In a hurry, she kept running fast, constantly turning back and seeing how the children were following him while singing songs. Some of them were even holding on to his big robe, dragging it until he staggered like he was about to fall. Entering the house, she went straight to where her mother was struggling to light the charcoal to cook. She placed the ground spices in front of her and quickly turned to leave, saying:
“Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going? Didn’t you just come in?”
She pouted her face as if she was about to cry, full of worry and sadness, then said:
“Mother, just now I saw children following Baba with songs. I fear he went to drink that thing you hate so much—the one he drinks every day.”
Without saying a word, her mother sighed heavily and turned away, continuing to fan the fire. Seeing that, the little girl of about ten years ran quickly to where her father was.
As soon as the children saw her coming, they started running away, shouting:
“Look, Meelah has come! Everyone run before she smashes his forehead!”
They all ran off and left him. With deep frustration, she walked up to him and said:
“Baba, you know Mother does not like you drinking this thing. Why don’t you stop? Aren’t you ashamed of how village children keep following you with songs every day? Mother told us this thing you drink is not good, in fact, our religion forbids it. She also said it harms human health and we should never dare touch it. Why can’t you stop, even for the sake of Allah who forbade it?”
He opened his eyes with difficulty, pointed at her with a finger and said:
“I’ll deal with you now if you ever say that to me again. Move aside and give me way before I kick you and cause you harm—I don’t have money for medicine!”
She grabbed his hand and they walked together while she prayed in her heart, asking Allah to prevent him from beating Mother. Sometimes, whenever he got drunk, he would lose control and beat her right in front of them. From their childhood till now, he never changed this behavior.
When they reached home, Mother didn’t even lift her head to look at them. She just kept working and then called out for Safeenah. Quickly, she came out from the room saying:
“Mother, why are you calling me so loudly as if you’ll split my head? I was praying!”
With annoyance, Mother turned to her and said:
“So it is only now you’re praying Asr?”
“Please forgive me, don’t beat me, Mother. I swear sleep overtook me and I didn’t know the time had passed.”
She sighed and said:
“Go fix the soup ingredients before the tuwo is ready.”
“Okay, Mother,” she replied, hurrying to her.
Audi looked at her drunkenly and said:
“You, Ummy, didn’t you see me? You pretended deaf, ignoring me, you useless woman!”
Weakly, she raised her head and said:
“Please forgive me, welcome back.”
He replied:
“Because you despise me, you only greeted after I spoke. Keep your greetings—I don’t need them. But today your body will teach you a lesson, since you still don’t know how to pamper a husband!”
All the children opened their eyes wide, watching him.
Meelah pleaded:
“Please Baba, don’t beat her today. Forgive her, leave her alone.”
He snapped:
“Shut up before I smash your mouth right now!”
He went for his large whip. Seeing that, their mother quickly got up and went into the room—not for anything else but to prevent the neighbors from hearing her being beaten again.
The children started crying bitterly, pleading with him, but he ignored them. They heard the harsh beating sounds, felt their mother’s painful groans, yet she refused to cry out loud so as not to distress her children further. He only stopped after tiring himself out, then left for his own room.
The three children rushed into the room, throwing themselves on their mother in tears. They saw her lying down, tears streaming from her eyes, whip marks all over her body and thighs. They covered her thighs, clung to her tightly in love and pity.
She whispered:
“Safeenah, go finish the cooking. You can manage, right?”
Safeenah nodded through her tears, then stood up slowly and left.
Meelah asked:
“Mother, should I bring you some water to drink?”
She nodded weakly.
Meelah quickly left and soon returned with a cup of water. Sitting before her, she said:
“Get up and drink, Mother.”
With effort, she sat up, holding her aching belly. Meelah held the cup to her lips until she turned her face aside. Then she set the cup down and asked:
“Mother, should I boil hot water to massage your body?”
She shook her head gently.
“Leave it, when I rest a bit, I’ll take a bath myself.”
And so, despite being only children, they kept caring for their mother with love and concern, realizing even at their young age that their father treated her cruelly.
The Drunken Father: Malam Audi
Malam Audi, originally from Jere, was a drunkard. By drunkard, it means he would do anything just to get alcohol. Since the age of twenty, he grew with the habit of drinking and disobedience. Because of this, his parents sought him a good and decent wife, Ummy Aysha, a beautiful, quiet, and gentle Buzu woman, hoping marriage would reform him.
But instead of change, the opposite happened. They quarreled, tried to advise him, yet he never showed intention to change. He even sold all the furniture given to Ummy for their marriage, using the money for alcohol. When broke, he would borrow from anyone just to buy drink.
