・بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ・

18TH SEPTEMBER, 1997.

JIMETA, YOLA.

                           A woman walked hastily into the hospital. Her Kodebua wrapper with one side up and the other down, rumbles as she stormed into the place. Her faded blue bathroom slippers making a 'pat!' sound as it made contact with the cold hospital tiled floor.

                         Her breathing came out ragged as she fixed her squeezed hijab.

                          She didn't stop till she reached where the Operation Room is. Outside in the lobby were four other people. Two of which she recognized as her daughter's co wives and the two other being her children.

                            Despite the fact that they very much need to be together in a time like this, she felt like their presence wasn't needed for she knew it wasn't genuine. Nonetheless, she ignored them and all thoughts of such dispersed into thick air when she remembered the events that took place earlier.

                           The sound of opening door interrupted her train of thoughts. Her head swiveled to find the source where she saw a short bald man with surgical mask covering his face's lower half walking out of the OR. Her feet moved on their own accord before the others could react, she stood in front of the middle aged doctor.

                          "Dakta! How is she?" she asked; her voice frantic and eyes dilated slightly from all the emotions she was feeling at that moment.

                             The Doctor sighed and looked down before looking right back up; "She'd lost a lot of blood already before she was brought here" he stopped waiting to see her reaction.

                             She had an idea where this dialogue is heading. But she prayed to Allah that it wasn't what she's assuming, she didn't know what she would do if it ended the way she's assuming. "And..." she urged him to continue.

                             "We did everything we could to save her, but we couldn't"

                             The woman gulped thickly. Her eyes sting with tears but she held it back in, "And her husband?"

                             "We couldn't save him either. I'm sorry but there was nothing we could do"

                             "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un"

~*~

                                 "Me kake nufi? You mean to say you want to raise your deceased sister's daughter?" The old woman asked in a hushed tone so as not to wake the two-year-old sleeping on her lap. After crying for hours just like she'd been doing for the past two weeks she finally fell asleep. The little girl could not stop asking of her parent. But then again, how can you tell a two year old that both her parents have passed away?

                               Her eldest son, and immediate younger brother to her deceased daughter nodded, "Eh Ummah. Kinga you are too old to take care of a three-year-old. Kema you need rest ai and that's why I want to help you by taking care of her for you" He said folding his legs on the sallaya he spread when he came into her room.

                            A local lantern illuminated the small room the old woman lives in. They didn't live in Jimeta exactly, but more of the outskirts of the town so they hardly get electricity. A lantern is something they depend on and at that moment, it was what allowed her son to see her face clearly. It allowed him to see the hidden rage in her eyes and the disapproving expression that masked her features.

                         Ummah looked away not liking the idea one bit. She knew her son more than anyone in the world, and, the man wouldn't take care of a child just because he wants to help her. He actually wouldn't care if the old woman works herself to death as long as he has something to put in that protruding stomach of his. "Sam! Ban yarda ba" she said looking at him in the eye just to see him blasé as if he was expecting this from her, "I took care of you and your siblings all alone since your father passed away. And, I made sure to provide at least two meals a day for you. Catering for a two year old shouldn't be a problem to me"

                                      "Ummah ke mafa you're sick and you need to be taken care of" He argued further though she can see that he is on the brink of giving up. He is too stubborn for his good. He had always been like that.

                                   "Lafiyanaqalau. Is it now you remember that I'm sick? When have you ever cared about my wellbeing iye?" she asked making him pucker his lips, "Answer me. When?"

                                 'Matar nan fa tafiyaneman magana' He thought in his head as he bit his tongue to stop him from saying the wrong thing.

                                 He blinked and gulped, carefully picking out his next words. "Ummah I'm just trying to help" He ignored her question deliberately.

                                 "Ya isa!" She held her hand up. Her voice raising up slightly. The little girl on her lap stir up a bit making her look down, "Leave my sight please" She whispered harshly, her voice barely above a whisper as she cradles the girl back to sleep—not looking at her son.

                              "But Ummah..."

                              "Leave!" She whisper-yelled. This time she looked up and glared at him. He knew not to push her again. She was livid by the looks of it, and he knew that.

                               He unfolded his sitting self and ducked his head out of her hut, doing as he was told.

~*~

                                   "Kanajina Saminu?" Ummah asked, her lips set into a straight line as she gazed at her youngest and also the most responsible one amongst all her three male children.

                                   Saminu nodded, "Eh Ummah. I understand and I promise to do as you wish"

                                  Ummah smiled—it turning into a frown as she coughed.

