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"Alright, Rafin Dadi, what I really want from you is to keep a close eye on this girl. Make sure her every move is under your watch."
She let out a strange laugh and replied, "If that’s all it is, don't you worry at all..." She quietly retreated to her room without standing around to hear the rest of their conversation.
As soon as she stepped inside the room, she exhaled a deep sigh. Countless thoughts raced through her mind before a wicked smile spread across her face. She muttered to herself:
"Wow. You really are ready to forfeit your job if you think you're going to spy on me. You will be the very first person I get rid of..."
Meanwhile, when Amin returned home, he fell into intense anxiety. He desperately needed an explanation regarding the condom she had purchased.
He stood up and walked into the living room, driven by a nagging thought that had just gripped his heart. Luckily for him, everyone was gathered there.
He offered a calm and respectful greeting, and they replied in a relaxed manner before turning their attention back to him.
He walked over, knelt down before Dady, and bowed his head in a show of shyness and respect. Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes.
Dady broke the silence, saying, "Aminu, it seems you have something on your mind to say."
He simply nodded his head, still unable to find the words.
"Look, I don't tolerate foolishness. If you have nothing to say, move along. You just come and stand in front of us like we are your peers," Mummy scolded angrily.
Remaining composed, he said, "I'm sorry, Mummy. It's just... about... I was thinking if there’s no problem, the wedding..." He cut himself off, lowering his head even further in embarrassment.
Dady let out a mature, hearty laugh, while Abba looked on in utter surprise at Amin's boldness. Anty laughed along too, while Mummy felt a wave of maternal embarrassment for him.
Dady said, "I understand what you want. Go on, I will send for you."
Scratching his head awkwardly, Amin replied, "Thank you, Dady. May Allah increase your status."
"Ameen," they chorused as he exited the living room.
Dady then turned his gaze toward Abba, cleared his throat, and asked:
"I hope you understand where that boy's speech was heading??"
"Yes, Your Excellency," Abba answered, as he held Dady in incredibly high esteem.
Dady smiled and remarked, "I've noticed you don't want me to continue living in this house anymore."
"How could I ever think that??" Abba protested.
"Look at you, calling me 'Your Excellency' when it is I who should be addressing you as such," Dady teased.
"Alright, I'll stop."
"So, what do you think we should do now??" Dady inquired.
"Whatever you decide is exactly what will be done."
"InshaAllah, on the day of Abdulkadir’s wedding, we will join theirs as well. Let the preparations begin," Dady concluded.
Hearing this, an overwhelming joy flooded Amin’s heart, because he had been secretly lurking by the door the entire time, listening to every single word they said.
3 days later…
During the three days she spent in the house, she noticed a great deal of things. Everyone in the household now ate the food she prepared. Her current target was Maimuna, and today she resolved to execute her plot against her.
Maimuna, on her part, hadn't stopped trailing her either, keeping a watchful eye on Nadhira's every move. However, she still hadn't uncovered anything suspicious about her.
When she had previously reported her suspicions to Big Dady, he told her to just ignore her. So for now, Maimuna had dropped the matter of spying on Nadhira.
Nadhira had been in the kitchen helping Maimuna with her chores for a while, and she noticed that Maimuna was heavily addicted to Coca-Cola; at any slight interval, she would take a sip from her bottle.
Waiting for the perfect moment when Maimuna looked away, Nadhira spiked the Coke bottle with Codeine. Driven by sheer malice, she poured a massive quantity from a large bottle into it. Maimuna, entirely oblivious, was happily singing a song. Because her back was turned and she was profoundly careless, she didn't even notice the bottle shaking or being tampered with.
"Maimuna, do you think you can drink all of this remaining Coke at once?" Nadhira asked, pointing to the bottle which was less than half full.
Maimuna burst into a loud laugh before bragging, "Girl, don't you know I practically hold a degree in drinking Coke??"
"Well, how would I know unless you prove it to me??"
