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1. English Translation
He said, "Tell him that starting today, he should never do this to me again. He has no business with my domestic affairs. Whatever God has provided for me and I brought you, that is what you must wear. If you feel you are too big for this house, Safiyya, get out and live the kind of life you want. Let Aminu continue feeding you and providing you with the clothing that I fell short of giving you."
Surprised, she said, "Does this mean my brother has no right to treat me kindly simply because my husband dislikes it? Would you tear apart flesh and blood?"
He said, "I am not bold enough to tear you apart, but I do not consent to him providing you with clothes anymore. The ones I brought are what you will wear. By the way, the atamfa fabric I gave you—you even returned it to me since you gave it to my wife as a barka (congratulatory) gift. Well, go and bring the other one back to me as well!"
She stood up abruptly, fetched it, and placed it before him. As he turned to leave, she said, "Let's retrace our steps for a moment. When you said I should leave the house and go to Aminu to feed me, what do you mean? Because this is a loaded statement."
He said, "I don't mean anything. I only told you to be careful. Hajiya and the others are constantly rebuking me, saying I favor you over a nursing mother who suffered the pains of childbirth, yet they failed to give me anything to buy for you. Well, frankly, I will not tolerate it. He is doing it for a dual purpose, thinking he is now wealthier than I am. So, if there is no other way, you might as well return to his house since you always wanted to marry a wealthy man anyway, and I will issue a warning to him as well!"
She said, "Well, I will leave starting today. I suppose that would be best?"
He said, "You mean you are not going to heed my warning?"
She said, "I am leaving precisely to avoid a recurrence of this."
He said, "I didn't say you should leave! Just be careful."
He walked out of the house. She had no doubt that he would confront Yaya Aminu, because Aminu treated him like a father in terms of disrespect; if Salis brought any insolence, they would surely clash, especially since Aminu still did not like Salis anyway. She had debated for a long time whether to leave or stay, but before she could decide, she concluded it was better just to leave. This time, she would stay away long enough for him to realize her value. She packed her suitcase; the children had already started falling asleep, so she woke them up and they came out. As she stepped outside, he came and blocked the door, asking, "Where are you going?"
She said, "Where you told me to go, of course!"
He frowned and said, "Go back inside!"
She said, "I am leaving, it's for the best."
He said, "Go back inside!"
She said, "I swear I am leaving!"
He said, "Then give me my children!"
She let go of Kausar's hand, who was holding hers, and said, "Here they are, I didn't come with them anyway."
Ni'ima started crying, clutching her and saying, "Umma, I will go with you." Safiyya brushed her hand away and continued on her way. As for him, he barked a harsh order at the children, gathered them together, and they went inside.
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The harsh shout he directed at them forced their crying back inward. They stood in the open courtyard, feeling deeply the bitterness of what Safiyya had done to him. Safiyya had completely changed; she had learned a stubborn resilience and unyielding stance delivered with cold calmness, devoid of shouting. No matter what he said—since he had told her not to leave, she really shouldn't have left. Ameera, who had no idea what was going on, came out of the kitchen and entered the room to find him following her with the children. He said, "Sit down, please."
They sat down timidly because they were not used to entering her room. Ameera was furious with him, so she ignored them, waiting for him to explain the unexpected reason behind bringing them to her. He knew she was angry with him, and besides, he was coming to ask for a favor when least expected. He softened his voice slightly and asked, "Where is Sauban?"
She said, "He is sleeping."
He said, "But I told you not to leave him alone, you should strap him to your back."
Angrily, she said, "Does he have to live permanently on my back?! What should I deal with first? Did I not just come from the kitchen? With the exhaustion of running errands all day, the fatigue of childbirth, and you're telling me not to lay him down?" She turned her head away, looking extremely upset.
He sighed heavily and said, "That is your concern, just don't leave him by himself."
She glared at the children and said, "And what about these?"
He said, "It's Ni'ima and Kausar, don't you recognize them?"
She said, "I know who they are, I mean what did they come in here to do?"
He said, "You are their mother figure too, do you have to ask after they've entered your room?"
She ignored him. He continued, "I brought them here for safekeeping..."
