They were walking peacefully and decently, wearing long hijabs that reached the ground, and holding the Holy Qur'an close to their chests. The niqabs they wore prevented me from seeing their faces. I saw them open the gate of a moderate house with a medium-sized parking space. It was the type of house where everything was contained within the rooms. They called out a greeting (sallama) as they opened the living room door. Frankly, the living room was well-furnished. They greeted just as a woman was coming out of the kitchen to answer them. The woman looked no older than 45. "Welcome back, students," she said with a smile. The taller of the two answered her while removing her niqab. Truly, the girl was beautiful—fair-skinned, tall, and aged between 17 and 18. She had a long nose and large eyes, and she looked very much like the woman. "Iman, aren't you going to remove your niqab today?" the woman asked, smiling. Iman shrugged her shoulders like a spoiled child, indicating she wouldn't. The other girl clicked her tongue in annoyance and said, "For God's sake, ignore her, Aunty. It's because she sees you paying attention to her that she's showing off. Please, just give me the room key so I can change out of my clothes." "Aunty, do you see Salma? Wallahi, stay out of my way! Wow! Glory be to the Creator of this voice—it sounds like a flute being blown, Masha Allah." Aunty replied, "Please, you just returned and now you're going to give me a headache. Go change your clothes and enter the kitchen. Your Uncle is on his way today." Together, they chorused in surprise: "UNCLE? 😳" "Yes, him. Is there a problem with that?" "No," they said, quickly and quietly slipping into their room. The one called Iman quickly pulled off her hijab and niqab. Ya Subhanallah! I almost fainted right where I stood. Glory be to the Creator of this being! She was a young girl around the same age as Salma, fair-skinned, of medium height, with a nose that enhanced her round, beautiful face. She had golden, sexy eyes and a mouth so small that you'd wonder if a belly button could fit into it 🤪 lol. Her lips were naturally pink, making you think she wore lipstick, but no—this was a gift from Allah. She possessed an incredible physique from every angle; the girl was well-endowed with hips and breasts 🤪🙈 Masha Allah. She fell onto the bed and said, "Salma, we are in trouble. Aunty said Uncle is returning today," she uttered, full of worry. Salma, also filled with anxiety, looked at Iman and said, "Wallahi, Iman, I am going to dig out my old hijabs right now and wash them, because you know there's no question of wearing a small veil (gyale) in this house," she said, heading toward a basket that apparently held their laundry. A small tear dropped from Iman's eye as she said, "Wallahi, my problem is that I gave away all my other hijabs; only my Islamic school (Islamiyya) one is left. For God's sake, Salma, what did we ever do to Uncle? We can never relax whenever he is in town. Wallahi, I'm tired." "OK, since you're tired, tell him that when he arrives," Salma said, glaring at her while pulling out two of her hijabs. Iman jumped up, wide-eyed, and said, "For God's sake, keep my secret! I haven't forgotten the 'frog-jump' punishment from that day." Salma burst into laughter and said, "Allah, you remember that day, Iman? Wallahi, I felt so sorry for you, but I felt like laughing so much that day." Iman laughed too, causing her dimple (beauty point) to show, which made her even more beautiful. She said, "Wallahi, Salma, Uncle is cruel. He knows every wicked trick." Salma quickly covered her mouth, saying, "As for me, leave me out of it. Don't bring trouble upon me, you know he's on his way," she said while changing into a lightweight long dress. Thus, they continued chatting and discussing Uncle's various cruelties while they changed and went into the kitchen to prepare food for him before his arrival. A young man of about 33 years old was slowly descending the airplane stairs, dressed in a military uniform. Wow, frankly, the guy was incredibly handsome, Masha Allah. He was fair-skinned, tall, and epitomized the kind of high-class, handsome man that any sophisticated woman would dream of possessing. He had sexy eyes and pink lips. To cut a long story short for the readers, he looked exactly like a popular Indian movie actor. He was taciturn/stern 🤪 and handsome from every angle. He walked with a military gait, and the young women at the airport stared with mouths agape. Sumayya (the author) also had her mouth wide open, seeing a handsome man 🤪🤪🤪🤪😀. His security details quickly approached, taking his suitcase and the backpack slung across his back. Some girls nearby exclaimed, "Wow, look at this stern movie hero in Nigeria!" He quickened his pace because he hated being stared at, but his walking style only fascinated the onlookers more. Three cars were waiting. He didn't like traveling with many security personnel, but their superior officer insisted on assigning guards to him anyway. That was that. Back at the house, they had finished preparing everything and set it on the dining table. Each of them had taken a bath so that "Boss Uncle" wouldn't complain about any bad smell, lol 🤪. The cars honked, and the security guard threw the gate wide open, knowing a VIP was arriving today. After parking properly, he got out. The guard approached, saying, "Alhaji, welcome back. How was the journey?" Out of his natural disposition—which was sternness and arrogance—he answered dryly, "Thank you, Baba. How is the house? Please, Baba, stop calling me Alhaji. Call me by my name, I prefer that." Baba smiled and said, "I can't do that, wallahi, I'm too used to it." Iman and Salma, who were peeping at him through their bedroom window, quickly dropped the curtain, looked at each other, and contorted their faces as if they were about to cry. He entered the house and muttered a greeting (sallama) deep within his throat—so low that if you didn't listen carefully, you wouldn't hear it. Aunty welcomed him, saying, "Welcome, my son," with a smile. He returned a smile that revealed his dimples. "Aunty, good evening. I hope I find you well." "Very well, ALIYU. How was the journey?" "Alhamdulillah." "Good, go and rest, then come eat." "Alright," he simply said and headed to his room. He spent two hours inside before coming out. He was dressed in a red polo shirt and black jeans. His hair was perfectly groomed, and a beautiful fragrance emanated from him, filling the entire living room. He first went to the mosque for Maghrib and Isha prayers, then returned to eat his fill. Aunty tried to engage him in conversation, but because he was not a man of many words, he only replied with "uh-huh" or "no." He raised his eyes toward their room door and asked, "Are those kids not at home?" "Wallahi, they are inside. You'd think they didn't even hear you arrive." He hissed, dropped his spoon, and headed toward the room.