"Watch and be amazed," Maimuna boasted, hoisting the bottle to her lips. Out of sheer greed, she gulped it down so aggressively that she didn't even choke. A loud burp as she slammed the bottle down cut Nadhira's mock amazement short.
"What do you think??" Maimuna asked, teasingly raising her eyebrow.
Nadhira let out a genuinely satisfied laugh and said, "By Allah, I honestly thought you couldn't do it! Let me go get mine so you can do it again and prove your skills."
Maimuna was ecstatic. She usually drank only two bottles a day, but today she had hit a jackpot and was getting a third one for free.
Nadhira walked straight to her bedroom. She quickly hid the initial bottle of Codeine behind her bed. Then, she took out another bottle of Coke, poured a little out, and spiked it heavily with Codeine once more. (I muttered to myself: Oh wow, Nadhira, you are evil to the core!). She shook it thoroughly before heading back to the greedy girl.
"Here, I've even opened it for you," Nadhira said, handing it over.
Receiving it eagerly, Maimuna said, "You are so kind, honestly!" In her mind, she thought Nadhira was actually a wonderful person. (I whispered: Oh Maimuna, if only you knew, haha!).
She brought the bottle to her mouth, but before she could even finish half of it, her vision blurred and she began to hallucinate. Her head started spinning wildly with a loud buzzing sensation.
Setting the bottle down, she began seeing six copies of Nadhira. Seizing the moment, Nadhira sprinted to her room, grabbed the empty Codeine bottles, and rushed back to stuff them into Maimuna’s wardrobe.
When she returned to the kitchen, she found Maimuna completely intoxicated. Slurring heavily like a drunkard, Maimuna asked:
"What did you put in my Coke??"—proving she hadn't completely lost her senses just yet.
Nadhira let out a silent, sinister laugh and replied, "Anything I see that poses a threat to the goals I have set ahead of me... I eliminate it from my path without hesitation."
A sharp, agonizing pain shot through Maimuna's head, causing her to erupt into a bizarre, hysterical laughter instead of crying.
Hearing the excessive, strange laughter from downstairs, Mummy and Fatima rushed down the stairs in a panic. They headed straight toward the kitchen where the noise was coming from.
They froze in absolute shock at the sight of Maimuna collapsed on the floor. Nadhira had shrunk back, pressing herself tightly against the wall. The moment she saw Mummy, she ran to her side and whimpered:
"Mummy, I don't know what's wrong with her! She just started saying terrible, inappropriate things about herself and Big Dady!"
"I swear, I love Alhaji so, so much..." Maimuna's slurred voice cut through the air as she stumbled and swayed, trying to stand up.
Mummy felt her own sanity slipping away. Trying to keep her composure, she demanded:
"Which Alhaji do you love??"
Maimuna let out a wild laugh and scoffed, "Which other Alhaji could it be besides..."
Part 2
Maimuna let out another wild laugh and said, "Which other Alhaji could it be besides your husband? By Allah, I am desperately in love with hi—"
A vicious slap from Mummy cut her off mid-sentence. Furious and heartbroken, Mummy screamed:
"Is this how you repay my kindness, Maimuna??"
Maimuna laughed again, completely unphased despite how hard the slap had hit her, and sneered, "Oh, so you think he was created for you alone? You know very well he is legally allowed to marry three more women just like you, so what's the big deal? And let me tell you, he even spends nights with me!"
Before anyone could say another word, Mummy and the girls pounced on her like a pack of wolves. Mummy kept screaming, "You lying brat, you're making this up! My husband would never touch you!" (I muttered: Well, you'll find out the truth later).
They beat her mercilessly until she completely stopped moving, and only then did they back off. They splashed water all over her face, but Maimuna didn't even flinch.
"You've killed her!!! You've committed murder!" Nadhira shrieked in feigned terror, having stood aside watching the beating from the moment it began.
