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"Really now! As for me, I swear I had already bought the henna paste and the application cone to bring to her, and I even paid her in advance because I didn't know you would be coming from that direction..."
"Well, she can just apply it for someone else and refund his money then," said Yaya Hamza, who was just walking into the house.
Nodding my head, I said, "Exactly! Just collect it and return his money to him since things have become easier. Yaya Hamza, please design our henna for us, for Allah's sake..."
"I won't do it..."
"Oh, come on, Yaya Hamza, please?"
"Honestly, I have too much work to do, I can't manage it..."
"Oh sure, but whenever you want something, you know exactly how to make me stress myself out for you; yet you can't do this one small favor for me. If it were Yaya Jafaru, he would have agreed by now. I swear, whether I speak up or keep quiet, Yaya Jafaru always does everything for me."
He laughed and replied, "Well, you said it yourself, Beenafah—that's Yaya Jafaru. Yaya Jafaru is different, and Yaya Hamza is different..."
"Beenafah!"
I heard Ammie call my name from the room, which prompted me to head inside, leaving them out there.
The following day, I didn't return home until nine o'clock at night. Upon my return late that night, I set about preparing the stew and tackling the mountain of other household chores waiting for me; I didn't get to sleep until dawn.
While we were getting dressed to head out to the Eid prayer ground, Yaya Jafaru walked in bringing the clothes that Ammie had given him to stitch days prior when she was ill—he had actually finished sewing them all.
I, on the other hand, had already finished getting ready, dressed in my brand-new Atamfa fabric, my new hijab, and my shoes. Hearing his greeting, I stepped out with a warm smile and said, "Wow, Yaya Jafaru, you look incredibly sharp... you look so handsome! This Shadda fabric suits you perfectly."
Flashing me a smile and nodding his head, he replied, "You look very beautiful yourself... Come, let's take a photo."
I stepped closer, and the two of us took several photos together using his phone. After we finished, he took several individual shots of me alone, continuing until Ammie and Bahrain finally stepped out. We then all headed out together toward the grand Eid mosque alongside Fakiha and her mother, our hearts overflowing with joy.
After the prayers were concluded, we returned home and sat down to enjoy a feast of food and drinks, happily exchanging Eid greetings and celebrating the completion of the fasting season.
We were sitting there in the house enjoying our casual conversation when, at around twelve o'clock noon, I turned to Ammie and said, "Ammie, let me get ready and visit Aunty Labiba's house. She told us that today is the only day she will be staying home; from tomorrow onward, she will be going to her parents' house and won't return until late at night."
"Alright, that's no problem. Give her my warmest regards..."
"Oh, Ammie, I really wished we could all go together—you, me, and Bahrain."
Shaking her head, she replied, "No, Beenafah... you go ahead on your own."
"Please, Ammie, at least let me go with Bahrain. I promised Adeel that I would bring Bahrain along."
"That's fine then, may Allah protect you both. Give them our regards... Here, take this two thousand naira and give it to him and Hanan. Tell them it's an Eid gift from me."
Filled with joy, I accepted the money. We got ready and hit the road, chatting happily all the way until we arrived.
As we walked into the compound, we found all the children of the house standing by their father's car, looking as though they were about to head out. I noticed some massive, exceptionally beautiful food flasks neatly arranged by the trunk of the car.
The moment Adeel and Hanan spotted me, they came running at full speed and threw their arms around me. Looking at them looking incredibly dapper in their highly expensive festive outfits, I exclaimed, "Wow... Masha Allah! Where are you all heading looking so grand?"
"We are going to Hajiya's house in Tudun Wada."
"Where is Hajiya's house?"
"It's our Daddy's mother's house."
"Oh... okay. Well, have a safe trip. Look, here is Bahrain; I've kept my promise and brought him to you..."
He laughed, then extended his hand and said, "Bahrain, Aunty Beenafah's brother, let's shake hands..."
While we finished up our little conversation, Muhsin and his younger siblings stood aside watching us intently. Finally, we turned to head inside the house. Before we could even take a few steps, I suddenly heard Hanan crying hysterically, screaming at the top of her lungs. Without a second thought, I spun around and rushed back to where they were. My blood boiled with intense rage when I saw Tima holding her down, beating her mercilessly, while that useless big-for-nothing Muhsin and Muhsina simply stood there watching her inflict pain on the little girl. I swiftly yanked Hanan away from her grasp, glared at Adeel, and snapped, "Are you out of your mind? Can't you see how she's beating her?"