Everyone in town knew Malam Audi and his companion Shamwilu for their drunkenness. Almost everything Audi did was influenced by Shamwilu.
Ummy was a kind, respectful young woman, but she was unlucky to marry such a man. After her first pregnancy, she gave birth to a girl, Safeenah. From then on, Audi intensified his cruelty, beating her for bearing a girl instead of a boy. Shamwilu even told him: “Daughters are useless in life.” This made Audi detest female children more.
When she conceived again, she lived in fear. She even traveled to her parents to explain her plight. They were heartbroken seeing how frail she had become. They kept her for a while until Audi’s parents came to beg. Reluctantly, her parents allowed her to return.
Back home, Audi was strictly warned by his parents to reform, else Ummy would be taken back permanently. Terrified, he softened a bit, treated her better, and provided food and fruits for her pregnancy—hoping she would give him a boy.
But when she delivered another girl, Jameelah, he felt his world darkened. He beat her mercilessly even in her postpartum weakness, until neighbors intervened. His parents took her home again.
Shortly after, Audi’s father died. The old man left little wealth, yet Audi only cared about inheritance, not mourning. Shamwilu told him: “If you don’t ask for your share, your mother will finish it all.”
During the funeral days, Audi shamelessly asked about the inheritance, shocking his mother to tears. Even before mourning ended, he demanded her to sell the family house so he could use the money. As she tried to speak, she collapsed and died of heart failure.
Audi barely mourned her either. Instead, he drove out his late father’s companions who came to console, saying no one had the right to sit in his father’s house. He told his mother before she died: “I’ll sell this house. Take what you want and return to your village. I’ll visit you sometimes. Don’t worry, I won’t touch your share.” But she died from the shock.
The Burdens of Ummy Aysha
Meanwhile, Ummy wept bitterly. Losing her in-laws who once defended her worsened her pain. But her parents, Hafsatu’s parents, also tragically died in a car accident on their way to condole her.
Crushed with grief, she turned to Allah, surrendering to His test. Yet, Audi took her back, sold even his father’s house, and squandered everything on alcohol with Shamwilu.
Ummy struggled alone, working laundry from house to house, feeding herself and her two daughters. Eventually, she became pregnant again. But this time, Audi warned her sternly:
“If you dare give me another girl, I will kill her. I won’t raise useless daughters in my house!”
Description
Meelah’s Worries and the Father’s Harshness
In a hurry, she kept running fast, constantly turning back and seeing how the children were following him while singing songs. Some of them were even holding on to his big robe, dragging it until he staggered like he was about to fall. Entering the house, she went straight to where her mother was struggling to light the charcoal to cook. She placed the ground spices in front of her and quickly turned to leave, saying:
“Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going? Didn’t you just come in?”
She pouted her face as if she was about to cry, full of worry and sadness, then said:
“Mother, just now I saw children following Baba with songs. I fear he went to drink that thing you hate so much—the one he drinks every day.”
Without saying a word, her mother sighed heavily and turned away, continuing to fan the fire. Seeing that, the little girl of about ten years ran quickly to where her father was.
As soon as the children saw her coming, they started running away, shouting:
“Look, Meelah has come! Everyone run before she smashes his forehead!”
They all ran off and left him. With deep frustration, she walked up to him and said:
“Baba, you know Mother does not like you drinking this thing. Why don’t you stop? Aren’t you ashamed of how village children keep following you with songs every day? Mother told us this thing you drink is not good, in fact, our religion forbids it. She also said it harms human health and we should never dare touch it. Why can’t you stop, even for the sake of Allah who forbade it?”
He opened his eyes with difficulty, pointed at her with a finger and said:
“I’ll deal with you now if you ever say that to me again. Move aside and give me way before I kick you and cause you harm—I don’t have money for medicine!”
She grabbed his hand and they walked together while she prayed in her heart, asking Allah to prevent him from beating Mother. Sometimes, whenever he got drunk, he would lose control and beat her right in front of them. From their childhood till now, he never changed this behavior.
When they reached home, Mother didn’t even lift her head to look at them. She just kept working and then called out for Safeenah. Quickly, she came out from the room saying:
“Mother, why are you calling me so loudly as if you’ll split my head? I was praying!”
With annoyance, Mother turned to her and said:
“So it is only now you’re praying Asr?”
“Please forgive me, don’t beat me, Mother. I swear sleep overtook me and I didn’t know the time had passed.”
She sighed and said:
“Go fix the soup ingredients before the tuwo is ready.”
“Okay, Mother,” she replied, hurrying to her.
Audi looked at her drunkenly and said:
“You, Ummy, didn’t you see me? You pretended deaf, ignoring me, you useless woman!”
