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CHAPTER ONE
- He cast a deep, piercing look at her—a gaze filled with a multitude of emotions. Truly, if he continued looking at Zahida the way he was feeling inside, anything could happen! Every hair on his body stood on end instantly; he felt sweat breaking out all over him, streaming down and dripping as if water had been poured over him. He thought that long ago, this ailment he carried had vanished—turns out he was lying to himself, for it had been eight years since he last experienced something like this. Could it really be him?
Zahida crinkled her nose and then, in a languid tone, said, "Well, I can just leave and come back tomorrow."
He swallowed hard through his difficulty before speaking, keeping his eyes fixed on her all the while: "If you could just wait inside for a little bit, I don't think he will take more than five minutes to arrive."
She leaned the back of her seat slightly, settling in comfortably, and then softly uttered, "Those five minutes—if they fill up and he hasn't arrived, honestly, I will just have to excuse myself. In life, I despise lack of organization. Even before going anywhere else, I realized you guys weren't prepared for this business with us."
He closed his eyes, stinging from the pain of her words, but indeed, Zahida had completely left him speechless. So, trying to smooth things over craftily, he said, "Please bear with us; we are not like this. This was just a major mistake on our part."
She didn't even bother to look at him; she just closed her eyes. As for him, he locked his gaze onto hers without blinking until someone knocked and entered his office with a greeting of peace. He looked at Hafiz, and in a stern, firm voice, asked, "Tell me, Hafiz, what kind of nonsense is this? You can see this guest came all the way from Yamai, and she informed me she wants to return today, yet you completely ruined her mood and wasted her time!"
Hafiz bowed his head and softly murmured, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency; an urgent matter delayed me on the way. Plus, I brought terrible news. If you could just give me ten minutes for a private briefing before anything else..."
Ali let out a short hiss and said, "Look, Hafiz, we have a client here, so put all bad news aside. Will she find garlic and ginger waiting for her?"
Hafiz wiped his sweat and added, "Well, unless she can extend our time by another week, Your Excellency, but right now, not a single load is on the ground."
Zahida crinkled her nose gently and said, "No problem, I will be traveling today, but God willing, I will be back in two weeks. When I return, we can conduct this business."
With that, she stood up to leave the office. He quickly stood up too and followed her. When she reached her car and stopped, he took a step closer and said, "Hajiya Zaheedah, what about your phone number? You see, when the goods are available, I can just call you, right?"
She flashed him a dismissive look, and then angrily retorted, "I don't think a phone number brought me here; my own two feet brought me here. You don't have to go through the trouble of looking for me on the phone—I will return with my own feet."
He raised an eyebrow slightly, a sign that her words stung, and instantly his regal pride flared up. He shrugged his shoulders and twisted his face in a "whatever" gesture, not offering any counter-argument to what she had said, but instead uttering, "We look forward to serve you better."
She adjusted the brooch pinned to her blouse and said, "Thank you."
Smiling, he replied, "You're most welcome."
With that, he simply turned back toward his office without looking back.
Hafiz returned to where he had left him. Ali cast a calm look at him, but then frantically asked, "Hafiz, what is the meaning of this?"
Hafiz wiped his sweat and said, "Your Excellency, neither the truck of garlic nor the one of ginger has arrived. The person we bought them from has his phone switched off! My body has gone completely cold. We bought twenty trailers from each! We have never done business with him in person, Your Excellency—only over the phone. I checked WhatsApp and he has blocked me! I am terrified, Your Excellency—we poured millions of naira into this. I hope this doesn't turn out to be an empty savings scheme where there's nothing to collect at the end!"
Ali stepped back in panic, his chest pounding violently. He didn't even really know the man; they had only spoken on the phone and had been dealing with buying and selling together for six months. He had never pushed to find out the man's background because he assumed there was trust between them. So why was he feeling his world crumbling at this moment?
Frantically, he grabbed his phone and checked to see if he could get the number, but the answer was the same as before: the phone was switched off. A strange wave of sweat broke out over him, inducing a dizzy spell. Bewildered, he said, "I didn't realize the magnitude of our foolishness until now. What business do Kano and the Niger Republic have that you didn't travel there yourself to see everything with your own eyes? Truly, signs show that Mariri has cheated us with a scam I will never be able to recover from! Aside from the nine hundred million naira and some change I invested in garlic and ginger, I gave him fifty million naira three days ago for the farm I was opening; he was supposed to bring cattle from their country. Since then, his phone has been unreachable except for a temporary number he called me from to claim he was sick. Apart from the money I ordered for raw plastic, I don't even have ten million naira left across all five of my bank accounts. Where do I even start if this turns out to be true?"
