Scene 1: Tensions at Home

Mikewa Innawo tayi cikin ya mutsa baki tace...
Innawo stood up, twisting her mouth, and said, "Well, what a son! I forgot that you gave birth to him, so he is bound to follow your side. As for you, you just dropped from the sky, so do as you please!" She walked out. Ummi opened her eyes wide, stood up quickly, and rushed after her. She found Innawo in the kitchen and followed her inside, saying, "Innawo, please forgive me. I didn't mean it that way; I just felt they are both kids..."
Innawo interrupted her, saying, "How many are you?"
Ummi lowered her gaze and said, "All right, please forgive me."
Innawo continued her chores in anger. Ummi tried again: "Innawo, I said please forgive me, for God's sake." This time too, there was silence. So, Ummi approached her, took the broom from her hand, and finished sweeping where Innawo had started, stealing glances at Innawo as she headed towards the parlor. Ummi let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Innawo had finally calmed down.

Scene 2: Aliyu's Return and Aysha's Visit

By evening, Aliyu came out and greeted them as usual. Only Innawo responded. Just as he reached the front door, he turned back, walked right up to Ummi, and asked, "Ummi, did I offend you?"
"No," she replied flatly.
"I greeted you both, and you didn't answer."
"Didn't you hear? I answered."
He closed his eyes, then said again, "Well, I am leaving, Ummi."
She raised her voice slightly and said, "Safe journey."
"May Allah make it so," he said, then turned and left.

One Week Later

Around 2:00 PM, Innawo caught a glimpse of a fair hand holding the parlor curtain, opening and closing it about five times. She raised her voice and asked, "Who is there?"
Slowly, in a sweet, melodic voice, a response came: "It's me."
"Who are you?"
Dropping the curtain gently, the voice said, "It's Aysha."
"Oh, Aysha! Is it you peeking? Come inside!"
She lifted the curtain and entered, wiping tears from her face. She greeted Innawo, then turned toward Ummi and said, "Ummi, good afternoon."
"Afternoon," Ummi replied coldly, turning her head away and frowning.
Innawo asked, "Aysha, how have you been these past few days? How is the surprise?"
"Fine," she answered.
"Wonderful," Innawo said, adding, "You and Husna meet at school, right?"
Aysha nodded and said, "Innawo, is Aliyu around? I want him to help me check something."
"Aliyu is not around, Aysha, but I know he is about to arrive."
With her eyes full of tears, she said, "Okay." She turned around and said, "See you later."
At the exit door, she bumped into Aliyu, who was trying to enter the house. She quickly stepped aside to give him way, playing with her fingers. Seeing that he was about to walk past her without a word, she quickly managed to say, "Good afternoon," in her Fulfulde accent, which froze her lips.
He looked at her while she lowered her gaze further, and he said, "Fine, how is home?"
"Fine."
He looked her up and down, then asked, "Why haven't you come over the past few days?"
With her eyes cast down, she intensified her hand-wringing. He stared at her for a long time until she stopped wringing her hands, raised one hand, and used it to wipe away tears streaming down her face. He spent a moment observing her, then reached out and pulled two notebooks from between her chest and thigh. He looked at her face again—tears were still flowing and she was wiping them. He averted his gaze, opened the first notebook, and slowly began checking the pages.
He noticed that ever since she stopped coming over, there was a decline in her grades compared to when she used to attend. After checking the pages containing her handwriting, he closed the book, gave her a strange look, handed it back, tapped her head playfully with his knuckles, and then opened the second book as if he hadn't just tapped her head.
Her tears increased, flowing continuously.
He closed the second notebook—since it was similar to the first—handed it back to her, and began walking briskly toward the door leading to the parlor.
Quickly, she followed behind, trying to catch up with him. Even though she ran, before she could enter the main parlor, he had already slipped into his room.
She was panting heavily by the time she realized he had entered his room. She stood in the middle of the parlor, only now noticing the covert, angry glare Ummi was casting at her. She quickly averted her gaze and fixed her attention on the door to Aliyu's room.
Before long, he came out and sat in the parlor. Slowly, Aysha also sat down on the floor a little distance away from him. As usual, he began explaining things to her in a calm, captivating manner...
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Ummi, sitting nearby, watched Aliyu. The way he explained things step-by-step compelled anyone to understand. Moreover, when he explained, he spoke exclusively in French, never mixing in any other language. Ummi watched and listened until they finished. A deep smile crossed her heart, and she looked at him again. From the moment he sat down until now, his eyes remained fixed on the notebook; not even once did he make the mistake of raising his eyes to look anywhere else. She saw him close the notebook, stand up, and head toward his room while saying, "That's it for today, go home, see you tomorrow."
Aysha also picked up her notebooks, stood up, looked at Ummi, and said, "Ummi, see you later."
Ummi found herself answering her, and after Aysha walked past, Ummi followed her with a look resembling a glare.