"She just fainted," Fatima said, trying to sound reassuring.
"Look at her! They poured water on her and she isn't waking up!" Nadhira cried out, dropping to her knees.
Nadhira buried her head between her knees and wept silently. In reality, she was terrified by the realization that she might have just caused Maimuna's death.
"Ya Salam (Oh God)," Mummy muttered, her voice trembling as sheer panic gripped her heart. "Lift her up, let's take her to the hospital."
They bundled her into the car and sped off to the hospital. Upon arrival, the medical staff immediately rushed Maimuna into the emergency room.
They managed to stabilize her breathing, but she was entirely unconscious. The doctor walked out and asked to speak with whoever brought her in.
"Why were you all just watching your daughter abuse drugs until she overdosed so severely?" the doctor asked Mummy sternly.
"She is our housemaid," Mummy answered curtly.
"A housemaid??" the doctor asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
"Then where on earth did she get cocaine??"
"Cocaine?!" they all chorused in absolute horror—except for Nadhira.
"Yes. In the vomit we evacuated, we discovered she mixed two substances at the same time: Cocaine and Codeine, which is incredibly lethal. She consumed a massive quantity, which is why her condition is critical. Frankly, you are lucky we have a visiting specialist available; we have to bring him in immediately."
They all exchanged heavy, sorrowful looks in the doctor's office before walking out.
Mummy immediately called Big Dady and explained the entire situation to him.
Big Dady did nothing but invoke holy names in shock, instructing them to meet him back at the house.
They returned home to await his arrival. Soon enough, Big Dady stormed in, looking imposing in his grand robes, holding his cap in his hand, and huffing and puffing like an angry lion.
His grand entrance forced everyone to their feet.
In a fit of rage, he boomed, "Where is that useless, wicked girl??"
"She hasn't regained consciousness yet," Mummy answered.
"This girl has insulted my dignity terribly! How dare she slander my name after all my generosity to her?!" Alhaji fumed, putting on a brilliant act of righteous indignation. Nadhira just stood there, quietly watching them play out the drama.
"I am equally shocked. She has finally shown us her true colors, and as of today, her employment in this house is officially over!" Mummy declared.
"What baffles me is where she got cocaine from," Dady added.
"Only Allah knows."
"Honestly, I don't buy this story at all," Big Dady stated.
"Well, let's go search her room then. I am certain we will find some clues," Fatima suggested.
"Good point, sister," Fatima's sibling agreed. With that, the whole group marched toward Maimuna's room. They turned the room upside down until they finally uncovered two massive, empty bottles of Codeine.
They began invoking prayers of shock. They had never in a million years suspected Maimuna of drug abuse because she was always so quiet and reserved. Ah, as the saying goes, it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.
"How did she get access to cocaine??" Amin muttered after examining her.
Amin exhaled a heavy breath and said, "Honestly, I cannot continue with this medical investigation unless the police are formally involved."
"Yes, frankly, I was about to suggest the same thing. Let me call the police to come over," the doctor agreed.
The arrival of the police coincided with the arrival of Big Dady and all the men of the household, though the young ladies stayed behind.
The police took their statements and declared that a thorough search of Big Dady's residence was mandatory.
Without wasting any time, the entire party—including Amin—moved to the house.
When Amin saw the house and heard their car horn, he let out a quiet, hidden sigh of relief.
They were all seated on the sofa watching TV, while Nadhira was busy cooking in the kitchen. Hearing Big Dady and the others walk in, she hurried out, wiping her hands on a hand towel.
She embraced Big Dady in a warm, welcoming manner and said, "Oh, you're back already?"
She completely failed to notice the police officers and Amin, whose eyes were locked onto her. Amin secretly wished she was embracing him instead of that vile man who had ruined his own father-in-law.
