The Garden EncounterHe was lying on his back on the type of grass called "carpet grass," his hands clasped behind his head, contemplating the stars that were arranged in rows, shining across the sky. It was a large garden divided into two sections: one area containing fruit trees—mango, guava, cashew, and others—and another section with resting chairs. Apart from the sound of birds, no other noise could be heard as night had begun to fall, around two o'clock.He was dressed in a traditional Fulani-style woven garment, his head wrapped with a turban that covered most of his face, leaving more than half of it hidden. Being one of the night guards of the house, he would usually spend about two hours in this garden, lying down in contemplation—this brought him considerable pleasure.Beside him lay a large stick called "gora," used for herding cattle, even though it had been nearly a year since he had been separated from his herd and the settlement they called "Rugar Shehu."The Unexpected VisitorThe sound of footsteps accompanied by the barking of the house dogs suddenly made him jump up and sit, scanning to see if someone had indeed entered the compound. Hearing silence with no movement except the continued barking of the dogs, he stood up and grabbed his herding stick, heading straight to a tree near the garden wall, thinking that if someone had truly entered, this would be their likely path.The intruder was struggling to free her veil that had gotten caught on a tree branch that was blocking her way. She was trying her best to pull it free so she could escape, but knowing that if she could not get inside quickly, the guards would certainly catch her today, especially since the dogs' barking was louder than usual. Hearing footsteps behind her made her turn quickly, and seeing him raise his stick as if to strike her, she closed her eyes and cried out:"Oh no, Daddy!"He stopped abruptly, his hand trembling with shock at seeing the beauty of Allah's creation. Indeed, there was no shortage of beauty in their settlement, but he had never seen anyone who startled him like this creature before him.A Moment of RecognitionHe followed her face with his gaze—the absence of the face veil gave him this opportunity, as her body was covered with hijab from top to bottom. Just as he contemplated the stars, he found himself lost in pleasure as he began studying her face.Her lips were like those with a shine resembling polished metal. The straightness of her nose, which came close to her small mouth, added no small enhancement to the beauty of her elongated face.Hearing the silence and not feeling the stick strike her made her open her large eyes—this caused him no small additional confusion as he saw her white eyes looking up at him, forcing him to step back slightly while praising his Lord, to confirm that this creature before him was not human.She looked at him filled with fear, especially seeing a man of such height and build that she had never seen the likes of since coming into this world. The sweetness of waiting—indeed, his appearance and attire were like those people who had brought Nigeria forward, or the Fulani cattle herders. This thought, combined with hearing footsteps and the increased barking of dogs, which confirmed that the guards were about to enter the garden, made her remove her face veil and lift her hijab so she could move quickly. She took advantage of the man's momentary distraction as he stood staring at her, heading toward the path that would lead her to the kitchen quickly, her hand trembling as she tried to retrieve a small key she had hidden in the small shorts she wore.Safe HavenShe kept looking back to ensure he was not following her. Allah helped her—the door opened. Being new to this kind of activity, she moved stealthily and carefully because the kitchen lights were off, with only the light of the white moon filtering through the window. She was not afraid until she heard the voices of the guards from the garden. She prayed to Allah that her secret would not be revealed, following the hallway to enter her room with trembling body. Never before had she ventured out at night and found herself in such a difficult situation.She removed her body hijab and threw it on her bed with a racing heart. The light that illuminated the room when the electric lights were turned on made her jump up in fear. Seeing someone leaning against the wall made her widen her eyes and exclaim:"Halitta, won't you stop this behavior of yours? How far will this trouble go?"Halitta slowly finished looking at her, from the small tight shorts on her body to the tight red top that barely reached her navel, and her head adorned with expensive horse hair extensions called Brazilian hair. She shook her head and said:"Sister...""Please Halitta, not now, I'm very tired!" she interrupted, raising her hand toward her.Family ConcernsSeeing the room door being pushed open made her quickly grab a wrapper to cover her outfit. Their mother, whom they called Ammy, entered, wiping the remnants of sleep from her eyes, looking at them with concern and saying:"I knew you two would be awake. Was it Audu's commotion and the dogs' barking that woke