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Broken Promises and Legal Interventions
It had now been exactly one week since Zinneerah returned from Katsina. Inna had been eagerly keeping an eye out, expecting Hajji Lanti to follow Zinneerah back, but she was now beginning to lose hope. Down to her very soul, Inna vowed that Zinneerah must return to Katsina; she would never allow the money she desperately coveted to slip through her fingers in vain.
As for Zinneerah, anyone who looked at her lately could tell she was unwell, especially given how drastically thin she had become. Furthermore, she completely lacked energy. The lively, energetic way she used to breeze through chores was entirely gone. You would see her doing everything with a sluggish demeanor, as if she had no bones. Inna had scolded and ranted at her until she grew tired and stopped, leaving Zinneerah to constantly endure insults and curses. On that particular day, Inna had even gone as far as slapping her.
Today, just like any other day, as soon as Zinneerah finished fetching water and completing all her household chores, she prepared to go out to hawk sesame seeds and peanuts. She found only Tinene in the courtyard, frying flour cakes (*wainar fulawa*), while Inna had gone out under the pretext of paying a social visit.
Zinneerah went into Inna’s room, picked up the large white bucket filled with peanuts and sesame seeds, and stepped back out into the courtyard. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, “Tinene, when Inna returns, please tell her I have left.”
Tinene gave her a look of utter disdain and turned her head away. With sheer malice, she snapped, “Even if you are making this offering to the gods, you might as well lose hope, girl, because by God, you won’t earn a single penny out of this.”
Zinneerah merely smiled and walked out. She knew that if she engaged with Tinene, it would escalate into a fight, and she simply did not possess the strength for that right now.
The moment she stepped outside their front door, her heart skipped a beat. She cast her eyes downward upon encountering the most cherished face in her heart, second only to her parents. It was none other than her boyfriend, Babawo—who had now redirected his marriage intentions toward her elder sister, Karima (the sister next in line after Yaya Sa'an).
Babawo had loved Zinneerah since before she even understood what love was. Initially, moved by the hardships she endured at the hands of Inna due to her mother's absence in the house, Babawo deeply pitied her. He was the reason she continued her education after primary school; he stood firmly by her until she entered secondary school. While she was in her first year (JSS 1), one of his uncles came and took him away to Kaduna. He did not return for a whole year. Just as she had passionately anticipated his return, he had been equally desperate to see her. He came back with numerous gifts for her, harboring the ambition that their parents would officially initiate their marriage talks. According to him, once she completed her third year of junior secondary school, they would get married. He planned to take her with him to Kaduna so she could pursue her education to the highest level under his roof.
This prospect had brought immense joy to Zinneerah’s heart and soul. However, within just two days of Babawo’s return, the narrative completely shifted. Before he even went back to Kaduna, the bird of his love flew away from her head and perched on her elder sister, Karima—Inna's third child. Zinneerah was completely blindsided and utterly failed to comprehend her Babawo's behavior; he had changed toward her entirely. He couldn’t even stand the sight of her. She wept bitterly and fell into a state of deep confusion, to the point of falling physically ill. People gossiped extensively about the matter. Some claimed Inna had used black magic (*asiri*) on Babawo, while others argued that he simply realized Karima suited him better, since she was an older maiden who was already facing community scrutiny for remaining unmarried.
Karima was eighteen years and a few months old, whereas in the village, Zinneerah's peers were considered ripe for marriage at twelve. However, Inna's biological daughters always experienced delays in finding husbands in the village due to Inna's notoriously wicked character; because of this, to this day, none of them had ever married within Danya village. Gajeje was married off to Sanni village, and Atine was away in Rimaye. Now, only Karima and Sa'a remained as fully grown young women. Karima was eighteen, Sa'a was sixteen, and Tinene—Zinneerah's age mate—was the youngest.
A year and a few months after the heartbreak of Babawo's sudden shift—during which extended family elders had already stepped in to formalize his courtship with Karima—Inna connected Zinneerah with Hajji Lanti. This arrangement led to her being sent to the city of Katsina for domestic labor, from which she eventually fled to return home…
“Hey! Are you deaf while you're being spoken to?”
The harsh shout Babawo barked at her jolted her back from the deep reverie she had unconsciously drifted into. Quickly swallowing the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes, she shook her head at him.
