When Uncle Yahaya returned from the Isha prayer, Rahama and Farida were talking. After finishing their discussion, Farida left Rahama’s room.
Yahaya then went to his children’s room where they were jumping around and playing, while Ummi was sitting on the floor quietly.
When they saw him, they stopped jumping. He looked at the eldest girl and said:
“Inteesar, you and Kausar should sleep on your bed. Ummi will sleep on the other bed.”
They stood silently looking at their father until he shouted:
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Inteesar replied, “Okay.”
He then looked at Ummi and said kindly:
“My Ummi, here is a bed. Get up and sleep on it.”
Ummi said, “Thank you.”
She got up and lay on the bed. It was very soft and smelled nice because of the room freshener and clean bedding. Before Yahaya even left the room, she had already fallen asleep.
Inteesar laughed with Kausar and said:
“Now your bedsheet will become black as if it came out of a bag of charcoal.”
Kausar frowned and was about to cry, while Inteesar continued laughing. When she saw Kausar starting to cry, she said:
“Let’s wait until Abba leaves, then we’ll wake her and make her get down.”
And that is what they did.
Inteesar first checked to make sure their father had left, then she came back and kicked Ummi’s leg.
Ummi opened her eyes and looked at them.
“Get down from the bed. Kausar wants to sleep.”
Ummi said nothing and just looked at them.
“Get down. She won’t sleep on my bed and push me.”
Ummi quietly got down and returned to the floor with her belongings.
Kausar even removed the bedsheet because Ummi had slept on it.
---
Around 1 a.m., Ummi felt someone stepping on her. She woke up in fear. It reminded her of Idris’ house where she used to be treated badly.
Farida said harshly:
“Wake up. I’ll show you where you will sleep. You can’t sleep among my children. I don’t know who you think you are.”
Ummi quietly carried her bag and followed Farida.
Farida took her to the servants’ room near the living room and told her that was where she would sleep.
Ummi was too tired and sick to complain, so she simply lay down.
---
The next morning everyone gathered in the living room. Rahama had prepared breakfast and the children were already dressed in their school uniforms.
Yahaya noticed Ummi was not there and asked Inteesar to call her.
When Ummi came, she greeted him respectfully.
He replied warmly and asked about her health.
Then he introduced her to the family:
“This is your mother in the house, Farida. The children call her Mama. This is her sister Rahama. These are your siblings: Abdurrahman, Inteesar, and Kausar. And Mama is expecting a baby.”
He told the children to respect Ummi and live peacefully with her.
Ummi politely greeted Farida, but Farida ignored her completely.
Rahama answered coldly.
Yahaya personally served Ummi breakfast from his own food, which made Farida very angry.
---
Later Yahaya took Ummi to the hospital and the market.
He bought many things for her:
clothes
underwear
soap and sponge
toothbrush
detergent
earrings
shoes
and medicine ingredients
Ummi was extremely happy. She felt like she was dreaming that someone could buy so many things for her.
He also bought herbal ingredients to treat her illness.
He carefully explained to her how to use them.
Some of the herbs included:
cloves
garlic (small amount)
turmeric
kola nut
ginger
lemon
These could be boiled together and drunk as medicine.
There were also other traditional remedies like moringa root, herbal bathing water, and hygiene advice.
---
When they returned home, Yahaya helped clean Ummi’s room himself. He even:
boiled her medicine
prepared hot water
cleaned the room
brought her bedsheets and blankets
gave her perfume
He treated her like his own daughter.
He encouraged her to rest and promised she would return to school soon.
Ummi smiled happily because nobody had ever treated her so kindly.
---
But when Farida returned home, everything changed.
Farida and Rahama entered Ummi’s room and started insulting her.
They poured out the bag of items Yahaya bought and took most of them away, leaving her only a few things.
Farida said:
“Listen carefully. This is my house. You are nothing but a servant here. You will wash the children’s uniforms, do all the housework, and if you dare call him Abba again you will leave this house.”
They forced Ummi to wash piles of clothes, dishes, and do heavy work even though there was a washing machine in the house.
Despite everything, Ummi never complained.
---
Days passed and Farida, her children, and Rahama continued humiliating Ummi.
Sometimes they even refused to give her food.
Yahaya noticed but could not stop his wife easily.
Eventually Yahaya enrolled Ummi in school and Islamic school.
However, Farida lied to visitors, telling them that Ummi was just their new housemaid.
Even at school, Ummi faced bullying because of her dark skin and eyes.
---
One day Yahaya spoke to his son Abdul seriously.
He told him:
“We are living comfortably today, but life can separate people anytime. Just like Ummi lost her parents and came to live with us. I see how your mother treats her. Even if I say nothing, Allah sees everything.”
He asked Abdul:
“Would you like someone to treat your siblings the way Ummi is treated?”
Abdul lowered his head and said no.
Yahaya told him to show kindness to Ummi.
---
Later that night Abdul tried to help Ummi with washing dishes.
She was surprised because he had never spoken kindly to her before.
But while helping with ironing clothes, he accidentally burned Farida’s expensive lace dress.
When Farida saw it, she became furious.
She shouted insults at Ummi and threatened to burn her with the hot iron to punish her.