you?""Yes, indeed Ammy..." they said together, which made Halitta release a sigh of amazement as she looked at her sister, who replied without shame:"I can't understand what their problem is that they keep releasing dogs on us, making noise for us. They should just be prevented from entering the garden.""You, while you were in your room, how did you know they were in the garden?" Halitta asked her this question knowingly, as there was no lack of awareness from her sister that she did not know about.Hearing this, she knew she had made a mistake, so she tried to cover up by saying:"Ammy, for Allah's sake, where is this commotion coming from?""Well, I was also thinking it was the garden. Even Malam went out to speak with them..."Her face fell. "Allah, cover my secret—neither my character nor my actions."This was the prayer she began repeating in her heart. Halitta let out an evil laugh and said:"May Allah help Daddy discover the cause of this commotion and provide us with a solution. As for me, I'll see you in the morning."She smiled wickedly as she looked at her sister, who was giving her a stern look, adding:"The sun will surely rise in the east one day, bringing water, whether you like it or not, Yakura.""Uhum," she replied fearfully, unable to speak properly, seeing that Halitta wanted to continue the commotion to find an opportunity to expose her secret.The Scholar's FamilyMalam Abubakar Birma was a renowned and respected scholar who had made a name for himself in Nigeria, particularly in Kano and Maiduguri. He was a native son of Maiduguri. He had two wives: Hajja Kulu, his first wife from the Barebari tribe, who lived in Malam's house in Maiduguri city with six children—four boys and two girls. His second wife was Hajja Aleesha from the Shuwa Arab tribe, who lived in Kano with three daughters: his eldest daughter Zainab, about twenty-two years old, called Yakura; followed by Halitta, twenty years old; and the youngest, Falmata, eighteen years old.Among Malam's children, Allah had tested him with a troublesome daughter whose behavior no one would associate with Malam. She was none other than Hajja Aleesha's first daughter, Zainab. From southern to northern Nigeria and even to foreign countries, there was no club she had not visited, except those she had not had the opportunity to reach. There was no immoral act Zainab had not committed, as she frequently associated with wealthy corrupt young men, usually meeting them through the Western schools they attended together.A Double LifeOn social media, she had gained considerable fame with countless followers and admirers who listened to her because two things combined in her favor: beauty and money—undoubtedly, Allah had given her worldly blessings.Malam was unaware of all this behavior from Zainab. He saw among his children none who surpassed her in perfection and composure, as she always appeared before him in a humble manner. He was not a social media enthusiast to know the games she played, and he was rarely stationary—today in Maiduguri, tomorrow in Egypt, the day after in Saudi Arabia. When he was in town, Zainab was at school at the American University of Nigeria in Yola, where she had spent most of her five years. If you saw the kind of life she lived, you would never say she was Malam's daughter—the daughter of a Malam who rejected the ways of scholars.The RequestHearing that Malam would travel to Maiduguri made Zainab determined to bring him the tea items he requested to his reception room, because she wanted to see Malam about her need for a new Samsung phone, which she had not bought for about four months. According to her, the camera was not good at all, and she urgently needed the latest iPhone.With her appearance in hijab down to her feet, she gently pushed the door of the reception room. Her heart was beating as she greeted and entered the room simultaneously, suddenly stopping as her eyes fell on the face hidden in a turban, just as she had encountered him the previous night in the garden. Her face began to fall, and she was unprepared to turn back with the intention of returning, but Malam's voice stopped her as he said:"Yakura, come in. This person you see is my student and also a driver and guard. Since you always stay secluded in the house, you wouldn't recognize them. We are discussing allegations of some criminals attempting to break into our house at night..."The Moment of TruthAlthough there were about ten men sitting in the reception room, she could only see the one with the turban. Her attention was focused entirely on him until she heard the words Malam spoke. She did not know when she lifted her gaze to look at the man, and he too was staring at her, confirming what his heart was telling him:"This is the girl I met yesterday. So she is not a spirit—then what is her relationship with Malam?"What he was contemplating in his mind, it was as if Malam knew, as he was heard saying:"She is my daughter. This is Zainab, my second daughter, well-behaved and perfect among my children."Hearing this, he looked at her more intently, slowly repeating the name:"Zainab..."So if Malam's description was accurate, then it was not her he had seen. This was his