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They were walking through the wilderness with their cattle: a young girl who could not have been more than fourteen years old, and the elderly man walking close to her who appeared to be her father. Filled with distress, the girl raised her hand to look at her father and said with care, "By God, Baba, I am tired. Just go ahead; when I rest, I will catch up." She brushed the conversation aside carefully.
With affection, her father looked at her and said, "Alright, Rabe, but please be very careful."
Calmly, she replied, "Alright, Baba."
With that, he turned and headed home. As he walked away, Rabe walked over to a nearby tree and sat down to rest. Calmly, she removed her plastic shoes and lay down. Shortly after lying down, sleep overcame her due to the overwhelming fatigue. One glance at her would make you realize how deeply she was enjoying her sleep.
Slowly, a pleasant breeze began to blow, and then a strong wind picked up, which became the reason Rabe woke from her sleep. Slowly, she opened her eyes and sat up. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, began driving the cattle, and shouted for them to take the road home, speaking in the Fulani language. Just like that, the cattle started moving as if she had given them a direct command.
As they walked, it started to rain playfully, and then the rain poured down heavily as if poured from the mouth of a water gourd. The rain beat down mercilessly on Rabe, but she did not care at all—as the saying goes, "like water off a duck's back" (she was unbothered) lol.
Filled with joy, she walked, jumping and splashing into the puddles formed on the road. Her body became stained red with the red earth. She kept this up until the rain stopped, and then she headed home. It did not take long before they arrived. First, she took the cattle into their pen, and then she hurried over to where their huts were located.
Running up to the doorway leading to her stepmother's room, she entered with a greeting, saying, "Inna, I am back."
Filled with rage and utmost hatred, Inna looked at her and angrily began to shout, "Get out and leave me alone, you cursed girl with terrible bad luck! Until now, you still refuse to get married because of your ill-fate. Your mother ended up in misery, and you will end the same way as long as I am breathing!"
From the moment she started speaking, Rabe looked at her in utter confusion, because, before God, she did not truly understand what Inna Laure meant. Every day, Inna said this to her, and though it never really bothered her, why did she keep repeating it? And why had she been thinking so much about Inna's words in recent days?
With pure malice, Inna Laure picked up the bowl in front of her and hurled it at Rabe's forehead. Immediately, blood began to flow from her forehead. Terrified, Rabe turned around and sought a way out of the hut to find help. Because of her panic and fear of blood, she ran toward the cattle pen. There, she unexpectedly ran straight into her father, Malam Moddibo.
In immense distress, she uttered, "Indeed, to God we belong and to Him we shall return."

