BEYOND AMBITION

CHAPTER TEN

"If that's the case, then Iklas is truly a composed and responsible girl," Omar thought to himself. Despite her young age, she carried herself with a level of maturity that impressed him.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ummi’s voice. "Umaru, you see that stubborn girl? She didn’t even acknowledge the presence of a guest. All she thinks about is school! This girl is obsessed with education—no rest, no break."

Omar smiled slightly. "Ummi, education is the key to everything nowadays. May Allah make it easy."

Meanwhile, Iklas had finished bathing Suhaila and dressed her in her Islamiyya school uniform. The trousers had a tear at the knee, and the entire outfit was visibly old and worn out. But it was clean, carefully washed and ironed, a testament to Iklas’ diligence.

She paid no attention to the visitor in their home, too focused on getting her sister ready. Taking Suhaila’s hand, she led her towards the living room.

As soon as she stepped in, a powerful, intoxicating fragrance filled her senses, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes darted around in confusion.

She blinked rapidly, her heart skipping a beat. Was she dreaming?

For a second, she thought she was in a different world, but as she rubbed her eyes and looked again, she realized it was real. The presence of the well-dressed stranger sitting in their humble home was nothing short of surreal.

Iklas bent slightly in greeting. "Good afternoon, sir."

Without looking up, Omar simply replied, "Afternoon," as he disregard her, clearly uninterested in conversation.

Realizing she hadn't received a warm welcome, Iklas quickly stood up, grabbed a pen and jotter, and turned to Ummi. "Please, old woman, let's hurry up and do this calculation. I have work to do."

Ummi scoffed. "Look at this one! Just because people call you 'Gomnati' (Government), you think you're so important. Acting like some high-ranking government official! You better snap out of that nonsense. Aren't you even embarrassed? You're getting older, yet you're still behaving like a child."

Iklas pouted, sticking out her lips. "Ummi, please stop saying that I’m growing up."

Ummi smirked mischievously. "Oh really? So you're blind to your own body? Just take a look at your chest, Iklas."

A wave of embarrassment washed over Iklas as Omar sat there witnessing everything. She knew how elderly people could be—they had no filter.

Omar, on the other hand, simply smirked and leaned back, crossing his arms. His gaze swept over her briefly before he scoffed internally. "So this is the 'grown' girl they're talking about? Where exactly is the maturity? Her chest is barely the size of a sour lemon."

Iklas couldn't bring herself to look in Omar’s direction out of sheer embarrassment. She focused on the calculations in front of her, scribbling furiously while pouting.

"Here it is, Ummi," she said, pushing the money toward the older woman. "You know I’ll be going to the market on Saturday. Take this and add it to whatever you have for household expenses. I’ve told you over and over again, Ummi—we should at least cook with meat worth 100 naira or fish daily. If I’m not the one cooking, then you have to do it. I don’t want us eating plain meals while I work hard all day for nothing. I don’t want my blood to be drained for no reason. And I won’t allow Suhaila’s skin to get damaged either. right my baby?" she said while looking at her sister

Suhaila giggled at her words. "Anty, we’re having a debate at school on Monday. The teacher said we should tell our parents, and whoever wins will get a gift. We need someone to come along to support us."

Iklas smiled and patted her head. "Alright, Suhaila. May Allah keep us safe until then—I’ll definitely be there."

Ummi clicked her tongue dismissively. "Do whatever you want."

Suhaila burst into laughter while Iklas spoke again. "Ummi, after Islamiyya today, I’ll go buy some supplies."

Ummi immediately protested. "No, Iklas! I won’t allow you to go to those poultry farms by yourself late in the evening. I don’t trust people these days. The world has changed—some people have no fear of Allah. They could take advantage of you and bring us trouble. Even though you’re still young, it could lead to problems."

Without arguing, Iklas nodded. "Alright, Ummi. Since I’ve already saved up enough for food, I’ll take a one-week break from selling."

Ummi scoffed. "As if I care. when I told you to rest, you didn't want to, why are you suddenly eager to listen to me. Good! At least you’re following my advice for once."

Iklas leaned against her with a playful grin. "That means you’ll get to enjoy modern, delicious meals for a whole week, old woman."

Ummi laughed and playfully knocked Iklas on the head. "Oh, you little troublemaker! Just like your father!"

