Ahalin Harijai Book 1 Compelet

Description

English Translation

Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 14)

1. A madwoman—a raving, frantic lunatic who had stolen rags—was crying out amidst a crowd of children surrounding her. Today, instead of her usual wild dancing and chanting of "eyehuuh eyehuuh" while clutching her stomach, she was crouched over on the ground, weeping bitterly. There was no dancing today. The children grew louder, shouting and mocking her. Malam Sulaiman, approaching from a distance, felt overwhelmed with fury at the way the neighborhood children were tormenting this woman. No one knew where she had come from; she had simply appeared in the neighborhood one morning. Brandishing a heavy stick, he charged at the children and began beating them until they scattered, still shouting and continuing their game. The open space was left with only her. Still crouched, she remained crying.
2. He walked up to her, saying, "Servant of Allah, stand up and go on your way. Are you hurt? Oh God, my stomach! I am going to die!" Those were the words that slipped from the madwoman's lips. It made him pause and stare at her in astonishment, because for the nine months he had known her, he had never once heard her speak until today. And what shocked him even more was that her voice did not sound like that of someone who had lost her mind. Before he could process anything further, he heard her cry out again, "Oh God, I am going to die!" and saw blood gushing from beneath her. Hastily, he exclaimed, "Subhanallah! Are you about to give birth?" She was indeed heavily pregnant—a pregnancy rumored to have been forced upon her by an unknown person near the refuse dump where she slept behind Malam Sulaiman's house. Without wasting a second, he grabbed her urgently, sensing she was pushing. With the children still lingering and shouting, he scooped her up, carried her into his porch (soro) adjacent to the dump, and pushed the wooden door shut.
3. He hurried inside his home, calling out frantically for his wife, "Deeje! Deeje!" They bumped into each other as she rushed out. She looked at him anxiously: "What's wrong, Malam? Let's go—it's that madwoman who sleeps on the garbage heap by our wall. She's in trouble; I think she's going into labor!" "Subhanallah, let's go, Malam," she said, terrified. When they reached the porch, she was indeed in active labor. "Let me go get some wrappers, and call Lami from Mama's compound." Malam rushed to Lami’s house, which shared a single entrance porch leading into the family compound of Malam’s younger brother. He called out the traditional greetings from the threshold.
4. (This paragraph is duplicated in the source text, describing the same setup where Malam goes to fetch Lami for help).
5. May Allah help him!—Malam said this filled with intense anxiety. But Lami was completely indifferent. When hit with such a serious situation, she coldly replied, "Truly, you can do as you please, but I cannot touch her. They say whoever steps foot where an illegitimate child is born walks away from prosperity forever! If you listen to me, get out of our porch so her poverty doesn't rub off on us. Go find a car and take that woman to the hospital; she’s bleeding heavily. For God's sake, don't let her die!" Malam stood flustered, then dashed out, pulling the door shut. Lami hissed, retreated into her house, and muttered, "May Allah bring Malam back quickly so she can be thrown out! We won't let her infect us with poverty. Every day it's one thing or another, and money has to be begged for." Meanwhile, Deeje was holding the madwoman as she cried, "Oh my stomach, I am going to die!"
6. Deeje said, "Look, stop saying 'Oh my,' recite the kalima, and call upon the name of Allah!" By the grace of Allah, the madwoman began repeating the name of Allah loudly. Holding onto her, Deeje felt a massive surge. Deeje encouraged her: "Insha Allah, the womb is opening. Be strong and push so the baby can drop!" She began pushing with all her might. Deeje whispered, "Subhanallah, push gently..." But seeing the woman pushing with every ounce of strength, Deeje realized the breathing wasn't coming from the woman herself—it was purely divine intervention. Terrified and panicked, she watched as the placenta dropped and blood gushed out like a fountain. With great difficulty, she pulled the baby out and cut the umbilical cord just as he began to cry. At that exact moment, Malam Sulaiman pushed the door open, asking, "Deeje, did you get the car? Has she given birth?" Weeping, Deeje replied, "Come in, Malam, come in and see the condition she is in!" He pushed the door open and took one look at her.