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In extreme panic, he rushed toward her and quickly grabbed her forehead, then took her hand and headed to his room to apply medicine that would stop the bleeding. By the grace of God, the bleeding stopped, but her forehead was severely swollen and bright red due to her fair complexion. Slowly, she began to take deep breaths because of the stinging pain. In a soft voice, the father began to speak like this:
"Rabi'atu, bear with life just as I always tell you, and whenever anything arises between you and Laure, avoid it, because her only desire is to harm you. You know very well that I have no one left except you, ever since I lost your mother—I lost a part of my life. As for my brother, when you were just a baby, he went missing, and later his body was found by the roadside. Ever since that day, we stopped traveling the highways with our animals. Ever since I lost my parents, I never found true happiness again until I married your mother. But later, God took her; she passed away and left you with me while you were still nursing. As you grew, I cared for you.
Two years after your mother's death, Malam Iro came to me with the suggestion that I remarry so that you could have a proper upbringing. Filled with distress, I looked at him and said, 'Iro, which woman can I marry who will be able to take care of Rabe?' Before God, I did not want her to grow up experiencing maternal deprivation. With care, Malam Iro watched me until I finished speaking.
Then he smiled and said, 'I will give you my younger sister, Laure, to marry. I know she will raise her sincerely.' Even though my heart did not fully consent, I agreed and said I would marry her.
When Malam Iro realized my heart was not fully in agreement with the marriage, he smiled a second time and said, 'If you agree to marry her, I promise you I will become the one who teaches her religious knowledge.' With a smile, he ended his speech.
Without thinking much, I agreed to marry Laure. Little did I know that this would be the root of the destruction of my home and the shattering of my happiness," he finished speaking while weeping bitterly 😭😭.
Calmly, Rabe crawled close to her father, hugged him tightly, and wiped away his tears with the palm of her hand. After Moddibo cried to his heart's content, he fell silent. With care, he asked, "Did you eat?"
Quickly, she nodded to say yes—though in truth, she had not eaten anything—simply so her father's mind would be at ease.
Moddibo smiled and said, "Now, get up quickly and go take your lessons. Hurry up, and don't delay along the way, you hear? May God bless your life, my Rabe."
She replied with "Ameen," then stood up and headed to Malam Iro's Qur'anic school where she took her lessons.
Even though they were nomadic Fulani, that did not stop them from seeking religious education. Among all of Rabe's peers, everyone was already married except for her and Ruqatu; they were the only young girls left who had not yet married.
Rabe was a very beautiful girl—one glance would make you understand that. She had large eyes with thick eyebrows, a very prominent and long nose like her father's (though slightly wide), and well-proportioned lips with a slight pout. She had abundant hair, meaning it was very long. Rabe was tall, though not excessively so. One glance at you would show you she possessed the beauty and physique of true Fulani heritage.
Rabe was deeply reserved ("miskila" of the highest order); talking was not her thing at all, let alone being overly chatty. However, that did not stop her from being polite to people. Rabe was a young girl who was not fond of excessive cheerfulness, but she loved studying; this is why Malam Iro loved her dearly, because she grasped her lessons very well.
Not once did she ever entertain the young men of their settlement, which led them to say she was arrogant, though in reality, it was not like that at all. Calmly, she arrived at the school; no one else had arrived yet—she was alone. Upon arrival, she put down her wooden writing slate (allo), picked up a broom to sweep the area, and then spread out her mat to sit and begin reviewing her lessons, because that was the day she was going to wash her slate.
While she was studying, Ruqatu arrived with a greeting. Rabe did not stop until she reached the end of a verse, then she raised her head with a smile and returned the greeting.
Ruqatu laughed and said, "Greetings to the queen of memorization! So you couldn't even stop by to walk with me, huh? But look, I've come too, and I know you rushed here ahead of me just so you could wash your slate first, right? Oh, I've figured out your trick!"
(They were speaking in the Fulani language. I did this so the reader could grasp the core of the story, because if I used the Fulani language exclusively, not everyone would understand what the narrative meant.)
Rabe laughed and said, "Oh Ruqatu, you are the one getting married soon anyway; very soon you will stop coming to school!"
Ruqatu frowned and said, "Well, we have to finish our Qur'anic graduation (sauka) first. In fact, in two weeks, God willing, we will graduate."
Rabe smiled and then said, "May God let us witness those two weeks."

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With that, they concluded their conversation because Malam Iro arrived at the spot. Respectfully, they greeted him, and he responded with a bright face, telling them they were good friends to each other. They smiled and lowered their heads.
Ruqatu's recitation was checked first, followed by Rabe's. Once they finished, they said their goodbyes to Malam and set off toward their homes. On their way back, they ran into Aliko, the man set to marry Ruqatu. Beaming with smiles, they greeted Rabe, while Ruqatu hid her face behind Rabe, acting all shy lol.
They didn't stand for long before Rabe bid them farewell and headed home, deep in thought about what she would find waiting for her, since she was returning quite late in the evening due to the distance of the school.
Filled with apprehension, she reached the room where she slept, lay down, and let out a deep sigh of relief.
Softly, she whispered, "Alhamdulillah," because before God, she did not want to encounter Inna Laure, knowing their meetings never brought any good. While lost in these thoughts, she felt as though someone touched her door. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, already thoroughly frightened, thinking it was Inna Laure.
With a greeting, someone entered the room. As soon as she saw him, she ran forward, hugged him, and burst into tears. Her crying deeply touched his heart, but he didn't stop her until she cried to her heart's content. Then Moddibo wiped away her tears and said to her, "Be patient, Rabe. I know the fear of Laure is troubling you, but be patient; one day you will tell the story, you hear?"
Quickly, she nodded in agreement. Gently, he took her shoulders and sat her down on the straw mattress in the room, saying, "Starting today, I promise you that you will never cry over the loss of a mother again, you hear?"
As he reached this point in his speech, he turned to leave. Quickly, Rabe looked up and said, "Baba, are you going to marry so I won't have to see Inna Laure anymore?"
In utter astonishment, Moddibo turned back and looked at Rabe: 😳 "Marriage, did you say, Rabe?"
Without a second thought, she nodded yes.
With a subdued body, he walked over to where she was, touched her with care, and said, "Are you truly serious that you want to get married?"
Without any fear or hesitation, she said, "Yes, Baba, I want to." Before God, she did not even know what marriage truly meant; she just said it so she could find peace of mind.
Moddibo smiled and said, "Alright then, I will bring you a husband right to your doorstep, you hear?"
Quickly, she broke into a wide smile with childlike innocence and said, "Really, Baba? When will you bring him?"
His question made Moddibo laugh 😃, and she smiled too.
Gently, he took her cheeks and said, "In just a few days, I will bring him to you." With that, he headed out to the mosque.
She also stood up, performed ablution, prayed, and then headed to her father's room. When she entered, she found him sitting down preparing medicines. Because he was known for providing traditional remedies, whenever anyone in their settlement fell ill, he was the one called upon, and by the grace of God, his treatments were successful.
With a greeting, she entered and sat down in silence, saying nothing. Through this, he realized she must be hungry. Without saying a word, he picked up the bowl beside him and handed it to her. Quickly, she took it—it contained fura (millet dough) and fresh milk—and immediately tilted her head back to drink. The way she drank the fura surprised Moddibo, and right then his heart began to wonder: Could it really be that Rabe didn't eat anything today?!

