FreeFreeDescription
Hajiya Saudat sat on her prayer mat, having just completed her afternoon (Zuhr) prayers, and remained in a quiet state of reflection, reciting her invocations for forgiveness (istighfar). She was a woman of about forty-seven or forty-eight years of age, but her elegant physique and comfortable lifestyle shielded her from looking it. If one were asked to guess her age, they would easily place her in her early thirties. She was beautiful, exuding an aura of absolute dignity and virtue.
Beside her, her Nokia mobile phone began to ring. Moving with calm composure, she reached out and glanced at the screen. As she had anticipated, it was her husband, Alhaji Bashir, as she had been unable to reach him all day. He offered a greeting, which she returned with deep respect.
Calling her name, he said, "Hajiya, please prepare to receive guests later today."
In a gentle voice, she replied, "Why didn't you inform me since morning?"
Coaxing her, he explained, "I tried calling your line repeatedly, but it wouldn't connect."
She countered, "You could have called Usaina's line. It must have been a network glitch because my phone has been switched on all day." He smiled subtly on his end. "No doubt. I will be arriving quite hungry, so please ensure a proper reception is prepared for me."
She chuckled softly. "What kind of hunger is this?"
He offered a mature, playful laugh. "Every kind of hunger imaginable; I am bringing it all with me."
She replied, "Do not worry, may Allah bring you home safely."
He responded, "Amen. And please instruct the kitchen to prepare fish pepper soup for my mother; we are traveling together."
Instantly, her face darkened, as if he could see her expression through the phone. "Alhaji, for the love of God, please do not tell me you are bringing Mimi along."
He asked, "And why not?"
"You know exactly why, Alhaji," Hajiya Saudat asserted. "Whenever Mimi comes to this house, she creates chaos—not just for me, but for the entire household staff. She knows my stance. I told her plainly never to step foot in my house again unless she changes her atrocious behavior. I simply do not want her here."
He fell silent on the line, deeply offended. For nearly a full minute, an uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
Finally, he spoke up. "Sauda, I will never tire of telling you that I am deeply displeased with how you treat Mimi. Honestly, it would be much better if you just came out openly and insulted me instead. It would be far easier for me to bear than watching you constantly vilify and discredit Mimi."
"Good heavens!" Hajiya Saudat exclaimed inwardly. Softening her voice once more, she said, "I don't know when you will ever understand my perspective, Alhaji, but please forgive me. If you are coming solely for our sake, I would prefer you come alone."
With a sharp edge to his voice, he countered, "Sauda, we are already on the road. Do not forget to prepare her usual meals. Inform everyone in that house that whoever does not wish to look upon her face is entirely free to leave the premises until she departs."
Step 2
With that final directive, he abruptly disconnected the call.
Hajiya Saudat bit her lip and closed her eyes in profound frustration. She was left with no choice but to comply with her husband's wishes. Aloud, she muttered to herself, "I truly despise Mimi's presence in this town. I absolutely loathe her behavior. How can a mere child be left entirely to her own devices, doing whatever she pleases without boundaries?" She stood up and began folding her prayer mat.
Just then, her adult son, Abdulkarim, walked in, offering a greeting. She returned it, her face tightly drawn, before letting out a sharp hiss of annoyance.
Abdulkarim asked, "What is the matter, Hajiya?"
"It’s your father," she sighed. "He just called to inform me that he is on his way here, and he is bringing Mimi with him."
Abdulkarim immediately hissed in disgust at the mere mention of Mimi’s name. "In that case, Hajiya, I might as well turn back right now. I’ll just greet you and pack my bags to head back. Fortunately, I don't have any university lectures for the rest of this week, so I can always return later."
Hajiya Sauda let out a forced laugh. "Oh come on, Abdul! You traveled all the way from Zaria to Katsina, only to turn right back around just because Mimi is coming? That is out of the question. Take your bag to your quarters, freshen up, and wash the dust of travel off yourself. Let me instruct your favorite cook, Tabawa, to bring you some food. I am certain they have concluded the afternoon cooking by now."
He argued, "Hajiya, I simply cannot tolerate her utter lack of respect. How can a small girl, a child young enough to be your last-born, walk into this house and treat you with absolute contempt? And the moment anyone tries to correct her, a massive issue is made out of it. You know my temperament—if she crosses the line with me, I will lose my patience and hit her."
