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Translation in English
Chapter 33
"Is there any time, how is it then, Dr.?" Umar asked.
"There are two approaches: first, to constantly show him everything known to be his property or that he recognizes; second, to continuously do whatever is known to make him happy. God willing, as long as these methods are followed, we hope for recovery at any time."
"If that is what will bring him back to his senses, we will do it, Doctor."
"Alright Alhaji, let’s just pray to God for success. Here are some medications he should be given to drink. For now, you will just have to be patient, Alhaji, because it will be almost like raising a newborn all over again."
"Alright Doctor, thank you very much."
"Not at all, may God grant him health," they said together as they stepped out of the office, looking quite dejected.
"Is everything alright, Amadu, what did the doctor say?" Hajja asked them, noticing how cautiously they had walked in.
Everyone fell silent, not knowing where to begin explaining. Abba Yusuf finally mustered the courage to explain the situation to them. The room became completely silent, as if no one was in it.
Hajja’s exclamation of Salati brought the people in the room out of their temporary trance. "Now, are you implying that my grandson has lost his mind, or what does this mean? I don't understand!"
Silence; no one answered her because everyone was lost in their own thoughts. They all stared fixedly at Ashtar in absolute shock, wondering how someone like him could be said to have lost his mind. He was lying there looking normal, yet he was behaving like a madman. Such is Almighty God, who can change His servant however and whenever He pleases, and this was simply his test.
Hajja kept talking to herself. Ammee couldn't say anything; she only let out heavy sighs repeatedly.
Nasra noticed that Abrish was missing from the room. Just as she was about to speak, the door opened and someone walked in. It was Abrish. She walked over and sat next to Nasra without saying a word. No one else in the room spoke either, as everyone was consumed by their own worries.
They remained like that until around six in the evening. Ashtar hadn't woken up yet due to the sedative injections he was given to get some rest. The whole family went home, leaving Umar and Mubarak to spend the night with him.
When they got back home, Abbey told Ammee about what happened to Badaru regarding the disappearance of Ilham Basheer’s brother, whose whereabouts were still unknown.
"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un, this is really not a good situation. May God return him with the best and reveal where Basheer is, Ameen ya Allah."
"That’s why I was wondering why they didn’t come to the hospital since morning; so that was what happened!"
"Indeed. But the situation is very unfortunate. What can we do? A servant can never bypass his destiny. True, and may God reveal this boy, Ameen."
"In the morning, Ammee and the others returned to the hospital, while Umar and the boys went home to freshen up. Three people were sitting in Ammee's room: Nasra, Abrish, and Ilham (who had gone to her house early in the morning because of the incident). Nafeesat was also at home because she hadn't fully recovered. Hajja was sitting outside with some elderly women who were also nursing their children and grandchildren. Abbey and the others had all gone to work, and Hajiya Saratu’s group hadn't arrived yet; they were still at home."
Ammee’s phone rang, and she stood up to go outside to answer it. Not long after she left, Nasra also went to the toilet to freshen up. Abrish was left by herself, playing with her phone as if nothing troubled her.
Slowly, Ashtar began opening his heavy eyes, before finally opening them fully. He stared at the ceiling as if looking for something. Then, his gaze wandered around the room until his eyes landed on her—she had been watching him ever since he woke up, right up until their eyes met.
He began trying to get up. She watched him without saying a word and didn't move from where she was sitting, until she saw him about to fall. Then she stood up, helped him sit properly, and turned to walk away. She felt him grab her hand.
She glared at him and frowned before saying, "Let go of my hand."
He shrugged his shoulders like a child, pouting his lips and pushing them out slightly as he spoke in a babyish tone: "Ah... ah... aah... Anty, I'm hungry, I want to eat food."
She stared at him for a few minutes before saying, "Do you take me for Ammee, Nafeesat, or Ilham, that you're telling me you're hungry?"
He pushed his lips out even more in a childish pout. "No, Anty, I'm hungry, I want to eat food. I swear you have to feed me. I want to eat food, eat food!"
He kept saying this rather loudly, kicking his feet against the bed while refusing to let go of her hand, and began crying out that he wanted food. His shouting drew the attention of Ammee, who was near the door about to enter. She rushed into the room, but seeing what he was doing, her body went cold and she just stood watching him with tears filling her eyes.
Nasra, drawn out of the toilet by his shouting, looked at him with deep pity. Was this her brother—known for being standoffish and extremely private—doing this? If he were in his right mind, he would never do such a thing. Wonders shall never cease!
