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Part 1: Anxiety and Disappearance at the Village
It was a medium-sized room enclosed by expensive curtains. The room contained a large mattress, television electronics off to the side, and a single expensive cushion. A middle-aged woman, who could not be over fifty-five years old, sat in the room with her chin resting in her hand and said, “Well, we will never grow weary of praying. May the Lord God grant her health. Next month is when everything is expected to be completely sorted out, right?”
The young woman beside her smiled slightly and said, “That is what the doctors said, In sha Allah. However, you know that while man proposes, God disposes. But this surgery is the final one that will be performed on her, God willing. We can only pray that Allah grants it success.”
Yakumbo replied, “In sha Allahu, it will be successful. That is what we ask of Allah every day. In our entire extended family, there is no one with this kind of affliction, let alone it being hereditary—it is completely nonexistent in our entire lineage. Is there any in yours??”
The woman laughed and said, “No, Yakumbo.”
Yakumbo remarked, “Exactly. May Allah separate His servant from hardship. And as for you, may Allah deliver you safely in child birth. Does it mean you will return to India again for the surgery?”
The woman said, “Ameen, yes, that is where we are going.”
Yakumbo said, “Well, In sha Allahu, that will be the end of the hardship.”
The woman said, “May Allah make it so.”
Yakumbo glanced at the clock and said, “Amina, I doubt this journey of yours is still happening today. It's been completely silent, and Umar hasn't arrived up until now.”
Amina looked at the clock as well and said, “And I called him earlier but couldn't reach him. I think they went into a meeting. It will probably be tomorrow; I have already given up hope for today.”
Yakumbo said, “Exactly. Just leave it until tomorrow. It's already evening, and it’s not as if anyone is chasing you away. Besides, the roads are bad, and the country has become what it has become—danger lurking everywhere...”
Amina replied, “That's true.”
Yakumbo said, “I heard that Salihu's wife has been looking for trouble with you, right? Don't you dare give her your attention—she belongs to a gathering of witches. Stop associating with even Asama'u as well; they are all envious of you because they see you have more comfort and prosperity in your husband's house. They don't realize it is Allah who bestowed it upon you.”
Amina smiled and said nothing. Yakumbo added, “And they claim you keep hiding the girl so they won't see her, is that true?”
Amina looked at her and said, “No, that's not true. You yourself are a witness, Yakumbo, that since she was a little girl, she hasn't been brought out much among people. She is always in the room with me, or with her nanny, or her tutor. To this day, the neighborhood residents don't really know what Heedayah looks like. It is rare for you to come to the house and see her in the living room; in fact, many times when guests visit, they leave without ever seeing her, which is why people think we are hiding her from sight.”
Yakumbo said, “Well, that is for the best. Otherwise, you never know who has an evil eye, and people would cast a bad omen on the girl. Honestly, you both are smart. Let them say whatever they want to say; the child's health and well-being come before everything else.”
Amina said nothing, so Yakumbo asked, “Does it mean even her Western education is done at home?”
Amina replied, “Yes, even her Islamic schooling.”
Yakumbo said, “Excellent! That is much better. Go and check on the child, the silence is becoming too prolonged. Let's hope those stray children of my neighbors haven't sneaked in and taken her outside.”
Amina quickly stood up, peering into the courtyard, and called out, "Heedayah??" Hearing no response, she walked out into the courtyard. Only her large toy baby doll, which she had been combing its hair, was lying on the mat along with the comb and her cap, but she was nowhere to be found.
Yakumbo stood up and said, “I knew it! They must have come in and lured her away. Those children—their parents have only given birth to a plague! Country children with absolutely no manners, honestly...”
Amina returned to the room, picked up her prayer hijab, and rushed outside. Yakumbo followed closely behind her, saying, “I just pray to Allah to protect me, and that they haven't dragged her to the stream, or I am ruined! The girl has no eyes, after all! She barely came to visit me before the devil used this opportunity to do as he pleased, bringing disaster upon me while I was just minding my business...”
Though Heedayah's mother tried to hold herself together, they began entering the neighbors' huts to search for Heedayah throughout the village, and her anxiety escalated severely upon finding no trace of her child…
Yakumbo was shouting expressions of shock in a panic, tossing her veil which refused to stay in place over her shoulders, and saying, “What am I going to tell my younger brother Umar, everyone?? Where am I going to say his daughter has gone?”
