Mikiya Book 2 Complete Hausa Novel
From the very moment Allah decreed the existence of mankind upon the earth, whether he wills it or not, there are certain Destinies that perform a sequence of investigations on the body and soul of every servant. A shadow is a blessing whose existence the Lord has decreed to cling to every single thing, be it living or otherwise... It is always following closely,so much so that if a servant were to pour out his thoughts, he would notice it. The word Destiny! A word with two branches—be it good destiny or its opposite. Destiny is a close friend of the shadow, because a servant can never escape the cluster of his destinies. However fast you run, however slowly you walk, you cannot escape the cluster of destiny that the Lord of the heavens has decreed for you. Knowing this is why I understood the deeper meaning of the Hausa elder's proverb, "From the day of building, from the day of design,"it sat firmly, much like how a cap is placed perfectly on its spot.
Today, I am seen as a married woman, one who will continue to answer to this name until my last breath. The journey we took was a deep one to a certain neighborhood, or rather, to one which is no ordinary neighborhood, because by the time I entered, it was the reality of the cry. The traffic jam was what caused us to finally bring me to Salman's house. But I wouldn't call it my home. It was Hajiya Umma who broke the ice for me, saying, "Bring out your right foot with'Bismillah,' Maryam." Some warm tears washed my eyes again;it was confirmed then. "Wayyo, Allah!" My life seemed to spill out within my soul; I felt a pain wanting to erupt from deep, deep within the base of my heart. The feel of my palm being held made me whisper the name of Allah upon my lips.
I heard Gwaggo's voice, soothing, asking why I hadn't come out yet, or had I seen a car I liked and tied myself to it? "Allah is King, this is the right car for you." At a time when I was pitying myself, mourning the new life for which Destiny had opened a new chapter. This beautiful, elderly woman intervened, saving me from Gwaggo's fussing by taking my hands into her own. "Let's go to your forever home by the grace of God." She said as she led me into their maddeningly large gate at Salman's house..…
And so they led me in, myself wrapped up, wiping the tears that refused to stop until that moment. Right from our entry into the house, I started hearing the whispers of Gwaggo's praises for the house. And I myself am a witness, even from the way the house was lit and the feel of something soft like velvet that my feet were sinking into. But despite all that, I felt nothing different about the marriage yet, except that the words of Anne wandering in my head—what did her words mean? That was the only interpretation of the answer I was seeking with my dazed, half-closed eyes.
My thoughts halted abruptly when we reached the entrance to the house's parlor. This was new, because the room was already filled with people's talk; everyone was pouring blessings from their mouths about the house.
In the parlor, I was seated at a place they called the 'grandmother of the groom's' spot, which at first surprised me, because I knew Salman didn't have a grandmother; his genealogy showed he never mentioned one, and I never knew his grandmother except in a photo. (Maybe from his father's side).I thought to myself as I finished sitting down. What locked my head up again was how the woman they called 'Grandmother of the groom' also greeted us with dignity and respect; I heard them greeting Hajiya Umma. I felt my hand being held, forcing me to look up to see who it was. If I said I didn't feel my brain spin,I'd be lying, because when I looked up, I saw the face of a beautiful, fair, elderly woman that resembled a face I had known in my life. I simply forgot where I was and what I was doing, which made me lower my head, drawing a deep breath from my heart. I saw how she too was staring at me with her own eyes. She composed herself, her face brightening with a beautiful smile, and uttered, “Masha Allah, at your presence in my arms, Maryam.”
Then she went into a stream of prayers, while the other bridal escorts had already spread out in the house, and I heard it being said that I wouldn't sit here. What tied me up most was how I felt this woman was hinting, saying that tomorrow, Insha Allah, their jet and private plane would take off. Then I started questioning my heart, "So, these Salmans aren't based here in Lagos?" But anyone who knows the 'Isa Manu' in Lagos knows him. This question I asked in my heart, for I had no one to answer me. My thoughts were cut off when Hajiya Umma and the others got up to leave; they were going to have a discussion in private, which I, for one, didn't understand.
Because I heard them bidding her farewell, saying, "May Allah grant you a safe stay," and to Mama Abdalla, there was a kind of... a subtle facial gesture. Because the blind seek a seeing guide; they missed it. That's why they made a sort of huff, turning their noses up, not wanting to see my life straightened out. They didn't know that everything that will happen to a person is written by the Lord of Majesty from the start. He is the one who plans all our clusters of destinies since before we came to this world. My thoughts were interrupted a second time when Hajiya Umma was saying, "Well,Fulani, we will be going. May God grant you peaceful coexistence, and may He settle you well, and may He make this house a home of peace." (I didn't say Amen), I replied in my heart. “Well,Merrah, we are leaving. Everything saved for the matrimonial home requires patience, because everyone has their own. Except for a marriage like yours, with no groom, no groom's family. You just have to be patient and endure patiently.”
The voice of their mother, Umman Ibrahim, pierced my eardrums. Before I could return from the trance of the journey I had embarked on, I overheard the voice of the woman called Fulani, spoiling the reply, saying, “Fine!So marriage is about patience! Not seeing the groom or his family, don't you worry, one day you will understand, because people of value are not found cheaply or easily! But wait, has something slipped your mind to worry about? Very soon you will know it and even see it, because it's like a flash of lightning; you see it now, and the next moment it's gone from your sight. So be prepared and expectant, because the Hausa elder says, 'EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.' Therefore, hold this word firmly to your chest, besides your supporters and well-wishers; hold the word firmly.”
Everyone in the parlor stood still, looking at this elderly woman, including me. I wouldn't say I was locked up, because when one is locked, one is silent, but my mouth was wide open, all nine-nine, give me three. I got three. “Merrah, is this my marriage? And it came to me like this, twisted, like the bride of a nightmare.”
One after the other, they went out; their cars picked them up and took them away. I sat watching this before my very eyes, everyone I would have called mine had gone and left me ruined in this twisted house. Not long after they left, the first wife came and took me, held my hand, and showed me a room where I would sleep. At once, my body died again; my vitality slipped away after she left, reminding me of the journey of the models ahead of us tomorrow. I mentioned the toilet because I needed to splash water on my body again, if only to mix myself with the heat. A sort of steam was even coming out of my head from the intense heat it was absorbing…