"But Yaya Muhsin told everyone to leave them alone..."
"You foolish boy! How can you stand idly by while your little sister is being beaten? ...And you, Tima, why on earth are you doing this? Isn't she your sister? Just because you see she is smaller than you..."
Before I could even finish my sentence, Muhsin suddenly lunged forward and shoved me with such brutal force that I went crashing heavily to the ground, thud! I pushed myself up, my face a mask of absolute shock and burning humiliation, and I slapped him squarely across the face. How dare he shove me right in front of Bahrain and Adeel? This boy, who was supposed to respect me, had just stripped me of my dignity in front of the children—I swear to Allah, I couldn't let that slide.
Absolutely everyone present stood frozen, stunned by the slap I had just delivered. None was more shocked than Muhsin himself, who stood completely catatonic, as if he hadn't expected such a thing even in his wildest dreams. Adeel turned and bolted into the house, returning moments later alongside Aunty Labiba and about five guests she was hosting.
Deeply bewildered, Aunty Labiba rushed over and stepped between us. Muhsin was panting with rage, and I was breathing heavily too, feeling an overwhelming urge to wring his neck.
"Beenafah, what on earth is the meaning of this? Subhanallah!"
Wiping away the tears that began to spill over with the back of my hand, I retorted, "Aunty Labiba, you need to ask him what his problem is with me in this house...!"
The moment he saw his mother approach, he instantly burst into tears, completely shameless.
Charging toward us with pure venom and utter contempt, Hajiya Marwa swung her hand and slapped me hard across the face. As she raised her hand to strike a second time, Aunty Labiba firmly grabbed her wrist and demanded, "On what grounds, Hajiya Marwa? ...I asked you, on what grounds are you slapping her? Even if something happened, shouldn't you wait to investigate the matter step-by-step?"
"Labiba, are you seriously stopping me from slapping a maid?! A common maid who dared to slap my son and humiliate him in front of his younger siblings!"
"Do you even know what he did to her to make her slap him?!"
"What could he possibly have done to her?! She is nothing but a loose, disrespectful girl! I am well aware of everything she has been doing to him; I was simply biding my time for a moment exactly like this. Even I, how many times have I crossed paths with her in this house? Yet she struts around as if she's about to knock me over, parading through this house as if it belongs to her own father..."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Aunty Labiba countered, "No, I swear to Allah! Not Beenafah. Even Lailah (referring to their husband's sister), whom I know to be naturally detached and unfriendly, couldn't help but praise Beenafah's calm demeanor and excellent character..."
"Are you seriously gathering a crowd against us over a common maid, Labiba?! Well, I swear by Almighty Allah, I will take drastic action against this useless girl..."
"Even I, Hajiya Marwa, am shocked to find myself standing here fighting like this, but Beenafah is under my care, and it is my absolute duty to protect her and safeguard her dignity... Beenafah, tell me, what happened between you and Muhsin?"
No matter how hard Aunty Labiba tried to let me explain, Hajiya Marwa aggressively drowned out any attempt, throwing a massive tantrum as if I had murdered her precious Muhsin.
Seeing that she wouldn't let me utter a single word, Aunty Labiba grabbed my hand to lead me away from the scene, just as Adeel's Daddy stepped out from Hajiya Marwa’s section of the house.
Looking at the chaotic scene in utter bewilderment, he asked, "Is everything alright? What on earth is happening here?"
"What isn't happening! This loose, filthy girl just raised her hand and slapped my son, and I swear by Almighty Allah, I will not tolerate this. I see no reason why we should be living in absolute peace, only for a common maid to come and drive a wedge between our children, trying to incite fighting, hatred, and enmity among them. If not for sheer malice, what business does she have interfering in a sibling squabble between Tima and Hanan to the point of grabbing Tima and slapping her over Hanan? And then, when Muhsin spoke up, she slapped him too! Then she turned around and told Adeel to sit idly by while his sister is killed without defending her..."
