So that was how Ummi was taken (as a bride). After the women finished their gossiping and talking, some of the neighbors who knew the kind of life Ummi had been living began to curse Iya (the grandmother), especially when they saw the room where the young bride had been taken. There was only an old mattress—no bedsheet, nothing.
People kept whispering among themselves, but no one dared confront Iya directly and tell her the truth, because of her harsh temper and the trouble she could cause. So everyone kept their comments quiet and under their breath.
Gradually the crowd dispersed and Ummi was left alone. The young girls who had stayed with her got tired of waiting since the groom had not come in. Eventually they left too, abandoning Ummi without even a lamp.
A terrible fear overwhelmed her. Even the slightest movement startled her. Everywhere was silent—no Idris, and no explanation for his absence.
Inside her heart she kept thinking about getting up and running back home. The fear she felt was overwhelming, and the darkness that had covered the whole house made it worse.
Night went on and the darkness grew thicker until she could not even see the palm of her hand. At first she could still hear faint movements of people outside, but eventually the town became completely quiet except for the sound of insects.
She continued crying in fear. Slowly she stood up and peeped into the courtyard. She saw that the compound gate was open. Because of fear and the darkness, the courtyard looked strange and frightening to her.
She quickly returned to the corner of the room and curled up. She felt extremely sleepy from exhaustion—the work she had done all day, the wedding stress, and the beating she had received the previous night from Iya.
Suddenly thunder roared loudly and lightning flashed everywhere. She burst into loud crying, wanting to run outside and go back home, but fear prevented her.
Then heavy rain began to pour down violently. She stood up intending to close the door, but the force of the rain and the thunder frightened her so much that she sat down again and continued crying.
Rainwater splashed into the room and the whole place became very cold.
Water entered the room and soaked the floor, although it did not reach the mattress where she sat.
Eventually sleep—like a thief—overcame Ummi while she was still sitting there.
When morning came and daylight began to appear, she woke up suddenly.
The rainwater had soaked into the ground, leaving the earth muddy. She saw a cup in the courtyard filled with rainwater. She used it to perform ablution and then went back into the room to pray the Fajr (dawn prayer).
She sat there anxiously and fearfully until she heard greetings at the gate. Some of the wedding guests had come to visit her, and she felt relieved.
They chatted and laughed among themselves while Ummi only watched them quietly.
They brought her some food for breakfast and asked, “Where is the groom?”
She remained silent because she did not know what to say.
They helped tidy her up a little and advised her like older women do. Around noon they said they would leave.
Ummi picked up her hijab and said she wanted to follow them.
“Follow us where? If you even step outside this house without your husband’s permission, Allah will punish you with fire. Go back and sit down. Even though he is the groom, he left early in the morning and has not returned until now,” one elderly woman said.
Iya’s younger sister said angrily,
“Leave that disrespectful boy. It looks like he never wanted this marriage anyway—it was only Iya’s decision. In fact he even said it himself. When the imam prayed for blessings he refused to say ‘Amin.’”
Another woman said,
“Only Allah knows. Idris has never been a decent person. I really pity this girl. Take heart, Ummi. May Allah give you patience and peace in your marriage.”
After that they left.
Ummi went back to the courtyard, arranged her shoes and sat down watching the compound gate. The visitors sent some children to her family house to fetch a bucket of water for her so she could perform ablution.
Later in the afternoon Idris’s younger brother brought her food. She begged him to stay with her because she was afraid.
By Allah’s will he stayed for a while and they ate together. But when evening prayer time came, he left her alone again in the house.
---
Meanwhile Hashim was deeply troubled. Since the marriage had taken place, he had not seen Idris anywhere. He wanted to visit Ummi but feared he might see something that would disturb him even more.
Idris’s father asked Iya what should be done about Ummi’s maternal relatives—should they be informed?
Iya dismissed the idea and insulted them, saying they were poor people who owned nothing except Qur’anic slates and ink. She insisted they should wait a few days before sending them kola nuts and sweets to inform them that their granddaughter had been married.
Idris’s father knew this was unfair, because they had a right to know since Ummi was their daughter’s child.
---
Ummi spent another night alone in that house without seeing Idris. She slept again in fear and anxiety.
By morning no one even remembered to send her food.
Later someone discovered that Idris had been staying at a friend’s house instead of his own home.
When Iya found him she scolded him harshly, and his father nearly beat him out of anger.
Hashim watched them and felt sorry for them, thinking about the day they would all answer for what they had done to Ummi.
---
Meanwhile Ummi worried about Idris, thinking maybe something had happened to him since people said he had not been seen since the wedding day.
She struggled to pray the afternoon prayer because she was very hungry. Her stomach growled loudly and she felt dizzy whenever she stood up. The only thing she had taken was water.
She wanted to go out to find help but remembered the warning that if she left the house without Idris’s permission she would be punished.
---
Later a young boy came and greeted her, bringing a bowl of food. He said,
“My mother sent this.”
Because of her innocence Ummi did not ask who sent it. She simply thanked him.
It was boiled cassava with groundnut cake. She ate it quickly without even washing her hands because she was so hungry.
