Miya, Ganjuwa LGA,

Bauchi State,

Nigeria.

3rd July 2007.

Rabiatu sneaked back into her uncle's house half past five. She knew her aunt is sleeping by this time so she had enough time to cook dinner as if she never left the house. She wasn't doing anything wrong as to why she had to sneak in; no, she was simply sneaking out to attend Islamiyya schools which she was forbidden to go to using the small money she saves in her piggy bank. Western education isn't something that's even in the picture. She didn't even dare thought of that. It wasn't for people like her Anty Maryama said.

She was done cooking by the time the adhan for Magrib was called. She went to the scrapheap she lives in and call her room which now consists of a small worn out mattress from when Anty Maryama first got married to Malam Dalhawhichby the way,was passed down to her from her mother--and onewas one wrapper she owns as a duvet. By the small window is a small neatly folded pile that is her clothes which comprises of three wrappers given to her by Inna, Rahma's step mother and two different worn out blouses. That and the one she had on at the moment are the only clothes she owns in her life.

She spread one of the wrapper on the sandy floor and prayed. Afterwards, she settled on it and reversed some of the surahs she learnt in school that day.

"Keh Rabi!"She heard someone banging on the makeshift she calls her door. She recognized the voice as that of Anty Maryama's son, Tasiu.

"Na'am" she replied standing up from the wrapper whilst dusting the dirt off it.

"Wai kizo inji Baffa yanxu yanxunnan" he stated rudely before he walked away.

She quickly slipped into her bathroom slippers that are tied together with a black cello tape before she hastily walked out of the room. She had to duck her head before entering the small parlor as the door's length is moderately small.

Malam Dalha's family parlor is a small room which only has two metalsofas with a few cushions on it and one 90s television. An old damask floor rug is spread on the parlor's floor covering the sandy cemented floor. There are two light bulbs and one of them isn't working anymore. Still with that, Malam Dalha considers himself as one of the village's rich men, somehow.

Rabiatu felt a pang of fear in her heart when she saw Baffa, her uncle, and Anty Maryam sitting on the two sofas; each on one. Anty Maryama's eyes held an unmistakable hidden mischievous glint that made Rabia gulp. While, Baffa as always has his lips set into a straight line so it was hard to tell what he's thinking or feeling. His eyes looked cold and distant while his face was blank.

Even with that, she swallowed her fear and walked towards them before she squatted and greeted them. Baffa was the one that gruffly replied whilst Anty Maryama just hissed and rolled her eyes. Rabia ignored her and sat down on the rug.

"Rabiatu" Called Baffa, his voice gruff clearly from having taken cigarette sometime that day. He does that a lot.

"Na'am Baffa" she answered lowly scared that if her voice gets any higher than that she'll get herself in a mess she can't get herself out of.

"Na miki mijin aure" he uttered the four words that made her feel light headed.

In the village, girls her age would've turned red the minute those words were uttered but if she was red, then it was definitely because she was angry. No, she couldn't dare be angry at them.

Her breathing hitched and at the moment she wouldn't argue if one told her that her blood pressure increased rapidly. She knew this was bound to happen but not this early. She's just twelve for Allah's sake!

Baffa stared at her with hawk eyes wanting to notice any signs of reluctance on her face before he continued, "Dan Liti has asked for your hand in marriage and I have given it to him. Tomorrow his family is bringing the bridal gifts"

If Rabia felt like she was getting light headed earlier, then she definitely felt nauseous the minute he uttered those words.

The first thing that came to her mind when he uttered Dan Liti's name was his orange stained teeth and how he reeked of alcohol whenever he took alcohol which wasn't hard to notice because his smell oozes of it. Apart from that, Dan Liti was considered the most eligible bachelor in the village having being a great farmer; owning about three farms and about twenty cattle. Dan Liti is one of the few Fulani residing in Miya and so was naturally handsome and a certified ladies' man. He loved the attention he gets from women.

It wasn't a hidden fact that amongst his peers, he's a well-known womanizer. He had followed so many girls that people have lost track of-which by the way is one of the reasons she despises him.

And now Baffa is making her marry him. That means...she'll be Mrs. Dan Liti Sanda.

God no.

"But Baffa I'm just twelve" she knew arguing with him is one of the biggest mistakes she could've ever made but she couldn't hold it in. She had to try and reason with him though she knew it was pointless. When the man sets his mind to do something, no one can stop him.

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun" Anty Maryama clapped her hands together dramatically. She turned to Baffa with one hand on her hip and the other under her chin, "Alhaji kagani da idon ka ko? I've told you since that the friends this girl is keeping are bad influence on her. Daman Tasiu told me that girl, Rahma diyar Malan Saleh is the one influencing her to act like a brat. As you can see, she now even dares to talk back to you" she clapped her hands together, her lips now puckered, "Allah me iko!"