To be fair, Amin was incredibly surprised by her behavior. But remembering that their Dady had claimed to have forgiven him, Amin dismissed his doubts, assuming Nadhira had forgiven the man too. He felt a deep sense of joy, thinking his beloved ("ABAR SO") possessed such a pure, forgiving heart. (I whispered: Let's hope so!).
"We are here with the police; they have come to inspect the house," Big Dady explained. Nadhira's heart skipped a violent beat. She quickly composed herself, forcing a smile onto her face as she scanned the group, her eyes stopping dead when they landed on Amin.
She glared at him fiercely, her face hardening into an expression that looked like she had never smiled a day in her life, completely rejecting the warm smile he was giving her. Amin's heart sank instantly.
She couldn't stop staring at him, even though she had begun trying to erase him from her mind ever since he introduced her to his friend. Yet, completely forgetting your first love is an almost impossible task.
The police officer interrupted the silence, and they were escorted straight to Maimuna's room. Despite a rigorous search, they found absolutely nothing except the empty Codeine bottles.
They moved from room to room but found nothing. Finally, the lead officer ordered them to search the kitchen.
Even after a meticulous search of the kitchen, nothing turned up. Defeated, the police turned to leave. They had reached the front door when the officer leading them froze. Facing Nadhira’s room, he said:
"We haven't searched that room over there." A loud, thudding panic erupted in Nadhira's chest. She began reciting prayers silently in her heart to mask her terror.
"Lead the way, please," the officer commanded. Nadhira stammered out a tense "Alright," as cold sweat began pouring from every pore of her body.
Amin instantly picked up on her distress.
"Is there a problem??" he asked her gently.
She shot him another furious glare and snapped, "What business is it of yours?!"
"Let's go," she said, stepping forward. By this time, Big Dady had also begun to harbor deep suspicions about her.
They began tossing her room. What they uncovered made everyone freeze, turning their gazes toward her in absolute bewilderment…
Part 3
They searched her room, and what they found made everyone turn their eyes to her in absolute shock.
Amin stepped forward and knelt down, his heart aching terribly. Before Allah, he had never expected this from her, and all their darkest suspicions about her were now confirmed.
He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again, desperately wishing he could deny the reality of what he was looking at.
One of the police officers stared intently at Nadhira. His eyes scanned down to her legs, as she was wearing her usual revealing short gown.
Bringing his gaze back up, his eyes locked onto her chest, noticing she wasn't even wearing a bra. He swallowed hard, nervously licking his lower lip.
Noticing their intense stares, Nadhira gathered her wits, forced a charming smile onto her face, and walked right up to Amin. In truth, she had expected them to find something far worse, which was why she had been terrified initially.
She snatched the box of Condoms from his hand, noting the deep sorrow etched across his face, and said smoothly:
"Are you really staring at me over this as if I am some alien creature? Honestly, you guys are making me feel embarrassed for nothing."
Seeing how casual and confident she suddenly was, Amin stared at her for a few seconds. The terror and guilt that had painted her face moments ago had vanished entirely.
In a soft, strained voice, he asked, "What are you doing with this??"
"What else would she be doing with it? Everyone knows this item has exactly one use," the lustful police officer interjected, deeply annoyed that Amin was asking such a foolish question.
"Oh really? Who told you it only has one use??" she asked, feigning utter surprise.
A dead silence fell over the room. Everyone stood there with their mouths agape, completely stumped, trying to think of an alternative use for a condom. She had thrown them into complete confusion.
"Hey, don't play mind games with us," the officer snapped, his irritation peaking because she was ruining his fantasies. He was looking for any excuse to get close to her so he could have his way later. (I whispered: Keep dreaming, buddy!).
"Why are you speaking to me as if I am your child??" she fired back, glaring at him.
The officer's eyes widened at her audacity, but he filed it away for later. He would deal with her insolence once they were alone.
"Just tell us what you use this for," Amin demanded, growing impatient.
"I use it to tie my hair," she stated with an air of immense relief.
"What a load of bullshit!" Amin snapped angrily, convinced she was just insulting their intelligence.