judgment as he scrutinized her again, seeking differences between this perfect daughter of Malam and the one he had seen the previous night.She placed the food tray before Malam, greeted him with her head bowed, and he responded. She quickly got up and left the reception room because she felt this servant of Allah's eyes upon her. Only when she nearly reached the kitchen did she pause to compose herself so that Ammy and Halitta would not detect her condition.Kitchen ConversationsIt was a large kitchen where ten people could work without crowding. It was well organized and fully equipped with all kitchen utensils, including two refrigerators—one for vegetables and meat, and another for water, fruits, and dairy products. She found Halitta arranging fruits and water in the refrigerator, while Ammy was giving instructions to Iya, their house help, about the food to be prepared that day."Ammy, among the workers in this house or Daddy's students, are there any members of Boko Haram or kidnappers?" she asked while taking one of the bottles of water that Halitta was arranging in the refrigerator."God forbid!" Ammy and Iya exclaimed together, while Halitta stopped and stared at her sister, even observing her physically. She drew some water and wet her lips, then added:"Why are you looking at me like some cow? I swear I'm very serious about this."She was speaking between herself and Allah while directing her attention to Ammy, saying:"Ammy, you know these Boko Haram people are usually led by scholars. Remember their leader Yusuf, who was killed during President Yar'Adua's time—it was said he once sought knowledge from Sheikh Jafar, may Allah have mercy on his soul. You see, Daddy must be very careful because I strongly suspect that the person I saw with Daddy is a member of Boko Haram!""I don't want to hear that again!" Ammy interrupted her angrily, switching to her native Shuwa language:"If you're careless enough for Malam to hear these words, I swear your day will be ruined. You with your stubbornness! Are you talking about Boko Haram in front of Iya so she can go out and spread that Malam is harboring Boko Haram members in his house? Oh, where will this thoughtlessness of yours lead you, Yakura?"Revelations and Suspicions"Well, let me tell you, in this house I haven't seen anyone who looks like Boko Haram... or is Usman the one you're talking about?" Halitta said, mentioning Usman's name with such joy that her eyes sparkled, causing Ammy and Zainab to stare at her intently. She too realized this immediately and quickly tried to recover by saying:"He's one of Daddy's students. Remember the day we went to Falmat's school meeting? The day we met him at the gate waiting for Daddy, and in front of us he introduced himself to Daddy, saying his name was Usman and he wanted to become one of Daddy's students and change his situation. But since he had no money for fees, he should be given work to do. Ammy, I'm sure Daddy told you, but you forgot since he has many students. Ask Falmat too, and you'll hear about it—it's not something that happened today; it's been two days.""Ahhh, you see Ammy, someone just came out of the blue and Daddy accepted him! That's suspicious talk right there. A member of Boko Haram..."Ammy looked at Zainab and said to Iya:"Iya, please go. I'll look for you shortly. Let me finish with these girls.""Yes, Hajiya." Iya left without a trace, as she was somewhat avoiding the conversation despite Ammy switching languages.After Iya left, Ammy turned her attention to her two daughters, pointing at Zainab with her finger:"Do you see, Yakura? If this word 'Boko Haram' doesn't stop coming from your mouth, Allah knows I will slap you! Would Malam harbor a Boko Haram member in his house?""Let me tell you, he's not a Boko Haram member—he's a complete person with knowledge and deep thinking..." Halitta said, envisioning Usman in her mind."Halitta!" Ammy and Zainab called her name together. She blinked her eyes to prevent her mother and sister from discovering that she had already fallen for the student and that he was one of the house guards. She quickly got up and continued arranging the remaining water in the refrigerator. After closing the refrigerator, she turned to Ammy and Zainab, who were staring at her, waiting to hear an explanation."Ammy, I'm done. Let me go organize my room." She said this while heading toward the exit. Before she could leave, Ammy stopped her:"Halitta, how did you know that the man Yakura was talking about is complete? With knowledge and deep thinking?"Her face fell as she turned back. They locked eyes, and she quickly shifted her gaze to Zainab, who was giving her a questioning look."Daddy mentioned it to Ammy, and anyone Daddy agrees to accept, without doubt, is a person of good character." After saying this, she left. Zainab jumped up with an evil laugh, clapping her hands:"Ammyyy, you see your child? May Allah prevent you from having to attend a wedding with a guard!"Ammy struck her, saying:"Your mouth doesn't speak good things, Yakura! May Allah cover us from this evil fate. Your mouth has released bad luck.""Well, I'll just help with the amen. You know your daughter's character—she has