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He could surely endure many things, but certainly not the punishment of starvation! In a fury, he stood up and headed straight to Laure's hut. Without even offering a greeting, he launched into a furious tirade, declaring that while he could tolerate anything else she did, he absolutely would not stand for starving his child.
From the moment he began his outburst, Laure stared at him in utter shock, because in all the time she had known Moddibo, he had never raised his voice at her, let alone scolded her. So Moddibo was like this too? Truly, she realized his anger was burning fiercely, which is why she said nothing while he ranted. If she had tried to speak, something undesirable might have happened, and it wouldn't have been pleasant for her.
When he finished venting, he walked away, leaving her stricken with fear of his unpredictable nature.
Upon stepping out, he headed to his room and entered with a greeting, finding Rabe there looking cheerful.
"Welcome back," she greeted him with a smile.
He smiled back and stroked her head. They spent a long time chatting foolishly until he grew tired and told her to go to sleep. But absolutely not—she refused to go unless he escorted her! So that is what happened; Moddibo walked her all the way to her room, and only after she fell asleep did he blow prayers over her and step outside.
The next morning at dawn, Rabe stepped out dressed in her traditional Fulani attire for herding cattle, complete with her enclosed plastic shoes.
She headed to Moddibo's room with a greeting and walked in. She found him eating breakfast. With a bright smile, Moddibo looked at Rabe and said, "Come closer to me, my child."
Beaming, she walked over to her father and lovingly threw her arms around him.
They ate breakfast together, and when they finished, they stepped outside together where they ran right into Laure. Immediately, Laure scowled as if she had just looked at death itself.
Slightly frightened, Rabe greeted her. As soon as Moddibo looked away, Laure shot Rabe a venomous glare. Promptly, Rabe retreated behind Moddibo and clung tightly to him. Without saying a word, Moddibo took her hand and they walked out of the compound.
Upon stepping out, they headed to the cattle pen to begin grazing.
Calmly, Rabe looked at Moddibo and said, "Baba, today I will go herding alone. Look, we can split the cattle into two halves: you take the eastern path, and I will take the western path. When we return, we'll see whose cattle are more satisfied!"
With care, he said to her, "Alright, let's go so I can split them for you."
Quickly, she followed him, filled with excitement about herding all by herself.
It didn't take long before he split the household cattle into two groups. He drove his group forward, and she drove hers forward, but not before giving her strict warnings to take good care of herself and never take bad routes—meaning, absolutely no walking on the main highways—because he despised highways ever since he lost his younger brother, Zakariya 😭.
She walked in complete peace of mind, knowing she was enveloped in joy and happiness. They wandered through the wilderness for a long time until Rabe noticed it was time for her Qur'anic school.
Reluctantly, she drove the cattle and headed home. When she returned, she realized her father had not yet come back. Usually, he was always the first to return from herding, so why hadn't he come back early today?
As for Moddibo, while on his way back from herding, he spotted what looked like a person lying down. At first, he thought the person was just resting, but upon drawing closer, he saw something entirely different from his assumption.
It was a young man dressed in a magnificent light blue shadda (rich brocade fabric) sewn into a grand jamfa robe. He wore no cap; instead, a massive machete slash marked his head, and similar deep cuts gashed his chest and back.
His entire body was covered in blood. Despite the horrific slashes covering him, one could still easily tell he was a very handsome young man. In a rush, Moddibo hurried over to him and lifted him up, realizing at that moment that the young man was still breathing. Out of sheer panic, he didn't know where to begin administering help—traditional doctor style lol!
Then, a clever idea struck him. With all his might, Moddibo managed to lift the youth and hoist him onto the back of a cow, tying him securely so he wouldn't fall off. Then they headed toward home.
It took a while before they arrived home. At the entrance, they ran into Rabe, who had been waiting outside refusing to enter the compound until Moddibo returned.
Quickly, Moddibo told her to drive the cattle into the pen. Without noticing the man strapped to the back of the cow, she went ahead. With all his strength, Moddibo unfastened the youth from the cow and carried him into his room. Once inside, he laid the young man down on his sleeping mat, stood up, and grabbed his storage container of medicinal herbs. He placed it down, fetched a traditional medicine gourd, and grabbed a blade.
Without wasting time, Moddibo ripped open the ruined garments on the young man's body. "Subhanallah!" he gasped upon seeing how congealed blood had pooled around the right side of his chest—evidently, he had been severely beaten before being slashed with a blade.
Calmly, he took the blade, pinpointed where the stagnant black blood had gathered, and made a small incision right there. Immediately, dark, stagnant blood began to gush out. Gently, he wiped it away until it stopped completely, and then he applied medicine to the wounds.
Once he finished applying the treatment, he stepped outside and shouted for Laure. Trembling, she rushed over and said, "I am here, Malam."
He instructed her, "Quickly, bring me hot water." Shivering, she hurried off to build a fire and set a pot of water to boil.

