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Part 1: Mubarak and Nabeelah
...She tapped my shoulder, saying, "Have patience, Mubarak. I know you love Nabeelah, and she loves you too. However, you made the mistake of not expressing your love to her at the moment she needed it. I tried to settle things between the two of you, but I was afraid that people might think I forced Nabeelah to marry my son against her will, simply because she grew up under my care... Furthermore, I won't involve myself in this problem of yours now, but I will support you in whatever decision you choose to make. If you are looking for me, you can find me in the living room (parlor)."
I looked at Nabeelah, my eyes filled with tears, and I began to speak as follows: "Nabeelah, I love you, and I cherish you. It is just that I am the type of person who hides the secrets of their heart. Please be patient and forgive me; I know I have wronged you... Thank you. You may get up and go. May Allah grant you a peaceful marriage, and may Allah make this the very best outcome for you..."
I stood up to step out of the car, but she grabbed my hand, forced me to sit back down, and spoke while crying a heart-wrenching, pity-inducing sob, saying: "Ya Mubarak, at first I believed you loved me, but now I realize that this love has no real impact on your heart, since you are so willing to give up on me for another man to marry. Truly, I now believe you have no jealousy for me and no pity for the kind of life I would live with another man who isn't you. You must know that my heart will never accept being separated from you. I have forbidden my body to any other man besides you! Therefore, I am determined to belong to you no matter what it takes. Ya Mubarak, try to love me just as I love you. Ya Mubarak, do not disappoint me."
I wiped away the tears pouring down her cheeks, took her hands, and rested her head against my chest. "Nabeelah, trust in my love for you and suspect nothing but goodness. Nabeelah, I love you, and by the grace of Allah, I am your husband."
She quickly raised her head from my chest, placed her hands on my shoulders, and looked into my face. She kissed my forehead and then hugged me tightly against her chest, saying, "Indeed, my happiness has multiplied, my desire is fulfilled, and goodness has been established for me... But what is the way forward? With what words will we confront Abba? And besides, time is very short for us..."
I looked at Nabeelah as she rested against my chest and said, "It will be easiest for us to go to Kawu Aminu and explain the situation we are in to him... I know exactly what to tell him, and he will agree."
Directly, I drove the car to Kawu's house and found that he had finished eating and was resting under a tree. After we exchanged greetings, he continued speaking as follows: "Surely, just looking at the two of you, there is a problem, because I see signs of distress on your faces. Or is it that you don't want the marriage?" he asked.
I began by saying, "The truth, Kawu, is that Nabeelah does not love the person she is being given to."
Kawu said, "That is nonsense! So that is why they were hiding things from me? Well, wallahi, this marriage will not happen! Stand up, let's go to the house..."
I drove the car right up to the entrance of the house and we walked in. As for Kawu, he began shouting from the very doorway. The moment he entered, Mama and the others came out to greet him, but he didn't even answer. Instead, he snapped, "The matter of Nabeelah's marriage is over—I have canceled it! Right now, she is going to tell us who she actually wants, and tomorrow I will perform her wedding to him..."
Nabeelah spoke up and said, "It is Ya Mubarak I love."
Kawu laughed and said, "Oh, well that's excellent then! The matter has become much easier. You individuals are full of mischief; the matter was right here within the family all along and you were wasting time? Well, I am going to tie this marriage right now, and if you want, you can go ahead and hold your wedding celebrations later."
Then, Baba entered and heard what was happening, but there was nothing he could do to stop Kawu, because he knew his stubborn nature well. Out of necessity, Baba became my guardian (wali) while he acted as Ya Mubarak's guardian, and the marriage was officially solemnized.
Immediately, Ya Mubarak picked me up and we went to the henna house. From there, he took me to get my hair braided, and we proceeded to Aunty Nafeesat's house. I took a bath, put on a wrapper gown (atamfa), left my head uncovered without a veil, and stepped out to meet him.
"Wow, Nabeelah, you look absolutely beautiful," he said. He reached out and took my hand from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He kissed me so deeply that it took my breath away. He laid me down on the bed and began removing the clothes that were...
Truly, I never knew Ya Mubarak was this skilled in romance until today. I could have easily lost a wonderful husband! We remained like that, showing our deep love for one another until...
