"Perhaps it’s because I live in the village that I can’t speak out or act on the orders I’ve given."
On the other side, the man called Alhaji Umar held his forehead.
"Who was it again that dared to touch their eldest brother?" he wondered.
He sighed, adjusted the phone pressed to his ear, and said:
"Brother, what’s going on? Who are you with?"
The Elder Brother’s Complaint
"Oh, so you’re even asking me what’s going on? Umaru, you and Usman know exactly what you’ve done. How could you watch a boy sit year after year without a family? For thirty-six years, NAUFAL has been living however he pleases, refusing to marry. And you, because you’re educated ‘city people,’ left him to do whatever he likes. As for me, living here in the village, I can’t just tell you to do something and you refuse — no, it’s only what you intend that happens."
Alhaji Umar replied respectfully:
"By God, Brother, that’s not the case. We’ve been doing our best for him, but we don’t know how to get through to him. We even tried to bring the girl he likes, but he refused."
The elder brother snapped:
"Nonsense! You went all the way to the foreign country where he lives — did you find him tied to one spot? How can a grown man like NAUFAL just be left alone? Did he tell you he’s a stone idol that doesn’t need a woman? I see them on TV — hair styled, short shorts, playing games, claiming it’s a profession. Anyway, hang up now, call him and tell him that I, Abubakar — his father’s elder brother and the one with authority in the Arabo family — say he should call my friend’s daughter. If he’s looking for an educated girl like himself, she’s not from the village, so he won’t look down on her like he looks down on me. I’ll send you her number — pass it on to him."
The Call Ends
Alhaji Umar said: "Alright, Brother, God willing, I’ll do as you said. Here’s Alhaji Usman — greet him."
He tried to hand over the phone, but the elder brother said quickly:
"No, leave him. You all speak with the same mouth."
He then hung up.
Alhaji Umar looked at Usman without saying a word. One glance was enough to tell they were brothers — same slim build, same features, true sons of the nomadic Fulani.
Usman asked: "He was talking about Naufal, right?"
Umar nodded, explained the conversation, and Usman said without concern:
"No problem. Just send him the number — let him call the girl. If we’re lucky this time, that’s it. We just want him married."
Naufal’s Jogging Interrupted
He was dressed in a bright white jersey with long trousers, white sneakers, and a sleek white Bluetooth earpiece. Jogging with his head down, he still got greetings from passersby, to which he simply waved — not a man of small talk.
His phone rang. He checked the screen — “My Dady.”
He slowed to a stop, caught his breath, and answered with a greeting.
Now I could take a closer look at him — extremely fair-skinned, impeccably handsome, with eyes that could capture a girl’s heart in an instant. One glance wasn’t enough; you had to look again. As he spoke to his father, his dimples showed.
Alhaji Umar said:
"I just sent you the number of a girl named Habiba. Call her and arrange things. Brother Abubakar gave me her number — she’s his friend’s daughter. Once you settle things, come home so we can fix a wedding date. I don’t want to hear any other excuses."
He hung up immediately, knowing that whenever marriage came up, Naufal would try to buy time. But time never arrived.
The Reluctant Call
Naufal exhaled sharply. In a soft voice, almost a whisper, he muttered:
"And how exactly am I going to get rid of this one?"
Deciding to just get it over with, he dialed Habiba’s number.
She picked up after three rings — no greeting, just:
"Hello, who’s this?"
He found it strange — few dared to ask him that, especially women. Usually they were chasing him, not the other way around. He stayed silent until she repeated:
"Hello? Who’s speaking?"
After a pause, he finally said:
"My name is Naufal Umar Arabo."
She replied:
"Oh, are you the nephew of Alhaji Habu who lives in the village?"
"Yes."
"Well, they already spoke to my father. He said he’ll send his son for me to meet, and if I like him, the elders will take it from there."
This annoyed him. He had wanted to see what made her so bold, but now she was talking as if he had to prove himself to her. Still, he said flatly:
"Yes, that’s me."
She mocked:
"You just keep saying ‘that’s me’ without saying anything else. You sound like you don’t even want this arrangement. Well, I don’t either, so don’t think I’m interested. Just tell me when you’ll come see me — not a phone call, because I’ve been told you’re supposed to come in person."
By now his irritation was clear — yet part of him was relieved. At least she wouldn’t be a problem if they needed to end things. Calmly, he asked:
"What… is… ‘yauqi’?"
