Section A: Innayo’s Hardships and the Fates of Her Elder Daughters
Time and tide wait for no man. Innayo’s children had all grown up, yet to this very day, she had not stopped any of the petty trades she relied on. Old age was beginning to catch up with her, compounded by the grueling nature of the hard labor she performed just to keep herself and her family afloat. Gradually, her eyesight began to deteriorate due to the countless hours she spent sitting in front of the smoky cooking hearth. Despite this, she persevered, driven by the sole desire to provide a dignified life for her children. It was her constant aspiration. Her three eldest daughters—Uwani, Maimuna, and Salima—were all married, leaving only Zara and Hasiya under her care. But as life would have it, the hardships and struggles never truly came to an end for Innayo. Uwani had successfully graduated from the School of Nursing and had even secured employment at the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital in Kano, popularly known as Nasarawa Hospital. She earned a substantial income, yet she proved to be an unfortunate disappointment. Her character closely mirrored that of her father, marked by extreme stinginess and deep-seated envy. Her husband possessed a decent, comfortable livelihood as a Lab Technician at the very same hospital. He had never burdened her with financial responsibilities that weren't hers, fully taking care of the home and their three children. Uwani possessed more than enough wealth to assist her mother, especially regarding her failing health, yet she was always quick to claim poverty. To ensure Innayo wouldn't ask her for money, she would only drop by the house once every mid-month. Even when she did visit, her conversation revolved entirely around her own unending needs, which she claimed her own funds could never satisfy. As for Maimuna, when God brought her a well-to-do suitor, he initially agreed to let her continue the studies she was pursuing at the College of Legal Studies. However, barely two months into the marriage, the narrative completely changed. Innayo offered that if it was a matter of funding, she would personally continue to sponsor her daughter's education. The husband agreed, stating that it was only the financial burden he wished to avoid. But then his own mother intervened, declaring that she would not tolerate such an arrangement; Maimuna either had to stay home and focus entirely on her marriage or pack her bags and leave to pursue her studies. Faced with this, the husband demanded that she abandon her education. Swept up in the intense intoxication of romance at the time, Maimuna readily conceded to his demands. Innayo was deeply hurt by this development, but having no alternative, she reluctantly accepted it. Two childbirths later, Maimuna had aged prematurely and lost her physical vitality. She lacked proper nutrition, trapped between the relentless hostility of a mother-in-law and absolute poverty. Gradually, the burden of her upkeep fell right back onto Innayo's shoulders, who never begrudged her or held back, for she was her own flesh and blood. Salima’s fate was no better. One fateful day, out of nowhere, Alhaji Rabi'u arrived with the news that he had found a husband for her, declaring that the wedding would take place immediately without delay. Innayo and Alhaji Rabi'u clashed fiercely over the matter; Innayo dug her heels in, insisting that her daughter must receive an education, if only to avoid the grim fate that had befallen Maimuna. But he completely refused to yield. In the end, this daughter too succumbed, and the marriage was finalized. What they did not know was that Alhaji Rabi'u had used her marriage to settle a lingering debt; the husband turned out to be a notorious, text-book drunkard. Trapped in a vicious cycle of daily domestic abuse and constant hostility, Salima’s life wasted away with no prospects for progress.
Section B: The Rising Tension and the Vicious Confrontation
Aside from her failing eyesight, the sheer weight of anxiety over the miserable conditions of her daughters caused Innayo to develop severe hypertension. Yet, she never paused her grueling routine. Waking up at 4:00 AM had become second nature to her body. She was a woman completely estranged from the concept of rest. With only Zara and Hasiya left, she desperately harbored the hope that perhaps their lives would bring a turn for the better. However, Zara’s primary flaw was her compulsive vanity; she lived a life completely built on layers of lies and pretension. She felt a desperate need to live a life that falsely projected high status, determined never to be looked down upon by society. Hasiya, on the other hand, was quiet and self-contained, neither interfering in others' affairs nor allowing others to cross her. Just as she despised conflict, she deeply loathed the deceitful behaviors of Uwani and Zara, while harboring nothing but profound pity for Maimuna and Salima. Six months after Zara finished her secondary education, her bride-price was brought. At that time, Hasiya was in her final year of secondary school, rapidly approaching graduation. Zara’s suitor was the son of one of the most prominent, celebrated merchants in Kano's famous Singa Market. Alhaji Rabi'u was overjoyed, acting as though a massive fortune had fallen into his lap. The immense pride he took in A'i's wealthy husband was the exact same validation he sought from Zara's suitor. As for Asabe, she could barely suppress her intense jealousy. Her mind was in a state of hyper-fixation, desperately scheming to secure an incomparably wealthy match for her own daughter, Ummakati. The wedding was officially scheduled for the next two months. One afternoon, Innayo sat in her room alongside Uwani and Hasiya, meticulously dividing essential household ingredients like locust bean (daddawa) and dried baobab leaves (kuka) that she had purchased into three equal portions. Uwani, who was reclining comfortably on the bed, raised her head. "Could you add a little more kuka to my portion, Innayo? You know Usman insists on me cooking it for him every single day." Innayo offered a faint smile, scooping two spoonfuls from the remaining two portions to top up Uwani’s share. In reality, Innayo had not intended to include Uwani in this distribution. She knew Uwani had more than enough money to buy her own. The portions were originally meant for herself, Maimuna, and Salima. Left with no choice, she sacrificed a part of her own share. All her meager savings had already been completely drained by the heavy expenses of preparing for Zara’s upcoming wedding. Even these shared provisions were pulled from her personal reserves. Clearing her throat gently, Innayo nervously attempted to seek Uwani's financial assistance for the wedding. "Uhm... Actually, the main reason I asked you to come over is because of Zara's wedding preparations." Uwani instantly sat upright, her face hardening into a harsh scowl. "By Allah, if this is about money, you just have to look elsewhere. I already told you I am participating in a traditional contribution circle (adashi), and it won't be my turn to collect the payout for another four months." "Can't you politely plead with them to let you take this month’s payout? You can see the wedding is fast approaching, and we haven't even purchased the living room chairs yet." Uwani abruptly stood up. Had she known the true motive behind the invitation, she would have manufactured any excuse to avoid coming. "Go ask Baba for the money, or better yet, plead with the groom's family to postpone the wedding. By Allah, as I stand here, I don't even have twenty thousand Naira to my name. Tomorrow, I am planning to borrow thirty thousand Naira against my salary at the hospital. I'll split that between you and Baba so you can handle the wedding expenses." Innayo’s voice broke, on the verge of tears as she pleaded, "Is that truly the absolute limit of your contribution toward your own sister’s wedding? Uwani, if you do not show me mercy and compassion, who else will? All your other sisters are living under pitiable conditions in their husbands' homes, yet I have never once asked you to give them a single thing. I truly believed you possessed the maturity to look at the dire situation of this household and..." Uwani had heard enough. She found it utterly infuriating that Innayo constantly kept her eyes fixed on her hard-earned salary. When she was denying herself sleep, spending entire nights studying to pass her nursing exams, what were Maimuna and Salima doing? They refused to build their own lives, rushing blindly into early marriages instead. And now, the household expected her to shoulder their financial burdens simply because they assumed she didn't know the grueling pain of earning a living. Her voice rose sharply as she snapped back: "Well, I am absolutely not going to take financial responsibility for any grown woman in this house, by Allah! That thirty thousand Naira is the absolute maximum I can bring out, because I am completely broke myself. And if this is happening simply because I asked you to add a little more kuka to my portion, then keep your baobab leaves! Good grief! Is it impossible for me to step into this house without you constantly bombarding me with financial demands?!" Slap! A vicious, stunning slap resonated through the room. Uwani’s eyes tightly shut from the searing pain. Gasping, she struggled to open them, wildly looking around to see who had dared strike her. Hasiya and Innayo stood directly in front of her. The furious words of her youngest sister instantly revealed exactly whose hand had landed on her cheek. "Just because Yaya A'i and the rest have completely degraded the upbringing Innayo gave them, completely ignoring her needs, do you think you have any other mother besides her?!" Hasiya shouted, instantly bursting into furious tears. Her voice rose higher and higher, refusing to be silenced. "Every single time you visit this house, you do nothing but sing songs of poverty just to avoid helping the mother who paid your school fees! May Allah punish you with the very poverty you keep claiming, by the grandeur of..." "Hasiya, control yourself! Get out of here right now before I lose my temper. Where on earth did you learn such utter disrespect?!" Innayo interjected, tears welling up in her own eyes. Those tears only fueled the fire burning in Hasiya’s heart. Her elder sister's blatant arrogance and manipulation had pushed her past her absolute limit. She felt that if she didn't voice the burning truth right now, her heart would literally burst from grief. "Innayo, please just let me speak! Look at your room, for God's sake!" she yelled, pointing her hand wildly into every single corner of the dilapidated room. "The very room that Yaya Uwani converted into a pharmacy store in her own house has two fans—a wall fan and a standing fan! Meanwhile, your own ragged standing fan can barely spin! I grew up seeing this exact same poverty in this house, and nothing has changed!"
