As the Hausa say: "The grave does not kill, it only buries the buried."
Hardship, suffering, poverty, change of life, and the ugliness of fate did not kill the Zaadens in the situation they found themselves in at midday. Instead, it only strengthened their faith and their resolve to accept any fate that came to them with both hands.
Life in the village came upon them so suddenly and severely that they thought they would never survive it. It was a life they had never even heard about in dreams, let alone imagined themselves living in.
It weighed down on them like a burden they thought they could never carry, fearing they might die under it.
Ammar and Maheer suffered the most, especially Ammar, who felt like he would collapse every time he opened his eyes and saw where his life had brought him.
The toilet alone was a terrifying thing for him, as he imagined he would fall into it.
On the first day they arrived, Ammar peeked into the pit latrine he was shown and saw worms and maggots moving around in the pool of waste. He fainted instantly, falling on Garba, who had escorted him.
Panic and Superstition
Garba, shocked and scared, carried him outside, shouting for people to come.
Dad, Jannah, and Modibbo rushed in panic, asking what had happened.
Maheer ran to inspect the toilet that had terrified Ammar, but after just glancing into the large open pit, dizziness overcame him, and he couldn’t even step inside.
Garba poured some strong-smelling water over Ammar and said,
> “Modibbo, I think spirits attacked him in the toilet. They saw the red foreigner.”
Modibbo replied,
> “Looks like they did. Quickly, bring incense so we can fumigate them for protection.”
Kawu Isiya told Garba to fetch fire. He himself went inside and returned with large bundles of fabric and special herbal powders.
They lit the fire, threw the powders in, and fumigated Ammar, Maheer, Dad, and Jannah in a room.
Ammar fainted again from the smoke entering his lungs and brain, almost going blind.
Maheer screamed in pain, struggling to escape, but Garba held him down, saying,
> “This is protection and medicine against every village insect. You must have it on you.”
Dad endured with difficulty but saw Jannah accept fate and adapt, even though she was a young girl. That encouraged him to face this new life bravely, settling in until God changed their condition—or until the end of life.
Maheer also accepted reality, although some things, like the toilet, still frightened them.
Ammar, because of Jannah’s calmness, tried harder to adjust, but he still couldn’t go anywhere without Garba—his bodyguard, friend, and occasional rival.
Maheer Finds Work
Maheer borrowed courage and started following Kawu into the cattle business—milking, making butter, and selling animal feed.
He earned small amounts to feed themselves, as Jannah was the only one doing a small trade.
They initially suffered from diarrhea after drinking village water straight from the river, but with time their bodies adjusted.
Ammar, unable to do heavy work, sold mangoes outside their home. He couldn’t climb trees, so Garba picked them for him. Despite frequent quarrels, they remained close because Ammar had no choice but to depend on him.
Time in the village strengthened their unity and brought new, deep love among the Zaadens.
The most significant event was Dzad and Ummah’s marriage, which brought closeness and warmth. Ummah filled the role of a mother for everyone, especially Ammar, who had long yearned for a mother’s love since losing his.
The Desire to Escape Village Hardship
Ammar pressed Modibbo to help them find city jobs—any kind, even security work or laundry—so they could leave village labor behind.
Modibbo agreed and began looking, believing their education could get them decent pay.
Maheer, too, intensified his search, hoping they could secure a place to live in the city.
Growing impatient, Ammar insisted on following Modibbo to the city to show employers his education and experience.
During their discussion, Kawu Isiya asked,
> “Do you even have transport money?”
Ammar muttered in frustration,
> “God, these fools are killing me slowly.”
When told to work making charcoal to earn the fare, Ammar pushed for an immediate trip, convinced that once employers saw their qualifications, they would be hired on the spot and money would start flowing in.
Description
A Saying Among the Hausa
As the Hausa say: "The grave does not kill, it only buries the buried."
Hardship, suffering, poverty, change of life, and the ugliness of fate did not kill the Zaadens in the situation they found themselves in at midday. Instead, it only strengthened their faith and their resolve to accept any fate that came to them with both hands.
Life in the village came upon them so suddenly and severely that they thought they would never survive it. It was a life they had never even heard about in dreams, let alone imagined themselves living in.
It weighed down on them like a burden they thought they could never carry, fearing they might die under it.
Ammar and Maheer suffered the most, especially Ammar, who felt like he would collapse every time he opened his eyes and saw where his life had brought him.
The toilet alone was a terrifying thing for him, as he imagined he would fall into it.
On the first day they arrived, Ammar peeked into the pit latrine he was shown and saw worms and maggots moving around in the pool of waste. He fainted instantly, falling on Garba, who had escorted him.
Panic and Superstition
Garba, shocked and scared, carried him outside, shouting for people to come.
Dad, Jannah, and Modibbo rushed in panic, asking what had happened.
Maheer ran to inspect the toilet that had terrified Ammar, but after just glancing into the large open pit, dizziness overcame him, and he couldn’t even step inside.
Garba poured some strong-smelling water over Ammar and said,
> “Modibbo, I think spirits attacked him in the toilet. They saw the red foreigner.”
Modibbo replied,
> “Looks like they did. Quickly, bring incense so we can fumigate them for protection.”
Kawu Isiya told Garba to fetch fire. He himself went inside and returned with large bundles of fabric and special herbal powders.
They lit the fire, threw the powders in, and fumigated Ammar, Maheer, Dad, and Jannah in a room.
Ammar fainted again from the smoke entering his lungs and brain, almost going blind.
Maheer screamed in pain, struggling to escape, but Garba held him down, saying,
> “This is protection and medicine against every village insect. You must have it on you.”
Dad endured with difficulty but saw Jannah accept fate and adapt, even though she was a young girl. That encouraged him to face this new life bravely, settling in until God changed their condition—or until the end of life.
Maheer also accepted reality, although some things, like the toilet, still frightened them.
Ammar, because of Jannah’s calmness, tried harder to adjust, but he still couldn’t go anywhere without Garba—his bodyguard, friend, and occasional rival.
Maheer Finds Work
Maheer borrowed courage and started following Kawu into the cattle business—milking, making butter, and selling animal feed.
He earned small amounts to feed themselves, as Jannah was the only one doing a small trade.
They initially suffered from diarrhea after drinking village water straight from the river, but with time their bodies adjusted.
Ammar, unable to do heavy work, sold mangoes outside their home. He couldn’t climb trees, so Garba picked them for him. Despite frequent quarrels, they remained close because Ammar had no choice but to depend on him.
Time in the village strengthened their unity and brought new, deep love among the Zaadens.
The most significant event was Dzad and Ummah’s marriage, which brought closeness and warmth. Ummah filled the role of a mother for everyone, especially Ammar, who had long yearned for a mother’s love since losing his.
The Desire to Escape Village Hardship
Ammar pressed Modibbo to help them find city jobs—any kind, even security work or laundry—so they could leave village labor behind.
Modibbo agreed and began looking, believing their education could get them decent pay.
Maheer, too, intensified his search, hoping they could secure a place to live in the city.
Growing impatient, Ammar insisted on following Modibbo to the city to show employers his education and experience.
During their discussion, Kawu Isiya asked,
> “Do you even have transport money?”
Ammar muttered in frustration,
> “God, these fools are killing me slowly.”
When told to work making charcoal to earn the fare, Ammar pushed for an immediate trip, convinced that once employers saw their qualifications, they would be hired on the spot and money would start flowing in.