"No, don't you dare attempt such a thing!" Hajiya warned sternly. "You know your father's volatile nature when it comes to her. I hope you haven't forgotten the severe fallout between him and your elder brother, Abbas. If you recall, Abbas merely gave her a minor reprimand, but your father blew the situation completely out of proportion. For six consecutive months, he refused to acknowledge Abbas or accept his greetings. It wasn't until Abbas's wedding that your father finally relented, and even then, Abbas’s friends had to organize a delegation of elderly intermediaries to beg him before he finally dropped the matter—and he still imposed strict conditions regarding his daughter."
Abdulkarim let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. "I haven't forgotten, Hajiya. That is precisely why I suggested leaving."
She insisted, "Just ignore her completely and stay out of her way."
He grumbled, "Honestly, Father is incredibly unfair to us. Out of his twenty-two children, he singles out one solitary child and declares her the absolute 'star' of the family, simply because she shares the name of his late mother. By God, Hajiya, this unfairness deeply bothers me. She is our junior sister, yet when it comes to family affairs, her word is final and her opinions override everyone else's."
Hajiya Sauda consoled him, "You all must continue to exercise patience."
Step 3
"The silver lining in all of this is that she is a woman," Hajiya Sauda continued. "No matter how arrogant she behaves, she will eventually have to get married and leave this house, right?"
Abdulkarim scoffed, "Good heavens! With that level of overinflated pride? I highly doubt she will ever humble herself to submit to any man."
Hajiya chuckled. "Oh, Abdulkarim, she will inevitably get married. She is a woman, after all. Do you honestly think your father would want to keep her under his roof forever? Would her husband even allow that?"
Abdul let out a dry laugh. "Knowing Father, he might actually demand that her husband move into this mansion just to be near her."
Hajiya replied, "Well, that would be between them. Let them do as they please." They shared a brief, lighthearted laugh before she added, "Just give it time. I constantly pray to Allah about this. If you, my own biological children whom I carried in the same womb, feel this level of deep resentment and bitterness toward her behavior, I can only imagine the sheer hatred felt by your half-siblings whom I did not give birth to."
Abdul stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Let me head over to my room now."
Hajiya nodded. "Alright, I need to head over to the main kitchen as well."
Hajiya Sauda walked toward the grand kitchen complex. The estate was massive and masterfully designed; a single glance from the outside was enough to convey that the owner possessed immense, staggering wealth. Upon entering the main kitchen, she found three domestic cooks working busily. They immediately shifted their attention to her, offering warm greetings.
She acknowledged them with respect. "Thank you for your hard work. Baba Tabawa, what was prepared for lunch today?"
The eldest cook, Baba Tabawa, replied, "We served pasta for lunch. For dinner, we are planning to prepare corn couscous (Tuwon Masara) with fresh okra soup (Miyar Danye Kubewa). I have just taken the pasta off the fire."
Hajiya instructed, "Alright, let's alter the dinner menu. Prepare a rich dish of local dumpling flour (Dan Waken Garin Dawa) instead, and make sure it is ready early."
Baba Tabawa inquired, "Does that mean the master of the house is arriving soon?"
Hajiya answered, "Yes, they are currently on their way."
The cooks chorused in unison, "May Allah bring them home safely."
"Amen," Hajiya replied. She then turned her gaze to another cook. "Jummai, do we have any fresh river fish in stock?"
Jummai confirmed, "Yes, we do, Hajiya."
Hajiya ordered, "Excellent. Prepare a small portion of fish pepper soup. Do not make it excessively spicy, and absolutely do not add any garlic to it. Pay close attention and ensure the fish does not break apart or overcook; this is specifically for Mimi."
The cooks all stopped and asked in unison, surprise written all over their faces, "Does this mean Mimi is coming along as well?"
Jummai muttered under her breath, "May Allah protect me from making any mistakes today."
Hajiya reassured them, "Do not worry. The only thing I require from all of you when she arrives is to simply look away. No matter what irritating thing she does, just ignore her entirely. Do you understand?"
With subdued, compliant voices, they murmured, "Understood, Hajiya."
Tabawa turned to Jummai, reinforcing the warning. "Make absolutely sure you do not include garlic in her meal."
Step 4
"During her last visit," Tabawa reminded her, "Sani’s mother inadvertently added garlic to her food, and that single mistake became the sole reason Alhaji terminated her employment and threw her out."
