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Usman gave her a look, but she brushed it off completely and said, “Mama, do you know what Yaya Usman did?”
Mama replied, “No, not until you tell me.”
Usman quickly interjected, “Is that how we agreed, Ruma?”
“Whatever! I simply don't tolerate hypocrisy or dishonesty. If anything happens while Mama isn't around, I will tell her. I won't just stand by, watching things go wrong without Mama knowing.”
Looking as though he was on the verge of tears, he asked, “But did we agree on this?”
Mama said, “Tell me, I'm listening.”
Ruma looked at Usman and said, “You’ll just have to be patient, but I swear I will say it in front of everyone. I won't sit idly by while wrong things are being done.”
If it weren't for the fact that he knew Mama would stop him if he lunged at her, he would have silenced Ruma with a sharp slap. He knew that if she brought up this issue, it would lead to serious trouble, and he would face endless scoldings and lectures.
Above all, Yaya Umar was sitting right there, and Usman wasn't entirely sure how much Ruma had actually overheard him say on the phone—or if she had only caught a snippet when he chanced to look up and saw her standing there.
She adjusted her posture and then said, “Earlier, when you sent me to deliver *tuwo* to the house of the *ƙuli-ƙuli* seller, I saw him at the entrance of his friend Yahaya's house. He and his friends had returned from the Eid prayer ground, and before even coming home, he sat down out there as food was brought out, and they all ate together. And you specifically forbade that!”
He let out a deep sigh of relief, thanking God that she hadn't mentioned the other matter.
Mama said, “Is that what you are exaggerating so much about? He actually came back here, took some food, and went back out to share it with them.”
“But Mama, he was told not to sit out at the entrance of the house to eat—it shows a lack of self-respect. And you were the one who said it lacks self-respect!”
Mama said, “Alright, that's enough. He will be scolded.”
“Then Mama, scold him right now!”
In a fit of anger, Usman snapped, “Are you my peer?!”
Umar observed, “This is the consequence of joking around with her.”
A Request for a Friend
After a brief pause, she adjusted herself again, looked at Mama, and said, “Mama, do you know something?”
"I am completely tired of this nonsense of yours," Mama replied, visibly exhausted.
“Mama, it's not nonsense. Earlier, I saw Habiba at the Eid prayer ground, and she was wearing old, worn-out clothes.”
“And how is that your business? Haven't I told you to steer clear of gossip and minding others' affairs, yet you refuse to stop?”
Feeling a bit discouraged, Ruma shook her head and said, “Mama, I just want to give her one of my new outfits.”
Everyone in the room turned around simultaneously to look at her, shocked by what she had just said.
Huzaifa asked, “Are you even in your right mind?”
“Well, you know that for as long as I've been alive, I've never been crazy, right? Mama, please, let her have it so she can wear a new outfit for the celebration too.”
"Shut your mouth! You lack any self-respect. Her mother came here and thoroughly insulted us, yet you keep throwing yourself at her. No clothes will be given to her!" Aliyu barked, wide-eyed with anger.
Mama gestured for Aliyu to stop, then looked at Ruma and said, “If Allah spares our lives until tomorrow, you may choose whichever outfit you want to give her.”
Ruma smiled warmly and said, “Thank you, Mama. May Allah reward you with goodness. Could you also pack some chicken for me to take to her? I know they didn't slaughter a chicken at their house.”
Yasir chimed in, “How could they anyway? That mother of theirs rears chickens as if her life depends on it, but she will never slaughter one for them to eat. Aside from being poor, she is incredibly selfish.”
"Please stop insulting my friend's mother," Ruma chided.
Mama intervened, “That's enough. Get up and go to sleep.”
As Ruma stood up and went into the bedroom, Mama turned her gaze to Aliyu and said, “Aliyu, do not raise this girl to be stingy. Despite all her mischief, she is compassionate and loves to help. If what she wants to do doesn't violate Islamic law, leave her alone.”
Aliyu nodded in agreement. Ruma, on her part, felt as though she couldn't wait for morning to arrive so she could deliver the clothes to Habiba and make her happy.
## Part 4: Eid Celebrations and an Unauthorized Trip
The next morning, Ruma bathed early and dressed up for the Eid celebration in one of her new outfits. She sat down and picked out a complete matching set of *atamfa* fabric for Habiba, including a hair ribbon and a bracelet. Mama didn't stop her; she even packed some chicken for her to hand over to Habiba.
Just as she was about to leave, she paused and said, “Mama, please, once she gets dressed up, can we go visit our classmates' houses to celebrate?”
