Description
[Part 1]
Malam raised his head angrily, "May Allah forbid! But you will see this calamity on your own head first, not mine! It will not befall me either! Your intention has backfired on you—did you think I was just playing when you noticed me acting strange ever since that girl came back? You refused to see her distress, only staring and grumbling!"
Malam became even more furious, raised his head, and looked at Lami. "What distress would I have besides the one I saw clinging to her body? Whatever happened to her, you are the one who provided her with money so she could bring you a bastard child and you'd call it yours—wasn't that what you wanted all along?"
Lami raised her hand at him, her eyes burning with fury. "Stop, stop, Malam! Stop calling my daughter's pregnancy a bastard child, because this pregnancy is legitimate, and by Allah, its father is—"
Malam Jibril jumped up quickly, breaking his ablution, and shouted, "Au! Or did you marry her off without my knowledge? Meaning she entered into a double marriage—that means two offenses are against her!"
"There is no question of a double marriage; she only has one marriage, which is still valid—Ahmad's! And it is his pregnancy; he knew about it..."
Malam Jibril burst out laughing, looking at Lami, who was starting to boil over with his laughter. He said, "By Allah, I agree, Lami, you have lost your mind! A girl who hasn't been with her husband for years goes traveling and comes back with a bastard pregnancy, and you expect me to believe he knew about it? Where did he impregnate her? Through mobile phone text? Whatever is inside her... and if you don't believe it, go and ask about it! Ever since she left his house, she left while pregnant—the one that pleased her during those months stirred, and he himself knows she was carrying a pregnancy, and everyone knows a pregnancy can lie dormant in our religion, according to modern doctors! Therefore, he must take responsibility! If you won't fight for her rights, I will take her to every court in this world to get justice for my daughter!"
He stood staring at her fixedly as she stood her ground, pouring out explanations that sounded like someone who had lost her senses. Yet, a part of him doubted: surely, a woman can carry a pregnancy for years and give birth later, provided Raliya really fled while pregnant and Ahmad knew about it. Without a doubt, this pregnancy belongs to him!
He kicked the water pot he was holding, walked over to Raliya—who was sitting watching them—and said, "You, Raliya, tell me the truth. Is it true that you left Ahmad's house with a pregnancy inside you, or is it just a lie you cooked up?"
She twisted her mouth. "By Allah, Baba, it is the truth! This pregnancy belongs to Ahmad, because he knew about it before I left. I thought it had dissolved when I noticed it stopped growing, but later, in these past few months, I saw it start moving again. If he, Ahmad, denies it, let's go to the hospital to be tested, and it will be proven that his blood is inside me!"
Malam Jibril fell silent, his mind beginning to find some peace. If this was true, he truly had a way out, escaping the shame he thought he had fallen into earlier. He shook his head. "Alright, let me go to the mosque and return, then we will talk about this with my older brother. I'm going." He squatted, finished his ablutions, and walked out of the house.
Raliya stood up and went into her room, her spirit bright because her hatched plan was succeeding, and there was no one who could refute her. Ma'u and the others were over there, completely unaware of what was brewing. Furthermore, Umma refused to cooperate or sympathize with the matter, simply going about her own business. Ma'u was eager for her husband to come and take her home so they could discuss Raliya's situation with him.
Malam Sule returned from the Maghrib prayer, heading home with prayer beads in his hand, engaged in dhikr. He heard his younger brother's voice calling from behind him, "Yaya! Yaya!! Yaya!!!"
Malam Sule stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and watched him approach. He raised his hand to greet him, and Malam Sule spoke first, "Where have you been hiding, Jibril? I haven't seen you for a couple of days."
Malam Jibril rubbed the back of his neck. "By Allah, Yaya, I've been caught up with some hustle, but actually, I wanted us to have an important discussion."
Malam Sule said, "Alright, alright! Let's walk over to that bench over there and sit down."