Scene 3: Aysha's Conflict at Home

"Well, you better go back to where you came from since you said you are hard of hearing!"
"Mama, I went for studies, please!"
"Who did you tell when you got up and left?"
"Mama, even if I ask, you and Umma don't allow me."
In a fit of anger, Umma shouted, "That is why you are told to go back to where you came from! Not to Innawo's house? Go back there and stay since you claim to be the queen of stubbornness!"
"Mama, please forgive me, okay?"
Umma screamed at her: "Disappear from this spot! Get out of our sight, you nuisance of a talker..."
From the side, Aysha glared at Umma and muttered, "Umma, mind your business."
"Oh, I shouldn't mind my business, you say?" Umma removed her shoe and began hitting Aysha with it. Although the blows weren't very hard, Aysha stiffened her face and stared into her mother's eyes. She watched Mama look away while Umma continued shouting, "Don't even leave a single stick of yours here! Go back to Innawo's house!"
Furious, Aysha stood up, went to Mama's room, put on her school backpack, and walked right past them out of the house.
She headed toward Innawo's house with dry eyes. But just as she reached the front door, she remembered Ummi's face. She came to a sudden halt, slowly turned around to look at her own house, and felt tears welling up in her eyes. She stared at her fingers, rubbing them together with her other hand, and looked back and forth between the two houses standing on either side of her.
Wiping away her tears, she said aloud, "I cannot enter Innawo's house, nor can I return to our house." A part of her heart asked, "Where will you go then?" She squeezed her hand tighter and said, "I don't know anywhere except the school." Wiping her tears, she found a small mound of earth, sat down, and said, "I will stay here until tomorrow, then I'll go to school..."
— Fadeela Lamido ✍️

Episode 5–6: Background & Continuation

Aysha sat there for a long time. Umma made her extremely angry because she knew that without Umma, Mama wouldn't have chased her away.
Evening arrived, and because it was the rainy season, storm clouds had gathered in the sky, threatening to pour rain. But Aysha didn't care. She sat with her school bag strapped to her back, wearing casual clothes (a blouse and skirt), and a cap that compressed her thick pile of hair right on top of her head. Being a fair-skinned Fulani girl, her dark clothes made her stand out strikingly. All she did was dart her eyes, watching people and cars rushing past due to the rising storm winds. Nothing could be heard except the howling wind, storm clouds, and the roar of cars.
Aliyu was driving his car at high speed to get home on time. After parking the car in front of their house, he stepped out and glanced back to look at the young girl sitting a distance away from him.
With agile speed, he walked over to verify what he was thinking. He stopped in front of her and said, "Hey!"
Startled, she jumped to her feet and accidentally crossed the gutter right beside them without realizing it.
She stopped abruptly, keeping her head down.
In a stern voice, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Umma and Mama chased me away," she replied with a sad emoji face.
With his eyes fixed on the gathering storm, he asked, "What did you do to them?"
"Just because I came for my lessons."
"How long ago?"
She finally raised her head to look at him, saying, "Ever since I came back home."
He looked straight into her eyes, causing her to quickly lower her gaze. He swallowed his saliva and asked, "And you failed to apologize to them?"
"I did apologize, but they refused."
He slipped one hand into his pocket and asked, "How many times did you apologize?"
"Three times," she said, adjusting her skirt which the storm wind was trying to blow away.
"Hey!" he spoke a second time. After she raised her eyes to look at him, he said, "Go on back home and apologize to them!"
Her eyes watered up, ready to cry. "I told you, I apologized to them and they didn't forgive me! I will stay right here, and tomorrow when I go to school, I'll stay there."
He closed his eyes in frustration upon hearing her mention school. Opening them, he said, "Are you playing with me? Go home and apologize to them, I told you! Do you mean to tell me you are going to sleep right here?"
She quickly raised her head.
He gave her a strange look and said, "Fine then." He turned and headed toward the house.
Aysha watched him until he disappeared, then went back and sat down.
Shortly after, she saw him come out again in a hurry and head toward the mosque.
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She remained seated, watching every passerby. Soon, people began streaming out of the mosque. She averted her eyes to avoid making eye contact with Aliyu. She heard his voice a short distance away asking, "Are you stubborn, or what?"
She stood up and began playing with her hands as she usually did, her head bowed. "No, it's you who told me to stay."
"Me? Don't you understand sarcasm?"
She remained silent, her eyes fixed on her fingers, because she didn't even understand what he meant by "sarcasm," even though they were speaking in Fulfulde.
Hardening his expression severely, she said, "Do you even know? Go quickly and apologize to them. If I come out again and see you here, I'll beat you up, I swear! Did you hear me? I swear it!"
She began walking while he stood watching her. She walked while constantly looking back at him until Aliyu made sure she reached the front door of her house, after which he headed to his own home. By the will of Allah, the moment he entered the house, the rain that had been brewing for a long time broke loose, pouring down heavily.
Enjoying the pleasant rainy weather, Aliyu sat with Ummi and ate his dinner. Even when he wasn't talking, he listened to Innawo and Ummi chat. Whenever they made a joke, he smiled until he finished his dinner, stood up, and said, "Good night."
They responded and continued their conversation.
As for Aliyu, after entering his room, he took a bath, put on his sleepwear, and lay down, covering himself with a soft blanket. He recited his sleep prayers and closed his eyes, listening to the patter of the falling rain.
He thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere with his eyes closed, listening to the heavy downpour. Remembering Ummi and Innawo's chat, he smiled and adjusted his posture.
Sleep overtook him. In his sleep, he faintly heard a commotion. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The rain was still pouring, accompanied by shouting that he couldn't quite make out. He sat up, straining his ears, threw off the blanket completely, walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtain. He saw Aysha's grandmother, her mother, and two older men shouting furiously in the middle of the rain, completely drenched. Quickly dropping the curtain, he headed for the door. He bumped into Innawo, who frantically asked, "Ali, have you seen Aysha anywhere?"