Overwhelmed with boiling anger, their Daddy widened his eyes and glared at me. Overcome with emotion, I burst into heavy sobs, violently shaking my head to signal that it was a complete lie.
Hajiya Marwa let out a loud, contemptuous hiss and added, "Look at her displaying cheap, useless hypocrisy! I have been completely aware of everything you do to them, I merely chose to ignore you. Alhaji, I swear to God you must take action yourself, or I will take matters into my own hands. If you don't, she will rip your children apart..."
He turned his gaze toward Aunty Labiba, who was visibly bursting with frustration over the raw malice Hajiya Marwa had unleashed, and said, "Labiba, you haven't said a word..."
Slowly closing her eyes, which had completely changed color from distress, she looked at him and spoke in a very hushed, restrained voice, "What am I supposed to say, Barrister? You know very well that I despise conflict. I am absolutely certain that if these accusations are thoroughly investigated, the truth will turn out to be completely different. I swear to Allah, Beenafah would never do such a thing..."
"Labiba! What brought about all of this in the first place? And over whom is this entire conflict taking place? Over this girl, right? She is neither your relative nor mine. If she is the root cause of this chaos, then from this very day, she must never set foot in this house again. Dismiss her immediately; let her go find another house to work in..."
"But Barrister..."
He raised his hand sharply, signaling that he didn't want to hear another word, and cut her off, "Labiba! This isn't the first time Hajiya Marwa has been troubling me with complaints about this girl. Furthermore, Hajjo is right here; why haven't they ever lodged a single complaint against her? Labiba, I know you to be compliant with my instructions, and as long as we do this, I know I am not sinning against Allah—we are simply seeking peace and resolution. Therefore, please be patient and dismiss this girl; I do not want her ever stepping into this house again. For Allah's sake, please understand. If you need to find someone else to replace her, I won't stop you."
With that, he turned around, opened the car trunk to load the food flasks, got into the driver's seat, and sat there in total silence, resting his head heavily against the steering wheel.
Curling her lips in a sneer, Hajiya Marwa hissed loudly and remarked, "Useless nonsense. Look at you wasting your breath begging and pampering her, treating her like she's made of gold just so her feelings won't get hurt."
Pausing her rant, she turned her attention to Muhsin and the others and ordered, "Get in the car and leave. Tell Hajiya I said she should keep the food flasks; I will send the driver to pick them up later."
She stood there watching until they had all piled into the vehicle, after which she turned around, swinging her shoulders arrogantly, and strutted back into the house.
Peeking out of the car window, their Daddy called out, "Adeel... Hanan! Come on, let's go."
Adeel turned to look at his mother, his eyes pleading, "Mummy, please don't let Aunty Beenafah stop coming. For Allah's sake, please beg Daddy. I swear she didn't do anything wrong; it was Aunty Muhsina who went and told him those lies..."
Looking down at him with a forced, strained smile, she comforted, "Go on, Adeel. Tell Hajiya I send my regards and wish her a happy Eid celebration. Tell her I will visit soon."
Slowly, her guests began to excuse themselves and head back inside, each whispering their own take on the dramatic event.
Slowly, she walked over to where I was kneeling on the ground, weeping hysterically from the sheer weight of the humiliation. She gently lifted me to my feet, looked directly into my tear-filled eyes, and said:
✍️ OUM-AMEER ✍️
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ADABI WRITER'S ASSOCIATION
AMEENA IBRAHIM
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PAGE 15
"Beenafah! Please have patience... For Allah's sake, please forgive this. I swear to Allah I don't believe a single word she said against you; I know deep down you didn't do any of those things. Have patience and go home. May the Almighty Lord grant you a far better place than this house."
I merely nodded my head without uttering a single word; my mouth felt incredibly heavy, as though a physical muzzle had been placed over it. I slowly took hold of Bahrain's hand as a wave of sudden darkness seemed to wash over and cloud my vision.
I didn't cast a single glance back at her as we walked away, just as I didn't hear her call my name. With great difficulty, I managed to stumble toward the main gate, where my legs completely gave way and I collapsed onto the bare ground. I burst into a violent, agonized scream, crying out, "Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un! I am completely ruined, I, Beenafah... Today is the darkest, most cursed day of my life! Where do I turn to find peace? Oh destiny, why must you be like this? Why do you cast such a shadow over our lives just when we have endured so much suffering to rebuild it...?"
