Episode 1 & 2
BISMILLAHIR RAHAMANIR RAHIM
In the country of CAMEROON (1995)
"Hey!! Hey!!! Stop right there, gather your legs immediately, and go back home."
Cak—the young girl stopped abruptly upon being shouted at, looking deeply unhappy. 😔
She began playing with her white fingers, staring down at them, but she neither moved nor turned back as the woman seated beside her demanded.
Furious, the woman spoke again just as she had before, "I am talking to you! Why are you standing there like a statue?"
The girl was still standing, refusing to turn or move an inch. Then, an elderly woman emerged asking, "What is going on here?", which made them both look at her.
The first woman turned her face away to the side.
The elderly woman looked at the woman, then at the beautiful young girl standing there. She smiled, stepped close to her, and said, "Aysha, come along."
With her head bowed, Aysha walked away, casting sideways glances at the woman. After Aysha passed, the woman glared at her back. Seeing the elderly woman watching her, the woman quickly looked away with an embarrassed expression.
The elderly woman stepped close to the woman and said in Fulfulde, "Fatima, leave her alone."
Without turning, the woman replied, "Innawo, you see clearly how people in their house openly show that they do not want her coming here."
They were speaking entirely in Fulfulde; it seemed they only spoke Fulfulde considering how it naturally fit their lips.
"What business is it of yours? Did anyone go to call her? She brought herself, didn't she? It's none of your business. If they don't want her, let them stop her from over there."
Without turning around, she said, "Fine then."
They sat down and continued chatting for a while. After some time, Aysha came out holding books. Looking at them with a bright expression, she said, "I am leaving."
Only Innawo answered her, and Aysha walked out.
Innawo and the other woman continued chatting. After a while, I caught sight of a fierce young man—fair-complexioned like a tarwada fish (neither completely fair nor dark), tall, with neat sideburns framing his face. He wore casual clothes and walked with the strong strides of a brave man. By God, his eyes were striking, captivating, or perhaps wealthy-looking. He walked with a neutral expression—neither smiling nor frowning. As he walked past Innawo and the woman and tried to leave the compound, someone said, "Come here."
He stopped abruptly, turned back, and looking at them from the corner of his eye, said, "I am here."
"Did you just walk past as if you didn't know we were sitting here?"
"I saw you, and I said greetings to you all."
Closing her eyes slightly, the woman said, "We didn't hear you."
He looked at Innawo and asked, "Innawo, you didn't hear me either?..."
"No, leave me out of it. It's your conversation, though I saw your lips move, didn't they?"
He turned his head away, then turned back to look at the woman who was wearing a very stern expression. He swallowed hard and said, "Alright, Ummi, greetings to you all."
She turned her face away without answering. Seeing this, he looked at her again and said, "Let me go and come back."
Softly, she said, "Safe journey."
"May God make it so," he said, then turned and walked out.
"Aysha!!!"
"Yes, Mama!"
She stood up, coming out with her books in hand; it looked like she was studying.
She threw herself into her mother's arms with intense affection, hugging her and speaking in Fulfulde, "Aysha, aren't you tired of studying? Today I haven't even seen you eat."
"Mama, I am not hungry."
"How could you possibly feel hungry when you are glued to books?"
"I am studying; we are about to start exams."
Her mother took the book from her hand, looked at it with a scrunched-up face, and said, "This is not your handwriting." She checked the back of the book, looked at Aysha, and asked, "The book is yours, but whose handwriting is this?"
Aysha lifted her head from her mother's chest, looked straight into her eyes with a guilty expression, and said, "Ya Aliyu wrote it for me..."
In a fit of anger, Mama slapped Aysha across the mouth, saying, "When did you sneak out? So you never listen to instructions, do you?"
Aysha held her mouth, tears streaming down her eyes, and said, "Mama, if I don't go, who will teach me my studies?"
Mama opened her mouth to speak when an elderly woman came out of a room, saying, "You really need to be firm if you want to separate Aysha from that boy! I was watching her when she went out, but I just watched. Since you allowed it yourself, what could I do?"
"Umma, it's not like that! You people must help me. If she does something wrong, she should be reprimanded."