Jummai nodded nervously. "I will be incredibly careful, by God's grace."
Hajiya then turned to the third cook, Ramma. "What do we have planned for breakfast tomorrow morning?"
Ramma replied, "We planned to serve tea and bread."
Hajiya countermanded, "Change it to fried bean cakes (Kosai) and peanut gruel (Kunun Gyada)."
"Understood, Hajiya," Ramma complied.
Tabawa asked, "Should we prepare the special leg broth (Kafar Safa), or are we skipping it for Alhaji this time around?"
Hajiya replied, "Go ahead and set it on the fire. I will be coming in periodically to check on its progress. I initially thought we didn't have the ingredients. By the way, Tabawa, your favorite boy Abdulkarim has arrived from university. Ensure some food is taken to his quarters. Where is Magajiya?"
Tabawa beamed, "Oh, bless his heart! Abdul is back? I will personally deliver his meal to his room right away." Hajiya turned and walked away with a smile, calling back, "Everyone should check for any missing household supplies and let me know immediately."
She then walked over to the laundry area, where the dry-cleaner was busy ironing the younger children's clothes. She instructed him, "Go and inform the security guards and the gardener that Mimi is arriving later today. Also, tell the personal driver to meet me in the main living room immediately." She added with emphasis, "Danladi, I am warning all of you in advance so you can safeguard your jobs. I do not want to see any of you getting fired on her account."
Danladi replied, "I will convey the message to them immediately." He hurried to the security post and dispatched the driver to her, while the domestic staff began discussing Mimi’s notorious lack of respect and malice. Meanwhile, Hajiya checked the milk inventory in the refrigerator, knowing her husband's fondness for cold yogurt drinks (Fura) at night.
The driver entered the living room, offering a respectful greeting. Hajiya acknowledged it and said, "Malam, I wanted to personally inform you that Mimi is arriving today. I know you are relatively new and haven't met her yet, but I assume you have heard stories about her?"
Stuttering nervously, the driver replied, "Yes... I heard some accounts from Danladi and the others."
She cautioned him, "Good. Make sure you head out to the airport by 4:30 PM at the latest. It is far better for you to be there early and wait for them, because a minor delay by our previous driver was the exact reason Mimi demanded his termination, and Alhaji dismissed him on the spot."
The driver assured her, "I will be extremely vigilant, by God's grace."
He left for the airport as early as 4:00 PM, preferring a long wait over facing Mimi’s explosive wrath. At exactly 5:30 PM, the flight landed. Alhaji Bashir Aliyu Masari stepped out, with Mimi trailing closely behind him. She was dressed in an incredibly tight pink top and matching fitted trousers that clung tightly to her figure. Over it, she wore a shimmering black open cardigan with pink accents that did not extend far down, leaving her tight trousers fully exposed. Her flimsy, translucent pink veil was tiny.
Step 5
The veil failed to cover her long, uncovered hair. On her feet, she wore flat pink sandals adorned with black straps, and both her designer purse and her Nokia mobile phones were cast in the exact same shade of pink. Perched high on her forehead were oversized designer sunglasses—the kind favored by elitist, arrogant young women who viewed themselves as highly sophisticated.
The driver rushed toward them with immense urgency. Although he had never seen Mimi before, he instantly recognized his employer. He offered a deeply deferential welcome and reached out to take Alhaji's hand luggage. Alhaji was the only one who acknowledged the greeting; Mimi did not cast so much as a single glance in the driver’s direction. He opened the car doors, placed the luggage in the front passenger seat, and drove out of the airport. As he merged onto the main highway, he began to accelerate, but Alhaji quickly corrected him, "Drive calmly and with absolute care. Mimi detests speeding."
The driver quickly complied. "Right away, your Eminence."
Back at the mansion, the security guard stood outside the gates, anxiously awaiting their arrival. The moment he spotted the vehicle approaching, he sprinted inside and swung the massive gates wide open, precisely as Mimi preferred, as she despised waiting even for a second. When the car pulled up, the driver opened the doors for them, retrieved the luggage, and followed them inside.
Mimi surveyed the mansion with a look of disdain and complained, "Dad, this house seriously needs a new coat of paint. It looks incredibly dingy and dirty."
Alhaji looked around the walls and agreed, "You're right, I notice it now. I will arrange for the entire estate to be repainted and modernized."