Hafiz leaped to his feet in confusion, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Excellency, we are ruined! Where do we even start fixing this damage? By God, my mind is completely shattered."
Ali put a hand to his head, closed his eyes, and uttered the phrase: Innalillahi wa inna ilaihiraji'un (Surely we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return).
Silence stretched for twenty minutes before Ali gathered his courage and said, "Hafiz, when destiny approaches a believer, he does not feel malice toward it. Furthermore, you and I have no clever trick to fix this since this is how God has ordained it. Even when I rose up, I was an orphan with no father. The inheritance left to me when I grew up didn't even have a single coin in it—it was completely finished. The only thing I had was the farm my father gave me before his death. That is what God blessed. If I recall correctly, right from my first degree, I abandoned formal education. I sold that farm for no more than eight hundred thousand naira and dove into this business. Up until now, for almost eight years, I have never encountered loss; I have only experienced continuous growth. Whoever wealth expands for, let him know the reason it is being taken back from me. Therefore, I will say nothing except Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). I still have wealth ranging from plots of land to houses and other properties involving liquid assets, so I will not show ingratitude to God. If this wealth is my portion, it will return no matter how far it has grazed. And if it is not my portion, I have no power to bring it back, no matter how capable I am."
Hafiz nodded, finding a sense of reassurance, and said, "Your Excellency, in all the people I have ever associated with, I have never encountered someone with tawakkul (reliance on God) and the fear of God like you, Aliyu Haidar. May God replace what you have lost in this business manifold in the future!"
Ali smiled—a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, for he could not pretend he felt no pain or that he was truly at peace. He got ready and left the office entirely, after strongly cautioning Hafiz not to let word of this slip to anyone.
He rushed into his house. To anyone who didn't know Ali, they would never realize he was in distress because of his ever-smiling face. But because wives are unlike anyone else, Amira quickly figured out that something was weighing heavily on his mind, though she didn't attempt to ask him what the trouble was because she knew that unless he felt like it, he would never speak of it.
He plunged straight into the bathroom and turned the showerhead on full blast from head to toe. He closed his eyes as the water crashed down forcefully. He could feel its heat everywhere, as it was quite hot. He let out a hot sigh and invoked God in his heart. Truly, if this turned out to be true—that Mariri had scammed him—he didn't think there was anything that could ever reverse his loss except by the sheer will of God. In Mariri’s hands were pure funds amounting to over six hundred million naira. In this manner, he could say he had sunk all his wealth into circulation, only for it all to vanish into thin air. Was this the exact reason why Mariri never accepted bank transfers and insisted strictly on cash?
He snapped his eyes wide open, visualizing the clever game Mariri had been playing on him all this time without him realizing it. Mariri had reaped heavy profits working with him until he completely trusted him, siphoned all his money, and then dealt this devastating blow. He wouldn't launch a desperate investigation into everything; he would just be wasting ten to fix two that wouldn't get fixed. Therefore, concerning this wealth of his, he would tell no one; if it was his destiny, it would return, God willing.
He finished his bath and stepped out as though nothing in the world was troubling him.
Like always, early the next morning he dressed impeccably in luxury attire. Ali was a man who loved looking sharp and practicing absolute cleanliness. His bathroom could practically double as someone's resting place because of how clean it was. Not even Amirah ever entered his room for lounging or anything of the sort—she only went in to clean it.
She served his meal, and without argument, he sat down and nibbled at it. Watching his mood, she asked, "What is wrong? Since yesterday I noticed you haven't been in good spirits."
He flashed her a short smile and said, "There is worry, Ameerah, but don't worry—everything you see will pass."
She smiled back, saying, "You are a man with the noble trait of letting things pass from your mind quickly. That is the reason why every single time I love you more. I am certain that whatever you aren't telling me, you surely just don't want me to enter into distress. May God relieve your struggles."
He smiled and softly uttered, "Ameen, Ameerah."
