Uwa Ko Ukuba Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel
Dr. Musty's office was written on the door. He opened it and entered just as his phone started ringing with a flashing light, turning on and off since the phone was on silent. Passing by his desk where the phone lay, he glanced at his wristwatch and immediately picked up the phone. Seeing "Mamie" on the screen, he put the phone to his ear. In a voice showing patience and respect, he answered, “Mamie?”
From the other end, the voice of a mature, elderly woman, full of worry, said, “Assalamu Alaykum, Mustapha. Hamadi is running a fever; his body is as hot as fire, and he can't get up. I'm bringing him to your hospital. He won't tell me what's wrong with him. I'm not feeling well myself, I swear, my son, and his body is so hot...”
As he listened, Mustapha took off his lab coat and sat in the chair near the couch. Mamie's words had his full attention, though he didn't show worry. He asked, “Can he speak?”
Mamie, catching her breath, said, “How can we even talk about speaking? He can't even talk to me, although he can talk.”
The Doctor asked, “What about Hameed?”
Mamie said, “He left for work before 8, and Hamadi didn't tell him he was unwell. I'm sure he doesn't know either.”
A sigh escaped him. He said, “I'm on my way. Put a towel in water and wipe his body. Don't worry, Mamie, he will be fine.”
Mamie let out a sigh of relief that was audible over the phone. She said, "Okay, may God make it easy for you to come." She hung up.
He put the phone down, stood up, and took his car keys and his phone. He looked to be about 42 or 43 years old. He went into his own pharmacy hospital, collected the necessary medicines, a drip, and syringes, placed everything in front of his accountant, paid with a card handed over on a tray, and then went out. He got into a beautiful white Benz car and drove to their house.
It was a big, red-brick house—an old house, the kind owned by wealthy people. It was a very large house with a maroon gate. He honked, and a young guard who had just finished chewing kola nut opened the large gate. He drove into the compound. It was a very large, single, massive flat in the compound. To the side, there was something like a garden with guava, mango, and cashew trees, along with flowers. There was plenty of space in the compound.
He got out of the car and came out, looking around. Two other cars were parked in the parking area, along with a machine for making pure water—the kind that makes a kal kal sound. He walked towards the flat. Before he even opened the door, the smell of perfume wafted out. He quietly opened the door to the living room. No one was in the living room except Lami, who was sweeping. Quickly, she said, “Good morning, Baban Akram.”
"Fine, thank you," he replied. The living room was beautiful, with carpets spread everywhere and a huge TV on the wall. The living room was spacious. On the wall was a large picture frame with an elderly man and woman sitting, wearing expensive clothes, with five boys standing beside them. All their faces were visible except for one person who had turned away as if he was running, and the Mother was holding his hand tightly in the picture. He passed by the staircase and went straight upstairs to the first room at the top.
He put his hand on the door and opened it. The room was also very large and neatly arranged. There were two beds of the same size, each with a desk and chair to the side. There was an elderly woman, maybe around 57 years old, sitting by the bed near a tall, fair-skinned young man lying on the bed, who looked about 33 or 34 years old. He was wearing black joggers with no shirt, just a white vest. He had a very huge chest and large muscles. His eyes were closed. Mamie had placed a small towel on his forehead. He had a long nose and very pink, meaty lips. He had a lot of hair on his head, coiled and twisted like a white person's. Neither of them noticed Mustapha's movement until he approached the bed. Mamie turned and saw him. She said, “Doctor, you've come.”
He came to the front of the bed, put his hand down, took the towel from his forehead, and then took the one from Mamie's hand, placing it on the bed. Quietly, he looked at the young man and said, “Hamad! Hamadi!”
Slowly, the young man began to open his eyes before opening them completely. They were red from illness. My God, what kind of wild black eyes he had! With black eyelids. If you looked at him, you'd swear he wasn't wearing kohl, but he wasn't wearing kohl; Mamie gave birth to him with eyes like that. Mustapha, looking at him, said, “What's wrong with you?”
He was silent, as if he couldn't talk. The Doctor also stood observing him before turning to look at Mamie. He said, “Mamie, did he eat anything?”
