He held his head, completely unaware that the car had slipped from his control until he felt it swerving on the road. Regaining his senses, he tried to hold the steering wheel. Amina, who was crying loudly, saw a big vehicle coming straight at them, and her heart sank. Her crying intensified, and without realizing, she leapt forward, clutching Danmallam in trembling fear. She screamed, “Oh Allah! A big vehicle...!”
Anger and bitterness nearly consumed him. He couldn’t speak to her until he steadied the car, pulled over to the roadside, and parked. Then he turned to look at Amina, who was clinging to him out of fear. What worsened his anger was when he saw that all her tears and mucus had smeared across his shoulder. He looked at her with disgust and irritation, but she didn’t even notice—she was still shaken from the terror of seeing that large vehicle charging toward them.
When she kept staring blankly and wouldn’t release him, he let out a hiss and shouted, “You...!” That was when she returned to her senses. She raised her head and saw his fierce glare. Quickly, she released his shirt, which she had clutched tightly, and returned to her seat, sitting with her buttocks pressed down while breathing heavily. Tears continued streaming down her cheeks.
His anger rose again when he switched on the car’s interior light and saw the dirty smear from her hands staining his shirt. Furiously, he looked at her and said, “What kind of filthy, unruly girl are you...? Not once in your life have you done anything that shows you’re even a woman...?” He said this, staring into her eyes that had begun to change color from his rage.
She didn’t lift her head; instead, she bent it lower, still crying. His insult of calling her filthy didn’t bother her as much as when he called her unruly, for each time he said that, it always drove her to tears. Now again, she wept harder. Quickly, he warned, “If you dare raise your voice again, I swear you’ll regret it... Do you know how heavy my hand is...? You don’t know—ask Jafar! If you push me to the wall with this useless crying, I swear if I slap you, your mouth will twist sideways... Useless girl!”
He fumed within himself, wrestling with his emotions. His life had become suffocating, and now only death could free him. How could he live with this girl? Her crying alone was enough to raise his blood pressure.
He didn’t even look at her again as he tried to restart the car. But then her sobbing erupted more violently. Shocked, he turned to look at her in disbelief. She hurriedly adjusted her hijab and covered her mouth with it, but tears flowed like a fountain. Without saying anything, he started the car and got back on the road. Suddenly, she burst into loud wailing again. Surprised, he looked at her once more. Holding the wheel with one hand and clutching his head with the other, he watched her, feeling as if he might throw her out of the car. From Mallam’s house to his, she had already begun to wear him out.
In his anger, he asked, “So you’re crying, huh...? Wait, tell me—what happened to you? Or what exactly do you even want?”
Through her sobs, she replied, “Please, take me home... I cannot spend the night anywhere without Hanne and Hamida...!”
He glared at her as if he would beat her, then furiously said, “You won’t be taken back home... Do whatever you want if you can! Enough! This nonsense ends here! I won’t let your useless crying keep disturbing me. I’ll deal with you myself!”
Amina opened her mouth wider, crying, “Oh me... Hanne... Yiyiyiiii... Hamida...! I’ll go to them, I’m doomed... Yiyiyiiii...!”
Anger Reaches Its Peak
Her relentless wailing silenced Danmallam. He just sat quietly, unable to speak further, continuing his driving while ignoring her. Her madness made his head pound. When she wouldn’t stop, he shouted so loudly that she covered her mouth. “You won’t go back to them! Or do you want to cry blood...? So you’ll return there to continue insulting and mocking people, right...? Here, I will correct your ways! I swear if you don’t shut up right now, I’ll send you to a correctional home where stubborn children like you are disciplined. You’ll spend forty days in slaps, I swear!”
Amina looked at him carefully, knowing he meant what he said. Her heart began to race. Instead of obeying and keeping quiet, she bent down in the car, held her head, and wailed even louder, crying, “Please, forgive me... For the sake of your parents, forgive me...!”
He nearly crashed into a tricycle because her screams penetrated his mind, pushing his anger to the extreme. He quickly pulled over in fury, opened his door, and stepped out. Amina thought he had stopped for her, so she huddled against the door, covering her mouth in tears. But instead, he slammed the door so hard it seemed like it would break.