They both exchanged smiles, and looking at her, he said, "Ameerah, please forgive me; I have zero appetite whatsoever. I am just begging for your prayers regarding whatever is best for me, that God may establish it."
She nodded in sympathy for her champion. Gently, she reached out, touched the side of his face, and said to him, "Aliyu Haidar, bear with whatever it is. I won't force you to tell me, but I trust you. I am certain you will overcome whatever it is."
He reached out, stroked her head, and stood up, kissing her forehead. "I am leaving."
She stood up too, linked her arm in his, and said with longing, "Haidar, until when will you fulfill my rights that are upon you? You know by God I am in desperate need of you—it has been nearly four months!"
He didn't even manage a smile. "God willing, I will. Please be patient, okay?"
With that, they walked out to the courtyard where he kept his cars. He chose his favorite, had his driver take the wheel, and took his place in the owners' corner.
Zahida let out a peculiar laugh (that was the name she went by with Ali; her real name was Yusrah). Then she said, "Your work has begun to manifest concerning him, Zuwairah. I promise you, entirely, Haidar will come crawling back like a dog for scraps. Right at first glance, he was completely captivated by me, and by God, he will taste the bitterness of his actions! I am going to ruin his world—besides, I have neither shame nor fear of anyone. My name has long been ruined in high society anyway!"
Zuwairah let out a breath and said, "I don't want anything that will harm Haidar, Yusrah. If I tell you that aside from what happened between us, he also has some bad traits I framed him for... please, leave this talk alone."
Yusrah let out a hiss and said, "Well, unless you aren't of my blood, I will show mercy to his world. By God, I will shatter the thoughts of his entire bloodline!"
Zuwairah fell silent, forcing Yusrah to cut the call and wipe away a tear of frustration over Haidar, the two-faced man—as she liked to call him.
Mom Nu'aiym.
Vote and comments will give me the power to keep feeding you honey at all times.
GINI DA YAƁE
EXQUISITE WRITER'S FORUM (E.W.F)
BILLY GALADANCHI
CHAPTER TWO
Yusrah arrived home boiling with anger. No matter how many greetings Zuwairah offered, she didn't answer a single one because she was still fuming. Zuwairah grew deeply anxious, which led her to find Yusrah inside her personal room in the house. She sat down close to her, but Yusrah didn't even look at her. Feeling frightened, Zuwairah pouted and burst into heart-wrenching tears.
This instantly alarmed Yusrah, who rushed over to her and grabbed both her hands. "Zuzu, are you starting again? What's there to cry about? If it's because I was angry, let it go, okay? What do you want me to do for you right now?"
Zuwairah withdrew her hand from her older sister's, slowly reached up to wipe her tears with the back of her hand, and said through her weeping voice, "When you weren't around, Haidar was the one who stood by me in this town. I am not saying Haidar is blameless—he certainly left a scar on me that won't be erased from my heart until I return to God. But don't forget: when you remember a person's kindness a thousand times, then bring up their single wrong, if that's the case, forgiveness is what is required, Yaa Yusrah."
Yusrah nodded. Although she would never stay out of Haidar's business, openly she said, "Alright, Zuzu, since you think this is best, I won't interfere in his matters anymore. Let's just forget it."
Zuwairah hugged her sister and softly murmured, "Yaa Yusrah, in the past, Haidar loved me immensely. Now he doesn't love me. But even after eight years apart from Haidar, I still love him. Yaa Yusrah, please, find him for me so he can love me."
Yusrah stroked her back gently with a burning heart. She was a woman of the world; she had seen yesterday and she had seen today. Haidar didn't deserve her younger sister in the slightest, but she softly said, "Zuzu, my love, God willing he will come back to you, okay? Besides, he loves you too—when he saw me, he thought I was you and said I looked familiar. You see? He hasn't forgotten you, right?"
Zuwairah smiled and said, "Really, Yaa Yusrah? If he comes back to me, I will be happy, and you won't see me crying anymore."
She hugged her tightly, and neither of them spoke another word.
They both sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts about what had befallen them. Hafiz was a childhood friend of Ali Haidar. He wasn't strong-willed and hadn't pursued advanced education like Ali, which was why Ali had pulled him close, made him his primary right-hand man, and sponsored him through school until he earned his first degree in Education Economics. Later, he appointed him manager of his slipper manufacturing company and his import-export business for garlic and ginger, which brought in massive profits. Ali trusted Hafiz's honesty beyond measure, which was why Hafiz knew everything about him.
