An old woman sat hunched on a small stool, sifting corn flour in a large wooden bowl.
“Oh! Me Indo, where could Ameenatou be? Imagine someone going out early in the morning and still hasn’t returned.”
She paused like someone expecting a response, scoffed, and said,
“I too forget easily. That Ameenatou, only Ibro and Hansai could have given birth to such a girl, she acts like she was raised by her grandmother.”
She calmly continued her sifting without any worries until she finished. Then she stood and entered the kitchen. Suddenly, someone barged in and rushed past her into the room. The old woman stared at the spilled flour on the floor in shock, then looked at the girl’s footsteps, about to say something when she heard greetings from the entrance.
She remained standing and gave permission for the visitors to enter while trying to gather the spilled flour.
The Accusers Arrive
When she looked up to see who entered, her face turned stern—five people and a few little kids were present. It was Tumba, the bean cake seller, with her daughter, Halliru the chicken seller, and a girl and a boy. The girl was soaked in red palm oil.
They exchanged brief greetings. One of the men said:
“We’ve come because of Ameenatou.”
“Well, I’m listening.”
“The girl’s mother sent her to deliver red oil to Sahura’s house. She met Ameenatou on the way, and for no reason, Ameenatou poured it all over her after forcing her to take it in her mouth.”
The old woman looked at the girl, who was taller than Ameenatou, eyed her from head to toe, and said:
“You’re this big and chubby like a sack of cement, and you want me to believe my granddaughter did this to you? You’ve come with your drama and lies as usual! Look at your legs like shovels and your worn-out mother—you both are here to cause trouble again? Well, this time, even the glance from my granddaughter wouldn’t touch her, not to mention a hit! Now you, Halliru, speak up!”
More Allegations
“She came pretending to be a helpful girl, chatting with me while stealing my beans using her friends. It was after she left that I realized what damage she had done to me!”
Halliru ended his tale, panting in anger like he was about to strangle the old woman. She then looked at Tumba, who was also fuming.
“You too, speak before you explode.”
“I’ll only speak once your notorious granddaughter shows up.”
She said, glaring at her daughter, whose forehead was swollen, eyes barely open due to sand, lips bleeding, and face deformed.
The old woman clapped her hands and said,
“Ameenatou is not here. Say what’s on your mind or swallow it.”
They all glanced at the footprints in the spilled flour—they were sure Ameenatou was inside listening. Their mouths dropped open as they turned their gaze back to the old woman, who scowled deeper.
“I’m waiting, you know. I have things to do. If you’ve got no work, I do.”
She said to Tumba, then turned to Halliru, pointing her finger.
“I’ve never seen a worthless man like you. You look into my eyes and call my granddaughter a thief? There’s no thief in my lineage, maybe you’re seeing your reflection. You claim they stole your beans? Be thankful they didn’t take your chickens! You think I’ll compensate you or beat my orphaned granddaughter like a mule? Not Indo! I don’t contribute to a group that doesn’t share profit. If you had spoken the truth, maybe I’d help. But you added lies, so even if you report me to the district head or village chief, I Indo Saleh, friend of Lantana Sabi’u’s mother, say I won’t give you a single coin! Leave my house before I lose my temper! You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today!”
Accusations Against the Old Woman
“Wallahi Inna, fear God. This is not protecting Ameenatou anymore—this is enabling her. She committed a wrong, and you’re supporting her.”
“So now I beat her and you call her cursed? You say I’m shielding a cursed child?”
They all widened their eyes in shock. Halliru opened his mouth to defend himself:
“Inna, that’s not what we meant. We’re just reminding you.”
The old woman burst into dramatic tears, as if someone had died.
“After calling me cursed and a liar? Even your parents wouldn’t dare call me that! Let me show you how tiny and insignificant you are.”
She grabbed the pestle beside the mortar. Knowing how volatile she could be, they all ran before she even raised it.
“You’re lucky! You would’ve seen the peak of disrespect today! And you, thief girl, come out!”
Ameenatou’s Mischief Unleashed
Ameenatou peeked out carefully, confirmed they were gone, then burst into laughter.
Granny smirked and said, “Look at you, always up to no good. If I had let them beat you, I’d have had peace.”
“Well, who exactly was harmed? You’d be the one crying, not me. The other day I was sick, and all you people did was cry! Ehn, maybe I should die so everyone can be free since you’re tired of seeing me!”
Granny widened her eyes and hugged her, “Don’t talk about death! Now go bathe. You haven’t bathed since day before yesterday.”
“Wallahi I won’t. I’m not a mermaid. I crave fish! Let me call Furera and Lantana—we’re going to the fish seller!”
Granny held her head, “Oh, God, thank You for giving me Ameenatou. But all that happened today wasn’t enough for you? You want more?”