no sense at all. Let me stop calling him Boko Haram in case he becomes a brother-in-law. I'll move forward."She left while Ammy was heard saying: "Daughter of my co-wife, you'll come back to find me. Oh, Aleesha, may Allah separate me from bad hearing and bad seeing!" She continued talking while shaking her head.Hidden FeelingsHalitta entered her room, and her face had not stopped falling, as she lay on her bed with her eyes closed. Never had any creature entered her mind like this servant of Allah whom her sister claimed was a Boko Haram member. She would never forget the day she first became infatuated with him.Seven months had passed since they returned from Falmat's school meeting and found him at the gate. When you saw him, you saw majesty or dignity because of how he wore his turban and the traditional robe and shawl he had on. Being dignified, he did not have the small stature typical of the Fulani—he was tall with signs of strength and broad shoulders.Before the guard opened the gate, Malam, who was sitting in the front seat with the driver, had the car window lowered so he could greet him. Seeing Malam, he quickly stood up and nearly prostrated to greet him, but Malam said "no, no" and told him to stand up for them to greet each other. Malam extended his hand and they greeted.He then introduced himself as Usman, a Fulani from a nomadic settlement, who had come to Malam's house seeking knowledge, as Malam was one of the scholars whose commentary he listened to on the radio. He had no wealth to pay Malam fees, but he would work for him until he completed his Islamic education.From the back of the house, Halitta and Falmat were watching him. Falmat praised his perfection, while Halitta was struck speechless, staring at him.After Malam had studied him for several minutes, he told him to return the next morning. With that, they greeted and he left, while they went inside. After they had gotten out of the car, Halitta looked at Malam and said:"Daddy, please look into this servant of Allah's matter. He seems to have perfection. If it's possible to help him, please help him."Malam smiled with pleasure at how his daughter showed compassion and consideration, saying:"Very well, blessed daughter. You who shows compassion and consideration, I promise you that as long as I investigate and find no fault, I will take him as my student. You know life nowadays is not like before—people have become frightening.""Indeed, you speak the truth, Daddy. We live in times where calm has been disrupted. Investigate him, and may Allah bless this man of great compassion."
Description
The Garden EncounterHe was lying on his back on the type of grass called "carpet grass," his hands clasped behind his head, contemplating the stars that were arranged in rows, shining across the sky. It was a large garden divided into two sections: one area containing fruit trees—mango, guava, cashew, and others—and another section with resting chairs. Apart from the sound of birds, no other noise could be heard as night had begun to fall, around two o'clock.He was dressed in a traditional Fulani-style woven garment, his head wrapped with a turban that covered most of his face, leaving more than half of it hidden. Being one of the night guards of the house, he would usually spend about two hours in this garden, lying down in contemplation—this brought him considerable pleasure.Beside him lay a large stick called "gora," used for herding cattle, even though it had been nearly a year since he had been separated from his herd and the settlement they called "Rugar Shehu."The Unexpected VisitorThe sound of footsteps accompanied by the barking of the house dogs suddenly made him jump up and sit, scanning to see if someone had indeed entered the compound. Hearing silence with no movement except the continued barking of the dogs, he stood up and grabbed his herding stick, heading straight to a tree near the garden wall, thinking that if someone had truly entered, this would be their likely path.The intruder was struggling to free her veil that had gotten caught on a tree branch that was blocking her way. She was trying her best to pull it free so she could escape, but knowing that if she could not get inside quickly, the guards would certainly catch her today, especially since the dogs' barking was louder than usual. Hearing footsteps behind her made her turn quickly, and seeing him raise his stick as if to strike her, she closed her eyes and cried out:"Oh no, Daddy!"He stopped abruptly, his hand trembling with shock at seeing the beauty of Allah's creation. Indeed, there was no shortage of beauty in their settlement, but he had never seen anyone who startled him like this creature before him.A Moment of RecognitionHe followed her face with his gaze—the absence of the face veil gave him this opportunity, as her body was covered with hijab from top to bottom. Just as he contemplated the stars, he found himself lost in pleasure as he began studying her face.Her lips were like those with a shine resembling polished metal. The straightness of her nose, which came close to her small mouth, added no small enhancement to the beauty of her elongated face.Hearing the