they made way to the bench beside the dock.
Behind them, waves crashed violently against the shores, bearing witness to a silent pact made unknowingly as they sat sharing little laughs and giggles between them.
When her brother came looking for her, the girl stood and followed him dejectedly, knowing that it might be the last time she saw her friend again.
"Will I see you again?" he questioned, running after her.
"Yeah," she nodded with enthusiasm, bobbing her head a huge grin appearing on her face.
"Promise me all your firsts," he mouthed, flashing her a grin which pronounced the two dimples on either side of his face.
"I promise," she replied, curling her pinky with his, spotting a grin as big as his even though she had no idea what it meant.
He nodded and let her go, giving his back to her as he returned to watching the waves, this time around with a smile on his face.
She halted in her steps as they neared their cabin, her eyes widening in disbelief. Slapping a hand over her forehead, she ran out of the house, towards the dock ignoring the calls of her brother.
Standing at the spot where they had sat earlier, the girl looked around frantically, searching for his wavy black hair amongst the crowd but he was no where to be seen, he was gone without a trace as if he hadn't been there.
But she knew he was, the seashell bracelet—which he had gifted her–was proof enough that he had been there and she hadn't imagined all of it.
She ran back to their cabin with a heavy heart, knowing that come what may, she would never forget the grey-eyed boy she'd met even if she didn't know his name, perhaps someday in the future they would meet again. For now, she'll hold on to the bracelet until they do.
It wasn't the end of their story, it was the beginning and there was more to come.
Click, remember this moment.
__________________________________
*= Big brother, Fulfulde
❝and like clockwork, she always found her way back to him❞▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●c o p y r i g h t All rights reserved. No part of this book should be copied, modified, reproduced or adapted without the written consent of the owner.This book is a piece of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are a product of writer's imagination or otherwise used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, incidents or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬•Epigraph“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”—William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream©Jidderh_khidirP.S, do not steal my work!
You've been so brave, sweetheart.~Lily Potter, The deathly hallows.••Three years laterVenice, Italy.She adjusted the lapels of her veil, gazing at herself through the full length mirror in her dressing room.The woman who stared back at her wasn't at all the woman she had been three years ago. She had come so far from being the abandoned daughter, the disgraced drug addict and the girl who had vyed for her father's attention.Now, she was a renowned chef in Nigeria, a degree holder in psychology, a wife and an expecting mother–in three months to be exact.Never in her life had she ever thought that one day, she was going to fall in love or that she was going to get married and craft a life with another person.After what had happened to her, her life had been a series of sitting around and doing nothing. She had felt like a waste of oxygen, just going through the motions with no thought of the future.After almost loosing her Baba and her encounter with the Lukuwa brothers, she re
You've been so brave, sweetheart.~Lily Potter, The deathly hallows. ••Three years laterVenice, Italy.She adjusted the lapels of her veil, gazing at herself through the full length mirror in her dressing room. The woman who stared back at her wasn't at all the woman she had been three years ago. She had come so far from being the abandoned daughter, the disgraced drug addict and the girl who had vyed for her father's attention. Now, she was a renowned chef in Nigeria, a degree holder in psychology, a wife and an expecting mother–in three m
Soon, we all must face the choice between what is right and what is easy.~Albus Dumbledore.••Her heart pitter-pattered against her chest, the roar of the wind in her ears a steady rhythm to the ache in her chest. The cool air caressed her skin like a lover's caress, sinking into her bones, providing her with such warmth she never wanted to part with it. The hassle of the airport patrons broke into the spell she had been in–noise replacing the call of the wind, fumes from cars replacing the sweet warm air and people filling in places that had seemed to be empty only a moment ago. The past couple of weeks had been a whirlwind of pain and heartache
We must try not to sink beneath our anguish Harry, but battle on.~Albus Dumbledore, The half-blood prince.••The ride back to the hospital was made in silence–filled with anxiety, uncertainty and anguish. She knew what was waiting for her at the gates of the hospital, the bloodthirsty news agencies waiting for her arrival. The media frenzy after the photos had been released made her sick and if it wasn't for Marwan and his siblings' presence, she had no idea what she would have done at the moment. When Khaleed had called to tell her not to go to the hospital, or the Belko estate or anywhere else that the news agents could find her, Marwa
I wish he was mine, he is really divine.~Ginny Weasley, The chamber of secrets.••Marwan wasn't sure what had prompted him to come back here, at the place where he had first met her. It would only lead to more heartache he knew that but still, he hadn't moved a muscle. Perhaps, this was his last hurrah for a love that could never be. He didn't have a place to be or work to finish–even though he did–but the thought of leaving made his heart constrict with so much pain, he wanted to keel over and faint. It felt like he was drowning with no chance of making it to shore. Whenever he floated back, it felt like his head was shoved back i
Happiness can be found in the darkest of times. If only one remembers to turn on the lights. Albus Dumbledore, Prisoner of azakaban.••Noor stilled, her hands fisted to her sides as she heard the rustle of leaves behind her. She knew who it was, after all, Marwan had texted to tell her to expect him. She had no idea what to do, what to say or how to act. All the times they had met, she had never been anything short of confident but now, after everything that had happened, she was anything but. Did he hate her for coming between him and his brother? Did he think less of her for
The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by an invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing.Severus Snape, Order of the phoenix.••Muslim's gaze raked over his family, his heart filling up with so much warmth, words couldn't describe it.He had missed them, missed sitting on the table and eating food with them. His eyes found their father's and the warmth he was feeling dissipitated but he forced a smile on his face, as their mother placed a plate of tuwon shinkafa in front of him."So," he rubbed his hands together, avoiding Mardiya who had her chin rested on her palms, staring at him with curiosity.He knew w
While we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our heart beats as one. ~Albus Dumbledore, The goblet of fire.••Al'amir Belko had flatlined thrice and each time, Noor had been sure the angel of death had come for her Baba only for him to return back to the living. But there hadn't been much improvement, he was still the same. Still as dead to the world as he was four days ago–only the steady beat of the monitors proved otherwise.Every second that passed without him waking up, a shred of hope left her body. She watched by the minute as he lost weight in his sleep, his body so pale he could give Jasper a run for hi
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