ZURFIN CIKI (Book 2, Part 1)
Posted by Bashir Sani Fesan on 14 Dec 2016 - 22:05
Abba lay on the bed. The night was far gone, but he was completely unable to sleep because of the dilemma he currently found himself in. If he saw that he could no longer tolerate his wife, he could simply divorce her; however, regarding the matter of marrying Ummi, even if Alhaji did not back him up, he could not escape it.
"What is the way forward now?" he asked himself.
An inner voice suggested, "Just keep quiet, as if you never saw that paper, since no one knows you found it."
Aloud, he said, "That's true."
He continued to rationalize that perhaps Alhaji had even withdrawn his intention by now, seeing how empty-headed and unruly Ummi turned out to be. He noticed that the writing had been made since the very day Ummi was born, or perhaps on her naming ceremony day, since Ummi's name was explicitly written on it. The best solution, therefore, was to keep quiet.
Another voice in his heart countered, "If you do that, have you been fair to Alhaji and your Umma? Even if their daughter were not a normal human being, you shouldn't reject her, if only for the sake of the immense love they have shown you. If Ummi had been obedient, calm, and exceptionally beautiful, would you have rejected her? Do not assume Alhaji made the intention to marry his daughter to you because he knew she would turn out unruly—think deeply about it."
Thus, Abba remained trapped in his thoughts until dawn broke, but the final decision he settled on was to keep silent. However, he dropped the idea of separating from his wife, knowing that the moment he divorced her, he would inevitably become Ummi's husband. Indeed, swallowing this entire matter down into his stomach was the most appropriate course of action.
He had some beautiful clothes tailored for his wife for the upcoming naming ceremony. He also bought supplies for the baby according to his financial means and brought them to Umma. She was very pleased. Alhaji encountered them there; he also entered Umma's room, sat down, and requested that his food be brought to him so he could eat there today.
He looked at Abba and said, "My son, I have ordered rams to be brought from the village; I said large ones should be bought."
Abba asked, "Two?"
Umma said, "That is perfect. Abba, for a grand ceremony, the tuwo must have plenty of meat. Should we just slaughter one ram to enter that big house with?"
Abba replied, "Why not, since I didn't lie to them about having wealth? They know we are ordinary people."
Alhaji countered, "Your words are solid, my son, but your mother's wish is what we will follow. Furthermore, a bag of rice and cooking ingredients will be bought and delivered to them."
On the eve of the naming ceremony, Abba and his friends arrived at the house with the rams, gifts for the nursing mother and the baby, along with the food supplies. They met Aunty at the house, and she received them with great hospitality. Since Abba used to speak with her over the phone, he had informed her of everything, so she was fully aware.
When Hajiya Zainu heard the bleating of the rams, she came out. Aunty pleaded, "For Allah's sake, Momy, don't say anything harsh to them. Look, he is here with his friends." With great difficulty, she managed to push her toward Alhaji's section of the house.
As for Alhaji, he was overjoyed and ordered that the rams be tied up. Zainu snapped, "Alhaji, what is the need for all this celebration, as if we don't eat meat? They shouldn't have brought those rams just for a naming ceremony!" She continued, "They even brought rice, as if we are starving here!"
Immediately, Alhaji frowned and said, "Zainu, don't tell me you had this girl brought back to this house just to destroy her marriage?"
She replied, "Of course not."
He warned, "Then hold your tongue, because I don't want to hear such talk again. He has provided for his wife according to his means. As for us, we will also provide for our daughter and grandchild according to our wealth. When he leaves the nursing mother's room, send him to me so we can decide where the naming of the child will take place."
She sneered, "Where else would it be done if not here?"
He looked at her and asked, "Has that ever been done before? Just send him to me." She puckered her lips in annoyance and walked away.
When she peered into the room, Abba and his friends were seated. Abba was completely absorbed in tapping away on his phone; from the moment they entered, he refused to even glance toward Bishira, let alone look at her son.
She said, "Bishira, tell them that when they come out, Alhaji wants to speak with them." She walked past without waiting for an answer, and she didn't even acknowledge the greetings Abba's friends offered her.
