ABOUT THIS BOOK
Description
Arrival in Sokoto
This time, I decided to bring you this story from the town of Sokoto.
I saw a modest house, its walls cracked and coated with mud, almost like it had been built from clay. The walls were worn and rusty, and the doorway was so low that you had to bend slightly to enter. Inside, the house was neat despite its simplicity, with only a few plants growing nearby—mostly small crops like beans.
Ah, this Sokoto village of Nausa! I bring this story to give you a glimpse into the life of one hardworking young woman…
The Young Woman
I noticed a young woman preparing small bundles, tied together like the kind sold in the village market stalls. In our Hausa language, they call them zanas. The water she used had been settled because it was the rainy season; it wasn’t fresh from the source.
As I carefully observed her face, I was surprised—she looked no older than 23. Despite the hardship she endured, her skin was fair, and her long hair added to her beauty. But just one glance showed that she lived under stress. Her hair was tangled, a little rough from lack of care, and her pale complexion suggested fatigue. Occasionally, she wiped away tears that streamed silently down her face.
“Truly, this girl evokes deep sympathy. I wondered to myself: does she have a husband, or perhaps a brother, to help her with this heavy work?” I stayed quiet, watching from the doorway.
The Young Man and Household
Then I saw a young man come out, apparently just waking. He looked under 30, a striking black beauty with a neatly groomed beard, enhancing his handsome face.
I peeked at the room’s roof; instead of a proper ceiling or sleeping area, it was made of cement bags, stitched together—no proper bed, no chairs, nothing for leisure. Even their living space was extremely bare.
When he spoke, he said, “Khairy, go fetch me some water for bathing, or I’ll punish you.”
Calmly, she replied, “Let me finish tying these bundles; the ceiling boards of the washroom are unstable.”
He said nothing and turned aside, sitting down to scroll his phone. Meanwhile, she continued her arduous work repairing the partition wall of the washroom.
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