Kuncin Zuci Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

She was sitting on the sofa in their neat little apartment. In front of her was a laptop and two textbooks she had placed on the small table in their living room. Beside her was a plate of cookies and a cup of coffee. Every now and then, she would reach out, take one, and eat.
All her attention was fixed on whatever she was typing on the laptop, and because of that, she did not turn to look at the one who had just come out of one of the rooms opening into the living room.
Slowly, Nafisa walked up to her and dropped onto a chair. Without turning around or stopping what she was doing, she said, “Good morning,” in her soft voice, which made Nafisa turn and look at what she was typing before asking,
“Morning, what are you working on?”
The young woman said, “Just some essay.”
Nafee said, “So that’s what kept you up almost all night? I woke up around one and saw your lights were still on.”
The young woman replied again, “Yeah.”
Nafee simply stared at her for a moment, then said, “Na’ima.”
The young woman paused in her typing and turned to look at Nafisa with her large eyes. In her calm voice, she said, “I have a deadline for this.”
Nafee said, “I know, but girl… give yourself a break.”
Without waiting for Na’ima’s response, she got up and went to the kitchen to make her own morning coffee. Na’ima said nothing. She returned her focus to what she was writing while sipping her coffee. She was dressed in peach-colored sleepwear that complemented her fair skin. Her hair was covered with a sleep cap. Then she set the coffee down on the table and leaned back slightly against the chair, continuing to eat her cookies, her eyes still on her work as she carefully reviewed each line.
Nafee came out of the kitchen holding her mug and sat where she had been sitting earlier. She placed her coffee on the table beside Na’ima and said,
“Kaii, I slept like a baby today.”
Na’ima smiled and said, “You always sleep like a baby anyway.”
Nafee laughed lightly and said, “Today was different.”
Na’ima said again, “I hear you.”
Nafee said, “Whatever… I’m going shopping later. I noticed our fast food stuff is running low, and I feel like eating tuwo with leafy soup today because honestly, I’m tired of noodles.”
Na’ima said, “I actually thought of that too earlier, but my plan was for tomorrow because I want to finish this essay today.”
Nafee asked, “When’s the deadline?”
She answered, “The day after tomorrow.”
Nafee said, “Then there’s still tomorrow. If God keeps us till then, you can finish it. Let’s go together later.”
Na’ima turned and looked at her, then said, “Nafee, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring. Since I’m already halfway through, it’s better I just finish it once and for all. Besides, there’s only a little left.”
Nafee rolled her eyes dramatically and said, “Yeah, right.”
Then she picked up the sachet of cookies and checked the calories on it. She said,
“Wait… this many calories in one cookie? I have to keep my body in check. I have a reputation to protect.”
Na’ima couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Sorry, Miss World contestant.”
Nafee laughed too and threw a throw pillow at her, and they both burst into laughter.
After they had calmed down, Nafee said,
“I spoke to Mami earlier. Did she call you too?”
Na’ima said, “Yeah, I talked to her last night. What happened?”
Nafee said, “Nothing serious. We were talking about Aunty Salma’s wedding. I’ll be going back next month, and she wants us to go together, so I thought she had called you too.”
At once, all the brightness on Na’ima’s face disappeared as she looked at Nafisa. Nafisa was also watching her carefully, studying her expression and waiting to hear what she would say. After a while, Na’ima turned away and pulled her laptop closer, saying,
“No, she didn’t call me. Maybe she thought I was still asleep. But I’ll call her. If God keeps us till then, I’ll go… why not?”
Nafee kept looking at her. Then she held one of her hands and said,
“You don’t have to go if your heart isn’t in it. As for me, I won’t even stay more than one week before coming back. I told Mami I would first talk to you about the trip because I know if she tells you directly, you’ll just say okay. But you know Mami… I didn’t even think she would wait for me to tell you first. I thought she must have called you already.”
She finished speaking with a slight laugh.
Na’ima turned and smiled at her, saying,
“I’ll go, Nafee. I miss Mami.”
Nafee said,
“Well, she’s really eager for this wedding to come so you can go and she can see you. She’s always asking whether you’re eating properly, or whether you’ve gained or lost weight.”
Na’ima let out a small laugh, though her eyes were already filling with tears, and said,
“Mami, really…”
Nafee squeezed her hand reassuringly and said,
“She cares, and I do too. I’m always here.”
Na’ima nodded her head, fighting back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.