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Chapter 23: Deceptions, Slander, and Broken Foundations
Hajiya Mariya swept into the living room, her eyes instantly locking onto the untouched plate resting on the dining table. "Ah, Alhaji," she noted, frowning slightly. "You haven’t eaten your food."
Alhaji let out a long, heavy sigh of utter exhaustion. "I swear by Allah, I cannot manage a single bite, Mariya. Everything is collapsing around me all at once. The entire mountain of my life's ambitions is on the verge of being completely shattered."
Hajiya Mariya stepped forward, gently placing a reassuring hand on his slumped shoulder. "You must stop speaking like that, Alhaji. In Shaa Allah, we will absolutely achieve our ultimate goals."
"But how?" Alhaji countered bitterly. "You can see with your own eyes that Haidar’s wedding festivities have already officially commenced."
A dark, malicious smile crept across Hajiya Mariya’s face. "The festivities have only commenced, Alhaji; the marriage fatiha itself hasn't been legally contracted yet. Just sit back and watch—I will personally ensure this union never takes place."
"How on earth can you bring that about?"
"Leave every single detail entirely in my hands," she whispered smoothly, her voice dripping with calculated deception.
Meanwhile, across town, Bongel spent the entire night without a single wink of sleep. She spent the long, quiet hours of the night standing in deep prayer, shedding silent tears as she begged Allah to decree whatever was best for her destiny and future. When morning finally broke, her stomach churned with so much anxiety that she couldn't bring herself to swallow a single bite of breakfast. She managed to force down a few sips of water. Asiya tried everything in her power to persuade her to eat, but Bongel firmly refused.
By all initial arrangements, Bongel was supposed to travel back home to Malumfashi that morning. However, she was desperately waiting to hear back from Hisham. She was holding onto a thin, desperate thread of hope that he had successfully managed to dissolve her forced engagement to Haidar and redirect the proposal onto himself. This agonizing anticipation forced her to cancel her travel plans for the day.
At Dada’s grand estate, the elderly matriarch sat in silence, quietly listening to the desperate plea Hisham had brought before her. He was fervently arguing that he and Bongel were deeply in love, begging Dada to kindly change her mind and award Bongel’s hand in marriage to him instead of his older brother.
Dada stared at him intently for a long, silent moment. "Hisham," she called out softly.
"Na'am, Dada," he replied, his voice trembling with hope.
"You made a fatal mistake from the very beginning by hiding your feelings for Bongel," Dada lectured firmly. "The ink has already dried on the paper, and the matter is sealed. I have already chosen Haidar to be Bongel’s husband, because they are fundamentally more compatible for one another."
Hearing this absolute rejection, Hisham collapsed to his knees on the floor. He pressed his palms together in a desperate gesture of begging. "For the sake of Almighty Allah, Dada! Please, have mercy on me and marry Bongel to me!"
Although a wave of deep maternal pity washed over Dada's heart as she watched him break down, she knew she would never alter the path of this marriage. "You must take heart and accept this, Hisham," she said gently but unyieldingly. "May Allah grant you a virtuous wife who is even better for you than Bongel."
Hisham remained frozen on his knees, utterly unable to stand as heavy tears began to spill over his eyelashes and stream down his cheeks. He felt his head spinning violently. The intense, consuming love he felt for Bongel had taken complete control of his soul, and he genuinely felt he would not survive the pain of losing her. Unable to bear the agonizing sight of her grandson’s raw grief, Dada quietly stood up and left the living room, her heart heavy with sorrow.
Within the span of a single night, Haidar’s physical appearance had completely altered. The total lack of sleep from the previous night, paired with the overwhelming mountain of stress, anxiety, and continuous overthinking, had taken a brutal toll on his body. A blinding, agonizing migraine ripped through his skull. He had already taken heavy pain-relief medication, but it felt as though the pills were only worsening the throbbing pain. During the dark hours of the night, he had desperately brainstormed every possible avenue to slip out of this unwanted marriage, only finding a shred of mental peace once he conceived a plan.