Page 2
"Wallahi, they are inside. You'd think they didn't even hear you arrive." He hissed, dropped his spoon, and walked toward his room, saying: "Aunty, send them to me right now." Aunty smiled and murmured, "Humph, a person never leaves his habits; that's just how he is." She headed to their room and pushed the door open. They were sitting on the bed, each scrolling through their phone, not talking to each other. Aunty greeted them, and they both raised their heads to answer. "Get up and go; Aliyu is waiting for you in his room." Their eyes widened in fear, and they exclaimed, "We are doomed!" especially Iman, who was the most fearful. Aunty turned around and left the room. They knocked and greeted several times at his living room door, but there was dead silence. So they pushed the door open. Salma was in front, and Iman followed behind. He was sitting on one of the living room chairs, intensely working on his laptop. They bowed all the way down to greet him, but the way he answered was barely audible. He continued his work. They spent at least thirty minutes sitting there, but he didn't even look in their direction. Just as they were beginning to feel stiff and uncomfortable, he shut his laptop and pulled out his phone. He spent another ten minutes typing away on it. "Are you useless girls too important to come and greet someone when they arrive?" he barked. They looked up at him, but he kept typing on his phone as if he wasn't the one who had just spoken. They looked at each other. "Am I not speaking to you?!" he shouted. Salma said, "Wallahi, Uncle, I was praying at the time." "Uh-huh," he muttered. Then he looked at Iman, spending at least 30 seconds staring at her before averting his sexy eyes. He looked back at Salma and said, "Get up and leave." Iman quickly stood up to follow her, but he gave her a sharp look. "Did I dismiss you?" She quickly sat back down, while Salma had already fled the room. He continued his work without sparing another glance at her where she sat trembling. In her mind, she wondered, Why does Uncle hate me the most? "Get up, go wash my bathroom, and then tidy my room," his voice pierced her ears. She stood up and went inside, pouting. She looked around the room; it was spotless, with no sign of dirt. Everything in the room was pristine white and beautifully arranged. Uncle is incredibly clean, she thought as she headed to the toilet. It was equally pristine. Regardless, she washed the bathroom again, returned to the bedroom, tidied it up perfectly, lit some incense, and sprayed air freshener until the room smelled delightful. Aliyu loved good scents, which is why you could always find at least ten different types of perfume on his dresser mirror. She returned to the living room, bowed, and said: "Uncle, I am finished." Only after scanning her from head to toe did he say, "Bring me that suitcase." After dragging the suitcase over, she had to sit back down because he hadn't given her permission to leave. He had taught them that unless he gave permission to leave, they couldn't go anywhere until he said so. "Open that suitcase and take your gifts." She opened it and looked at him. "Take them, and wallahi, I must never see any girl wearing these clothes outside, or I will deal with you severely. Do you hear me?" She took them and left happily. She entered their room and found Salma on the phone. Watching her change her voice to a sweet tone, Salma said, "Oh baby, you know wallahi I love you so much. OK, when are they coming? Wow, baby, wallahi I'm so happy. Alright, we'll talk later." "Hajiya, where are these clothes from?" Salma asked. "This is the souvenir Uncle brought for us." Together, they opened it. They were long dresses and matching tops and trousers. The clothes were gorgeous. They were overjoyed, and each took theirs to put in the wardrobe. That was that. He was lying down but wasn't sleeping; he was tossing and turning in extreme agony. He checked the clock by his bedside: 2:15 AM. Ya Ilahi (Oh my God), he groaned. Tonight’s pain was worse than usual because his lower abdomen (mara) was aching fiercely. He had taken his medication, but it was useless—the pain seemed to be increasing. He called his best friend, Dr. Salim. Only after the second call did Salim pick up, saying in a groggy voice, "What is it, Aliyu? Calling at this hour? Don't you know people don't call married couples at night?" he joked. Aliyu, whose lower abdomen twisted in sharp pain, said, "I am sick, Dr. Wallahi, my abdomen feels like it's going to burst." Dr. sat up and said, "Take your medication then!" "Wallahi, Dr., I took it, but the pain is only worsening." "You see, Aliyu? I told you there would come a time when the medication would stop working, and look, it has stopped already. I told you the solution, but you refused. Wallahi, if you don't want to kill yourself, you need to quickly use the solution I told you about." "So right now, is there no help you can give me?" "The only temporary help is to get hot water, brew Lipton tea, and squeeze lime into it. It will lessen the sharp pain." And so it was. He stood up, holding his abdomen, walked out to the main living room, and entered the kitchen. In the dark, he bumped into someone. The person let out a loud scream because she thought it was a ghost. She had just come out out of thirst to get water from the kitchen, wearing her nightwear. He quickly covered her mouth, summoning his strength and biting his lips. "Keee (Hey), iiiit's mmeee. What's wrong with you?" he muttered in a strange voice.