Mama frowned slightly and said, “You know very well I don't like that. I don't want you wandering all over the neighborhood.”
Pleading with a sorrowful face, Ruma said, “Please, Mama. You know I don't just wander around. It's always either an errand or Islamic school. But today is Eid!”
“Alright, fine. But don't you dare stay out so long that we have to come looking for you. Where exactly are you going?”
Ruma listed out the places. Mama sighed and said, “It is currently 10:30 AM. Do not stay out past 12:00 PM. If you exceed that time, whatever follows won't be pleasant for you.”
Overjoyed, Ruma replied, "Mama, I will return early, by Allah's grace." She dashed outside, smiling broadly.
### Delivering the Gift
She headed straight to Habiba's house. When she arrived, she called out the Islamic greeting repeatedly, but there was only silence. She stood in the courtyard and kept calling out.
Eventually, Sani peeked out to answer. Seeing Ruma, he stared blankly and snapped, “What on earth did you come to our house for?”
She glared back at him and said, “What is it to you? I didn't come to see you anyway. Didn't my brother warn you to stay away from me? There is nothing between us, or do you want me to call him back to swell your face up some more?”
As she was speaking, Habiba's mother emerged from the bathroom. Seeing Ruma, her face darkened, and she demanded, “What did you come to my house to do?”
“I came to see Habiba.”
“With whose permission did you come to see her?”
Just then, Habiba stepped out of the room holding a bowl of *tuwo* with *kuka* soup. Seeing Ruma, she exclaimed, “Oh, Ruma! You’ve stopped coming to Islamic school!”
Ruma countered, “I saw you at the Eid prayer ground, but you refused to acknowledge me.”
Habiba explained, “I swear, Ruma, I didn't see you. How is the Eid celebration going?”
“It's going well. I came to see you, come here for a moment.”
Astounded, Habiba's mother held her chin in disbelief and said, “Habiba, so you are still interacting with this girl?”
Habiba shook her head. “I swear, Umma, I don't usually talk to her. It's been a long time since we last met.”
Ruma handed the plastic bag to Habiba and said, “I brought this for you. Come take it and look inside.”
Without hesitation, Habiba stepped forward and took the bag. She saw a tailored *atamfa* outfit, a bracelet, a hair ribbon, and a package of meat.
Habiba asked, “Ruma, who is this for?”
“It's yours! Let me tell you, I have twelve different Eid outfits and hijabs, including bracelets and necklaces. That's why I decided to bring one to you, so you can wear it and we can go celebrating together.”
Habiba's mother intervened, “She doesn't want it and she won't accept it. I don't like this over-familiarity. Who told you she needs your clothes? She has her own Eid outfits.”
Habiba's eyes welled up with tears as she cried, “I swear, Umma, I don't have any Eid clothes. I want these clothes, please let me wear them!”
Ruma pleaded, “Please, Umma, let her wear them. We've made up and we've stopped fighting. For God's sake, let her wear them.”
Umma looked at how Habiba was clutching the clothes tightly, weeping and begging to keep them, so she finally relented. Habiba dashed into the room and put the clothes on; it looked as if they had been custom-tailored specifically for her, fitting perfectly. Sani kept calling Habiba spineless for accepting them.
Driven by youthful excitement, Habiba was soon fully ready. Even though her mother harbored resentment toward Ruma, she still scrambled eagerly to slice up and share the chicken Ruma had brought, as it had been a very long time since they had enjoyed such a treat. With that, the two girls headed out to celebrate.
Wandering and the Car Ride
They roamed around like stray goats, popping from one friend's house to another. With some friends, they mingled peacefully; with others, it ended in an argument. Ruma completely forgot Mama's stern warning, and even past the afternoon prayer (*Zuhr*), she was still wandering aimlessly around town.
Eventually, she frantically hurried back toward home, desperately plotting how to defend herself before Mama, knowing that by now, her family would be looking for her everywhere.
Along the way, she spotted Yaya Usman standing by a car. He was sharply dressed alongside his friends, looking as though they were about to head out. She ran up to where he stood and asked, “Yaya Ussy, what are you doing here?”
"None of your business. Go home and finish whatever errand you were sent on." His response made her realize that Mama hadn't contacted him to look for her yet.
Consequently, she asked, “Please, where are you going?”
“We are just going out to chill.”
“What is chilling?”
He scowled and said, “Didn't I tell you to go home?”
She pleaded again with a pitiful face, “Please, Yaya, let me come with you.”
“Are you my playmate? Why don't you just head home?”