Section C: A Mother's Despair and the Exploitation of Hope
Stunned and humiliated by the slap Hasiya had dealt her, Uwani stood frozen, unable to articulate a response. Deep down, she knew every single word Hasiya spoke was the absolute truth; yet, she was profoundly terrified of poverty. She genuinely believed that if she kept giving her money away, she would slide right back into the destitution she had fought so hard to escape. Innayo firmly grabbed Hasiya’s hand and led her out of the room. When she turned back around, she saw Uwani slinging her handbag over her shoulder, adjusting her veil with cold finality. "Uwani," Innayo called out in a fragile, exhausted voice. Beyond the urgent funds she needed for Zara's wedding, she desperately needed money to visit the clinic. Lately, her body had been failing her entirely; she was running on pure resilience. If she spent the tiny fraction of money she had left on medical bills, what would she use to marry Zara off? Her extended relatives were far away in the village, and by comparison, she was considered the most financially stable among them. As for Alhaji Rabi'u, his toxic character had completely alienated him from his own relatives, save for rare, fleeting interactions. 'Innayo, your persistence is simply unbearable,' Uwani muttered bitterly to herself. In her mind, her rigid refusal should have been more than enough to offend her mother into never asking her for a single penny again. It was no wonder A'i and the others had completely abandoned her; Innayo must have suffocated them with endless financial begging as well. Reaching into her bag, Uwani coldly handed over a measly one thousand five hundred Naira before turning on her heel to leave. "I don't have money on me either," she snapped as she walked out. Hasiya wept bitter tears of sorrow that entire day. She could not comprehend what Innayo could have possibly done to deserve such cruel humiliation and disrespect from the very children she gave birth to. The following morning, Hasiya accompanied her mother to the hospital. The medical checkup revealed that Innayo’s blood pressure had skyrocketed to a critical level; she was on the absolute verge of suffering a stroke if she did not immediately enter a state of complete rest. The doctor strictly advised her to eliminate all forms of mental stress and anxiety from her life. When Hasiya informed Maimuna and Salima about their mother's critical health status, they couldn't offer a single dime of assistance, bringing nothing but empty words of sympathy and superficial well-wishes. In fact, Innayo ended up handing them the packages of provisions she had carefully set aside for them. Meanwhile, Zara was entirely absent, completely preoccupied with running around the city with her pretentious friends, making grand, fake arrangements for her wedding. Late that night, after returning from distributing her wedding invitation cards, Zara sat directly in front of Innayo and burst into dramatic, manipulative tears. "Is that wretched, low-grade bed upstairs truly the one you bought for me? Unais's relatives will look down on me and completely ridicule me! And up until now, I haven't seen the living room sofas! If this wedding cannot be done properly, I will simply tell him that I am calling it off!" The moment Zara heard Hasiya’s footsteps approaching, she instantly shut her mouth. Ever since Uwani had gone to report the slap to Alhaji Rabi'u, Zara had developed a healthy fear of Hasiya. Alhaji Rabi'u had personally called Hasiya to his quarters, severely reprimanding and cursing her out—solely because Uwani had given him fifteen thousand Naira out of her pocket, making her a person of high integrity and respect in his greedy eyes. Zara’s vicious, demanding words weighed heavily on Innayo’s heart all through the night. The very moment dawn broke, she swallowed her pride and went straight to A'i's house. It was a massive, ultra-modern luxury mansion. She was directed to sit in a small, secondary parlor, where she was left waiting for nearly forty minutes before A'i finally deigned to walk downstairs. "Oh, Innayo, is that you in our house? I was actually planning to come over soon to drop off my own financial contribution for Zara's wedding." Turning on her heel, A'i walked back upstairs, returning a few moments later with a black plastic bag containing a discarded, faded yellow outfit, shoving it into Innayo’s hands. Innayo offered her profound gratitude before she even opened the bag, and then explicitly stated the desperate reason for her visit. "Please, A'i, I am begging you for a financial loan. I desperately need to purchase living room sofas for your younger sister, along with the remaining essential bridal items we haven't been able to secure." A'i looked down at her with a thoroughly fake, condescending look of pity. "Oh, Innayo, look at how you distress yourself. Why don't you simply provide for her strictly within your meager limits? Though, I did hear her suitor comes from a very wealthy family. Zara brought this embarrassment upon herself with her vain, hyperactive behavior; instead of finding a suitor within her own impoverished social class, she went ahead to hook a man far above her station." Innayo tightly bit her lip, forcing herself to remain silent under the heavy humiliation, knowing she was at the mercy of a lender. She couldn't help but marvel at the cruelty—was this truly A'i, her own daughter, treating her like a beggar? Indeed, the world had become a place where you could never trust anyone, not even the flesh of your flesh, let alone a stranger. Having finally secured the high-interest loan from her daughter, Innayo pushed through her despair, hurrying straight to the Gandun Albasa market where master carpenters displayed their craftsmanship. She purchased a set of sofas and had them transported directly to the house. The moment Zara laid her eyes on the furniture, she sneered, curling her lips in absolute disgust to show they were far below her vain expectations. Devastated, Innayo retreated to the privacy of her bedroom, completely breaking down into agonizing tears. "Oh Allah, I beg You, do not let my own children inherit their father’s toxic nature in humiliating and devaluing me. If I have made any mistakes in their upbringing, Ya Allah, I beg You to reform them for me. Oh Lord, I completely forgive them—both for the disrespect they have shown me in the past and for whatever they will do in the future."
This is precisely how life often tests the righteous servants of Allah. We frequently exhaust our youth and health slaving away for the sake of others, holding onto the desperate illusion that they will provide us with comfort and joy in our old age. Yet, when the harvest time arrives, more often than not, one is left utterly shocked by bitter betrayal. There was absolutely nothing Innayo had not sacrificed to give her children a good life, yet up until this moment, she had seen absolutely no tangible progress to validate the decades of hope she invested in them. Though they were her own blood, we must never forget they also carried the toxic, parasitic blood of Alhaji Rabi'u. They grew up in an environment where their mother was never treated with dignity or value by their father, which naturally eroded her worth in their eyes. They only saw her in a state of absolute, grueling suffering—and it is a basic, raw human instinct to flee from suffering and poverty. Only a child blessed with true wisdom, deep foresight, a memory of past sacrifices, and the profound fear of Allah will stand firm, dedicating their lives to repaying their parents—especially their mother—with goodness.