Looking away, Umma said, "That's it. The best thing is to ban her from entering that house altogether. If you people look down on us and have no fear of us, I know who I will report you to. I am going to tell all your mother's elder siblings everything you are doing."
Seeing the fixed stare Umma gave her, Aysha looked at Mama and lowered her head.
Umma continued ranting while Mama backed her up, and Aysha just listened.
The next day around 2:00 PM, Aysha was taking off her school uniform and putting on a short blouse and a knee-length skirt that opened all the way down the front. She pulled out a single notebook and a pen, sitting down while keeping an eye on Umma, who was busy cooking near the kitchen. Seeing that they were fully focused on their work, she slipped away quietly and dashed out.
Slowly, she pushed the door open, her entrance accompanied by a greeting.
The young man raised his head, looked her up and down, and quickly averted his gaze back to the young girl sitting in front of him, who was writing in her notebook.
Aysha walked over, sat down next to the girl, and noticed the young man raise his head to look at her a second time. She stared back at him, noticing his lips moving as if talking. They exchanged glances until, without warning, he let out a thunderous roar of a shout that made Aysha drop her book and pen involuntarily. Before she realized what was happening, she found herself outside the front gate, panting heavily and squatting to catch her breath.
She heard laughter above her head, so she quickly looked up to see the girl, took a breath of relief, and asked, "Husna, what did I do?"
The girl named Husna broke into intense laughter and said, "He said you should come in."
"No, me? I am not going."
Husna laughed again and said, "Get up, let's hurry back before he notices we've stayed too long. Come on, nothing will happen to you."
Uncomprehending, Aysha asked, "So what did I do wrong?"
"Just come along, please."
"I swear, Husna, I am terrified of that shouting of his!"
Husna looked at Aysha's body shaking violently and burst into laughter again, saying, "Ah, you've got your work cut out for you."
With great effort, Aysha said, "You get scared of him when he yells too!"
"I get scared, but my body doesn't shake." Husna turned to look at the entrance of their house and said, "Get up, let's go."
Slowly, they entered the room—Husna in front, Aysha following timidly—until they reached his front.
They both sat down while Aysha stole glances at him. Seeing that he didn't look like the same person who had shouted a moment earlier, she breathed a sigh of relief just as he said, "Step closer, you."
Filled with fear, she moved closer to him. She felt a sharp, stinging pain right at the top of her head, causing her to quickly close her eyes and scrunch up her face in pain.
As for Aliyu, holding the braid of hair on her head with a double dose of sternness from the root, he demanded, "Why didn't you cover your hair?"
"I forgot, Ya Aliyu. Please forgive me."
"You say you forgot? How old are you?"
"Please forgive me, I won't do it again."
"I am asking you a question: how old are you?"
Because he was pulling her hair tighter, she grew even more flustered and quickly answered, "Thirteen."
He turned his face away without releasing her hair and said, "So you hear that—thirteen years old! Yet you managed to cross how many houses to get here like this? How many houses did you bypass before reaching here?"
"Oh my God! Please, just forgive me."
He released her hair quickly, saying, "I have forgiven you, but I never want to see you looking like this again."
She nodded her head while trying to wipe away her tears.
Aliyu looked at Husna and said, "Go and give her a scarf and a hijab, but hurry up because I am about to go out."
In a short while, they returned, and he taught them their lessons as usual. In less than an hour, they finished. They came out together; he quickly left the house, while Aysha headed home.
Episode 3 & 4
Innawo!!!
Innawo’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing the angry, screaming voice. She came out rolling her eyes, and seeing Umma standing in the courtyard, she asked, "Oh, it's you? Is everything alright that you entered without greeting?" 🤔
"I brought a warning for you! Aliyu must stop getting involved with Aysha. If he doesn't, I swear I will take drastic action against him."
"Subhanallah! So what is actually happening?"
"Nothing, I just don't like their relationship."
"They don't have any relationship! Umma, calm your mind. Aysha only comes to see Husna. Most of the time she comes, she finds Aliyu tutoring Husna, so she also started bringing along a small notebook. I don't see anything alarming in that."
"You are the one who doesn't see it; I see it clearly! I simply don't like it. If anything happens after this, don't blame me!"
"Nothing will happen except good things. And as for your granddaughter, if you don't want her entering this house, keep her at your place, because I am not your security guard..."