                                    Saminu immediately moved to her side handing her a cup of water which she kept beside her earlier as he rubbed her back soothingly. Ummah took the cup out of his hold and gulped it down. Her thoracic felt as though hot coal was placed on it; she could barely breathe through the pain and her throat constricting every now and then wasn't helping. But, even with that, she faked a smile trying to mask the pain away though it never reached her eyes.

                                   There are just some things we can never hide no matter how hard we try. And for Ummah, this is one of those thing.

                                 "Are you alright?" Saminu asked once she placed the now empty cup beside her.

                                  "Yes I'm alright" She nodded.

                                   "Are you sure? If it's critical I can take you to the hospital"

                                   Ummah smiled slightly, a sad one. She reached out her old wrinkled hand and took his gently giving it a small squeeze as it's all she could muster, "Dana, we both know you can't afford it"

                                 "Haba Ummah, if I have to take another job, I would. Your health comes first ai"

                                  Ummah shook her head, "No. You have a family to take care of. And there is an innocent girl I need you to take care of after my death"

                                Saminu didn't like her speaking that way and she had been speaking in such manner since his sister passed away, "Kar kice haka, please stop speaking that way"

                              "Speaking in what way?"

                              "Speaking as though it's farewell"

                                Ummah smiled once again.Saminu will never change, she thought. Amongst all her children it was easier to understand him because he's like an open book. She continued her last wishes, "Promise me..."

                           "Promise you what?"

                          "Promise me that you'll treat Rabi as you'll treat your own children. Promise me you'll send her to school both of Western and Islam.Promise you'll look after the girl for as long as you live. But lastly, promise me you'll treat her just as you'll treat your own children. I'm not asking you to put her first, no. I'm asking for you to take care of her as an amanah"

                              Saminu sniffed and wiped the few tears that escaped his eyes. He knew the gravity of the promise his mother is asking of him. But for her, her would do so. He didn't think twice before he uttered the words he was willing to keep till his last breath. "I promise"

~*~

                            "Allah ya jikan ta. Allah mata rahama. Allah sa tahuta. Allah sa Iya wahalan ta kenan"

                                Saminu could only nod to all of their prayers. As much as he knew he has to be here to honor his late mother, deep down all he wanted to do was disappear from the place. It being the last place he wants to be.

                                Just two days after his conversation with his mother, she passed away too. Turns out that was his last conversation with her.

                               It's times like this that makes him think of how unfair his life is. Firstly, he never got to meet his father because he passed away a week before his birth. Then he lived a poor life watching his mother struggle as a single mother, to provide a life for all his three siblings,even if that means she won't get to eat—she sacrifices her meal for them on more than one occasion. Then he lost three out of five of his children. And if that isn't enough he lost his sister and mother all in three weeks.

                               At the time, he really did believe life was unfair to him.

                               "Saminu" Came a gruff voice as someone patted his shoulder rudely.

                               At first Saminu was confused. But when he looked up, that confusion turned to irritation.

                                "Me kakeyi a nan?" he asked his brother in law's brother; the little girl's paternal uncle that never stepped foot in Yola because of how he despised his sister in law for reason no one's aware of.

                                  When Saminu realized that that he had raised his voice and has gained them unwanted attention, he stood up and signaled for the man to follow him before he led them far away to a mango tree outside the house—far from prying eyes and eavesdropping gossipmongers.

                             "I'm here to take Rabi" said the man not wanting to beat in the bush. He had never been the one to beat around.

                          "Forget it" Saminu said looking away, "She's staying with me"

                           The man chuckled as if what Saminu said was nothing but a mere figment of his imagination—something that will never happen. "I'm her rightful guardian, her father left her in my care"

                           "No he didn't"

                            "Thought you'd say that" The man muttered. To avoid long conversation, he simply pulled out a white envelop from his pocket and handed it to Saminu.

                          Puzzled, Saminu looked up after eyeing the envelop in his hand, "What is this?"

                          "It is her father's will which clearly stated that he wanted me to take care of her should in case anything happens to him and his so called wife"

                           "This can't be possible" Saminu muttered as he opened the letter and read its content. Sure enough, it was undoubtedly his brother in law's handwriting and signature so the letter must be authentic.

                           The man only smirked, "Thank God you know how to read" He checked the time on his seemingly old wrist watch, "I will be back in two days to take the girl" He retrieved the letter from Saminu, "Make sure she's ready" With that said, he turned on his heels and walked away.

                             Saminu's shoulder slumped thinking of how he would hand over the innocent two-year-old to a family that despises her, and her future uncertain. "Forgive me Ummah. Forgive me for I have failed to keep my promise to you"