Rabi's eyes widened. She stared at Anty Maryama in shock. How could she say that? Rabi thought in her head. Rahma is the only friend she has since Anty Maryama has forbade her from having any friends. And Tasiu that hypocrite, he has been following Rahma since while she keeps turning him down that's why he's adamant on ruining their friendship. "Baffa wallahi..." she started but Baffa cut her off.

"Ya isa!" he raised one of his hands to stop her, "I've heard enough. Your wedding date will be set tomorrow"

"Baffa..."

"Leave my sight now!" Baffa yelled with finality in his tone.

Rabi stood up dejectedly and with a heavy heart, walked back to her room.

That night, just like every other night, she cried herself to sleep on the thin excuse of a mattress she has.

~*~

The next day early in the morning Rabi set out to buy akara and pap on the request of her aunt. She had to pass Marafa which is the majalisa of Dan Liti and his friends. She had always loathed passing by that path but that day, her loathe for it grew a level up high. She had no choice though, there was no other way around it. She prayed hoping that maybe, just maybe, they won't be there and she can pass in peace.

She heard the sound of their laughter the minute she came close to the place, she hesitated to pass by and thought of going back home and telling Anty Maryama that there's no akara and pap but she knew the woman will know she lied. So, she held onto the hem of her hijab tight and with her head down, she hastily walked.

As she approached them, they became deadly quiet, "Kai maza ga mutumiyar fa" she heard one of his friends say making her heart beat loudly out of fear.

"Ah! Amaryar mu ce ashe. Dan Liti see our wife" another said.

"Kai zanci uwarka" Dan Liti's voice came and as always, he just had to curse, "Matar tawa kake cewa taku?" he asked in a low tone that was enough to send chills down one's spine. "Kallon ta kasa keyi sai naci ubanka dan shegiya kawai"

She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head slightly. She could never get used to how he casually curses as if it's nothing. Then again, he is a villager in and out. It's in his blood to be that way.

She ignored them and kept on walking with her head downcast despite the fact that she's internally trembling in fear. Her fear became apparent when she heard footsteps fast approaching her.

"Rabi'ah! Tsaya mana dan Allah. Wait up!"

She pretended as if she didn't hear him and kept on walking. He didn't say anything because the next second he stood in front of her blocking her view and passage. "Haba mana where are you heading to this early?It's dawn fa"

"Aika zan je" she replied meekly knowing that he won't leave her alone until he gets what he wants, and that is for her to talk to him.

"Aika?" he asked, "Is it Hajiya Maryama that sent you?"

She nodded, still refusing to look at him.

"How can she send my wife on an errand? This time of the day ma?" he asked her but she didn't reply simply because she had no answer to his questions. If he was that eager to get answers, he could go and ask Anty Maryama since she's the one that sent her on the errand. All she wanted was to get away from him but how? "Tohmuje in raka ki"

Her head snapped up as her eyes widened slightly, "Actually..." she trailed off thinking of what excuse to use.

"Rabia! There you are!" a voice came from behind them making the two look at the source.

Rabia released a sigh of relief when she saw how the person was.

"Daga cewa kijirani sai ki tafi?" Rahma said as she walked up to them and stood next to her friend ignoring Dan Liti's presence.

"Yi haquri" Rabi apologized going on with the act Rahma's putting up.

"Shikenan" Rahma smiled. She then turned to dan Liti, the smile that was on her face disappeared and was then replaced with a frown, she had always hate his guts and vice versa. The two simply loathe each other. "Excuse me, we have an errand to run"

"I'm going with her..." he started but the twelve-year-old cut him off.

"It's okay. We can take care of ourselves. If we do need protection, it's from people like you" she didn't wait for him to reply before she dragged Rabia away knowing that without a doubt, his face is now red with anger.

"Thank you" Rabi breathed in relief once they were a safe distance away from Marafa.

"You're welcome" Rahma smiled cheekily, her eyes glinting with it, "But you owe me one"

Rabia nodded as she chuckled. Classic Rahma. Of course she'd tell her that she owes her one. "I do"

"That is a promise. You will do whatever I say"

"I will"

"Promise"

"I promise" Rabia laughed lightly knowing that the girl will never make her do anything because of the promise, she never does before so she highly doubts she will then.

~*~

"Ah! Rabia tayi goshi" Exclaimed one of Anty Maryama's friends a she lifted the only Super wax from the box sent as the girl's bridal gifts.

"Dan Liti yayi qoqari" Said another woman as she stared at the items brought with her lips scrunched down in envy. She's one of the hypocrites that came to see what was brought just so she could go and gossip about it.

"Allah nuna mana bikin" Anty Maryam's right hand woman exclaimed as she turned and high five her friend. Her lips stretched into a wide smile revealing her 32.

