“You really like this girl, Na’ima. Look at you already planning to take her away with you.”
With tears gathering in her eyes, Na’ima replied,
“Wallahi Naja, I really pity Ummi. If they would allow me, I would take her with me. Her grandmother is a poor old woman. And her mother was my close neighbor; we respected each other so much. Ummi’s father has died, and her mother returned to her hometown. Her grandmother beats and torments her. If I meet that woman in the hereafter, I know I will not have a good ending if I keep quiet.”
Even though Na’ima spoke softly, it still made Naja laugh because the last part of her statement amused her.
After school, they walked together with Ummi. Na’ima held her hand and talked to her along the way, playfully touching her stomach to see if she had eaten. But the situation was painful, especially when Ummi told her what Auwalu and his friends had done to her and how they had shaved her hair.
Na’ima said,
“It’s okay. Allah will judge them. Whoever does good will see the reward. Be patient, Ummi. No matter how hard things get or how hungry you feel, never allow any man in your house—whether young or old—to take you somewhere and touch your body. Do you understand?”
Instead of answering, Ummi simply raised her head and looked at Na’ima.
Na’ima stopped suddenly and asked quickly,
“Do they play dirty games with you?”
Ummi shook her head. “No.”
“Tell me the truth. Do they touch you?”
Again Ummi shook her head. “No.”
“Anyone who tries to put his hands on your body—don’t agree, don’t stay there. Scream and run away, do you hear?”
Ummi nodded to show she understood.
“And even after I leave, if you feel hungry, go to our house. My mother will give you food.”
With that they went to the shoemaker’s shop, and luckily they found sandals that fit Ummi’s feet.
Na’ima said,
“I’ll keep them for you. On my wedding day I will dress you up beautifully.”
Ummi nodded and smiled. From there they returned home.
When Ummi entered the house, she was holding a small stick and playing with it.
“Hey!” Idris called her rudely.
She turned and looked at him.
“Go buy me sugar from the shop,” he said, throwing some money at her.
She bent down, picked up the money, and went to buy it for him. But she kept remembering Na’ima’s warning not to go into Idris’s room.
So she sat near the entrance and waited there.
After waiting for a while, Idris got tired and came outside.
“Where is the errand I sent you on?”
Quickly she stood up and showed him the sugar.
“So you won’t even come inside to give it to me? Instead you sit here like someone with no respect?”
She stayed silent, looking at him.
“Won’t you bring it to me?” he shouted again.
Fearfully she approached him, but he suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her into the room.
She began to cry loudly with all her strength. Idris had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time, but now she resisted him and cried loudly just as Na’ima had told her.
He slapped her hard. The slap made her dizzy for a moment. Holding her cheek, her body trembled violently.
He showed her a sharp knife and said,
“If you keep crying, I will cut your throat.”
She looked at him with fear and hatred. He dropped the knife and put his hands inside her dress—a dress that had nothing inside except her thin chest.
But she did not give up. She struggled to remove his hands from her body while crying desperately.
Suddenly the door burst open.
“Idris, what is this?” Hashim asked, staring at him.
“What do you mean what is this? You can see it yourself,” Idris replied angrily.
Hashim pushed Idris aside, pulled Ummi away, and said,
“What kind of useless person are you? Will you never grow up? What did this girl ever do to you?”
Idris clicked his tongue angrily and said,
“Stay out of my business.”
“I will interfere! If you don’t leave this girl alone, I swear I will take serious action against you.”
“Then do it if you dare,” Idris said before storming out.
Hashim, hurt by his younger brother’s disrespect, looked at Ummi and wiped her tears. He noticed the mark of Idris’s slap on her dark face, and even her eye had filled with blood.
Her body was still trembling, and she kept sighing deeply in fear while her tears refused to stop.
“Ummi,” he called gently.
But instead of answering, she burst into tears again.
A deep pity filled his heart. He kept wiping her tears and held her hand as they walked toward their grandmother’s section of the house.