A woman from the village said, “A short while ago, I saw them heading toward the market with Hinde and Bibalo, and even Fatu. There were about six of them holding the girl's hand.”
Yakumbo shrieked, “Oh no! By Allah, her father is in Abuja, and he will have all their parents locked up if anything happens to his daughter! She is his only child, especially now that her mother is newly pregnant. She is twelve years old and has no eyes! So on what grounds would those stray children drag her off to the market? Will their parents buy her anything there?? Since the day before yesterday when they arrived at this village, I have been warning those stubborn children because of how they cling to her—some even playing with her hair—telling them to leave her alone. She can't even see their faces to begin with! What kind of calamity is this? The market road is treacherous, and kidnappings are rampant! Good heavens, people??”
Immediately, everyone dispersed and headed toward the market road, leaving Yakumbo standing alone, foaming at the mouth with rage. Eventually, she hurried after them when she saw they had gone far ahead.
Part 2: The Kidnapping and the Captivity
About five young girls were gathered beneath a mango tree, while two women up on the tree branches plucked ripe mangoes and tossed them down. The girls on the ground gathered them and stuffed them into a small sack. One girl, who was clearly the same age as them, was kneeling down, holding a mango and eating it. Her other hand gripped Fatu's dress, as Fatu was acting as her guide. She was exceptionally fair-skinned; one look at her and you would know she possessed Fulani blood, a fact further proven by her uncovered, loose hair without a cap. Her eyes were as stark white as milk, blinking gently in a way that would make one think she could see everyone perfectly clearly; however, she saw nothing but darkness. The entire area was filled with the chattering of the children who intended to take the mangoes to the market to sell.
Suddenly, a black car pulled up and parked at the spot. All the children turned around. Instantly, two heavily built men jumped out of the vehicle at high speed. The children scattered in flight, including Fatu, who forcefully wrenched her dress from Heedayah's grip. Even those on top of the tree leaped down and bolted. Heedayah dropped the mango from her hand and began looking around in sheer terror. The men pursued the fleeing children and managed to capture three of them. They picked up Heedayah as well and shoved them into the car. In the blink of an eye, the driver accelerated fiercely, and they sped away from the location.
The children wailed inside the car, including Heedayah, who kept screaming for her mother, crying, “Amina...”
The man sitting in the back pulled out a gun, pointing it at them with bloodshot eyes and a scowling face. He pressed a finger against his lips, signaling them to be quiet. Instantly, Ladi and the others went dead silent, their bodies trembling violently; Zulai even lost control of her bladder on the spot. Heedayah was the only one who did not cease her screaming. The man choked her neck, thrusting the gun at her, and snapped, “Oh, so you won't shut your mouth for us, huh?”
With her body shaking, Ladi stammered, “She can't see.”
The man began scrutinizing Heedayah, then nodded and muttered, "Well, all of you are about to stop seeing very soon." Saying this, he blindfolded the rest of the children with cloth wrappers. Because Heedayah refused to be quiet, he repeatedly struck her mouth and slapped her, but that did not stop her from screaming and fumbling around, trying to locate an exit. Finally, seeing that she would not hush, the man sitting in the front seat handed him a plastic bag and said, "Blow it into her face." This was done immediately, and total silence enveloped the car. Slowly, Heedayah went limp and fell against Ladi and the others.
On the way, the villagers crossed paths with Hinde and the other girls who had managed to escape. Crying and screaming, Hinde and her companions recounted what had occurred. Hurriedly, two women supported Heedayah's mother, who was on the verge of collapsing; she fainted right into their arms.
Yakumbo let out a loud cry of despair, every part of her body trembling. In utter shock, she kept repeating, "Well, that's it, I am finished! I am ruined and destroyed! Don't tell me it's kidnappers or ritualists who have taken Heedayah! What am I going to tell my brother, everyone???" She burst into intense weeping and was about to fall to the ground when people caught her. Midst frantic prayers, the parents of the other taken children also wept and followed the men who hurried toward the scene of the incident.