She bowed slightly, saying, “I am sorry, Ya Babawo. By Allah, I didn't hear you.”
He hissed loudly, sneering and casting a look of intense hatred at her—a look that, in the past, if anyone else had dared to give her, Babawo would have fought them with every ounce of his strength. Arrogantly, he demanded, “I said, call Karima out for me.”
With her eyes fixed on the ground, stealing a glance at how much handsomer and more mature he had become, she replied, “Yaya Karima is not home. She is in Rimaye visiting Yaya Atine. I haven't seen her since I returned either.”
He hissed again and walked away without uttering another word to her. She watched his retreating figure, filled with the same profound love and affection she still harbored for him. The lingering scent of his perfume felt like the most precious and expensive substance in the very air she breathed. Despite her young age, she already understood the meaning of love because he had nurtured her on its path. She had grown from a child who understood nothing to a young woman who could differentiate and comprehend feelings, only for a sudden separation to tear them apart through a path of **BLIND DESTINY** (*Makauniyar Ƙaddara*). She knew neither the cause nor the origin of this fate, as she still couldn't explain the reason for their breakup, let alone why her Babawo turned his affections toward her older sister.
Wiping her tears with her hand, she adjusted her grip on the bucket of peanuts and sesame seeds and continued walking, her heart aching with a burning pain.
Around 2:00 PM, Zinneerah returned home completely exhausted. Out of the massive load of sesame seeds and peanuts she had gone out with, only a small fraction remained in the bucket. Yet, from her very first greeting upon entering the house, every shred of her fleeting happiness vanished. This was solely due to encountering Yaya Karima, who had just returned from Rimaye after visiting their second eldest sister (the sister immediately following Yaya Gajeje, who was married there).
Karima, Sa'a, and Tinene were sitting under the shade of the tree in their courtyard, spreading out their clothes. Inna was by the hearth, stirring the evening tuwo flour paste. They were laughing heartily, completely immersed in joy and amusement.
Only Sa'a responded to Zinneerah's greeting, welcoming her back. Zinneerah replied hesitantly, looking toward Karima, whose face was twisted into a harsh scowl. “Yaya Karima, so you are back. Welcome. How did you leave Yaya Atine and the others?”
“Look at this busybody! Did I send you on an errand that you are listing out these questions for me? God, this girl, your drama is simply too much, I swear! You...”
"Oh come on, Yaya Karima, what is her offense here anyway? She merely welcomed you back and asked after Yaya Atine," Sa'a interrupted her sister, visibly annoyed.
Furious, Karima snapped back at her, shouting, “And who asked for your input? By ALLAH, I will insult your mother right now, Sa'a! Is she your mother or what?”
“She isn't my mother, but she is my sister just as she is yours. It's a crime just to speak the truth. I don't see how Zinni has crossed anyone in this house to warrant you all constantly ganging up on her. She is a child of this house just like the rest of us. Even though Baba says nothing about how she is treated, I am certain it pains him deeply in his soul...”
*Thud!!* A heavy fist landed squarely on Sa'a's back. She arched her back from the agonizing pain, rubbing the spot. Inna stood over her, panting with rage, and said, “That's tracking light compared to what you deserve, you brat. Who are you delivering this nonsense speech to? You wicked hypocrite! Am I even your real mother, Sa'a? Or did Hauwa give birth to you and swap you with my baby without my knowledge?”
With her cheeks puffed out in defiance, Sa'a said, “But Inna, just because I spoke the truth, you land such a heavy blow on my back?”
“That is too kind for a bastard like you! A wretched girl whose mouth is as sharp as a razor. Get out of this house before I alter that ugly face of yours with slaps!”
Sa'a walked out, muttering under her breath and continuing to rub her back where the fist had landed.
Quietly, Zinneerah tried to slip past into Inna's room to put away her hawking bucket, but Karima barked a command at her. “Hypocrite! Come back here and account for the sales first!”
Zinneerah turned back, her body trembling, and handed the money and the bucket over to Karima. Tinene snatched the bucket away, while Karima snatched the money, slapping Zinneerah's hand in the process.
"Innarmu, how much merchandise did you measure out for her?" Karima asked, beginning to count the money.
