Zuma Da Madaci Hausa Book

Description

Translation in English

Chapter 9

Directly, Shiko Abdulmajid went to Inna Shatu’s house. There, Gwaggo Shatu confirmed to him that they had gone out. "So, they went roaming around! I swear I’m going to teach these children a lesson," he muttered, pacing around until he got tired and returned home.

He sat by the gateman, waiting to see from where they would emerge. Until the Maghrib call to prayer was made with still no sign of them, he and the gateman went to the mosque and returned.

As for Fatima and the others, they lost track of time until they heard the Maghrib call to prayer. Immediately, their eyes widened in shock; they jumped up in a panic, uttering exclamations of seeking refuge in God and glorifying Him.

With great difficulty, Maryam managed to help them pray before they hurried back home.

At the front gate, they met Abdulmajid talking on his phone. Their hearts skipped a beat at the sight of him. Composing herself, Fatima pressed the horn, the gateman opened the gate, and greeted them with a "welcome back" as they rushed inside. Fatima stopped the car and got out in a hurry, heading straight toward Amma’s section, knowing full well his temper was bound to flare since he had strictly forbidden them from taking the car out alone.

Amma was seated on her prayer mat with a rosary in her hand, counting her dhikr.

She responded to their greetings with a nod. They knew that when she was deeply engaged in her remembrance of Allah, she wouldn't speak to them, so they quietly dropped off her portion. They also left the gifts of cosmetics sent by Inna and Maryam’s mother, then hurried off to their own wing as the Ishaa call to prayer began.

As Fatima twisted the knob of the living room door, she found herself face-to-face with "four eyes" (Abdulmajid). Instantly, a trick crossed her mind; she slightly dropped to her knees right by the door and froze.

Seeing this, he let out a thunderous roar and yelled, "Won't you get up, you senseless, mannerless children? Do you take people for fools?"

Despite the fact that his shout shook her to the core, it didn't cause her to flinch, though her heart pounded wildly with fear. Why must a man train himself to be so fiercely difficult for no reason?

Seeing her motionless, he stood up furiously and rushed toward her. Before he could reach her, her body began to shake violently—remembering that whenever he got hold of her, he showed no mercy. As he approached, she collapsed, trembling violently.

This sight made him rush closer to her, shouting her name at the top of his lungs: "Fatimaaaaa!"

Her scream was what made Ummi, who had just finished her prayers in her room, rush out immediately. She saw Fatima crumpled against him while he kept repeating the words Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return).

Instantly, Ummi’s heart sank terribly, especially as she remembered the dream she had the previous night, coupled with Abdul and Fatima's situation. "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un," she uttered aloud, which made Abdul raise his head sharply, watching how Ummi’s body was shaking uncontrollably.

Fatima, hearing her mother's voice in such a distressed state, almost opened her eyes. Knowing the consequences if she did, she resisted opening them, but remained right there on the floor, seized by a severe tremor.

To be continued... I swear I just forced myself to write this for you guys because of a promise.

Yours, Maman Islam

Chapter 10

In Abbi’s section, he didn't say a word to Ummi, despite witnessing how deeply shaken she was. He knew his wife had an intense, irrational fear when it came to her children. Despite being a deeply religious woman, when matters concerning her children arose, her composure would completely unravel. As the saying goes, Arabs have an extreme love for their children, and that was precisely how Ummi was.

He sat on the swing in their garden, gently rocking back and forth, completely lost in thought as he tried to figure out what was weighing so heavily on his mind. He lived in constant fear of something happening to Fatima because he held her as close as his own blood and flesh.

Meanwhile, Daddy looked at Amma, who was frowning deeply, and said, "So, Amma, what do you want us to do now? I tried my best to get him to drop this idea, but he insisted. That is why I thought it best you know, even though I initially agreed with the reasons he gave and the plans he wants to make. Still, there is a great deal of danger in this matter."