Weakly, she raised her head and said:
“Please forgive me, welcome back.”
He replied:
“Because you despise me, you only greeted after I spoke. Keep your greetings—I don’t need them. But today your body will teach you a lesson, since you still don’t know how to pamper a husband!”
All the children opened their eyes wide, watching him.
Meelah pleaded:
“Please Baba, don’t beat her today. Forgive her, leave her alone.”
He snapped:
“Shut up before I smash your mouth right now!”
He went for his large whip. Seeing that, their mother quickly got up and went into the room—not for anything else but to prevent the neighbors from hearing her being beaten again.
The children started crying bitterly, pleading with him, but he ignored them. They heard the harsh beating sounds, felt their mother’s painful groans, yet she refused to cry out loud so as not to distress her children further. He only stopped after tiring himself out, then left for his own room.
The three children rushed into the room, throwing themselves on their mother in tears. They saw her lying down, tears streaming from her eyes, whip marks all over her body and thighs. They covered her thighs, clung to her tightly in love and pity.
She whispered:
“Safeenah, go finish the cooking. You can manage, right?”
Safeenah nodded through her tears, then stood up slowly and left.
Meelah asked:
“Mother, should I bring you some water to drink?”
She nodded weakly.
Meelah quickly left and soon returned with a cup of water. Sitting before her, she said:
“Get up and drink, Mother.”
With effort, she sat up, holding her aching belly. Meelah held the cup to her lips until she turned her face aside. Then she set the cup down and asked:
“Mother, should I boil hot water to massage your body?”
She shook her head gently.
“Leave it, when I rest a bit, I’ll take a bath myself.”
And so, despite being only children, they kept caring for their mother with love and concern, realizing even at their young age that their father treated her cruelly.
The Drunken Father: Malam Audi
Malam Audi, originally from Jere, was a drunkard. By drunkard, it means he would do anything just to get alcohol. Since the age of twenty, he grew with the habit of drinking and disobedience. Because of this, his parents sought him a good and decent wife, Ummy Aysha, a beautiful, quiet, and gentle Buzu woman, hoping marriage would reform him.
But instead of change, the opposite happened. They quarreled, tried to advise him, yet he never showed intention to change. He even sold all the furniture given to Ummy for their marriage, using the money for alcohol. When broke, he would borrow from anyone just to buy drink.
Everyone in town knew Malam Audi and his companion Shamwilu for their drunkenness. Almost everything Audi did was influenced by Shamwilu.
Ummy was a kind, respectful young woman, but she was unlucky to marry such a man. After her first pregnancy, she gave birth to a girl, Safeenah. From then on, Audi intensified his cruelty, beating her for bearing a girl instead of a boy. Shamwilu even told him: “Daughters are useless in life.” This made Audi detest female children more.
When she conceived again, she lived in fear. She even traveled to her parents to explain her plight. They were heartbroken seeing how frail she had become. They kept her for a while until Audi’s parents came to beg. Reluctantly, her parents allowed her to return.
Back home, Audi was strictly warned by his parents to reform, else Ummy would be taken back permanently. Terrified, he softened a bit, treated her better, and provided food and fruits for her pregnancy—hoping she would give him a boy.
But when she delivered another girl, Jameelah, he felt his world darkened. He beat her mercilessly even in her postpartum weakness, until neighbors intervened. His parents took her home again.
Shortly after, Audi’s father died. The old man left little wealth, yet Audi only cared about inheritance, not mourning. Shamwilu told him: “If you don’t ask for your share, your mother will finish it all.”
During the funeral days, Audi shamelessly asked about the inheritance, shocking his mother to tears. Even before mourning ended, he demanded her to sell the family house so he could use the money. As she tried to speak, she collapsed and died of heart failure.
Audi barely mourned her either. Instead, he drove out his late father’s companions who came to console, saying no one had the right to sit in his father’s house. He told his mother before she died: “I’ll sell this house. Take what you want and return to your village. I’ll visit you sometimes. Don’t worry, I won’t touch your share.” But she died from the shock.
The Burdens of Ummy Aysha
Meanwhile, Ummy wept bitterly. Losing her in-laws who once defended her worsened her pain. But her parents, Hafsatu’s parents, also tragically died in a car accident on their way to condole her.
Crushed with grief, she turned to Allah, surrendering to His test. Yet, Audi took her back, sold even his father’s house, and squandered everything on alcohol with Shamwilu.
Ummy struggled alone, working laundry from house to house, feeding herself and her two daughters. Eventually, she became pregnant again. But this time, Audi warned her sternly:
“If you dare give me another girl, I will kill her. I won’t raise useless daughters in my house!”