They headed to a small mound in front of the house and sat down. Malam Sule looked at Malam Jibril and said, "I'm listening to you. What happened?"
[Part 2]
Malam Jibril adjusted his posture, wondering where he should begin his explanation. Eventually, he said, "Yaya, do you know that Raliya returned home four days ago?"
Malam Sule jumped slightly in surprise, "Raliya?!" He let out a long sigh and added, "Masha Allah, when did she return then?"
"Today makes it her 6th day," Malam Jibril replied, adding, "Oh Malam Jibril, but you failed to inform me since the very day she arrived? Well, never mind since you've told me now, though I haven't even set eyes on her during these past few days she has spent here."
Malam Jibril let out a long sigh. "Yaya, I was hesitating on how to break the news of her arrival to you because of what is attached to her... you see, Raliya has returned pregnant—an old pregnancy, and..."
Malam Sule jumped up in utter confusion. "Pregnancy, did you say, Jibril?! A pregnancy, meaning a childbearing belly?!"
"A pregnancy, Yaya. That is the exact reason why you weren't informed until I gathered proof to tell you, because I knew your heart would be heavily troubled if you heard her pregnancy was a bastard child. But since it has its father, that gave me the courage to confront you and let you know."
Up to that moment, Malam Sule's mouth remained open, severe distress written across his face. In deep frustration, he said, "Did you remarry her without my knowledge, making her pregnancy legitimate and not a bastard, Jibrulu?"
The way he spoke made Malam Jibrilu's heart skip a beat, to the point where he felt hesitant to utter what he had planned to say—until Malam Sule said, "I am listening to you. You told me her pregnancy has a father. Tell me, who is the father?"
Malam Jibril adjusted his seat and said, "You know when she left her husband's house, she was still under his marriage; he never divorced her..." He paused for a moment, watching Malam Sule to gauge how he was taking the news, and seeing him sitting calmly and listening, he continued his explanation. "Or did you forget that, Yaya?"
Malam Sule shook his head, saying, "No, I haven't forgotten. I know that Raliya fled from Ahmad's house without him divorcing her, and even up to this moment, Ahmad's marriage to Raliya still stands. But that is not the point; right now, I want to hear if her pregnancy is lawful, Jibrulu."
Malam Jibrilu adjusted his seat, looking at his older brother. "Well, before she left the house, Ahmadu already knew she had a pregnancy inside her. It went dormant and now, this time, it stirred, so she came back home to be recognized as bearing his child and to hand it over to him."
Malam Sule sat silently listening to Malam Jibril's explanation. He felt like strangling him out of pure annoyance that choked him, and he completely lost the reason why his younger brother had reduced himself to acting like a foolish, mindless person. Controlling himself, he said, "Let me ask you, Jibrulu: how many months does a woman wait when her husband divorces her?"
Quickly, Malam Jibril said, "Three months, Yaya."
Malam Sule nodded. "And what is the ruling concerning a woman who flees from her husband's house for two or even three years?"
Malam Jibril fell silent, turning the question over in his mind, then said, "By Allah, I don't know the exact ruling regarding her case, except if scholars give an explanation."
Malam Sule said, "To! If that is the case, you see it was improper for you to directly link the pregnancy inside Raliya to Ahmad, because he didn't divorce her, nor did she claim her waiting period (iddah) was completed along with a pregnancy..." He paused, shaking his head. "Anyway, let me keep quiet and first hear from Ahmad, because he is the one who holds all rights in this matter, or I will go to him. But if you went into the house and told Raliya to stay prepared before Ahmad arrives..."
Malam Sule stood up and told his younger brother, "Let me step inside, see you later," and turned to walk into the house without waiting to hear what his brother had to say in response.
Malam Jibril watched him go, his knees and entire body completely sapped of strength. Suddenly, he stood up abruptly like someone injected with a needle and rushed directly into the house without knocking.
He darted his eyes around the courtyard, seeing no one, but then heard their voices coming from inside a room. He rushed quickly into the room. They were sitting there talking and joking foolishly. He burst into the room as if thrown in.