After finishing she thanked Allah, even though it was not enough to satisfy her hunger.
---
Suddenly Idris entered the house without greeting anyone. The moment she saw him she was frightened.
His father was behind him and greeted her politely.
He then warned Idris that if he ever slept outside again she should report him.
After the father left, Idris became furious.
He walked straight toward Ummi and kicked her to the ground.
“So you went and told them I don’t sleep here?” he shouted.
She shook her head quickly and said trembling,
“No… Iya sent someone looking for you. I didn’t say anything.”
“Shut your mouth!” he shouted and slapped her.
She held her head to protect herself from the blows.
He threatened her:
“If you ever report me again I will kill you.”
Then he left again after kicking her once more.
---
Ummi sat there silently, overwhelmed with pain and humiliation.
She thought about the people she hoped would come visit her—Hashim, Na’ima’s mother—but none of them came.
---
Meanwhile Mariya, Ummi’s mother, had fallen into deep depression that had turned into madness. Sometimes she was calm, but often she lost awareness and stopped eating or talking.
Whenever she saw a child she would say,
“Give me my Ummi.”
Sometimes she even carried other people’s children thinking they were Ummi.
---
Later that night Ummi expected Idris would not sleep at home again, so she lay down on the mattress. But she could not sleep because she was afraid.
A storm gathered outside.
Suddenly she saw the light of a flashlight in the courtyard. She recognized Idris’s shadow approaching the room.
Her heart started pounding.
He entered the room and told her harshly to get up.
When she opened her eyes she saw Idris standing over her completely naked.
She screamed in fear and covered her face.
He insulted her angrily, accusing her of reporting him and calling her terrible names.
The rain outside poured heavily, making loud noise.
Seeing that she would not move fast enough, he threw down his flashlight and rushed at her like a wild animal.
He began tearing her clothes while she struggled and cried, begging him to stop.
The smell from his mouth hit her nose strongly.
But when he got closer he smelled her hair and body—which had become dirty because she had not been able to bathe properly for days.
The unpleasant smell made him recoil in disgust.
In anger he slapped her again and kept trying to force himself on her.
But the smell and the dirt made him feel sick and nauseated.
Enraged and humiliated, he grabbed her, beat her badly, kicked her repeatedly, and then dragged her outside into the rain without mercy.
Her clothes were torn and she was left almost naked in the heavy rain.
She cried loudly and begged him to open the door so she could get her clothes because she was cold, but he locked the door from inside.
The courtyard was flooded with muddy water.
She stood there trembling from cold and fear for a long time.
Finally she moved slowly to another empty room that had no door and sat there crying until morning.
So that was how Ummi was taken (as a bride). After the women finished their gossiping and talking, some of the neighbors who knew the kind of life Ummi had been living began to curse Iya (the grandmother), especially when they saw the room where the young bride had been taken. There was only an old mattress—no bedsheet, nothing.
People kept whispering among themselves, but no one dared confront Iya directly and tell her the truth, because of her harsh temper and the trouble she could cause. So everyone kept their comments quiet and under their breath.
Gradually the crowd dispersed and Ummi was left alone. The young girls who had stayed with her got tired of waiting since the groom had not come in. Eventually they left too, abandoning Ummi without even a lamp.
A terrible fear overwhelmed her. Even the slightest movement startled her. Everywhere was silent—no Idris, and no explanation for his absence.
Inside her heart she kept thinking about getting up and running back home. The fear she felt was overwhelming, and the darkness that had covered the whole house made it worse.
Night went on and the darkness grew thicker until she could not even see the palm of her hand. At first she could still hear faint movements of people outside, but eventually the town became completely quiet except for the sound of insects.
She continued crying in fear. Slowly she stood up and peeped into the courtyard. She saw that the compound gate was open. Because of fear and the darkness, the courtyard looked strange and frightening to her.
She quickly returned to the corner of the room and curled up. She felt extremely sleepy from exhaustion—the work she had done all day, the wedding stress, and the beating she had received the previous night from Iya.
Suddenly thunder roared loudly and lightning flashed everywhere. She burst into loud crying, wanting to run outside and go back home, but fear prevented her.
Then heavy rain began to pour down violently. She stood up intending to close the door, but the force of the rain and the thunder frightened her so much that she sat down again and continued crying.
Rainwater splashed into the room and the whole place became very cold.
Water entered the room and soaked the floor, although it did not reach the mattress where she sat.
Eventually sleep—like a thief—overcame Ummi while she was still sitting there.
When morning came and daylight began to appear, she woke up suddenly.
The rainwater had soaked into the ground, leaving the earth muddy. She saw a cup in the courtyard filled with rainwater. She used it to perform ablution and then went back into the room to pray the Fajr (dawn prayer).
She sat there anxiously and fearfully until she heard greetings at the gate. Some of the wedding guests had come to visit her, and she felt relieved.
They chatted and laughed among themselves while Ummi only watched them quietly.
They brought her some food for breakfast and asked, “Where is the groom?”
She remained silent because she did not know what to say.
They helped tidy her up a little and advised her like older women do. Around noon they said they would leave.
Ummi picked up her hijab and said she wanted to follow them.