Reaching for his phone, Haidar dialed Hisham’s number.
Ever since rushing out of Dada’s residence, Hisham had driven aimlessly until he found an isolated, deserted area. He had parked his car and slumped over, burying his face against the steering wheel in a state of utter despair. He initially intended to ignore the ringing phone, but at the last second, he reluctantly answered.
"Bring your girlfriend, Hafsah, and meet me at the family guest house immediately," Haidar commanded icily, slamming the phone down before Hisham could utter a single word.
Hisham let out a long breath, praying silently that this sudden summons would bring good news. He started his engine and drove straight to Asiya’s family house.
Bongel, who had been anxiously pacing while waiting for his arrival, felt her heart leap the moment she heard his car pull up outside. She quickly wrapped her hijab around her body and hurried out to meet him.
"Get into the car. We are going somewhere," was the only thing Hisham muttered, his face incredibly tense.
Bongel instinctively shook her head, backing away. "No."
"By now, Bongel, you should know without a doubt that I have absolutely no intentions toward you except pure goodness," Hisham pleaded desperately. "So please, just trust me and come along."
Bongel hesitated for a long moment, battling her inner fears. Finally, she unlocked the passenger door and stepped inside. Hisham drove them directly toward the secluded family guest house. The moment the luxury gates came into view, Bongel's heart violently dropped into her stomach. She turned to stare at Hisham, her eyes wide with fear and suspicion.
"I swear by Almighty Allah, I have absolutely no intention of harming you, Bongel," Hisham reassured her earnestly.
Hearing his solemn oath, her racing heart calmed slightly. She stepped out of the vehicle and followed closely behind him as he unlocked the main doors.
The moment she stepped into the grand living room, she froze dead in her tracks, her chest heaving with terror. Haidar was sitting majestically on the executive sofa, looking down at her like an unyielding judge. Panic seized her, and she instinctively took a sharp step backward to flee. Hisham quickly raised his hand, gesturing for her to stay. She stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed.
Haidar slowly began to clap his hands together in a slow, mocking rhythm. He stood up, his eyes burning with absolute disgust. "Wow," he drawled, his voice dripping with venom. "Despite the fact that your wedding to another man is actively being prepared, you still possess the Audacity to follow a boyfriend to your usual playground for whatever cheap debauchery you two are accustomed to."
Hisham’s jaw dropped in absolute shock. He opened his mouth to defend her, but Haidar raised a sharp, authoritative hand, cutting him off instantly. "I already know exactly what you’re about to say, Hisham! If she wasn't completely accustomed to following you to private houses like this, no woman who possesses a single shred of self-respect or dignity would ever follow a man to a secluded residence—especially when she is legally promised to someone else!"
"No, Yaya Haidar! It is not what you think at all!" Hisham protested frantically.
"If you don't know it yet, Hisham, I want you to know it today: I saw the two of you with my very own eyes!"
Hisham’s heart skipped a beat. Does this mean Yaya Haidar was the one who saw us on the lawn that day? he thought to himself in horror.
Haidar turned his lethal, burning gaze directly onto Bongel. "I, HAIDAR ABBAS MAISHANU, am entirely out of the league of a vile creature like you—a woman completely stained with the filth and moral rot of fornication! How could you honestly think for a single second that I would ever agree to marry a woman who has shared a bed with my own younger brother? A woman who has turned herself into a public commercial vehicle (motar haya) that anyone can board at will? I will never, under any circumstances, marry a cheap prostitute!"
The horrific, unjust accusations pierced through Bongel’s soul, igniting a fierce fire of raw trauma, pain, and indignation within her. "I didn't do it!" she screamed back, her voice shaking violently as she defended her virtue. "I have never shared a bed with anyone in my entire life! Stop branding me with disgusting titles that I do not deserve!"