Character & Family Background (Interlude)

• Aliyu: The son of Alhaji Bello Kano, a prominent and influential businessman. Aliyu's mother, Fatima, is a native of Cameroon, a Fulani woman whom Alhaji Bello met during a business trip. They fell in love and married. However, before her marriage to Alhaji Bello, Fatima had been married previously and had two children (a boy and a girl). The daughter, Ruqayya, lived with her husband in Kano, Nigeria. When Alhaji Bello expressed interest in Fatima, she was overjoyed because she would live near her daughter. Alhaji Bello was an older bachelor who married Fatima, and she happily moved to Nigeria, leaving her older son, Fahat, with her mother in Cameroon. Fahat was Ruqayya's older brother, but he suffered from a mental illness. Unfortunately, the marriage between Fatima and Alhaji Bello did not last long; when Fatima was one month pregnant with Aliyu, they separated. She packed up and returned to Cameroon, where she raised her pregnancy. Eight months later, she gave birth to a very big boy, though he lacked Fatima's fair complexion. His father, Alhaji Bello, visited him, performed the naming rites (giving him the name Aliyu), fulfilled all paternal duties, and returned to Nigeria.
• Fatima continued raising Aliyu with love, alongside her mother, Innawo. As Aliyu grew, they enrolled him in school, where he focused deeply on his studies. As he grew older, they noticed some distinct traits: he loved young children, his face was always cheerful, but he spoke in hushed tones and only when he chose to. In some ways, he could be called a miskili (introverted/stoic). He was uncompromising, focused solely on his goals, and refused to tolerate disrespect. If angered, he didn't throw tantrums. Aliyu grew up under the care of his maternal family, with his father visiting periodically and sending gifts.
• When Aliyu was about 10 years old, his older sister Ruqayya visited them in Cameroon. Upon returning, she asked to take her older brother Fahat back to Nigeria to seek treatment for him, as he could not do anything for himself. Ruqayya took Fahat, while Innawo and Fatima devoted all their attention to Aliyu. Currently, Aliyu is finishing his senior secondary education. He is a handsome, proud young man around 25 years old, exceptionally bright at school, and extremely neat to a fault. Meanwhile, Fahat remains with Ruqayya, who continuously seeks medical help for him without success.
• Because Fatima and her family are Fulani, Fulfulde became Aliyu's primary spoken language alongside his mother (though Fatima understands a little Hausa, and Innawo understands some things too). At school, French is the medium of instruction, so Aliyu is fluent in French. Being eager to learn languages, he also enrolled in English classes during secondary school. Today, Aliyu speaks four languages: Hausa, Fulfulde, English, and French.

• Aysha: Both of Aysha's parents are from Cameroon. Her mother, Bilkisu, is Fulani, while her father is Christian. Destiny brought them together in a marriage that did not last long. When Aysha was three years old, they separated. Because her father was not a Muslim, her mother quickly took custody of her daughter. Her father was very wealthy—a high-ranking government official—and deeply loved Aysha, visiting her whenever he wanted and ensuring she lacked nothing. Bilkisu was exceptionally fair and beautiful, and Aysha inherited her fair skin and beauty. Aysha loved her daddy dearly and was deeply passionate about her education—both secular and religious. Raised by her mother and grandmother (Umma), Aysha is playful, cheerful, determined, and currently in her first year of senior secondary school. She speaks two languages: Fulfulde and French (the language used in her school).