Interrupting, Ummi’s voice chimed in, "Umma, listen to me: the very day Aysha sets foot in this house again, I will disgrace her with a brutal eviction!"
"Now that sounds good to me!" Umma turned around, continuing to hurl remarks while Ummi grew even angrier.
For two solid days, Aysha didn't set foot in the house. Husna felt terribly lonely because she was used to them meeting every day after school. They were all sitting in the courtyard, including Aliyu. Ummi looked at Husna and asked, "What on earth is wrong with you?"
Softly, Husna replied, "Nothing."
Aliyu looked at her from the corner of his eye for a moment before asking, "What is going on?"
Looking at Ummi and Innawo and seeing they weren't paying attention, Husna lowered her voice and said, "Aysha hasn't come for two days, and Ummi stopped me from going out."
Aliyu stared hard at Husna, then shifted his attention to Innawo, saying, "Go and call her."
"Who are you going to call?" Innawo asked, staring him down directly.
Straightforwardly, he replied, "Aysha."
"Aysha? Aliyu, Aysha's family does not want her stepping foot into this house! Just the day before yesterday, after you finished teaching them, her grandmother came in here and hurled all sorts of ugly insults. Stay away from that girl!"
"What on earth is she even complaining about?" he asked, looking into Innawo's face.
"Oh, you're asking me? When people tell you to stay out of her way, you ask for reasons?" Ummi interjected, staring him down.
Lowering his head slightly, he said, "I thought it was just studying that brought her, nothing else. But what do I care? What would her coming here even add to me?"
Ummi stood up, saying, "That is exactly what I thought too!"
The food before her was being pushed around her plate while she watched Aunty Murja, who was sitting nearby. Slowly, she opened her school bag, pulled out the notebook she always carried for studying, lifted her shirt, tucked the notebook into the waistband of her skirt, and checked the time. She knew Ya Aliyu usually went out at 3:00 PM, and it was already a quarter past two.
Aunty Murja threw a sideways glance and watched her stand up and enter Umma’s room, so Aunty Murja quietly slipped out of the house.
There was no one in the courtyard. In a soft voice, she offered a greeting, and Husna answered from within.
Hearing Husna's voice coming from the parlor, Aysha headed straight there. She peeked in and saw Husna sitting on the floor while Ya Aliyu sat on a chair, his eyes fixed on Husna's notebook.
Aysha sat down, but he didn't speak or even lift his head. Softly, Aysha said, "Good afternoon, Ya Aliyu."
"Fine," he replied without raising his head to look at her.
(Promotional insert: Enhance a woman’s beauty... care products for wives and brides-to-be available... contact 07014197556)
After finishing reviewing Husna's book, he said, "Step closer." She moved forward and sat before him. With complete focus, he patiently explained the lesson until he was sure she understood. Then he pushed her notebook toward her, saying, "Aysha, let me see yours."
She handed it to him. From the moment she walked in until now, he hadn't looked at them once; all his attention was on the books. In a short time, he handed her notebook back after confirming she understood, then stood up, letting out a sigh.
"Aysha!! Aysha!!"
Hearing that call startled Aysha deeply. She stood up quickly and hid behind Ya Aliyu, her eyes wide with fear.
The elderly woman shouted again, "Aysha, won't you come out, or do I have to come in and break those legs of yours to pieces?!"
He turned and looked behind him where Aysha was hiding. One look made her hurry out and stand before her grandmother. The older woman grabbed her ear and twisted it, saying, "You—does your ear need to be beaten off? Every single day people tell you something and you don't listen? Every day aren't you told to stay away from this business?"
Crying, she tried to free her ear while Husna pleaded, "Umma, please have mercy..."
"Shut your mouth! As if she's dying of mercy—what contribution did you make? Look at this shameless girl telling me 'Umma, have mercy'! Have mercy and let my grandchild run around wild as if she has no guardian? No discipline, no boundaries! You are a rebellious girl!" She spoke entirely in Fulfulde while pushing Aysha from behind.
Aliyu walked out without looking at Umma and tried to leave the compound. With a sharp shout, Umma yelled, "Hey!! Stop right there, young man!"
He stopped abruptly without turning around.
