Halin Girma Hausa Novel Complete
The sight of Abba's shoes at the entrance of the living room made her pause and sigh. She opened the curtains with a faint smile, her eyes meeting Mama's, who was already gazing at the door. The look Mama gave her was layered with meaning—one only she could understand.
"Abba, welcome home," she said softly, sliding to the floor.
"My dear, where are you? Your mother asked you to eat earlier, but you refused the food because it had gone cold, right? In this weather, nothing stays warm for long," Mama said.
"I'm at Gaji's place," she replied, lowering her gaze again.
"Be careful and do what you're supposed to. May God bless you."
"Amen," she murmured, quickly rising and retreating to her room, avoiding Mama's penetrating gaze. Inside, she found Zeenat lying on the bed, engrossed in her phone. She moved quietly, opened her bag, changed her clothes, folded her hijab neatly, and then spread her prayer mat. Sitting down, she pulled out the Islamic book they had been given and began reading, her voice soft and deliberate.
"Malama, you're distracting me," Zeenat said, pulling the phone away from her ear to complain. She ignored her and kept reading.
"Mtsww!" Zeenat hissed, dragging out the sound in frustration. "Baby, let me call you back later," she said into the phone.
"Owk, dear. I'm waiting," came the response before she ended the call. Zeenat crossed her legs and sat next to her.
"Malama, all the Islamic studies you did at Islamia weren't enough for you? You went to school just to chase something else, but everyone knows why you insisted on going—the master said he wanted it."
She didn’t respond, which annoyed Zeenat further. Zeenat reached out to snatch the book, but she quickly pulled it away and stood up.
"By God, just stick to your studies! Otherwise, you'll face the consequences. You know how much he admires you for studying," Zeenat retorted.
"No matter what you say, I won't thank you. It's not because I'm afraid of you—I just don’t like chaos and noise," she replied calmly.
"Fine! Thank you for nothing. I'll go straight to Mama now," Zeenat said, storming out.
Left alone, she went to the kitchen, where a pile of dishes awaited her. Wrapping her hands, she began washing. She found her food in the pot—it was stone cold. She detested cold meals, especially in weather like this, but knowing Mama wouldn't tolerate waste, she reheated it. Afterward, she cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, wiping the stove and mopping the floor. Once done, she stepped out to retrieve something from Gaji’s place, then returned to her room with her mattress from storage.
Zeenat was still on a call, so she quietly went to the bathroom to perform ablution. After completing her witr prayer, she lay down under a tattered sheet and drifted to sleep.
The next morning, she woke up early and followed her usual routine. Since it was Monday, she bathed, ate, and headed to Gaji’s place after ensuring Mama had already left. She napped briefly and returned to prepare the day's meal before heading to Islamia.
Later, while sitting with Gaji, her friend looked at her with concern.
"My friend, come here," Gaji said.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I’ve been noticing something off about you. You haven’t been yourself lately. Is there something troubling you? If you can’t share it with anyone else, you can tell me."
"It’s nothing, Gaji. That’s just how I am. Don’t worry about me."
"If you say so," Gaji replied, though her expression remained skeptical.
Deep down, she wanted to pour out her heart, but the thought of the consequences held her back. Mama’s verbal abuse wasn’t something others would take her side on; they would only defend Mama and label her the bad one. She felt trapped in her silence, knowing that speaking out wouldn’t change anything. Everyone had already accepted Mama’s behavior, and she would have to endure it alone.