The driver placed the bags on a sofa, bowed to Alhaji, and slipped out quietly. Alhaji began calling out affectionately for his wife, "My Hajiya! My Hajiya!"
Hajiya Sauda emerged from her quarters, holding her headscarf in her hand as she had just finished dressing. She looked stunning in a premium, expensive blue and yellow wax print fabric (Super), exuding a rich, pleasant fragrance of high-end perfume.
She looked at her husband. "Welcome home, Alhaji."
"Thank you, Sauda," he responded warmly.
She then turned her gaze to Mimi. The moment Mimi entered the living room, her arrogant demeanor visibly subdued; despite her bratty behavior, she harbored a deep fear of her mother, knowing Hajiya Sauda tolerated absolutely no disrespect. Looking up with visible anxiety, Mimi greeted her mother in a quiet voice, "Good afternoon, Hajiya."
Hajiya replied coolly, "Welcome. How is your mother, Nafisa, and the rest of your younger siblings in Abuja?"
Mimi replied, "Everyone is doing well."
"Thanks be to God," Hajiya said. She took Alhaji’s traditional cap, his bag, and his flowing cloak, heading toward his master bedroom while asking, "Should I instruct the staff to prepare your bathwater?"
Alhaji replied, "No need for that just yet. I haven't had a proper meal since morning. I only had a light cup of coffee. Let's eat first." Hajiya dropped the items in his room and emerged, saying, "Let us proceed to the dining table."
Step 6
Hajiya Sauda pulled out a chair for her husband to sit. He looked over at Mimi and said affectionately, "Sit down, my dear mother." He then turned to Hajiya Sauda, asking, "Was her fish pepper soup prepared?"
Hajiya looked at Mimi with a firm, unyielding expression and replied, "Yes, it was prepared." Mimi instantly pouted her lips and scowled, her face full of attitude.
As Hajiya served them the local dumplings (Dan Wake) along with a side of coleslaw, she pulled another bowl over and served Alhaji his favorite leg broth. Pushing it toward him, she remarked, "Alhaji, aren't you going to ask about the other children in the house?"
He looked at her playfully and teased, "The mere sight of you made me forget everything else. Though I assume by this hour they are all at the Islamic evening school (Islamiyya), correct?"
She replied, "Yes. They left full of excitement today because I informed them you were arriving."
He sighed, "Ah, look at that. I didn't bring any gifts or souvenirs along with me this time. I will have the driver go out and purchase some items for them."
Hajiya countered, "No, it would be far better if you personally took them out yourself. These children rarely get to spend any quality time with you, to the point that they barely feel close to you as a father."
Alhaji glanced over at Mimi, who sat with her chin resting heavily in her hands, completely disengaged. He replied, "I will see if I can find the time. You know how demanding my business schedule is; I rarely get a moment of rest." Hajiya remained silent, knowing that no matter what she said, he would never change. She had spent years begging him to dedicate even a single hour of his time to his other children, but he consistently ignored her. Even they, his wives, rarely saw him; he would disappear for weeks on end, and whenever he did visit, he would stay for a mere two days—spending one night here before rushing off to Malumfashi to spend the second night with his other wife, Hajiya Binta.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she heard him petting Mimi. "What is the matter, my dear? Why do you look so deeply upset? Eat your fish, my sweet daughter." He then turned to Hajiya Sauda, demanding, "Where is her fish?"
Hajiya pointed directly to the insulated food flask and the serving spoon placed right in front of the girl. "The fish flask is right there in front of her. Can't she pick it up herself, or am I expected to feed it to her directly with my own hands?"
Mimi pouted even further, whining to her father, "I'm already full. I don't want to eat."
Hajiya Sauda snapped, "That is a blatant lie, by God! You have absolute nerve to demand a specific, specialized meal be cooked for you, only to turn around and refuse to eat it out of pure arrogance and spite. I have been watching you since you crossed that threshold; I know you never wanted to come here, and you clearly look down on Katsina. Keep your toxic attitude to yourself!"
"Sauda!" Alhaji interrupted sharply, raising his hand to silence her. "Honestly, I absolutely despise how you act toward this girl. How can a mother harbor such intense dislike for her own biological daughter?"
