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Leaving for Work
"Hauwa'uuu!"
"Yes, Mama," replied Hauwa'u, who was getting ready in the room. "Hurry up and come out, time is wasting. Or do you want to be late? You shouldn't start your very first day with lateness." Hauwa'u stepped out, adjusting her hijab, and said, "I'm done, Mama."
Untying the edge of her wrapper, Mama pulled out two hundred Naira and handed it to her. She said, "May Allah protect you on the way. Be careful! And no mingling with boys!" Hauwa'u answered, "Alright, my Mama," and began walking. As she reached the doorway, she heard Mama say, "Say a prayer before you leave." Hauwa'u replied, "Okay, Mama," said her prayer, and left the house.
Not long after stepping out, she found a commercial tricycle (adaidaita sahu) and got in. Within about fifteen minutes, she arrived at the gate of the house. As she alighted, she handed the driver his money, and he gave her change.
Arriving at the Mansion
It was a grand, impressive story-building. She picked up a stone and used it to knock on the gate. After about two minutes, the security guard opened it. Hauwa'u greeted him with deep respect and humility.
"Very well, how are you?"
"Alhamdulillah, Baba," she replied, and went on to introduce herself.
"Ohhh! You are the new domestic worker," Baba said.
"Yes, Baba, I am," Hauwa'u replied.
He stepped aside for her and said, "Come inside. Have a seat here while I inform them."
"Thank you, Baba. I appreciate it," she said.
He walked up to the main parlor of the house and pressed the doorbell. Before long, another domestic worker opened the door. "Good day, Baba. How is work going?"
"Very well, my daughter. How is yours? I hope everything is fine. Please let Hajiya know that her new worker has arrived."
"Alright, Baba. Give me two minutes," she replied. She returned shortly and said, "Baba, she says she should come in."
"Come along, Kuluwa," Baba called. Hauwa'u stood up and approached with a smile, genuinely pleased with how warmly Baba had received her. "Alright, go inside. May Allah bless your efforts."
"Ameen, Ameen, Baba. Thank you so much for your kindness," Hauwa'u said.
The other worker pointed to a chair and said, "Please have a seat here. Hajiya will be down shortly."
"Thank you so much, my sister," Hauwa'u replied.
Meeting Hajiya Juwairiyyah
After about twenty minutes, Hajiya descended. Before she even reached the center of the parlor, Hauwa'u knelt all the way to the floor to greet her. Hajiya acknowledged the greeting, sat down, and welcomed her warmly. She explained her daily duties and added, "I will be paying you fifty thousand Naira every month, if that works for you."
Hauwa'u expressed immense gratitude, saying, "Wallahi, Hajiya, that is perfect. Thank you. May Allah bless you." Hajiya responded with "Ameen, Ameen," and asked, "Would you like to start today or tomorrow?"
"I can start today if it's no trouble," Hauwa'u said.
"Alright, that's fine." Hajiya then called the other worker, Zulai, and instructed her to show Hauwa'u every corner of the house.
She commenced her duties that very day after completing the tour. Her role in the house was to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as to clean Hajiya’s room and her son’s room. The other housemaid, who lived full-time on the property, was responsible for the dishes, sweeping, mopping, dusting, burning incense (turaren wuta) in the parlor, and other miscellaneous chores.
The Generous Employer
Days turned into weeks, and before she knew it, Hauwa'u had been working there for five months. Every single day she arrived, she was given a meal, even if she had already eaten at home. Furthermore, she never left for home without a container of food. This was the strict instruction of Hajiya Juwairiyyah, who never let her workers go hungry—especially Hauwa'u, whom she grew to love like her own biological daughter. That was Hajiya Juwairiyyah for you: deeply kind, respectful of human dignity, treating the rich and poor alike, completely devoid of arrogance, and so incredibly approachable that one would never guess she possessed such wealth.
A Fateful Encounter in the Rain
At exactly 6:05 PM, Hauwa'u left Hajiya Juwairiyyah’s house. Because it was an upscale street, commercial transport was unavailable unless one walked out to the main road.
She stood by the roadside waiting for a vehicle, but there wasn't a single one in sight. To make matters worse, the sky had turned pitch black, and thunder was rumbling fiercely. She prayed desperately to find transport to reach home before the downpour started, because once it began raining heavily, there was no telling when it would stop. As she stood there, a car drove past her, but it quickly reversed and parked right in front of her.
Winding down the window, the driver said, "Miss, if you don't mind, please get in so I can drop you off. I can see you've been standing here for a while." Hauwa'u remained silent and looked up at the sky, which was growing darker by the second. There was no public transport in sight and nowhere to hide if the storm broke. She knew that if she tried to run back to Hajiya’s house after the rain started, she would be completely drenched and miserable. Seeing no other option, she nodded softly in agreement.