Zara’s wedding was eventually concluded, far below the luxurious standards she had vainly demanded, but she finally exited the house just as she had long dreamed. She only visited the family home on rare, scattered occasions, deeply ashamed to admit to her high-society peers that a poor, uneducated woman like Innayo was her biological mother. Her wealthy husband didn't care either way; since Zara never displayed any respect or reverence for her mother, he saw absolutely no reason to accord Innayo any respect himself. The final, devastating blow that completely broke Innayo’s spirit, causing her to lose all hope of ever finding peace in this life, was the tragic fate surrounding Hasiya’s marriage. Barely three months after Zara's wedding, horrific news reached the villa: A'i had been involved in a fatal car accident and had passed away instantly. Her eldest son, who was traveling with her, had sustained severe, traumatic brain injuries. The catastrophic news completely shattered Innayo, almost driving A'i's biological mother, Laraba, completely insane with grief. After days of intense weeping and mourning, the household slowly resigned itself to reality. On the very day of the third-day funeral charity prayers (Sadakar Uku), Innayo made the painful sacrifice of selling the last remaining plot of land she owned—her absolute final asset—solely to fully repay the heavy debt she owed A'i for Zara's living room sofas. A'i's husband, Honorable Habu, explicitly stated that he had fully forgiven the debt, adding that even if the amount were to be deducted from his children's inheritance, he would personally clear it on her behalf. Yet, before Innayo could even return home, the greedy Laraba marched over, demanding the cash immediately. Without a single word of protest, Innayo handed the money over to her. However, before the seven-day mourning period could even conclude, the parasitic Alhaji Rabi'u was already busy scheming behind the scenes, desperately plotting how he could continue to financially leech off the wealthy Honorable Habu. "Look at her younger sister, Hasiya; she can easily step in to replace A'i. Your young children desperately need a mother who will care for them with absolute sincerity and love," he proposed to the grieving widower. Alhaji Rabi'u consulted his own mother, who readily agreed to the arrangement. She had long noticed that among all of Innayo's daughters, Hasiya possessed a distinctly gold-standard character, completely different from her greedy sisters. Utterly oblivious to the dark schemes being cooked over their heads, Innayo and Hasiya were suddenly blindsided when the groom's family officially presented the bride-price on the exact day of A'i's forty-day post-demise remembrance (Arba'in). Mother and daughter wept bitterly, completely unable to comfort one another. The toxic Asabe launched into a series of cruel insinuations and loud insults, maliciously accusing Innayo and Hasiya of witchcraft, demanding to know what dark sorcery they had performed to orchestrate A'i's sudden death just to steal her wealthy husband. It wasn't until a year later, when Allah finally brought a financially comfortable suitor for her own daughter Ummakati, that Asabe finally ceased her relentless verbal abuse. Thus, Hasiya was forced into the heavy, sorrowful prison of a forced marriage, completely shattering her dreams of finishing her education. Her ailing mother was left entirely alone in the family house with absolutely no helper, her health rapidly deteriorating. By a cruel twist of fate, the young Hasiya was overnight transformed into a stepmother, left to raise four incredibly young, grieving children. She had never, in her wildest dreams, imagined that life would force her under the exact same roof with the very children who had grown up watching their mother treat Innayo like garbage. Yet, there she was—Abbas, Ummi, Murja, and the toddler Hajara (Ayaah) were now fully placed under her direct authority, care, and upbringing. During this dark period, Innayo fought with every single ounce of her remaining strength, desperately trying to break the forced marriage. In Innayo’s eyes, seeing Hasiya trapped in that mansion felt like a horrific historical curse repeating itself, mirroring her own life of exploitation. Meanwhile, Asabe completely shifted gears; abandoning her usual routine of gossiping around the neighborhood, she transformed Ummakati’s new husband into her personal financial milking machine. The husband, Munzali, grew immensely powerful and wealthy over the years, but he strictly limited his financial relationship with Asabe; he made it clear that she was only his mother by lip-service, explicitly giving her money only whenever he personally felt like it.
Section D: The Cruel Matrix of Motherhood (2018)
When a mother gives birth to her child, she holds absolutely no knowledge of what their tomorrow or their immediate future brings; yet, she carefully constructs beautiful, grand aspirations for their life. If she had her way, her child would be the most composed, the most morally upright, the wealthiest, and the most physically flawless human being on earth. A mother desires nothing more than to see her child outshine everyone else in every single blessing the human heart craves. Yet, grand aspirations rarely align with reality. Regardless of whether the child turns out good or bad, if only for the sheer, agonizing trauma of labor pains alone, one must profoundly honor and revere the incomparable contribution of a mother over her child. It remains an absolute, immutable truth that destiny (Kaddara) forms the structural backbone of every human existence. There is sweet destiny and there is bitter destiny, and more often than not, the long journey of life from the very day of birth relentlessly drives a human being toward their pre-ordained fate. During those turbulent journeys, who stands firmly by a person's side more than a MOTHER? Yet, a mother's best efforts in providing a gold-standard upbringing alone are not a magical shield to protect a child from falling into the agonizing trap of a tragic destiny. Absolute prayer, divine intervention, and the help of Allah remain the ultimate pillars of life. One mother will exhaust herself doing everything right, yet the exact opposite of her dreams will manifest in her children. Another mother will be completely laid-back and negligent, yet the divine pen of good destiny will effortlessly triumph over the bad concerning her lineage. One mother will sow goodness and reap beautiful fruits. Another mother will sow negativity and reap absolute destruction. Yet, in the end, the fundamental truth never changes: a mother remains a mother. Mari is a mother. Innayo is a mother. Khadija is a mother. Asabe and Nasima are all mothers. The calendar had officially turned to the year 2018. Decades of intense struggles, grueling hardships, and brutal battles had passed. The heavy influences of parents, the complex dynamics of society, the company of friends, and the raw, inherent character traits that a person was born with had collectively driven both our major and minor stars toward a critical turning point...
Section E: The Bond of the Elite Hustlers
Keys and two separate checks were placed neatly onto the sleek, high-end glass desk. The wealthy man stared intently at the two young men standing before him. Both of them were exceptionally handsome, physically flawless, and masterfully sharp in their high-end, sophisticated fashion. This marked their fourth business meeting, yet the wealthy client had never seen them dressed differently from one another. Even their designer socks were always an identical match. "Here is your generous bonus. You walked into this enterprise with absolute good fortune, because it has been a very long time since I heard my elite associates praise anyone the way they praise the two of you. Use this money to completely overhaul your wardrobe, because we have extremely high-profile international guests arriving next month." Abbati and Munzali exchanged identical, sharp smiles. Each reached out to pick up the check and the car keys closest to them, exiting the executive suite side-by-side like identical twins. They were dressed in matching black three-quarter streetwear shorts, paired with a vibrant yellow hooded vest, complete with short sleeves and a built-in hood. On their feet, they wore premium, original black Nike luxury slides designed for high-end relaxation. Their designer watches, their haircuts, and their entire aesthetic were completely identical. They were exceptionally handsome, elite young men who fully possessed every single asset a modern youth could ever boast of in this contemporary era. Abbati was thirty-five years old, while Munzali was thirty-four. The moment they stepped out into the expansive courtyard of the luxury recreational resort, they saw two vehicles that had been kept under protective covers during their arrival being officially unveiled. They were two identical, pristine, beige 2015 Lexus RX luxury SUVs. The two young men instantly erupted into wild shouts of joy, locked in a fierce, brotherly embrace as they jumped up and down in sheer excitement. "My brother, tonight we are celebrating hard!" Munzali exclaimed, looking at Abbati with a deep gaze that conveyed absolute loyalty, as if to say, 'You are my number one, I have no one else but you.' "Of course we must celebrate! If it weren't for this impending, high-profile royal coronation ceremony we have to manage, we would have hopped on a flight straight to Dubai tonight," Abbati replied, staring down at his check. The figures written on it were a staggering ten million Naira each. "Oh, stop making excuses. Why don't you just admit that you're dying to go see your beloved first wife, Hanne?" Munzali teased. Abbati delivered a playful, heavy punch to his shoulder, accompanied by a fierce, mock glare. "I’d rather look at Hanne’s mother than look at Hanne herself!" Munzali burst into loud, ecstatic laughter. In his entire world, he placed absolutely no one above his beloved Abbati. He harbored a fierce, deeply protective possessiveness over him, matching the intense loyalty of a true lover shielding what they cherish. Throughout the entire span of his life, no human being had ever shown him true, unconditional love and devotion like Abbati. Munzali knew fully well that he had a biological mother and father; they were both alive to this very day, yet neither of them could truly claim to know the real him. They had simply given birth to him and abandoned him to the cruel mercy of the streets to forge his own upbringing. The exact same profound, absolute devotion Abbati held for Munzali was fully reciprocated. The only minor difference between them lay in the fact that Abbati still held his mother, Baaba Mari, in the highest, untarnished esteem deep within his heart. To Abbati, Munzali was his ultimate ladder, his absolute rock, and his unwavering sanctuary. In the dark days when his biological parents had discarded him into the unforgiving jaws of the world, no one had reached out to rescue and embrace him except Munzali. Munzali was his ultimate savior, the one who ensured he never experienced the bitter, starving loneliness typical of other street children (almajirai) from the very moment their paths crossed. Munzali had fed him, kept him clothed, and shielded his life from breaking down into the absolute squalor that ruined the lives of other street kids. If pure loyalty and profound gratitude can compel a human being to fiercely love another like their own soul, then Abbati saw absolutely no reason why he should ever turn his back on his Munzali.