Naja, who was Na’ima’s friend, said,
“You really like this girl, Na’ima. Look at you already planning to take her away with you.”
With tears gathering in her eyes, Na’ima replied,
“Wallahi Naja, I really pity Ummi. If they would allow me, I would take her with me. Her grandmother is a poor old woman. And her mother was my close neighbor; we respected each other so much. Ummi’s father has died, and her mother returned to her hometown. Her grandmother beats and torments her. If I meet that woman in the hereafter, I know I will not have a good ending if I keep quiet.”
Even though Na’ima spoke softly, it still made Naja laugh because the last part of her statement amused her.
After school, they walked together with Ummi. Na’ima held her hand and talked to her along the way, playfully touching her stomach to see if she had eaten. But the situation was painful, especially when Ummi told her what Auwalu and his friends had done to her and how they had shaved her hair.
Na’ima said,
“It’s okay. Allah will judge them. Whoever does good will see the reward. Be patient, Ummi. No matter how hard things get or how hungry you feel, never allow any man in your house—whether young or old—to take you somewhere and touch your body. Do you understand?”
Instead of answering, Ummi simply raised her head and looked at Na’ima.
Na’ima stopped suddenly and asked quickly,
“Do they play dirty games with you?”
Ummi shook her head. “No.”
“Tell me the truth. Do they touch you?”
Again Ummi shook her head. “No.”
“Anyone who tries to put his hands on your body—don’t agree, don’t stay there. Scream and run away, do you hear?”
Ummi nodded to show she understood.
“And even after I leave, if you feel hungry, go to our house. My mother will give you food.”
With that they went to the shoemaker’s shop, and luckily they found sandals that fit Ummi’s feet.
Na’ima said,
“I’ll keep them for you. On my wedding day I will dress you up beautifully.”
Ummi nodded and smiled. From there they returned home.
When Ummi entered the house, she was holding a small stick and playing with it.
“Hey!” Idris called her rudely.
She turned and looked at him.
“Go buy me sugar from the shop,” he said, throwing some money at her.
She bent down, picked up the money, and went to buy it for him. But she kept remembering Na’ima’s warning not to go into Idris’s room.
So she sat near the entrance and waited there.
After waiting for a while, Idris got tired and came outside.
“Where is the errand I sent you on?”
Quickly she stood up and showed him the sugar.
“So you won’t even come inside to give it to me? Instead you sit here like someone with no respect?”
She stayed silent, looking at him.
“Won’t you bring it to me?” he shouted again.
Fearfully she approached him, but he suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her into the room.
She began to cry loudly with all her strength. Idris had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time, but now she resisted him and cried loudly just as Na’ima had told her.
He slapped her hard. The slap made her dizzy for a moment. Holding her cheek, her body trembled violently.
He showed her a sharp knife and said,
“If you keep crying, I will cut your throat.”
She looked at him with fear and hatred. He dropped the knife and put his hands inside her dress—a dress that had nothing inside except her thin chest.
But she did not give up. She struggled to remove his hands from her body while crying desperately.
Suddenly the door burst open.
“Idris, what is this?” Hashim asked, staring at him.
“What do you mean what is this? You can see it yourself,” Idris replied angrily.
Hashim pushed Idris aside, pulled Ummi away, and said,
“What kind of useless person are you? Will you never grow up? What did this girl ever do to you?”
Idris clicked his tongue angrily and said,
“Stay out of my business.”
“I will interfere! If you don’t leave this girl alone, I swear I will take serious action against you.”
“Then do it if you dare,” Idris said before storming out.
Hashim, hurt by his younger brother’s disrespect, looked at Ummi and wiped her tears. He noticed the mark of Idris’s slap on her dark face, and even her eye had filled with blood.
Her body was still trembling, and she kept sighing deeply in fear while her tears refused to stop.
“Ummi,” he called gently.
But instead of answering, she burst into tears again.
A deep pity filled his heart. He kept wiping her tears and held her hand as they walked toward their grandmother’s section of the house.