"Nasra, quickly go call the doctor," Ammee said, and Nasra rushed out of the room.
Ammee stepped closer to the bed and said, "My baby, let go of her, they are going to dish out your food right now."
He shrugged his shoulders at her and held onto Abrish’s hand even tighter, saying, "Anty said it's not yours."
"Oh, I see, it's not mine? Well, let go of Anty so she can rest, and I will feed you, okay?"
"No, no, Anty is going to feed me."
"Alright then, Anty will feed you, is that okay?"
He nodded with a slight smile on his face.
While they were like this, the doctor walked in. Even before he could speak, Abbey and the others walked in along with Hajja. They greeted the doctor with smiles on their faces upon seeing that Ashtar had woken up.
However, as soon as Ashtar saw so many people, he scrambled off the bed, hid behind Abrish, and cowered against her because they scared him. Abbey and the others stared at him with their mouths open.
"Oh dear, I think besides amnesia, he has also caught the 'hiding behind people' disease," Hajja remarked.
"Doctor, please talk to him so he can let go of her. Since earlier, he has been holding onto her and refusing to let go, saying she is his Anty. Maybe there’s a trick you can use to make him release her," Ammee suggested.
"To be honest, Hajiya, there is no trick I can use to make him let go of her, because I believe she is the first person he saw when he woke up, and that’s how his mind registered it," the doctor explained.
"Ah, true, because I was the one who stepped out to answer a phone call and left the two of them here," Ammee said.
"And I went to the bathroom and left Abrish here with him before he woke up; I only heard he was awake after I came back," Nasra added.
"So honestly, right now I don’t think he will accept anyone other than her, because to him, she is everything—like a mother. Therefore, he won't let go unless she is the one who speaks to him, because right now he will only listen to her voice. You will just have to bear with it, Alhaji. Though it's a relief at least, since I thought maybe this was his wife?"
"His wife? No, she is his younger sister!"
"Asfor you, Ashatu, you couldn't just stay out of it? You had to go and latch yourself onto this blessed girl," Hajja muttered.
The fierce look Abrish shot at Hajja made her instantly change her statement—unprepared as she was. "Well, I mean... she is very, very capable of being a foster mother, yes!"
"Anty, I'm hungry," Ashtar said again, peeking out from behind her shoulder.
Abrish closed her eyes tightly. She felt like she wanted to slap him across the face, I swear! Aside from him driving her crazy with his nonsense by calling her 'Anty', what was this nonsense from the doctor? Was she the one who was going to nurse him until he got well?
"Yes, nursing him, since there is hardly any difference between him and a baby right now. Though it's nursing, not medical care," the doctor added.
"My friend, come let me examine you, won't you?" the doctor offered.
"No, no! Anty has to talk to you first," Ashtar replied.
She shot the doctor such a vicious glare that he immediately pulled himself together without wasting time, because the look in her eyes genuinely terrified him. Even by just looking at her, you can tell she's not from Nigeria. That beauty of hers belongs overseas, or maybe she's a jinn, the doctor thought.
"Abrish, make him sit down so he can be examined, please," Abbey said.
Without saying a word, she pulled him out from behind her so he was standing in front of her.
"Sit down," she told him.
He immediately sat down, still holding onto her hand tightly just in case she ran away and left him. The doctor examined him and wrote down a few notes. Then, looking at Abbey, he said, "Alhaji, there is no problem. By tomorrow he can even be discharged if his physical strength improves further. For now, let him be given food, and then his medication."
"Okay Doctor, thank you very much."
"Go have him brush his teeth in the toilet before he comes out to eat," the doctor instructed.
"Alright," she said, having no choice. She pulled him by the hand all the way to the bathroom. While brushing his teeth, he swallowed the foam like a little child. They finished without a single smile or laugh from Abrish, but that didn't bother him as long as she was with him.
Ammee handed a cup of tea to Abrish. Abrish took it with a scowl on her face. "Sorry, daughter," Ammee said.
Abrish reached out, took the cup, and held it out to him. He shrugged his shoulders. "No, you are the one going to feed me."
"Didn't you just drink by yourself when it was just the two of us?"
"No, I swear you are the one going to feed me."
"Oh my god," she muttered, puffing out her cheeks, because by God, he was pushing her to her absolute limit.
"Daughter, please," Ammee pleaded.
With no other choice, she sat on the edge of the bed and began feeding him spoonful by spoonful. He drank while playing with the fingers of the hand of hers that he was holding. He finished all the tea like that.