Everyone raised their heads and looked at him in shock and apprehension. Lami mustered the courage to speak first, "Malam, is everything alright? You didn't even knock?"
He glared at Raliya. "You! I've come, and I want you to tell me the truth once more: whose child is inside your womb? Because by Allah, if you make a fool of me out of you, your life will turn sour beyond what you ever imagined! Do you hear me?"
Raliya pouted her lips, her face filled with anger. "I'm telling the truth, by Allah, it is his pregnancy! And if he denies it, I agree that we should swear an oath on the Qur'an—whoever lies against another, Allah will expose their disgrace right here in this world!"
Malam Jibril fell silent, nodding in agreement. "Alright, then prepare yourself, because Ahmad is about to enter now."
Raliya simply looked at them, silently praying in her heart that Allah would make Ahmad accept and take responsibility for her pregnancy.
Her phone rang. Quickly, she looked at her bag beside her, thrust her hand inside to grab it, stood up, and headed for the door out of the room while tapping her screen. Everyone watched her in shock as she walked out, completely ignoring the heavy weight on her body.
"Hello, Rukky baby, what's up?"
From the other end, Rukky burst out laughing. "Baby, you've gotten stuck and refused to call us! What's happening regarding the trap that got you stuck?"
Raliya pressed her body against the wall of the bathroom, peering out to see that the courtyard was empty. "You wicked girl, it's only today you look for me! Well, today the war preparations are beginning, though nothing has happened yet. But I'm starting to have doubts; it feels like he might not accept this pregnancy..."
"You're a fool! Don't panic or ruin our plan for us! The cleric assured me he will definitely accept this pregnancy! If you start panicking, how will things work out for him to accept it?"
Raliya sighed. "You didn't hear how they were cross-examining me like I was standing before the terrifying angels of the grave! I was so scared, by Allah, Rukky. If I had known, would I have let you bring me?"
"If you hadn't, the plan would have collapsed! Since they saw us together, they would have realized you were out whoring until you got pregnant! Just do as the cleric said, place the amulet over your belly, and make sure you drink the spiritual water—everyone has to believe it! My only prayer is that once you give birth to his child and leave it with him, you return to the streets. Don't let them trap you again inside that house that looks like a chicken coop!"
Raliya said, "Don't worry, my friend, let me return inside, I'll call you later with more details about our agreement." She ended the call smiling, but the smile vanished from her face instantly when she saw her older brother, Musa, stepping out of the bathroom giving her a very strange look. There was no doubt he had heard every single thing they discussed with her friend on the phone. She froze like a statue, completely at a loss for what to do.
He glared at her with a scowl. "Stupid girl, you've ruined yourself, Raliya, but soon you will realize that even tea is just colored water, by Allah!" He shook his head and walked away.
She slumped against the wall, her stomach churning, her eyes wide with panic. She was in deep trouble, but if Musa knew one thing, he certainly didn't know everything!
Over at Malam Sule's house, Ma'u was sitting on a mat eating her tuwo, chatting with her mother who sat nearby. Ma'u looked at her mother and said, "Umma, didn't you notice Baba came in looking troubled? Even his usual greeting to me today was absent; he barely managed to answer my greeting before hurrying into his room."
Umma said, "Of course I noticed. Perhaps today he received word about what Raliya came home with. You already know he's been preoccupied with talk about her."
The emergence of Malam Sule cut short their conversation. The children all turned to look at him, trying to greet him as he responded while holding a large woven mat. Ahmad quickly stepped forward to take the mat from his hands respectfully and spread it out.
Malam Sule sat down, looking at each of them one by one. Every single one of them felt their blood run cold upon seeing the heavy state their father was in.
After greetings were exchanged, Malam Sule took a deep breath, looked at Salisu, and said, "Salisu, go to Jibrilu and tell him to come along with his wife and Raliya."