He opened the passenger side door for her, and she stepped inside, her heart pounding wildly with anxiety. The driver smiled, pulled into gear, and they left the street. She gave him her home address. He drove her right to her doorstep and dropped her off. Hauwa'u thanked him profusely and hurried into her house. The driver waited until she was safely inside before driving away.
Safe at Home
The moment she stepped inside her room, the heavens opened, and a torrential rain began to fall. Uttering a prayer of relief, Hauwa'u said, "Mama, I am so incredibly happy that this rain didn't catch me on the road!" She set down the food cooler she was holding, removed her hijab, sat on a chair in their small parlor, and sighed, "Washhh! My Mama, I am so tired."
Mama smiled and said, "I've put some hot water on the stove for you. Once the storm calms down a bit, you can go and take a warm bath, okay?"
"Alright, my Mama. Let me perform my prayers first," she said, standing up. Picking up the plastic kettle behind the door, she asked, "Mama, where is sister Asiya?"
"She is in your room. She returned not long after you left. I think this rain is what kept her indoors."
After completing her prayers, Hauwa'u lay down, resting her head on Mama’s lap as she narrated how wonderful her day had been with Hajiya. Mama smiled warmly, feeling genuinely happy in her heart. She remarked, "Alhamdulillah, we thank God for the food. May Allah reward her, protect her from envious eyes, and grant her heart's desires."
"Ameen, Ameen, Mama," Hauwa'u replied. "You see, now you don't have to cook dinner anymore. However, I’ll have to start leaving very early in the morning since I am responsible for breakfast too. Thank God the house isn't too far, otherwise, I would have been completely overwhelmed." At that exact moment, Asiya burst into the room at full speed, as if she had been thrown inside.
2. Summary
The story captures the first five months of a young woman named Hauwa'u working as a domestic cook for a wealthy and exceptionally compassionate employer, Hajiya Juwairiyyah.
- The Humble Beginning: Hauwa'u leaves her modest home with her mother's blessings, prayers, and words of caution. She arrives at a luxury mansion where she is warmly welcomed by both the security guard and her new employer. She is hired to cook three meals a day and clean two rooms for a monthly salary of fifty thousand Naira.
- A Blessing of an Employer: Over five months, Hauwa'u thrives due to Hajiya Juwairiyyah’s egalitarian and deeply generous nature. Hajiya ensures her workers never go hungry and treats Hauwa'u like her own daughter, ensuring she always takes food home to her family.
- The Storm & The Stranger: One evening, Hauwa'u is stranded on an upscale road as a massive storm approaches. A courteous stranger in a car offers her a ride out of genuine concern. Though anxious, she accepts due to the impending downpour and is safely dropped off at her doorstep.
Peace and Family: Back home, safely avoiding the storm, Hauwa'u shares a tender moment with her mother, resting her head on her lap while discussing the day’s blessings and planning her new early-morning routine. The peaceful moment is suddenly interrupted by her sister Asiya rushing into the room.
3. Description (Literary & Cultural Analysis)
This text belongs to the contemporary genre of Hausa prose fiction, often exploring societal values, family dynamics, and moral integrity.
A. Core Themes
- Human Dignity and Social Class (Karamci da Sanin Daraja): A central theme is the subversion of typical toxic rich-poor dynamics. Hajiya Juwairiyyah represents the ideal moral elite in Islamic Hausa culture—humble, approachable, and highly protective of her subordinates' well-being.
- Maternal Guidance and Honor: The story emphasizes traditional family values. Hauwa'u's mother exemplifies the protective, protective matriarch who prioritizes moral safety ("no mingling with boys") and spiritual grounding (saying prayers) over material gain.
Divine Protection (Kariya): The looming storm serves as a narrative device to introduce a potential new plotline (the male stranger) and highlight the theme of unexpected providence and protection.
B. Character Archetypes
- Hauwa'u (The Virtuous Heroine): Respectful, hard-working, and naturally cautious. Her willingness to kneel to greet her employer shows her adherence to traditional respect (ladabi).
- Hajiya Juwairiyyah (The Benevolent Matriarch): An elite figure who bridges the wealth gap through extreme empathy and hospitality.
The Stranger: Introduced as a chivalrous element, breaking the typical suspense associated with accepting rides from strangers, though Hauwa'u’s racing heart reflects the culturally ingrained caution young women are taught.
C. Narrative Tone and Style
The tone is warm, domestic, and heavily relies on slice-of-life descriptions and realistic dialogue. The author masterfully uses cultural markers—such as the wrapper pocket (habar zanin), the plastic ablution kettle (buta), commercial tricycles (adaidaita sahu), and traditional evening storytelling over a mother's lap—to paint an authentic picture of everyday life in Northern Nigeria.
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