I screamed these words at the top of my lungs, wrapping my hands tightly around my head. My heart pounded so violently against my chest it felt as though it would shatter my ribs and burst right out.
Terrified by my frantic state, Bahrain also burst into tears, flinging his arms around me in a panic and crying, "Aunty Beena, what are we going to do now?"
Cradling him tightly, I shook my head frantically and sobbed, "I don't know what we are going to do, Bahrain!!! I don't know! Just when we finally let our guard down, believing that our sorrow and misery had left us for good... it turns out there is still hidden danger waiting for us. Today, out of nowhere, the worst has happened before we could even secure our standing. Bahrain, my entire dream has been completely shattered... My dream has crumbled to pieces, Bahrain! Oh my God! Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un."
The voice of the security guard, who had witnessed the entire ordeal from the start, cut through my panic as he consoled, "Please have patience, Beenafah. Hand your affairs over to Allah; in sha Allah, He will provide a remedy for you. Crying like this out here will achieve nothing; please be strong, stand up, and head home before you draw an entire crowd of onlookers to yourself."
"Aunty Beenafah, please stand up let's go back home to Ammie... Stand up let's leave, Aunty Beena... Please be strong and let's go."
Gently pushing myself up, I followed Bahrain's plea. We caught the road, and it was solely by the divine grace of Allah that I managed to find my way back home.
When we reached our front door, Yaya Jafaru and the others were still seated outside on a large mat celebrating the Eid festivities. At that moment, my mind was so utterly scrambled that I had completely forgotten it was even a day of celebration.
In a state of total panic, Yaya Jafaru rushed over to intercept us, demanding, "Goodness, Bahrain, is everything okay? Why is she crying?... I am asking you, what did they do to Beenafah to make her cry like this?!"
To be completely honest, I was deeply impressed by Bahrain's emotional maturity at that moment; he completely ignored Yaya Jafaru's frantic demands in the middle of the crowd. He knew Yaya Jafaru was only acting out of pure panic upon seeing the two of us crying so intensely. The moment he saw me slip inside the house, he followed closely behind me. Seeing this, Yaya Jafaru also charged into our house, completely frantic.
Seeing the state we were in as we burst through the door, Ammie accidentally dropped the plastic kettle she was holding to head to the restroom.
Clutching her chest in absolute terror, she cried out, "Subhanallahi! Beenafah, is everything alright? I am asking you, what is wrong? Bahrain, what happened?"
"Ammie, it's that house! They said they have fired Aunty Beenafah, and they warned her never to dare set foot in that house ever again..."
"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un! What could have caused such severe anger? What on earth did you do to them?"
"I swear to Allah she didn't do anything to them, Ammie! It was a highly malicious woman and her toxic children who humiliated her, and then their father ordered her fired, and that woman told her to get out."
Losing his temper completely, Yaya Jafaru barked, "Which woman is this? Bahrain, I asked you, which woman?!"
Ammie raised her hand to cut him off and said, "That is enough, Jafaru. Which woman are you asking about, and what exactly would you do to her if you met her? It is their house, after all. May Allah let this be for the absolute best. Please have patience and calm down; this hot-headedness will achieve absolutely nothing."
His heart heavy with bitter resentment, he stormed out of the house without uttering another syllable.
I collapsed heavily onto the floor, sitting cross-legged in absolute despair, and began a fresh cycle of intense, agonizing, and heart-wrenching tears.
I spent the next three days in that exact state, completely shut off and unable to speak to a soul. I fell into a state of profound psychological distress that words cannot describe, as a dark cloud of sheer terror completely gripped my heart. I kept asking myself: 'Now that we have lost this vital financial lifeline, what if the stress triggers Ammie and plunegs her right back into her severe, chaotic state of mental illness? And what will become of Bahrain's upcoming school graduation ceremony and his entire education? In fact, how are we even going to survive basic daily life...?!'
"Beenafah!"
Raising my heavily bloodshot and swollen eyes, I looked up at Ammie, who was standing right over me. I answered her in a faint, raspy whisper. Looking down at me with immense tenderness, she said, "Oh, Beenafah! Please be strong and have patience. Allah will surely grant us a way out..."