Ameenatou skipped off joyfully, “Heat some bathwater for me, Inna, I’ll come back and bathe. Let’s go to the fish seller. Ehee, fish is delicious! I’ll bring you some too, Babar Mama Ameenatou Indo!”
She ran out but returned quickly.
The Urgent Bathroom Run
Granny was startled.
“What is it now?!”
She picked up the water kettle, breathing heavily.
“Wallahi I feel like pooing! It’s coming out, oh God!”
Granny scoffed, “And here I thought the world was ending with that kind of run!”
She continued her cleaning, humming old songs.
Ameenatou was in the toilet for almost 30 minutes without coming out.
“Hey, Ameenatou, are you sleeping in there?!”
“Eheem, eheem, Granny, I swear I’m battling constipation.”
It took nearly an hour before she came out, panting.
“Ah! I’ve really overfed. The smell even disgusted me. We went to Furera’s place, cooked beans, and finished it all!” She laughed hard.
Granny sighed, “Enjoy it then.”
Ameenatou came close to Granny, released a terrible fart, and ran away laughing.
“Granny, that one’s for you!”
Granny covered her nose in disgust, yelling,
“You’ll return and meet me! I’ll repay that fart! Even I’m on her fart savings list—no forgiveness until I repay in kind!”
Scamming the Candy Seller
Ameenatou met a candy seller.
She stopped politely.
“Good afternoon, Baba Mai Alewa.”
He grinned, “Welcome, girl. How much candy do you want?”
“I want plenty. Granny said I should buy some for charity.”
Greedy as always, the seller eagerly dropped his load.
“Ma sha Allah, then I’ll give you two full bags!”
Ameenatou smiled.
“No, just one. I don’t want waste—I’ll do giveaway.”
“But there’s barely any profit in one bag.”
“Okay, then forget it—I’m not buying.” She turned to leave.
“Wait, child! I’ll give you one and a half bags. Let me wrap it.”
(Truth be told, what he poured didn’t equal one full bag. But greed took over.)
“Alright then, wrap it quickly. I’m in a hurry before Granny scolds me.”
“Sorry, little girl, I’ll pack it now.”
He sang a little song as he poured the candy and handed her the bag.
“Alright, sweetheart, now give me the money.”
She looked in the bag, then said, “Close your eyes. Granny said I shouldn’t show money in public.”
He closed his eyes.
“You’re right, your Granny is wise. One must be careful these days.”
She looked at him, burst into laughter, then slowly slipped away.
“You’re not done yet? Your Granny really trained you. Hurry, child!”
Still, no sign of Ameenatou.
He opened his eyes—no candy, no girl, no money!
He stood in shock.
“Where is she?! Where is she?! Did I just meet a jinn? I’m doomed!”
He sat down and began crying.
Ameenatou peeked out, laughing.
“Oh my stomach! Look at the old man crying! Oh my God!”
She laughed even harder and peeked again while licking the candy.
A Frightening Prank
The old man kept crying, “God will judge! Evil child! I won’t forgive you—even if you’re in heaven!”
Seeing he wasn’t leaving, Ameenatou began to shout in a scary voice,
“Hey man! Hey man, I’m warning you!”
He looked around, terrified.
“You must leave this area now or I’ll enter your body!”
The man instantly peed himself in fear and took off running like mad.
Ameenatou rolled on the ground laughing, especially when she saw where he peed.
She ran into Furera’s house, eating candy and singing.
More Mischief Brewing
Furera’s greedy mother asked, “Ah, Ameenatou, what did you bring us?”
She sneered, “It’s Jinn candy I found on the road. If you want some, be my guest.”
Eyes wide, Furera’s mom replied, “Ah, I’m full! I fear jinns!”
She turned to Furera, “Let’s go to the fish seller, I really want fish.”
Furera replied, “But Ameenatou, we just barely escaped trouble—what if we’re caught?”
“Shut it! You talk too much like a new goat. Stay if you want. Even Lantana’s not coming. But mark my words—I’m going! Every man for himself.”
Furera, hearing “separation,” quickly whispered,
“Please forgive me, Ameenatou, don’t leave me behind.”
Ameenatou’s face lit up with joy—nothing pleased her more than being called “Goggo” and hearing “city” talk.
“You’re lucky, dear girl. May God bless you. Let’s party in the city! Call Lantus, I’ll make you two look like city girls before Uncle Audu comes to take us!”
Fashion Parade Begins
As Lantana stepped out, Ameenatou called back, “Wait! Didn’t you thank me?”
“I thank you, Goggo Ameenatou!”
“Good! Hurry up—today we’ll feast on fish like never before!”
Within minutes, Furera and Lantus returned.
Ameenatou said, “Now lift me up, let’s go. Even Jiddah, the policewoman’s wife, gets carried by her friends.”
With no choice, they obeyed as Ameenatou sat on their backs, licking candy—refusing to share.