Mamie shook her head and said, “I don't know if he ate dinner last night. Hameed said he ate, I'm sure.”
Quietly, he said, “Bring his breakfast, Mamie. He needs to eat.”
Mamie stood up and said, "Okay, thank God you're here. Let me go and get it." Having said that, Mamie got up, passed through the door, and left, closing it behind them.
The Doctor turned back to look at him, sitting by the bed. There was no sign of playfulness on his face; it was strict. He said, “Where does it hurt?”
He gave him a look, then gently touched his side and his hand with his own, blinking a little. He let out a small sigh. Quietly, the Doctor reached his hand, lifted his vest up. His six-pack abs were revealed. His hand went down and pulled his joggers down a little. His white CK boxers appeared, very white. The Doctor's hand went down and pulled the boxers down a little. Quickly, he said, “When did the pain in this area start? Why didn't you tell me?”
Just at that moment, the door opened abruptly. Someone wearing a lab coat quickly covered him, covering his groin area with terrifying speed. Chak! Even Mamie stopped at the door, looking at what they were doing. The Doctor looked at him, the way he had covered himself with just his lab coat, then turned to look at Mamie. Quietly, he said, “Mamie...”
Quickly, Mamie said, "Oh, I didn't know what you were doing. Let me go; when you're finished, call me." She turned and left with the food tray, closing the door behind her.
Dr. Mustapha turned back to look at him and said, "You have an infection in the area. I will dress it now, and then I'll get antibiotics for you. Probably what's causing the fever." As he said this, he took his lab coat back from him, stood up, and said, "Let me get the dressing kit." He got up to leave.
The fever was raging within him, but he just reached out and held the Doctor's lab coat. This made the Doctor look at him. He held onto him, not looking up, not making eye contact. Quietly, in a low voice that held a terrifying sweetness and a bit of hoarseness, he said, “Don't tell Mamie how bad it is.”
Mustapha stopped and looked at him, then just shook his head, took his coat back, walked past him, and left the room. He came out and went downstairs. Mamie was sitting in the living room, watching him. She stood up quickly and said, “What's wrong with him, Doctor? I was so worried I almost fainted, I swear. And he won't say what's bothering him. I know only you can get him to talk. That's just Hamadi's character.”
Dr. Mustapha gave a small smile and said, "You know Hamadi is shy. But nothing to worry about. It's just an infection in an area where he got injured at work. It's a minor problem. He's probably too shy to tell you; maybe he thought you would try to look at it. I'm going, Mamie; let me get the dressing things from the car." He walked past and went out.
Mamie stared after him, then just shook her head. So, this is the pain the boy has, and he wouldn't tell me? Hamadi's situation really calls for prayers.
It didn't take long before he came back with a hospital bag. He went upstairs and entered the room. He was lying down as he had left him, but he had taken off his vest and exposed everything on his body properly. He put the bag down, opened it, and wore gloves. He took out cotton wool, applied antiseptic, and started from the thigh. This time, he pulled his boxers down completely to treat the area. His fine, smooth skin was showing, with a little black hair. He applied the cotton and began to clean it. Gently, he winced, made a face, and moved his leg. The Doctor said, "Sorry, it's painful. I have to clean it; it will hurt." He winced as the Doctor cleaned the area. He let out a sigh, and tears of pain streamed from his eyes and dripped down.
The Doctor looked at him and paused. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Without opening his eyes, in a very low, barely audible voice, he said, “No.”
The Doctor just smiled and continued cleaning, his hands moving. He must have done it intentionally because he held his thigh, causing a sudden, sharp movement and a gasp of pain. He tried to pull away. The Doctor kept looking at him; tears were flowing from his eyes.
In a low voice, he said, “Should I call Mamie to hold you? Maybe you'll feel stronger. Should I call her?”
He shook his head, signaling 'no,' and released his hand. They continued for about 10 minutes, then he finished dressing the area. He fixed the drip and gave him an injection. He said, “Don't let water, soap, or anything touch the area. And don't wear trousers covering it.”