She violently whipped her head toward Hisham, her eyes wild with tears. "Tell him the truth, Hisham! Tell him exactly what happened that day!"
Hisham froze. A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room as he remained completely mute, unable to speak.
"Speak up, Hisham!" Bongel shrieked, her voice cracking into a desperate, agonizing scream. "Defend me! Clear my name from your brother’s horrific assumptions! I am exhausted! I am so, so exhausted of this!"
Hisham opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, a dark, opportunistic thought flashed through his mind. He realized that if his older brother believed Bongel was ruined, Haidar would completely abandon the marriage, allowing Hisham to claim her for himself.
He swallowed hard, looked up at Haidar, and lied through his teeth. "Yes... it's true, Yaya. Bongel and I have shared a bed together. I don't see any reason to hide it anymore."
The horrific admission struck Bongel like a physical blow to the chest. Even Haidar was momentarily stunned by the blunt confession. Although he had personally witnessed Hisham on top of her that day, hearing the verbal confirmation from his brother's own lips added massive fuel to the raging fire of hatred burning in his heart against her.
To Haidar, Bongel's tears and frantic denials were nothing but a calculated, manipulative performance—the peak of feminine deceit. Looking at her crying, anyone would swear she was pure and innocent. He exhaled a sharp, burning breath of utter disgust and spat out: "You deceitful, wicked actress."
The words "Yes, Bongel and I have shared a bed together" echoed continuously inside Bongel’s brain like a deafening siren. Her vision suddenly blurred, turning completely dark. A violent wave of dizziness swept over her body, and within seconds, she collapsed onto the floor, completely unconscious.
In a panic, Hisham rushed toward her limp body. Haidar instinctively took a sharp step forward to help her, but he froze midway, as if an invisible force had held him back. His expression hardened into ice once more. He turned his back on them and marched out of the guest house without looking back.
Hisham frantically ran to the refrigerator, pulled out cold water, and began splashing it onto her face. Bongel slowly fluttered her eyes open. The moment her gaze locked onto Hisham’s face, she violently shut them, a deep, sickening wave of hatred and resentment for him washing over her soul.
"I am so sorry, please Bongel... forgive me..." Hisham stammered, trembling.
Bongel raised a weak but unyielding hand, cutting him off. "Enough, Hisham," she whispered hoarsely.
She forced her aching body up and staggered toward the exit. Hisham scrambled to block her path, his face twisted in desperation. "For Allah's sake, please listen to me, Bongel! I swear by Allah, it was only my intense, consuming love for you that drove me to say that!"
Bongel threw him a glare so full of bitter contempt and raw heartbreak that it completely silenced him. She felt an overwhelming urge to slap his face. What kind of twisted love would drive a man to completely obliterate a woman’s honor and brand her a whore just to satisfy his own selfish desires?
"Please forgive me, Bongel," Hisham begged, his voice breaking. "I had to do this to ensure that we end up together permanently."
"I have absolutely no desire to belong to you if it means my dignity must be dragged through the mud in the eyes of the world!" she snapped furiously. "Do you have any idea how painful and destructive it is to be falsely accused of fornication? Do you know the lifelong damage that kind of slander carries? Why did you choose to build our entire future on the destruction of my virtue?"
"It was the only way, Bongel!"
"Get out of my way and let me pass!" she roared, her chest heaving with a level of rage he had never seen before. Realizing she was completely pushed to her limit, Hisham reluctantly stepped aside.
Bongel rushed out of the guest house and marched down the hot asphalt toward the main road. An uncontainable mountain of grief and black despair suffocated her heart. It was over. Haidar’s vile assumptions about her were now permanently cemented as facts in his mind. He would undoubtedly expose this to Dada and his parents to escape the marriage, and her unblemished character would be forever ruined in Dada’s eyes. Heavy, endless streams of tears flooded her face as she walked all the way back to Asiya’s house. Fortunately, the courtyard was completely empty, allowing her to slip into the bedroom unnoticed.