Step 7
Hajiya Sauda shot back, "It is not that I don't love her; it is her wretched character and rotten behavior that I completely detest. If she wishes to coexist peacefully under the same roof with me, she must completely change her attitude. If she refuses, she is entirely free to go look for another mother—though, fortunately for her, she already has a co-mother in Abuja."
Alhaji softened his tone, attempting to de-escalate the conflict. "Look, there is no need for shouting. But honestly, I cannot sit by and watch you speak to her with such harsh words. She constantly complains to me that you do not love her. With the way you treat her, one would honestly think you aren't the one who gave birth to her." He set his spoon down. "I fail to comprehend what she has done to offend you so deeply. She doesn't even study in this country; she only comes home during school holidays like this, yet you don't show a shred of maternal affection or miss her presence."
Hajiya poured him a glass of fresh pineapple juice that she had personally prepared. Smirking in exasperation, she stated, "She simply needs to fix her behavior if she wants my affection. Have you looked at the outfit she is wearing right now? You allowed her to travel all the way from Abuja to Katsina dressed like a secular rebel, her head completely bare, her clothes clinging to her body so tightly it looks scandalous, all in the name of being 'modernized' and sophisticated."
Alhaji glanced at Mimi, then turned back to Sauda with a defensive smile. "What on earth is wrong with her outfit? I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. This is exactly how fashionable young women of her generation dress nowadays." He turned to Mimi, patting her hand. "Eat your fish, my dear. Do not distress yourself, okay?"
Hajiya let out a sharp hiss of pure disgust, turned on her heel, and marched straight back to her bedroom.
Left alone with her father, Mimi immediately began to whine and complain bitterly. "You see what I mean, Dad? I explicitly begged you to leave me in Abuja to finish my school holidays in peace, but you insisted I come here. I knew very well that Hajiya would never accept me or show me any affection." She stood up, gesturing aggressively to her tight clothes. "Look at me! What is wrong with my outfit?"
Alhaji coaxed her in a soothing tone, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, my dear. Your mother is just old-fashioned; she believes you must wear giant hijabs and traditional wax prints (Atamfa). I understand you are an educated, highly sophisticated elite; you cannot be expected to wear those heavy, suffocating traditional clothes. You are a modern student, completely different from your provincial, uneducated sisters like Usaina." He smiled warmly, thoroughly charmed by her spoiled tantrums. He treated her as if she were a fragile two-year-old toddler.
He stood up, walked around the table, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry, my star. Your mother truly loves you. I know she is just jealous because she sees that I prioritize you above all my other children. But remember, she is your biological mother, and that is why I tolerate her behavior. If it were my other wives, like Hajiya Binta or Nafisa, who spoke to you like that, I would have divorced them and thrown them out long ago. Have you forgotten that I once threw Hajiya Binta out of this house entirely because of a conflict involving you?"
Mimi smirked, her ego validated. "I remember, Dad."
Step 8
Alhaji continued, "Exactly. So do not distress yourself. I deeply love your mother, and her giving birth to you makes her irreplaceable to me. You wouldn't want to see your parents separated, would you?"
"Of course not, Dad," Mimi replied. "But please talk to her and tell her to stop suffocating and micro-managing me."
"I will speak to her," he promised. "But I also want you to do me a favor during these few days of your visit: try to compromise on your wardrobe. Wear the type of traditional clothing she prefers just to keep the peace."
She agreed reluctantly, "Fine, I will do it, provided she leaves me alone and lets me do what I want for the rest of my stay."
"She will leave you alone, I promise," he reassured her, wiping away her lingering tears. He continued to pamper and soothe her until her tantrum completely subsided.
As they were finishing their meal, Hajiya Sauda re-emerged from her bedroom, coinciding perfectly with the return of the younger children from their evening Islamic school. They flooded into the main living room, calling out their Islamic greetings. Hajiya Sauda was the only one who responded warmly to them.
The youngest twin girls, Husna and Hasina, ran up ahead. "Welcome home, Hajiya!"
Hajiya smiled warmly. "Thank you, my sweet children. Welcome back. Where are the rest of your siblings?" Before they could answer, the older children filed in, offering their greetings in succession. Hajiya gestured with her hand toward the dining table. "Look who is here—your father has arrived!"
The children rushed over to the dining table, taking turns to greet him respectfully. He placed an affectionate hand on the heads of Husna and Hasina, who were the babies of the house, responding to their greetings warmly. Mimi, however, immediately scowled, her face contorted with annoyance, as she utterly detested noise and the presence of the other children.