Section F: The Paradox of Fatherhood and the Shadows of the Past
More often than not, biological fathers desperately desire to be an active, loving presence in the lives of their children. However, the grueling, relentless hunt for daily bread frequently forces a father away, creating a painful geographical and emotional distance between him and his family. Yet, this category of father is always marked by an intense, joyful longing for the brief moments he gets to return home—eagerly listening to the innocent chatter, the childish antics, and the pure, unadulterated love of his children. But then, there exists their absolute opposite—men like the toxic Alhaji Rabi'u. Despite sleeping under the exact same roof as his children every single night, he had completely forgotten the last time he ever brought out a single dime to purchase a basic tablet of Panadol for his own sick child. He knew absolutely nothing in this life except satisfying his own stomach and feeding his own selfish desires. Whenever a household is cursed with a father of this parasitic nature, or when absolute necessity forces a good father away from the home, it is almost a given that the mother will step up, desperately trying to fill the void and play her maternal role. But Asabe did not belong to this noble league of mothers! Her entire existence was driven by one single, greedy question: 'What material wealth can I aggressively exploit from the very children I carried in my womb for nine months?' So long as she was well-fed, completely satisfied, and dressed in high-end, luxurious fabrics, every other maternal duty was completely irrelevant to her. Like any child, Munzali had desperately needed the love, protection, and nurturing care of his primary guardians. He needed to be pampered, to be guided, to be firmly corrected whenever he stumbled, and to have healthy boundaries set for him—boundaries decreed by basic human decency and the laws of religion. Yet, he never received a single one of these fundamental needs from his parents; he only found them in the devoted arms of Abbati. Long before they fully understood the complex matrix of life, Abbati had loved him with an absolute, unconditional devotion. Munzali could not recall a single time in his childhood when Asabe ever noticed he was sick, especially during the severe, terrifying flare-ups of his chronic pneumonia. In fact, long before he officially stopped sleeping under his parents' roof, it was the young Abbati who stayed up all night, meticulously nursing him back to health. He vividly remembered a specific crisis where he spent two consecutive days burning with fever, yet his own mother never once peeked into the bedroom he shared with his younger brother to check if he was alive. It was only on the third day, when her personal financial funds had completely run dry and she was left without a single penny, that he suddenly heard her booming, aggressive voice out in the courtyard, violently unleashing a torrent of insults onto the righteous Innayo. "People are maliciously directing dark energy onto my precious son out of pure envy and deep-seated jealousy! My boy barely stepped out to scavenge and bring back some decent material wealth from his wealthy associates, and you are already trying to place a curse of sickness on him!" Innayo let out a long, sarcastic laugh before offering a calm response that only infuriated Asabe further. "Oh, Asabe. Today you want to pick a fight with me as well? If I were in your shoes, I would have wrapped my veil tightly around my waist and gone out searching for my missing, sick child, instead of sitting here living a total lie, pretending to love your children while having absolutely no clue whether they are dead or alive." Snatching her veil off the wooden door frame of her room, Asabe continued to foam at the mouth, unleashing a barrage of dramatic insults to mask her deep embarrassment, before snapping: "I was actually already on my way out!" Restructuring her posture, she aggressively dug her hands into her waist, swaying her hips with the dramatic flair of young girls performing a traditional dance, before firing a parting shot: "And you better tell that local witch doctor of yours that his spells have completely failed, because he holds absolutely no share of fortune over my prosperous household, you hear me?!" Striding out proudly, she reached the water well located right next to the main entrance of the house before suddenly freezing in her tracks. Recalling an extra piece of venomous insult to throw, she spun back around, looking directly at Innayo before bursting into a loud, mocking laugh. "Tell me, you so-called 'beloved, well-nurtured children' of yours... what single thing of value have those useless girls ever achieved for a miserable, suffering wretch like you?!"
Part 2: Narrative & Literary Analytics
1. The Intergenerational Cycle of Maternal Exploitation
The text establishes a profound thematic parallel between Innayo and her daughter Hasiya.
The Traumatic Echo: Innayo spends her youth suffering under the neglect of Alhaji Rabi'u, turning to hard labor to feed her ungrateful daughters (Uwani, Zara, A'i). In a cruel twist of fate, after A'i dies, Hasiya is forced into a proxy marriage with A'i's wealthy widower, Honorable Habu.
The Tragedy: Hasiya is stripped of her education and forced to mother the very children who were raised to look down on her family's poverty. This highlights a structural curse where the virtues of the mother (resilience, silence, sacrifice) are systematically exploited by the patriarchal and greedy elements of the family (Alhaji Rabi'u, Asabe).
2. The Psychology of Poverty: The Split Between Uwani and Hasiya
The vicious confrontation between Uwani and Hasiya offers a deep psychological insight into how children process growing up in poverty:
Uwani (The Hoarder): Uwani escapes destitution by becoming a nurse. However, her childhood trauma manifests as extreme financial paranoia and stinginess ("she was profoundly terrified of poverty"). She views her mother's request for help not as a duty, but as an attempt to drag her back into the financial abyss.
Hasiya (The Pure Moralist): Hasiya processes the family's poverty through the lens of profound gratitude and justice. Her physical defense of her mother (slapping Uwani) represents the boiling over of moral outrage against the commodification of familial love.
Part 3: Chapter Summary
This chapter explores the profound themes of sacrifice, greed, and generational curses within two contrasting family lines. Innayo, now aging and facing severe health crises including advanced hypertension and failing eyesight, continues to slave away at her local trade to sustain her family. Her three eldest daughters (Uwani, Maimuna, and Salima) have all entered marriages that brought nothing but misery or, in Uwani's case, a toxic lifestyle of stinginess and vanity inherited from her father, Alhaji Rabi'u. During a fierce domestic dispute over the financing of Zara's upcoming wedding, Uwani insults her mother's persistent financial dependence, prompting her youngest sister, Hasiya, to aggressively slap her in defense of Innayo's honor. Despite the humiliation, Innayo swallows her pride to secure a high-interest loan from her wealthy, snobbish daughter A'i to buy wedding furniture for Zara, only to be met with absolute disdain from both Zara and A'i. Tragedy strikes three months later when A'i is killed in a horrific car crash. Instantly, the parasitic Alhaji Rabi'u schemes to marry the pure-hearted Hasiya off to A'i's wealthy widower, Honorable Habu, to keep the financial pipeline open. Hasiya is forced to abandon her education and become a stepmother to A'i's children, who historically despised her family's poverty. The narrative shifts to 2018 in Lagos, introducing the wealthy, identical-streetwear-wearing hustle partners, Abbati and Munzali (Asabe's son). Having achieved elite success, earning ten million Naira checks and luxury Lexus SUVs, their profound brotherly bond is revealed to have been forged in the crucible of absolute childhood neglect. While Munzali's greedy mother, Asabe, treated her children purely as material assets to be exploited, Abbati acted as Munzali's sole savior, nursing him through chronic illness while their biological parents abandoned them to the street.