  Continuation of the Story

  Closing his eyes, Aliyu said, "Yes, I saw her earlier."
  "You saw her? Where is she then?"
  Before he could reply, his mother Ummi stepped over and stared him down. Innawo repeated, "I'm waiting for your answer."
  "Innawo, I told you, earlier I saw her sitting in front of the house and told her to go back home."
  His mother gave him a suspicious look and asked, "After you finished your lessons, where did you take her?"
  "Me?"
  "Yes, you!"
  "Ummi, when the storm was starting and I returned, I simply found her outside. When I questioned her, she said she was chased away from home because she came for lessons. I forced her to go back home, and I didn't leave the spot until I saw her enter her house."
  With annoyance, Ummi said, "Go out there and bring their daughter back to them!"
  Innawo gave Ummi a strange look. "Bring her back from where? Didn't you hear him say he watched her enter her house? Let them go and look for her themselves if they love her instead of chasing her away! A young girl like Aysha—they didn't start looking for her until now, all day? This is just a setup!"
  "Innawo, he has no way out now that they've been seen together."
  "He has Allah's power!"
  Aliyu turned and headed to his room. Shortly after, he emerged in a hurry, adjusting the collar of a shirt he had just put on while mumbling to himself, heading toward the exit door leading to the courtyard.
  "Where do you think you're going?" Ummi asked after confirming he was speaking.
  Closing his eyes, he said, "I said I am going to beat her up."
  Showing astonishment, she asked, "Because you gave birth to her?"
  "No, because she dragged me out into the rain, and even after I told her to go home, her ears wouldn't listen..."
  "Well, who sent you out into the rain?" Innawo cut in, staring him down.
  He rubbed his head slightly, then bolted right into the torrential downpour.
  When he stepped outside, Aysha's family members were out in the rain, flashing lights and shouting things he couldn't hear over the roaring sound of the heavy rainfall. Ignoring them, he walked past. He searched every nook and cranny for Aysha. He was completely drenched, water dripping from his body. He searched the entire neighborhood, but there was no sign of Aysha. As the night grew deeper, what troubled him most was her tender age. In this heavy rain, where could she possibly be? Had she found shelter or not? Looking at how soaked he was and feeling a fierce wind that felt like it could lift him up, his anxiety spiked even higher. The rain showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, and believing he had searched every corner of the neighborhood, he thought about heading back home—hoping that by now, Aysha might have returned...

  2. Summary

• Domestic Tensions: Innawo and Ummi clash over family dynamics and Aliyu's upbringing, leading to a brief cold atmosphere in the household.
• Aysha's Academic Struggle & Visit: Aysha visits Aliyu for tutoring after a week's absence. Aliyu notices her grades have dropped due to missing lessons. He tutors her strictly in French while maintaining absolute professional focus, much to Ummi's quiet observation.
• Family Abuse and Homelessness: At home, Aysha is verbally and physically abused by her mother (Mama) and Umma for seeking education and visiting Innawo's house. She runs away, refusing to return home or enter Innawo's house out of pride and fear, choosing instead to sit out in the open as a storm approaches.
• Aliyu Intervenes: Aliyu encounters Aysha sitting out in the rain, sternly orders her to go home and apologize, and eventually watches her go inside. However, later that night, a massive storm breaks out, and Aysha's family creates a commotion because she is missing.
• Character Backgrounds: The narrative reveals the rich multicultural backgrounds of Aliyu (Cameroonian-Nigerian Fulani, multilingual speaker) and Aysha (Cameroonian heritage, bilingual).

• The Search: Despite Innawo's protests against Aysha's neglectful family, Aliyu braves the heavy torrential downpour to search the entire neighborhood for the missing girl, driven by worry over her safety.

  3. Analytics

• Themes:
  • The Value and Struggle for Education: Aysha's determination to study despite domestic abuse highlights the barriers young girls face in accessing education.
  • Discipline vs. Empathy: Aliyu represents strict, uncompromising discipline masked by hidden care and responsibility.
  • Multiculturalism and Identity: The blending of Nigerian and Cameroonian heritage, specifically through Fulfulde and French language usage, enriches the cultural texture of the narrative.
• Character Dynamics:
  • Aliyu & Aysha: A dynamic of strict mentor and resilient student. Aliyu's sternness hides a protective instinct, while Aysha's stubbornness matches his rigidity.
  • Innawo & Ummi: Generational friction where Innawo is fiercely protective and pragmatic, while Ummi navigates household politics and subtle jealousy/suspicion.
• Literary Style: Fadeela Lamido employs vivid sensory descriptions (weather mirroring emotional turmoil, e.g., the gathering storm and heavy rain matching Aysha's crisis) and realistic domestic dialogue written in natural Hausa/Fulfulde slang.