Alhaji looked up at the children and chided, "Why haven't you greeted your elder sister, Mimi?"
The children looked at Mimi with visible fear and hesitation before murmuring quietly, "Welcome home, Sister Mimi."
With a harsh, uninviting tone, Mimi snapped, "Fine. I am responding to all of your greetings at once, so there is absolutely no need for each of you to come up to me one by one."
Hasana and Usaina were the teenage daughters who directly followed Mimi in birth order. Alhaji turned to them and instructed, "Get yourselves and the younger ones ready. I have instructed the driver to take you all to the supermarket today so you can pick out whatever souvenirs and gifts your hearts desire, since I didn't bring any luggage from Abuja."
The younger children erupted into shouts of absolute joy. However, the older teenagers, Hasana and Usaina, stepped back and said, "Dad, we unfortunately won't be able to go along."
He frowned. "And why is that?"
They explained, "We have a critical Quranic memorization assessment tomorrow morning, and our private home tutor, Mallam Bin Abdulrahman, is coming early to test us."
Hajiya Sauda intervened firmly, "Absolutely. You two have zero permission to leave this house today. If you fail that memorization test tomorrow, that strict tutor will give you a severe, merciless beating."
"A beating? At their age?" Alhaji questioned, displeased.
Hajiya retorted, "You think they are past receiving discipline? When it comes to religious studies, that Mallam rules with an iron rod and demands absolute dedication."
Just then, Abdulkarim walked into the living room, offering a greeting. The family responded, and he walked over to his father, paying his respects. Mimi remained completely absorbed in her mobile phone, chatting away without lifting her head, while Abdulkarim entirely ignored her presence as well.
Abdul turned to his younger sisters, Hasana and Usaina. "Are you back from school?"
"Yes, Brother Abdul!" they replied cheerfully. "Welcome back! Hajiya informed us earlier that you had arrived from Zaria. We went to your room to greet you, but you were in the shower..."
Step 9
"...and since it was time for Islamic school, we had to rush out."
Abdul smiled. "Yes, I heard you girls leave. Sit down."
Usaina added, "School went well today; we spent the entire session doing rigorous revisions."
Abdul noted, "That means your formal examinations are right around the corner, correct?"
"Yes, they are," they responded.
Hasana pleaded, "Brother Abdul, for the love of God, could you please sit with us after the evening (Maghrib) prayers and test our memorization? Our home tutor, Mallam Bin Abdulrahman, is extremely strict and will be here first thing in the morning."
Abdulkarim teased them playfully, "I am far too busy for that. I think I'll just sit back tomorrow morning and watch you girls get thoroughly whipped by the tutor."
Usaina laughed along, pleading, "Oh, please assist us, Brother Abdul! You know very well that his cane inflicts terrible pain!" They all shared a warm, harmonious laugh.
Abdul finally relented, smiling, "Alright, let us perform our prayers first, and then I will thoroughly review your memorization with you."
"Thank you so much, big brother! We truly appreciate it," they cheered.
Mimi sat off to the side, listening to their warm banter and watching their family bond. Her toxic insecurity flared up, and she began to whine loudly to her father, "I knew it! I know for a fact that absolutely everyone in this house loathes me! They only tolerate my presence because they have no choice. Look at Brother Abdul—he didn't even acknowledge my existence or cast a single glance in my direction!"
Alhaji’s face darkened with anger. "Hey! Abdulkarim!"
Abdul answered calmly, "Yes, Dad. I am right here."
Alhaji demanded, "Are you blind? Did you not see Mimi sitting right there?"
Abdulkarim’s temper flared instantly, his resentment written all over his face. In a cold, tight, and highly displeased voice, he replied, "Of course I saw her, Dad."
"Then why on earth have you refused to speak to her or greet her?" Alhaji barked.
Before Abdulkarim could respond, Hajiya Sauda intervened sharply, her voice cutting through the tension. "If we are to speak of truth and natural justice in this world, who holds seniority between the two of them? Is he the one who is supposed to bow and greet her, or is she the one culturally obligated to respect and greet her elder brother?"
Alhaji argued defensively, "But she is a guest in this house! Furthermore, it has been ages since he last saw her. The least he could do is show some brotherly affection and signify that he missed her, right?"