Then she started feeding him semovita swallow with okra soup rich in butter, containing meat, fish, and cow skin (ganda). He ate with such relish that he kept half-closing his eyes like someone about to fall asleep. She finished feeding him with a completely expressionless face, washed her hands, stood up, and moved to leave.
Suddenly, she felt someone behind her wrapping their arms around her and holding her tightly.
"I hate this man," she thought to herself, turning around slightly to look at him before saying, "Let go of me."
He let go of her, but immediately grabbed her hand again. "I'm coming with you, Anty."
She ignored him, thinking that if they didn't exorcise this man, he was going to drive her completely insane soon.
"Come and sit down, Anty is not going anywhere either," Abba Yusuf said.
"Oh my Dije, seeing things like this..." Hajja said, clutching her cheeks as she had been doing whenever Ashtar did something strange since earlier, calling out, "Allah, we leave it to you!"
Because she had never seen anything like this in her life—a full-grown giant of a man acting like a child in front of a young girl, calling her 'Anty' for goodness sake! What kind of behavior was this, clinging to her when she wasn't even his wife? Truly, Ashatu was not well in the deepest sense.
Chapter 34
"No, no, I am coming with her, we are leaving together."
"Alright, you guys will go together, but for now, let go of her and come sit down so she can pack your things, okay?"
He looked at Ammee and then at Abrish and said, "Anty, did you say you don't know?"
"I don't know," Abrish snapped angrily, because by God, he was driving her to the wall.
"So you see, Kaka? Anty said she doesn't know, so I am not sitting down until Anty says so."
"Kaka?!" Nasra exclaimed, her mouth and nose dropping open in shock.
"Yes, man. Anty’s younger sister is Kaka, didn't you see she's old?"
Try as she might, Nasra couldn't hold back her laughter when she saw how Hajja popped her eyes wide open and placed her hands on her head. Even Abrish, despite her anger, cracked a smile. Abbey and the others laughed secretly.
"I am finished! I am ruined! So now I am the one who is close to death, for God’s sake? Is your mother not closer to death than me, just because you hate me so much in your life?!" And she burst into tears like a little child.
Ashtar just stared at her as if he were watching a TV screen. Then he turned to Abrish and asked, "Anty, why is she crying?"
With a slight smile, she looked at him and said, "She's afraid of death."
"Ha! Anty, are you even smiling?!"
His words made her instantly tighten her face, and she shoved him backward so he fell flat on the bed. Before he could even lift himself up from where he lay, she stormed out of the room.
As soon as he saw that, he burst into tears just like a little child. Abbey stepped closer to him and said, "Calm down, she will be back now, just stop crying."
But Master Ashtar didn't know the meaning of calming down. All the comforting in the world didn't make him stop crying. All he wanted was his Anty, and his Anty had walked away with no one knowing where she went. In the end, the doctor had to come and give him a sedative injection before peace was restored.
"Hmm, the wonders of God. Is this how this boy's life is going to go now?" Abba Yusuf remarked.
"What can we do, Yusuf? My main concern now is that you can see he doesn't accept anyone except Abrish. And that girl is not like other people; she is struggling to figure out how to take care of herself as it is. Her own problems are far bigger than Ashtar's. So right now, we need to find a solution."
"So brother, what should we do?"
"I myself don't know, Yusuf."
"Well, I have a solution," Ammee said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"You heard that the boy went crazy, right?" Badaru said. "There is cause for celebration, but no opportunity to do it. The disaster right in front of us is enough. Now, where do we even begin searching for our children? Because every place we think they might be, we've gone, and they aren't there," Alhaji Usman lamented.
"Hmm, in your opinion, who could have kidnapped these children?" Alhaji Haruna asked.
"It must be one of our political opponents who did this to us," Alhaji Salisu suggested.
"What you are saying is true. But who do you think would do it?"
They fell silent because they didn't know who it could be, as there were too many people.
Around six in the evening, Ashtar woke up from the forced sleep he had been put into. When he checked the room and didn't see Abrish, he curled up in one spot and refused to speak to anyone.
"Hey Friend, you're awake?" Umar greeted.
Ashtar glared at him and said, "Who are you? I don't know you."
"It's me, you don't know Friend?"
"No, call my Anty for me."
"Anty said she won't come until you eat food and take your medicine first."
"If I eat food, will she come?"
"Yes, man, I'm telling the truth."
"Then give me food."
They dished out food for him, and he ate it and took his medicine.
"I'm done, now call my Anty."
"Yes, Anty will come, but you have to pray first."
"If I pray, will she come?"