Description
The Grumbling Old Woman
An old woman sat hunched on a small stool, sifting corn flour in a large wooden bowl.
“Oh! Me Indo, where could Ameenatou be? Imagine someone going out early in the morning and still hasn’t returned.”
She paused like someone expecting a response, scoffed, and said,
“I too forget easily. That Ameenatou, only Ibro and Hansai could have given birth to such a girl, she acts like she was raised by her grandmother.”
She calmly continued her sifting without any worries until she finished. Then she stood and entered the kitchen. Suddenly, someone barged in and rushed past her into the room. The old woman stared at the spilled flour on the floor in shock, then looked at the girl’s footsteps, about to say something when she heard greetings from the entrance.
She remained standing and gave permission for the visitors to enter while trying to gather the spilled flour.
The Accusers Arrive
When she looked up to see who entered, her face turned stern—five people and a few little kids were present. It was Tumba, the bean cake seller, with her daughter, Halliru the chicken seller, and a girl and a boy. The girl was soaked in red palm oil.
They exchanged brief greetings. One of the men said:
“We’ve come because of Ameenatou.”
“Well, I’m listening.”
“The girl’s mother sent her to deliver red oil to Sahura’s house. She met Ameenatou on the way, and for no reason, Ameenatou poured it all over her after forcing her to take it in her mouth.”
The old woman looked at the girl, who was taller than Ameenatou, eyed her from head to toe, and said:
“You’re this big and chubby like a sack of cement, and you want me to believe my granddaughter did this to you? You’ve come with your drama and lies as usual! Look at your legs like shovels and your worn-out mother—you both are here to cause trouble again? Well, this time, even the glance from my granddaughter wouldn’t touch her, not to mention a hit! Now you, Halliru, speak up!”
More Allegations
“She came pretending to be a helpful girl, chatting with me while stealing my beans using her friends. It was after she left that I realized what damage she had done to me!”
Halliru ended his tale, panting in anger like he was about to strangle the old woman. She then looked at Tumba, who was also fuming.
“You too, speak before you explode.”
“I’ll only speak once your notorious granddaughter shows up.”
She said, glaring at her daughter, whose forehead was swollen, eyes barely open due to sand, lips bleeding, and face deformed.
The old woman clapped her hands and said,
“Ameenatou is not here. Say what’s on your mind or swallow it.”
They all glanced at the footprints in the spilled flour—they were sure Ameenatou was inside listening. Their mouths dropped open as they turned their gaze back to the old woman, who scowled deeper.
“I’m waiting, you know. I have things to do. If you’ve got no work, I do.”
She said to Tumba, then turned to Halliru, pointing her finger.
“I’ve never seen a worthless man like you. You look into my eyes and call my granddaughter a thief? There’s no thief in my lineage, maybe you’re seeing your reflection. You claim they stole your beans? Be thankful they didn’t take your chickens! You think I’ll compensate you or beat my orphaned granddaughter like a mule? Not Indo! I don’t contribute to a group that doesn’t share profit. If you had spoken the truth, maybe I’d help. But you added lies, so even if you report me to the district head or village chief, I Indo Saleh, friend of Lantana Sabi’u’s mother, say I won’t give you a single coin! Leave my house before I lose my temper! You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today!”
Accusations Against the Old Woman
“Wallahi Inna, fear God. This is not protecting Ameenatou anymore—this is enabling her. She committed a wrong, and you’re supporting her.”
“So now I beat her and you call her cursed? You say I’m shielding a cursed child?”
They all widened their eyes in shock. Halliru opened his mouth to defend himself:
“Inna, that’s not what we meant. We’re just reminding you.”
The old woman burst into dramatic tears, as if someone had died.
“After calling me cursed and a liar? Even your parents wouldn’t dare call me that! Let me show you how tiny and insignificant you are.”
She grabbed the pestle beside the mortar. Knowing how volatile she could be, they all ran before she even raised it.
“You’re lucky! You would’ve seen the peak of disrespect today! And you, thief girl, come out!”
Ameenatou’s Mischief Unleashed
Ameenatou peeked out carefully, confirmed they were gone, then burst into laughter.
Granny smirked and said, “Look at you, always up to no good. If I had let them beat you, I’d have had peace.”
“Well, who exactly was harmed? You’d be the one crying, not me. The other day I was sick, and all you people did was cry! Ehn, maybe I should die so everyone can be free since you’re tired of seeing me!”
Granny widened her eyes and hugged her, “Don’t talk about death! Now go bathe. You haven’t bathed since day before yesterday.”
“Wallahi I won’t. I’m not a mermaid. I crave fish! Let me call Furera and Lantana—we’re going to the fish seller!”
Granny held her head, “Oh, God, thank You for giving me Ameenatou. But all that happened today wasn’t enough for you? You want more?”
