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HARIJIN SARKI BOOK COMPLETE
Part 1
Haiydar sat clutching his head in his hands. Hajiya confronted him in a state of panic, pelting him with questions. Seeing that he refused to offer a single answer, she snapped, "Aliyu, is this pure disrespect or what? Speak to me so I know exactly where we stand!"
He raised his head with great effort, looked at her, and asked, "What do you want to know, Mom?"
She stepped closer to him and asked softly, "Tell me the honest truth before Allah, Aliyu: what is your connection to Aneesah?"
Haiydar stared intently into his mother's eyes, remaining completely silent until she impatiently repeated the question. Finally, turning his gaze away, he said, "I love her."
Hajiya clutched her head in utter panic and cried, "Love, Aliyu? Oh, my goodness, I am completely ruined! What about Aneesah herself?"
Without looking back at her, he simply replied, "Yes."
She crept closer to him, visibly shaken, and whispered, "So you truly kidnapped her?"
He shook his head, looked back at her, and countered, "I didn't take her. It was definitely her uncle, for sure."
Hajiya’s eyes widened in horror. "I am truly undone! Then what about that picture of the two of you together in the car where she was crying?"
He smiled and was about to speak when his father’s close friend, Alhaji Usman, walked up to them, accompanied closely by a police officer. Before they could reach them, Hajiya quickly whispered, "Listen to what I want you to do right now: under no circumstances must you show anyone that you love her. Act as if you have never even met her, son. Leave everything entirely in my hands; I know exactly how to handle this. They will pay dearly for this, and they will be forced to grant the bail they initially refused."
Haiydar merely smiled, keeping his eyes on her. Alhaji Usman reached them, looking at Haiydar with heavy suspicion, and asked, "Ali, how did it come to this? How on earth did you get mixed up with this girl? Aliyu, I know this must be a malicious setup against you, right?"
The police officer standing nearby chimed in, "You have exactly eight minutes left of the time we allocated to you." Having said his piece, he walked away.
Meanwhile, Abdul stood over his father, who was actively speaking to the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) on the phone. As soon as Baffa finished the call, he turned to Abdul with deep grief and said, "Calm down, my guy. If Allah wills it, Aneesah will be found."
Abdul barked back furiously, "Nonsense! That is the same useless rubbish you tell me every single day—that she will be found! Yet a whole week has passed, and there is still absolutely no sign or news of that girl!"
Baffa sighed, "Oh God, what else do you want me to do, guy? You see me patrolling the police station every single day. In five days, we are going to court. I didn't even agree to let him secure bail! Just calm your mind; wherever he has hidden Aneesah, he will be forced to bring her out."
Hajiya Zuwaira, who sat nearby resting her chin on her hand to feign deep worry, chimed in, "I am honestly at a complete loss for words, Alhaji. Who knows what condition that poor girl is in right now? But that boy is truly a cursed child."
Abdul sneered, "Well, what about her mother? Was she kidnapped too, since she's no longer in the house?"
Baffa replied, "No, I was the one who made her travel to Gombe the morning after the incident happened. In fact, I just called her earlier today to tell her to rest easy because we are close to finding Aneesah. Did you expect me to leave her here so they could carry her off too, making it look like my negligence? Allah alone knows what they did to him to make him take Aneesah. It was their sheer greed that brought this misfortune upon them."
Hajiya Zuwaira added, "That is the absolute truth, I swear. But stop speaking like that, Alhaji; human beings cannot avoid falling into their preordained destiny."
Abdul shrugged dismissively and said, "Whatever, that's your business. Just make sure Aneesah is brought back to me so I can marry her." With that, he stormed out of the living room in a fit of rage.
Baffa chuckled softly under his breath and remarked, "What a foolish boy."
Hajiya Zuwaira laughed along and said, "Honestly, Alhaji, I am so incredibly proud to have you as my husband. You really know how to navigate life, I swear."
He laughed and said, "You see, while I keep that cursed boy locked up in prison, Abdul will eventually pack his bags and return to his business in London. That will be the absolute end of the matter. As for that cursed woman over in Gombe, she can keep gaping her mouth waiting for her daughter at my house." They both shared a hearty laugh as Hajiya Zuwaira praised her husband, playfully stroking his head.