Rahama held Ummi while Farida heated the iron and approached her…
When Uncle Yahaya returned from the Isha prayer, Rahama and Farida were talking. After finishing their discussion, Farida left Rahama’s room.
Yahaya then went to his children’s room where they were jumping around and playing, while Ummi was sitting on the floor quietly.
When they saw him, they stopped jumping. He looked at the eldest girl and said:
“Inteesar, you and Kausar should sleep on your bed. Ummi will sleep on the other bed.”
They stood silently looking at their father until he shouted:
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Inteesar replied, “Okay.”
He then looked at Ummi and said kindly:
“My Ummi, here is a bed. Get up and sleep on it.”
Ummi said, “Thank you.”
She got up and lay on the bed. It was very soft and smelled nice because of the room freshener and clean bedding. Before Yahaya even left the room, she had already fallen asleep.
Inteesar laughed with Kausar and said:
“Now your bedsheet will become black as if it came out of a bag of charcoal.”
Kausar frowned and was about to cry, while Inteesar continued laughing. When she saw Kausar starting to cry, she said:
“Let’s wait until Abba leaves, then we’ll wake her and make her get down.”
And that is what they did.
Inteesar first checked to make sure their father had left, then she came back and kicked Ummi’s leg.
Ummi opened her eyes and looked at them.
“Get down from the bed. Kausar wants to sleep.”
Ummi said nothing and just looked at them.
“Get down. She won’t sleep on my bed and push me.”
Ummi quietly got down and returned to the floor with her belongings.
Kausar even removed the bedsheet because Ummi had slept on it.
---
Around 1 a.m., Ummi felt someone stepping on her. She woke up in fear. It reminded her of Idris’ house where she used to be treated badly.
Farida said harshly:
“Wake up. I’ll show you where you will sleep. You can’t sleep among my children. I don’t know who you think you are.”
Ummi quietly carried her bag and followed Farida.
Farida took her to the servants’ room near the living room and told her that was where she would sleep.
Ummi was too tired and sick to complain, so she simply lay down.
---
The next morning everyone gathered in the living room. Rahama had prepared breakfast and the children were already dressed in their school uniforms.
Yahaya noticed Ummi was not there and asked Inteesar to call her.
When Ummi came, she greeted him respectfully.
He replied warmly and asked about her health.
Then he introduced her to the family:
“This is your mother in the house, Farida. The children call her Mama. This is her sister Rahama. These are your siblings: Abdurrahman, Inteesar, and Kausar. And Mama is expecting a baby.”
He told the children to respect Ummi and live peacefully with her.
Ummi politely greeted Farida, but Farida ignored her completely.
Rahama answered coldly.
Yahaya personally served Ummi breakfast from his own food, which made Farida very angry.
---
Later Yahaya took Ummi to the hospital and the market.
He bought many things for her:
clothes
underwear
soap and sponge
toothbrush
detergent
earrings
shoes
and medicine ingredients
Ummi was extremely happy. She felt like she was dreaming that someone could buy so many things for her.
He also bought herbal ingredients to treat her illness.
He carefully explained to her how to use them.
Some of the herbs included:
cloves
garlic (small amount)
turmeric
kola nut
ginger
lemon
These could be boiled together and drunk as medicine.
There were also other traditional remedies like moringa root, herbal bathing water, and hygiene advice.
---
When they returned home, Yahaya helped clean Ummi’s room himself. He even:
boiled her medicine
prepared hot water
cleaned the room
brought her bedsheets and blankets
gave her perfume
He treated her like his own daughter.
He encouraged her to rest and promised she would return to school soon.
Ummi smiled happily because nobody had ever treated her so kindly.
---
But when Farida returned home, everything changed.
Farida and Rahama entered Ummi’s room and started insulting her.
They poured out the bag of items Yahaya bought and took most of them away, leaving her only a few things.
Farida said:
“Listen carefully. This is my house. You are nothing but a servant here. You will wash the children’s uniforms, do all the housework, and if you dare call him Abba again you will leave this house.”
They forced Ummi to wash piles of clothes, dishes, and do heavy work even though there was a washing machine in the house.
Despite everything, Ummi never complained.
---
Days passed and Farida, her children, and Rahama continued humiliating Ummi.
Sometimes they even refused to give her food.
Yahaya noticed but could not stop his wife easily.
Eventually Yahaya enrolled Ummi in school and Islamic school.
However, Farida lied to visitors, telling them that Ummi was just their new housemaid.
Even at school, Ummi faced bullying because of her dark skin and eyes.
---
One day Yahaya spoke to his son Abdul seriously.
He told him:
“We are living comfortably today, but life can separate people anytime. Just like Ummi lost her parents and came to live with us. I see how your mother treats her. Even if I say nothing, Allah sees everything.”
He asked Abdul:
“Would you like someone to treat your siblings the way Ummi is treated?”
Abdul lowered his head and said no.
Yahaya told him to show kindness to Ummi.
---
Later that night Abdul tried to help Ummi with washing dishes.
She was surprised because he had never spoken kindly to her before.
But while helping with ironing clothes, he accidentally burned Farida’s expensive lace dress.
When Farida saw it, she became furious.
She shouted insults at Ummi and threatened to burn her with the hot iron to punish her.
Rahama held Ummi while Farida heated the iron and approached her…