Abdulkarim kept his head bowed low, feeling an overwhelming wave of humiliation, rage, and bitter frustration that made him want to burst into tears.
Hajiya Sauda snapped at her husband, "Well, he is not going to greet her, and that is final. Leave the room, Abdulkarim, and go about your business."
Without a second thought, Abdulkarim turned and walked out rapidly. Hasana and Usaina quickly scurried away to their bedrooms to escape the hostile environment, while Hajiya Sauda turned her back on her husband and marched into her own room.
Mimi turned to her father, her voice full of spite. "Look at that, Dad! Let's just pack our bags and go back to Abuja. Look at how they all scattered and abandoned us the moment we walked in!"
Alhaji patted her comfortingly. "Do not worry, my dear. Stay right here, I will handle this."
Inside her bedroom, Hajiya Sauda collapsed onto the edge of her mattress, her chin resting heavily in her hands as deep grief and anger consumed her soul. It wounded her deeply to watch a grown man like Alhaji act with such profound, childish foolishness. He was willfully blinding himself to the truth out of pure favoritism and infatuation, completely oblivious to the dangerous reality that his unfair behavior was systematically fracturing his family and sowing permanent hatred among his twenty-two children.
Her bitter reflections were interrupted by the sound of his greeting. She looked up to find him walking into her room. He sat down directly beside her on the edge of the bed.
"Come on, my Hajiya," he coaxed, trying to soften her stance. "Please show some warmth and put on a happy face for your daughter. Shouldn't it be a source of immense pride for you that out of all my twenty-two children, the one I love the absolute most happens to be the child you gave birth to?"
Step 10
He gently took her hand into his, using a persuasive, soft tone. "Come now, Sauda. You know very well that I am deeply, passionately in love with you. My profound love for you is the exact reason it spilled over onto her. Haven't you realized that yet?"
She raised her eyes, looking directly into his. "I do not deny your affection for me, Alhaji. I know you love me. But my ultimate prayer and desire is for you to exercise absolute justice and equity among all your children, if only to prevent them from turning against one another in hatred."
He defended himself, "What special favor have I ever granted her that I denied the others?"
She looked deeply into his eyes. "The injustices are far too many to count, Alhaji. Aside from your blatant, public display of favoritism, which of your other twenty-two children have you ever sponsored to study abroad besides her?"
"Oh, come on," he dismissed. "If it's a matter of education, the high-quality private home schooling your children receive right here is far superior and costs me significantly more money, Sauda."
"Hmph," she scoffed. "Of course you would say that, since you are desperate to justify your favoritism."
He pleaded, "Look, all I am asking for is a personal favor from you: please drop this hostile attitude, soften your face, and show her some maternal warmth for the few days we are going to spend here before we return to Abuja."
She stared at him, completely exhausted and lacking the energy to continue the circular argument. Wanting nothing more than to bring the conversation to an end, she simply muttered, "Fine."
Delighted by her compliance, he smiled and gently stroked her cheek. "Thank you, my love." He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered seductively, "Make sure you prepare our marriage bed beautifully for tonight. I traveled all this way with a deep yearning for you."
A genuine smile broke across her face as she looked at him, playfully pushing him away. "Good heavens, Alhaji! When on earth are you ever going to grow up and act your age?" she asked teasingly.
He pulled her flush against his chest, laughing. "Who told you that aging stops a man from enjoying his passions? The only thing that stops a man is death." They shared a warm, intimate laugh together just as the call for the late afternoon (Asr) prayers began to echo from the neighborhood mosque.
They stood up, and she said, "It is time for prayers. Let me go outside and herd those boys of yours; you know it takes a monumental effort on my part to get them to move to the mosque."
They walked out of the bedroom together. Alhaji headed to his personal quarters to perform his ablutions, while Mimi remained seated in the living room. She had moved from the dining area and was now lounging on a loveseat, completely engrossed in text-chatting on her phone.
Alhaji walked past her, smiling. "Are you relaxing comfortably, my sweet mother?"
Without even lifting her eyes from her screen, she replied flatly, "Yes, Dad."
"Excellent," he said, before disappearing into his room.
Hajiya Sauda walked over and glared down at her. "Get up right now and go perform your prayers." Mimi looked up, met her mother's stern, unyielding expression, and immediately shot her a defiant, disrespectful glare. Hajiya Sauda’s eyes narrowed as she barked with absolute authority, "I said get up and go pray this instant!"