Page 3
He quickly covered her mouth, summoning his strength and biting his lips. "Keee, iiiit's mmeee. What's wrong with you?" he muttered in a strange voice that made Iman quickly look at him, because in her entire life, she had never heard him speak in such a tone. "Why are you staring at me? What brought you out at this hour of the night?" he asked, turning his face away from her as if he wasn't the one who had just spoken. "Un... Uncle, I came out to drink water," she said in a trembling voice. "Go quickly, make me Lipton tea, and put lime in it," he said, leaving the kitchen. She watched him walk away and then looked down at her clothes. Suddenly, she realized what she was wearing. She had completely forgotten about her nightwear! She quickly grabbed the hot water flask—it was a household custom to always have hot water in the flask—poured it into a cup, brewed a bag of Lipton, took a lime from the fridge, and squeezed it in. Now she was thinking about how to walk out looking like this. She steeled herself because she had no other choice. She walked out slowly, using her hands to cover her body. Bowing her head, she entered the living room. He was lying on one of the sofas, his eyes closed so you couldn't tell what state he was in, but his hand was still pressed against his lower abdomen. "Uncle, here it is, I've made it," she said. He stood up without saying a word. He took the cup and put it to his lips, not lowering it until he gulped it all down. Immediately, sweat began to pour from his body. "Just go," he said. She stood up and returned to their room, wondering what was wrong with him. Since there was no one to give her an answer, sleep soon overtook her. The next day, sitting in their classroom, Iman was telling Salma about the condition she saw Uncle in the previous night. "Hmm, that man... his coldness won't even let you understand what is wrong with him. Wallahi, I pity whoever becomes this man's wife." They continued chatting until 2:21 PM when their driver arrived to take them home. "So now, Aliyu, do you prefer to continue living like this instead of finding a solution? Do you prefer to keep suffering when you have a way out?" Aliyu and his best friend, Dr. Salim, were talking in Dr. Salim's living room. It took about two minutes as if Aliyu wasn't going to speak, then he said: "Up till now, I haven't seen a girl that I actually like, Dr. You know me, I hate disrespect. Wallahi, I don't even know how to approach a girl to talk about love. In fact, I don't even know what love is." Dr. burst into laughter, saying, "In that case, we will have to choose one for you!" Aliyu glared at him and said, "As if I don't have eyes of my own." They continued their conversation. That was that. Back at home, Iman had an important guest today. She and Salma were busy preparing. Aunty was just laughing at them, teasing that her girls had grown up to the point of having suitors. Iman was dressed in a maroon jalabiya and had rolled a matching maroon veil around her head. She looked incredibly beautiful, even though she didn't have much makeup on—just powder and lip gloss, but she looked striking. It had been three minutes since her lover called to inform her of his arrival. Slowly, she walked out and greeted him. He was sitting on one of the decorated chairs in the relaxation area of the house. The guy was very handsome—tall, with a well-groomed beard. He wasn't light-skinned but he was good-looking, with a slender nose. Frankly, the guy was fine, no lie. He answered her greeting with a warm smile. This was Abdul, whom she had met at a supermarket while shopping with Salma. With just one look at her, he felt he had found his future wife. He didn't get her phone number easily; he had to go through Salma, who begged Iman before she finally gave it to him. Since then, they had been talking on the phone. Frankly, she felt very comfortable with Abdul’s character, and within a short time, they grew close. Abdul loved her dearly, and she felt the same. It had been about two months now, but today was his first time visiting her because he wanted them to discuss marriage as soon as they finished their final high school exams (candy/WAEC). A sudden, continuous honking caused Iman's heart to drop heavily. There was no doubt—Uncle was back. The guard threw the gate open, and the nose of the car drove in. His eyes landed nowhere else but straight on Iman sitting with Abdul. Furious, he slammed the car door shut and headed toward where they were sitting.
Page 4
Furious, he slammed the car door shut and headed toward where they were sitting. "Who is that coming, baby?" Abdul asked her. "It's our Uncle," she said, completely terrified by the way he was glaring at them while approaching. Abdul quickly stood up and walked toward Uncle to greet him. Iman pulled a 360-degree turn 🏃♀️ and fled into the living room, not even looking ahead of her. She kept looking back, and as Salma was coming out of the room, they bumped into each other. Aunty, who was sitting in the living room, saw the panicked state in which Iman entered and knew something was wrong. She immediately started questioning Iman: "Why did you run into the house like this? Where is your guest? Has he left?" Iman was unable to speak because she knew that today, no one could save her from Uncle's severe beating. He had strictly warned them against keeping boyfriends. He told them he wanted them to focus on their studies. He had barely even agreed to let them use phones, and that was only for browsing when given school assignments. He didn't even know they used WhatsApp—they hid it from him. Furious, he stormed into the living room. Iman ran quickly behind Aunty, looking for a place to hide. With just one stride, he caught her. He pulled out his belt and began to lash her. She screamed with all her might. Aunty tried her best to rescue her, but Uncle refused to stop until he had beaten her black and blue. Panting, he marched off to his room. She cried loudly. Aunty and Salma tried to comfort her, but she kept weeping. Frankly, she was badly beaten, and you already know how dramatic (raki) she can be. With Salma's help, she managed to go take a bath and soak her body in warm water. She kept invoking God's judgment (Allah ya isa) upon Uncle. Salma was just laughing at her, teasing her that she had finally met a man 😄. As soon as she finished getting dressed, it was time for Maghrib prayer. So she started her prayers and didn't leave her prayer mat until she completed Isha. Right there on the mat, sleep stole her away. Tonight, just like every other night, he was in extreme agony. He had never felt his lower abdomen ache like this before. Even though he drank Lipton with lime, it was useless. He just kept tossing and turning. Aunty had just come out and noticed that the living room lights were left on. As she came to turn them off, her heart skipped a beat when she heard groaning from Aliyu's room. She quickly rushed inside and found him in a critical condition. She helped him into the car, woke up Iman and Salma, and they rushed him to Salim's hospital. Salim wasn't the one on duty; it was another doctor. After a long examination, the doctor requested to see the patient's relatives. Aunty stood before the doctor. He took off his glasses and looked at her. "How are you related to this patient?" the doctor asked. "He is my younger brother," she answered. "Well, the advice I will give you is that you must quickly get Aliyu married."