Section A: Innayo’s Hardships and the Fates of Her Elder Daughters
Time and tide wait for no man. Innayo’s children had all grown up, yet to this very day, she had not stopped any of the petty trades she relied on. Old age was beginning to catch up with her, compounded by the grueling nature of the hard labor she performed just to keep herself and her family afloat. Gradually, her eyesight began to deteriorate due to the countless hours she spent sitting in front of the smoky cooking hearth. Despite this, she persevered, driven by the sole desire to provide a dignified life for her children. It was her constant aspiration.
Her three eldest daughters—Uwani, Maimuna, and Salima—were all married, leaving only Zara and Hasiya under her care. But as life would have it, the hardships and struggles never truly came to an end for Innayo.
Uwani had successfully graduated from the School of Nursing and had even secured employment at the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital in Kano, popularly known as Nasarawa Hospital. She earned a substantial income, yet she proved to be an unfortunate disappointment. Her character closely mirrored that of her father, marked by extreme stinginess and deep-seated envy. Her husband possessed a decent, comfortable livelihood as a Lab Technician at the very same hospital. He had never burdened her with financial responsibilities that weren't hers, fully taking care of the home and their three children. Uwani possessed more than enough wealth to assist her mother, especially regarding her failing health, yet she was always quick to claim poverty. To ensure Innayo wouldn't ask her for money, she would only drop by the house once every mid-month. Even when she did visit, her conversation revolved entirely around her own unending needs, which she claimed her own funds could never satisfy.
As for Maimuna, when God brought her a well-to-do suitor, he initially agreed to let her continue the studies she was pursuing at the College of Legal Studies. However, barely two months into the marriage, the narrative completely changed. Innayo offered that if it was a matter of funding, she would personally continue to sponsor her daughter's education. The husband agreed, stating that it was only the financial burden he wished to avoid. But then his own mother intervened, declaring that she would not tolerate such an arrangement; Maimuna either had to stay home and focus entirely on her marriage or pack her bags and leave to pursue her studies.
Faced with this, the husband demanded that she abandon her education. Swept up in the intense intoxication of romance at the time, Maimuna readily conceded to his demands. Innayo was deeply hurt by this development, but having no alternative, she reluctantly accepted it. Two childbirths later, Maimuna had aged prematurely and lost her physical vitality. She lacked proper nutrition, trapped between the relentless hostility of a mother-in-law and absolute poverty. Gradually, the burden of her upkeep fell right back onto Innayo's shoulders, who never begrudged her or held back, for she was her own flesh and blood.
Salima’s fate was no better. One fateful day, out of nowhere, Alhaji Rabi'u arrived with the news that he had found a husband for her, declaring that the wedding would take place immediately without delay. Innayo and Alhaji Rabi'u clashed fiercely over the matter; Innayo dug her heels in, insisting that her daughter must receive an education, if only to avoid the grim fate that had befallen Maimuna. But he completely refused to yield. In the end, this daughter too succumbed, and the marriage was finalized. What they did not know was that Alhaji Rabi'u had used her marriage to settle a lingering debt; the husband turned out to be a notorious, text-book drunkard. Trapped in a vicious cycle of daily domestic abuse and constant hostility, Salima’s life wasted away with no prospects for progress.
Section B: The Rising Tension and the Vicious Confrontation
Aside from her failing eyesight, the sheer weight of anxiety over the miserable conditions of her daughters caused Innayo to develop severe hypertension. Yet, she never paused her grueling routine. Waking up at 4:00 AM had become second nature to her body. She was a woman completely estranged from the concept of rest. With only Zara and Hasiya left, she desperately harbored the hope that perhaps their lives would bring a turn for the better.
However, Zara’s primary flaw was her compulsive vanity; she lived a life completely built on layers of lies and pretension. She felt a desperate need to live a life that falsely projected high status, determined never to be looked down upon by society. Hasiya, on the other hand, was quiet and self-contained, neither interfering in others' affairs nor allowing others to cross her. Just as she despised conflict, she deeply loathed the deceitful behaviors of Uwani and Zara, while harboring nothing but profound pity for Maimuna and Salima.
Six months after Zara finished her secondary education, her bride-price was brought. At that time, Hasiya was in her final year of secondary school, rapidly approaching graduation. Zara’s suitor was the son of one of the most prominent, celebrated merchants in Kano's famous Singa Market. Alhaji Rabi'u was overjoyed, acting as though a massive fortune had fallen into his lap. The immense pride he took in A'i's wealthy husband was the exact same validation he sought from Zara's suitor. As for Asabe, she could barely suppress her intense jealousy. Her mind was in a state of hyper-fixation, desperately scheming to secure an incomparably wealthy match for her own daughter, Ummakati. The wedding was officially scheduled for the next two months.
One afternoon, Innayo sat in her room alongside Uwani and Hasiya, meticulously dividing essential household ingredients like locust bean (daddawa) and dried baobab leaves (kuka) that she had purchased into three equal portions. Uwani, who was reclining comfortably on the bed, raised her head.
"Could you add a little more kuka to my portion, Innayo? You know Usman insists on me cooking it for him every single day."
Innayo offered a faint smile, scooping two spoonfuls from the remaining two portions to top up Uwani’s share. In reality, Innayo had not intended to include Uwani in this distribution. She knew Uwani had more than enough money to buy her own. The portions were originally meant for herself, Maimuna, and Salima. Left with no choice, she sacrificed a part of her own share. All her meager savings had already been completely drained by the heavy expenses of preparing for Zara’s upcoming wedding. Even these shared provisions were pulled from her personal reserves.
Clearing her throat gently, Innayo nervously attempted to seek Uwani's financial assistance for the wedding.
"Uhm... Actually, the main reason I asked you to come over is because of Zara's wedding preparations."
Uwani instantly sat upright, her face hardening into a harsh scowl.
"By Allah, if this is about money, you just have to look elsewhere. I already told you I am participating in a traditional contribution circle (adashi), and it won't be my turn to collect the payout for another four months."
"Can't you politely plead with them to let you take this month’s payout? You can see the wedding is fast approaching, and we haven't even purchased the living room chairs yet."
Uwani abruptly stood up. Had she known the true motive behind the invitation, she would have manufactured any excuse to avoid coming.
"Go ask Baba for the money, or better yet, plead with the groom's family to postpone the wedding. By Allah, as I stand here, I don't even have twenty thousand Naira to my name. Tomorrow, I am planning to borrow thirty thousand Naira against my salary at the hospital. I'll split that between you and Baba so you can handle the wedding expenses."
Innayo’s voice broke, on the verge of tears as she pleaded, "Is that truly the absolute limit of your contribution toward your own sister’s wedding? Uwani, if you do not show me mercy and compassion, who else will? All your other sisters are living under pitiable conditions in their husbands' homes, yet I have never once asked you to give them a single thing. I truly believed you possessed the maturity to look at the dire situation of this household and..."