"Safekeeping, like they are mere luggage? Where is their mother?" She cut him short.
Even though his temper flared, he forced himself to endure and continued, "She went home. I told her not to take them with her, so they will stay in your care until she returns."
"Good grief!" she blurted out unintentionally. As for her, even if Salis divorced Safiyya, she would only be overjoyed because it would leave her the house to enjoy alone with her and her prospective children, but it was out of the question for her to babysit someone else's children. He said, "What do you mean by tabɗijan?"
She said, "Well, I figured you know I'm going home tomorrow for my post-childbirth confinement (wanka), and yet you come to me with talk about children."
He knew that even before she gave birth, she had been talking about going home for her wanka because Umma had insisted on it so they could raise up to fifty thousand naira before her forty days were up, yet here he was bringing his co-wife's children to her?
Salis said, "I swear I don't like visiting that house, and since she has already left now, I am not going to chase after her. Her arrogance is getting out of hand; it is better she stays in her house and tastes it for a while—with her own feet she will return."
Ameera puckered her lips; she would love that outcome too, but only if she didn't have to babysit his children. She said, "Well, it is impossible to say that for my first childbearing I won't get a break. The one going for this confinement (wanka) will stop tomorrow, so what am I going to do? I have housework, baby care, and these burdens you have brought me? Unless you can find someone to come and render services for us, you see, she can even stay in their mother's room since nobody knows the day of her return."
He sighed and said, "As for me, if I am not traveling to the village, where am I going to find someone to sit with you? Well, let them stay here while I think about it before tomorrow."
She said, "Then take them to Hajiya's house!"
He said, "She might say that you fell short and failed" — he said this because he didn't think Hajiya would welcome keeping them happily, nor would they receive the care he required, especially since Hajiya didn't stay at home; she spent the whole day running here and there, only returning at night complaining of leg pain.
He said, "May God spare us until tomorrow, we will discuss it with her."
He looked at the children; they were huddled in a corner darting glances around, and they evoked his pity, but what could they do since their mother brought this upon them? He asked, "Have you eaten?" They nodded. He asked, "Do you want more?" Together they shook their heads no. He said, "Well, you will sleep here, okay?" They nodded again.
Ameera said, "Well, you should have made up a bed for them in their room, since she is always used to leaving them by themselves to sleep in her husband's room."
His temper flared and he said, "No! Make up a bed for them right here! How can they be left by themselves? What if something happens in the middle of the night?"
She said, "Then go and fetch their bedding, because all of mine are washed and I don't want them wetting them."
"Hmmm!" was all he said. He opened their room, brought out their bedding, and handed it to her. She laid it out in the parlor, made them go out to urinate, and put them to sleep. Then he went out and sat by the doorway feeling deeply unhappy.
As for her, merely seeing them in the parlor caused her incomparable bitterness; she hissed over and over again. Presently, Kausar said, "Yaya, water" — because she called Ni'ima "Yaya."
Ni'ima sat up and said, "Anti, we want to drink water."
Ameera shouted, "Your father is the one with the water, you hypocrites! Now you call me 'Anti' when every day you are lectured to insult me, and you don't even know how to greet me!"
Kausar, oblivious to what was happening, repeated, "Yaya, I want to drink water."
Ameera said, "You bastard's bundle! Today here are you ill-mannered, shameless children plotting to drink water so you can make me wash urine-soaked clothes!" Ni'ima, who was also feeling very thirsty, said, "I swear we don't wet ourselves while sleeping."
Ameera shouted, "If you speak another word I will twist your mouths off that bed! Shameless bed! Wretches! If he insists I must babysit you, you will taste your mother's wrath with pepper! Absolute nuisances!" She bolted the door and retreated to her room.
Before long, sleep overtook them—a miserable sleep due to mosquitoes, lacking a net or mosquito repellent, coupled with intense thirst, since they were accustomed to drinking water in the middle of the night and waking up for it.
On Safiyya's part, as she walked toward the main road, her mind churned over how her marital life had turned upside down all at once. If this was what a co-wife was like, she wouldn't wish for even her own children to live with such a person. On the other hand, she reasoned that this co-wife was just matching the environment she found; what happened today had nothing to do with a co-wife—it was his fault. His relatives utterly disliked her; they preferred to see her humiliated and lagging behind in life, but God did not approve of that. Aside from the indignity of it, how could he say her only brother should not give her a gift?