Pages 5 & 6
"Well, frankly, the advice I will give you is that you must quickly get Aliyu married if you want him to live." "Based on our medical tests, we discovered that Aliyu has an extremely high libido (matsananciyar sha'awa), which is what causes this severe lower abdominal pain (ciyon mara)." "So frankly, he desperately needs a woman close to him." Aunty’s body went cold because, at Aliyu's age, he should have a family, but he had never even uttered the word "love" to any woman. So what were they going to do now? Back in the room where Aliyu was admitted, the injections given to him to suppress his libido and induce sleep helped him find relief. Therefore, the doctor ordered everyone to leave the room so he could get some quiet rest. Iman and Salma quickly stood up when they saw Aunty coming out of the doctor's office. "Aunty, what is wrong with him?" they asked in unison. "It's just a fever, calm down. Let me call home to inform them," she said, dialing their father, Alhaji Bala. After exchanging greetings, she informed him that Aliyu was unwell and they were at the hospital. Not even thirty minutes later, Aliyu’s entire family arrived at the hospital. It turned out Aliyu came from a very large extended family, as the hospital crowd looked like a wedding gathering. Aliyu's father met with the doctor, who explained the situation just as he had done to Aunty. The doctor added, "Alhaji, if you want your son's life, wallahi, get him married quickly before he falls into ruin. Your son is a decent young man; otherwise, he would have resorted to chasing women out of wedlock." Alhaji shook the doctor’s hand. "Thank you, Doctor. Insha Allah, we will do exactly as you said." Alhaji Bala immediately held a private discussion with his brother, Alhaji Mukhtar, and they asked Aunty if there was any woman Aliyu liked. "Wallahi, Baba, I have never heard of or seen any woman Aliyu likes. I always argue with him to find a woman and get married, but he always tells me he hasn't seen anyone he likes yet." "Well, that's fine. Insha Allah, we are taking this matter into our own hands because we won't sit idly by and watch him suffer like this," said Alhaji Mukhtar, the elder brother to Aliyu's father. "Insha Allah, this coming Friday, we will conduct Aliyu's wedding." "With whom, Abba?" Aunty asked, as they usually called Alhaji Mukhtar. "With whoever it may be, Insha Allah, this Friday the wedding must take place without fail."
II. Summary of the Original Story
This is a contemporary Hausa romance and domestic drama digital novel (Littafin Hausa) centered around a strict, stern military man named Aliyu (Uncle) and his young nieces/wards, Iman and Salma, who live under the care of an older female relative (Aunty).
The Setup: Iman and Salma are conservative, young high school students who are deeply terrified of their uncle, Aliyu, a handsome but cold 33-year-old soldier. When Aliyu returns home on leave, the household enters a state of high anxiety due to his strict rules regarding clothing (forcing them to wear full hijabs) and interacting with men.
The Conflict: Aliyu treats the girls with extreme harshness, assigning chores without warmth and violently beating Iman with a belt when he catches her hosting a male suitor named Abdul. Meanwhile, Aliyu hides a chronic, agonizing medical condition: recurring, severe lower abdominal pain (ciyon mara).
The Twist: After collapsing from pain, Aliyu is rushed to the hospital. The doctor reveals to the family that Aliyu's agonizing illness is actually a psychosomatic/physiological reaction caused by an extremely suppressed, extraordinarily high libido (matsananciyar sha'awa). The medical verdict is clear: he must get married immediately to satisfy his desires naturally, or face severe health risks. The story ends on a cliffhanger where the family elders decree that Aliyu will be married off by the upcoming Friday to an unspecified bride.
III. Original Story Description
Title: My Uncle
Author: Yar mutan bissalam (with contributions/pages indicated by Sholy)
Dedication: Dedicated to the author's best friend, "Jamcy baby."
Format/Genre: Hausa Web/WhatsApp Novel (Littafin Hausa). Romantic Drama / Family Melodrama. It is distributed for free ("Littafina free ne").
Language Style: Informal Northern Nigerian Hausa blended with casual internet slangs, typing quirks (like wlh for wallahi, lfy for lafiya), and emojis to indicate humor, shock, or beauty.
IV. Literary and Thematic Analysis
1. Thematic Elements
Hyper-Conservatism vs. Youth Culture: The narrative highlights the tension between traditional/religious expectations and modern youth culture. The girls wear the niqab and hijab externally and study the Qur'an, but privately scroll through their smartphones, use WhatsApp secretly, and engage in modern dating (as seen with Salma's sweet-talking on the phone and Iman's suitor Abdul).
Repression and its Physical Manifestation: The central plot device uses a common trope in classic Hausa popular fiction (Littattafan Soyayya), where intense, unchanneled sexual desires or biological needs present themselves as acute physical illness (ciyon mara). Aliyu’s psychological sternness, hyper-fixation on the girls' modesty, and his physical illness are all literary manifestations of his repressed desires.
Patriarchal Authority and Forced Marriage: The story demonstrates the absolute power of family elders (Alhaji Bala and Alhaji Mukhtar) in Northern Nigerian settings. Upon receiving the doctor's medical advice, the elders instantly decide to arrange a marriage within days without consulting the groom or choosing a definitive bride yet.