Aneesah was walking back from the stream, chatting with Karime, a village girl she had recently struck up a close friendship with while fetching water. Karime said, "You still haven't agreed to come to our house to greet my grandmother, Aneesah."
Aneesah smiled and replied, "Don't worry, later this evening when we go back to fetch water, I will definitely come along to greet her."
Karime clapped her hands in pure delight and cheered, "Awesome, my beautiful friend!"
Just then, they spotted Mudatheer walking along, chewing on sugarcane. Aneesah watched him closely as he passed by them. Noticing he hadn't spoken to them, she called out, "You really never get tired of chewing sugarcane, do you?"
He turned around, looked at her with a smile, and asked, "Would you like some?"
She puckered her lips, shook her head, and said, "Go ahead and enjoy your snack."
He countered, "Why did you ignore me when I spoke to you yesterday?"
Aneesah replied, "Oh, so that's why you pretended not to see me just now?"
He laughed and said, "Exactly! We'll meet up at the village square later; I'm in a bit of a hurry right now." Saying this, he walked ahead. Aneesah watched him go, shaking her head.
Karime let out a deep sigh and confessed, "Aneesah, I am so desperately in love with that Mudassir, I feel like I could die, but he doesn't even know I exist. And it's not just me—all the girls in this village are fighting over him! Yet he ignores all of them and only pays attention to you, even though you haven't even spent two full weeks in this village. Look at how freely he chats with you, walks you around, and even stops Garbebe and Tasi'u from disrespecting you."
Aneesah laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'll talk to him for you."
Karime’s eyes widened in sheer panic. "Please, for God's sake, keep my secret! Do not involve me, I am far too terrified!"
Chatting and laughing in this manner, they finally arrived at the stream. They found it crowded with other young girls who had also come to fetch water, given it was morning. Aneesah waited patiently until the three people ahead of them finished filling their containers. Just as she dipped her clay pot into the water, she felt a violent jerk pulling her back. She spun around quickly. Standing before her was Abu, flanked by three of her friends. Ever since they noticed the growing closeness between Aneesah and Mudatheer in the village, they had grown to despise her and routinely targeted her.
Part 2
Aneesah sat under the shade of a large mango tree, her clay pot filled with water from the stream. Right beside her was Mudatheer, actively shooting at birds with a slingshot while munching on a mango. She simply watched him, entirely unbeknownst to him. Eventually, she stood up, struggled to lift her heavy water pot, and said, "Alright, see you later."
He turned around quickly, looked at her, and apologized, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot you were still sitting here."
She glared at him fiercely and snapped, "Wow, Mudassir. You called me over only to forget about me and leave me sitting here like an idiot, totally oblivious to the fact that people are waiting for me back home."
He pleaded, "Forgive me, I honestly just wanted to ask you a quick question."
She reluctantly sat back down and said, "Alright, I'm listening."
Turning back to shoot at the birds, he asked, "Is it really true that you beat up Abu at the stream yesterday?"
Aneesah raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes, indeed!" he laughed. "So you're actually quite a fighter, seeing as you managed to thoroughly thrash that huge girl."
She pursed her lips, stood back up, and retorted, "Great. So your question was just a piece of village gossip."
He laughed again. "Come on, forgive me. Sit back down so we can talk, city girl."
She quickly sat back down and said, "Fine. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you a question too, Mudatheer."
"Go ahead, I'm listening," he replied.
She said, "I really want to know the direction to your family's house in this village. I have no idea where you live."
Looking directly at her, he asked, "Are you planning to visit?" Before she could reply, one of his friends, Mudi, shouted his name from a distance: "Mudassiru!" He jumped up immediately to answer his friend's call, shouting back, "I'm coming right now!"
Aneesah quickly called out, "Wait, you haven't answered my question, Mudassir! Are you just going to leave?"
He turned back, looked at her, and said, "It's of no use, city girl." With that parting remark, he turned sharply and ran off toward Mudi, who was waiting for him.
