Ƙiyayyar Jini Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

The Village of Damagaran
She stood stiffly like a soldier, glaring at Ma’u the groundnut seller with sheer shamelessness and insolence. She wore a mismatched wrapper, blouse, and headscarf, tightly tied with a black veil knotted firmly around her head. Her face was decorated with the kind of makeup common among village girls—those who proudly claim girlhood and revel in youthful rebellion. A strange powder was smeared all over her face, giving it a blotchy look. Her eyebrows were shaved off from the beginning right up close to her eyes, then joined with the thick eyeliner she had applied. Two dark lines were drawn across her cheeks, and black dye was smeared above her lips.
Her slippers were badly worn and filthy; anyone who saw them would swear they had never been washed with water. She had clearly made an effort to dress up and look striking, yet at first glance, one could tell she was extremely dirty—so dirty that if she came close to you, breathing would become difficult. Because of her filth, it was impossible to tell whether she was fair or dark, or even whether she was beautiful or ugly. Anyone asked to describe her would simply say she was ugly, wild, dirty, and ill-mannered.
This was Jimmalo, Tani’s granddaughter—the terror of Badarawa village. No one, young or old, accepted water from her hands. She lacked shame and patience, and worst of all, she was fiercely protected by Kanta Tani, who had become both her mother and father.
She had stood there for a long time without moving, waiting for Ma’u the groundnut seller, who had followed her all the way into her house to fetch groundnuts for her.
Jimmalo’s Defiance and the Brewing Conflict
Ma’u was a notorious widow; her temperament was so terrible that her husband divorced her within three weeks of marriage. From then on, she married and was divorced repeatedly because of her stubborn nature. Even in the village, people feared her. Still, she was different from Jimmalo—if you left her alone, she wouldn’t bother you. Jimmalo, however, troubled everyone.
Realizing that people feared Ma’u, Jimmalo chose to confront her deliberately. Whenever her mischief flared up, she would go straight to Ma’u’s house, take groundnuts on credit, and provoke her.
Though Ma’u was much older and stronger, she feared Jimmalo because of her brazenness and shamelessness. Jimmalo had no patience at all and was stubborn in fights, especially when she felt wronged. She would chase someone relentlessly until she retaliated. She was only fourteen years old, yet her actions were far beyond her age. Despite all her bad behavior, she was arrogant, boastful, and excessively proud. At times, no matter how much someone tried to reason with her, she simply wouldn’t listen.
Suddenly, Jimmalo leapt over the fence of Ma’u’s house, laughing loudly as Ma’u chased after her with a knife. Ma’u glared at her furiously.
“By God, Jimmalo, today it’s you and me in this village. No one eats my groundnuts on credit and lives peacefully—let alone entering my house in broad daylight and running away.”
Jimmalo laughed mockingly. “You know if you insist on collecting that money, you’ll only invite trouble. I swear today, even if your father Tanimu rises from the grave to scare me, I won’t pay you.”
“I swear you must pay me,” Ma’u replied angrily. “And from today onward, I’ll put an end to your entering my house without permission.”
“Your house isn’t heaven that one must earn reward before entering. A house that stinks with heaps of dirty clothes you refuse to wash. I eat strength and stubbornness for breakfast. If you think you’re strong, come and take it. You’re not one of those foolish men you marry and beat. I’ll lift you and smash you to the ground,” Jimmalo snapped, twisting her mouth and glaring.
Ma’u glanced at herself, feeling insulted. She was thick-bodied, while Jimmalo was tall and skinny like a stick.
“So you’ll slam me to the ground?” Ma’u asked bitterly.
“Yes—because you’re not like those men you marry,” Jimmalo shot back.
“By your father, I’m better than you. At least I marry men, while since you became a woman, no dog has come near you. Dirty girl with the stench of puberty.”
That was the final straw. Jimmalo grabbed a stone and hurled it at her, striking her leg.
“By your father! Today I’ll chase you even into your mother’s womb. I’ve seen who’s backing you,” Ma’u shouted, almost in tears, as she ran.