Ali let out a deep sigh and softly uttered, "This loss is nothing when we consider how the origin of this wealth came to be. God is the One who granted me this prosperity at a time when I never expected its existence. Now that He has taken back His trust, I will not be ungrateful. Even as it stands, Alhamdulillah, both I and everyone around me have partaken from the treasury that the Lord lent to me. Alhamdulillah, I am immensely grateful that He tested me with something the heart and soul can bear. Health is my capital, and as long as I have it, I will use it to persevere in seeking halal (lawful) sustenance from now until eternity."
Hafiz stared at him for a long moment, then slowly shifted his gaze away. With a tone of deep appreciation, he said, "Indeed, among all the people I have ever associated with, I have never crossed paths with someone as noble as you, Aliyu Haidar. You completely transcend my imagination. I constantly admire your faith, Ali. You are very religious, highly committed to your faith, you love praying in congregation on time, and you constantly walk around with a voluntary fast on your lips. You have been tested with something that would weaken the faith of others, but as for you, your faith has only multiplied! By God, I haven't slept a wink. What if I were you? By God, I would have enjoyed myself!"
Ali flashed a smile that enhanced his handsome face and said, "Hafiz, you, I, and any other powerful being cannot turn this situation the way we want; it goes only how God has ordained. If I deprive my eyes of sleep, will I ever be able to reverse what happened? That would just be a double loss! Now, setting all this talk aside, what is the way forward?"
Hafiz sighed heavily for the umpteenth time and said, "Your Excellency, just now Alhaji Mai Katifa called me regarding that European businessman who wants garlic, ginger, and cloves. But the goods he requires amount to about seven hundred and sixty-four million naira. And you know, because of the rampant fraud between Nigerians and foreigners, they don't pay the full amount upfront—he said he would pay 70 percent out of the hundred. I'm certain we don't have the money to buy the required quantity and send it to him. This is our dilemma. We're going to suffer a huge loss if this slips away."
With frustration, Ali said, "Give me until tomorrow, I'll figure out what to do, God willing."
Hafiz nodded and said, "May God help us. But on my part, I have over three hundred million naira—you can take it and use it, Your Excellency, until you sort out your problems."
Ali nodded with a smile. "You are the primary pillar I would lean on if my legs refused to carry my body, Hafiz. When financial ruin strikes, it shatters wealth to pieces. You and I do not truly own these things; this is just a trial about to approach me. Therefore, do not mix your wealth with mine. I do not wish for you to remain solely under my shadow; I want you to also plant a tree that will grow and cast a cool shade under which we can both take shelter."
Hafiz looked at him quickly. "Come on, Ali! What kind of unpleasant talk is this? Don't meddle in God's affairs like that! A single loss doesn't mean your downfall."
Try as he might to hold back, tears finally spilled from Ali's eyes. With a trembling voice, he said, "Hafiz, I just saw a message on my phone before we started this conversation—stating that our warehouse caught fire and I should rush over. Hafiz, what is the sign of this? When financial ruin comes, what can I do? Whatever is my portion will escape in this fire, but whatever this fire has come to take, it certainly won't spare anything until it completes the exact mission the Sender dispatched it to do!"
Hafiz jumped up quickly. "Come on, Ali! Come on, Ali! Is that why you were sitting there while your phone was ringing and you wouldn't answer, thinking this was just about the other talk? Please, let's go!"
With a weak body, Ali stood up. Hafiz drove the car himself since they didn't call the driver, and they rushed to the scene. The fire was raging as if petrol had been poured on it instead of water, climbing higher and higher until it consumed everything inside the warehouse!
Ali stood there like a statue planted to the spot, unable to move. Hafiz wept and ran back and forth, but nothing could be salvaged, and the cause of the fire remained unknown. The goods inside the warehouse were worth well over eight hundred million naira!
When this news reached Ali's wife, Ameerah, she and others rushed to the scene, but the building itself would need to be completely rebuilt because it had burned down. Nothing was left except the empty plot of land. At that moment, a heavy sorrow gripped her heart, and she wept as if there were no tomorrow!Three Days Later
On Sunday, Ali was sitting with his wife Ameerah, chatting softly. He looked at her and said, "Ameerah, I actually wanted us to talk about something."