Asiya was sitting on the bed and gasped the moment she saw her friend's distraught state. "In the name of Allah! Why are you crying like this? What happened?"
Bongel violently shook her head, trying to hide the dark truth. "It’s nothing... it’s just this upcoming wedding to Haidar that is driving me completely out of my mind."
Asiya let out a soft sigh of relief. "Please, calm your heart. Just keep praying for Allah to decree what is best for your life."
Bongel nodded weakly. She immediately pulled out her travel bags and began frantically packing her belongings. She resolved to leave for Malumfashi that very hour. Her soul desperately craved the warm, protective embrace of her mother, Nene—the only place she might find temporary relief from this agonizing pain. Furthermore, she could never bring herself to look Dada in the eye again, terrified of the shame. She decided that the moment she arrived home, she would completely accept Jabeer’s marriage proposal. She would beg her family to return Dada’s wealth and gifts immediately. She would a thousand times rather marry Jabeer than endure a lifetime of torment under Haidar. As for Hisham, she swore an oath that she would never marry him; his family already viewed her as a ruined woman, and she knew they would never willingly accept a perceived sinner into their elite bloodline.
Chapter 24: The Unyielding Decree and High-Society Preparations
Straight from the guest house, Haidar drove directly to Dada’s estate, completely determined to shatter this unwanted engagement once and for all. He brushed past the domestic staff, barely offering a muttered response to their warm greetings.
Inside, Dada was reclining comfortably on the plush sofa, right on the verge of drifting off to sleep. Opening her eyes and seeing him standing there, she offered a knowing smile. "Ah, so you have finally decided to end your childish tantrum? Ever since you found out I selected a wife for you, you completely stopped setting foot in this house."
"Good afternoon, Dada," Haidar greeted stiffly, completely deflecting her commentary.
"Good afternoon to you, my handsome groom," Dada teased warmly. "You look radiant."
Haidar maintained a completely flat, emotionless expression as he sat down on the carpet near her feet. "Dada, for the sake of Almighty Allah, I am begging you for a profound favor."
"I am listening to you, my son."
"For Allah's sake, please cancel my marriage to this girl. She is actively Hisham’s girlfriend."
Dada let out a wise, patient chuckle. "Oh, Haidar. If you only knew the immense blessings, goodness, and light that I see surrounding your future with Bongel, you would never utter such words. Tell me, won't you even accept this marriage for the sake of your young son, Irfan?"
Haidar stared at his grandmother in absolute bewilderment. His mind suddenly short-circuited. Wait... Bongel is the 'Aunty' Irfan is always talking about? The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. She was the very same woman his toddler son had grown deeply, dangerously attached to over the past weeks. How on earth did his innocent son become entangled with a loose woman?
Dada interrupted his racing thoughts, her voice steady and full of conviction. "When looking for a virtuous, ideal wife, one searches for beauty, noble lineage, good upbringing, mental maturity, and impeccable moral character. Bongel possesses every single one of these rare qualities. I desire this marriage for you so that your young son can receive an exceptional upbringing, and so that you, my stubborn grandson, can finally find true peace, stability, and care in your life."
Haidar opened his mouth to aggressively reveal the disgusting truth about Bongel's alleged promiscuity, but Dada raised a sharp, completely uncompromising hand, shutting him down instantly.
"Your marriage to Bongel is a finalized decree," Dada stated, her tone ringing with absolute authority. "The only way this wedding will ever be canceled is if I am no longer drawing breath on this earth. And even if death takes me before the wedding day, I will leave it as a strict, legally binding final written will and testament (wasiyya) that the two of you must be married."
Haidar grabbed his head in his hands, feeling an absolute wave of black despair. What kind of horrific curse had he stumbled into? How could his son ever receive a proper, moral upbringing from a woman who lacked the basic fundamentals of decency? How could he ever find peace with a verified prostitute?