Behind the car, he held his head, muttering repeatedly in distress, “Hasbunallahu wa ni’imal wakeel...!” (Allah is sufficient for us, the best disposer of affairs). He didn’t calm down until his heart settled a little. But still, he wondered, what would he do with this troublesome girl who was already driving him insane? He swore he could never live with her. Never in his life had he raised his voice like this—not even with Sakina. He had always been patient and tolerant. Even with Sarood, who wasn’t noisy, things were calm. But this girl? If not for the complications from their planned wedding, he would have ended this immediately.
He hissed softly, searching for a way out. He would try to accelerate the marriage within the week, before she completely pushed him to the wall. He recalled Mallam had already ruined things for him, and Jafar and the others wouldn’t discipline her. Even her so-called friends encouraged her disrespect. Clearly, it wasn’t childishness—it was deliberate recklessness. She probably even had secret relationships with boys. Mallam had once told him her problem was childishness, but he realized it was more than that. No wonder Hajiya wanted to send her to Madina. One day, she would cause a scandal that might even get her imprisoned—or worse, deported.
Phone Call and Confession to Aliyu
As he thought this, his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, sighed deeply, and answered quickly. “Aliyu, you called right on time!” He didn’t even exchange greetings due to his agitation.
Aliyu, sitting in his living room, adjusted himself and teased, “Shehi the groom! Groom of sixty! You’re so confused today you even forgot to greet me?” He laughed. Umar hissed lightly before replying, “As-salamu alaikum... Aliyu, I swear my head hurts.”
Aliyu became concerned and asked, “What happened? Did you not return home? Or didn’t you go to Mallam’s house?” They had already spoken before he left. Umar answered weakly, “I went to Mallam’s house... but you won’t believe what happened. They matched me with a girl, Aliyu!”
Aliyu asked, “A girl...? Who?” Danmallam held his head and replied, “That filthy girl, Aliyu!” Aliyu frowned, confused, “Which girl? Are you talking about Sakina?” He said this while suppressing laughter. Umar snapped angrily, “Sakina...? Aliyu, I’m talking about Amina! Didn’t I tell you Hajiya insisted she must move in today, as if we were running away or waiting for me...?”
Aliyu chuckled, “Oh, so why didn’t you say her name before? You kept saying filthy girl. How would I know who you meant? So, where is she now?” At that moment, Aliyu’s wife, Aliya, walked into the living room. Seeing him on the phone, she suspected he was speaking with Umar. She glared at him from the corner of her eyes. She too disliked Amina and had already warned Sakina never to let that girl enter her marital home. Now, she burned with jealousy at the thought of Umar bringing Amina.
Umar’s voice came again over the phone, “Aliyu, wallahi, I’m already tired today. Imagine, she cried so much in the car, shouting ‘Oh Allah!’ and even demanding I take her back to Hanne and Hamida. I threatened her with slaps, but she refused to stop. Tell me, what should I do? My head is splitting already.” He rubbed his forehead in pain.
Aliyu, noticing his wife staring at him, stood up and said jokingly, “Shehi, what’s so hard? Instead of calming her down, you resorted to slapping threats? No wonder she’s wailing!” He laughed, walking out of the living room toward his bedroom. His wife, Aliya, muttered angrily, “Dignity is gone...! How could he stoop so low as to marry such a filthy girl? If not for disgrace, how could such a dirty girl be given a husband?” She hissed again and again, clearly upset.
Inside his bedroom, Aliyu locked the door and continued, “Umar, I hear you. My own home is like yours today—Aliya is sharing in Sakina’s jealousy. She’s furious about your marriage to that young girl, saying it’s an insult to them.” He laughed lightly. Umar sighed, “I don’t understand women, Aliyu. Why do they think so small? Even Aliya too...? Anyway, will you marry again yourself?”
Aliyu replied, “Of course! Nothing will stop me unless I don’t find who I want. I desire more wives. If I haven’t married again yet, it’s only because Allah hasn’t decreed it.” Umar laughed, “You’ll face war, Aliyu. Aliya will set your house on fire.” Aliyu responded seriously, “If she tries it, she’ll know who I am. I’m not like you, Umar, who endures nonsense. I may be patient, but not always. If she crosses the line, I’ll put her in her place. I’m no weak man!” Umar laughed and said, “May Allah make it easy.” Aliyu responded, “Ameen. So, where did you leave her?”
Umar replied, “She’s still in the car... My head is splitting, Aliyu. Her crying will give me high blood pressure!”