"Go ahead."
He performed ablution and prayed with complete calmness—you would think he was in his right mind.
"Now lie down, let me go and call Anty for you, okay?"
"Okay," he said, and lay down.
"Do you really think what you told me will work? Won't we be infringing on these children's rights?"
"Abba, if we don't do that, there is no other solution besides this. That is the only way our minds can be at peace and what is desired can be achieved."
"Alright, may God make that the best way, Ameen ya Allah."
The next morning, the doctor came and gave them a discharge. He looked at Ashtar and said, "My friend, may God increase your health and may you start walking soon."
Ashtar didn't even look at him, because ever since morning he had refused to speak to anyone simply because he hadn't seen his Anty since yesterday, and so he was angry at everyone—especially Umar, who had promised him yesterday that she would come, but she hadn't.
"Friend, let's go home."
Ashtar ignored Umar completely. Truly, habits are carved in stone; even while suffering from amnesia, he wouldn't stop being standoffish and arrogant, Umar thought to himself.
It took a lot of effort for Umar to win him over and convince him to follow him, telling him that if he didn't come with him, he would never see Anty again. That was the only reason he followed him, though he was puffing out his cheeks and pouting the whole way. Umar ignored him until they reached home.
Umar walked into the parlor holding Ashtar’s hand, greeting everyone with As-salamu alaykum. Everyone was gathered in Ammee’s part of the house because Umar had called earlier telling them not to come to the hospital since he was being discharged, so they were waiting for them there.
They sat down, and Umar greeted Abbey, Ammee, and the others. They answered him with smiles on their faces. Ashtar, however, didn't even look at them; his attention was fixed on Ayman’s teddy bear (Ayman being the son of his elder brother, Muhammed). He walked over, snatched it from the child's hands, sat down on the floor, and started playing with it.
Seeing this, little Ayman started crying to his mother.
Ashtar looked at him, burst out laughing, and said, "Kid, I am not giving it to you, I want to play with it too! Go have your mother buy you a new one, this one is mine, me and my Anty are going to play with it—not you, kid!" he said, sticking out his tongue to mock him.
Everyone stared at him in deep pity. The twins even started crying; their older brother had been reduced to this state. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un, O Allah we repent, please forgive our mistakes.
"My lying friend! So where is the Anty you said we were going to see, and now I don't see her? Look, you've lied to me twice already! I swear I've stopped believing you, you tell too many lies!" Ashtar scolded, glaring fiercely at Umar.
"My friend, be patient. Your Anty went to school, but she'll be back soon, you'll see," Umar pleaded.
"I've stopped believing you, you liar! I swear you have to take me to my Anty!" he shouted, standing up with the teddy bear clutched to his chest and heading toward the door. "My Anty! Take me to my Anty, I am not staying here, you have to take me to my Anty!"
Umar and Mubarak quickly grabbed him, but he kept struggling and shouting at them to take him to his Anty.
"I don't understand, who is this Anty of his?" Nafeesat asked, looking at her mother-in-law.
"Ask me too! After all, we've been together in this house since yesterday."
"So now he's even forgotten me? He's forgotten his own parents, let alone you who don't even hold any special place in his heart," Afrah said, glaring at Nafeesat.
"Listen to Afrah! Just because you're the senior wife, you think you can talk nonsense to me? I swear I'll retaliate right now because I'm not afraid of you!"
Afrah gave a mocking laugh and said, "Oh really? Be my guest, because I see you want another dose of illness! What can you even do—you who are crippled with no hands and feet?!"
Before Nafeesat could reply, Hajiya Saratu stopped her, saying, "Have you forgotten that your status and hers are not the same anymore? You are a married woman now, while she doesn't even have a suitor, let alone being married. Yet you have the mouth to talk back to her? You are Major Malik Ashtar's wife, for goodness sake!"
"Or rather, a madman's wife," Hajiya Falmata chimed in, laughing. This illness of Ashtar's brought her no small amount of joy.
"If he is a madman, then you are the leader of madwomen! Because you are not above God's test—right now He could turn you into something you never imagined!" Hajja snapped, intervening furiously. "A bunch of useless, worthless madwomen! The boy is sick, and instead of mourning or showing grief, you've started a foolish fight right in front of his parents just because you lack basic decency! I swear I don't know what Yusuf's mother saw in you all to let him marry you. You women have no work other than fighting and envy among yourselves. I swear, get out of my sight before I lose my temper and do something you never expected! In this day and age, widowhood is no big deal for you lot—right now I will have him divorce and throw all of you back to your parents' houses!"