2. Character Dynamics
Aliyu (The Protagonist/Uncle): Designed around the romanticized archetype of the "Miskili" (the brooding, arrogant, emotionally distant male lead). He is beautiful, wealthy, highly disciplined (military background), but emotionally stunted and abusive as a disciplinarian.
Iman: The focal female character. She is characterized by extreme physical beauty (meticulously described by the narrator with modern slang expressions) and a fearful, submissive disposition. Her interactions with Aliyu (such as making him tea while wearing nightwear) hint at underlying, subconscious romantic tension standard to the "forbidden/guardian romance" genre.
3. Narrative Style & Quirks
Breaking the Fourth Wall: The author periodically steps into the text as a commentator (e.g., "Ya subhanallah ai saida nakusan sumewa..." / "Sumayya mai hwara ansaki baki..."), breaking the narrative illusion to directly express awe at the characters' beauty alongside the reader.
Use of Emojis: Emojis (🤪, 😱, 🙈) serve as modern punctuation marks to substitute for tone, signaling to the reader when a scene should be viewed as funny, scandalous, or highly dramatic.
Page 1
They were walking peacefully and decently, wearing long hijabs that reached the ground, and holding the Holy Qur'an close to their chests. The niqabs they wore prevented me from seeing their faces. I saw them open the gate of a moderate house with a medium-sized parking space. It was the type of house where everything was contained within the rooms. They called out a greeting (sallama) as they opened the living room door. Frankly, the living room was well-furnished. They greeted just as a woman was coming out of the kitchen to answer them. The woman looked no older than 45.
"Welcome back, students," she said with a smile.
The taller of the two answered her while removing her niqab. Truly, the girl was beautiful—fair-skinned, tall, and aged between 17 and 18. She had a long nose and large eyes, and she looked very much like the woman.
"Iman, aren't you going to remove your niqab today?" the woman asked, smiling. Iman shrugged her shoulders like a spoiled child, indicating she wouldn't.
The other girl clicked her tongue in annoyance and said, "For God's sake, ignore her, Aunty. It's because she sees you paying attention to her that she's showing off. Please, just give me the room key so I can change out of my clothes."
"Aunty, do you see Salma? Wallahi, stay out of my way! Wow! Glory be to the Creator of this voice—it sounds like a flute being blown, Masha Allah."
Aunty replied, "Please, you just returned and now you're going to give me a headache. Go change your clothes and enter the kitchen. Your Uncle is on his way today."
Together, they chorused in surprise: "UNCLE? 😳"
"Yes, him. Is there a problem with that?"
"No," they said, quickly and quietly slipping into their room.
The one called Iman quickly pulled off her hijab and niqab. Ya Subhanallah! I almost fainted right where I stood. Glory be to the Creator of this being! She was a young girl around the same age as Salma, fair-skinned, of medium height, with a nose that enhanced her round, beautiful face. She had golden, sexy eyes and a mouth so small that you'd wonder if a belly button could fit into it 🤪 lol. Her lips were naturally pink, making you think she wore lipstick, but no—this was a gift from Allah. She possessed an incredible physique from every angle; the girl was well-endowed with hips and breasts 🤪🙈 Masha Allah. She fell onto the bed and said, "Salma, we are in trouble. Aunty said Uncle is returning today," she uttered, full of worry.
Salma, also filled with anxiety, looked at Iman and said, "Wallahi, Iman, I am going to dig out my old hijabs right now and wash them, because you know there's no question of wearing a small veil (gyale) in this house," she said, heading toward a basket that apparently held their laundry.
A small tear dropped from Iman's eye as she said, "Wallahi, my problem is that I gave away all my other hijabs; only my Islamic school (Islamiyya) one is left. For God's sake, Salma, what did we ever do to Uncle? We can never relax whenever he is in town. Wallahi, I'm tired."
"OK, since you're tired, tell him that when he arrives," Salma said, glaring at her while pulling out two of her hijabs.
Iman jumped up, wide-eyed, and said, "For God's sake, keep my secret! I haven't forgotten the 'frog-jump' punishment from that day."
Salma burst into laughter and said, "Allah, you remember that day, Iman? Wallahi, I felt so sorry for you, but I felt like laughing so much that day."
Iman laughed too, causing her dimple (beauty point) to show, which made her even more beautiful. She said, "Wallahi, Salma, Uncle is cruel. He knows every wicked trick."
Salma quickly covered her mouth, saying, "As for me, leave me out of it. Don't bring trouble upon me, you know he's on his way," she said while changing into a lightweight long dress.
Thus, they continued chatting and discussing Uncle's various cruelties while they changed and went into the kitchen to prepare food for him before his arrival.
A young man of about 33 years old was slowly descending the airplane stairs, dressed in a military uniform. Wow, frankly, the guy was incredibly handsome, Masha Allah. He was fair-skinned, tall, and epitomized the kind of high-class, handsome man that any sophisticated woman would dream of possessing. He had sexy eyes and pink lips. To cut a long story short for the readers, he looked exactly like a popular Indian movie actor. He was taciturn/stern 🤪 and handsome from every angle. He walked with a military gait, and the young women at the airport stared with mouths agape. Sumayya (the author) also had her mouth wide open, seeing a handsome man 🤪🤪🤪🤪😀. His security details quickly approached, taking his suitcase and the backpack slung across his back. Some girls nearby exclaimed, "Wow, look at this stern movie hero in Nigeria!"
He quickened his pace because he hated being stared at, but his walking style only fascinated the onlookers more. Three cars were waiting. He didn't like traveling with many security personnel, but their superior officer insisted on assigning guards to him anyway. That was that.
Back at the house, they had finished preparing everything and set it on the dining table. Each of them had taken a bath so that "Boss Uncle" wouldn't complain about any bad smell, lol 🤪.