Bishira looked at Abba, fully aware of how he was deliberately ignoring her, and said, "Did you hear what Momy said?"
Only then did he look up at her and ask coldly, "What did she say?" He spoke with an air of strict authority.
"Our Dady wants to see you."
He didn't reply; he simply slid the bag containing her clothes toward her. "Take a look." She emptied the bag to find beautifully tailored clothes of excellent quality. Even though the fabrics weren't overly expensive, there were three sets: one atamfa, one plain fabric, and one lace, alongside the baby's clothes.
She looked at him and said, "Our ceremony outfits have already been bought for us."
Ahmad looked at her and asked, "Don't you like these ones?"
She replied, "I didn't say that."
Abba stood up and told his friends, "Let's go."
She pleaded, "I want to speak with you."
He replied, "Go ahead and speak."
Muktar suggested, "Let's step outside for a moment."
She picked up the baby, handed him over to Abba, and said in a soft, emotional voice, "I've been watching you. You haven't held him since the day he was born, even though he's the one keeping us awake all night while you are over there sleeping peacefully."
He accepted the baby and remarked, "Well, it's better he keeps you awake, since you refused to bring him to his father's house." He stared into the baby's eyes, and a wave of fatherly affection washed over him.
She moved closer to his side. Abba looked at her face, and she was looking back at him too. She murmured, "Lately, I don't even see you smile."
He replied, "If you wanted to see me smile, you wouldn't have returned to your family home without my permission." He continued, "I am deeply disappointed in you, Bishira, for agreeing to return to your parents' house without my consent. Even before you gave birth, I explicitly told you that you were not to move back home."
She said, "But Abba, Momy was the one who insisted I must come."
He countered, "Fine, then stay here." He handed the baby back to her. She took him, laid him down, and then grabbed Abba's hand. "Abba, what name did you choose for him?"
He answered, "The name of Alhaji Babba."
She quickly let go of his hand. "The name of those people?"
He looked at her sternly. "I expected you to say it was a meaningless name, since that would be easier for you." He then stormed out, deeply frustrated by Bishira's attitude. He knew she loved him intensely, but she simply refused to submit to his wishes.
He met Muktar and the others, and they went in to see Alhaji. When Alhaji asked where the naming ceremony should be conducted, Abba stated that the prayers would be held at the mosque near his father's house. "Furthermore, the boy has already been named Sulaiman, after my father."
Alhaji said, "Excellent. May Allah grant him a long and blessed life. We won't need to come over since the weather is quite cold." Abba and his friends left, highly praising Alhaji's understanding nature.
The child was named, and Abba and his friends held a feast in the afternoon. The wife of his friend Bala was the one they commissioned to cook the food. The nursing mother continued her post-natal care. Abba would peek in on them from time to time, but almost every time he visited, things ended on a bitter note due to the sharp comments Hajiya Zainu constantly directed at him. Umma, on her part, harbored no resentment; she visited them regularly despite the cold reception she received from both the nursing mother and her mother.
Ummi was walking along, picking things up from the ground as usual, when she spotted a SIM card. She immediately dropped everything else she had gathered and picked it up. She managed to tie it securely into the corner of her wrapper, walked away, and placed it inside her school bag.
One day, while Umma was busy, Ummi snuck into the room and took Umma's phone. She opened it, removed Umma's SIM card, inserted the one she had found, hid the phone, and walked out to the entrance hallway (soro). Right by the door of Yaya Abba's room, she copied his phone number—which he had written down for people looking for him. She dialed the number and heard it ringing. She disconnected it and burst into laughter.
From then on, she kept flashing Abba's phone. She then ran over to the house of her friend Amina and shared the story of what she was doing to Abba. She said, "Amina, I know right now he is sitting there filled with intense frustration, and that's exactly why you see me so happy."
Amina asked, "What if he figures out it's you?"
Ummi replied, "How can he? I found the SIM card on the street, and Umma won't even notice I took her phone because only Yaya Abba and our Alhaji ever call her."
Amina suggested, "What you should do is call him, and when he answers, disguise your voice and change your name."
Ummi hesitated, "No way, I don't want to get a beating."
Amina urged, "Come on, how could he possibly recognize you?"
They placed the call, and he picked up. Ummi made her voice thin and high, saying, "Hello!"