She softened her expression further. “Please, Yaya.”
She grabbed his shirt, looking up at him as if she were about to burst into tears. Usman suddenly remembered that if he left her behind, her anger might drive her to expose his secrets to Mama.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Fine. Go ask Mama. If she agrees, then we can go.”
“I swear, I know that if I leave to go ask, you will just drive off.”
"You stubborn brat! If I take you along, where will you sit? There's no space in the car," he muttered in frustration.
"I'll sit on your lap." No matter how hard he tried to shake Ruma off, she remained stubborn and persistent. Furthermore, he knew he would face massive embarrassment if Ruma exposed the fact that he had been secretly talking to a girl on the phone. He knew he could practically skin her alive afterwards, but right now, his glaring wouldn't stop her from talking if she chose to.
Defeated, he put her in the car, which belonged to one of his friends. Being the only girl among a group of young men, Usman kept scolding her, but she didn't care in the slightest as she sat right next to him.
His friends teased him, laughing, "Look at *'Kanwar Maza'* (the tomboy)! You guys think you're in charge, but you have no choice but to take her along whether you like it or not." Ruma ignored them entirely as they drove off.
They went to a hangout spot. Whatever food and drinks the young men bought, they bought a portion for Ruma as well. Once she was thoroughly full, she looked at Usman and said, “Yaya Ussy, find a plastic bag to tie up my leftovers so I can take them home.”
"Do you think everyone else is as brainless as you? No way!" Not even enjoying the outing anymore, Usman rushed his friends to head back home, entirely because of how much Ruma was embarrassing him in front of his peers.
## Part 5: The Damaged Shadda and the Unexpected Mercy
When they arrived home, Mama was frantic. They had been looking for Ruma since 12:00 PM to no avail.
Mama stared at them, then looked at Usman and asked, “Where did you find her?”
“I just saw her on the road after the afternoon prayer. My friends and I were heading out, and she insisted on coming along. I called Aliyu on the phone to let him know, and we took her with us.”
“Where did you go?”
“Just out to get something to eat, with Isma'il and the others.”
“And she was the only female among men, Usman? Do you know how long this girl has been missing from this house? Do you know the panic I went through? I swear, you will face the music today!”
Abdallah added, “I swear, Mama, even if you don't beat her, I will thrash her myself today. Give her a severe, memorable beating! This girl deserves a permanent bed in a psychiatric hospital.”
In a fit of rage, Mama grabbed Ruma, who kicked and screamed. Mama pulled out a leather whip (*bulugari*) and began striking her as Ruma wailed at the top of her lungs, crying out for help.
Mama didn't normally use physical punishment for discipline, but when pushed to her limit, she made sure the lesson hit home. It took Usman quite an effort to finally pull Ruma out of Mama's grip.
From that day on, Mama declared that she wouldn't give Ruma the rest of her new Eid clothes. This was despite the fact that Eid outfits had been sent to her from their hometown, and her father's relatives had also tailored and sent clothes. Mama locked them all away, stating that Ruma was done dressing up for the celebration. The next day, Ruma watched helplessly as Mama got dressed and left for town, leaving her behind at home.
The house felt incredibly boring to her, leading her into petty arguments with Yasir and the others. Eventually, they all left the house as well, leaving her completely alone. Feeling dejected about being left behind by Mama, she grew tired of sitting around and looked for something to do.
She walked into the brothers' room to tidy it up. While cleaning, she came across a high-quality polished cotton fabric (*shadda*) outfit belonging to Yaya Umar, which was hanging up. An idea struck her. She grabbed the *shadda* and brought it out to the courtyard. Pouring water into a bucket, she dumped a large amount of laundry detergent (*Omo*) into it and submerged the *shadda*. She then returned to finish cleaning the bedroom.
The outfit soaked in the harsh detergent water for at least two hours. When Ruma finally came out, she scrubbed it carelessly and hung it on the clothesline. Because of the excessive and harsh detergent, the *shadda* completely lost its premium, characteristic shine.
A while later, she heated up a charcoal iron and began ironing the outfit for him.
The Blunder
Abdallah returned home to find Ruma deeply focused on her ironing. He paused, trying to figure out exactly what she was working on.
“What on earth are you ironing like that?”
She looked up at him and said, “It's Yaya Umar's clothes. I saw them hanging in the room and knew they needed washing, so I washed and ironed them for him.”
Abdallah gasped, “*Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un*! Ruma, what exactly did you use to wash this *shadda*?”
“Well, isn't laundry done with water and detergent?”