Salisu stood up quickly to fulfill their father's command. Soon, Malam Jibrilu walked in, with Lami and Raliya following closely behind him. Amina, Ma'u, and the rest of the siblings stared at Raliya, who was swathed in a giant hijab as if she were a saintly woman. Ahmad, however, couldn't even raise his head to look at her due to bitterness and intense anger.
To everyone's surprise, Raliya kept staring at Ahmad—the NEPA light was on, and she wanted to figure out how he had transformed: had he moved forward or regressed? She couldn't take her eyes off him.
Malam Sule looked at them one by one as they sat down, cleared his throat, fixed his gaze on Malam Jibril, and began to speak.
"Ywa, just as happened earlier, Jibril called me regarding the matter of Ahmad and Raliya, which I had put behind us in the past. But today he has returned with a brand new matter, which is proper for you to hear directly from his own mouth and not mine, because words are sweetest coming from the horse's mouth."
He turned and looked at Malam Jibril. "Jibrilu, tell them the kind of thing you told me earlier."
Malam Jibrilu blinked rapidly, looking at the people gathered there. Even he felt doubtful about what he was about to say, especially since he felt as though he was being driven to speak. He looked at them and said, "Eh, well... it's concerning the matter of Raliya's pregnancy. She claims the pregnancy belongs to Ahmad Abdullahi Maitama..."
[Part 3]
Everyone stared at him in shock upon hearing what he said. Umma leaped straight to her feet, exclaiming, "My father's head! What kind of baseless nonsense talk is this?"
Lami jumped in immediately to respond. "You never expected it to have a foundation in your presence, Deeje! But to us, it carries more weight than the words of a renowned scholar! Shake out your ears well and listen: what is this madness? Who gave you the right to put your mouth into this matter?"
Malam Sule shouted at them to quiet down, ordering, "Cease these words!"
As for Ahmad, he opened his mouth wide, staring at the wonder of God, feeling as though the whole thing were a movie script.
Ma'u sat frozen, her heart starting to conjure up wicked thoughts: could her husband have been sneaking around with Raliya behind her back without her knowing? Though, come to think of it, people said he hadn't divorced her—she was still his wife. If that were true, he had truly betrayed her trust.
A bitter, painful lump rose and stuck in her throat. She kept glaring at her husband, who was in turn staring at Raliya with shock and disgust.
Absolute silence descended upon the gathering like the passing of death, though everyone's face betrayed the thoughts swirling in their minds.
Malam Sule continued, "Continue with your explanation, Malam Jibrilu."
Malam Jibrilu looked at Raliya, who kept her gaze cast down as if she wanted to sink into the ground, frantically squeezing the amulet on her body, believing it was what would save her without a doubt.
"You, Raliya, tell them so they can hear it from your own mouth!"
Raliya began hesitantly, rolling her eyes. "Daman... inside my pregnancy..."
Lami interrupted her. "What is all this 'daman' hesitation? Step forward and speak the truth, don't have any doubt or fear of anyone!"
Raliya gained a bit of confidence and said, "The pregnancy inside me belongs to Ahmad; he is the father!"
Ahmad jumped up in a panic. "You are lying against me, by Allah, you are lying!"
Malam Sule looked at Ahmad, whose body was trembling, and said, "Ahmad, find a place and sit down, do not let me hear you speak again."
Umma looked on with extreme shock, thinking the Malam seemed to be siding with them. Ahmad and the rest of his siblings stared at their father with suspicion, thinking that even a madman would know how to judge this case, let alone him!
Malam Sule turned his gaze back to Raliya and said, "Continue your explanation, we are listening to you."
Raliya gained a bit more courage, assuming she was almost done dealing with the Malam. "Before I left his house, I was already pregnant, and he knew it! The pregnancy went dormant, I thought it had dissolved, but then during these past few months, I saw it start moving again. That is why I said let me come back and inform him so he would know."