When she boarded a tricycle (adaidaita sahu), she told the driver to take her straight to her parents' house. She entered the house feeling shy; in all her years of marriage, she had never fled home (yaji), but now changes in circumstances had forced her to flee twice in a single month, all because he took another wife.
She exchanged greetings. The courtyard was empty, but Umma answered from her room and came out. Umma stopped dead in her tracks and exclaimed, "Safiyya, at this time of night?"
Faintly, she said, "It's me, Umma. Good afternoon/evening?"
Umma said, "What? Has this matter not ended yet?"
Right then, Baba came out, having lain down after Isha prayers due to a fever. She said, "Good evening, Baba."
He said, "Safiyya, are you alright? Where are the children?"
Umma fetched a mat, spread it out, and they sat down. Baba asked, "What happened again, Safiyya?"
She wiped her tears and recounted everything that had transpired. Baba felt troubled and said, "What nonsense is this! Does Salisu forget the relationship between you and Aminu? Are people insane to say he should stop catering to you? If he doesn't do it for you, who will? Who knows tomorrow? Today if I fall sick, and your relationship with him is unstable, do you have any place better than Aminu's house?"
Umma said, "I swear, none! Truly, Salisu has taken us by surprise. That is why I never liked this marriage in the first place; wherever a husband's family says 'there is no relative,' you should not enter. But you insisted, and now look at the result. During your last visit, an errand I sent someone to run for you—someone else sent his mother to say that once your waiting period (iddah) was over... I said, but you are still married!"
Angrily, Baba said, "And you, why would you send her on errands? Don't ever send her again!"
Safiyya stood up to go to her room. Baba said, "Sit down, we are not done." She came back and sat down.
He said, "Salisu has no reason to say Aminu should stop rendering you services. But you too, you shouldn't pack up and rush home to the house over every little thing."
She said, "Baba, it was he who told me to go live at Yaya Aminu's house."
He said, "Alright then, tomorrow I will hear further explanations from his own mouth. Go and sleep."
She went, tidied the room, and lay down. This time she even fetched a mosquito net. Then she remembered the children: where would they sleep tonight? Would they put a net up for them? She sighed. She loved Salis still, even now, but she was beginning to despair and think that she must distance herself from him so he would realize he hadn't stopped loving her, nor did he stop fearing losing her—just as she still found the idea of separating from him impossible. If she divorced him, could she truly live apart from her two young daughters? Who would give her custody? Would Ameera be able to handle it? If Ameera took custody, what kind of upbringing would she give them? She would definitely have to return, if only for her children's sake, but she needed to endure for a little while to give them some breathing room. With these thoughts, sleep overtook her, filled with longing for her children.
On Salis's part, he was deep in thought as well. He still loved Safiyya, but the new traits she had developed were driving him mad. Ever since he took another wife, she had completely lost respect for him. He thought that whereas Aminu used to do nothing for her, now Aminu was going to provide her clothes just to equate him with his own wife, making it look like Aminu was the provider? And out of sheer defiance, she had refused to stay put when he told her not to leave. He had assumed that when he said he was keeping the children, she would abandon her trip out of pity for them. Instead, her heart had hardened. What was he going to do with these children now? He vowed that even if she stayed away for a year, he wouldn't look for her, nor would he give her the children, nor would he divorce her. As for Ameera, if she didn't behave herself regarding these children, they would have problems, because he felt she was looking down on them with contempt.
Early the next morning, Ni'ima came out and gulped down water, followed by Kausar doing the same. Then they poured water into a small kettle (buta) to perform ablution (alwala). Ameera stepped out and barked a shout at them: "Get out of here, you bastards!"
Salis, watching them from the window with pity from the moment they were drinking water, came out and said, "What do you mean, get out?"—noticing they were performing ablution correctly without any mistakes, which impressed him.
Ameera said, "Why are they making a water-play circus early in the morning like ducklings?"