“Follow us where? If you even step outside this house without your husband’s permission, Allah will punish you with fire. Go back and sit down. Even though he is the groom, he left early in the morning and has not returned until now,” one elderly woman said.
Iya’s younger sister said angrily,
“Leave that disrespectful boy. It looks like he never wanted this marriage anyway—it was only Iya’s decision. In fact he even said it himself. When the imam prayed for blessings he refused to say ‘Amin.’”
Another woman said,
“Only Allah knows. Idris has never been a decent person. I really pity this girl. Take heart, Ummi. May Allah give you patience and peace in your marriage.”
After that they left.
Ummi went back to the courtyard, arranged her shoes and sat down watching the compound gate. The visitors sent some children to her family house to fetch a bucket of water for her so she could perform ablution.
Later in the afternoon Idris’s younger brother brought her food. She begged him to stay with her because she was afraid.
By Allah’s will he stayed for a while and they ate together. But when evening prayer time came, he left her alone again in the house.
---
Meanwhile Hashim was deeply troubled. Since the marriage had taken place, he had not seen Idris anywhere. He wanted to visit Ummi but feared he might see something that would disturb him even more.
Idris’s father asked Iya what should be done about Ummi’s maternal relatives—should they be informed?
Iya dismissed the idea and insulted them, saying they were poor people who owned nothing except Qur’anic slates and ink. She insisted they should wait a few days before sending them kola nuts and sweets to inform them that their granddaughter had been married.
Idris’s father knew this was unfair, because they had a right to know since Ummi was their daughter’s child.
---
Ummi spent another night alone in that house without seeing Idris. She slept again in fear and anxiety.
By morning no one even remembered to send her food.
Later someone discovered that Idris had been staying at a friend’s house instead of his own home.
When Iya found him she scolded him harshly, and his father nearly beat him out of anger.
Hashim watched them and felt sorry for them, thinking about the day they would all answer for what they had done to Ummi.
---
Meanwhile Ummi worried about Idris, thinking maybe something had happened to him since people said he had not been seen since the wedding day.
She struggled to pray the afternoon prayer because she was very hungry. Her stomach growled loudly and she felt dizzy whenever she stood up. The only thing she had taken was water.
She wanted to go out to find help but remembered the warning that if she left the house without Idris’s permission she would be punished.
---
Later a young boy came and greeted her, bringing a bowl of food. He said,
“My mother sent this.”
Because of her innocence Ummi did not ask who sent it. She simply thanked him.
It was boiled cassava with groundnut cake. She ate it quickly without even washing her hands because she was so hungry.
After finishing she thanked Allah, even though it was not enough to satisfy her hunger.
---
Suddenly Idris entered the house without greeting anyone. The moment she saw him she was frightened.
His father was behind him and greeted her politely.
He then warned Idris that if he ever slept outside again she should report him.
After the father left, Idris became furious.
He walked straight toward Ummi and kicked her to the ground.
“So you went and told them I don’t sleep here?” he shouted.
She shook her head quickly and said trembling,
“No… Iya sent someone looking for you. I didn’t say anything.”
“Shut your mouth!” he shouted and slapped her.
She held her head to protect herself from the blows.
He threatened her:
“If you ever report me again I will kill you.”
Then he left again after kicking her once more.
---
Ummi sat there silently, overwhelmed with pain and humiliation.
She thought about the people she hoped would come visit her—Hashim, Na’ima’s mother—but none of them came.
---
Meanwhile Mariya, Ummi’s mother, had fallen into deep depression that had turned into madness. Sometimes she was calm, but often she lost awareness and stopped eating or talking.
Whenever she saw a child she would say,
“Give me my Ummi.”
Sometimes she even carried other people’s children thinking they were Ummi.
---
Later that night Ummi expected Idris would not sleep at home again, so she lay down on the mattress. But she could not sleep because she was afraid.
A storm gathered outside.
Suddenly she saw the light of a flashlight in the courtyard. She recognized Idris’s shadow approaching the room.
Her heart started pounding.
He entered the room and told her harshly to get up.
When she opened her eyes she saw Idris standing over her completely naked.
She screamed in fear and covered her face.
He insulted her angrily, accusing her of reporting him and calling her terrible names.
The rain outside poured heavily, making loud noise.
Seeing that she would not move fast enough, he threw down his flashlight and rushed at her like a wild animal.
He began tearing her clothes while she struggled and cried, begging him to stop.
The smell from his mouth hit her nose strongly.
But when he got closer he smelled her hair and body—which had become dirty because she had not been able to bathe properly for days.
The unpleasant smell made him recoil in disgust.
In anger he slapped her again and kept trying to force himself on her.
But the smell and the dirt made him feel sick and nauseated.
Enraged and humiliated, he grabbed her, beat her badly, kicked her repeatedly, and then dragged her outside into the rain without mercy.
Her clothes were torn and she was left almost naked in the heavy rain.
She cried loudly and begged him to open the door so she could get her clothes because she was cold, but he locked the door from inside.
The courtyard was flooded with muddy water.
She stood there trembling from cold and fear for a long time.
Finally she moved slowly to another empty room that had no door and sat there crying until morning.