The abductors drove Heedayah and the others for nearly an hour before exiting the village boundaries completely, owing to the terrible state of the roads. They then parked at the edge of a dense forest because they were only a twenty-minute drive away from an upcoming checkpoint. Some sinister, ruthless-looking men emerged from the wilderness. The man in the back of the car quickly alighted and dragged Ladi and the others out, marching them into the forest after untying their blindfolds.
One of the gaunt men from the forest stared at Heedayah and asked, “What about this one?”
The man trying to pull her out replied, “You'll have to carry her. She was going to stress us out, so we knocked her out with powder.”
The gaunt man countered, “That's impossible. With this grueling trek ahead, you expect us to carry her? Just kill her and dump her right here so we can move on.”
Enraged, the first man snapped, "Kill her when we promised ten children today? We haven't even met our target, and out of the four we managed to get, you're telling us to kill one? Besides, you have no choice but to carry her, because she happens to be blind." Saying this, he dropped her onto the ground, hopped back into the car, and the driver sped away.
The gaunt man scoffed and picked Heedayah up, carrying her carelessly as if she were an animal. They plunged into the dark forest thick with large thorns, just as the Maghrib evening approached…
Part 3: The Captive Camp and a Secret Rescue
After a trek that seemed endless, they emerged on foot onto a paved road where a vehicle was waiting for them. They boarded it, and the journey continued. One look at the children and you could tell they were utterly exhausted. Heedayah had still not regained consciousness. It was close to 10:00 PM when they arrived at a small, uncompleted building. Around six men and women were sprawled out in a room that lacked proper lighting due to a tiny window situated high up on the wall. Ladi and the others were shoved inside, alongside Heedayah, who dropped to the floor without making a single movement.
One of the gunmen, who appeared to be the leader, held his weapon and looked at the guard watching over the captives, who also had a gun in hand. The leader asked, “What did you conclude with that man's relatives over the phone?”
The guard looked at the person he was referring to and replied, “There's absolutely no sign that they intend to pay the ransom money. They've even stopped answering the calls.”
Before he could finish his sentence, the boss shot the captive man they were discussing dead. This terrified the people seated in the room, especially the women. The deafening sound of the gunshot jolted Heedayah awake, and she let out a sharp scream. As she tried to pull herself up, a woman sitting near her quickly drew her close and muffled her mouth against her body.
The boss stared intently at Heedayah, then turned to the man beside him and asked, “Is she among the kidnapped targets?”
The man shook his head quickly and said, “No, they are villagers. We picked up four of them from a village yesterday. Didn't you say body parts were needed?”
The leader walked over to Heedayah, pulled her away from the woman's embrace, and scrutinized her thoroughly. Shaking his head, he remarked, "This one is the child of someone wealthy. It would have been good if she were a ransom target, but regardless, the body parts are still required." Saying this, he shoved her to the ground. The boss ordered the dead man's corpse to be dragged outside, after which all the gunmen exited and locked the door securely.
Ladi clung tightly to Zulai, weeping bitterly and calling out for her mother. A woman stood up and approached them, tears streaming down her own face, as she began to comfort and calm them along with the other captives in the room. One could easily see they were forcing themselves to be strong just to offer comfort. The woman next to Heedayah kept trying to revive her, fearing she had fainted…
It was close to dawn when Heedayah woke up again. She sat up with great difficulty, fumbling around her surroundings, and called out, "Ammi??" Hearing none of her mother's usual soothing responses, but instead sensing people lying down around her, she touched them and quickly drew her hand back in fright.
Zulai's voice whispered softly, “Be quiet, city girl. Ritualists have kidnapped us. Be quiet so they don't come in.”
Heedayah froze at first, but then she burst into loud cries, screaming for her mother. A man who was praying quickly concluded his prayers and rushed to her side to prevent the guards from entering, knowing that the captors detested nothing more than being screamed at; it would take very little for them to kill her if they came in. He began to soothe her, telling her she would return home, In sha Allah.
She, however, kept crying, “No! Take me to my Ammi and Abba right now...”
Her cries woke those who had managed to catch some sleep, and everyone in the small room took turns trying to quiet her down. Weeping, she told them she needed to use the restroom, and they pointed toward a small door inside the room.