Description
Near Collision and Rising Tension
He held his head, completely unaware that the car had slipped from his control until he felt it swerving on the road. Regaining his senses, he tried to hold the steering wheel. Amina, who was crying loudly, saw a big vehicle coming straight at them, and her heart sank. Her crying intensified, and without realizing, she leapt forward, clutching Danmallam in trembling fear. She screamed, “Oh Allah! A big vehicle...!”
Anger and bitterness nearly consumed him. He couldn’t speak to her until he steadied the car, pulled over to the roadside, and parked. Then he turned to look at Amina, who was clinging to him out of fear. What worsened his anger was when he saw that all her tears and mucus had smeared across his shoulder. He looked at her with disgust and irritation, but she didn’t even notice—she was still shaken from the terror of seeing that large vehicle charging toward them.
When she kept staring blankly and wouldn’t release him, he let out a hiss and shouted, “You...!” That was when she returned to her senses. She raised her head and saw his fierce glare. Quickly, she released his shirt, which she had clutched tightly, and returned to her seat, sitting with her buttocks pressed down while breathing heavily. Tears continued streaming down her cheeks.
His anger rose again when he switched on the car’s interior light and saw the dirty smear from her hands staining his shirt. Furiously, he looked at her and said, “What kind of filthy, unruly girl are you...? Not once in your life have you done anything that shows you’re even a woman...?” He said this, staring into her eyes that had begun to change color from his rage.
She didn’t lift her head; instead, she bent it lower, still crying. His insult of calling her filthy didn’t bother her as much as when he called her unruly, for each time he said that, it always drove her to tears. Now again, she wept harder. Quickly, he warned, “If you dare raise your voice again, I swear you’ll regret it... Do you know how heavy my hand is...? You don’t know—ask Jafar! If you push me to the wall with this useless crying, I swear if I slap you, your mouth will twist sideways... Useless girl!”
He fumed within himself, wrestling with his emotions. His life had become suffocating, and now only death could free him. How could he live with this girl? Her crying alone was enough to raise his blood pressure.
He didn’t even look at her again as he tried to restart the car. But then her sobbing erupted more violently. Shocked, he turned to look at her in disbelief. She hurriedly adjusted her hijab and covered her mouth with it, but tears flowed like a fountain. Without saying anything, he started the car and got back on the road. Suddenly, she burst into loud wailing again. Surprised, he looked at her once more. Holding the wheel with one hand and clutching his head with the other, he watched her, feeling as if he might throw her out of the car. From Mallam’s house to his, she had already begun to wear him out.
In his anger, he asked, “So you’re crying, huh...? Wait, tell me—what happened to you? Or what exactly do you even want?”
Through her sobs, she replied, “Please, take me home... I cannot spend the night anywhere without Hanne and Hamida...!”
He glared at her as if he would beat her, then furiously said, “You won’t be taken back home... Do whatever you want if you can! Enough! This nonsense ends here! I won’t let your useless crying keep disturbing me. I’ll deal with you myself!”
Amina opened her mouth wider, crying, “Oh me... Hanne... Yiyiyiiii... Hamida...! I’ll go to them, I’m doomed... Yiyiyiiii...!”
Anger Reaches Its Peak
Her relentless wailing silenced Danmallam. He just sat quietly, unable to speak further, continuing his driving while ignoring her. Her madness made his head pound. When she wouldn’t stop, he shouted so loudly that she covered her mouth. “You won’t go back to them! Or do you want to cry blood...? So you’ll return there to continue insulting and mocking people, right...? Here, I will correct your ways! I swear if you don’t shut up right now, I’ll send you to a correctional home where stubborn children like you are disciplined. You’ll spend forty days in slaps, I swear!”
Amina looked at him carefully, knowing he meant what he said. Her heart began to race. Instead of obeying and keeping quiet, she bent down in the car, held her head, and wailed even louder, crying, “Please, forgive me... For the sake of your parents, forgive me...!”
He nearly crashed into a tricycle because her screams penetrated his mind, pushing his anger to the extreme. He quickly pulled over in fury, opened his door, and stepped out. Amina thought he had stopped for her, so she huddled against the door, covering her mouth in tears. But instead, he slammed the door so hard it seemed like it would break.
