Intisaar widened her eyes in fear and said, “I’m in trouble, I swear I didn’t know…” Before she could finish, he slapped her hard on the mouth, pushed her away with a stern face, and said,
“What do you think you’re trying to do? Seduce me or what?”
She quickly turned and ran out of the living room, heading for Mommy’s room in a rush. He sighed, clicked his tongue, and looked for a chair to sit on. Maryam came in and said, “Oh, Haidar, you’re in our house today?” He smiled, “Yes, my sister, how are you?” She sat beside him, laughing, “How is work, Uncle?” He replied, “Alhamdulillah. How’s Mommy?” Maryam headed toward the bedroom saying, “Let me call her for you.”
When she reached Mommy’s room, Mommy was busy writing. Maryam announced, “Mommy, Uncle Haidar is here.” Mommy glared at her and said, “And what should I do for him?” Maryam smiled, “He’s in the living room alone.” Mommy replied, “Just forget about him.”
Maryam asked, “What about Intisaar?” Mommy answered, “She’s in the bath.” Maryam returned to the living room smiling, “Uncle, here she comes.” He said, “Good, sister. How’s school?” She replied, “We’re doing fine, Uncle,” then went to the fridge to bring him water and juice. She set them before him, and he thanked her. They chatted, but Mommy refused to come out.
He noticed Maryam also seemed unhappy about her mother’s attitude and asked, “Is Mommy angry with me?” Maryam hesitated, “I think she’s just busy, but she’ll come.” He stood up smiling, “Let me go inside and meet her. I know she’s upset with me.”
When he entered her bedroom and greeted her, she replied faintly. He laughed, sat down, and said, “So, it’s true my mother is upset with me.” She shot him a glare, “Suit yourself.” He chuckled, “Sorry, Mum. Did you arrive in Nigeria safely? I’ve just been busy with work.” She scoffed, “Busy? You’re just disrespectful.” She knew he hadn’t come for her—likely Abba had sent him.
They continued talking until Intisaar came out of the bathroom wearing her hijab. She walked past the room toward Maryam’s. Mommy called her back, “Did you greet your elder brother?” She responded politely, “Good morning, brother.” He looked at her strangely and replied, “Fine.” She hurried off.
Family Tensions and Aliyu’s Harshness
At 1 p.m., Aliyu went to the mosque. Nafisa begged him to eat before going, but he refused, claiming he was full. She said fine, and he promised to eat after prayers before heading home. Maryam walked him to the gate as they joked together. Intisaar, who stayed in Maryam’s room, was surprised to see Aliyu laughing so much with her.
At the gate, some of Maryam’s younger siblings returning from school hugged him excitedly. He told them he’d be back later. But he didn’t return until around 3 p.m., by which time Mommy had given up on him. “Where have you been?” she asked. He laughed, “I was in a hurry—where’s the food?” Nafisa teased him, “So now you must eat?” He insisted they bring it.
Mommy called Intisaar to serve him. Nervous, she placed the food before him. Mommy instructed her to plate it, but Aliyu interrupted, “No, just leave it, Auntie.” Intisaar quickly left without meeting his gaze.
Around 4:30 p.m., Aliyu said goodbye to Mommy, handing some money to a boy and giving Maryam ₦10,000. Mommy asked, “What about Intisaar?” He said he’d give hers at home, but Mommy insisted he give it now. Reluctantly, he handed ₦5,000 to Shaheed to pass to her, but Mommy demanded it be ₦10,000. He argued that he had already given her money before, but eventually, Mommy said Intisaar and Maryam would go with him.
He agreed outwardly but told them to meet him at the car. When they arrived, Aliyu looked at Intisaar coldly, “You’re not planning to get into this car, are you?” Terrified, she shook her head and walked toward the main road. Maryam confronted him, “Why treat her like this? Isn’t she your sister too?” He brushed it off, and Maryam, upset, refused to go with him.
Later, when Maryam told Mommy what happened, Mommy tried to call Intisaar. She answered, saying she was almost home and reassured Mommy it was fine, though she was disappointed Maryam wouldn’t be visiting.
That evening, as Intisaar and Zainab peeled yams for Mommy, Aliyu appeared in their section of the compound, wearing a suit and looking sharp. Without acknowledging their greetings, he glared at Intisaar and demanded, “Were you waiting for me to come and collect my ₦5,000?” Shocked, she apologized for forgetting, ran inside to get it, and handed it to him. He snatched it, counted it, and left.
Violence in the Compound
Later, noise erupted in the compound. Intisaar, Zainab, and even Inna rushed out to see Aliyu beating Fadila with a belt. She was shouting insults at him as he struck her, while Hajiya and Umma screamed for him to stop. Inna ran up, clapping her hands in shock, asking why he was trying to kill her.
Aliyu, furious, declared he’d only stop if she confessed where she had been going. Inna accused Fadila of sneaking out at prayer time and returning at midnight. She even handed Aliyu a stick, suggesting Fadila might be engaging in prostitution. Haitham entered and joined in beating her while Inna egged them on.
The brutal scene left Intisaar and Zainab shaken. Zainab muttered that perhaps it would make Fadila change her ways.
Later, Intisaar’s mother called her inside. Crying, she begged Aliyu not to hit her, explaining she’d only gone to fix her hair after school. But when she uncovered her face, Aliyu wasn’t there—he was outside laughing hysterically while Haitham sat watching him silently.
When Haitham asked Intisaar why she’d been crying, she denied it and left quickly. Back in Zainab’s parlor, Zainab received a phone call that left her fuming, prompting Intisaar to sit up and ask who it was.