Jimmalo lifted her wrapper and sprinted after her like a bird, leaping effortlessly across long distances. She didn’t stop until she reached the gate of Kaka Tani’s house. There, she mocked her with gestures before darting inside.
“By God, even if you hide behind Atine, I’ll chase you. You shameless girl, you’ve tormented everyone in this village,” Ma’u shouted angrily as she followed.
A Violent Showdown and Village Uproar
Jimmalo dashed past Baba Atine, who was standing by the doorway trying to spread dried tuwo.
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihir raji’un! Which impatient troublemaker did you provoke today that made me lose my dried tuwo?” Baba Atine cried loudly.
Jimmalo pouted and glared at her, then looked at Ma’u who had stormed inside.
“Hmph, I knew it would be you, you hot-tempered woman,” Baba Atine said, shooting Ma’u a hard look as she stood panting.
“This impatient girl took my groundnuts on credit. I told her I’d collect the money the day a donkey grows horns, and she beat me and chased me,” Ma’u said, forcing fake tears.
“I knew it would be her. She has no patience at all. In this whole village, she’s the only one who would chase someone into their house. She has no shame. Even death respects parental dignity, but she destroyed her marriage and now terrorizes everyone,” Baba Atine said.
“You didn’t ask what she did to me before believing her lies,” Jimmalo snapped. “I was tying my groundnuts when she entered my room and stole them.”
“So you didn’t even take them on credit?” Kaka Tani exclaimed in shock.
“And I didn’t even take much,” Jimmalo continued. “If I had known she wouldn’t tolerate it, I would’ve taken plenty so we’d roast them and drink cocoa in the morning. She can’t even roast groundnuts properly—she burnt them black.”
“You should have taken more then, since it didn’t stop her from chasing you,” Baba Atine replied sarcastically.
“Kaka Tani, is what you’re doing in this village commendable? Your granddaughter terrifies everyone, and you can’t correct her. With this upbringing, she’ll die here unmarried. No one will willingly invite disaster into their life.”
“So it’s lack of upbringing that made you fail in marriage too?” Kaka Tani snapped back. “Alhamdulillah, she didn’t clear that path.”
“Who said I want to marry? Marriage is for the afterlife. I won’t tolerate humiliation. You know I’ll break someone if they disrespect me,” Jimmalo said boldly.
“No, Jimmalo, my granddaughter. You must marry before I die so I can see your children,” Kaka Tani pleaded.
“May Allah help us. You know I can’t tolerate disrespect. Look at Hamasiya—she married and her husband beat her. If it were me, I’d have torn out his ribs.”
“I didn’t come to hear all this. Pay me my groundnut money or things will get ugly,” Ma’u insisted, swaying her hips.
“I told you, strength says no,” Jimmalo replied bluntly.
“Do you see the disrespect your granddaughter is giving me?”
“So you want me to beat an orphan of Allah? A girl whose parents died and was left with me?”
“I swear you must pay me my money,” Ma’u said, grabbing her.
Without thinking of Ma’u’s size, Jimmalo jumped and slapped her hard across the face.
Ma’u screamed in shock and started beating her back. Family members rushed in, beating Jimmalo as she screamed. Her cries drew neighbors running.
They beat her until they were panting and drenched in sweat. “Next time, I’ll break your legs if you enter our house again,” someone threatened.
No one dared say anything. They only looked at Ma’u with pity, seeing how trouble had followed her into the house. They all knew if it had happened outside, she wouldn’t have been spared either.
“I swear I’ll report you all to the village head,” Ma’u shouted.
“Go ahead and report us. Even take us to the police in the city—if you stop there, you won’t succeed,” Kaka Tani replied coldly.
“I was so angry I couldn’t speak. I wanted to snap her neck for entering our house,” Jimmalo muttered fiercely.
“Get out of here! You’re all just standing there watching like hypocrites,” Kaka Tani barked at the onlookers, chasing them out of the compound.