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It took her a little while to bring the hot water because gathering firewood required patience, but she eventually got the fire blazing, and before long, the water was boiling.
She picked up a gourd, poured the hot water inside, and headed to his room to deliver it. Knocking and asking for permission to enter, she went in.
He took the water, dipped a clean white cloth into it, and added a powdered medicinal blend into the mixture. Laure did nothing but stare at Moddibo, her mouth full of questions, though she had no idea where to begin asking them.
While they were like this, Rabe entered the room with a greeting. Beaming with joy, she looked at Moddibo and said, "Baba, is this the husband you found for me?"
With distress, she finished her sentence because it was only then that she noticed the severe injuries on his body. Moddibo didn't bother answering her, as his entire focus was locked onto the young man.
Looking almost ready to cry, Rabe asked, "Baba, but this is a stranger, right? Was he hurt?" One after another, Rabe fired off questions.
Unexpectedly, Laure chimed in with her own question: "Malam, where did you find this boy? Aren't you afraid that bringing him here will turn into a disaster for us in the future?"
Moddibo looked at her with a smile and said, "Haba, Laure! Have you ever seen a situation where helping someone turned into a disaster?"
She fell silent and said nothing. Seeing she had no intention of speaking further, he continued his explanation, recounting everything from how he found the youth to bringing him home—he hid nothing from them.
Immediately, Rabe's eyes welled up with tears—ah, Rabe and her cheap tears lol!
As for Laure, she couldn't care less, let alone feel any pity for him. Finding the whole affair annoying, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, muttering under her breath that Moddibo was going to bring catastrophe upon them all.
He paid her no mind whatsoever, continuing instead to gently wash the young man's body with the medicinal water he had prepared.
With a tearful voice, Rabe asked, "Baba?"
He looked up at her but said nothing. Softly, she asked, "How can I help you?"
Moddibo smiled and said, "What I want is for you to constantly pray for his recovery, you hear?"
She nodded in agreement. Moddibo wiped away her tears with his hand and told her to get up and go to her room, which she did without any argument, exactly as he instructed.
That day, Rabe didn't make it to Qur'anic school.
Days pass easily by the will of God. Today, the young man has completed two weeks in Rabe's home, yet there is still no movement in his body, save for the steady sign of his breathing. From initially hoping he would wake up at any moment, they had now begun to lose hope of his waking anytime soon.
Now, Rabe was the one taking care of him. She was the one spoon-feeding him thin porridge (kunu) using a wooden ladle; at first it wouldn't go down his throat, but gradually it began to pass down little by little.
One glance at the young man would show you how severely he had emaciated compared to the day Moddibo brought him into the house. Ever since the day he was brought in, Laure never once peeked into the room, claiming that if disaster struck, it would fall solely on Moddibo and Rabe. Ah, people like Laure certainly possess hard hearts lol!
For weeks on end, Rabe missed her Qur'anic school and stopped herding cattle. Yet none of this bothered her in the least, because in her mind, helping a fellow human being is one of the noblest virtues.
Malam Iro came countless times urging her to return to school so she could complete her graduation (sauka), but she stubbornly refused to go back, figuring that if she stepped outside the compound, who would feed the helpless guest?
Ah, just look at Rabe and her stubborn resolve!
Moddibo walked into the room holding a root, handed it to her, and said, "Quickly go boil this and bring it back to me, you hear?"
Promptly, she took it, gathered firewood, built a fire, and set the medicine to boil. It didn't take long before the water brewed. Once the heat subsided slightly, she poured the medicine into a gourd and brought it to Moddibo. Joyfully, he took it, praying for her blessings.
When the medicine cooled down a bit, Moddibo raised the young man's head and began spoon-feeding him. Even though some spilled as they went, a good amount successfully went down his throat. Once finished, he proceeded to wipe the youth's body down with the remaining medicinal wash.
This routine continued every single day until a full month passed with no significant progress. Rabe had no rest—she faced the constant harassment of Laure coupled with nursing the ailing guest, which caused her to lose weight until she was practically just "nose and eyes" (skin and bones).
The situation weighed heavily on Moddibo's mind, but he had no other option except to keep praying.
One day, Laure entered Moddibo's room with a greeting. He responded with a welcoming smile. Coolly, she asked how the patient was doing, and he replied that he was showing slight improvement.
Moddibo smiled a second time and asked, "Are you going out?"
Cheerfully, she said, "Yes," because she had been looking for a way to ask permission to leave.
Briefly, he told her that upon her return, she should greet Iro and the aunts for him. Without answering, she walked past. After her departure, a young boy named Hamisu arrived, greeting Moddibo with word that his father was unwell and had sent for him. Without wasting a moment, Moddibo stepped out and they left. Just as they were stepping outside, he called back, telling Rabe to move over to his room for safety.