She stared after them in utter astonishment, her mouth agape until they vanished from sight. Wow, so he actually speaks English! That was the thought that flashed through her mind. Standing up, still deeply bewildered, she lifted her water pot and walked away.
Today was the day Haiydar’s case was officially brought before the court. The courtroom was packed to the brim with spectators eager to see how the legal battle would unfold. The news had spread like wildfire all across Abuja, largely fueled by Alhaji Shehu’s prominent standing as a heavyweight politician. Radio stations, TV channels, and media outlets were all reporting on it. Everyone listened intently, desperate to hear the verdict regarding the man accused of kidnapping Honorable Shehu's daughter. Some rumors claimed he had murdered her, while others alleged he had sold her off.
No matter how hard Barrister Umar tried to defend Haiydar against the severe charges of kidnapping Aneesah, it proved utterly futile. Haiydar's sheer uncooperativeness in court left his lawyer completely flustered; no matter how much the barrister begged for cooperation, Haiydar flatly refused to play along. Without uttering a single lie, he laid bare the absolute truth before the court, detailing his entire relationship with Aneesah right up until the day she disappeared. This went completely against the strategy his mother had explicitly laid out for him.
Nothing terrified Hajiya more than this sudden turn of events. Both she and Barrister Umar had strictly instructed him to testify that he didn't know Aneesah at all. But Haiydar rejected the plan. He spoke with absolute honesty to the judge. When shown the picture of them together in the car, he didn't deny it; he openly admitted it was them and confirmed she was crying at the time, though he maintained he had no idea who took the photograph.
Alhaji Usman went completely pale, breaking out in a cold sweat. He never anticipated that Haiydar would deviate so completely from the script they had meticulously prepared. Meanwhile, Baffa and his wife were secretly overjoyed, feeling like celebrating right there on the spot, though they carefully masked their emotions. Hajiya Zuwaira continued to squeeze out fake tears while a hypocritical friend of hers "consoled" her. Baffa sat shaking his leg in feigned grief, shaking his head sorrowfully.
Haiydar maintained that Allah was his only witness along with the girl's biological mother, whom he noted was noticeably absent from the courtroom. Sensing danger, Baffa immediately panicked. When the judge formally requested the presence of the girl's mother, the lawyer hired by Baffa quickly interjected, claiming she was currently confined to a hospital bed, hovering between life and death due to the immense trauma of losing her only daughter. Consequently, the judge adjourned the case for three weeks, ordering that Haiydar be remanded in prison custody and mandating that the girl's mother must appear at the next hearing. Baffa's lawyer quickly accepted the terms before the judge left the bench, as it was the final case of the day's session.
Hajiya showed absolutely no outward signs of distress as Haiydar was led away. Instead, a malicious, smug smile crept across her face as she strode out of the courtroom, with Pretty following closely behind, sobbing bitterly. Sumy and Meenah had refused to attend the hearing altogether. By the car, Hajiya turned on Pretty, snapping furiously, "Shut your mouth, you useless hypocrite! Amina, I begged you repeatedly to tell me where that girl's family house is, and you refused! I asked you if you knew anything about her, and you lied that you didn't! I know for a fact it's impossible that Aliyu wouldn't talk to you about that wretched girl, considering how close the two of you are!" Pretty offered no reply to her mother, quietly climbing into the car while continuing to weep.
Just then, Baffa walked up to the car, glaring venomously at Hajiya. "You wretched, evil hypocrites! The dark secrets of your wicked, abusive son are finally about to be exposed. By Allah's grace, he will be forced to return my daughter to me!"
Hajiya let out a sharp, mocking laugh, staring back at Baffa. "Let's wait and see. I swear by Allah, I will inflict a lesson upon you and your entire household that you will never forget until the day you leave this earth! As for that cursed daughter of yours, I will make her deeply regret ever crossing paths with me!" With that final threat, she slammed the car door, revved the engine, and sped away in a cloud of dust. Baffa laughed heartily, muttering to himself, "Well, well, it seems she herself doesn't even know..."