Ladi remarked, "Uh, she can't see." Ladi's statement made everyone stop and stare at Heedayah. A woman stood up sorrowfully, took her hand, and guided her to the restroom.
By the time dawn broke and daylight arrived, Heedayah was still sobbing softly. She nudged the woman next to her and said through her tears, “Aunty, I am hungry.”
The woman drew her close again and said in a gentle voice, “Food will be brought soon, God willing.”
It wasn't until 10:00 AM that the room door was unlocked. Everyone sat frozen, praying silently in their hearts. Three masked men entered, each aiming a gun. A fourth man, whose face was also covered, held a large bag containing small loaves of bread. From where he stood, he began throwing a loaf of bread and a sachet of water to each person. He threw one to Heedayah, who was turning her eyes toward wherever she heard the sound of the bread landing.
As Zulai stood up to retrieve it for her, the man shot her a menacing glare through his mask, which revealed only his eyes. Trembling, Zulai stammered, “Uh, she can't see, that's why.”
The man looked at Heedayah again. Her white eyes were fixed in his direction, yet she supposedly couldn't see. He yelled at her, “Extend your hand and pick it up yourself!”
Thoroughly terrified, Heedayah began fumbling around to find the bread, but she couldn't locate it because it had landed behind her. He walked further into the room, gun in hand, causing all the occupants to hold their breath as he approached Heedayah, who had given up searching and simply bowed her head. He bent down, picked up the bread, handed it to her, and said, “Take it.”
As she fumbled for his hand, he guided it and placed the bread in her palm. Looking toward the direction of his hand with her eyes filled with tears, she whispered softly, “Thank you.”
He set a sachet of water down for her, kept the remaining bread, stood up, and exited the room. His companions followed him out and locked the door. The woman next to Heedayah embraced her, tears spilling from her own eyes, as she took the bread, unwrapped it, and handed it back to her. Meanwhile, Zulai and Ladi had already devoured their bread greedily, eyes darting around.
Ammi lay on a hospital bed with an IV drip attached to her hand, her eyes merely tracking the people inside the ward. She looked incredibly ill. Yakumbo sat in a corner on a chair, her chin resting in her hand, her eyes terribly swollen. She burst into a violent fit of weeping, crying, “Innalillahi wa Inna ilaihi raji'una! Allah, You alone know how to deal with these cruel servants of Yours! Oh Allah, protect my dignity and let my brother's daughter return in sound health. By Allah, she is all we have...”
Ammi's younger sister, who was also in the ward, burst into heavy tears, as did the other people inside. Heedayah's father sat close to Ammi, holding her hand. Not a shred of his immense distress was hidden from his face; he was merely trying to stay strong.
Yakumbo stood up, stumbling blindly as she exited the ward, looking as though she might faint from crying. She wailed, "That's it, we are ruined! She is my brother's only child! Even the pregnancy she was carrying has miscarried due to this trauma! What kind of cruelty is being practiced in this world, oh Khadijah! May Allah curse whoever separated us from Heedayah! May Allah avenge us and bring her back to us safely..." Heedayah's father's younger brother stood up and followed her out, also trying hard to control his tears.
Part 4: The Escape
Around the Asr afternoon hour, the door to the room where Heedayah and the others were kept was opened. Everyone scrambled backward in fear. Heedayah sat up from where she was lying, looking toward the sound of the door opening. Four men walked in, each armed with a gun.
Their leader pointed at a young man and said, "You, stand up. Your stay here has come to an end. Your relatives have done what was required." The young man stood up quickly, offering praises to God, while the remaining captives wept. He was led out.
The leader then pointed at another captive and said, "As for you, your relatives are playing games with us. By tomorrow, if they don't comply, we will send you to the afterlife so everyone can have peace..." Turning to the man beside him, he added, "Bring out one of the children to extract what is needed. The buyer is on his way later today, and another buyer is coming tomorrow evening." Having said this, he exited, and the others followed.
Only the man who usually brought them bread remained behind, along with the one ordered to fetch a child. The man ordered to take a child scanned the girls. The bread man walked up to Zulai, picked her up, and carried her out as she screamed and urinated on him. His partner followed him out and locked the door. The occupants of the room did no