Summary

The story revolves around Rabe, a gentle and compassionate 14-year-old Fulani nomadic girl living with her father, Malam Moddibo, and her cruel stepmother, Inna Laure. While herding cattle, Rabe encounters a brutal rainstorm and later balances her nomadic duties with Qur'anic studies alongside her friend Ruqatu.
Tensions at home are high due to Inna Laure's constant abuse and resentment toward Rabe. When Moddibo discovers a severely beaten and slashed young man left for dead by the roadside, he brings him home to nurse him back to health using traditional medicine. Despite Laure's hostility and warnings of disaster, Rabe selflessly dedicates herself to nursing the unconscious stranger, pausing her schooling and herding duties to feed and care for him, showcasing her immense empathy and resilience.

Description

• Setting: A traditional Fulani nomadic settlement (ruga), complete with wilderness pastures, cattle pens, thatched-roof huts, and a local Qur'anic school (makarantar allo).
• Tone: Emotional, culturally rich, empathetic, and dramatic, blending pastoral daily life with elements of suspense and family conflict.

• Themes: Compassion vs. cruelty, the innocence of youth, familial sacrifice, traditional healing, and the trials of step-parental mistreatment.

  Analytics

• Character Archetypes:
  • Rabe (Protagonist): A resilient, deeply empathetic, and hardworking young Fulani girl who prioritizes kindness and helping others over her own comfort.
  • Malam Moddibo (The Father): A kind, protective traditional healer deeply scarred by past family tragedies, fiercely devoted to his daughter.
  • Inna Laure (The Antagonist): A bitter, malicious stepmother characterized by a hard heart and relentless hostility toward Rabe.
  • Ruqatu (The Friend): Rabe's loyal companion and peer preparing for her Qur'anic graduation and marriage.
• Cultural and Linguistic Elements:
  • Features authentic pastoral Fulani nomadic lifestyle details (herding cattle, traditional attire like plastic shoes and shadda fabrics, herbal remedies, and the sauka Qur'anic graduation milestone).
  • Written primarily in Hausa with embedded Fulani cultural expressions and references.
• Plot Progression:
  • Transitions smoothly from introducing Rabe's daily pastoral hardships and stepmother abuse, to her academic life and friendships, and finally culminates in the central mystery and humanitarian test of nursing the wounded stranger.