Matan Fada, Katsina State.
2012.

"Falak, take the hot water to the bathroom for me please, I don't feel too well today." Falak's father gently said to his daughter as she find a place on a stone and sat down on it in front of their local coalstove.

"Yes, baba. You can take the bath and I'll make some concoctions for you, it'll help." She obediently stood up and take the old metal bucket to the small secluded place they call bathroom.

It's a small plot that they cut and put local red blocks around it and put a torn wrapper as the curtain closing the small doorway. That's how most of the houses in the village are.

They are not rich and not near average, they are poor and her father can't work anymore because of his age, so they survive with the little food her step mother sells when they buy fifty naira own and it's enough.

Not that her father has to suffer to get it, she'll give him without preamble but she'll never give Falak for free, she'll have to buy. So her father will give her the money to buy.

But when he doesn't have the money, he will just share the food with her since she won't eat it alone if he offered. She'd say he's old and he shouldn't stay hungry while she's very young and full of energy. That she can survive a day or two with only water.

"Allah ya miki albarka; (May Allah bless you)." Her father said before getting into the bathroom to take a bath.

Her father, Mallam Muhammad is not your average man. He's very poor and has no work or business as he's old and very weak. He was once the richest man in the village but everything change when he divorced his second wife.

He can't even buy food for himself but manage to give his daughter what to eat. His first wife sells food and so she always serve him even though she'd mock him first before doing so but he'll still take it and give his daughter the money he manage to get outside so she could buy food with it.

Falak went back to the local coalstove and adjust the firewood around it then adding some leathers inside to add the fire. She use the hand fan to flame it and that's when her mother in-law decided to favor her with her presence.

The firewood is wet which is why her cheerful mood is damped. She knew her stepmother intentionally let them get wet yesterday when it rained. She won't intentionally beat her or do anything of that sort but she made so many moves for her to suffer and thinks Falak wouldn't know.

She didn't raise her head from the firewood and obediently greeted her good morning which she didn't get any reply from and she is not surprised, it has always been like this.

"Make sure you take my water to the bathroom when your father is out." That is all she said before walking away from the smoke mist that makes Falak's eyes red and teary.

Her stepmother, Adama who's known as Adama Mai Abinci around the village of Matan Fada and she's known for her abuse with words as she's like that with everyone.

Adama has three children, Saddiqa, followed by Saleh and last born Raiyanatu. Since she's the first wife her father married before her mother, they are all older than her. Falak doesn't know who her mother is and her father didn't tell her anything about, only that she's alive.

She has already taken her bath and she's dressed in a white jeans which has yawed to light brown and a long knee length old atampha blouse. The outfit was given to her by her best friend -Fikriya- who is now in the city with her Aunt working as a maid.

She gave her the outfit with a heavy heart because she also loved the clothes but Falak insist that she should give her because she wants to remember her anytime she's wearing it. Not that that will be the only reason she'll remember her but she loves the outfit.

Falak loved the dress the very first time she saw Fikriya wearing it. She told her that her Aunt gave her when she came back from the city as souvenir. The clothes were beautiful at first but now, it's very old but she still loves it.

"Sabr my dear." Her father mumbled to her before walking away because he has heard the commotion.

Falak just shook her head side ways. She's used to it and now if her stepmother didn't abuse her with her words, she'd be shocked. She likes taunting her but Falak's joyful demeanor is always getting in the way and nothing ever hurts her. She'd smile at her just to irritate her before telling her about her day to annoy her. She can't help herself.

After taking the hot water to her stepmother, she went back into her room to study the last ten juz' of Qur'an to say it in tahfidh later. The tahfidh is also free and remain only ten juz' for her to have it all in her head. She's memorized the holy Qur'an all of it and this ten juz' she'll give it to her teacher today and she's done with it, only for her to use it.

Her soft sweet voice read the Qur'an melodically that has her stepmother's children jealous and will force her to keep it down which she can't. She'll always have to raise her voice eventually even after using much effort, that's her. Her teachers and some of the students like her voice and they all let her be the head of all the students -head girl.

"She's already started her rubbish, I see." Her stepsister -Raiyanatu, mocked walking past her room with her son around her waist and the other two in front of her.