Uwani had heard enough. She found it utterly infuriating that Innayo constantly kept her eyes fixed on her hard-earned salary. When she was denying herself sleep, spending entire nights studying to pass her nursing exams, what were Maimuna and Salima doing? They refused to build their own lives, rushing blindly into early marriages instead. And now, the household expected her to shoulder their financial burdens simply because they assumed she didn't know the grueling pain of earning a living. Her voice rose sharply as she snapped back:
"Well, I am absolutely not going to take financial responsibility for any grown woman in this house, by Allah! That thirty thousand Naira is the absolute maximum I can bring out, because I am completely broke myself. And if this is happening simply because I asked you to add a little more kuka to my portion, then keep your baobab leaves! Good grief! Is it impossible for me to step into this house without you constantly bombarding me with financial demands?!"
Slap!
A vicious, stunning slap resonated through the room. Uwani’s eyes tightly shut from the searing pain. Gasping, she struggled to open them, wildly looking around to see who had dared strike her. Hasiya and Innayo stood directly in front of her. The furious words of her youngest sister instantly revealed exactly whose hand had landed on her cheek.
"Just because Yaya A'i and the rest have completely degraded the upbringing Innayo gave them, completely ignoring her needs, do you think you have any other mother besides her?!" Hasiya shouted, instantly bursting into furious tears. Her voice rose higher and higher, refusing to be silenced. "Every single time you visit this house, you do nothing but sing songs of poverty just to avoid helping the mother who paid your school fees! May Allah punish you with the very poverty you keep claiming, by the grandeur of..."
"Hasiya, control yourself! Get out of here right now before I lose my temper. Where on earth did you learn such utter disrespect?!" Innayo interjected, tears welling up in her own eyes.
Those tears only fueled the fire burning in Hasiya’s heart. Her elder sister's blatant arrogance and manipulation had pushed her past her absolute limit. She felt that if she didn't voice the burning truth right now, her heart would literally burst from grief.
"Innayo, please just let me speak! Look at your room, for God's sake!" she yelled, pointing her hand wildly into every single corner of the dilapidated room. "The very room that Yaya Uwani converted into a pharmacy store in her own house has two fans—a wall fan and a standing fan! Meanwhile, your own ragged standing fan can barely spin! I grew up seeing this exact same poverty in this house, and nothing has changed!"
Section C: A Mother's Despair and the Exploitation of Hope
Stunned and humiliated by the slap Hasiya had dealt her, Uwani stood frozen, unable to articulate a response. Deep down, she knew every single word Hasiya spoke was the absolute truth; yet, she was profoundly terrified of poverty. She genuinely believed that if she kept giving her money away, she would slide right back into the destitution she had fought so hard to escape.
Innayo firmly grabbed Hasiya’s hand and led her out of the room. When she turned back around, she saw Uwani slinging her handbag over her shoulder, adjusting her veil with cold finality.
"Uwani," Innayo called out in a fragile, exhausted voice. Beyond the urgent funds she needed for Zara's wedding, she desperately needed money to visit the clinic. Lately, her body had been failing her entirely; she was running on pure resilience. If she spent the tiny fraction of money she had left on medical bills, what would she use to marry Zara off? Her extended relatives were far away in the village, and by comparison, she was considered the most financially stable among them. As for Alhaji Rabi'u, his toxic character had completely alienated him from his own relatives, save for rare, fleeting interactions.
'Innayo, your persistence is simply unbearable,' Uwani muttered bitterly to herself. In her mind, her rigid refusal should have been more than enough to offend her mother into never asking her for a single penny again. It was no wonder A'i and the others had completely abandoned her; Innayo must have suffocated them with endless financial begging as well. Reaching into her bag, Uwani coldly handed over a measly one thousand five hundred Naira before turning on her heel to leave.
"I don't have money on me either," she snapped as she walked out.
Hasiya wept bitter tears of sorrow that entire day. She could not comprehend what Innayo could have possibly done to deserve such cruel humiliation and disrespect from the very children she gave birth to.
The following morning, Hasiya accompanied her mother to the hospital. The medical checkup revealed that Innayo’s blood pressure had skyrocketed to a critical level; she was on the absolute verge of suffering a stroke if she did not immediately enter a state of complete rest. The doctor strictly advised her to eliminate all forms of mental stress and anxiety from her life. When Hasiya informed Maimuna and Salima about their mother's critical health status, they couldn't offer a single dime of assistance, bringing nothing but empty words of sympathy and superficial well-wishes. In fact, Innayo ended up handing them the packages of provisions she had carefully set aside for them. Meanwhile, Zara was entirely absent, completely preoccupied with running around the city with her pretentious friends, making grand, fake arrangements for her wedding.
Late that night, after returning from distributing her wedding invitation cards, Zara sat directly in front of Innayo and burst into dramatic, manipulative tears.
"Is that wretched, low-grade bed upstairs truly the one you bought for me? Unais's relatives will look down on me and completely ridicule me! And up until now, I haven't seen the living room sofas! If this wedding cannot be done properly, I will simply tell him that I am calling it off!"
The moment Zara heard Hasiya’s footsteps approaching, she instantly shut her mouth. Ever since Uwani had gone to report the slap to Alhaji Rabi'u, Zara had developed a healthy fear of Hasiya. Alhaji Rabi'u had personally called Hasiya to his quarters, severely reprimanding and cursing her out—solely because Uwani had given him fifteen thousand Naira out of her pocket, making her a person of high integrity and respect in his greedy eyes.
Zara’s vicious, demanding words weighed heavily on Innayo’s heart all through the night. The very moment dawn broke, she swallowed her pride and went straight to A'i's house. It was a massive, ultra-modern luxury mansion. She was directed to sit in a small, secondary parlor, where she was left waiting for nearly forty minutes before A'i finally deigned to walk downstairs.
"Oh, Innayo, is that you in our house? I was actually planning to come over soon to drop off my own financial contribution for Zara's wedding." Turning on her heel, A'i walked back upstairs, returning a few moments later with a black plastic bag containing a discarded, faded yellow outfit, shoving it into Innayo’s hands.
Innayo offered her profound gratitude before she even opened the bag, and then explicitly stated the desperate reason for her visit.
"Please, A'i, I am begging you for a financial loan. I desperately need to purchase living room sofas for your younger sister, along with the remaining essential bridal items we haven't been able to secure."
A'i looked down at her with a thoroughly fake, condescending look of pity. "Oh, Innayo, look at how you distress yourself. Why don't you simply provide for her strictly within your meager limits? Though, I did hear her suitor comes from a very wealthy family. Zara brought this embarrassment upon herself with her vain, hyperactive behavior; instead of finding a suitor within her own impoverished social class, she went ahead to hook a man far above her station."
Innayo tightly bit her lip, forcing herself to remain silent under the heavy humiliation, knowing she was at the mercy of a lender. She couldn't help but marvel at the cruelty—was this truly A'i, her own daughter, treating her like a beggar? Indeed, the world had become a place where you could never trust anyone, not even the flesh of your flesh, let alone a stranger.
Having finally secured the high-interest loan from her daughter, Innayo pushed through her despair, hurrying straight to the Gandun Albasa market where master carpenters displayed their craftsmanship. She purchased a set of sofas and had them transported directly to the house.
The moment Zara laid her eyes on the furniture, she sneered, curling her lips in absolute disgust to show they were far below her vain expectations. Devastated, Innayo retreated to the privacy of her bedroom, completely breaking down into agonizing tears.
"Oh Allah, I beg You, do not let my own children inherit their father’s toxic nature in humiliating and devaluing me. If I have made any mistakes in their upbringing, Ya Allah, I beg You to reform them for me. Oh Lord, I completely forgive them—both for the disrespect they have shown me in the past and for whatever they will do in the future."
Zara’s wedding was eventually concluded, far below the luxurious standards she had vainly demanded, but she finally exited the house just as she had long dreamed. She only visited the family home on rare, scattered occasions, deeply ashamed to admit to her high-society peers that a poor, uneducated woman like Innayo was her biological mother. Her wealthy husband didn't care either way; since Zara never displayed any respect or reverence for her mother, he saw absolutely no reason to accord Innayo any respect himself.