silence and not feeling the stick strike her made her open her large eyes—this caused him no small additional confusion as he saw her white eyes looking up at him, forcing him to step back slightly while praising his Lord, to confirm that this creature before him was not human.She looked at him filled with fear, especially seeing a man of such height and build that she had never seen the likes of since coming into this world. The sweetness of waiting—indeed, his appearance and attire were like those people who had brought Nigeria forward, or the Fulani cattle herders. This thought, combined with hearing footsteps and the increased barking of dogs, which confirmed that the guards were about to enter the garden, made her remove her face veil and lift her hijab so she could move quickly. She took advantage of the man's momentary distraction as he stood staring at her, heading toward the path that would lead her to the kitchen quickly, her hand trembling as she tried to retrieve a small key she had hidden in the small shorts she wore.Safe HavenShe kept looking back to ensure he was not following her. Allah helped her—the door opened. Being new to this kind of activity, she moved stealthily and carefully because the kitchen lights were off, with only the light of the white moon filtering through the window. She was not afraid until she heard the voices of the guards from the garden. She prayed to Allah that her secret would not be revealed, following the hallway to enter her room with trembling body. Never before had she ventured out at night and found herself in such a difficult situation.She removed her body hijab and threw it on her bed with a racing heart. The light that illuminated the room when the electric lights were turned on made her jump up in fear. Seeing someone leaning against the wall made her widen her eyes and exclaim:"Halitta, won't you stop this behavior of yours? How far will this trouble go?"Halitta slowly finished looking at her, from the small tight shorts on her body to the tight red top that barely reached her navel, and her head adorned with expensive horse hair extensions called Brazilian hair. She shook her head and said:"Sister...""Please Halitta, not now, I'm very tired!" she interrupted, raising her hand toward her.Family ConcernsSeeing the room door being pushed open made her quickly grab a wrapper to cover her outfit. Their mother, whom they called Ammy, entered, wiping the remnants of sleep from her eyes, looking at them with concern and saying:"I knew you two would be awake. Was it Audu's commotion and the dogs' barking that woke you?""Yes, indeed Ammy..." they said together, which made Halitta release a sigh of amazement as she looked at her sister, who replied without shame:"I can't understand what their problem is that they keep releasing dogs on us, making noise for us. They should just be prevented from entering the garden.""You, while you were in your room, how did you know they were in the garden?" Halitta asked her this question knowingly, as there was no lack of awareness from her sister that she did not know about.Hearing this, she knew she had made a mistake, so she tried to cover up by saying:"Ammy, for Allah's sake, where is this commotion coming from?""Well, I was also thinking it was the garden. Even Malam went out to speak with them..."Her face fell. "Allah, cover my secret—neither my character nor my actions."This was the prayer she began repeating in her heart. Halitta let out an evil laugh and said:"May Allah help Daddy discover the cause of this commotion and provide us with a solution. As for me, I'll see you in the morning."She smiled wickedly as she looked at her sister, who was giving her a stern look, adding:"The sun will surely rise in the east one day, bringing water, whether you like it or not, Yakura.""Uhum," she replied fearfully, unable to speak properly, seeing that Halitta wanted to continue the commotion to find an opportunity to expose her secret.The Scholar's FamilyMalam Abubakar Birma was a renowned and respected scholar who had made a name for himself in Nigeria, particularly in Kano and Maiduguri. He was a native son of Maiduguri. He had two wives: Hajja Kulu, his first wife from the Barebari tribe, who lived in Malam's house in Maiduguri city with six children—four boys and two girls. His second wife was Hajja Aleesha from the Shuwa Arab tribe, who lived in Kano with three daughters: his eldest daughter Zainab, about twenty-two years old, called Yakura; followed by Halitta, twenty years old; and the youngest, Falmata, eighteen years old.Among Malam's children, Allah had tested him with a troublesome daughter whose behavior no one would associate with Malam. She was none other than Hajja Aleesha's first daughter, Zainab. From southern to northern Nigeria and even to foreign countries, there was no club she had not visited, except those she had not had the opportunity to reach. There was no immoral act Zainab had not committed, as she frequently associated with wealthy corrupt young men, usually meeting them through the Western schools they attended together.A Double LifeOn social media, she had gained considerable fame with countless followers