Everyone fell silent, too stunned to even try to calm Hajja down from her rant, because she had thoroughly disgusted them—especially Abba Yusuf, whose wives they were. They sat completely still, just rolling their eyes, while Hajja continued muttering threats to have them cast out.
Abbu and the others' greetings at the door interrupted her ranting.
"Ah, Abubakar, you've arrived?" Hajja said, breaking into a massive smile as if she hadn't just finished screaming her lungs out a second ago.
"Yes, Mama, we found you well. How is the patient?"
"Oh, by God, he is very well, the patient! You can see him there—all he can do is call for his Anty and wish people death!"
"Death, Mama?"
"Yes, man, death! You know he doesn't like me; just yesterday he said I am close to death, for God's sake, is that appropriate? I didn't wish death on him, but he's wishing it on me!" And she burst into tears like a little girl.
The twins and Muhammed were quietly laughing at her. Ashtar was still standing off to the side, with Umar and the others holding onto him tightly because he kept trying to run away to find his Anty, as if he actually knew where she was.
In the middle of this commotion, Abrish and the others walked into the parlor with As-salamu alaykum, having just returned from school.
As soon as he heard her voice and caught sight of her, he didn't even know when he shoved Umar and the others aside and bolted toward her at full speed. He threw himself into her arms, hugging her tightly as he cried, "Anty, where did you go and leave me? Ever since yesterday, this lying friend kept saying you would come, but you didn't! From now on, wherever you go, we are going together, okay?" he asked, lifting his head slightly from her shoulder to look at her face, which was set in a scowl as if she had never smiled in her life.
"Let go of me," she said without looking at him.
"No, I swear I won't let go so you can run away again!" And he hugged her even tighter, as if someone was about to snatch him away.
Abrish closed her eyes, then opened them and lifted her head back, letting out a slow breath. Right now, she felt like grabbing a whip and beating the nonsense out of him, I swear! She was amazed at her own restraint regarding this man. She didn't know why she wasn't treating him the way she treated everyone else—first of all, she wasn't afraid of him, nor was she intimidated by him. So why don't I fix him so I can find peace in my life? How long will this harassment go on, with him clinging to me like he's found his mother or his wife? I must deal with you, because you are not going to enter my life and ruin my plans for no good reason!
She let out a heavy sigh before warning him again, "I said, let go of me or else!"
"I swear, even if you kill me, I won't let go! And by God, wherever you go, I am following you. You can beat me all you want, but I am following you!"
"Oh my goodness, I hate this man!" she thought to herself.
Abbey and the others just watched in silence, wanting to see how this drama would end. Nafeesat was bursting with fury, waiting for a chance to break down in jealousy. Hajiya Saratu and the others simply watched the wonders of God.
Abrish pressed her hand firmly against his chest. Suddenly, a bright, glowing light emanated from her hand and flowed into his chest. She lowered her hand and commanded, "Let go of me."
He immediately let go of her.
Summary of the English
The narrative details the aftermath of Ashtar's sudden and bizarre psychological breakdown following an incident tied to his family's ongoing troubles, including the disappearance of Basheer's brother. After waking up in the hospital with acute amnesia and regressing into a child-like state of mind, Ashtar completely rejects everyone around him, recognizing only his younger sister’s acquaintance/relative, Abrish, whom he frantically clings to and insists on calling "Anty."
Despite her cold, fiercely independent, and unyielding nature, Abrish finds herself trapped as his sole caregiver because Ashtar throws violent, crying tantrums whenever she tries to leave. Family members—including a dramatic Hajja, jealous wives like Nafeesat, and amused relatives—look on in shock and bewilderment at the towering man acting like a helpless toddler. When Ashtar is eventually discharged and brought home, his relentless clinging, tantrums, and demand to follow Abrish everywhere push her patience to the absolute limit. Finally, using a mysterious supernatural ability (emitting a glowing light from her hand into his chest), Abrish forces him to release her, leaving the family stunned as they try to navigate this bizarre new reality.
Description of the English
- Tone: Emotional, dramatic, chaotic, and laced with elements of family friction, dark humor, and supernatural undertones.
- Themes: Family crisis, psychological trauma/amnesia, sibling dynamics, jealousy, romance-adjacent tension (reluctant caregiving), and hidden mystical abilities.
- Setting: A mix of a hospital setting and a bustling family home in Northern Nigeria, populated by a large, extended family fraught with internal rivalries, gossiping elders, and emotional baggage.