The cars honked, and the security guard threw the gate wide open, knowing a VIP was arriving today. After parking properly, he got out. The guard approached, saying, "Alhaji, welcome back. How was the journey?" Out of his natural disposition—which was sternness and arrogance—he answered dryly, "Thank you, Baba. How is the house? Please, Baba, stop calling me Alhaji. Call me by my name, I prefer that."
Baba smiled and said, "I can't do that, wallahi, I'm too used to it."
Iman and Salma, who were peeping at him through their bedroom window, quickly dropped the curtain, looked at each other, and contorted their faces as if they were about to cry.
He entered the house and muttered a greeting (sallama) deep within his throat—so low that if you didn't listen carefully, you wouldn't hear it. Aunty welcomed him, saying, "Welcome, my son," with a smile. He returned a smile that revealed his dimples. "Aunty, good evening. I hope I find you well." "Very well, ALIYU. How was the journey?"
"Alhamdulillah."
"Good, go and rest, then come eat."
"Alright," he simply said and headed to his room.
He spent two hours inside before coming out. He was dressed in a red polo shirt and black jeans. His hair was perfectly groomed, and a beautiful fragrance emanated from him, filling the entire living room. He first went to the mosque for Maghrib and Isha prayers, then returned to eat his fill. Aunty tried to engage him in conversation, but because he was not a man of many words, he only replied with "uh-huh" or "no."
He raised his eyes toward their room door and asked, "Are those kids not at home?"
"Wallahi, they are inside. You'd think they didn't even hear you arrive." He hissed, dropped his spoon, and headed toward the room.
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"Wallahi, they are inside. You'd think they didn't even hear you arrive." He hissed, dropped his spoon, and walked toward his room, saying:
"Aunty, send them to me right now."
Aunty smiled and murmured, "Humph, a person never leaves his habits; that's just how he is."
She headed to their room and pushed the door open. They were sitting on the bed, each scrolling through their phone, not talking to each other.
Aunty greeted them, and they both raised their heads to answer.
"Get up and go; Aliyu is waiting for you in his room."
Their eyes widened in fear, and they exclaimed, "We are doomed!" especially Iman, who was the most fearful.
Aunty turned around and left the room.
They knocked and greeted several times at his living room door, but there was dead silence. So they pushed the door open. Salma was in front, and Iman followed behind. He was sitting on one of the living room chairs, intensely working on his laptop. They bowed all the way down to greet him, but the way he answered was barely audible. He continued his work. They spent at least thirty minutes sitting there, but he didn't even look in their direction. Just as they were beginning to feel stiff and uncomfortable, he shut his laptop and pulled out his phone. He spent another ten minutes typing away on it.
"Are you useless girls too important to come and greet someone when they arrive?" he barked. They looked up at him, but he kept typing on his phone as if he wasn't the one who had just spoken. They looked at each other.
"Am I not speaking to you?!" he shouted.
Salma said, "Wallahi, Uncle, I was praying at the time."
"Uh-huh," he muttered. Then he looked at Iman, spending at least 30 seconds staring at her before averting his sexy eyes. He looked back at Salma and said, "Get up and leave."
Iman quickly stood up to follow her, but he gave her a sharp look.
"Did I dismiss you?"
She quickly sat back down, while Salma had already fled the room.
He continued his work without sparing another glance at her where she sat trembling.
In her mind, she wondered, Why does Uncle hate me the most?
"Get up, go wash my bathroom, and then tidy my room," his voice pierced her ears.
She stood up and went inside, pouting.
She looked around the room; it was spotless, with no sign of dirt. Everything in the room was pristine white and beautifully arranged. Uncle is incredibly clean, she thought as she headed to the toilet. It was equally pristine. Regardless, she washed the bathroom again, returned to the bedroom, tidied it up perfectly, lit some incense, and sprayed air freshener until the room smelled delightful. Aliyu loved good scents, which is why you could always find at least ten different types of perfume on his dresser mirror. She returned to the living room, bowed, and said:
"Uncle, I am finished."
Only after scanning her from head to toe did he say, "Bring me that suitcase."
After dragging the suitcase over, she had to sit back down because he hadn't given her permission to leave. He had taught them that unless he gave permission to leave, they couldn't go anywhere until he said so.
"Open that suitcase and take your gifts." She opened it and looked at him.
"Take them, and wallahi, I must never see any girl wearing these clothes outside, or I will deal with you severely. Do you hear me?"
She took them and left happily. She entered their room and found Salma on the phone. Watching her change her voice to a sweet tone, Salma said, "Oh baby, you know wallahi I love you so much. OK, when are they coming? Wow, baby, wallahi I'm so happy. Alright, we'll talk later."
"Hajiya, where are these clothes from?" Salma asked.
"This is the souvenir Uncle brought for us."
Together, they opened it. They were long dresses and matching tops and trousers. The clothes were gorgeous. They were overjoyed, and each took theirs to put in the wardrobe. That was that.
He was lying down but wasn't sleeping; he was tossing and turning in extreme agony. He checked the clock by his bedside: 2:15 AM. Ya Ilahi (Oh my God), he groaned. Tonight’s pain was worse than usual because his lower abdomen (mara) was aching fiercely. He had taken his medication, but it was useless—the pain seemed to be increasing. He called his best friend, Dr. Salim. Only after the second call did Salim pick up, saying in a groggy voice, "What is it, Aliyu? Calling at this hour? Don't you know people don't call married couples at night?" he joked. Aliyu, whose lower abdomen twisted in sharp pain, said, "I am sick, Dr. Wallahi, my abdomen feels like it's going to burst." Dr. sat up and said, "Take your medication then!"
