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Tawa Tasameni" (My Destiny Has Caught Up With Me)
Summary of the Excerpt
The story centers on Amina (nicknamed Iman), a young girl living in a household filled with tension due to polygamy. Iman is an observant, respectful, and well-mannered girl who prioritizes her education and religious studies despite constant harassment from her father’s other wives (specifically Anty Mariya and Hajia Kulu).
In this segment, Iman recounts:
- Daily Challenges: The bullying she faces from her step-relatives and the verbal abuse directed at her and her mother.
- Friendship: Her deep bond with her best friend, Amira, who provides emotional support and often defends her.
- Family Dynamics: Her admiration for her mother, who is portrayed as a patient, clean, and pious woman, and the financial and social struggles caused by their status in a multi-wife household.
Backstory: Iman eventually shares her own history with Amira—revealing her real name (Amina) and her parents' background. Her father (Idris) and mother (Habiba) came from respected families in Wudil, Kano. After struggling with infertility for ten years, they were blessed with Iman after returning from an Umrah pilgrimage.
English Translation (Selected Highlights)
On the school environment:
"I stood up slowly and began folding my prayer mat. Before I could even put it down, I heard a greeting. I turned to see who it was... it was Amira, dressed in her white school uniform. She said, 'Are you looking at me? Won’t you hurry up so we don’t get late?' I told her even if we were late, there would be a queue anyway."
On the bullying by Anty Mariya:
"As we reached the street, I heard someone calling me aggressively. I turned and saw Anty Mariya. My heart sank because I knew seeing her never boded well. True to form, as soon as she reached us, she started insulting me, asking why I left for school without waiting for Kamal [her son]... she called me an 'outcast' and an 'adopted child' (agola)."
On the family history (Iman’s confession to Amira):
"My real name is Amina, and I was named after my grandmother, my father’s mother. My parents are from Wudil, in a village called Indabo... My father’s family comes from a lineage of royalty [Dagaci], while my mother comes from a family of scholars [Imam]. My father, Idris, was a hard worker who started out selling secondhand clothes (gwanjo) in the Bacci market until he became successful... My mother was a student of my uncle, Malam Bashir. It was a respected union between the house of the village head and the house of the Imam."
Description
- Genre: Domestic/Family Drama (Littattafan Gida).
- Themes:
- Polygamy (Kishiya): The story highlights the hardships often associated with households involving multiple wives, focusing on the jealousy and emotional struggle of the children.
- Resilience: Despite the constant abuse, the protagonist remains focused on her studies and her faith.
- Upbringing (Tarbiya): The text emphasizes the importance of good manners, respect for elders, and the guidance parents provide to their children.
- Writing Style: The narrative is written in the first person ("I"). It is descriptive and conversational, typical of modern Hausa online novels (Hausa Novels), focusing on the internal monologue of the protagonist and the realistic challenges of urban family life in Kano, Nigeria.
EPISODE 26: The Secret of My Birth and My Family’s Past
...My mother’s friend and our neighbor, Hajiya Zuwaira, was the first woman to see me after I appeared in this world. From the day I was born, life in our home changed. My father found more strength and happiness. Even though I was just a little girl, my mind began to open, and I started to understand how people looked at us.
My mother was a woman of great patience and calmness. Whenever Hajiya Kulu and Anty Mariya wanted to stir up trouble, Mother would look the other way. Sometimes she would say, "Iman, do not repay evil with evil. Allah is watching, and He is the one who rewards." That lesson became the foundation of my life.
But even though we lived peacefully with Father, the rest of our family began to be jealous. As I grew older, I saw how some of Father's relatives looked at us with hateful eyes. Especially after Father started building our current house, the jealousy increased. They were never happy with how Father took responsibility for our education and how Mother cared for us.
One Sunday, while I was sitting and reading, I heard my father’s voice speaking to my mother, filled with anger.
“Habiba, I don’t know what is wrong with them. What have I done to them? Is it my fault that Allah has blessed me with wealth that I use to help them?”
Mother answered with a gentle voice, “Peace be upon you, Alhaji. Do not worry about what people say. Allah is the one who provides, and He is the giver. Leave everything to Him.”
I stared at Mother, seeing how her eyes filled with tears. It was then that I realized that life in a "polygamous household" wasn't just about name-calling; there was a hidden sadness buried beneath Mother’s smiles.
After I finished telling Amira this story, she was silent for a long time. Tears fell from her eyes.
"Iman," she said in a husky voice, “So you have suffered in life as well? I always thought you were living a life of comfort; I didn't know there was such pain beneath your calmness.”
I shook my head. “Amira, life has two faces. There is the one everyone sees, and there is the one you hide inside your heart. My entire life is lived under Mother’s shadow. If I leave this house, Mother will be all alone. I cannot leave her with Anty Mariya and the others.”
Amira held my hand. “I am with you, Iman. No matter what happens, don't forget that you have me.”
On the day I returned home, I found that the atmosphere had changed. Mami was sitting in the parlor crying, while Hajiya Kulu was standing over her, shouting harsh words. I quickly ducked into my room and locked the door. But before I could close it completely, I heard Hajiya Kulu saying, “That girl of yours, Amina, we must get rid of her. She is the one bringing the fire of hatred into this house!”
My body went cold. What had I done to them? What was I doing to bother them? I sat on the edge of the bed, buried my head in my knees, and began to pray. It was then that I realized that the real battle, which I had been avoiding for so long, was now about to begin.
