Biyu Babu Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel by Fatima Tijjani Ahmad

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BIYU BABU 

FATIMA TIJJANI AMHAD 

In my sleep, I heard my phone ringing. I reached for it slowly, feeling exhausted, and saw it was Kamal calling.

"Hello," I said in a soft, sleepy voice.

"Are you sleeping?" he asked.

I replied, “Yes, I swear.”

He said, “You know there’s no work today, that’s why.”

“Well, what does that have to do with you?”

“Because we have just entered Kofar Nasarawa. Now do you see what it has to do with me?”

Quickly and excitedly, I said, “Oh, really? For God’s sake, is it true?”

“I swear, it’s me, my elder sister Suwaiba, and her husband, the Soldier.”

I said, “Well, I swear I’m not at Kofar Nasarawa right now.”

He exclaimed, “What, Teema?”

(By Fatima Tijjani Ahmad)

I said, “It’s true, but here is Habu’s number; call him, and he will come and bring you here.”

He said, “Thank you.”

I hung up and quickly sent him the number. I closed my eyes again, feeling a bit uneasy about their visit because of a secret that Suwaiba herself did not know.

Before I could get off the bed to change out of my nightgown, I heard a greeting. It was Suwaiba.

“Oh, you’ve arrived already? It's like you were right at the door!”

“Honestly, as soon as we called Abubakar, he said he was at Kofar Nasarawa.”

“Well, welcome. Come in.”

As Suwaiba walked in, I stood up without a headscarf on. Suddenly, I heard the click of a camera—*kaas!* I quickly said:

“What was that for?”

She said, “I have to show my younger brother.”

I nodded.

She continued, “In this kind of dress? If you had a husband, the one you’d wear wouldn’t even be up to this, right?”

I gave a small laugh and said, “Aunty Suwaiba, you are something else.”

I called my younger brother, Abdullahi, and said, "Go and take some water and juice to them in the car." This was because our house was currently undergoing renovations.

I went to the bathroom, showered, and came out. I applied some oil and powder to my face, put on some perfume, and picked out a blouse and skirt to wear. When Suwaiba saw me, even she had to comment:

“Truly, this brother of mine knows how to choose. Honestly, you’ve impressed me. I wish I had your body; the elegance and poise would be something else. Though, you are already a master of style.”

**(Riya Babu 1 - by Fatima Tijjani Ahmad)**

“Truthfully, you look great. Even though you’ve been married and spent time in your husband's house, no one would look at you and say you’ve ever been married. My brother has really made a good match. Please, I beg you, don’t deceive him. Make sure you marry him.”

I laughed and said, “Everything you see is from God. I even surprise myself because many of my friends look like my elder sisters when you see them.”

We both laughed at the same time.

I went out with her because they had come to greet me and then head to Sahad Store. I suggested that if we finished early, we should also go to Jifatu, as they have many items there too.

When we reached the car, we greeted 'Oga Soldier,' whose name was Nazir. He looked at me and said:

“Hajjaju, how is the house? How are the people at home?”

I said, “They are all fine. Please forgive me for leaving you in the car. Our house is under construction and there is dust everywhere; that’s why I didn’t ask you to come inside.”

He said, “Oh, it’s no problem. When we come again, we’ll come inside.”

I laughed and said, “Thank you.”

Kamal was driving. I sat beside him and said, “Welcome.”

Laughing, he said, “We woke you up from your sleep, didn't we? Sorry about that.”

I said, “It’s nothing.”

Suwaiba opened the door and got in, saying, “That’s enough greetings. Let’s go. Get in, let’s move.”

I laughed softly and got into the car—a black Land Cruiser with white cloth covering the license plates at the front and back.

We arrived at Sahad. Kamal found a parking spot, and we got out. Suwaiba and I walked ahead while the men followed behind. We chatted as we walked through the shop. We didn't buy much, just some ice cream. Kamal bought a watch for 70,000 Naira, and the Soldier bought four 'Sufa' wrappers for Suwaiba. She told me to pick one, but I declined.

When he heard us talking, he asked what was happening. She told him, and he simply picked out a red one, handed it to me, and said:

“This one will look better on you.”

I lowered my head respectfully and said, "Thank you, may God increase your wealth." "Amen," he replied.

Kamal also thanked him on my behalf, while the Soldier waved his hand as if to say it was nothing.

After Sahad, we went to Jifatu, where we bought women’s cosmetics. There, the Soldier turned to me and said:

“Fatima, you’ve totally confused my wife. What is going on?”

I said, “Sir, what do you mean?”

He said, “I noticed that since we arrived, she can’t settle down. Everything is 'Fatima, Fatima.'”

I said, “I’m sorry.”

I turned to Suwaiba with a smile and told her, “You should keep calling him 'Yallabai' (Sir), you hear?”