Part 3
Shatu turned around quickly, staring in disbelief at Aneesah, who herself couldn't comprehend that Shatu was actually defending her today. Shatu barked, "Aneesah, listen to me: any bastard in this village who dares to cross you, tear them apart! I am giving you full permission. Let's head inside. It’s pure malice and jealousy that drives everyone to torment my girl in this town. Frankly, what you did to her was far too merciful; you should have knocked her teeth out and twisted her mouth sideways!"
Kyauta, shaking with rage, yelled back, "I swear by Allah, absolutely nothing will stop me from retaliating against what this loose city girl did to my Abulo today! I will personally avenge my daughter!"
Shatu let out a mocking, theatrical laugh. "I swear by Allah, if you dare call her a loose girl again, I will dump a bucket of burning hot coals over you, you daughter of an old thief! Is there any girl looser in this entire village than your own daughter Abulo, who roams around the town day and night? Look at this completely shameless woman!"
Kyauta suddenly charged into the courtyard, rushing toward Aneesah with Abulo close behind her, screaming, "I swear we are going to kill you today!"
Seeing the imminent assault, Shatu bolted toward the cooking hearth, grabbed a massive, burning piece of firewood, and charged directly at them, screaming, "Touch her and see, you bastards!"
Terrified by the flaming weapon, the two women spun around and fled the house like maniacs, Abulo wailing at the top of her lungs. Shatu stood firmly at the threshold, panting heavily as she shouted after them, "You should have stayed, you cursed fools, to see how I would have reduced you to ash with this fire! Worthless beggars! Thieves!"
Aneesah shrank against the wall, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. Shatu walked back into the courtyard, still breathing heavily. Looking at Aneesah, she said, "You did exactly the right thing, I swear. If you had just told me from the start that you were fighting at the stream, I wouldn't have raised a hand against you. From this day forward, whoever dares to cross you in this village, drown them right there in the stream! You have my full backing."
Aneesah could only nod her head in terrified compliance. Having delivered her decree, Shatu marched into her room and emerged holding a small container of traditional ointment. Handing it over to Aneesah, she instructed, "Hurry up and apply this to your body." Aneesah nodded silently once more.
Zano pursed her lips and walked out of the courtyard. Xulai, however, cheered, "You did perfectly, Aneesah! You honestly should have thrown her right into the deepest part of the stream, because I absolutely despise that Abulo." Aneesah offered no response, merely staring at her. Just then, Shatu called out to her from inside, telling her to come and stir the gruel since the water on the hearth was boiling. Aneesah answered quickly, rushing into the hut to carry out her chores.
Meanwhile, Haiydar sat in silence, looking at the lawyer Alhaji Usman had dispatched to represent him. The lawyer, who had been throwing a barrage of questions at him without receiving a single answer, sighed in frustration. "For heaven's sake, Aliyu, you are a barrister yourself! It’s not as if you don't know how court proceedings work. Please, cooperate with me so I can gather all the necessary information. Our court date is the day after tomorrow!"
Haiydar merely shrugged and replied, "I already told you all that I do not require a lawyer to represent me. I am my own legal counsel."
In a fit of anger, Barrister Umar snapped, "Where on earth have you ever heard of a defendant acting as their own lawyer in a case like this, Aliyu? This is pure madness! For God's sake, just answer my questions so I can get out of here before our visiting time expires!"
Aliyu looked him dead in the eye and said, "Look, the only thing I need you to keep in mind is this: I did not kidnap Aneesah. Period. And whoever the hell took her will eventually be forced to bring her out. They will soon realize they made a catastrophic mistake messing with Barrister Aliyu."
The lawyer pursed his lips, stood up, and warned, "Fine. Keep sitting in this cell thinking your stubbornness will bring Aneesah out. If you choose to go to court the day after tomorrow and completely ruin your own defense, that's your own cup of coffee. You know damn well you'll be heading straight to prison." With that parting shot, he turned and left.
Aliyu smiled bitterly, surveying his bleak surroundings, and muttered to himself, "I would honestly rather rot in prison than deal with this agonizing frustration."