and admirers who listened to her because two things combined in her favor: beauty and money—undoubtedly, Allah had given her worldly blessings.Malam was unaware of all this behavior from Zainab. He saw among his children none who surpassed her in perfection and composure, as she always appeared before him in a humble manner. He was not a social media enthusiast to know the games she played, and he was rarely stationary—today in Maiduguri, tomorrow in Egypt, the day after in Saudi Arabia. When he was in town, Zainab was at school at the American University of Nigeria in Yola, where she had spent most of her five years. If you saw the kind of life she lived, you would never say she was Malam's daughter—the daughter of a Malam who rejected the ways of scholars.The RequestHearing that Malam would travel to Maiduguri made Zainab determined to bring him the tea items he requested to his reception room, because she wanted to see Malam about her need for a new Samsung phone, which she had not bought for about four months. According to her, the camera was not good at all, and she urgently needed the latest iPhone.With her appearance in hijab down to her feet, she gently pushed the door of the reception room. Her heart was beating as she greeted and entered the room simultaneously, suddenly stopping as her eyes fell on the face hidden in a turban, just as she had encountered him the previous night in the garden. Her face began to fall, and she was unprepared to turn back with the intention of returning, but Malam's voice stopped her as he said:"Yakura, come in. This person you see is my student and also a driver and guard. Since you always stay secluded in the house, you wouldn't recognize them. We are discussing allegations of some criminals attempting to break into our house at night..."The Moment of TruthAlthough there were about ten men sitting in the reception room, she could only see the one with the turban. Her attention was focused entirely on him until she heard the words Malam spoke. She did not know when she lifted her gaze to look at the man, and he too was staring at her, confirming what his heart was telling him:"This is the girl I met yesterday. So she is not a spirit—then what is her relationship with Malam?"What he was contemplating in his mind, it was as if Malam knew, as he was heard saying:"She is my daughter. This is Zainab, my second daughter, well-behaved and perfect among my children."Hearing this, he looked at her more intently, slowly repeating the name:"Zainab..."So if Malam's description was accurate, then it was not her he had seen. This was his judgment as he scrutinized her again, seeking differences between this perfect daughter of Malam and the one he had seen the previous night.She placed the food tray before Malam, greeted him with her head bowed, and he responded. She quickly got up and left the reception room because she felt this servant of Allah's eyes upon her. Only when she nearly reached the kitchen did she pause to compose herself so that Ammy and Halitta would not detect her condition.Kitchen ConversationsIt was a large kitchen where ten people could work without crowding. It was well organized and fully equipped with all kitchen utensils, including two refrigerators—one for vegetables and meat, and another for water, fruits, and dairy products. She found Halitta arranging fruits and water in the refrigerator, while Ammy was giving instructions to Iya, their house help, about the food to be prepared that day."Ammy, among the workers in this house or Daddy's students, are there any members of Boko Haram or kidnappers?" she asked while taking one of the bottles of water that Halitta was arranging in the refrigerator."God forbid!" Ammy and Iya exclaimed together, while Halitta stopped and stared at her sister, even observing her physically. She drew some water and wet her lips, then added:"Why are you looking at me like some cow? I swear I'm very serious about this."She was speaking between herself and Allah while directing her attention to Ammy, saying:"Ammy, you know these Boko Haram people are usually led by scholars. Remember their leader Yusuf, who was killed during President Yar'Adua's time—it was said he once sought knowledge from Sheikh Jafar, may Allah have mercy on his soul. You see, Daddy must be very careful because I strongly suspect that the person I saw with Daddy is a member of Boko Haram!""I don't want to hear that again!" Ammy interrupted her angrily, switching to her native Shuwa language:"If you're careless enough for Malam to hear these words, I swear your day will be ruined. You with your stubbornness! Are you talking about Boko Haram in front of Iya so she can go out and spread that Malam is harboring Boko Haram members in his house? Oh, where will this thoughtlessness of yours lead you, Yakura?"Revelations and Suspicions"Well, let me tell you, in this house I haven't seen anyone who looks like Boko Haram... or is Usman the one you're talking about?" Halitta said, mentioning Usman's name with such joy that her eyes sparkled, causing Ammy and Zainab to stare at her intently. She too realized this immediately and quickly tried to recover by saying:"He's one of