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"Oh, I swear, Ruqayya, you know this sarpedienne dress won't be worn nicely unless Rahama dances in it. She has the style of those 1980s nomads."
They kept teasing Rahama until she eventually left the hostel room for them. Naja followed her out, calling, "Sister Rahama!"
Rahama stopped, turned around, and said, "Yes, Nana?"
"I have an assignment that I'm stuck on. I was wondering if you could help me."
"Of course I can help you," Rahama replied. "Which subject is it?"
Naja smiled. "Your favorite—Maths."
"Let's go to the library and do it there," Rahama said. Naja nodded, took some of the books from Rahama's hands, and they walked off together. Such is boarding school life—a melting pot of different people. No matter how much you might dislike people, you will always find someone you connect with so deeply that they become like family. Despite the challenges, it is a place where vital life lessons are learned.
"Assalamu alaikum. Salamu alaikum."
Through his sleep, he heard a soft voice calling out the greeting. With great effort, he managed to stir, get up, put on his shirt, and open the door. When her eyes met his, she instinctively took a step back in fear.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were sleeping. I... I brought my shoes. I'm sorry." He extended his hand, keeping his eyes fixed on her. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed him the shoes.
He came outside with his tools, but today she noticed his face was completely tight and expressionless. She also noticed that he was working at an incredibly slow pace.
She wanted to ask if he was okay, but she couldn't summon the courage, settling instead for stealing glances at him. Suddenly, she saw him stop completely while washing a shoe, squeezing his eyes shut.
"What happened?" she asked, flustered and looking at him with concern.
He pointed to his stomach with his hand, stood up, left all his tools where they were, and went back into his room. Her body trembling with worry, she hurried home. She found Nadiya in the kitchen busy cooking.
With deep concern, she said, "Anty, if you have any stomach medicine, please give it to me. I want to give it to Mamman; his stomach is hurting."
Nadiya paused and asked, "Who is that?"
"The shoemaker."
"Oh, so he’s not well? May Allah grant him health. Check the medicine bag and see if there is any."
With her heart racing, Alina rushed into her aunt’s room and searched the bag where they kept medications until she found the stomach medicine. She emerged, saying, "Anty, I found it! But is there any kunu (gruel) left? He can't take medicine on an empty stomach."
Nadiya replied, "Yes, that's true, but I actually kept that kunu for your older brother. You know he might look for it this afternoon to drink."
Pleading earnestly, Alina said, "Please, Anty, let me give it to him. You can just tell Brother that the kunu is finished."
Nadiya relented. "Alright, Alina. Give it to him. May Allah make it easy and cleanse his illness."
She poured the peanut kunu into a lidded cup and rushed outside. Nadiya didn't think anything of it, knowing Alina’s nature. Sometimes Alina would pick up a beggar on the street, bring him home, and insist he be given food, or demand that Isma'il give him money. Although she didn't interact with the local young men in the neighborhood, she got along incredibly well with the young beggars because she loved giving things away.
Filled with youthful naivety, Alina burst into Mamman’s room without knocking or asking for permission. With incredibly swift reflexes, he slammed a pillow over something to hide it. Before her eyes could fully process what she was looking at, he had covered it.
She stood stunned for a moment but brushed it off, holding out the cup of kunu. "Here is some kunu to drink before you take the medicine."
His skin was covered in goosebumps from the sheer intensity of the pain, and beads of sweat were breaking out across the bridge of his nose. He reached out and took the cup. Despite the burning heat of the kunu, he brought it to his lips and began gulping it down rapidly. Before finishing it, he extended his hand to her. She placed the medicine in his palm, and he popped it into his mouth, swallowing it dry without even using water.
She stood there, not knowing what else to do, repeatedly offering words of sympathy. He didn't answer her, but she noticed his toes curling and flexing—a clear sign that he was in excruciating pain.
He slowly turned his face toward her. He was drenched in sweat, the veins on his forehead were bulging prominently, and his eyes had turned bloodshot.
"Go," he uttered with great difficulty. Instead of leaving, she remained standing, watching him, sensing that he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Get out!" he barked, pointing toward the exit. Caught off guard and terrified by his shouting, she barely realized how she managed to scramble outside. She grabbed her shoes and ran home in a panic.
Nadiya said, "Alina, I was just about to come out and see if everything was okay. You took quite a while. You know I have to leave; I'm heading to the hospital."
Alina replied, "Everything is fine. See you when you get back." She then retreated into her room. Nadiya watched her go, wondering what had frightened her so much, but she didn't say another word and left. Filled with pity, Alina kept picturing the state she had left him in. However, remembering how he had yelled at her made her feel deeply slighted and angry.
Yet, she couldn't stop questioning her mind about what she had witnessed in his room. If her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, it looked exactly like a gun that he had hurriedly covered with a pillow. She tried to dismiss the thought, convincing herself that it couldn't possibly have been a gun.
Still, that didn't stop her from occasionally peeking out the front door, hoping to catch a glimpse of him coming outside.
Kacalla stood in the deep thicket of the forest alongside Sadauki. In front of them sat a large sack. He placed a hand on Sadauki’s shoulder, looking him straight in the eye.
"Sadauki, the trusted hand of Kacalla."