The final, devastating blow that completely broke Innayo’s spirit, causing her to lose all hope of ever finding peace in this life, was the tragic fate surrounding Hasiya’s marriage. Barely three months after Zara's wedding, horrific news reached the villa: A'i had been involved in a fatal car accident and had passed away instantly. Her eldest son, who was traveling with her, had sustained severe, traumatic brain injuries.
The catastrophic news completely shattered Innayo, almost driving A'i's biological mother, Laraba, completely insane with grief. After days of intense weeping and mourning, the household slowly resigned itself to reality. On the very day of the third-day funeral charity prayers (Sadakar Uku), Innayo made the painful sacrifice of selling the last remaining plot of land she owned—her absolute final asset—solely to fully repay the heavy debt she owed A'i for Zara's living room sofas. A'i's husband, Honorable Habu, explicitly stated that he had fully forgiven the debt, adding that even if the amount were to be deducted from his children's inheritance, he would personally clear it on her behalf. Yet, before Innayo could even return home, the greedy Laraba marched over, demanding the cash immediately. Without a single word of protest, Innayo handed the money over to her.
However, before the seven-day mourning period could even conclude, the parasitic Alhaji Rabi'u was already busy scheming behind the scenes, desperately plotting how he could continue to financially leech off the wealthy Honorable Habu.
"Look at her younger sister, Hasiya; she can easily step in to replace A'i. Your young children desperately need a mother who will care for them with absolute sincerity and love," he proposed to the grieving widower.
Alhaji Rabi'u consulted his own mother, who readily agreed to the arrangement. She had long noticed that among all of Innayo's daughters, Hasiya possessed a distinctly gold-standard character, completely different from her greedy sisters.
Utterly oblivious to the dark schemes being cooked over their heads, Innayo and Hasiya were suddenly blindsided when the groom's family officially presented the bride-price on the exact day of A'i's forty-day post-demise remembrance (Arba'in). Mother and daughter wept bitterly, completely unable to comfort one another. The toxic Asabe launched into a series of cruel insinuations and loud insults, maliciously accusing Innayo and Hasiya of witchcraft, demanding to know what dark sorcery they had performed to orchestrate A'i's sudden death just to steal her wealthy husband. It wasn't until a year later, when Allah finally brought a financially comfortable suitor for her own daughter Ummakati, that Asabe finally ceased her relentless verbal abuse.
Thus, Hasiya was forced into the heavy, sorrowful prison of a forced marriage, completely shattering her dreams of finishing her education. Her ailing mother was left entirely alone in the family house with absolutely no helper, her health rapidly deteriorating. By a cruel twist of fate, the young Hasiya was overnight transformed into a stepmother, left to raise four incredibly young, grieving children.
She had never, in her wildest dreams, imagined that life would force her under the exact same roof with the very children who had grown up watching their mother treat Innayo like garbage. Yet, there she was—Abbas, Ummi, Murja, and the toddler Hajara (Ayaah) were now fully placed under her direct authority, care, and upbringing. During this dark period, Innayo fought with every single ounce of her remaining strength, desperately trying to break the forced marriage. In Innayo’s eyes, seeing Hasiya trapped in that mansion felt like a horrific historical curse repeating itself, mirroring her own life of exploitation.
Meanwhile, Asabe completely shifted gears; abandoning her usual routine of gossiping around the neighborhood, she transformed Ummakati’s new husband into her personal financial milking machine. The husband, Munzali, grew immensely powerful and wealthy over the years, but he strictly limited his financial relationship with Asabe; he made it clear that she was only his mother by lip-service, explicitly giving her money only whenever he personally felt like it.
Section D: The Cruel Matrix of Motherhood (2018)
When a mother gives birth to her child, she holds absolutely no knowledge of what their tomorrow or their immediate future brings; yet, she carefully constructs beautiful, grand aspirations for their life. If she had her way, her child would be the most composed, the most morally upright, the wealthiest, and the most physically flawless human being on earth. A mother desires nothing more than to see her child outshine everyone else in every single blessing the human heart craves. Yet, grand aspirations rarely align with reality. Regardless of whether the child turns out good or bad, if only for the sheer, agonizing trauma of labor pains alone, one must profoundly honor and revere the incomparable contribution of a mother over her child.
It remains an absolute, immutable truth that destiny (Kaddara) forms the structural backbone of every human existence. There is sweet destiny and there is bitter destiny, and more often than not, the long journey of life from the very day of birth relentlessly drives a human being toward their pre-ordained fate. During those turbulent journeys, who stands firmly by a person's side more than a MOTHER? Yet, a mother's best efforts in providing a gold-standard upbringing alone are not a magical shield to protect a child from falling into the agonizing trap of a tragic destiny. Absolute prayer, divine intervention, and the help of Allah remain the ultimate pillars of life.
One mother will exhaust herself doing everything right, yet the exact opposite of her dreams will manifest in her children.
Another mother will be completely laid-back and negligent, yet the divine pen of good destiny will effortlessly triumph over the bad concerning her lineage.
One mother will sow goodness and reap beautiful fruits.
Another mother will sow negativity and reap absolute destruction.
Yet, in the end, the fundamental truth never changes: a mother remains a mother.
Mari is a mother.
Innayo is a mother.
Khadija is a mother.
Asabe and Nasima are all mothers.
The calendar had officially turned to the year 2018. Decades of intense struggles, grueling hardships, and brutal battles had passed. The heavy influences of parents, the complex dynamics of society, the company of friends, and the raw, inherent character traits that a person was born with had collectively driven both our major and minor stars toward a critical turning point...
Section E: The Bond of the Elite Hustlers
Keys and two separate checks were placed neatly onto the sleek, high-end glass desk. The wealthy man stared intently at the two young men standing before him. Both of them were exceptionally handsome, physically flawless, and masterfully sharp in their high-end, sophisticated fashion. This marked their fourth business meeting, yet the wealthy client had never seen them dressed differently from one another. Even their designer socks were always an identical match.
"Here is your generous bonus. You walked into this enterprise with absolute good fortune, because it has been a very long time since I heard my elite associates praise anyone the way they praise the two of you. Use this money to completely overhaul your wardrobe, because we have extremely high-profile international guests arriving next month."
Abbati and Munzali exchanged identical, sharp smiles. Each reached out to pick up the check and the car keys closest to them, exiting the executive suite side-by-side like identical twins. They were dressed in matching black three-quarter streetwear shorts, paired with a vibrant yellow hooded vest, complete with short sleeves and a built-in hood. On their feet, they wore premium, original black Nike luxury slides designed for high-end relaxation. Their designer watches, their haircuts, and their entire aesthetic were completely identical. They were exceptionally handsome, elite young men who fully possessed every single asset a modern youth could ever boast of in this contemporary era. Abbati was thirty-five years old, while Munzali was thirty-four.
The moment they stepped out into the expansive courtyard of the luxury recreational resort, they saw two vehicles that had been kept under protective covers during their arrival being officially unveiled. They were two identical, pristine, beige 2015 Lexus RX luxury SUVs. The two young men instantly erupted into wild shouts of joy, locked in a fierce, brotherly embrace as they jumped up and down in sheer excitement.
"My brother, tonight we are celebrating hard!" Munzali exclaimed, looking at Abbati with a deep gaze that conveyed absolute loyalty, as if to say, 'You are my number one, I have no one else but you.'
"Of course we must celebrate! If it weren't for this impending, high-profile royal coronation ceremony we have to manage, we would have hopped on a flight straight to Dubai tonight," Abbati replied, staring down at his check. The figures written on it were a staggering ten million Naira each.
"Oh, stop making excuses. Why don't you just admit that you're dying to go see your beloved first wife, Hanne?" Munzali teased.
Abbati delivered a playful, heavy punch to his shoulder, accompanied by a fierce, mock glare.