Instantly, a fresh wave of tears began to stream down my face as I wept, "Ammie... everything has been dragged right back to square one. How can I possibly calm down, Ammie? Life is going to become incredibly difficult for us... so incredibly difficult, Ammie. I don't want you or Bahrain to ever face the horrific suffering we barely survived in the past..."
Pulling me into a tight embrace while wiping away her own silent tears, she comforted, "In sha Allah, we will never repeat the horrific life we left behind. Allah is fully aware of our plight; He will grant us another way out just as He did in the past. Remember this: it wasn't by our own cleverness or intelligence that we escaped that dungeon of misery before—it was entirely by His divine power and grace. And even now, in sha Allah, He will provide a way out for us..."
"Bu... but Ammie, the hardship..."
"I told you, that is enough. Absolutely everyone is deeply heartbroken over the state you are in; look at how devastated Jafaru has been. Please have patience and leave the choice to Allah."
Nodding my head submissively, I whispered, "Alright, Ammie, I will stop... May Allah choose what is best for us."
"Amen. Now stand up, go over there, and eat something. Be patient with life's trials."
As for Aunty Labiba, ever since the Barrister dismissed Beenafah, she had been completely unable to find any peace of mind. In fact, since returning from her parents' house the day after Eid, she hadn't stepped foot outside her front door. Beenafah completely occupied her thoughts, and not a single day went by without Adeel and Hanan bringing her up, continuing until the Eid celebrations ended, the children returned to school, and she went back to her workplace.
Today, at around five o'clock in the evening, she was sitting in her inner living room, utterly exhausted after just returning from work. As she sat there lost in deep thought, Hajjo knocked on the door and informed her that she had a female guest. After a brief pause, she instructed Hajjo to let her know she would be out shortly.
Walking into the sitting room, her eyes locked with those of her closest friend, Jamila Hadi. Flashing her a warm smile, she pulled up a chair and sat directly opposite her to exchange pleasantries. After Hajjo brought in some water and light refreshments and stepped out, Labiba looked at her friend and confessed, "Jamila, I am in deep distress... absolute distress."
Slowly setting her glass cup down on the table, Jamila asked, "Subhanallah! What is the problem, Labiba?"
"Hmm! Jamila, it's about my maid. She is an exceptionally good, incredibly respectful, and well-behaved girl. She is highly proficient at her work, deeply loyal to me, and fiercely loves my children—goodness, you need to see how much Adeel and the others adore her. Out of nowhere, Hajiya Marwa and her children targeted her, creating a massive issue until Barrister stepped in and fired her just to satisfy them. They dismissed her in the most humiliating manner, Jamila. I felt far more ashamed and embarrassed for that girl than you can ever imagine, because of how deeply he degraded her in front of everyone before throwing her out. Human beings deserve dignity..."
"Oh dear! Is it that same girl I once found doing the laundry here?"
Nodding her head, she replied, "Yes, her! What breaks my heart the most is that I didn't even know the extent of the cruelty they were inflicting on her until after Barrister fired her; Adeel was the one who filled me in on some of the things, so imagine what else she kept hidden. Jamila, I have lived alongside Hajiya Marwa for sixteen long years, and I have never let her bother me or get under my skin. I think I've only ever had a verbal disagreement with her twice in my entire life, and that was only because she tried to completely trample all over me, as she possesses absolutely no goodness in her. My actual plan was to enroll Beenafah in a culinary institute to learn professional cooking and catering—just like I did for Hajjo—so that the moment Hajjo gets married, since her wedding is coming up, Beenafah could easily step in and take her place. I am deeply pained by what happened. They are orphans, Jamila! She lives entirely alone with her younger brother and her mother, and every single month she would seek my permission to take her mother to the hospital, meaning she suffers from chronic ill health. Jamila, I am desperate to find a way to help her, but I highly respect Barrister's commands, so I have no choice but to let her go here. My mind is completely blocked; I desperately need a solution."
Jamila sat in absolute silence for a few moments, carefully analyzing the situation. Finally, letting out a soft sigh, she looked at her friend and suggested, "Well, my advice here is quite simple: since you are deeply determined to help them, why don't you employ her at your mother's house?"