Silence fell once more as everyone stared at her. Umma looked as though she wanted to burst into insults or blow off steam, but she just scoffed instead. Lami, on her part, kept nodding her head and saying, "That's right, exactly!"
Auwalu raised his hand quickly. "Baba, please, I want to speak."
Malam said, "As long as it's about Raliya and Ahmad, you have no right to say anything—this is a matter that concerns them alone." He turned back to Raliya. "You said you have concluded your explanation, right?"
She said, "Yes, I have finished, but by Allah, it is his pregnancy, and he knew it!"
Malam Sule looked at Ahmad, who was sitting with his mouth hanging open as if a stone had been shoved into it. "Did you hear all the things she said? Is it true that before Raliya left your house, she was carrying your pregnancy?"
All eyes shifted back to Ahmad. He lowered his head toward the ground, shook it, and began to speak.
"Abba, please forgive me for what I am about to say, but necessity forces me to speak it. By Allah the Almighty, ever since my marriage to Raliya was contracted, I never even spoke a sweet word to her, let alone having any marital relations take place between us! I never once approached Raliya as a wife, by Allah!"
Umma let out a long sigh of relief, silently praising Allah. The others also let out sighs of relief.
As for Raliya, she burst into tears of frustration and regret. She realized that the bastard cleric had eaten her money for nothing since his charm didn't work. But let her try one more time.
Through her tears, she cried, "Ahmad, fear Allah! By Allah, this pregnancy is yours, you are lying! I don't know anything about this other stuff!" Continuing through tears, she shouted, "By Allah, it is yours, it is your pregnancy because you married Ma'u and refused to accept me..."
Masa rushed into the room, shouting, "You are lying, you deceitful hypocrite! This is not Ahmad's pregnancy!"
Every single pair of eyes snapped over to look at him in shock, like the sudden stopping of rain. Raliya's crying stopped instantly as she widened her eyes.
Lami flew into a rage, puffed up, turned to him in fury, and snapped, "Was it your father who gave you permission to poke your nose into this matter? If you don't watch it, I'll put a barrier between you and your wife! No one knows what goes on between a husband and wife except Allah!"
Musa continued speaking without fear or hesitation. "Lami, you can even curse me, but I will speak the truth! Without a doubt, this pregnancy does not belong to Ahmad, because I overheard her conversation with her friend earlier while I was in the bathroom! She came close to the bathroom not knowing I was inside, and they were discussing this pregnancy issue!"
He laid bare every single detail of what he had heard them discuss on the phone—between her and her friend—letting them know everything.
Raliya became even more panicked, shame wrapping around her like she wanted the earth to split open and swallow her whole.
Umma raised her hand high into the air, shouting, "Alhamdulillah! Today RETRIBUTION has manifested, and the BASTARD has been confirmed right where his name is always invoked!"
Lami sat blinking rapidly, engulfed in extreme shame and looking completely disoriented. RALIYA HAD COMPLETELY RUINED HERSELF!
As for Malam Jibril, he burst into tears, crying, "You have disgraced me, Raliya! You have stripped me of my dignity! Allah is enough, I do not forgive you! May Allah—"
Malam Sule cut him off sharply, pointing at him with his index finger. "You, shut your mouth for me! Even now you aren't cursing her? She committed this wickedness, and you want to curse her instead? Just leave her alone, the world is her garment and trousers!"
"But Yaya, shouldn't you let me curse this girl who wanders the earth with her marriage intact?"
Malam Sule said, "The matter of marriage is finished! You, Ahmad, divorce her right now, even though she has already abandoned you!"
Ahmad felt a wave of unprecedented joy wash over him, the greatest he had ever felt in his entire life. "I, AHMAD, REVOKE ALL OF MY MARRIAGE TIES TO RALIYA FOR EVER AND EVER!"
Raliya stepped back in terror and burst into loud weeping. Lami looked as though she wanted to douse the house with petrol and set it all ablaze so everyone would just perish. She stood up and marched out furiously, followed by their stunned gazes.