Surprised, she teased him for not knowing the word. She rambled about wanting to meet him, but he cut in:
"I don’t have time to come."
"So we’ll marry when you have no time for me?" she asked.
He smirked inwardly — this was his chance.
"I have no time. I’m focused on making money. Money comes before everything — even before myself."
"So you’re saying money is more important than anything in life?"
"Not just my life — even the life of anyone who tries to enter it. Money comes first."
"Well then, Mr. Naufal Umar Arabo, I guess you don’t need to come at all. Stay where you are. May God pair everyone with their destined partner."
She hung up.
Naufal couldn’t hide his joy — his dimples deepened as he said:
"Yessss!" and continued jogging.
Family Background
Alhaji Abubakar Arabo (Baba Habu) — eldest brother, lives in Jigawa with his wife and two sons close in age to Naufal, both already married.
Alhaji Umar Arabo (Dady) — second brother, father of seven: Naufal (eldest), twin boys Sa’ad and Sa’eed, Maryam (married with a son named Junior Naufal), twin girls Intisar and Ihsan, and the youngest, Waheeda.
Alhaji Usman Arabo (Uncle Usman) — youngest brother, no children, married to Hajiya Anty, a hospital worker.
Originally from Niger, the brothers are Fulani nomads with great wealth and herds. They moved to Nigeria, expanded their business, and became respected wealthy men. All three and their wives resemble each other — fair-skinned, easily recognized as Fulani. Locals call them the Arabo Family.
Naufal’s Profile
Naufal, aged 36, is unmarried despite family pressure. Known to his siblings as Babban Yaya (Big Brother), he is protective, strict, and quick to discipline — especially with his sisters, forbidding them from dating or dressing immodestly.
Outside the family, however, he’s famous as a top Nigerian footballer. After his Master’s degree, instead of joining the family business, he pursued football, first playing for Kano Pillars, then abroad in Spain, and later in another country where he now earns a high weekly salary. His jersey, cap, and gear bear the nickname BIG BROTHER, given to him by Waheeda. Fans everywhere call him this, especially women.
His parents keep arranging potential brides, but he always finds a clever way to end things — just like he did with Habiba.
Description
Village Criticism
Alhaji Umaru seemed troubled, saying:
"Perhaps it’s because I live in the village that I can’t speak out or act on the orders I’ve given."
On the other side, the man called Alhaji Umar held his forehead.
"Who was it again that dared to touch their eldest brother?" he wondered.
He sighed, adjusted the phone pressed to his ear, and said:
"Brother, what’s going on? Who are you with?"
The Elder Brother’s Complaint
"Oh, so you’re even asking me what’s going on? Umaru, you and Usman know exactly what you’ve done. How could you watch a boy sit year after year without a family? For thirty-six years, NAUFAL has been living however he pleases, refusing to marry. And you, because you’re educated ‘city people,’ left him to do whatever he likes. As for me, living here in the village, I can’t just tell you to do something and you refuse — no, it’s only what you intend that happens."
Alhaji Umar replied respectfully:
"By God, Brother, that’s not the case. We’ve been doing our best for him, but we don’t know how to get through to him. We even tried to bring the girl he likes, but he refused."
The elder brother snapped:
"Nonsense! You went all the way to the foreign country where he lives — did you find him tied to one spot? How can a grown man like NAUFAL just be left alone? Did he tell you he’s a stone idol that doesn’t need a woman? I see them on TV — hair styled, short shorts, playing games, claiming it’s a profession. Anyway, hang up now, call him and tell him that I, Abubakar — his father’s elder brother and the one with authority in the Arabo family — say he should call my friend’s daughter. If he’s looking for an educated girl like himself, she’s not from the village, so he won’t look down on her like he looks down on me. I’ll send you her number — pass it on to him."
The Call Ends
Alhaji Umar said: "Alright, Brother, God willing, I’ll do as you said. Here’s Alhaji Usman — greet him."
He tried to hand over the phone, but the elder brother said quickly:
"No, leave him. You all speak with the same mouth."
He then hung up.
Alhaji Umar looked at Usman without saying a word. One glance was enough to tell they were brothers — same slim build, same features, true sons of the nomadic Fulani.
Usman asked: "He was talking about Naufal, right?"
Umar nodded, explained the conversation, and Usman said without concern:
"No problem. Just send him the number — let him call the girl. If we’re lucky this time, that’s it. We just want him married."