"Who on earth told you that a polished *shadda* is washed with harsh detergent?!" Even as they were speaking, Ruma accidentally scorched a large hole right through the front of the shirt.
Slapping her hands against her head, she cried, “*Innalillahi*! I am ruined! Abdallah, what am I going to do? I've burned his *shadda*!”
Abdallah replied, “That serves you right for your boundless nosiness. You'll figure out exactly what to tell him.”
Ruma put her hands on her head and wept bitterly. She knew that today, her bones were as good as dust, and she was entirely at the mercy of fate.
When Mama returned, she found her weeping uncontrollably. Abdallah quickly informed Mama of the disaster Ruma had caused.
Through her tears, Ruma pleaded, “Please, Mama, beg him on my behalf. I swear I'm dead today. Please, Mama, don't let him beat me or give me a harsh punishment.”
“I am not getting involved. You don't listen to a word I say either.”
Hours passed, and by late afternoon, Ruma still hadn't eaten a single bite of lunch, doing nothing but crying.
Huzaifa taunted, “I will be the very first person to inform Mai Sunan Baba about this absolute disaster you've caused him.”
Even though Mama was still furious with her over the previous day's stunt, she still tried to force Ruma to eat. However, Ruma refused, continuing her crying marathon. Mama herself secretly pitied the girl over the severe punishment she was bound to face from Umar once he discovered the damage, but Ruma had brought this entirely upon herself due to her excessive stubbornness.
An Unexpected Turn of Events
*Mai Sunan Baba* didn't return until after the evening prayer (*Maghrib*). The moment he walked into the compound, Ruma curled up into an even tighter ball, sobbing loudly.
He looked down at her and asked in his harsh, deep voice, “What are you crying for?”
Huzaifa immediately adjusted his seat and eagerly detailed the destruction she had caused to his outfit. Despite the dim lighting in the courtyard, she was terrified by the stern look Umar gave her.
“Please, Yaya, forgive me. I didn't do it maliciously. I swear my only intention was to surprise you by washing and ironing it for you. I didn't know it would turn out like this.”
Her choice of words—wanting to "surprise" him—was so absurd that Aliyu couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you certainly surprised him!" Aliyu remarked.
Seeing how utterly terrified she was, Yasir intervened, “Please, Yaya, forgive her. It was an accident. She has been so shaken up by this mishap that she hasn't eaten all day.”
"Are you the one to dictate what punishment I give her?" Umar snapped, without even looking at Yasir.
Yasir replied, “Yes, punish me instead of her. She is absolutely terrified.”
In a slightly raised voice, Umar commanded, “Get up and bring the clothes let me see.”
Slinking away quietly, she fetched the ruined outfit and handed it over to him. He took it and inspected it; the garment was completely beyond salvage. Her entire body trembled as she waited.
“In all your life, have I ever asked you to do my laundry?”
She shook her head.
“Then why did you wash my clothes?”
“I just wanted to do something nice. I didn't think it would turn into a disaster.”
He shook his head and said, “Dish some food for me.”
Still trembling, she stood up, scooped some food into a bowl, and brought it to him, watching his face anxiously.
He took the food, placed it right in front of her, and said, “Eat.”
With a tear-stained face, she whispered, “Please... aren't you going to make me hold my ears as punishment?”
He shook his head. "No, I won't." He said this as he scooped some food and brought it to her mouth.
“So, you’ve forgiven me?”
He nodded his head in confirmation.
“Please forgive me, it was an accident.”
“Alright. Eat your food.”
Only then did her heart find peace, and she began to eat. Everyone in the compound was utterly astounded by how leniently *Mai Sunan Baba* had treated Ruma. They had never imagined he would let her off scot-free.
Once she had eaten her fill, she looked up and said, “Mai Sunan Baba.”
“Yes?”
“Please don't worry. I will collect my savings from Mama and buy you a brand-new outfit.”
A faint smirk appeared on the edge of his lips as he replied, “Alright then.”
After Yaya Umar left the house, Huzaifa crept into the room behind Ruma and asked, “Ruma, what special prayer did you recite over Mai Sunan Baba to make him spare you like that? Come on, tell me!”
Usman added, “I swear, I am equally shocked. Despite the massive damage she did to his clothes, he just let her go.”
Ruma ignored both of them, lay down on her bed, and quietly thanked God.
: Back to Islamic School and Growing Up
The Eid festivities came to an end, and it was time to return to school. Ruma went back, but she flatly refused to stay in her assigned classroom, claiming her teacher disliked her. Instead, she constantly shadowed a teacher named Malam Habibu, the son of the