7. His heart sank with horror. He told Deeje, "Grab her, let's go to the hospital!" As Deeje tried to lift her, the madwoman grabbed Deeje's hand and whispered, "I am going to die... do not take me to the hospital... let me suffer... My name is Asma'u Haki." Deeje panicked even more, crying, "Innalillahi! Tell us your family name, who are you?" Instead of answering, she echoed the first phrase Deeje had uttered: "Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un." Life slipped away, her head slumped sideways, and the hearts of Deeje and Malam were utterly shattered. Deeje burst into tears, crying, "Malam, we are ruined!" Malam Sulaiman was deeply shaken, his body trembling, completely at a loss for what to do. Deeje urged, "Malam, notify the neighbors so they can help us bear witness before Allah that our intentions were pure." Malam replied, "We must report this to the authorities. Look after the baby and the body while I go and return before she can say anything else." He bolted out. Deeje squirmed, staring at the baby wriggling in a wrapper—a beautiful, adorable child. A deep love for the baby began to take root in her heart. Lami peeked out, asking, "Yaya, has she given birth?" She froze in fear, looking at the madwoman, then clutched her chest and continued, "She didn't... die, did she? Deeje, what disaster are you bringing upon us? We have nothing to do with this!" She backed away. Deeje raised her head, glaring at her in absolute rage, though too choked with anger to speak.
8. She sat there for forty minutes until she heard the sound of a police siren. Trembling, she stood up. Though she had never set foot in a police station in her life, today a police vehicle was parked right at their doorstep. Moments later, Malam entered accompanied by three police officers, each carrying a rifle. One of them looked at Malam Sulaiman and asked, "Malam, are you certain what you stated is the absolute truth, without addition or reduction before Allah?" Malam answered hastily, his heart still racing. The officer shook his head, saying, "Even so, we must take you and your wife with us to answer a few questions." Deeje widened her eyes in terror, crying, "I am ruined! For God's sake, officer, spare me! I have never been involved in anything like this."
9. "Don't worry, Hajia, we aren't going to do anything to you; you just need to answer questions." Hearing the sound of a car turning the corner, they panicked again. The madwoman's body was loaded into the car, and Deeje—clutching the baby—was escorted out of the house by the police. Lami watched from behind the door, laughing. Once they left, she began mocking: "May your troubles multiply! Attention-seekers! As if you are more righteous than anyone else. Just because a madwoman went into labor and you scooped her up like saviors—well, you wanted fame, and now you've got it!" She twisted her wrist, slapped her thigh, and rolled her eyes. Once they drove away, the neighbors flooded out in a crowd, buzzing and talking. Malam Jibrin strode into his house frantically, calling out for his wife: "Lami! Lami!"
10. (Paragraph 10 contains the continuation of the scene where Lami talks to Jibrin).
11. She rushed out of the room, snapping, "Malam, what's wrong with this kind of shouting, as if you're going to pierce my eardrums?" He looked at her in panic and said, "I heard the police came to our house, carted everyone off to the station, and that a dead body was found in their yard!" She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "No, it's not a lie—it's true! But the story hasn't been told to you correctly. They were taken because Yaya and Deeje brought trouble upon themselves." "You mean Yaya and Deeje are currently at the police station?" "Yes, truly! A dead body was found..." "Damn it! Stop talking in riddles and tell me exactly what happened!"
12. Without dwelling on it, she recounted everything that had happened, concluding, "Therefore, I don't blame the police; they did the right thing. What do you think, Yaya?" He slumped his shoulders, saying, "I have told Yaya repeatedly that this habit of his will one day drag him into catastrophe. And look at it now! Whenever he sees people quarreling, he inserts himself. Now he’s gone to escalate it. When things get too bad, I go and report him to his friend Malam Habu. Give me some water to drink; I'm going back to the market." He finished panting.
13. Malam Sulaiman and Deeje were sitting across from the DPO's desk—they had been at the station for nearly six hours. The DPO raised his head and looked at them. "That is all, Malam. The woman has passed away. Never stop doing good deeds, for your reward is with Allah. Now, you will take the baby with you. Tomorrow, we will send some of our officers to pick him up and transfer him to the orphanage. May Allah reward you with goodness." Malam's face brightened, and he stood up. At the same moment, his wife stood up as well, saying, "No problem, sir." With that, they left the office, Deeje clutching the baby. Once home, Deeje set up the stove and washed the baby thoroughly—he had cried until he was exhausted. Malam procured Zamzam water and...
14. Date paste was given to him to drink, and then he also bought high-quality powdered milk, mixed it with warm water, and fed him until he fell soundly asleep. Auwalu and Sani, Deeje's sons, were overjoyed, shouting that a baby had been bought for them from the market and they had a new younger brother. Their mother just laughed, holding the baby who was rapidly winning her heart. When Malam returned from the mosque, he found her holding him and laughed, saying, "Deeje, you are truly a mother! Put the boy down so he can sleep comfortably." She laughed, tucked him into bed, and said, "Walahi, Malam, I feel toward this child as if I gave birth to him myself." He smiled and sat down. The greeting of Malam Jibrila at the door interrupted their conversation. Malam Sulaiman quickly stood up and peered out, saying, "Jibrilu, Yaya, what brings you here?"