Abba snapped, "Who is this calling my line?"
She replied, "My name is Suhaila."
He demanded, "Why are you calling me? Where did you even get my number?"
She lied, "I just found it saved inside the phone."
He hissed in annoyance and hung up. The girls burst into hysterical laughter.
Amina said, "Call him back and tell him you live in Kaduna."
Ummi exclaimed, "Wow, making phone calls is so much fun! I love making calls."
She dialed again. Furious, he answered, "What is your problem? You are harassing me!"
Ummi said, "Hold on and listen. I just want us to exchange greetings. I am living in Kaduna."
He replied, "Fine, thank you." He then switched off the phone entirely. They kept calling, but it remained switched off.
From that day forward, whenever Ummi found Umma busy working or sleeping, she would steal the phone, swap the SIM cards, and call Abba. At first, he used to scold her, but eventually he stopped and resorted to begging her to stop calling him—all to no avail. Later on, Abba actually began to listen to her.
One night, she called him around 1:00 AM. That night, she chose not to sleep in Tsohuwa's room and slept in Umma's room instead, while Umma was spending the night in Alhaji's room. At that exact moment, Abba was lying down, overwhelmed by loneliness, and the weather was biting cold. The phone call interrupted his thoughts about his wife. By now, he had completely memorized Suhaila's number.
He picked up and said, "Hello. What is keeping you from sleeping?"
She replied, "That's not my name. My name is Suhaila. You tell me your name."
He said, "Abba."
She suppressed a laugh that almost escaped and said, "Abba is not a real name. Tell me your real name."
He said, "Idris." The way he pronounced the name made her struggle immensely to hold back her laughter.
He interrupted her thoughts by asking, "Where do you live in Kaduna?"
She went completely silent because she didn't know a single place in Kaduna, having never visited the city. Then she remembered that Amina had once mentioned visiting Unguwar Sarki, so she quickly blurted out, "Unguwar Sarki."
He asked, "How old are you?"
She lied through her teeth, "Eighteen."
He remarked, "Wow, and they bought a phone for you at that age?"
She bragged, "Do you even know who my father is?"
He said, "No."
She claimed, "Well, he is the Advisor to the Governor of Kaduna State."
Abba said, "Impressive! So that means if I come to visit you, I won't even be allowed to see you?"
She replied, "Of course you will see me."
He said, "Alright, I will come."
She replied, "Okay."
He added, "But you should know I have a wife; she just gave birth and went to her family home for post-natal care."
Ummi replied, "I see. Well, goodnight."
He asked, "Who keeps buying airtime for your phone?"
She lied, "My father, of course." Only then did she realize that phones required airtime to work, but since the line never ran out whenever she called, she assumed this particular SIM card didn't require money.
Shortly after they hung up, the phone rang again. Ummi assumed it was Abba, but when she answered, a strange man's voice spoke. He asked, "Who am I speaking with?"
She asked back, "Who are you looking for?"
He said, "The owner of the phone."
She replied, "It belongs to my mother, and she is asleep."
He said, "I am looking for Yallabai."
She snapped, "I don't know any Yallabai, stop bothering me!" She hung up, hissed loudly, removed the SIM card, and put Umma's back in.
As the days went by, Abba genuinely began to obsess over the matter of Suhaila from Kaduna. Many times he would try to call her line, only to find it switched off. He could never reach her unless she chose to call him. When he complained about this, she would claim, "Yes, I keep the line off because people disturb me too much."
Ummi and her peers had finished their Junior Secondary School Exams (J.S.C.E.) and were waiting for the results, so she was home all day, never pausing her mischief. Every day, she and Amina plotted how they would call Abba. The airtime on her found SIM eventually ran out, so Abba was now the one sending her recharge card pin numbers.
Whenever Abba came to the family house and saw Ummi, his face would darken with intense dislike, while she would burst into fits of giggles because she kept picturing how gently and softly he toned his voice over the phone. One day, he even beat her thoroughly simply because she couldn't stop laughing the moment he walked into the house and said his greetings.
Tsohuwa spent that entire day quarreling, declaring that she was going to pack her things and leave the house because the mistreatment against Ummi had become entirely too much. She grumbled that the girl was denied even the freedom to laugh. It was with great effort that Umma managed to calm her down and make her stay.