She gathered her full attention and turned to him as he began to speak gently.
"Ameerah, both you and I are witnesses that gains and losses both come from God. Furthermore, I know you are also a witness to the devastation caused by the fire the day before yesterday. The reason I wanted to talk to you is that before the fire, I was scammed—a fraud where I can say half or a quarter of all I owned vanished. Then came the fire, which took away money exceeding half of what I thought remained of my wealth. Because of this reason, I called you here to ask for your prayers, for you and the children. I also want you to know that this is a time for us to practice patience with one another. We will have to scale back many comforts until God shows us the passing of this phase."
She stared at him for a moment, then twitched her mouth slightly and, in a hard-to-read tone, said, "Come on, Haidar? Are you starting with me this early? It's only been a few days since this happened, and you couldn't tell me you were scammed until now? You just want to start stopping my spending money, which is impossible, by God! You know very well that in our family, I am the one carrying everyone's burdens. Well, if cruelty is what you know, I know it too!"
He winked one eye—a habit that had become his whenever he was deeply angered—and without wasting a second, he simply stood up and left her there while she ranted on alone.
It wasn't a secret of today; Ali knew he hadn't lucked out with a good wife. Long ago, he had realized that the very day he had no money, Ameerah wouldn't stay with him. Where was he supposed to even start with...Summary
In this opening section, Aliyu Haidar is introduced as a wealthy, successful, and meticulous businessman in northern Nigeria who deals in commodities like garlic, ginger, raw plastics, and real estate, alongside running a slipper manufacturing plant. Despite his immense wealth, he is known for his humility, religious devotion, and strong reliance on God (tawakkul).
His life takes a dramatic downturn when a trusted business partner named Mariri executes a massive financial scam, vanishing with hundreds of millions of naira in cash. Shortly after, a catastrophic warehouse fire destroys his remaining stock worth over 800 million naira. Throughout these compounding tragedies, Ali maintains his composure and faith, refusing to despair and viewing it all as a test from God.
Meanwhile, a mysterious woman named Zahida (whose real name is Yusrah) enters his office. Yusrah harbors a deep grudge and a plot for revenge against Haidar, driven by her sister Zuwairah's past painful history with him. Yusrah vows to completely ruin Haidar's life and wealth. Back home, Ali's materialistic wife, Ameerah, immediately reacts with hostility and suspicion when Ali gently informs her of their sudden financial downturn and the need to scale back their lifestyle, proving that she is only loyal to his wealth.Description of Characters
- Aliyu Haidar (Ali): The protagonist. A wealthy, hygiene-obsessed, deeply religious, and emotionally resilient businessman. Despite losing everything to fraud and a fire, he displays exceptional patience, faith, and grace under pressure.
- Hafiz: Ali’s loyal childhood friend, employee, and manager. He is deeply sympathetic to Ali's plight and stands by him through his financial ruin.
- Zahida / Yusrah: A vengeful, sharp-tongued woman who hides behind a false name. Motivated by her sister's past heartbreak, she sets out to mentally and financially destroy Haidar.
- Zuwairah: Yusrah’s younger sister. She still harbors lingering feelings for Haidar despite a painful past, creating a conflict of interest with her sister's revenge plot.
- Ameerah: Ali’s wife. Self-centered and materialistic, she lacks empathy and immediately turns hostile when financial hardship strikes, exposing the conditional nature of her marriage.
Mariri: Ali's fraudulent business associate who orchestrates a massive multi-million naira cash scam, triggering Ali's financial collapse.
Analytics
- Themes of Fate vs. Free Will: The narrative heavily contrasts Ali’s Islamic worldview of tawakkul (surrendering to divine decree after doing one's best) with the betrayal and greed exhibited by characters like Mariri and Ameerah.
- Character Foil: Ali's calm, philosophical acceptance of total financial ruin stands in stark contrast to Ameerah's immediate selfishness and anger, highlighting the superficiality of wealth-based relationships versus genuine character.
- Plot Structure & Conflict: The story employs a dual-threat narrative structure: an external financial crisis (scam and fire) colliding simultaneously with a psychological/interpersonal threat (Yusrah's clandestine revenge plot).
- Tone & Atmosphere: The text carries a dramatic, suspenseful, and emotionally charged tone, blending corporate betrayal with personal betrayal, romance, and psychological tension.