He said, “Exactly! That’s how I want it.”

After we finished shopping—where Kamal, the Soldier, and Suwaiba all bought things for me—we returned home. We found that my grandmother, A’i, had finished cooking. We ate, and I gave Kamal and the others their food. They ate and drank juice and water.

Around 5:00 PM, we said our goodbyes, and they began their journey back to Kaduna, the Governor's town. I called them every thirty or forty minutes to check on them until they arrived home.

Suwaiba called me and said, "God has brought us home safely." I replied, “Alhamdulillah, rest well.”

At about 10:00 PM, Kamal called. We greeted and had a short conversation because he was tired from driving from Kaduna to Kano and back. We talked briefly, then he said he was going to sleep. We said goodnight.

Suwaiba took a bath and got ready to go to her husband's room, but then she saw him entering her room. He asked her to give him her phone. Without hesitation, she gave it to him. He turned back to his room and locked the door. She tried the door and found it locked, so she went back to bed and turned on the television to watch.

After a long while, the Soldier came back in. He handed her phone back to her along with a Galaxy 4. She jumped up and hugged him out of joy.

He said, "It’s nothing. Thank you, and goodnight." He then went back to his room.

Suwaiba was born in Zaria, but she did her higher education in Kano at the Federal College of Education (FCE) in Kabuga. She studied Arabic and Islamic Studies. In her final year, she lost her accommodation near the school due to a dispute at the house she was renting; the local ward head evicted everyone, leaving her with nowhere to stay.

One day she would stay with one friend, the next day with another, and we had only three weeks left until we finished our exams.

Kamal was her cousin (they shared a father). They were very close in age, with only three months between them. A year after Kamal was born, his mother passed away, so Suwaiba’s mother raised him. They were very close.

One day, I was sitting outside Block 400 looking over a handout when she arrived. We greeted, but her face looked like she was about to cry.

I looked at her and asked, “Suwaiba, what’s wrong?”

She said, “Honestly, Fatima, I’m in trouble. I have nowhere to stay to finish my exams.”

I said a greeting at my house, but no one was there—everyone was in their respective sections. I said the greeting because that is what Islam requires. I used my key to open my place, and she followed me in.

I put down my veil and went into the kitchen because my husband was about to return. I made *Tuwon Shinkafa* with *Miyar Yauki* (slippery soup). I served it and said:

“Come, let’s eat.”

After we ate, we prayed Maghrib. I went to the bathroom to bathe and put on a light long dress. I called Baffa to start the generator for me since there was no electricity.

I put on a cassette for us to watch. Not long after, my husband returned. I heard his greeting and stood up quickly. She also stood up. I asked:

“Where are you going?”

She said, “I heard like it's your husband?”

I said, “It is him.”

She said, “But you told me he wasn't around?”

“Sit down, I’ll be right back.”

I opened the door for him and took the items from his hands, saying, “Welcome back.”

He replied, “Thank you. How was the exam?”

"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God)," I said.

He entered the room while I went into the kitchen to put away what he had brought. When I returned, he had the remote in his hand, changing channels to watch the news. I greeted him again:

“Welcome back from the journey. How was your day and work?”

He answered, “It was all fine, Alhamdulillah.”

I brought out food and set it before him along with everything else I knew he would need. I stood up to help him take off his shirt, but then I remembered we weren't alone in the room. I also knew that usually, before the shirt comes off, some 'affection' follows—even if just a small kiss—so I hesitated and said:

“Yallabai (Sir), we actually have a guest today.”

"What?" he asked.

“A guest.”

“Where is she?”

I pointed to Suwaiba, who was sitting quietly in a corner, and said, “There she is.”

He said, “Fatimata, I don’t know her, do I?”

I replied, “That’s true, but eat first and I will explain everything to you.”

"Alright," he agreed.

I noticed Suwaiba looked extremely uncomfortable and tense, so I got up and went into the other room. I checked the television and turned it on for her, then called her to come into that room instead. I said:

“Relax and make yourself comfortable. I’ll see you in the morning. Do you need anything else?”

"No, thank you," she replied.

We said our goodnights, and I went back to my husband.

He opened his arms and I moved into his chest while he continued eating. Occasionally, he would take a spoonful of food, but instead of his own mouth, he’d prompt me to open mine and feed me. After he finished eating, he took a sip of water, held it in his mouth, and playfully shared it with me.

Afterward, he said, “You know, I came into this house with some 'plans' tonight. Thank God you stopped me; if I had just let loose, I would have been so embarrassed!”

I laughed and snuggled closer into my husband's chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

After watching TV for a short while, he said, “Get up, let's go to bed. You have an exam tomorrow, and remember you have a guest.”

I said, “Okay... let me just check this book for a moment.”

“What else are you looking for? Look here...”

The next thing I knew, he had lifted me onto the bed. We didn't wake up until dawn.