Out of sheer spite for that beating, Ummi declared that she was going to make him suffer. Therefore, she went to Amina's house that day, and they planned that the next time she called him, she would tell him to come to Kaduna so they could meet. Ummi thought maliciously: "Perfect, let that villain go over there and get completely lost so I can have some peace."
That night, during their call, she said to him, "Idris, for Allah's sake, when are you coming to visit?"
He replied, "Suhaila, I've been saying I want to come for the longest time but you kept refusing. So, when should I come?"
She said, "Come on Friday."
He countered, "No, I'll come on Saturday instead; Friday is only a half-day."
She agreed, "Alright, come then. That's four days from now, right?"
He said, "Insha Allah. Furthermore, I want you to text me your home address, and on the day I'm coming, make sure to leave your phone switched on."
She replied, "Okay."
On Saturday morning around 10:00 AM, Abba emerged dressed in brand-new clothes, looking exceptionally handsome like a new bridegroom.
Umma asked, "Are you going to Maigida's place?"
He replied, "No, Umma. Though I might stop by there briefly. I am traveling to Kaduna."
Umma held her mouth in surprise. "Kaduna? What are you going to do there?"
He said, "I'll tell you when I return."
Ummi, who was busy washing dishes in the courtyard, burst into a loud fit of laughter. Umma delivered a hard punch to her back, snapping, "What is wrong with you? Has a laughing sickness possessed you?"
Abba looked at her with pure disgust. "Ummi, are you ever going to behave yourself around me?" She lowered her head, forcing her laughter inward.
Then she look up and said, "Yaya Abba, for Allah's sake, please buy some bread for me. Wallahi, Kaduna bread is incredibly delicious. When Amina's family returned from there, they gave me some."
He glared at her intensely and barked, "Who told you I am a villager like you? If you dare speak to me again, I will smash your face." He turned back to Umma. "Please don't tell Alhaji that I traveled, but when I return, I will inform him myself."
She said, "Alright, may Allah protect you." Abba walked out.
The moment Ummi finished the dishes, she snuck into the room under the guise of making the bed. As soon as Umma entered the kitchen, Ummi dashed to the living room, unplugged the phone from the charger, and swapped the SIM cards. Immediately, his call came through. She answered, narrowing her voice as usual. "Have you set out?"
He said, "I am inside the bus, we are about to leave. Text me the address."
She lied, "It's not difficult at all. Once you drop off at the station, just tell a cyclist to take you to Unguwar Sarki, to the house of the Governor's Advisor."
Abba noted, "Suhaila, there are many advisors to the Governor."
She stammered, "Um... well, in this particular part of Unguwar Sarki, he is the only one."
He asked, "What is the name of the street?" She completely lacked an answer, and her heart began to race. She forced herself to say, "Abuja."
He questioned, "Abuja street, Suhaila? Or do you mean Abuja Road?"
She quickly said, "Yes, House Number 6."
He said, "Alright, I will keep calling your line."
Ummi replied, "Okay." She sat down, breathing heavily, thinking to herself: "Wow, look at the wild wild-goose chase I've sent him on!" Then she laughed with pure joy, thrilled that Yaya Abba was going to suffer today.
Every now and then, he would call to say they had entered the state. Every time the phone rang, she would run to the toilet at top speed. Eventually, Tsohuwa, who was sitting nearby, noticed and asked, "Hey, my namesake, do you have diarrhea or dysentery?"
Ummi twisted her face and said, "It's just an upset stomach."
Tsohuwa said, "Well, go and let your mother give you some medicine."
Ummi replied, "I feel a bit better now."
Later, the original owners of the SIM card called again. Ummi walked out to the front door, answered, and the person asked, "Hey, where did you get this phone?"
She snapped, "Mind your business, you disrespectful people, don't ever call me again!" She terminated the call and went back inside.
When Abba called to say they had arrived in Kaduna and were about to disembark, she simply pulled out the SIM card, went about her daily chores, and completely forgot about the existence of any Yaya Abba.