Labiba's eyes widened in slight surprise, but she remained silent, prompting Jamila to nod encouragingly and add, "Yeah! Since you want to support her, just send her over there to continue working under your mother (Hajiya). That way, you will always get regular updates about her well-being, you'll know exactly what condition they are in, and whenever you want to see her, you can easily do so during your visits..."
Bursting with pure joy, Labiba exclaimed, "May Almighty Allah reward you abundantly, Jamila! Thank you so much, may Allah preserve our friendship, amen. I swear to you, this brilliant idea didn't even cross my mind; I have spent months stressing out and agonizing, desperately looking for a way out."
"Amen, amen, ya Allah. You see? Everything is perfectly resolved now, and Allah will surely reward you heavily for your noble intentions toward them."
"That is exactly what I will do, Jamila. Let me call Hajjo right this second to see if she even knows where their house is located..."
She picked up a small electronic buzzer resembling an AC remote control and pressed it. Over in the kitchen, while Hajjo was busy prepping the evening meal, she heard the device beep, signaling that her mistress was summoning her. Wiping her hands dry, she walked into the living room and offered a polite greeting.
Looking up at her, Labiba asked, "Hajjo, do you happen to know where Beenafah's house is?"
"I swear I don't know their house, Aunty. However, a few days ago after the Maghrib prayer, she called me using a different phone number just to check up on us. After we greeted, I asked if it was her personal line, but she said no—she explained it was her older brother's phone, and she was just calling to ask how Adeel and the others were doing..."
"Did you save the number, Hajjo?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "No."
Raising her voice slightly in frustration, Labiba snapped, "Why on earth didn't you save it?..."
"Calm down, Labiba... since she already—"
Original Summary
Narrative Context
This text is a continuous excerpt from the Hausa drama novel Ganin Ido, written by Ameena Ibrahim (Oum-Ameer) under the Adabi Writer's Association. The plot alternates between Beenafah's modest family home during Eid-el-Fitr celebrations and the affluent household of her employer, Barrister, highlighting the stark class disparities and domestic politics within polygamous wealthy families in Northern Nigeria.
Plot Outline
- Festive Joy and Domestic Prep: The story opens with a lighthearted exchange between Beenafah and her protective older neighbor/relative, Yaya Jafaru, alongside the uncooperative Yaya Hamza, regarding Eid preparation and henna designs. Despite working through the night to prepare Eid meals, Beenafah, her mother (Ammie), and her little brother (Bahrain) experience a rare moment of pure happiness celebrating Eid and taking photos with Jafaru before Beenafah leaves to visit her employer.
- The Household Altercation: Beenafah visits the home of her kind employer, Aunty Labiba, to bring an Eid gift to the children (Adeel and Hanan). There, she witnesses Tima (the daughter of Labiba’s hostile co-wife, Hajiya Marwa) viciously beating little Hanan, while Marwa's eldest son, Muhsin, enforces a bystander policy. When Beenafah intervenes to protect the toddler, Muhsin violently shoves her to the ground. In defense of her dignity before the children, Beenafah retaliates by slapping Muhsin.
- Unjust Dismissal: Hajiya Marwa uses the altercation to orchestrate a massive scene, severely slapping Beenafah and falsely accusing her of inciting violence. When the patriarch, Barrister, steps in, Marwa slanders Beenafah as a "filthy, loose maid." Despite Aunty Labiba’s desperate defense of Beenafah's pristine character and Adeel’s protests, Barrister sides with Marwa to maintain peace in his home, permanently firing Beenafah and ordering her banishment from the estate.
- Despair and a New Lifeline: Beenafah falls into deep psychological despair upon returning home, weeping for three days out of fear that losing her financial lifeline will cause a relapse in her mother's severe mental illness and halt Bahrain's education. Ammie comforts her, urging her to trust in divine providence. Meanwhile, a guilt-ridden Aunty Labiba, unable to find peace over the cruel humiliation of her orphaned maid, strategizes with her friend Jamila. They hatch a plan to bypass Barrister's ban by secretly employing Beenafah at Labiba's mother's house, establishing a financial safety net for Beenafah's family.