There was no doubt in his mind that Bongel was a dangerous, double-faced snake—a master manipulator who had put on a flawless performance of false innocence to deceive Dada and Ammi. He swore to himself that the moment he was forced to legally marry her, he would make her life so utterly miserable that she would beg to be locked in a maximum-security prison rather than spend another day in his house. She would leave his home on her own two feet. The only reason he refrained from exposing Hisham and blowing the scandal wide open today was his deep, protective love for his family, his desire to protect his younger brother's reputation from their parents' wrath, and his fear of causing Dada a fatal heartbreak. He chose to swallow the bitter poison and keep the secret locked deep within his chest.
He abruptly stood up and marched out of the villa without even bidding Dada goodbye. Dada watched his retreating figure, smiling to herself as she called out after him, "One day, Haidar, you will come to me on your knees and thank me for the incredible blessing I have forced upon your life!"
Back at Asiya's house, Asiya watched her friend frantically pack her bags with deep concern. "Do you honestly think it's a good idea for you to travel all the way back to Malumfashi without formally informing Dada first?"
Bongel let out a shaky breath. "I just don't want anything or anyone to create a barrier that stops me from leaving today."
"I am completely certain Dada wouldn't stop you from visiting your mother," Asiya reasoned gently.
Bongel firmly shook her head. "Just let me leave, Asiya. The moment my commercial vehicle arrives safely in Malumfashi, I will personally place a phone call to her."
"Alright then. May Allah protect you and grant you a completely safe journey home."
"Amin," Bongel whispered.
Just then, Aina'u rushed into the bedroom, breathless. "The commercial tricycle (Napep) is parked outside and waiting!"
"Wonderful. Aina'u, please help me carry this smaller bag," Bongel said, handing her the luggage. Asiya escorted her friend all the way to the main road, bidding her an emotional farewell.
Meanwhile, inside her private quarters, Dada was meticulously organizing Bongel’s bridal trousseau. She had personally selected five incredibly beautiful, highly expensive designer outfits. She packed everything into luxury cases, including genuine gold jewelry, matching Italian shoes, designer veils, and a stunning, regal bridal cloak (alkyabba) meant to be draped over Bongel when she was formally escorted to her husband's home.
Anty Mami, who was Dada's daughter, watched the lavish preparations in absolute awe. "Honestly, Dada, you are treating this specific wedding with a level of importance I have never witnessed before. I have never seen you dedicate your entire soul to an alliance the way you are doing for Haidar and Bongel."
Dada smiled beautifully, her eyes reflecting deep wisdom. "It is because my soul clearly foresees the immense blessings and generational goodness that this specific union holds."
"May Allah permanently establish His blessings within it," Anty Mami prayed warmly.
"Amin. Now, go call Basira so the two of you can depart for the bridal presentation. Just the two of you are more than enough; we do not need a chaotic crowd for this specific errand."
Anty Mami nodded, standing up to fetch Basira from Inna’s wing.
A few hours later, Anty Mami and Basira returned to the estate and informed Dada that Bongel had already unexpectedly departed for her hometown. Dada was internally stunned, but she carefully masked her surprise to prevent the family from finding any fault or flaw in Bongel's behavior.
She let out a smooth, casual laugh. "Ah! I completely forgot that today was her scheduled travel date! No matter, just set the bridal trunks aside. Tomorrow, you will travel directly to her hometown to deliver the outfits, the official wedding invitation cards, and the remaining traditional gifts."
Anty Mami laughed playfully. "Dada, old age is truly beginning to catch up with your memory!"
"May a curse fall upon your household!" Dada joked back affectionately, causing both Anty Mami and Basira to burst into loud laughter.
Once they left the room, however, Dada fell into deep reflection. She found it incredibly strange that Bongel would depart so abruptly without informing her, especially since they had explicitly agreed that the estate's private driver, Hamza, would escort her home in a luxury vehicle. Yet, Dada’s profound love and respect for Bongel’s innate decency immediately overrode her doubts; she forced her heart to make excuses for the girl, confident that an urgent, massive family emergency must have pulled her away so suddenly.