Startled by the raw authority in her mother's voice, Mimi snapped out of her arrogance, stood up abruptly, and marched off toward Usaina and Hasana’s bedroom—which served as her designated guest quarters whenever she visited, where her luggage had already been placed. She utterly despised this arrangement, as she possessed her own luxurious, private wing in their Abuja mansion, but here in Katsina, Hajiya Sauda strictly forbade her from having a separate room to prevent her from isolating herself in pride. She burst into the girls' room, found Hasana and Hasina deeply engrossed in their prayers, and threw herself onto the bed, letting out a heavy...
Part 2: Structural & Stylistic Description
This literary piece falls squarely within the Littattafan Soyayya da Zaman Takewa (Hausa Contemporary Romance and Domestic Realism) subgenre. The narrative architecture relies heavily on dialogue-driven tension to explore real-world socio-cultural issues within affluent northern Nigerian households.
1. Domestic Realism & Spatial Pacing
The structural framework utilizes a confined spatial layout—moving from the prayer mat to the kitchen, the dining table, and the master bedroom. This hyper-local staging mimics the structure of a stage play, where the physical house functions as a pressure cooker for familial resentment. The pacing is deliberate, lingering on domestic chores (cooking, ironing, arriving from school) to ground the melodrama in authentic everyday life.
2. Cultural & Socio-Religious Nuances
The text captures several fundamental institutions of modern Hausa-Islamic society:
- The Family Hierarchy (Girmamawa): The conflict between Abdulkarim and Mimi highlights the high cultural value placed on age seniority over parental favoritism. Abdulkarim's humiliation stems from his father forcing him to violate cultural norms by initiating a greeting to his junior sister.
Polygamous Dynamics (Kishiyoyi): The mention of twenty-two children and multiple wives scattered across different towns (Abuja, Katsina, Malumfashi) establishes a classic Mijin Ture (wealthy jet-setting husband) structural dynamic, where resources and emotional availability are stretched across multiple households.
Part 3: Analytical Breakdown
1. The Typology of Favoritism and Its Micro-Aggressions
The author masterfully deconstructs how parental favoritism (Son Zuciya) destabilizes a large polygamous family unit:
- The Re-naming Motif: Mimi’s ultimate leverage over her father is her name; she is named after his late mother (Uwa). Within Hausa cultural systems, a daughter named after a grandmother is often treated with extreme reverence (Kishiyar Mahaifiya or "surrogate mother/wife"), which Alhaji takes to an unhealthy, toxic extreme.
Collateral Damage: Alhaji’s blind eye toward Mimi results in a high turnover of household staff (firing drivers and cooks over minor infractions like adding garlic or slight travel delays). This establishes Mimi not merely as a spoiled child, but as an existential threat to the livelihoods of the lower-class domestic workers around her.
2. Wardrobe as a Cultural Battleground
The tension between Hajiya Sauda and Mimi is visibly expressed through their contrasting clothing choices, symbolizing a clash between traditional modesty and westernized secular modernity:
- Mimi's Attire: Her ultra-tight pink trousers, short cardigan, bare hair, and oversized sunglasses serve as clear visual shorthand for an elitist "Abuja/Diaspora" identity that deliberately distances itself from local norms, which she explicitly demeans as "provincial" and "uneducated" (Kauyawa).
Hajiya Sauda's Attire: Her premium Super wax print, complete headscarf, and rich traditional perfumes represent the idealized standard of a respectable, dignified Muslim matriarch (Matar Kirki). Sauda uses wardrobe enforcement as a tool to try and strip Mimi of her elitist arrogance.
3. The Fracturing of the Polygamous Monolith
The text foreshadows a deeper systemic collapse of the Masari household driven by the husband's emotional negligence:
- Hajiya Sauda highlights that the children do not feel a close bond with their father (Basu shaku da shi ba). Alhaji attempts to compensate for his physical and emotional absence with transactional materialism—sending the children to the supermarket to buy whatever they want instead of offering them his time.
- The deep-seated resentment harbored by Abdulkarim and his biological and step-siblings (Kishiyoyi) indicates that Alhaji's favoritism is actively breaking the foundational bonds of sibling solidarity, setting the stage for structural conflict in subsequent chapters.