Back at the house, Baffa sat in Abdul's room. Abdul was chain-smoking, filling the entire bedroom with thick, suffocating clouds of smoke. Baffa pleaded, "Look, my son, I came here specifically to ask you to put an end to this reckless behavior."
Abdul bolted upright in a blind rage, looking as though he was about to strike his own father. "What the hell do you expect me to do for you just because you walked into my room?!"
Baffa raised his hands placatingly. "Cool down, son. I'm not asking you to do anything harmful." Abdul let out a sharp sneer and sat back down. Baffa took a deep breath and continued, "What I want from you is to simply return to your job abroad before the time comes when Aneesah..."
Abdul cut him off with a thunderous roar. "What did you just say?! Return to London without that girl? No way! Impossible! It will never happen! If you ever see me leave this city without that girl, then I am not my mother's son!" Saying this, he violently crushed his cigarette butt onto the tiled floor. "Nonsense! Do whatever it takes to find that girl and bring her to me so I can take her away and teach her a lesson in humility and respect!" He stormed out of the room, leaving Baffa staring after him in stunned silence.
A slow, scheming smile crept across Baffa's face after his son departed. "A boy is just a boy... a foolish little bird. But you will certainly learn your lesson." Still smiling to himself, he stood up and walked out of the room.
Part 4
Aneesah sat quietly, listening intently to Shatu, who had cornered her inside the hut to have a private conversation. "You are listening to me, right?" Shatu asked.
Aneesah replied softly, "Yes, Mama, I am listening."
Shatu lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know Malam Tanko here in the village, don't you?"
Aneesah shook her head. "No, I don't know him."
Shatu gave her a sharp look. "He is Garbebe's father! How can you not know him?"
Aneesah gestured vaguely and said, "I’ve only heard stories about him, Mama."
Shatu smiled and said, "Exactly. You surely know he is the wealthiest man in this entire village, right? He owns more than twenty-five cattle! Moreover, his house near the vegetable market is built entirely out of modern concrete. His sons and daughters live over in the neighboring village where they are attending primary school. He rarely even stays in the village because he works over in the city, but all three of his wives live right here."
Aneesah simply nodded silently, her heart beginning to sink with a heavy sense of dread. Shatu smiled warmly, exposing her stained teeth, and continued, "Well, Aneesah, yesterday Malam Tanko came to see me personally. He explicitly stated that he wants to marry you! If you only knew how desperately the local village girls compete for his attention..." Shatu bit her finger gleefully and warned, "Do not embarrass me, Aneesah. We are not a family that rejects good fortune. Look at me—I have biological daughters of my own, yet I didn't let jealousy stop me from steering Tanko toward you, because I know we will all benefit from his wealth. So I need your full cooperation. Yesterday alone, he gifted Malam a whole thousand Naira and two live chickens!"
Aneesah was completely paralyzed by the sheer horror of the situation. Oh, my God, I am completely ruined! Is this the grotesque old man Karime warned me they would try to marry me off to? Realizing Shatu was waiting expectantly for an answer, she managed to force out a weak nod. "Alright, Mama. I hear you. Whatever you desire is what I will accept."
Shatu’s face lit up with a wide grin. "That’s my precious, blessed girl! That is exactly why I love you. But listen carefully: under no circumstances must you entertain suitors like Garbebe, Hudu, or the tea seller. If they offer you gifts, accept them greedily—after all, they have no idea about our marriage plans. But as for that useless Mudatheer, stay far away from him, because I absolutely despise him. He doesn't even have a single penny to give you anyway."
With her head bowed low to hide the tears welling up in her eyes, Aneesah quietly muttered, "Okay."
Shatu patted her and said, "Excellent, Aneesah. Now hurry up, go grab that leftover piece of chicken from yesterday and eat it. Afterward, do the dishes, clean the house, and fetch enough water to store. I am heading out now to buy wholesale peanuts, since those lazy children of mine have vanished to God knows where." Wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders, she stepped out of the hut, calling back, "I'll be back soon!"
Left entirely alone, Aneesah burst into a fit of bitter weeping...
