Alaqaqai Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

The Stormy Sunday
One Sunday, a massive storm broke out — the kind that could frighten even monkeys. Yet that morning, there had been no sign of any storm. The sky was completely clear, without a single cloud, which allowed the sun to continue heating the roofs of houses and everything belonging to humans from about ten in the morning until one in the afternoon.
The storm did not come as a surprise to some people, especially those who had eaten plenty of soup, because they had long believed that whenever the heat becomes intense during the rainy season, it means a storm is about to gather.
And so it happened. Suddenly, the storm clouds began to gather gradually in layers until they blocked out the sunlight. Soon after, strong winds and sprays of heavy rain followed. Immediately people started running along the roads searching for places to take shelter. Among them was me, who had not been to my office since nine in the morning because a man had come demanding repayment of his loan and I ran away.
This was not the first time I had fled from my creditors. It had been almost nine months since my film career collapsed after the release of my movie Daren Mutuwa (Night of Death). From that moment on, people turned against me with hatred.
As the storm winds intensified, I said goodbye to the tailor whose shop I had been hiding in since morning.
“Ishaku, I’m going back to my office,” I told him.
The tailor Ishaku looked at me with concern because he knew the difficult situation I was facing.
“You should go home, Hilal. Returning to your office now is risky.”
I looked at him and smiled.
“Don’t worry, Ishaku. Look outside — it’s a storm with strong winds. I’m sure unless a person is drunk, no one would still be in the office now. Besides, I must go back to dismiss my secretary, Lauriyya, because I know she doesn’t even have transport money. I don’t even know how she will manage lunch.”
Ishaku looked at me in surprise.
“You mean Lauriyya is still working with you?”
I nodded.
“Of course. She is faithful and keeps her promises. She is the only one left among my staff. Everyone else has abandoned me except her.”
Ishaku smiled slightly as he looked at me.
“There is a reason for that.”
I looked at him in confusion.
“A reason? What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
Ishaku sneezed and said:
“Haba Hilal, how many times do you want me to repeat that Lauriyya is in love with you?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No, wait Ishaku. Don’t misunderstand me. Yes, I am a filmmaker, but you will be surprised if I tell you that I have never had a romantic relationship with any actress.”
Just then, a powerful gust of storm wind trying to tear off the weak roofs slammed violently against the tailor’s door.
Ishaku braced it with his foot.
“You don’t understand, Hilal — or maybe you know the truth but refuse to admit it. Even a blind man could tell that Lauriyya is deeply in love with you.”
Returning to the Office
When I left the tailor’s shop, I crossed the road and hurried toward my office. It was difficult to see clearly because the strong noisy wind kept blowing dust into my eyes.
Dust filled the air everywhere. The town became dark red with dust and thick darkness covered everything. It looked as if it were already six-thirty in the evening even though it was only one in the afternoon.
I hurried toward the office, constantly looking around because I still felt that some of my creditors might be inside waiting for me.
Before reaching the office, I began cautiously observing from a distance until I arrived at the door facing the main road.
I stood at the door for about a minute, trembling like a thief, listening carefully to hear voices or noise. There was complete silence.
I moved closer and pressed my ear against the large door. After taking a deep breath and quietly reciting the testimony of faith, I raised my hand to push the door — but suddenly it opened from inside.
“Welcome, Hilal. You finally came. Emeka just left a few minutes ago. He had been waiting for you since eleven. I told him you had gone to Kaduna, but he refused to believe me.”
My heart began beating rapidly as I hurried inside.
Lauriyya quickly shut the door behind me and leaned her back against it, staring at me without blinking.
I slowly walked further into the office with my hands inside my trouser pockets. My heart burned within me as I tried to examine the office, but the darkness caused by the storm made it difficult to see anything.
Lauriyya noticed this and quickly switched on the light. Immediately the room filled with brightness.
She stood by the switch looking at me while I looked back at her.
There was clear sympathy on her face, and I thought I saw tears in her eyes. Quickly I turned my face away and began examining the office.
There was a time in the past when no film director’s office could match even half the quality and organization of mine. But now, as I stood and looked around, I felt like bursting into tears. Truly, the mighty have fallen.
“Be patient, Hilal. That is how the world is,” Lauriyya said behind me in a soft voice.
I heard what she said, but I could not turn around to look at her or respond.
My heart and thoughts drifted back into the past — to a time when…