From where she stood by the hearth, Inna replied, “It's exactly fourteen currency units (*jikka*). I swear to GOD, if even a single penny is missing, I will humiliate you and beat you mercilessly in this house. And your father will have to pay me back every single dime without hesitation.”
Zinneerah remained silent. Only Tinene and her sister burst into laughter. Karima finished counting the money, jingling the coins as she said, “Allah saved her, Inna, it's all complete. The cash here is eleven units (*jikka*) and three murtala coins, and the remaining unsold goods are worth three units minus three murtala coins.”
“She helped herself. There is tuwo over there, go and eat if you want, though I'm sure your partners in crime have already stuffed your stomach with station rice.”
"Okay," Zinneerah simply said, heading toward their bedroom, as a severe wave of dizziness threatened to knock her off her feet. The moment she entered the room, she collapsed onto Tinene’s mattress, gasping for breath. Slowly, a sweet, heavy sleep began to overpower her eyes.
“A visitor is outside asking for Zinneerah!”
She caught the faint voice of a child calling out from the courtyard. The sudden shout Inna blasted at the child forced Zinneerah to open her eyes instantly, leaving her no choice. Then, she heard Sa'a saying:
“Inna, it's not just anyone. It's Malam Badamasi, her schoolteacher.”
Inna hissed loudly but didn't say anything further, while Sa'a lifted the room's curtain, calling out her name. “Zinni, get up. Malam Bade is here looking for you.”
Struggling, she sat up and adjusted her hijab. In her characteristic gentle voice, laced with the sleep she had just been pulled from, she said, "Alright, Yaya Sa'a." With that, she stood up and walked out, summoning all her resilience.
The visitor was a young man; his age could not have been more than thirty or so. Zinneerah, who stepped out hesitantly out of fear of Inna, bowed respectfully with a small smile. “Welcome, Malam. Good afternoon.”
His face lit up with a broad smile as he responded, looking at her. “Zinneerah Sulaiman, so you have returned home without any word? I was on my motorcycle just a short while ago when I spotted you with children, holding your bucket of peanuts and sesame seeds.”
Still bowing with her eyes cast down, she smiled and said in her soft voice, “I am back, Malam. I actually went to my mother's place to visit her.”
Now, he looked at her with genuine surprise. Unable to hold back what was on his mind, he said, “But everyone in the village has been saying you ran away, and no one even knew where you went! Wow, people really should be left to their own devices. May Allah rectify things. You left your mother in good health, right?”
“She is in perfect health, Malam.”
“Alhamdulillah. Now, leaving that aside, I actually came regarding your JSCE (Junior WAEC) examinations. I hope you haven’t forgotten that they begin in eight days?”
For the first time, she looked up briefly at him before lowering her gaze again. Before she could say a word, Inna violently slammed open the corrugated metal door of their house and marched out.
“Aha! So you heard your partner-in-crime has returned, and that's why you've shown up? Well, billahillazi, listen to me carefully: I will not tolerate this deviousness anymore. Hear me clearly—I must never see you at this doorstep again. If you want to see her, let her meet you at your usual secret crossroads...”
“Oh, shut up and listen, you worthless old woman! A mouth that never speaks good, only plotting slander against people’s children. I swear to GOD, if you utter another defamatory word against us today, you will sleep in a police cell tonight. I came strictly regarding the examinations they are supposed to write so she can return to school...”
“I refuse to let her return, you scheming hypocrite! I was the one who willingly allowed her to attend in the first place, but from this day forward, I have changed my mind. She will not step foot there again; she will stay back to hawk and help me.”
“In that case, you will find yourself dragged before the Village Head...”
“Take me before the Emir of Katsina himself, let alone a mere Village Head! And as for you, you hypocrite, get your miserable self inside! A wretched girl who knows how to do nothing but bring trouble and scandals to our doorstep. I will put an end to your restlessness once and for all...”
The way Inna lunged to strike Zinneerah forced the girl to bolt inside the house. Malam Badamasi did not argue further; he left the front door, visibly enraged. Inna continued to pour out her wrath outside until Sa'a and Karima came out and escorted her back into the compound.