KADUNA
The moment they arrived at the Kawo bus station, Abba alighted and stood there, looking around the city of Kaduna. This was only the second time in his life he had ever visited Kaduna, the first time being when they attended a friend's wedding the previous year. He spotted a commercial motorcyclist (dan acaba) and signaled him over.
The rider approached and asked, "Where to?"
"Unguwar Sarki," Abba replied.
The rider asked, "Which street?"
Abba said, "Abuja Road."
The rider looked at him with confusion. "That must be in Rigasa. There is no street by that name in Unguwar Sarki."
Abba said, "Hold on a moment, let me call her." But when he dialed Ummi's number, it was completely switched off. He tried repeatedly, but it wouldn't go through. He looked back at the rider and asked, "Do you know the house of the Governor's Advisor?"
The rider replied, "Just hop on, let's go there and ask around."
Abba mounted the motorcycle, continuously trying to reach Suhaila's line. They went around Unguwar Sarki street by street, inquiring from security guards and the few pedestrians walking past, since it was an upscale residential neighborhood for prominent figures. Eventually, the motorcyclist advised Abba that it was best to just head back home. They concluded their search of Unguwar Sarki and even its neighboring areas, but they found absolutely nothing. There was only one house where they were told a Suhaila lived, but she turned out to be a mere infant carried on the back.
By nearly 3:00 PM, they returned to the station. He paid off the motorcyclist and went to perform his prayers. His heart was overflowing with intense frustration. He had missed his prayer times earlier, and to make matters worse, he still couldn't reach Suhaila's line. He realized she must have turned off the phone deliberately just to humiliate and strand him.
He recalled the insult a certain man had hurled at him when they asked if he knew the house of the Governor's Advisor. The man had sneered, "Advisor on what? There are countless advisors! What is the name of the street you are looking for? What is the house owner's name? Don't you even have their house number?" Abba had replied, "I only have the phone number, and it's not going through." The man had hissed, "You are a complete fool, and yet you look like an enlightened person!" He then walked away.
Only now did Abba realize his own absolute foolishness. What on earth had driven him to come looking for this girl? He couldn't say he loved her, nor could he say he didn't. He realized some people might even think he came chasing after her father's wealth. He resolved that when he returned, he would keep completely quiet about it; if his friends asked, he would simply tell them he couldn't locate the place. He had foolishly told them all about Suhaila, and they were fully aware of his journey to see her; he knew their mocking nature well and knew they would turn it into an endless joke at his expense.
Filled with bitter resentment, he boarded the vehicle heading back from Kaduna to Kano. As they reached the Dangora junction, disaster struck. One of the vehicle's tires suddenly blew out. Instantly, the driver lost control, and the vehicle began violently somersaulting while the passengers cried out testimonies of faith (salati).
The victims were rushed to the hospital. Some died on the spot, while others fell into deep comas. Emergency responders used the victims' phones to contact their respective families. In Abba's case, they dialed the numbers of his mother, Alhaji, and others, breaking the devastating news that the owner of the line had been involved in a horrific accident and had just been brought to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
Umma and the rest of the family fell into absolute panic. As for Tsohuwa, her stomach churned instantly from shock; she began running back and forth to the restroom, crying bitterly and wiping her nose. Ummi wasn't at home at the time; she was over at Amina's house, chatting and laughing.
Ummi had just told Amina, "Let me go and insert the SIM card again. If he calls, I'll just tell him my phone was charging and I only just turned it on."
She snuck back into her room, spotted the phone on the chair, took it, and swapped the SIM cards. The moment she powered it on, text alerts began flooding in. Before she could open them to check, she heard Tsohuwa's weeping voice from outside, crying, "So death was what called that boy to Kaduna? What on earth did he go to do in Kaduna? I knew nothing about this!"
Ummi rushed out of the room at top speed, asking, "Tsohuwa, what happened?"
Tsohuwa wept, "Weren't you out there on your useless loitering as usual? The namesake of Malam traveled to Kaduna and they had a terrible accident. Right now, they are at the Malim hospital, and they fear he might already be dead!"
Ummi let out a piercing scream. She never realized just how deeply she actually cared for her brother Abba until this very day—or was she crying out of the horrific realization that she was the direct cause of it? Allah alone knew. Before anyone could say another word, the news...