Description
An Unsettling Encounter
Intisaar widened her eyes in fear and said, “I’m in trouble, I swear I didn’t know…” Before she could finish, he slapped her hard on the mouth, pushed her away with a stern face, and said,
“What do you think you’re trying to do? Seduce me or what?”
She quickly turned and ran out of the living room, heading for Mommy’s room in a rush. He sighed, clicked his tongue, and looked for a chair to sit on. Maryam came in and said, “Oh, Haidar, you’re in our house today?” He smiled, “Yes, my sister, how are you?” She sat beside him, laughing, “How is work, Uncle?” He replied, “Alhamdulillah. How’s Mommy?” Maryam headed toward the bedroom saying, “Let me call her for you.”
When she reached Mommy’s room, Mommy was busy writing. Maryam announced, “Mommy, Uncle Haidar is here.” Mommy glared at her and said, “And what should I do for him?” Maryam smiled, “He’s in the living room alone.” Mommy replied, “Just forget about him.”
Maryam asked, “What about Intisaar?” Mommy answered, “She’s in the bath.” Maryam returned to the living room smiling, “Uncle, here she comes.” He said, “Good, sister. How’s school?” She replied, “We’re doing fine, Uncle,” then went to the fridge to bring him water and juice. She set them before him, and he thanked her. They chatted, but Mommy refused to come out.
He noticed Maryam also seemed unhappy about her mother’s attitude and asked, “Is Mommy angry with me?” Maryam hesitated, “I think she’s just busy, but she’ll come.” He stood up smiling, “Let me go inside and meet her. I know she’s upset with me.”
When he entered her bedroom and greeted her, she replied faintly. He laughed, sat down, and said, “So, it’s true my mother is upset with me.” She shot him a glare, “Suit yourself.” He chuckled, “Sorry, Mum. Did you arrive in Nigeria safely? I’ve just been busy with work.” She scoffed, “Busy? You’re just disrespectful.” She knew he hadn’t come for her—likely Abba had sent him.
They continued talking until Intisaar came out of the bathroom wearing her hijab. She walked past the room toward Maryam’s. Mommy called her back, “Did you greet your elder brother?” She responded politely, “Good morning, brother.” He looked at her strangely and replied, “Fine.” She hurried off.
Family Tensions and Aliyu’s Harshness
At 1 p.m., Aliyu went to the mosque. Nafisa begged him to eat before going, but he refused, claiming he was full. She said fine, and he promised to eat after prayers before heading home. Maryam walked him to the gate as they joked together. Intisaar, who stayed in Maryam’s room, was surprised to see Aliyu laughing so much with her.
At the gate, some of Maryam’s younger siblings returning from school hugged him excitedly. He told them he’d be back later. But he didn’t return until around 3 p.m., by which time Mommy had given up on him. “Where have you been?” she asked. He laughed, “I was in a hurry—where’s the food?” Nafisa teased him, “So now you must eat?” He insisted they bring it.
Mommy called Intisaar to serve him. Nervous, she placed the food before him. Mommy instructed her to plate it, but Aliyu interrupted, “No, just leave it, Auntie.” Intisaar quickly left without meeting his gaze.
Around 4:30 p.m., Aliyu said goodbye to Mommy, handing some money to a boy and giving Maryam ₦10,000. Mommy asked, “What about Intisaar?” He said he’d give hers at home, but Mommy insisted he give it now. Reluctantly, he handed ₦5,000 to Shaheed to pass to her, but Mommy demanded it be ₦10,000. He argued that he had already given her money before, but eventually, Mommy said Intisaar and Maryam would go with him.
He agreed outwardly but told them to meet him at the car. When they arrived, Aliyu looked at Intisaar coldly, “You’re not planning to get into this car, are you?” Terrified, she shook her head and walked toward the main road. Maryam confronted him, “Why treat her like this? Isn’t she your sister too?” He brushed it off, and Maryam, upset, refused to go with him.
Later, when Maryam told Mommy what happened, Mommy tried to call Intisaar. She answered, saying she was almost home and reassured Mommy it was fine, though she was disappointed Maryam wouldn’t be visiting.
That evening, as Intisaar and Zainab peeled yams for Mommy, Aliyu appeared in their section of the compound, wearing a suit and looking sharp. Without acknowledging their greetings, he glared at Intisaar and demanded, “Were you waiting for me to come and collect my ₦5,000?” Shocked, she apologized for forgetting, ran inside to get it, and handed it to him. He snatched it, counted it, and left.
Violence in the Compound
Later, noise erupted in the compound. Intisaar, Zainab, and even Inna rushed out to see Aliyu beating Fadila with a belt. She was shouting insults at him as he struck her, while Hajiya and Umma screamed for him to stop. Inna ran up, clapping her hands in shock, asking why he was trying to kill her.
Aliyu, furious, declared he’d only stop if she confessed where she had been going. Inna accused Fadila of sneaking out at prayer time and returning at midnight. She even handed Aliyu a stick, suggesting Fadila might be engaging in prostitution. Haitham entered and joined in beating her while Inna egged them on.
The brutal scene left Intisaar and Zainab shaken. Zainab muttered that perhaps it would make Fadila change her ways.
Later, Intisaar’s mother called her inside. Crying, she begged Aliyu not to hit her, explaining she’d only gone to fix her hair after school. But when she uncovered her face, Aliyu wasn’t there—he was outside laughing hysterically while Haitham sat watching him silently.
When Haitham asked Intisaar why she’d been crying, she denied it and left quickly. Back in Zainab’s parlor, Zainab received a phone call that left her fuming, prompting Intisaar to sit up and ask who it was.