"Did you not hear my message? I asked if you didn't hear my message, yet you sit there rolling those insolent eyes at me! I am telling everyone in this house to stay out of my granddaughter's way unless you want me to show you absolute disrespect!"
He closed his eyes, then started walking again, trying to leave the compound. Seeing this, Umma began shouting, "I am talking and you are walking away! Truly, you don't know my character. But I will show you—the very day you dare to pay attention to my granddaughter again, you will regret ever being born into this world, you useless, ill-mannered creature shaped like a demon!"
She followed right behind him, hurling insults until he opened his car door, got inside, and sat listening to her shouts with complete calm. He looked straight ahead through the windshield as usual. Seeing him drive off, Umma went back inside, and Aysha pulled her hand away and hurried home.
She went back to Husna’s place, venting her frustration until she got tired and finally left.
Husna was utterly furious. She was all alone in the house, so she burst into tears.
For nearly 30 minutes she cried, and then Innawo and the others returned. Ummi was in front, fixing a stern gaze on Husna. Inquisitive, she asked, "What happened to you? Why are you crying?"
"Umma came over and insulted me endlessly."
They stopped dead in their tracks. Ummi asked, "Insults? For what reason? What did you do to her?"
"It's because of Aysha, Innawo. She even followed Ya Aliyu outside and insulted him!"
Insecurely, Ummi asked, "Did Aysha come inside?"
"Yes, she came in."
The elderly man behind them asked, "Who is Aysha?"
Innawo replied, "She lives near us, Husna's friend. She comes over to Husna's place, and whenever she sees Aliyu teaching Husna, she joins in too. Her grandmother doesn't like it. The drama today is something else!"
With intense anger, Ummi said, "Innawo, this is entirely your fault! If you had listened to me, even if someone told Aysha to look in the direction of this house, she wouldn't dare walk past. And let her dare step foot in this house again—I will slap her senseless!"
Quickly, the elderly man intervened, "Careful! Don't touch the young girl. Since she only comes to see Husna, why doesn't Husna just pack her things and come home with us?"
"That's right! Husna, go pack your things and follow your father," Innawo said as she removed her head-tie.
Really? Now because of someone else, Husna is being taken away from here?
Calmly, the man said, "She can always visit another time. Right now, this is the only solution. That way, her friend will also stay at home, and everyone's mind will be at ease. Besides, Husna is a guest here anyway."
Against Ummi's wishes, she walked into her room filled with anger, because her stepbrother, Alhaji Umar, was uncompromising...
Fadeela Lamido ✍️
Summary
Set in 1995 Cameroon, the story revolves around Aysha, a young 13-year-old girl eager to learn, and Aliyu, a disciplined young man who tutors neighborhood children. Aysha frequently visits her friend Husna (who lives with her grandmother Innawo and stepmother Ummi) to receive academic tutoring from Aliyu.
However, Aysha's strict grandmother strongly disapproves of her frequenting Aliyu's household, viewing the tutoring sessions with deep suspicion and hostility. Despite repeated warnings, verbal abuse, and physical reprimands from her grandmother—as well as growing tension from Ummi and Innawo—Aysha continues to sneak out to pursue her studies. The escalating family feuds ultimately reach a boiling point when Husna's father steps in, deciding to take Husna away to defuse the neighborhood drama, leaving the household fractured and creating further friction between the adults.
Description
- Genre: Hausa Domestic Drama / Romance Fiction
- Setting: Cameroon, 1995
- Core Themes: Education vs. traditional restrictions, generational clashes, neighborhood politics, adolescent curiosity, and strict family discipline.
- Key Characters:
- Narrative Structure: Episodic progression highlighting domestic conflict. The plot utilizes sharp contrasts between quiet academic interactions and explosive confrontations involving older family members.
- Cultural Context: Reflects traditional West African community dynamics (specifically Fulani/Fulfulde cultural elements) where honor, reputation, strict age-based hierarchy, and gender segregation in public/private spaces heavily dictate youth behavior.
- Character Dynamics: Aliyu portrays a classic stoic protagonist whose outward strictness masks a protective/guiding role. Aysha represents youthful innocence and resilience against domestic oppression, while the older women embody generational resistance to modern social mixing.
VIEW ALL