He got ready and went to the mosque while I prayed at home and then went to the room where Suwaiba was to wake her. To my surprise, Suwaiba was already up, had prayed, and even showered. She was just waiting for daylight so she could leave because she had been scared—I had told her my husband wasn't home, yet there he was! I laughed so hard I stomped my feet and said:

“Calm down! If it's the master of the house you're worried about, he’s already forgotten we even have a guest.”

While we were talking, I heard the generator turn off, meaning the main electricity was back. He came into the room and sat down to perform his morning litany (*lazimi*). I stayed with Suwaiba for a bit before joining him.

The moment he saw me, he smiled and pulled me toward him. He asked, “Do you know what surprises me about you?”

"Tell me," I said.

He was quiet for a moment, then placed his hand on my stomach and said, “In this stomach of yours... do you ever actually eat until you're full?”

I laughed and said, “The only thing that will make my stomach protrude is when the will of God finally happens to us.”

He pulled me closer again and said, “Fatima, our home is still quiet (without children). What could be the reason?”

I laughed and said, “Only God knows.”

He said, “Fatima, I love you. I don't even know the extent of the love I have for you.”

I teased him, saying, “Yesterday you stopped me from studying, and now you want to do it again? Well, get ready, because you're going to pay for my LVT (Low Vocabulary/Level) fees!”

He laughed heartily and stroked my head. He said, “For this one, even if she doesn't study, she won't fail her exam.”

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

He didn't answer, but instead said, “Go prepare some food. You know we have a guest, and you haven't even told me the story behind her yet.”

I said, “Forgive me, you made me forget everything yesterday! I'm going now.”

After returning from the kitchen, I told him the story of what happened between Halima and me. He said, “She didn't do the right thing.”

After a pause, he asked, “So, is she staying with us until she finishes her exams?”

I replied, “That depends on what you say, Yallabai.”

He smiled and said, “It’s no problem.”

After preparing breakfast, I took Suwaiba's portion to her room, knowing she would be too shy to eat with us. Then I returned to eat with my husband.

After eating, we chatted until he went to shower. I prepared his clothes for him because he was heading to Abuja today, and he would be returning in the evening. I walked him to the front gate. He told me to go to school and focus, promising to return by evening. I wished him a safe trip.

I went back inside to Suwaiba and said, “Come out to the parlor, he’s gone.”

She reluctantly came out and sat down. She said, “Get ready so we can leave. I see you haven't studied at all.”

I said, “When I'm with him, he doesn't let me study.”

She didn't say anything to that. I went to the bathroom to shower while she stayed in the room studying. I sat before the dressing mirror to do my makeup. After getting ready, I went to the kitchen to tidy up and wash the dishes we used.

When I came out, I found Suwaiba busy cleaning the parlor. I laughed and said, “Once you're done, let's go.”

I locked my section, and we stepped out. In the courtyard, we bumped into Safiya, who lived in the apartment above mine.

We greeted, and she asked, “Do you have a guest?”

I told her, “Yes.”

"See you later," Safiya said as we left.

We took a taxi from Sallari to Kabuga. I paid the fare and opened my book to study; she did the same. Neither of us spoke until we reached our stop. When we got out, I bought some mangoes. She remarked, “You drink/eat mangoes way too much.”

I didn't say anything as we entered the school grounds. Once inside, we suddenly ran into Halima. She looked at us and burst into laughter, saying:

“Well done, Fatima Tijjani! This is exactly how it should be. You've finally found someone to do your laundry and dishes for you.”

Suwaiba was about to snap back, but I stopped her. I said, “That's Halima for you—the girl whose stars are always shining.”

She looked me up and down and said, “Fatima Tijjani, you look good. But you better be careful, or my friend here might steal your husband from you.”

I laughed and replied, “It's no problem. But just so you know, even a 'dan gala' (street performer) knows that a woman who values herself and keeps herself well will find it very hard for anyone to just snatch her husband away. It would take a lot of effort. Thanks, see you later.”

Suwaiba was angry and looked at Halima, muttering, "Useless!" Halima just kept laughing at her.

We met Aunty Hassana, who was much older than us, but we were in the same department, so we greeted each other respectfully every day. Today, after we laughed and joked, she asked me:

“My sister, why do I always see you alone? Where are the children?”

I laughed and told her, “Honestly, I haven't given birth yet.”

"Oh," she said, sounding concerned. Then she added, “Well, you haven't been married that long anyway.”

I said, “Actually, it’s been five years.”

She said, “Oh, that’s fine. God will bring us to the naming ceremony soon, and then all this glamour of yours will fade a bit.”

I joked, “Or maybe it will increase?”

She laughed, and we left her chatting with her friends. As we walked away, Suwaiba turned to me and asked:

“Fatima, you’ve really been married for five years?”