Raiyanatu is eighteen years old and got married two and the half years ago to a merchant who beats his wives and that's known all around the village. Luckily, he's rich and so everyone wants to get his daughter married to a rich man in the village.

The man is in his mid forties and Raiyanatu is his third wife and that didn't stop him from beating her and she was just fifteen when he got married to her. She's very beautiful but not anymore, she's aged.

Raiyanatu is dark, same skin complexion as their father's but she's not ugly. She has the same small Fulani body as the rest of them but she's still the less finest amongst the three of them.

Now she has three children clinging around her arms and is also pregnant two months from what Falak could pick when they're talking. Her mother asked her to keep giving birth because she thinks he'll die and leave money for them. As if they already know who would die first.

Falak didn't even waver after hearing the sin her sister just committed. This isn't the first time and she's tired of correcting her that because she's reading the Holy book doesn't mean it's rubbish but she wouldn't listen.

She didn't stop cramming the verses till she made sure that everything is sitting well in her head. She was reading it one last time when her other stepsister and stepsister in-law walked into the house. She could see them because her room is facing the door to the house.

"Anfara kenan (she's already started)." Her stepsister in-law taunts, looking at Falak with utter hatred.

Zubaidah, married her stepbrother a year back. They were friends before she got married to him but changed drastically after adjusting to her step family. They changed her or she changed herself, Falak doesn't know but don't actually care.

Her other stepsister -Saddiqa- didn't say a word and continue her journey to her mother's room like always. She's the quite one and never seems to interfere in her or anybody's business.

They never exchange words with Falak no matter what will happen and Falak also like it like that. She won't have to deal with three wannabes. She has only two children and has been married for three years.

Saddiqa is taller than both Falak and Raiyanatu but also finer then Raiyanatu as people like saying. She has tan skin, unlike Falak whose skin is very fair and that always makes her wonder whether she took after her mother or what. Her father told her that her mother is also Fulani just like him and once lived in the village.

She finished reciting the verses and made sure everything is sitting straight in her head before taking her faded cream hijab and strutted out to look for something to do like she always does when bored.

Not finding anything worth her time and doesn't want to disturb or even chase Marawiyyah's customers, she walked back home and wait for the Islamic school time which was going excruciatingly slow for her liking today. It felt like that geography that said, longer day and shorter night.

"Falak, it's time for you to go to school." She heard her father's voice and immediately blinked her eyes rapidly, she fell asleep!

She stood up front the mat, her neck paining her slightly but nothing she cannot handle. She washed her face and bring out her one and only cream coloured hijab that reached her knees before walking out of the house whilst reading the verses she crammed earlier.

Making sure that everything is there in her head, she strolled to Marawiyyah's home and waited for her to get ready and together they walk out of their house after she greeted her step mother and chatted with her other siblings for sometime.

Falak is known for her chatter and also mood lifting habit. She always spread happiness everywhere she dropped her legs which is another thing her step mother hated about her. Everyone is always there to tell her about how her stepdaughter is nice, cute, beautiful and all.

She took after her mother so there is no way anyone could ever call her ugly for she is far from it. Everyone in that village loves and adore her but are not allowed to marry her or even get close to her. There is a strict order against it and it came from a very powerful person they all don't know about.

Falak kept thinking about how her father is getting more anxious whenever he's around her. He will just act weirdly and then he'll give her money to buy food from her stepmother. Even her stepmother has been acting weird lately.

Brushing it off, she continue to memorize her verses gradually, making sure every word is given it's right and then she's off to school.

The feeling of happiness kept bubbling inside her because thinking about finishing the whole holy Qur'an today. It has her edgy and the feeling that something brilliant will come out of it didn't falter.

With bounces in her steps, she reached the Islamic school that is called makarantan allo. There are no classes or anything, it's just a few mats that will be spread in different places and everyone knows his or her class with no difficulty.

***
Yoyoyo!
Who's here with another book? Yes, it's me! I wanna roll something new and good so don't question my wild dreams and imaginations. Do read, comment, vote, share and tag.❤

Aishatu.

Thursday 7th November 2019.