He said, "Well, me and their mother are ducks anyway, they inherited it from me. Go on, do your ablutions," he said, watching how they had left the kettles looking startled.
She stormed into the kitchen, fuming. When they were done, he told them to go into his room. There, they performed their prayers. Ni'ima asked, "Abba, will she return today?"
He said, "No, not right now, after a while. Aren't I here? We will live together." They nodded, feeling disheartened.
When she finished making breakfast, she retreated to her room. Noticing the silence and that she hadn't brought any for them, he went to her room and said, "Ameera, where is our breakfast?"
She said, "Goodness gracious! Did you forget today is Safiyya's turn?"
He was equally surprised and said, "Don't try to play with my mind, you know very well she isn't here, and I told you I don't know the day of her return, right? And if you won't give it to me, what about the children?"
Frowning, she said, "Let me finish what I'm doing first!"
He said, "Don't finish it, stay at it forever!"
He walked out. She glared at his back. He gave the children a bath, opened their room to dress them in clothes, and then dressed himself. He peeked into her room and asked, "What should be bought for the soup ingredients?"
She said, "Is that all? Are you going out?"
He said, "Yes, is there a problem?"
She said, "Well, as soon as I finish frying this meat, I am going home."
He said, "Don't go until I think about it first."
She said, "What do you mean, think about it?" He ignored her, gathered the children, and they went to Hajiya's house.
On the way, he stopped, bought bread and kosai (bean cakes), and took them along. After exchanging greetings with Hajiya, he handed them over and asked, "Hajiya, is there tea?"
She said, "There is tea. Why do I see you with children looking for tea?"
He said, "Hajiya, yesterday because I spoke to her about the clothes she wore saying her brother bought them, I told her to tell him never to do that to me again. She got angry and left the children behind."
Hajiya said, "Oh! This girl with her stubbornness! Let her keep walking. What kind of mother will she find in their house?"
She fetched a flask and tea items, handed them to him, and asked, "Where is Ameera? Can't she even boil tea water?"
Salis said, "Hmm, leave her be, Hajiya. She said today is not her turn."
Hajiya held her chin and said, "Is that why she won't give you tea?"
He didn't say anything, and they began to breakfast. When they finished, he said, "Hajiya, here are these children, later I will bring their luggage over."
She said, "Hey, come back here." He stepped back.
She said, "Now you are leaving me with the burden of children while I am struggling with leg pain?"
He said, "Where else can I take them? She is going home for her wanka today, and I am going to the market, what am I supposed to do?"
She said, "That's true. Well, alright, when she finishes her wanka, you return them there so she can take care of your children—they are yours anyway."
He said, "I know she will return even before Ameera comes back, because I know she won't be able to stay away from the house."
He went to the market after sending the soup ingredients to Ameera.
Around Azhar time, Ameera called him because the meat distribution had finished and she was fully prepared to go home. He returned home, gave her five thousand naira and tea supplies, and said he would send food provisions to her house. She gave him his share along with Safiyya's share, and right after Asr prayers, she left for home.
As for him, he sent a boy with Safiyya's meat and five thousand naira to her. Baba was at home when the delivery arrived. He called Salis on the phone, and after greetings, asked, "What is going on between you and your sister-in-law?"
He said, "I swear, Baba, Safiyya has completely changed her attitude nowadays. Every day she comes up with something new, and yesterday even though I stopped her from leaving, she was so stubborn she left anyway."
Baba said, "Salisu, it is impossible for you to tell Aminu not to cater to his sister, because besides me, she has no one superior to him."
He said, "That's true, Baba. Please forgive me."
Baba said, "For God's sake, unite yourselves and respect each other. I will counsel her as well, and today she will return, God willing!"
Salis said, "Alright, thank you, Baba."
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Salis hung up the phone with a heavy sigh, resolving in his mind that he would not go to fetch her; she had to return of her own accord, just as he wasn't the one who drove her away. Last time, because he had shown too much eagerness for her return, she had started playing hard-to-get.
Baba called Safiyya into his room and said, "I just spoke with him on the phone. Apparently, he even tried to stop you from leaving yesterday?"