Part 2 (Chapters 15 to 26 - Summary & Adaptation Highlights)

• The Adoption & The Name: Despite initial plans to send the baby to an orphanage, Deeje breaks down in tears at the thought of parting with him. Moved by her maternal love, the head of the orphanage, Hajia Amina, agrees to let them keep the baby under specific conditions, including monthly visits. Malam Sulaiman reveals he had already named the baby Ahmad during a secret naming ceremony the previous night.
• Family Conflict: Malam Jibrila (Malam Sulaiman's brother) and his wife Lami are furious and deeply superstitious, spreading rumors that keeping an "illegitimate" child born of a madwoman will bring ruin and curses upon the extended family. Jibrila confronts Malam Sulaiman, citing absurd taboos, but Malam firmly shuts him down, declaring that Ahmad is legally his son and will even inherit a share of his wealth.
• Growing Up and Torment: Ahmad grows up smart, handsome, and deeply loved by Malam Sulaiman and Deeje. However, he faces constant abuse, slurs ("shege" / bastard), and malicious bullying from Lami, her husband, and their son Musa. Lami goes out of her way to lock him in toilets, burn him with hot water, and psychologically torture him.
• The Maradona Jersey Incident: In a heartwarming moment, Malam buys new clothes for the kids, including a special jersey featuring the legendary footballer Maradona for Ahmad. Overjoyed, Ahmad runs to show his friend Musa. However, Musa's mother (Lami) flies into a rage, snatching the jersey away, throwing it back at Ahmad, and cruelly telling him that true worth comes from having a real, respectable father—not from material things or jerseys. Heartbroken and in tears, Ahmad runs back home to his mother, who comforts him, teaching him resilience against the relentless cruelty of their neighbors.

Summary

"Dame Ake Ado" is a deeply emotional, dramatic Hausa narrative that explores themes of compassion, humanity, societal stigma, and unconditional love.

The story opens with the dramatic rescue of a nameless, pregnant madwoman (Asma'u Haki) who goes into active labor on a filthy garbage heap. While the neighborhood children mock her and callous neighbors like Lami refuse to touch her out of superstitious dread, Malam Sulaiman and his wife Deeje step in with pure humanitarian intent. Deeje successfully delivers the baby amidst chaos, but tragically, the mother passes away shortly after giving birth.

Following a brief encounter with the police—who investigate the death before clearing the couple—Malam Sulaiman and Deeje decide to adopt the infant, naming him Ahmad. While Deeje embraces the baby as her own, the family faces intense backlash from Malam Sulaiman's brother, Jibrila, and his toxic wife, Lami, who cling to ignorant superstitions regarding "illegitimacy" and poverty. Despite the relentless psychological and physical abuse hurled at young Ahmad by Lami and her household, Malam Sulaiman remains steadfast, shielding the boy, naming him as an official heir, and surrounding him with genuine parental love alongside Deeje and their biological children.

Description

• Genre: Contemporary Hausa Drama / Family Fiction / Social Commentary.
• Setting: A traditional Nigerian neighborhood (Northern Nigeria), characterized by close-knit yet intrusive community dynamics, local Islamic schools (Islamiyya), and neighborhood alleys.
• Key Characters:
  • Malam Sulaiman: A compassionate, principled man who values humanity and true religious charity over empty superstitions.
  • Deeje: Malam Sulaiman's kind-hearted, fiercely maternal wife who raises Ahmad as her own flesh and blood.
  • Ahmad: The resilient, bright child born under tragic circumstances who grows up facing prejudice yet is anchored by the love of his adoptive parents.
  • Lami: Malam Jibrila’s bitter, superstitious, and malicious wife who embodies neighborhood gossip, cruelty, and ignorance.
  • Malam Jibrila: Malam Sulaiman’s easily influenced younger brother who frequently parrots his wife's toxic biases.
  • Asma'u Haki: The tragic, transient madwoman who passes away during childbirth.

Analytics

• Thematic Depth:
  • Hypocrisy vs. True Faith: The story highlights the contrast between true religious charity (practiced by Malam and Deeje, who save a dying outcast) and cultural hypocrisy (exhibited by Lami, who uses religion and superstition as an excuse for malice).
  • Stigma of Illegitimacy: It addresses the cruel societal burdens placed on vulnerable children and mentally ill individuals in traditional settings.
• Narrative Structure: Serialized in parts, the story uses fast-paced dialogue, high-stakes emotional turning points (labor scenes, police interrogations, family confrontations), and vivid character contrasting to keep readers engaged.
• Emotional Resonance: The bond formed between Deeje and Ahmad serves as the emotional core of the narrative, proving that maternal love transcends biological ties.