Gidan Marayu Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

The Struggles of Orphans in School
 
One morning, the children from the orphanage prepared for school. They were in their final year of secondary school. During break, they sat together when a classmate, Safiya, mocked them:
 
“You orphans, why do you mix with those who have parents? Leave your status as orphans and stay in your place. How can you walk among those with lineage?”
 
Rukayya was about to respond, but Maryam stopped her:
 
“Leave her. Safiya, what nonsense are you saying? What concern is it of yours? If you continue insulting us, I’ll show you disrespect too!”
 
The quarrel ended in silence until the school day ended.
 
When they reached home, they told Mama Salamatu:
 
“Mama, every day Safiya insults us, calling us children of shame. What did we ever do to her? This is not a small matter; something must be done.”
 
Mama Salamatu comforted them and promised:
“Tomorrow we will go to the school with the Director. Nobody has the right to insult you. You are children like everyone else.”
 
True to her word, she went to the Director’s office and explained everything. He assured her not to worry—justice would be done.
 
That same evening, a young girl of about ten was found abandoned in a refuse bin and brought to the orphanage. Weak and malnourished, she was rushed to the hospital before her details could be taken.
 
The next day, all the officials went to the school. In the Principal’s office, Safiya was summoned. The Principal scolded her harshly:
 
“Go and bring your parents here! Who told you to insult those without parents? This is unacceptable. You will not repeat it again.”
 
Safiya was dismissed, and the orphanage staff received apologies on her behalf.
 
Life in Damaturu: Sayyada’s Family
 
In Damaturu town was a neighborhood called Sumsumma, inhabited by many tribes, though the Fulani were the majority. Here lived Sayyada with her parents.
 
Her brothers, Sulaiman and Sadiq, often went begging. One day they were lucky—receiving plenty of food, including a sour pot of millet gruel. They brought it home, and their mother, Inna, shared it with them.
 
“Now you don’t need to beg again tonight,” Inna said. “We already have enough to cook.”
 
At night, Sayyada fetched water and bathed their youngest, Ibrahim. Their poor home had only two rooms and a kitchen.
 
The head of their household was Janbo, Sayyada’s father. He was from a Fulani settlement near Gashua. His father favored him above all his brothers, especially over Bubare, the eldest. This favoritism caused jealousy, worsened because Janbo fell in love with Aisha, a woman once sought by Bulama Saleh but refused him.
 
Despite objections, Janbo’s father supported the marriage. He even instructed his kin, “Let Janbo marry Aisha. It does not concern you. I will handle Bulama Sa’idu for the marriage rites.”
 
The wedding was done according to Fulani tradition, and Aisha moved into Janbo’s household. His brothers, however, burned with jealousy.
 
Betrayals and Tragedy in the Family
 
Over time, Janbo prospered. He owned cattle, sheep, and land. His brothers resented him more, especially Bubare and Saleh. At night they began harassing him, disrupting his peace. His father advised him:
 
“Son, sell some cattle, take your wife, and move away for a while until the hatred dies down.”
 
Janbo obeyed. He sold animals, gathered wealth, and relocated with Aisha. But one night, his brothers ambushed him. They attacked him severely, and later plotted against Bubare himself, killing him in cold blood.
 
The death of Bubare shocked the entire clan. People whispered, “How could he die without sickness?” Still, Janbo continued caring for his family, fathering children—Sulaiman, Sadiq, and later Sayyada. He also named them after both friends and enemies: one after Bubare, another after Bulama Saleh.
 
But tragedy struck again. After his mother Zainab died, Janbo clashed with his brothers over inheritance. They denied him rights to livestock. Finally, his enemies tracked him down at night, dragged him out, beat him, and murdered him.
 
His death devastated Aisha and the children. They buried him quietly, and the family descended into hardship. This was the painful root of Sayyada’s family.
 
The Orphanage and New Arrivals
 
Back at the orphanage, Mama Salamatu continued raising the children with care. They respected her as a mother.
 
One day, Rafiatu and her friends returned from school to find a new child crying bitterly. Mama Yagana tried to calm her without success until the girls helped. Later that night, two more children were brought in—orphans from a road accident.
 
“May Allah grant us patience,” Mama Salamatu sighed. “This house is filled with sorrow, but also love.”
 
Meanwhile, Rafiatu and her group were busy with exams. Sometimes they walked to school, other times they were given a little transport money. Everyone in the orphanage knew the three girls for their good behavior, though Maryam remained the most reserved and serious among them.
 
Then, a man named Hassan Shehu appeared. Trembling, he entered the Director’s office.
 
“Do you remember me?” he asked.
 
“No,” replied the Director.
 
“I am the one who brought a little girl here ten years ago during the rains. I found her in a baby wrapper behind my house. She is my daughter. I abandoned her out of fear after threatening her mother. But now, I want to take responsibility. I have four wives and wealth, yet none bore me a child. I wish to dedicate all I own to her.”
 
The revelation shocked the staff. The search for the girl’s identity began—proof that even among abandoned children, destiny had plans.