Daddy's students. Remember the day we went to Falmat's school meeting? The day we met him at the gate waiting for Daddy, and in front of us he introduced himself to Daddy, saying his name was Usman and he wanted to become one of Daddy's students and change his situation. But since he had no money for fees, he should be given work to do. Ammy, I'm sure Daddy told you, but you forgot since he has many students. Ask Falmat too, and you'll hear about it—it's not something that happened today; it's been two days.""Ahhh, you see Ammy, someone just came out of the blue and Daddy accepted him! That's suspicious talk right there. A member of Boko Haram..."Ammy looked at Zainab and said to Iya:"Iya, please go. I'll look for you shortly. Let me finish with these girls.""Yes, Hajiya." Iya left without a trace, as she was somewhat avoiding the conversation despite Ammy switching languages.After Iya left, Ammy turned her attention to her two daughters, pointing at Zainab with her finger:"Do you see, Yakura? If this word 'Boko Haram' doesn't stop coming from your mouth, Allah knows I will slap you! Would Malam harbor a Boko Haram member in his house?""Let me tell you, he's not a Boko Haram member—he's a complete person with knowledge and deep thinking..." Halitta said, envisioning Usman in her mind."Halitta!" Ammy and Zainab called her name together. She blinked her eyes to prevent her mother and sister from discovering that she had already fallen for the student and that he was one of the house guards. She quickly got up and continued arranging the remaining water in the refrigerator. After closing the refrigerator, she turned to Ammy and Zainab, who were staring at her, waiting to hear an explanation."Ammy, I'm done. Let me go organize my room." She said this while heading toward the exit. Before she could leave, Ammy stopped her:"Halitta, how did you know that the man Yakura was talking about is complete? With knowledge and deep thinking?"Her face fell as she turned back. They locked eyes, and she quickly shifted her gaze to Zainab, who was giving her a questioning look."Daddy mentioned it to Ammy, and anyone Daddy agrees to accept, without doubt, is a person of good character." After saying this, she left. Zainab jumped up with an evil laugh, clapping her hands:"Ammyyy, you see your child? May Allah prevent you from having to attend a wedding with a guard!"Ammy struck her, saying:"Your mouth doesn't speak good things, Yakura! May Allah cover us from this evil fate. Your mouth has released bad luck.""Well, I'll just help with the amen. You know your daughter's character—she has no sense at all. Let me stop calling him Boko Haram in case he becomes a brother-in-law. I'll move forward."She left while Ammy was heard saying: "Daughter of my co-wife, you'll come back to find me. Oh, Aleesha, may Allah separate me from bad hearing and bad seeing!" She continued talking while shaking her head.Hidden FeelingsHalitta entered her room, and her face had not stopped falling, as she lay on her bed with her eyes closed. Never had any creature entered her mind like this servant of Allah whom her sister claimed was a Boko Haram member. She would never forget the day she first became infatuated with him.Seven months had passed since they returned from Falmat's school meeting and found him at the gate. When you saw him, you saw majesty or dignity because of how he wore his turban and the traditional robe and shawl he had on. Being dignified, he did not have the small stature typical of the Fulani—he was tall with signs of strength and broad shoulders.Before the guard opened the gate, Malam, who was sitting in the front seat with the driver, had the car window lowered so he could greet him. Seeing Malam, he quickly stood up and nearly prostrated to greet him, but Malam said "no, no" and told him to stand up for them to greet each other. Malam extended his hand and they greeted.He then introduced himself as Usman, a Fulani from a nomadic settlement, who had come to Malam's house seeking knowledge, as Malam was one of the scholars whose commentary he listened to on the radio. He had no wealth to pay Malam fees, but he would work for him until he completed his Islamic education.From the back of the house, Halitta and Falmat were watching him. Falmat praised his perfection, while Halitta was struck speechless, staring at him.After Malam had studied him for several minutes, he told him to return the next morning. With that, they greeted and he left, while they went inside. After they had gotten out of the car, Halitta looked at Malam and said:"Daddy, please look into this servant of Allah's matter. He seems to have perfection. If it's possible to help him, please help him."Malam smiled with pleasure at how his daughter showed compassion and consideration, saying:"Very well, blessed daughter. You who shows compassion and consideration, I promise you that as long as I investigate and find no fault, I will take him as my student. You know life nowadays is not like before—people have become frightening.""Indeed, you speak the truth, Daddy. We live in times where calm has been disrupted. Investigate him, and may Allah bless this man of great compassion."