ABOUT THIS BOOK
Description
The Chase in Sharada, Kano
In Kano, in the Sharada area, at about 6:30 in the evening on Monday, June 22.
She was running as if she would lift off the ground, racing through a narrow, dark alley. The loud noise of the company machines nearby made it impossible for anyone to hear her screams. She looked at the child in her arms — there was no sign of breath in her. She turned back to look at the people chasing her with the intention of snatching the child. Seeing that they were close to catching her, she increased her speed with all her remaining strength.
She entered a hidden alley that hardly anyone knew. In haste, she laid the child down, wrapped her in a black veil, and ran off. The people following her kept coming, but when they reached a busy main road filled with people, they stopped and did not continue the pursuit.
She halted, gasping for breath, before hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Her lips trembling, she began to speak:
“Ya Allah, here I am before You. I beg for Your help over this destiny that is about to fall upon me. I have no one, I have nothing except Your decree. She is everything I have. Ya Allah, here is Your daughter, Anusha. Have mercy on her and protect her from evil.”
She quickly rose to go back and pick up Anusha.
Mus’ab’s Sudden Brake
He sped along the road leading to Freedom Radio. His only desire was to return to Abuja that same day; he hated staying in Kano even for a moment. Suddenly, he stepped on the brakes so hard that Hajiya Zainab panicked, dropping the newspaper she was reading. Distressed, she exclaimed:
“Mus’ab, are you trying to kill us? What kind of driving is this?” she asked him repeatedly.
He frowned and pouted.
“Hajiya, I’m very tired. I feel completely weak,” he said, resting his head on the seat.
She looked at him and shook her head, already familiar with his spoiled behavior. Dropping her newspaper, she said:
“Out.”
She glared at him. He scratched his head lightly, stepped out, and went to the passenger seat. She took his place, started the engine calmly, and drove off without even glancing at him.
The Missing Child, Anusha
She ran as if she could fly, her mind focused entirely on Anusha. Within moments, she reached the alley where she had left her. She hurried forward — but suddenly froze. Dust and wind had scattered across the spot, and darkness swallowed the little light she had seen earlier. She looked again.
Anusha was gone.
Her scream tore through the air, drawing a crowd within seconds. She sobbed uncontrollably. A young woman approached her and asked:
“Baiwar Allah (servant of God), what is happening?”
Through heavy tears, wiping her nose with her hand, she replied:
“My child… my child Anusha. I left her here when some people were chasing me to snatch her. Now I have come back and I can’t find her.”
A murmur of shock spread among the gathered crowd. They already knew the dangers in the area — child kidnapping and assault had become common. Baba Uwani looked at her again and asked:
“You, servant of Allah, what do you have to do with these people that they want to take your child?”
She shut her eyes tightly as her heartbeat quickened. Pain spread through her chest. She lifted her eyes, looked at Baba Uwani, then the crowd:
“Truly, they have been following me for a long time, but Allah never allowed them to succeed. Since the day Anusha’s father was killed, life has been harsh. I have no one, nothing. Even getting food to eat has been difficult.
“One day, a stranger came and brought plenty of food. Since I didn’t know him, I refused. But he kept pleading, saying it was only help. I finally accepted and thanked him.
“Another night, while I was dozing off on my mat, people barged into my small room. I quickly picked up Anusha, even though she was already too big to carry. I heard them saying they should take the child because the ‘Boka’ said he needed to drink her blood the next day — that it was required.
“My senses returned instantly. I grabbed my hijab, opened the small back door, and ran. I ran until I was out of breath. After about 30 minutes they left my house, and I returned crying with no solution in sight.
“They didn’t come back again until today. I was locking the house to buy medicine for Anusha when I saw them again. We struggled as I tried to escape. I hid her here and ran to distract them. Now I’ve returned…
“…and she is gone.
“They will fulfill their evil desire — they want to kill my only daughter, my happiness, and my joy,” Khalisat concluded as she broke down again.
Comments
Sign in to comment.