"Wallahi, Dr., I took it, but the pain is only worsening."
"You see, Aliyu? I told you there would come a time when the medication would stop working, and look, it has stopped already. I told you the solution, but you refused. Wallahi, if you don't want to kill yourself, you need to quickly use the solution I told you about."
"So right now, is there no help you can give me?"
"The only temporary help is to get hot water, brew Lipton tea, and squeeze lime into it. It will lessen the sharp pain."
And so it was. He stood up, holding his abdomen, walked out to the main living room, and entered the kitchen. In the dark, he bumped into someone. The person let out a loud scream because she thought it was a ghost. She had just come out out of thirst to get water from the kitchen, wearing her nightwear.
He quickly covered her mouth, summoning his strength and biting his lips. "Keee (Hey), iiiit's mmeee. What's wrong with you?" he muttered in a strange voice.
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He quickly covered her mouth, summoning his strength and biting his lips. "Keee, iiiit's mmeee. What's wrong with you?" he muttered in a strange voice that made Iman quickly look at him, because in her entire life, she had never heard him speak in such a tone.
"Why are you staring at me? What brought you out at this hour of the night?" he asked, turning his face away from her as if he wasn't the one who had just spoken.
"Un... Uncle, I came out to drink water," she said in a trembling voice.
"Go quickly, make me Lipton tea, and put lime in it," he said, leaving the kitchen.
She watched him walk away and then looked down at her clothes. Suddenly, she realized what she was wearing. She had completely forgotten about her nightwear!
She quickly grabbed the hot water flask—it was a household custom to always have hot water in the flask—poured it into a cup, brewed a bag of Lipton, took a lime from the fridge, and squeezed it in.
Now she was thinking about how to walk out looking like this.
She steeled herself because she had no other choice.
She walked out slowly, using her hands to cover her body. Bowing her head, she entered the living room. He was lying on one of the sofas, his eyes closed so you couldn't tell what state he was in, but his hand was still pressed against his lower abdomen.
"Uncle, here it is, I've made it," she said.
He stood up without saying a word.
He took the cup and put it to his lips, not lowering it until he gulped it all down. Immediately, sweat began to pour from his body.
"Just go," he said.
She stood up and returned to their room, wondering what was wrong with him. Since there was no one to give her an answer, sleep soon overtook her.
The next day, sitting in their classroom, Iman was telling Salma about the condition she saw Uncle in the previous night.
"Hmm, that man... his coldness won't even let you understand what is wrong with him. Wallahi, I pity whoever becomes this man's wife."
They continued chatting until 2:21 PM when their driver arrived to take them home.
"So now, Aliyu, do you prefer to continue living like this instead of finding a solution? Do you prefer to keep suffering when you have a way out?"
Aliyu and his best friend, Dr. Salim, were talking in Dr. Salim's living room.
It took about two minutes as if Aliyu wasn't going to speak, then he said:
"Up till now, I haven't seen a girl that I actually like, Dr. You know me, I hate disrespect. Wallahi, I don't even know how to approach a girl to talk about love. In fact, I don't even know what love is."
Dr. burst into laughter, saying, "In that case, we will have to choose one for you!"
Aliyu glared at him and said, "As if I don't have eyes of my own."
They continued their conversation. That was that.
Back at home, Iman had an important guest today. She and Salma were busy preparing. Aunty was just laughing at them, teasing that her girls had grown up to the point of having suitors.
Iman was dressed in a maroon jalabiya and had rolled a matching maroon veil around her head. She looked incredibly beautiful, even though she didn't have much makeup on—just powder and lip gloss, but she looked striking.
It had been three minutes since her lover called to inform her of his arrival.
Slowly, she walked out and greeted him. He was sitting on one of the decorated chairs in the relaxation area of the house.
The guy was very handsome—tall, with a well-groomed beard. He wasn't light-skinned but he was good-looking, with a slender nose. Frankly, the guy was fine, no lie.
He answered her greeting with a warm smile.
This was Abdul, whom she had met at a supermarket while shopping with Salma. With just one look at her, he felt he had found his future wife. He didn't get her phone number easily; he had to go through Salma, who begged Iman before she finally gave it to him. Since then, they had been talking on the phone. Frankly, she felt very comfortable with Abdul’s character, and within a short time, they grew close. Abdul loved her dearly, and she felt the same. It had been about two months now, but today was his first time visiting her because he wanted them to discuss marriage as soon as they finished their final high school exams (candy/WAEC).
A sudden, continuous honking caused Iman's heart to drop heavily. There was no doubt—Uncle was back.
The guard threw the gate open, and the nose of the car drove in. His eyes landed nowhere else but straight on Iman sitting with Abdul.
Furious, he slammed the car door shut and headed toward where they were sitting.
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Furious, he slammed the car door shut and headed toward where they were sitting.
"Who is that coming, baby?" Abdul asked her.
"It's our Uncle," she said, completely terrified by the way he was glaring at them while approaching.
Abdul quickly stood up and walked toward Uncle to greet him.
Iman pulled a 360-degree turn 🏃♀️ and fled into the living room, not even looking ahead of her. She kept looking back, and as Salma was coming out of the room, they bumped into each other.
Aunty, who was sitting in the living room, saw the panicked state in which Iman entered and knew something was wrong.
She immediately started questioning Iman: "Why did you run into the house like this? Where is your guest? Has he left?"
Iman was unable to speak because she knew that today, no one could save her from Uncle's severe beating.
He had strictly warned them against keeping boyfriends. He told them he wanted them to focus on their studies. He had barely even agreed to let them use phones, and that was only for browsing when given school assignments. He didn't even know they used WhatsApp—they hid it from him.