She said, "Baba, he finished all his nonsense before turning around to tell me not to go! And he behaves as though we failed you here at home and that I only find comfort at his place."
Surprised, Baba said, "He was the one who said that to you?"
She said, "Yes Baba, he said I have nowhere better than his house."
Baba smiled and said, "Well, it is love that made him say that to you, and he is right—you have no place better than your husband's room. Once you move past basic homemaking, you move past everything except destiny. As for you, right now housekeeping obligations aren't burdening you excessively, so pack up and return to your room today, not tomorrow."
She felt a lump block her throat; tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and with a trembling voice, she said, "But Baba, if I return now, it will confirm to him that I cannot endure life at our house, and that I have no other shelter besides his."
Baba smiled and said, "Ummi! You are still so youthful. Didn't he see you in this house and desire to marry you? So what would make him say you cannot live there now? It is merely a grievance whispered by Satan between you both. Go back, purify your heart; marital life requires endurance—you don't earn rewards from lying around comfortably. Don't look at it as hardship; keep reminding yourself that you are performing acts of worship. And how long is this world anyway? You walk through it not knowing when your days will run out."
Safiyya just wept. He said, "Have patience and get ready. Even if it's by Maghrib, I know he will come to fetch you. Always remember your own children; you grew up motherless and lived without maternal warmth, but thank God He has given you a wonderful stepmother/second mother, so you don't know the bitterness of foster mothering. What do you think will become of your own children? You are a casualty since death is the ultimate equalizer, but if you abandon them, know that whatever happens to them will have your hands in it."
She stood up to leave. He said, "Come back and sit down."
She came back, and he looked at her sympathetically, saying, "Do you agree to return willingly, not because you were forced? I don't want you to go back harboring resentment."
She said, "You are not forcing me, Baba."
He said, "Thank you. May God bless you and grant you peace."
She answered "Ameen," then returned to her room, pondering how she would handle their marriage henceforth. She now understood that living with Salis felt like an inescapable obligation, meaning she was duty-bound to gird her loins and fight for her freedom. She would stop tolerating any insults from him regarding his other wife. As for Ameera, the very day she dared direct any disrespect at her again, they would clash fiercely regardless of the consequences. After performing Maghrib prayers and bathing, she waited for him to come, though this time she didn't even tell Salma anything out of fear that Salma might discourage Yaya Aminu from helping her. Salis's and his family's wish had triumphed, so she kept her mouth shut.
Silence stretched until 9:00 PM as she waited for him to arrive. When 10:00 PM struck, she made her bed and lay down. On his part, he had been waiting to see if she would return. When 10:00 PM came and he realized she wasn't coming, he scoffed, took the children's spare clothes, and carried them to Hajiya's house. He explained everything that transpired with Safiyya's father. Hajiya let out a laugh and said, "Aha! Of course she was bound to return! Even last time when she left, before anyone could even spot a motorcycle coming—because you were so desperate for her to return—if you had just ignored her, she would have come back on her own. Does she have anywhere better than your house?" There, he ate dinner, then went home to sleep. His worries had lessened since he knew the outcome of the situation, and seeing that Hajiya had settled the kids comfortably on a mattress with a mosquito net after a hearty meal put his mind completely at ease.
The next morning, when Safiyya greeted Baba, he asked, "What stopped you from returning yesterday?"
She said, "He didn't come."
He shook his head and said, "Well, no problem."
That evening, Salis returned and took food supplies to Ameera's house. As they exchanged greetings with Sauban in his arms, she asked, "How are Ni'ima and the others?"
He said, "They are doing fine."
She said, "And their mother, when is she coming back?"
He said, "She is returning today. In fact, I think she is already back."
A wave of bitter jealousy engulfed her, and she said, "Today? You, the one who claimed nobody knew the day of her return? Does that mean you went to beg/chase after her?"
He said, "I didn't go. We were just reconciled over the phone."
She hissed fiercely and said, "Well, I left you the house so you could indulge yourselves even more before I return."
Astonished by how much she had changed in such a short time, he said, "What do you mean? What did you pack up for us?"