Bongel and her travel companions arrived safely in the dusty town of Malumfashi. She had paid the commercial driver an extra fee to drop her directly at her family compound. As she stepped into the familiar dirt courtyard, she was surprised to find it entirely quiet. Suddenly, little Abu came charging out of a room. The moment his eyes landed on his older sister, his face lit up, and he threw his small arms around her waist in absolute joy.
Ramla, who had stayed home from her domestic job due to a severe, blinding headache, stepped out next. Her eyes filled with tears of pure relief as she rushed forward and tightly embraced her sister.
Nene was seated under the shade, actively grinding local spices. The moment she looked up and saw her eldest daughter, she stopped her movements, her heart overflowing with pure maternal happiness.
"Nene, jam bandu (Nene, I hope you are in good health)," Bongel greeted warmly, using her traditional Fulani tongue.
"Jam, Bongel (Health is wealth, my beloved Bongel)," Nene replied, her eyes scanning her daughter's face.
Ramla and Abu eagerly grabbed Bongel's luggage, carrying the bags into their small room. Bongel followed closely behind them. Nene set her grinding tools aside and hurried into the bedroom after them; her soul desperately required answers that only Bongel could provide.
Nene gently gestured to the younger siblings. "Ramla, take Abu and step outside for a few moments. Your sister and I need to speak in private." Once the children exited, Nene turned her intense gaze directly onto Bongel. "Shortly after you left for the city, a highly prestigious, wealthy delegation arrived here to formally request your hand in marriage. They brought massive mounds of provisions, elite gifts, and a staggering sum of cash. I need you to look me in the eye and give me the full explanation behind this."
Bongel opened her mouth, fully intending to confess the horrific truth to her mother—that she utterly despised the marriage, that it was being forced upon her against her will, and that she wanted it canceled immediately. But looking at her mother's tired, hopeful face, she froze. She realized she needed to confront Hamma Siddiku first before stressing her fragile mother.
"Why are you staying silent?" Nene pressed gently.
Bongel slowly lowered her head, nervously playing with her fingers in a perfect display of traditional, baseline modesty and shyness (Kunya).
Nene let out a beautiful, relieved smile, misinterpreting her silence as the typical bashfulness of a young Fulani bride. "Ah, I completely forgot that the pure Fulani blood runs deep in your veins. It is well, my daughter. May Allah permanently establish His divine blessings within this marriage."
Deep inside her chest, Bongel’s heart broke into a million pieces. Please forgive me, Nene, she prayed silently, tears burning behind her eyelids. Please forgive me for hiding the massive, agonizing realities of my life from you. I simply cannot bear to pile another mountain of sorrow onto the heavy burdens your soul is already carrying.
The following morning, after forcing herself to swallow a few bites of breakfast purely to satisfy her mother's insistence, Bongel composed herself and marched directly over to Hamma Siddiku’s wing of the compound.
To her utter astonishment, she found a completely transformed man. For the first time in her entire life, Hamma Siddiku actually cracked a wide, welcoming smile the moment he saw her approach—a fake, opportunistic display of warmth driven entirely by the massive wealth her impending marriage had already brought into his pockets.
Bongel took a deep breath, her voice soft but resolute. "Hamma, I am deeply sorry for traveling away to the city for so long without returning sooner."
"Ah, it is absolutely nothing, my daughter! Do not worry about it at all!" Hamma Siddiku beamed greedily. "I completely understand the situation, especially now that your grand wedding is being actively prepared!"
"Hamma... if it is not too much trouble... I am begging you to please cancel this current arrangement and redirect my marriage back to Jabeer instead. I have absolutely no desire or romantic interest in marrying this city man."