Sadauki smiled and replied, "May Allah protect my boss."
"You see how things have turned out. I trust you, and I know that by Allah's grace, we won't encounter any issues. Go and finish sorting out the arrangements with your men. Whatever happens, we will stay in touch by phone."
Sadauki said, "Consider it done, my leader. Make yourself scarce; take the eastern route while I head south with the goods. Just make sure the path ahead is cleared for us."
"Very well, no problem. May Allah protect you."
"Amin," Sadauki replied, hoisting the heavy sack onto his shoulder and moving forward.
ALINA
For the rest of the day, she didn't see a single glimpse of him. It began to bother her, and she kept worrying about how he was doing.
On Monday, when she came out of school, she found his room shut, though it wasn't locked with a padlock. She even found an excuse to linger around for a bit to see if he would come out, but there was only silence. Eventually, she grew tired of waiting and went home, as she was already running late.
YELWA
Baffa was walking home slowly. He had just gone to administer snakebite medicine to a young boy who had been bitten on the foot, checked on a patient whose fractured bone he had set, and then stopped by the market to buy a few items before heading home.
As he hurried along, he heard someone greeting him. He stopped and turned around to see who it was, only to find Saleh. Baffa remained silent, saying nothing, and turned to continue walking.
"Won't you return my greeting? There is no fight between us, so why the hostility?"
Baffa stopped, looked at him, and said, "Young man, I adjure you by Allah—if you truly know Him and fear Him—stay away from me." He spoke with bloodshot eyes, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Old man, since Allah has placed us in the same neighborhood, interaction is inevitable. I discovered something that could harm you, and I thought I should fulfill my duty as a neighbor."
Baffa stood there in confusion, staring at Saleh.
"Even though time is running out, I feel pity for the way fate hounds your family, especially you. Even though Ramata is out of town, you can still take action."
Baffa countered, "And what has Ramata done to you? The girl is away at school!"
"She is in a relationship with my brother Bukar. You know him, and I know him. There is absolute enmity between our families. Whatever happens, you will have your daughter to blame. I am telling you this so you can nip it in the bud before you lose her too."
Baffa stared at Saleh in utter astonishment. He was completely speechless, his mouth open in disbelief as his eyes followed Saleh. He simply could not accept Saleh's words. The girl wasn't even in town and was always so mindful of her words; when would she ever commit such a blunder? He resolved in his heart that Saleh was simply lying.
Two days later.
Alina and her schoolmates had just been dismissed from school. Hafsa said, "Hey, I snuck a book out for us. I’m going to read it tonight, by God's grace."
Alina asked, "Really? What's the title?"
Hafsa paused for a moment. "I forgot, but I'll read it to us anyway."
"Alright then. Tomorrow, if God spares our lives, don't you dare withhold the story from me. I just hope there is plenty of romance in it!"
Hafsa laughed. "Just looking at the cover tells you enough! Just you wait, I’ll read it for us so we can find out what happens."
Alina sighed. "You know, when a book has romance in it, sweet expression, it brings such a wonderful feeling of joy."
Hafsa nodded. "I've been trying so hard to get closer to Brother Hafiz so we can have our own romance, but I just can't. I swear I'm too shy."
Alina pouted. "Lucky you. At least you are allowed to romance. For me, any guy who says he likes me gets insulted by Brother and chased away, claiming I'm just a child. Yet when people see me, they think I'm fully grown."
Hafsa noted, "And yet boys are always falling for you. But maybe once you finish your final exams, he’ll allow it."
"Mhmm, I'm just leaving everything in Allah's hands and leaving Brother to his ways."
Ever since they left the school gates, Alina had been aware that he was following behind them, but she ignored it and kept chatting with Hafsa. Deep down, though, she felt a surge of happiness seeing him, taking it as a sign that he had recovered. After saying goodbye to Hafsa, who took the path to her house, Alina turned down her own route.
"Hey there, elegant girl," he said, picking up his pace.
She quickened her stride too, refusing to turn around, completely ignoring him.
"Alina," he called her name. She stopped, pouting deeply, and turned her head to look at him.
"Just closed from school?" he asked, looking at her. She remained silent, turning her face away.
He spoke again, "Um... I actually wanted to say thank you."
"For what?" she asked, gathering the courage to look him in the eye, though she couldn't maintain the gaze.
He took a breath. "For the stomach medicine, and the food you gave me."
Twisting her mouth slightly, she mumbled, "After you yelled at me," her lips still pouted.
He folded his arms. "Oh... I was in severe pain, and I was terrified that someone might suspect something—especially your brother. I knew if he found you in my room, he might beat me up."
She lifted her eyes to scan him, though she avoided direct eye contact, and pouted again. "Since I was doing you a kindness, you could have told me gently. But you yelled at me. And I hate being shouted at; it really scared me."
He fell silent, just looking at her.
Without looking at him, she added in a spoiled, demanding tone, "So, apologize to me then."
He stood stunned, looking at the young girl who barely reached past his waist, demanding an apology with a face so earnest it was clear she meant it from the bottom of her heart...
(Note: The remaining lines contain payment details, a phone number, a WhatsApp channel link, and a partial sentence cut off at "Nadiya n...", which are metadata for the serialized novel).