She said, "You packed it for yourselves! Ever since I noticed certain things, you've been doing things behind my back. Here you told me you bought an atamfa material for them and the children, only for me to discover you actually bought her a lace material far more expensive than mine, plus the atamfa, and you even bought the children..."
2. Summary
This chapter of the Hausa popular fiction novel explores the escalating marital tensions between Salis, his first wife Safiyya, and his second wife Ameera, deeply entangled with interference from extended family (Salis's mother, Hajiya, and Safiyya’s brother, Aminu, and father, Baba).
- The Conflict Escalates: Salis confronts Safiyya, demanding she cut ties with financial or material support from her brother Aminu, citing complaints from his relatives (Hajiya) that he favors Safiyya over his nursing second wife, Ameera. Safiyya refuses to yield to this control, sparking an argument where Salis mockingly tells her to leave if she's too big for his house. Taking him literally, Safiyya packs her bags, leaves her two young daughters (Ni'ima and Kausar) behind with him, and walks out to her parents' house (yaji).
- The Burden on Ameera: Stranded with the children, Salis dumps Ni'ima and Kausar on Ameera while he runs errands and eventually takes them to Hajiya. Ameera is furious, resentful, and bitter about being forced to babysit her co-wife's children, especially with her own newborn baby (Sauban) and impending confinement (wanka) trip to her family home.
- Family Mediation: Both fathers and elders intervene. Safiyya's father, Baba, counsels her wisely, pointing out that despite marital hardships, she must endure for the sake of her children and return to her husband's house rather than seeking refuge elsewhere. Despite her reluctance, Safiyya prepares to return, realizing her resilience must grow. Meanwhile, Salis refuses to go chase her personally, waiting for her to crawl back, and she eventually returns under familial pressure, setting the stage for lingering resentment and a brewing showdown between the co-wives.
3. Character Descriptions
- Safiyya: The first wife of Salis. Once submissive, she is undergoing a psychological transformation, growing increasingly resilient, unyielding, and emotionally stoic ("taurin kai da kafiya cikin ruwan sanyi"). She fiercely defends her family ties (especially her brother Aminu) and shows a willingness to walk away rather than accept public humiliation, though she remains constrained by her love for and duty toward her children.
- Salis: The husband caught between two wives. He is insecure, easily influenced by his mother's (Hajiya's) opinions, and demands absolute patriarchal control over domestic and external financial help. He tries to manage his household through intimidation and stubborn pride, refusing to apologize or chase his wives when they rebel.
- Ameera: The second wife. Sharp-tongued, fiercely independent, and easily provoked, she resents Salis's imposition of Safiyya's children onto her space. She is self-centered regarding her rest and postpartum privileges and holds deep animosity toward her co-wife.
- Baba (Safiyya's Father): A voice of wisdom, maturity, and traditional stability. He acts as a peacemaker, balancing empathy for his daughter with pragmatic, traditional Islamic counseling on marital endurance, patience, and the welfare of children.
- Hajiya (Salis's Mother): A traditional matriarch who wields heavy influence over Salis. She is partial, unsympathetic to Safiyya, and prefers managing her own comfort over taking on childcare responsibilities.
- Ni'ima and Kausar: Safiyya and Salis's young daughters who become innocent pawns and victims caught in the crossfire of their parents' marital friction.
4. Literary Analytics
- Themes:
- Polygyny and Co-Wife Rivalry (Kishiya): The text highlights the intense psychological warfare, jealousy, competition, and logistical nightmares inherent in polygamous households, especially regarding resource allocation and childcare.
- Patriarchy vs. Women's Autonomy: Safiyya’s rebellion illustrates a shift from traditional absolute submissiveness to quiet, stubborn resistance (yaji as a tool of protest).
- The Role of Extended Family (Dangi): Family interference (mothers, brothers, and fathers) acts as both a catalyst for conflict and a stabilizing anchor for reconciliation.
- Tone and Style:
- The narrative style is colloquial, direct, and conversational, characteristic of popular modern Hausa romantic literature (Littattafan Soyayya).
- It employs intense dramatic irony and emotional realism, capturing domestic disputes with visceral detail (the discomfort of the children sleeping without a mosquito net, the raw friction in the kitchen, and generational wisdom imparted by elders).