"I’d rather look at Hanne’s mother than look at Hanne herself!"
Munzali burst into loud, ecstatic laughter. In his entire world, he placed absolutely no one above his beloved Abbati. He harbored a fierce, deeply protective possessiveness over him, matching the intense loyalty of a true lover shielding what they cherish. Throughout the entire span of his life, no human being had ever shown him true, unconditional love and devotion like Abbati. Munzali knew fully well that he had a biological mother and father; they were both alive to this very day, yet neither of them could truly claim to know the real him. They had simply given birth to him and abandoned him to the cruel mercy of the streets to forge his own upbringing.
The exact same profound, absolute devotion Abbati held for Munzali was fully reciprocated. The only minor difference between them lay in the fact that Abbati still held his mother, Baaba Mari, in the highest, untarnished esteem deep within his heart. To Abbati, Munzali was his ultimate ladder, his absolute rock, and his unwavering sanctuary. In the dark days when his biological parents had discarded him into the unforgiving jaws of the world, no one had reached out to rescue and embrace him except Munzali. Munzali was his ultimate savior, the one who ensured he never experienced the bitter, starving loneliness typical of other street children (almajirai) from the very moment their paths crossed. Munzali had fed him, kept him clothed, and shielded his life from breaking down into the absolute squalor that ruined the lives of other street kids. If pure loyalty and profound gratitude can compel a human being to fiercely love another like their own soul, then Abbati saw absolutely no reason why he should ever turn his back on his Munzali.
Section F: The Paradox of Fatherhood and the Shadows of the Past
More often than not, biological fathers desperately desire to be an active, loving presence in the lives of their children. However, the grueling, relentless hunt for daily bread frequently forces a father away, creating a painful geographical and emotional distance between him and his family. Yet, this category of father is always marked by an intense, joyful longing for the brief moments he gets to return home—eagerly listening to the innocent chatter, the childish antics, and the pure, unadulterated love of his children.
But then, there exists their absolute opposite—men like the toxic Alhaji Rabi'u. Despite sleeping under the exact same roof as his children every single night, he had completely forgotten the last time he ever brought out a single dime to purchase a basic tablet of Panadol for his own sick child. He knew absolutely nothing in this life except satisfying his own stomach and feeding his own selfish desires.
Whenever a household is cursed with a father of this parasitic nature, or when absolute necessity forces a good father away from the home, it is almost a given that the mother will step up, desperately trying to fill the void and play her maternal role. But Asabe did not belong to this noble league of mothers! Her entire existence was driven by one single, greedy question: 'What material wealth can I aggressively exploit from the very children I carried in my womb for nine months?' So long as she was well-fed, completely satisfied, and dressed in high-end, luxurious fabrics, every other maternal duty was completely irrelevant to her.
Like any child, Munzali had desperately needed the love, protection, and nurturing care of his primary guardians. He needed to be pampered, to be guided, to be firmly corrected whenever he stumbled, and to have healthy boundaries set for him—boundaries decreed by basic human decency and the laws of religion. Yet, he never received a single one of these fundamental needs from his parents; he only found them in the devoted arms of Abbati. Long before they fully understood the complex matrix of life, Abbati had loved him with an absolute, unconditional devotion.
Munzali could not recall a single time in his childhood when Asabe ever noticed he was sick, especially during the severe, terrifying flare-ups of his chronic pneumonia. In fact, long before he officially stopped sleeping under his parents' roof, it was the young Abbati who stayed up all night, meticulously nursing him back to health. He vividly remembered a specific crisis where he spent two consecutive days burning with fever, yet his own mother never once peeked into the bedroom he shared with his younger brother to check if he was alive. It was only on the third day, when her personal financial funds had completely run dry and she was left without a single penny, that he suddenly heard her booming, aggressive voice out in the courtyard, violently unleashing a torrent of insults onto the righteous Innayo.
"People are maliciously directing dark energy onto my precious son out of pure envy and deep-seated jealousy! My boy barely stepped out to scavenge and bring back some decent material wealth from his wealthy associates, and you are already trying to place a curse of sickness on him!"
Innayo let out a long, sarcastic laugh before offering a calm response that only infuriated Asabe further.
"Oh, Asabe. Today you want to pick a fight with me as well? If I were in your shoes, I would have wrapped my veil tightly around my waist and gone out searching for my missing, sick child, instead of sitting here living a total lie, pretending to love your children while having absolutely no clue whether they are dead or alive."
Snatching her veil off the wooden door frame of her room, Asabe continued to foam at the mouth, unleashing a barrage of dramatic insults to mask her deep embarrassment, before snapping:
"I was actually already on my way out!" Restructuring her posture, she aggressively dug her hands into her waist, swaying her hips with the dramatic flair of young girls performing a traditional dance, before firing a parting shot: "And you better tell that local witch doctor of yours that his spells have completely failed, because he holds absolutely no share of fortune over my prosperous household, you hear me?!"
Striding out proudly, she reached the water well located right next to the main entrance of the house before suddenly freezing in her tracks. Recalling an extra piece of venomous insult to throw, she spun back around, looking directly at Innayo before bursting into a loud, mocking laugh.
"Tell me, you so-called 'beloved, well-nurtured children' of yours... what single thing of value have those useless girls ever achieved for a miserable, suffering wretch like you?!"
Part 2: Narrative & Literary Analytics
1. The Intergenerational Cycle of Maternal Exploitation
The text establishes a profound thematic parallel between Innayo and her daughter Hasiya.
The Tragedy: Hasiya is stripped of her education and forced to mother the very children who were raised to look down on her family's poverty. This highlights a structural curse where the virtues of the mother (resilience, silence, sacrifice) are systematically exploited by the patriarchal and greedy elements of the family (Alhaji Rabi'u, Asabe).
2. The Psychology of Poverty: The Split Between Uwani and Hasiya
The vicious confrontation between Uwani and Hasiya offers a deep psychological insight into how children process growing up in poverty:
Hasiya (The Pure Moralist): Hasiya processes the family's poverty through the lens of profound gratitude and justice. Her physical defense of her mother (slapping Uwani) represents the boiling over of moral outrage against the commodification of familial love.
Part 3: Chapter Summary
This chapter explores the profound themes of sacrifice, greed, and generational curses within two contrasting family lines. Innayo, now aging and facing severe health crises including advanced hypertension and failing eyesight, continues to slave away at her local trade to sustain her family. Her three eldest daughters (Uwani, Maimuna, and Salima) have all entered marriages that brought nothing but misery or, in Uwani's case, a toxic lifestyle of stinginess and vanity inherited from her father, Alhaji Rabi'u. During a fierce domestic dispute over the financing of Zara's upcoming wedding, Uwani insults her mother's persistent financial dependence, prompting her youngest sister, Hasiya, to aggressively slap her in defense of Innayo's honor.
Despite the humiliation, Innayo swallows her pride to secure a high-interest loan from her wealthy, snobbish daughter A'i to buy wedding furniture for Zara, only to be met with absolute disdain from both Zara and A'i. Tragedy strikes three months later when A'i is killed in a horrific car crash. Instantly, the parasitic Alhaji Rabi'u schemes to marry the pure-hearted Hasiya off to A'i's wealthy widower, Honorable Habu, to keep the financial pipeline open. Hasiya is forced to abandon her education and become a stepmother to A'i's children, who historically despised her family's poverty.
The narrative shifts to 2018 in Lagos, introducing the wealthy, identical-streetwear-wearing hustle partners, Abbati and Munzali (Asabe's son). Having achieved elite success, earning ten million Naira checks and luxury Lexus SUVs, their profound brotherly bond is revealed to have been forged in the crucible of absolute childhood neglect. While Munzali's greedy mother, Asabe, treated her children purely as material assets to be exploited, Abbati acted as Munzali's sole savior, nursing him through chronic illness while their biological parents abandoned them to the street.