The warm, jovial expression on Hamma Siddiku’s face instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of demonic, toxic rage. He leaped to his feet, his eyes bulging with malice as he violently pointed a finger at her face.
"Well, look at this wretched, illegitimate piece of trash!" he roared, his voice shaking the walls. "You utterly worthless, ungrateful brat! Do you honestly think you can turn me into a laughingstock? I have already formally given your hand away in marriage to an elite, billionaire household, and you have the audacity to walk into my presence with this nonsense? If it wasn't for your absolute stupidity, you would see that immense wealth is staring you in the face, yet you are actively begging for poverty! Let me make this abundantly clear to you, you foolish girl: even if you die before the wedding day, your corpse will be married off to that city man! Get out of my sight right now before I violently kick you into the dirt!"
Trembling violently with raw fear and heartbreak, Bongel turned around and fled his quarters as fast as her legs could carry her.
Meanwhile, back in Katsina, the elite wedding caravan had completed its grand preparations to deliver the formal bridal dowry (Kayan Lefe) to Bongel's hometown. The trunks were filled with millions of naira worth of high-society fabrics, custom invitations, mounds of traditional kola nuts, and luxury accessories. A delegation consisting of five highly distinguished, beautifully dressed matriarchs boarded two state-of-the-art Prada Jeeps, radiating immense wealth. Dada had explicitly handpicked sophisticated, quiet, and deeply respectful women for this journey, intentionally leaving behind the gossiping, classist extended relatives to ensure no one would look down upon the extreme poverty of Bongel's family compound and spread malicious rumors across Katsina society.
Bongel was sitting quietly in the courtyard alongside Nene and Ramla when the luxury vehicles suddenly pulled up outside, and a line of grand, expensive trunks began to be carried through their humble gate.
Bongel’s heart instantly shattered into a million pieces. The sight of the lavish dowry permanently confirmed that the trap had snapped shut—she was officially being wedded. However, the one agonizing question that continued to tear her mind apart was the identity of the groom: Was she being forced into a lifetime of misery with the cruel, judgmental Haidar, or was the treacherous Hisham the one who had secured her hand? Unable to bear the suffocating confusion, she bolted into her room and collapsed onto the bed. Nene quickly followed her inside, her own heart pounding in absolute shock at the sheer scale of the wealth filling her yard.
Outside, Fatsuma and Dije stood rigidly by their doorways, their faces contorted into bitter, sickening masks of intense jealousy and envy. They tried to force fake smiles onto their faces, but it looked more painful than weeping. The staggering mountain of luxury goods filling the dirt courtyard was undeniable proof that Bongel was marrying into an unimaginably wealthy dynasty—a life of absolute royalty and high-society comfort that the two cousins could never even begin to achieve in their wildest dreams.
Aunty Mami and the elegant delegation kept their visit brief and respectful, departing shortly after delivering the items. The moment they cleared the gates, the small compound erupted. Ramla had already rushed down the street to summon Goggo Hajjo and Nene's extended relatives, and within minutes, neighbors and local elders flooded the courtyard, shouting in absolute awe as they inspected the breathtaking quality and abundance of the bridal gifts.
However, deep inside her room, a profound terror took root in Nene's heart. They were nobody; they were impoverished, destitute, and completely lacked resources. How on earth could her innocent daughter survive or find respect within such an elite, high-society family? More pressingly, they didn't possess a single cent to purchase the traditional bridal furniture and kitchenware (Kayan D'aki) required of a bride's family.
Anxiously pulling Goggo Hajjo into a corner, Nene confessed her deep fears. Goggo Hajjo patted her shoulder, offering calm comfort. "You must calm your heart, Nene. This union is entirely the work of Almighty Allah—it is not born from human calculation or personal orchestration. This elite family sought us out; they saw exactly what our home looked like, and they know our financial status. They will never demand luxury items from us. Let us simply do the best we can within our modest means, and leave the rest to God." Hearing this, Nene finally found the strength to breathe.
