Zumah Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

She stealthily crept along the wall of the house like a thief until she reached where the durumi tree was right up against the building. Quickly, she parted the branches and scrambled up the tree like a monkey, then grabbed the back wall and dropped down into the backyard. She let out a laugh that revealed her neatly lined white teeth—the only thing visible due to the deep darkness of the night. Then she spoke in a sultry, erotic voice, saying, "See how Kulu rises! Who could be surprised? Jadda’s granddaughter, no one can catch you except Allah!" She spoke with delight before instantly dropping her smile, saying, "Indo, seller of ƙuli-ƙuli, I’m coming for you!" With that, she left the spot in a hurry and headed toward her destination for the night.

I saw her head toward another house. When she arrived, the compound looked completely deserted because it was so late. She caught the edge of a short wall, climbed up, and dropped inside. She paused, surveying the compound, before taking down their clothesline and looping it securely where she saw fit, as if setting a trap. Once satisfied, she headed toward one of the rooms. An elderly woman was lying there fast asleep, snoring away.

She stood watching her for a moment before unwrapping her wrapper and pulling out some ground chalk. She smeared it across her face, transforming her look into that of a spirit. Next, she took some kohl and drew two bold, exaggerated rings around her eyes. Then, she tore off a small piece of white adhesive tape and stuck it to her upper lip, pulling it back to expose her upper teeth while leaving the lower ones covered. She let out a mischievous laugh, pulled out a guinea fowl feather, adjusted her posture, and began stroking Indo's neck with it. Seeing Indo begin to stir, she quickly stuck the end of the feather into Indo's nose, then swiftly tucked it behind her own ear.

Indo bolted upright, her eyes wide with terror, and as bad luck would have it, her gaze landed straight on Kuluwa’s chalk-smeared face, sticking out her tongue and twitching it like a witch. Indo let out a terrifying shriek, tumbling off her wooden bed in sheer panic, stammering, "It is from Solomon, and it is in the name of Allah! You see us, but we do not see you! Oh dear, what is this monstrosity in my room?!"

Quickly, Kuluwa pinched her voice to sound like a water spirit and rasped, "Heyyy, Indooo! Shut up right now before I order the little demon Dan Tsut-Tsut to snap off your tongue! Do you hear me?!"

"Okay, okay! I'll be quiet, I swear! For God's sake, spare my life!"

"So, you were the one who went and reported Jadda's Kuluwa earlier today just because she gave Isiya some of your ƙuli-ƙuli? You even took the old woman's money?! Well, today we are going to settle this, since you have no respect for anyone!" Kuluwa shouted, pulling out a whip wrapped around her waist. Staring at Indo with one eye, she lashed her with all her strength. Indo twisted in agony and let go of her wrapper from the searing pain. The whip was made of TV cable intertwined with stove wire—the kind used for stirring stiff porridge—making it feel as if it were wrapped in thorns.

"You dare scream? I'll give you another one, you ugly, miserable hag!"

Indo instantly slapped both hands over her mouth, swallowing the cries that were bubbling up.

"You wicked thing! Didn't you have any pity when the poor boy begged you in God's name to give him some? He didn't even ask for a handout—he said he was taking it to his children to eat with ground cassava! But you refused him! And because Kuluwa scooped some up and gave it to him, you reported her and squeezed money out of the old woman! Where is that money you took from her?!"

"Here, it's right here! I swear I haven't spent a single naira of it!" Indo gasped, her body trembling as she reached into her inner pocket and pulled out four fifty-naira notes, handing them over.

"You wicked hag! Do you see this money? You are going to eat an equivalent amount of ƙuli-ƙuli right now, or else I won't let you off, you useless fool!"

"Innalillahi wa'inna ilaihi raji'un! I swear, if I eat ƙuli-ƙuli, my stomach gets upset! Besides, there is no finished ƙuli-ƙuli in this room, please spare me!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kuluwa reached across Indo's thighs and struck her hard with the whip once more. Indo let out a low, agonizing roar, wetting herself from the sheer terror and pain. In desperation, she cried out, "There is... there's unfinished peanut paste that I haven't fried yet! That's all there is in the room, I swear!"