Ameenatou skipped off joyfully, “Heat some bathwater for me, Inna, I’ll come back and bathe. Let’s go to the fish seller. Ehee, fish is delicious! I’ll bring you some too, Babar Mama Ameenatou Indo!”
She ran out but returned quickly.
The Urgent Bathroom Run
Granny was startled.
“What is it now?!”
She picked up the water kettle, breathing heavily.
“Wallahi I feel like pooing! It’s coming out, oh God!”
Granny scoffed, “And here I thought the world was ending with that kind of run!”
She continued her cleaning, humming old songs.
Ameenatou was in the toilet for almost 30 minutes without coming out.
“Hey, Ameenatou, are you sleeping in there?!”
“Eheem, eheem, Granny, I swear I’m battling constipation.”
It took nearly an hour before she came out, panting.
“Ah! I’ve really overfed. The smell even disgusted me. We went to Furera’s place, cooked beans, and finished it all!” She laughed hard.
Granny sighed, “Enjoy it then.”
Ameenatou came close to Granny, released a terrible fart, and ran away laughing.
“Granny, that one’s for you!”
Granny covered her nose in disgust, yelling,
“You’ll return and meet me! I’ll repay that fart! Even I’m on her fart savings list—no forgiveness until I repay in kind!”
Scamming the Candy Seller
Ameenatou met a candy seller.
She stopped politely.
“Good afternoon, Baba Mai Alewa.”
He grinned, “Welcome, girl. How much candy do you want?”
“I want plenty. Granny said I should buy some for charity.”
Greedy as always, the seller eagerly dropped his load.
“Ma sha Allah, then I’ll give you two full bags!”
Ameenatou smiled.
“No, just one. I don’t want waste—I’ll do giveaway.”
“But there’s barely any profit in one bag.”
“Okay, then forget it—I’m not buying.” She turned to leave.
“Wait, child! I’ll give you one and a half bags. Let me wrap it.”
(Truth be told, what he poured didn’t equal one full bag. But greed took over.)
“Alright then, wrap it quickly. I’m in a hurry before Granny scolds me.”
“Sorry, little girl, I’ll pack it now.”
He sang a little song as he poured the candy and handed her the bag.
“Alright, sweetheart, now give me the money.”
She looked in the bag, then said, “Close your eyes. Granny said I shouldn’t show money in public.”
He closed his eyes.
“You’re right, your Granny is wise. One must be careful these days.”
She looked at him, burst into laughter, then slowly slipped away.
“You’re not done yet? Your Granny really trained you. Hurry, child!”
Still, no sign of Ameenatou.
He opened his eyes—no candy, no girl, no money!
He stood in shock.
“Where is she?! Where is she?! Did I just meet a jinn? I’m doomed!”
He sat down and began crying.
Ameenatou peeked out, laughing.
“Oh my stomach! Look at the old man crying! Oh my God!”
She laughed even harder and peeked again while licking the candy.
A Frightening Prank
The old man kept crying, “God will judge! Evil child! I won’t forgive you—even if you’re in heaven!”
Seeing he wasn’t leaving, Ameenatou began to shout in a scary voice,
“Hey man! Hey man, I’m warning you!”
He looked around, terrified.
“You must leave this area now or I’ll enter your body!”
The man instantly peed himself in fear and took off running like mad.
Ameenatou rolled on the ground laughing, especially when she saw where he peed.
She ran into Furera’s house, eating candy and singing.
More Mischief Brewing
Furera’s greedy mother asked, “Ah, Ameenatou, what did you bring us?”
She sneered, “It’s Jinn candy I found on the road. If you want some, be my guest.”
Eyes wide, Furera’s mom replied, “Ah, I’m full! I fear jinns!”
She turned to Furera, “Let’s go to the fish seller, I really want fish.”
Furera replied, “But Ameenatou, we just barely escaped trouble—what if we’re caught?”
“Shut it! You talk too much like a new goat. Stay if you want. Even Lantana’s not coming. But mark my words—I’m going! Every man for himself.”
Furera, hearing “separation,” quickly whispered,
“Please forgive me, Ameenatou, don’t leave me behind.”
Ameenatou’s face lit up with joy—nothing pleased her more than being called “Goggo” and hearing “city” talk.
“You’re lucky, dear girl. May God bless you. Let’s party in the city! Call Lantus, I’ll make you two look like city girls before Uncle Audu comes to take us!”
Fashion Parade Begins
As Lantana stepped out, Ameenatou called back, “Wait! Didn’t you thank me?”
“I thank you, Goggo Ameenatou!”
“Good! Hurry up—today we’ll feast on fish like never before!”
Within minutes, Furera and Lantus returned.
Ameenatou said, “Now lift me up, let’s go. Even Jiddah, the policewoman’s wife, gets carried by her friends.”
With no choice, they obeyed as Ameenatou sat on their backs, licking candy—refusing to share.