Behind the car, he held his head, muttering repeatedly in distress, “Hasbunallahu wa ni’imal wakeel...!” (Allah is sufficient for us, the best disposer of affairs). He didn’t calm down until his heart settled a little. But still, he wondered, what would he do with this troublesome girl who was already driving him insane? He swore he could never live with her. Never in his life had he raised his voice like this—not even with Sakina. He had always been patient and tolerant. Even with Sarood, who wasn’t noisy, things were calm. But this girl? If not for the complications from their planned wedding, he would have ended this immediately.
He hissed softly, searching for a way out. He would try to accelerate the marriage within the week, before she completely pushed him to the wall. He recalled Mallam had already ruined things for him, and Jafar and the others wouldn’t discipline her. Even her so-called friends encouraged her disrespect. Clearly, it wasn’t childishness—it was deliberate recklessness. She probably even had secret relationships with boys. Mallam had once told him her problem was childishness, but he realized it was more than that. No wonder Hajiya wanted to send her to Madina. One day, she would cause a scandal that might even get her imprisoned—or worse, deported.
Phone Call and Confession to Aliyu
As he thought this, his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, sighed deeply, and answered quickly. “Aliyu, you called right on time!” He didn’t even exchange greetings due to his agitation.
Aliyu, sitting in his living room, adjusted himself and teased, “Shehi the groom! Groom of sixty! You’re so confused today you even forgot to greet me?” He laughed. Umar hissed lightly before replying, “As-salamu alaikum... Aliyu, I swear my head hurts.”
Aliyu became concerned and asked, “What happened? Did you not return home? Or didn’t you go to Mallam’s house?” They had already spoken before he left. Umar answered weakly, “I went to Mallam’s house... but you won’t believe what happened. They matched me with a girl, Aliyu!”
Aliyu asked, “A girl...? Who?” Danmallam held his head and replied, “That filthy girl, Aliyu!” Aliyu frowned, confused, “Which girl? Are you talking about Sakina?” He said this while suppressing laughter. Umar snapped angrily, “Sakina...? Aliyu, I’m talking about Amina! Didn’t I tell you Hajiya insisted she must move in today, as if we were running away or waiting for me...?”
Aliyu chuckled, “Oh, so why didn’t you say her name before? You kept saying filthy girl. How would I know who you meant? So, where is she now?” At that moment, Aliyu’s wife, Aliya, walked into the living room. Seeing him on the phone, she suspected he was speaking with Umar. She glared at him from the corner of her eyes. She too disliked Amina and had already warned Sakina never to let that girl enter her marital home. Now, she burned with jealousy at the thought of Umar bringing Amina.
Umar’s voice came again over the phone, “Aliyu, wallahi, I’m already tired today. Imagine, she cried so much in the car, shouting ‘Oh Allah!’ and even demanding I take her back to Hanne and Hamida. I threatened her with slaps, but she refused to stop. Tell me, what should I do? My head is splitting already.” He rubbed his forehead in pain.
Aliyu, noticing his wife staring at him, stood up and said jokingly, “Shehi, what’s so hard? Instead of calming her down, you resorted to slapping threats? No wonder she’s wailing!” He laughed, walking out of the living room toward his bedroom. His wife, Aliya, muttered angrily, “Dignity is gone...! How could he stoop so low as to marry such a filthy girl? If not for disgrace, how could such a dirty girl be given a husband?” She hissed again and again, clearly upset.
Inside his bedroom, Aliyu locked the door and continued, “Umar, I hear you. My own home is like yours today—Aliya is sharing in Sakina’s jealousy. She’s furious about your marriage to that young girl, saying it’s an insult to them.” He laughed lightly. Umar sighed, “I don’t understand women, Aliyu. Why do they think so small? Even Aliya too...? Anyway, will you marry again yourself?”
Aliyu replied, “Of course! Nothing will stop me unless I don’t find who I want. I desire more wives. If I haven’t married again yet, it’s only because Allah hasn’t decreed it.” Umar laughed, “You’ll face war, Aliyu. Aliya will set your house on fire.” Aliyu responded seriously, “If she tries it, she’ll know who I am. I’m not like you, Umar, who endures nonsense. I may be patient, but not always. If she crosses the line, I’ll put her in her place. I’m no weak man!” Umar laughed and said, “May Allah make it easy.” Aliyu responded, “Ameen. So, where did you leave her?”
Umar replied, “She’s still in the car... My head is splitting, Aliyu. Her crying will give me high blood pressure!”