The moment Inna stepped inside, she began beating Zinneerah mercilessly without restraint. She beat her to a pulp, leaving her lying on the floor, barely able to breathe. Zinneerah possessed a remarkably stubborn spirit and resilience; despite all the suffering she endured under Inna, she rarely cried unless she absolutely chose to. If you ever saw her crying excessively, it meant the situation had become overwhelmingly severe.
Right in the middle of Inna's ongoing tantrum, a loud greeting was heard at the entrance. Sa'a responded and headed to the entryway to see who it was. The *Sankiira* (the village town crier), who announces events whenever something occurs in the village, was standing there, adjusting his large robe. She bowed and greeted him respectfully, as he was quite an elder, though her father might be slightly older than him.
“Is that old woman of yours around?”
“Yes, Baba, she is here.”
“Good, hurry up and inform her that the Village Head demands her presence immediately. If she refuses to come peacefully, the local guards (*yan doka*) will come and fetch her themselves. Tell her to come along with your sister, Zinneerah.”
Sa'a's heart sank instantly, but she maintained her composure and respectfully answered him before turning back into the compound.
Inna looked at Sa'a, her anger toward Zinneerah still simmering, and snapped, “And why are you slinking in looking like that? Has that wretched man refused to leave?”
With her head bowed, Sa'a said, “No, Inna. It's Baba Lado, the town crier. He says you are being summoned to the Village Head's palace, you and Zinni...”
“Go back and tell him we are not coming. We are absolutely not going anywhere...”
“Inna, by Allah, he explicitly stated that if you don't come, the police will come and arrest you.”
Inna fell completely silent, her heart pounding heavily against her chest. She absolutely detested anything involving the police. Ever since the time she had a violent altercation with Lamunde and a machete was involved, Lamunde had reported her to the police station. The police had marched right into her house, arrested her, and she had spent two days in their custody. She had faced immense hardship during those two days. However, outwardly, she simply turned up her nose, preparing to launch into another tirade…
“Asabe! Has the Village Head's message not reached you yet?”
The booming voice of the town crier from outside the front door cut off the tantrum she was about to unleash. Terrified, Karima pleaded, “Innarmu, for Allah's sake, please just go, especially since he specified that both of you must come. You know this Village Head doesn't tolerate nonsense, by Allah, he is entirely capable of sending the guards after you.”
Inna looked as if she wanted to argue, but then she thought better of it. She directed her gaze at Zinneerah, who was lying down, on the verge of drifting to sleep. Inna barked a loud command that forced the girl to spring up in panic, completely caught off guard.
Her heart boiling with rage, Inna drove Zinneerah ahead of her as the town crier led them straight to the Village Head's palace. Upon arrival, they found Malam Badamasi already waiting. From a distance, Inna glared at him so fiercely you would think her eyes were about to pop out of her skull. He, however, completely ignored her. His attention, along with that of the Village Head and the palace courtiers, was entirely fixed on Zinneerah, who was noticeably limping.
“Your Highness, you see exactly what I was telling you! It is clear that after I left their house, she beat her.”
Visibly enraged, the Village Head cast a severe look at Inna. “Asabe, you will certainly not leave this world in peace if you do not change your ways. How can a human being know nothing but cruelty? Your heart is as hard as the pagans of the first century! I swear, may Allah curse your character, Asabe. Truly, Malam Suleiman was highly unfortunate in his choice of a wife. He married a virtuous woman, whom you drove out of his house, and now you endlessly torment the child she left behind. I swear to you, a day will come when you will regret this deeply. This girl will become the very thorn in your flesh that you so carelessly underestimate—you utterly worthless woman.”
Inna kept her head down, her cheeks puffing with silent rage, completely lacking the authority to speak. The Village Head thoroughly insulted her and shamed her lineage before laying down his stern ultimatum.
“Now, I hear you declared that you will never allow this girl to attend school again. Are you the one who enrolled her?”
With her head still bowed, Inna grumbled, “May Allah forbid it, Your Highness. What would ever drive me to send my own children to Western schools (*boko*)? My own father knew nothing of it, and I will not let my children go astray. Her partners in eating carrion were the ones who took her there...”
"Yes! And that very partner-in-crime you speak of is the same one you used black magic on so he would abandon her and turn to your own daughter! So it turns out you are a partner in that carrion-eating yourself, aren't you?" Malam Badamasi interjected passionately, cutting Inna off.