Malam Sule only smiled—Lami was never going to change.
As for Ma'u, her mind was racing: what if Raliya had continued to be Ahmad's wife? What would she have done with her life?
In that manner, they returned to their houses without anyone speaking to anyone else. Ahmad sat on the bed for a long time playing games on his phone, but Ma'u didn't enter the room. Realizing how long she had stayed away, he stood up and walked out to the parlor.
Summary
The story revolves around Raliya, a woman who deserted her marriage to Ahmad for years and suddenly returns to her family home claiming to be pregnant. Her stepmother, Lami, fiercely defends her and insists the pregnancy belongs to Ahmad—who has never divorced her—even threatening legal action to force Ahmad to claim the child. Her father, Malam Jibril, is initially stressed and confused, caught between shame and his wife's insistence, while his older brother, Malam Sule, urges caution and demands to hear Ahmad's side of the story.
When a family meeting is convened to address the scandal, Ahmad vehemently denies ever touching Raliya throughout their entire marriage. Just as Raliya doubles down on her lies and attempts to manipulate the situation, her brother Musa exposes her. Musa reveals that he overheard Raliya plotting with her friend "Rukky" on the phone, relying on a fetishist's charms to trap Ahmad into claiming the fake pregnancy. Disgraced and caught red-handed, Raliya's plot collapses entirely. Malam Sule orders an immediate divorce, prompting Ahmad to joyfully pronounce an irrevocable triple divorce, while Raliya and Lami flee in utter humiliation and shame.
Description
- Genre: Contemporary Hausa Drama / Family Fiction (Kwanso / Littafin Hausa)
- Setting: A traditional Northern Nigerian household setting involving extended family compounds (Malam Jibril's house and Malam Sule's house).
- Core Themes: Deceit, marital crisis, parental gullibility, moral accountability, hypocrisy, and the ultimate exposure of falsehood (Sakayya).
- Key Characters:
- Raliya: The wayward daughter who runs away from her matrimonial home, returns pregnant years later, and resorts to deception and spiritual manipulation to pin her pregnancy on her estranged husband.
- Malam Jibril: Raliya's gullible father who easily sways between panic and misplaced hope based on his wife's persuasion.
- Lami: Raliya's fiercely protective and unapologetic stepmother/mother who aggressively champions her daughter's lies despite clear evidence.
- Ahmad: Raliya's abandoned legal husband who maintains his innocence and is finally liberated from the toxic union.
- Malam Sule: The wise, level-headed elder brother and family head who handles the crisis with systematic verification and judicial fairness.
- Musa: Raliya's observant brother whose accidental eavesdropping ultimately shatters Raliya's elaborate web of lies.
- Ma'u: Ahmad's second/current wife (implied by context) who endures quiet anxiety before being vindicated.
Analytics
- Narrative Structure & Pacing: The text utilizes a conversational, episodic narrative style typical of popular Hausa pulp fiction serials ("Littafin Hausa"). It moves swiftly from domestic confrontation to dialogue-heavy family tribunals, building tension through rapid dialogue tags, emotional outbursts, and dramatic revelations.
- Character Dynamics & Conflict: The central conflict is driven by the generational and ethical friction between blind parental partisanship (Lami and Jibril) and objective truth-seeking (Malam Sule and Musa). Raliya represents modern moral decay and desperation, relying on external gimmicks (clerics/charm) rather than accountability.
- Cultural & Sociological Subtext:
- Islamic Family Law & Custom: Highlights the legal weight of an undivorced marriage (Aure) versus the strict rules of waiting periods (Iddah) and the gravity falsely attributing lineage (Zina/Shege).
- The Role of the Extended Family: Emphasizes the patriarchal structure of Northern Nigerian households, where family heads (Yaya/Malam) hold arbitration power over domestic disputes.
- Social Commentary: Critiques the dangers of peer pressure, fraudulent spiritualists ("bokaye"), and the social stigma of female delinquency.