He nodded his head slightly. The Doctor said, "Let me get you some food to eat, then I'll give you the medicine." He walked out.
A short while later, he came back with a food tray. There was tea on it with a pleasant aroma, along with chips and egg, and also rice with miyan taushe. He put the tray down gently, made space, and moved the stool to sit by the bed near him. He took the tray and placed it on his lap. He picked up the tea and said, “Here, drink.”
He made a face. This made the Doctor say, "I will not say it again." Gently, he brought his hand, took it, brought it to his mouth, and took a small sip. The Doctor gave him a fork. He took a chip and brought it to his mouth. Quietly, he opened his mouth and accepted it.
Just then, Mamie came in, having finished her prayers. She said, “Oh, I know if you're the Doctor, he won't argue with you. I tried a little, and he started arguing. You don't want to see Hamadi's stubbornness when it comes to food.”
At that exact moment, the door opened. An old woman, about 80 years old, entered the room. She said, "So, even Lami didn't tell me Hamadi was unwell? And you didn't inform me, eh, Batula? I swear you have betrayed my trust! My husband, what's wrong with you?" As she said this, she was approaching the bed as if she would cry. She reached out her hand to touch him quickly. He moved back. Only Mamie was allowed to touch him.
The Doctor smiled a little and said, “Gwaggo, don't touch him; he's feeling cold.”
Gwaggo sat down nearby, just looking at Hamadi, then burst into tears. She said, “Oh me! Hamadi, you're giving me a heart attack, child. You're so delicate like a woman in early pregnancy. For seven days now, you've been going to work, and now this sickness has started. I said you should let me take you to the village to get some herbs for you, but you turned into a city boy and brought me to a doctor.”
The Doctor laughed and said, "Me too, Gwaggo? What about Abba?" (meaning, 'Am I not also your child?').
Waving her hand, Gwaggo said, "I swear, you! You're being hypocritical. You, who we sent to school to study medicine. The local herbs aren't good? Look at Hamadi, always sick. If it's not a cold today, it's a headache tomorrow, then malaria, then body pains. Child, you hardly eat. Besides God who is protecting him, I think a stray dog is healthier than Hamadi. His body size is from God, but he's just skin and bones. Now what should I say? You're killing my husband. You don't want to see me happy; you want to kill me, eh, my Hamadi?" She burst into a fresh round of tears, looking at him intently.
With his eyes, Mustapha was about to speak, which made Hamadi look at Gwaggo for the first time. He spoke. In a very low voice, he said, "Gwaggo." His voice was so husky, sweet, dominating, and captivating. It was very calming.
Quickly, Gwaggo looked at him, her eyes wide, filled with tears. Hamadi looked at the Doctor as if reading a message from his face, then looked back at her, very quietly, and said, "I am fine, I'm okay." In a low voice, he added, “Stop crying.”
Gwaggo smiled, wiping her eyes. She said, “Oh, look at him! It's only Mustapha's words he obeys. Oh God, look at this grandson of mine. May you not have troubles in this world, I swear to God. May He give you health. You've started eating and talking. You see, they always oppress him, his relatives, but Hamadi... uhmm... uhn... uhm... Even though he doesn't talk much, may God give you health, my son.”
Mamie said, “Ameen.”
He blinked, shaking his head away from the chips that Mustapha was feeding him. Gwaggo said, “Leave him like that, Doctor, I swear. I'm happy my child is eating like that. For that alone, we thank God.”
The Doctor stood up and said, “Gwaggo, let's go so he can get some sleep now.”
Quickly, Gwaggo said, “No, I'll sit with him here. You go.”
As if he was about to cry, Hamadi said, “Gwaggo, go.”
Mamie said, “Gwaggo, you know him. If we are here, he won't get that sleep.”
Gwaggo said, "Is that so? Okay, let me be right outside the door. If you need anything, just tap on the wall and call me, my son." She nodded her head. They left.
The Doctor looked at him and said, “I will come later. Do you want anything?”
He shook his head, signaling 'no,' adjusting his position. The Doctor turned and left as well.