Omar, on the other hand, was completely fascinated by them. He was especially intrigued by Iklas' mannerisms—how she acted more like a responsible man of the house rather than a young girl. She had a sharp mind, excellent planning skills, and a deep sense of responsibility, particularly in how she cared for her younger sister.

Ummi's voice broke through his thoughts. "Umaru, you've gone quiet."

"It's nothing, Ummi. I should get going now. I’ll visit again sometime."

"Oh, you’re leaving already? We truly appreciate your kindness. May Allah reward you abundantly," Ummi said gratefully.

Before heading out, Omar held Suhaila’s hand. "Come walk me to the car, beauty."

Suhaila's face lit up with excitement at being called "beauty" by someone so stylish.

When they reached his car, Omar pulled out a bundle of neatly stacked thousand-naira notes and handed it to her. "Here, beauty. Give this to Ummi and tell her to buy groceries."

Suhaila’s joy doubled when he picked up a large bag filled with expensive sweets, biscuits, and high-quality snacks. "And this is all yours," he added with a smile.

She quickly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle!" she said, her excitement evident.

But Omar wasn’t done. He retrieved another large bag, so big that Suhaila couldn’t even lift it. "Take this inside to Ummi. Enjoy your sweets. Also, tell your sister to hurry up—I’m calling for her."

Before he could even finish speaking, Suhaila dashed into the house, her little feet barely touching the ground.

Inside, Ummi was overwhelmed with joy. She gasped in disbelief as Suhaila handed her the money. Their grandmother was so stunned that she almost lost her balance. The women cheered, clapped, and even danced in excitement, their laughter filling the house.

Meanwhile, Iklas was still unaware of what was happening. She was wearing a snug pink body-hugging top paired with a jean skirt that barely reached her knees, moving around the house as usual.

"oh Anty uncle is waiting for you outside,". Suhaila said while looking at iklas.

"okay". she said with confusion written all over her face. what does he want with me she thought while walking out

He looked at her and clicked his tongue in disapproval. Handing her the items, he said, “Here, manage this until I return.”

She immediately began expressing her gratitude, but before she could finish, he turned back to her with a stern face and a sharp tone that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Don't ever let me see you on the streets selling again, I swear. And stop walking around half-naked. Here are some clothes."

She frowned, about to speak, but hesitated when she saw the authority in his eyes.

However, in her mind, she thought, "Listen to this arrogance and interference! What’s his business with my selling? Is he my father? Will he be the one to provide for us if I stop? And he dares to say I'm walking around half-naked? Nonsense... He's lucky I respect him. If it were someone else, I would have put them in their place."

Before she could finish her internal rant, Omar had already sped off in his car, leaving the neighborhood without looking back.

She let out a hiss, watching the car disappear in the distance, then turned and went back inside, her heart burning with irritation and thoughts swirling in her mind.

At that moment, pure joy filled Iklas' home.

The packages contained luxurious, disigner long gowns—five in total, all perfectly her size. There were also three sets of designer blouse and skirt outfits, three pairs of flat shoes, several headscarves, and undergarments. Instead of bras, he had bought ten pairs of panties, along with three sets of vests and tights. He also included three beautiful nightgowns suitable for wearing around the house.

However, Omar didn't know that Iklas had a younger sister, so he hadn’t bought anything specifically for her. Instead, he had given her some sweets and snacks. The expensive fabric—five stunning pieces—was left for Iklas to share, and she immediately told Kaka Ummi to have hers tailored as well.

The excitement in their home was indescribable. Kaka Ummi was beyond happy, and Suhaila was completely engrossed in her sweets.

Meanwhile, Omar had left for Sultan’s place to greet Sultan’s mother. Afterward, they met up with some of their other friends.

Sultan kept insisting that Omar accompany him to visit his girlfriend, Yasmin, but Omar flatly refused.

Sultan clicked his tongue in frustration. “I swear, Omar, I’ll get back at you for this. How can you refuse to meet Yasmin, the girl I plan to marry?”

Omar remained silent.

Sultan continued, “You’ve only seen her once, and that was at my hospital office! Just once! Come on, man.”

Omar finally spoke in his usual calm but firm tone. “You already know who I am, Sultan. I don’t go visiting girls for casual conversations, so please excuse me.”

Sultan scoffed. “Of course, I know you. You’re the most unbothered person alive. You don’t care about anyone’s issues unless they belong to that egg-seller.”

Omar ignored him, putting on his headphones and drowning out the conversation with Chris Brown’s music.