Naufal’s Jogging Interrupted
He was dressed in a bright white jersey with long trousers, white sneakers, and a sleek white Bluetooth earpiece. Jogging with his head down, he still got greetings from passersby, to which he simply waved — not a man of small talk.
His phone rang. He checked the screen — “My Dady.”
He slowed to a stop, caught his breath, and answered with a greeting.
Now I could take a closer look at him — extremely fair-skinned, impeccably handsome, with eyes that could capture a girl’s heart in an instant. One glance wasn’t enough; you had to look again. As he spoke to his father, his dimples showed.
Alhaji Umar said:
"I just sent you the number of a girl named Habiba. Call her and arrange things. Brother Abubakar gave me her number — she’s his friend’s daughter. Once you settle things, come home so we can fix a wedding date. I don’t want to hear any other excuses."
He hung up immediately, knowing that whenever marriage came up, Naufal would try to buy time. But time never arrived.
The Reluctant Call
Naufal exhaled sharply. In a soft voice, almost a whisper, he muttered:
"And how exactly am I going to get rid of this one?"
Deciding to just get it over with, he dialed Habiba’s number.
She picked up after three rings — no greeting, just:
"Hello, who’s this?"
He found it strange — few dared to ask him that, especially women. Usually they were chasing him, not the other way around. He stayed silent until she repeated:
"Hello? Who’s speaking?"
After a pause, he finally said:
"My name is Naufal Umar Arabo."
She replied:
"Oh, are you the nephew of Alhaji Habu who lives in the village?"
"Yes."
"Well, they already spoke to my father. He said he’ll send his son for me to meet, and if I like him, the elders will take it from there."
This annoyed him. He had wanted to see what made her so bold, but now she was talking as if he had to prove himself to her. Still, he said flatly:
"Yes, that’s me."
She mocked:
"You just keep saying ‘that’s me’ without saying anything else. You sound like you don’t even want this arrangement. Well, I don’t either, so don’t think I’m interested. Just tell me when you’ll come see me — not a phone call, because I’ve been told you’re supposed to come in person."
By now his irritation was clear — yet part of him was relieved. At least she wouldn’t be a problem if they needed to end things. Calmly, he asked:
"What… is… ‘yauqi’?"
Surprised, she teased him for not knowing the word. She rambled about wanting to meet him, but he cut in:
"I don’t have time to come."
"So we’ll marry when you have no time for me?" she asked.
He smirked inwardly — this was his chance.
"I have no time. I’m focused on making money. Money comes before everything — even before myself."
"So you’re saying money is more important than anything in life?"
"Not just my life — even the life of anyone who tries to enter it. Money comes first."
"Well then, Mr. Naufal Umar Arabo, I guess you don’t need to come at all. Stay where you are. May God pair everyone with their destined partner."
She hung up.
Naufal couldn’t hide his joy — his dimples deepened as he said:
"Yessss!" and continued jogging.
Family Background
Alhaji Abubakar Arabo (Baba Habu) — eldest brother, lives in Jigawa with his wife and two sons close in age to Naufal, both already married.
Alhaji Umar Arabo (Dady) — second brother, father of seven: Naufal (eldest), twin boys Sa’ad and Sa’eed, Maryam (married with a son named Junior Naufal), twin girls Intisar and Ihsan, and the youngest, Waheeda.
Alhaji Usman Arabo (Uncle Usman) — youngest brother, no children, married to Hajiya Anty, a hospital worker.
Originally from Niger, the brothers are Fulani nomads with great wealth and herds. They moved to Nigeria, expanded their business, and became respected wealthy men. All three and their wives resemble each other — fair-skinned, easily recognized as Fulani. Locals call them the Arabo Family.
Naufal’s Profile
Naufal, aged 36, is unmarried despite family pressure. Known to his siblings as Babban Yaya (Big Brother), he is protective, strict, and quick to discipline — especially with his sisters, forbidding them from dating or dressing immodestly.
Outside the family, however, he’s famous as a top Nigerian footballer. After his Master’s degree, instead of joining the family business, he pursued football, first playing for Kano Pillars, then abroad in Spain, and later in another country where he now earns a high weekly salary. His jersey, cap, and gear bear the nickname BIG BROTHER, given to him by Waheeda. Fans everywhere call him this, especially women.
His parents keep arranging potential brides, but he always finds a clever way to end things — just like he did with Habiba.