She didn't spare him either, throwing a venomous glare his way. Rolling her eyes, she untied her headscarf.
A cascade of long, beautiful hair tumbled down, neatly bound in the middle.
She pulled out the hairband holding her hair together and held it out to him. It wasn't a standard rubber band.
Amin took it, turning it over in his hand, still completely clueless. The lead police officer snatched it to inspect it as well.
The entire room stared intently at the object before shifting their gaze back to her.
"You still don't get it, do you??" Without waiting for an answer, she slid a fresh condom out of the box.
Fatima literally covered her eyes, claiming she couldn't bear to watch. Nadhira simply laughed, walked over to her dressing table, and picked up a razor blade.
She carefully sliced off the elastic rim—the band used to grip the and held it up.
She stepped into the bathroom to wash off the lubricant, and emerged a moment later.
They watched her like hawks, witnessing a bizarre revelation.
She handed it to them. They inspected it and saw it was identical to the band she had just pulled from her hair.
She smiled warmly at them and explained, "Regular rubber bands always snap and break my hair, so I prefer using these. To be short with you, I find a 'CONDOM BAND' far better than any hairband on the market."
Stunned silence filled the room as they processed this wildly unorthodox use for a condom. They had only ever known condoms to be used for protection.
Amin felt a massive wave of relief wash over him. He began mentally cursing himself for ever doubting her; his heart felt entirely lightened knowing she wasn't guilty of what he had feared.
Nadhira burst into a private laugh, the true meaning of which only she understood, and said, "I knew you would all be shocked! That's why I was so scared at first when I remembered I left the box out. I thought you wouldn't take the time to understand."
She finished her sentence with a sweet smile. Everyone smiled back in relief—except for the lustful police officer, whose grand plan had just been completely derailed.
They exited the room and requested to search the compound. Permission was granted immediately.
They combed through the entire yard but found absolutely nothing. Ultimately, they left, agreeing that nothing could be concluded until Maimuna regained consciousness and gave her statement...
Later, Nadhira sat in front of her mirror, a triumphant smile plastered across her lips.
Ever since the day she went to buy the condoms, she had noticed someone was tailing her. Being the cunning fox that she was, she had pretended not to notice.
To her surprise, she had seen Amin's friend enter the shop right after her, which told her Amin was involved and they were onto her.
The next morning, she had returned to the chemist and casually asked the staff who had come in immediately after her departure. Since the staff couldn't keep a secret to save their lives, they eagerly spilled everything Amin's friend had asked.
She thanked them and left. Returning home, she had carefully plotted how to handle Amin, knowing he held deep suspicions and was likely investigating her.
The moment she heard the doctors confirm that Maimuna had ingested Cocaine, she knew a house search was inevitable. That was why she had acted fast before nightfall.
Unfortunately, while frantically clearing her room earlier, a condom had slipped out of the box. She hadn't realized what it was at the time, planning to pick it up later, but had completely forgotten about it.
The moment the police demanded to search her room, she remembered the dropped item, which was the real reason she had panicked.
But seeing it was just a loose condom, her heart swelled with joy because she knew exactly how to spin a lie to defend herself.
She took a deep breath, smiling as she recalled how masterfully she had disposed of the actual cocaine.
She slid open her dressing table drawer, pulled out a pair of hand gloves, and stood up. It was late at night, the doors were locked, and she was certain everyone was fast asleep.
Silently, she crept to the window, parted the curtains, and gently slid the glass open, taking extra care not to make a sound.
Once it was open, she let out a sigh of relief, slipped her legs through, and dropped softly to the ground outside.
She hurried to the household trash dump, slipping the gloves onto her hands. She shifted a few items away before reaching deep into the pile.
Using her phone's flashlight, she located and pulled out a black plastic bag. She peeled away the filthy outer layer of plastic, threw it aside, and hurried back inside, utterly ecstatic. (I whispered: A master planner indeed!).