Furious, he stormed into the living room.
Iman ran quickly behind Aunty, looking for a place to hide.
With just one stride, he caught her. He pulled out his belt and began to lash her. She screamed with all her might.
Aunty tried her best to rescue her, but Uncle refused to stop until he had beaten her black and blue. Panting, he marched off to his room.
She cried loudly. Aunty and Salma tried to comfort her, but she kept weeping.
Frankly, she was badly beaten, and you already know how dramatic (raki) she can be.
With Salma's help, she managed to go take a bath and soak her body in warm water. She kept invoking God's judgment (Allah ya isa) upon Uncle.
Salma was just laughing at her, teasing her that she had finally met a man 😄.
As soon as she finished getting dressed, it was time for Maghrib prayer. So she started her prayers and didn't leave her prayer mat until she completed Isha. Right there on the mat, sleep stole her away.
Tonight, just like every other night, he was in extreme agony. He had never felt his lower abdomen ache like this before. Even though he drank Lipton with lime, it was useless. He just kept tossing and turning.
Aunty had just come out and noticed that the living room lights were left on. As she came to turn them off, her heart skipped a beat when she heard groaning from Aliyu's room. She quickly rushed inside and found him in a critical condition. She helped him into the car, woke up Iman and Salma, and they rushed him to Salim's hospital.
Salim wasn't the one on duty; it was another doctor.
After a long examination, the doctor requested to see the patient's relatives.
Aunty stood before the doctor. He took off his glasses and looked at her.
"How are you related to this patient?" the doctor asked.
"He is my younger brother," she answered.
"Well, the advice I will give you is that you must quickly get Aliyu married."
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"Well, frankly, the advice I will give you is that you must quickly get Aliyu married if you want him to live."
"Based on our medical tests, we discovered that Aliyu has an extremely high libido (matsananciyar sha'awa), which is what causes this severe lower abdominal pain (ciyon mara)."
"So frankly, he desperately needs a woman close to him."
Aunty’s body went cold because, at Aliyu's age, he should have a family, but he had never even uttered the word "love" to any woman. So what were they going to do now?
Back in the room where Aliyu was admitted, the injections given to him to suppress his libido and induce sleep helped him find relief. Therefore, the doctor ordered everyone to leave the room so he could get some quiet rest.
Iman and Salma quickly stood up when they saw Aunty coming out of the doctor's office. "Aunty, what is wrong with him?" they asked in unison.
"It's just a fever, calm down. Let me call home to inform them," she said, dialing their father, Alhaji Bala.
After exchanging greetings, she informed him that Aliyu was unwell and they were at the hospital.
Not even thirty minutes later, Aliyu’s entire family arrived at the hospital.
It turned out Aliyu came from a very large extended family, as the hospital crowd looked like a wedding gathering.
Aliyu's father met with the doctor, who explained the situation just as he had done to Aunty.
The doctor added, "Alhaji, if you want your son's life, wallahi, get him married quickly before he falls into ruin. Your son is a decent young man; otherwise, he would have resorted to chasing women out of wedlock."
Alhaji shook the doctor’s hand. "Thank you, Doctor. Insha Allah, we will do exactly as you said."
Alhaji Bala immediately held a private discussion with his brother, Alhaji Mukhtar, and they asked Aunty if there was any woman Aliyu liked.
"Wallahi, Baba, I have never heard of or seen any woman Aliyu likes. I always argue with him to find a woman and get married, but he always tells me he hasn't seen anyone he likes yet."
"Well, that's fine. Insha Allah, we are taking this matter into our own hands because we won't sit idly by and watch him suffer like this," said Alhaji Mukhtar, the elder brother to Aliyu's father. "Insha Allah, this coming Friday, we will conduct Aliyu's wedding."
"With whom, Abba?" Aunty asked, as they usually called Alhaji Mukhtar.
"With whoever it may be, Insha Allah, this Friday the wedding must take place without fail."
II. Summary of the Original Story
This is a contemporary Hausa romance and domestic drama digital novel (Littafin Hausa) centered around a strict, stern military man named Aliyu (Uncle) and his young nieces/wards, Iman and Salma, who live under the care of an older female relative (Aunty).
The Twist: After collapsing from pain, Aliyu is rushed to the hospital. The doctor reveals to the family that Aliyu's agonizing illness is actually a psychosomatic/physiological reaction caused by an extremely suppressed, extraordinarily high libido (matsananciyar sha'awa). The medical verdict is clear: he must get married immediately to satisfy his desires naturally, or face severe health risks. The story ends on a cliffhanger where the family elders decree that Aliyu will be married off by the upcoming Friday to an unspecified bride.
III. Original Story Description
Language Style: Informal Northern Nigerian Hausa blended with casual internet slangs, typing quirks (like wlh for wallahi, lfy for lafiya), and emojis to indicate humor, shock, or beauty.
IV. Literary and Thematic Analysis
1. Thematic Elements
Patriarchal Authority and Forced Marriage: The story demonstrates the absolute power of family elders (Alhaji Bala and Alhaji Mukhtar) in Northern Nigerian settings. Upon receiving the doctor's medical advice, the elders instantly decide to arrange a marriage within days without consulting the groom or choosing a definitive bride yet.
2. Character Dynamics
Iman: The focal female character. She is characterized by extreme physical beauty (meticulously described by the narrator with modern slang expressions) and a fearful, submissive disposition. Her interactions with Aliyu (such as making him tea while wearing nightwear) hint at underlying, subconscious romantic tension standard to the "forbidden/guardian romance" genre.
3. Narrative Style & Quirks