As night fell over Malumfashi, Bongel spent the hours tossing and turning violently on her mattress, her mind trapped in a terrifying loop as she tried to solve the mystery of her groom's identity. At this point, she thoroughly detested the thought of belonging to either brother. Haidar harbored a deep-seated, toxic hatred for her, treating her with open cruelty based on his horrific, false assumptions. On the other hand, she felt a profound, burning resentment toward Hisham; his selfish obsession with owning her had driven him to falsely brand her a loose woman, completely obliterating her dignity just to satisfy his desires. If he truly loved her, he would have gladly chosen to lose her rather than destroy her virtue in the eyes of his family.
Burying her face deep into her pillow, Bongel wept bitter, silent tears of black despair as the shadows of the night enveloped her.
2. Comprehensive Literary Analysis
A. The Evolution of Dramatic Irony & Moral Rot
This segment marks a pivotal turning point in Zee Yabour's narrative architecture. The dramatic irony undergoes a dark mutation:
- Previously, Bongel was blind to the identity of her groom while the reader watched in suspense.
Now, Haidar joins her in this blindness, but with a toxic twist. Because of Hisham's opportunistic lies at the guest house, Haidar is now firmly convinced that Bongel is a calculated, double-faced prostitute who has physically compromised his own brother. This sets up a terrifying psychological framework for their upcoming forced cohabitation, transforming the impending marriage into a ticking emotional time bomb.
B. Character Motifs & Thematic Deep-Dive
- Hisham’s Moral Collapse: Hisham’s decision to validate Haidar's slander ("Yes, we shared a bed") represents the ultimate betrayal of love. The author brilliant explores the theme of destructive infatuation vs. protective honor. Hisham's love is predatory and selfish; he is perfectly willing to permanently brand Bongel a whore (mazinaciya) within his family line if it means breaking her engagement to Haidar so he can claim her.
- The Vulnerability of Poverty (Talauci): Hamma Siddiku’s sudden transformation from a violent oppressor to a greedy defender of the marriage highlights the tragic vulnerability of underprivileged women in a deeply patriarchal society. Bongel’s body, future, and marital consent are treated as commercial commodities by her uncle to secure elite status and cash.
Dada’s Unyielding Mandate: Dada’s usage of a wasiyya (a binding spiritual and legal will) introduces an element of inescapable fate. Her character represents the traditional African matriarch whose spiritual foresight overrides contemporary logic, setting up a classic literary clash between ancestral determination and individual autonomy.
3. Concise Summary of Chapter 23 & Chapter 24
Chapter 23: Alhaji and Hajiya Mariya plot maliciously to destroy Haidar’s upcoming marriage before the fatiha is finalized. Meanwhile, Hisham begs Dada to call off the wedding and grant him Bongel instead, but Dada firmly refuses, stating the ink is dry. In a fit of migraine and desperation, Haidar summons Hisham and Bongel to the family guest house, where he brutally insults Bongel, branding her a cheap prostitute who slept with his brother. To Bongel's horror, Hisham opportunistically lies and confirms the slander to break the engagement. Bongel faints from the raw trauma and later flees to Malumfashi in tears, resolving to marry Jabeer rather than face this elite family's cruelty.
Chapter 24: Haidar demands that Dada cancel the wedding due to Bongel's alleged promiscuity, but Dada ruthlessly shuts him down, declaring the marriage a finalized decree that she will enforce even from the grave. Bongel arrives safely in Malumfashi and tries to beg Hamma Siddiku to cancel the city wedding in favor of Jabeer, but Siddiku unearths violent rage, refusing to let her ruin his newfound wealth. Dada’s elite delegation arrives in Malumfashi with an incredibly grand, multi-million naira dowry (Lefe), sparking toxic envy in Dije and Fatsuma, while leaving both Nene and a heavily veiled, weeping Bongel trapped in a terrifying loop of psychological dread over the unknown groom.