Over twenty women crowd over the two medium sized boxes and one small Ghana must go that's Rabia's bridal gift from Dan Liti half an hour ago. Almost all the elder women in the area came to watch and gush over the kayan lefe.

"Yaushe ne bikin?" Asked the first woman that spoke.

"Kinsan harkan yaran yanxu" Anty Rabi grinned, "Nan da sati biyu ne"

"Ayiriri!!"The women yodeled celebrating the date set for the wedding of a twelve-year-old to a twenty-three-year-old.

~*~

"Ashe dai kin kin kusa zamowa amarsi" Rahma teased Rabia as the two of them strolled out of the gidan me markade with their plastic containers in their hands.

Rabia rolled her eyes as she groaned lowly, "Dan Allah stop saying that. I don't want to remember it"

Rahma hummed, "Do you know that's all people are talking about ne?" she said turning her head to look at her friend.

Rabia shook her head, "As if they are the ones that will marry him. If there's any way to get out of this wedding, I'll jump right on the opportunity wallahi"

Rahma shifted the plastic bowl and rested it on one of her hands. She used the other one to tap Rabia's shoulder in comfort, "Whenever you feel like running away, just let me know. I'm coming with"

Rabia's eyes widened slightly, "Haba Rahma. I can't make you do that for me. What about your family?" she watched as the glint in Rahma's eyes disappeared. She knew what's happening in Malam Saleh's household though Rahma never told her but it's not exactly a secret in the village. Almost everyone knows.

Rahma never let that affect her though. She always has this smile on her face. In Rabia's eyes, Rahma is the strongest person she knows because the girl had also been through so much yet she never let that get to her. If anything, she wore that smile and pretended as if everything is alright. Rabia had never seen Rahma break down nor show any sign of weakness, she secretly wished that she would one day be like her.

The girl saved her twice.

The first is the first day they met. Rabia felt like if Rahma wasn't there that day, she would've died out of starvation.

The second day was two years ago when Rabia attempted suicide. She tried to drown herself in the river they fetch water simply because she was tired of the way Malam Dalha and his family treated her. So, she tried to end her life to end the suffering. Obviously, Rahma found her just as she was about to drown herself, and the little girl gave her a long lecture on why she shouldn't ever kill herself no matter what the situation is.

She said, "You're alive, breathing and healthy. You should be thanking Allah for this blessing instead of trying to kill yourself. Do you know how many people are yearning for that? Suicide is never the solution to any problem"

You'd be surprise how wise Rahma is for someone her age.

"Rabia you're my friend. You don't think I'll ever let you run without me right?" she offered her friend the widest smile she could muster, "Plus, how will I agree to your marriage with Dan Liti?" she rolled her eyes as she spat his name with so much venom in her tone, "Me that wants you to marry a soja"

Rabia laughed at her friend and then shook her head, "Soja? Why will you want me to marry a soja?"

"So he can make Anty Rabi do frog jump" Rahma stated as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. In all seriousness, she did look like she wanted her friend to marry a soldier just so he can make the woman do frog jump.

Rabia looked down as she laughed whole heartily. Only Rahma can make her laugh like that and momentarily forget her problems, "This girl you're wicked" she shook her head, "Besides...maybe Dan Liti won't be that bad as a husband" just uttering that word made her cringe.

"Are you sure about that?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her friend when she realized that Rahma stopped walking a few steps back. She was staring ahead. "What?" Rabia asked in confusion.

"Look" Rahma pointed at something, or rather someone a couple of steps away from them. Rabia followed her line of sight and behold none other than Dan Liti Sanda flirting with a girl they recognize. They've known the girl since they were children. To say she's an attention seeker will be an understatement. "Speaking of the devil, then he shows up with the she-devil" Rahma muttered as she glared at the two people at the top of her hate list right below her father.

Rabia felt angry. Not jealous. Angry. Angry that her uncle and aunt are making her marry that pathetic excuse of a man. She looked away from them and turned to her friend, "Let's just go Rahma. I don't have their time" she said as she changes lane away from the two.

Her friend followed her close behind, "Are you still thinking of running away?"

Rabia hummed. She had been thinking of that for years but she wanted to talk to her uncle one last time. If he remained adamant, then she'll be left with no choice but to run away.

Rahma placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, "If you change your mind, just let me know. I'll come right with you"

Rabia turned to Rahma and smiled, "Thank you Rahma. I don't know what I'll do without you"

"Don't mention it. What are friends for? Matar soja tawa"

~*~

Okay, I have to be your favorite writer😂 double updates fa!

I love Rahma, I want to be like her.

Dan Liti🙄😒lemme not say anything sha. Ladies who want him, Wallahi I'll hand him over free of charge.

Anty Maryama is another issue.

Thoughts on this book?

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Love, Jannah❤️