She went straight to the kitchen, grabbed the everyday salt container, emptied the salt into the large salt sack stored in the pantry, and poured the pure white cocaine into the empty countertop container.
Exhaling a long breath, she let out another wicked smile before slipping back into her bedroom...
The next morning, she was the first to wake up. She went into the kitchen and prepared a lavish breakfast spread for the family.
Before anyone even made it downstairs, she had finished cooking, showered, and dressed in her signature short gown—this time without even a headscarf.
Ten minutes after she sat down, the family members began trickling into the dining room. They were thoroughly shocked to find a beautiful breakfast waiting for them on the table.
"Our baby, why did you stress yourself out doing all this??" Mummy asked joyfully, thoroughly impressed by Nadhira’s sudden domesticity.
"Oh, it was no trouble at all," Nadhira replied, looking down shyly in a flawless act of modesty.
"Wonderful, may Allah reward you."
"Ameen, Mummy."
She stood up and walked over to the dining table as they sat down and began serving themselves.
Noticing Nadhira wasn't taking any food, Mummy asked, "Why aren't you eating??"
"I'm waiting for Big Dady, since I noticed you all started without him," she replied with her trademark sweet smile.
"How thoughtful of you, our baby!" Big Dady’s booming voice echoed from right behind them.
Plot Summary
This excerpt from the Hausa novel Abar So (The Beloved) follows a tense, high-stakes game of deception, framing, and hidden motives centering around a manipulative protagonist/antagonist named Nadhira.
- The Secret Engagement: The story opens with a plot to spy on Nadhira, which she discovers and resolves to eliminate whoever is behind it. Meanwhile, a young man named Amin successfully gets parental approval to fast-track his wedding to his love, overjoyed after eavesdropping on his elders' decision.
- The Framing of Maimuna: Nadhira targets Maimuna, a maid who has been watching her. Knowing Maimuna's addiction to Coca-Cola, Nadhira heavily spikes Maimuna’s drinks with Codeine. As Maimuna becomes severely intoxicated and hallucinates, Nadhira plants empty drug bottles in her wardrobe.
- The Confrontation & Medical Crisis: In her drug-induced delirium, Maimuna loudly confesses to being in love with Big Dady (Alhaji) and claims he sleeps with her. Enraged by this apparent betrayal, Mummy and her daughters beat Maimuna into a coma. At the hospital, doctors reveal Maimuna overdosed on a lethal mixture of Cocaine and Codeine.
- The Police Search: Big Dady acts outraged to protect his reputation, and the police are called to search his house. Nadhira panics when the police decide to search her room, as Amin previously suspected her of illicit activities after tracking her to a pharmacy where she bought condoms.
- The Twist Deception: The police find a box of condoms in Nadhira's room. Amin is heartbroken, assuming she is promiscuous. However, Nadhira brilliantly manipulates the situation: she cuts the elastic rim off a condom and demonstrates that she only uses "Condom Bands" as heavy-duty hairbands to protect her long hair. The bizarre excuse completely fools Amin and the police, clearing her of suspicion.
- The Ultimate Concealment: It is revealed that Nadhira is the true drug smuggler. Late at night, she sneaks out to the trash pile, retrieves her hidden stash of Cocaine, brings it into the kitchen, and hides it inside the everyday salt shaker after dumping the actual salt. The next morning, she plays the perfect, submissive, and sweet girl by cooking breakfast for the family, earning Big Dady's immense praise while completely evading justice.
Character Descriptions
- Nadhira (The Master Planner): The central figure of the narrative. She is deeply cunning, calculated, and malicious. She wears revealing clothing (short gowns) to manipulate the men around her, plays the victim flawlessly, and possesses an incredibly sharp criminal mind. She successfully frames a housemaid for a near-fatal drug overdose and hides real cocaine in a kitchen salt shaker right under the noses of the police.
- Amin: A young man