With a heavy heart, Amma replied, "If not for this terrible calamity, I would have been the happiest person alive! Look at Yusifa, how Hafsatu lost her only daughter in the entire world! And look at Ridwanu's mother—there is no madness she didn't subject me to when I mentioned pairing her daughter with this same Abdulmajid! It was the same when I suggested pairing him with Nusaiba, Umar’s daughter, where she claimed it would ruin family ties. If all his own relatives are running away from what might happen, why is Habu bringing trouble upon himself and his wife?"

"Honestly Yusifa, tell him you don't agree. Period. I have spoken."

Daddy, whose heart was deeply troubled, lowered his head and couldn't say a word. He had never taken the matter to heart quite like this until his mother made him realize that even his own blood relatives were running away from his son. If not for this dark ordeal, there would have been fierce battles fought over Abdul, not even because of wealth, but purely because of his striking good looks.

Hajiya Kulu was kneeling before the marabout (spiritualist) she trusted completely with all her affairs, explaining the situation regarding her husband's insistence on marrying off her daughter to Abdulmajid. The marabout acted almost as if he was going to cry and told her, "Don't worry, we don't even need to perform any ritual for this; this marriage is bound to happen, so go ahead with your preparations. The wedding is on, no matter what."

Hajiya Kulu beamed with smiles and said, "Marabout, your work is always excellent, which is why I take pride in you and place all my trust in you." She opened the zipper of her handbag, brought out bundles of one-thousand-naira notes totaling one hundred thousand naira, and dropped them before him.

Acting almost tearful, the marabout tapped the money with his staff, and it vanished. "You may leave," he said, sounding choked up.

As soon as she left, another man stepped forward and confronted the marabout. "You son of a bitch! What did I tell you? Didn't I tell you to ruin the marriage plans? Didn't I tell you not to let this wedding happen?"

Seizing him by the throat, the marabout choked him and snarled, "Oh, Excellency! I see you think you're more powerful and influential here as the boss. Why didn't you stop the marriage yourself instead of leaving it to a minor pawn like me working from the sidelines? You should have used your own influence so that your own biological daughter would be the one forced into this marriage instead of your friend's daughter! If it were up to me, I would suck her blood dry just like you did to my only daughter in this world!"

With a violent shove, the man threw him off, sending him crashing staggering against their idol. Trembling all over upon seeing the terrifying reaction of his supreme mistress, he stuttered, "Spare my life! Let the marriage plan be canceled. This girl is the daughter of my close friend; this wedding will bring too much anxiety to my heart—and to the mother of the girl as well!"

Today, just like the other day, he saw the girl open her eyes right at Abdulmajid. Instantly, his body began to shake violently as he saw the fire burning brighter than usual.

The mistress spoke in a chilling voice: "Think about how parents, young maidens, and elders feel whenever we demand some of them, and you bring them to us without delay or hesitation. Therefore, whatever I lay out next, you must understand: it is your blood we shall drink! It is your blood we shall consume!"

She repeated this over and over until she closed her eyes tightly. As usual, blood continued to stream out from every pore of her body.

The man burst into tears, crying so hard that mucus ran down his face. His expression turned pale, his body shook, and he bolted out of the place, leaving behind his shoes and his bag.

When he entered his house, his wife noticed he wasn't in bed and found him coming out of the toilet. Quickly shedding his clothes to change into new ones, she intercepted him as he emerged and asked, "Where are you coming from, Alhaji? I woke up a while ago and kept looking for you."

Stammering, he began to wipe the sweat blanketing his face before he could find something to say. With great difficulty, he managed to stammer out, "A consignment of millions of naira was entrusted to me, and I accidentally left it in the car. That’s why my mind completely left my body."

Looking as though she didn't believe a word he said, she remarked, "Oh really? So you’ve found the money now?"

"I found it," he said, wiping the sweat pouring down profusely from him, while all the signs of guilt clearly plastered his face.

Tossing her head dismissively, his wife replied, "He who goes to the river often will one day break his calabash. Whatever a human does, they should always keep God in mind." With that, she walked past him and laid out her prayer mat.

Back at Abdulmajid's house, not a single person supported this proposed union, especially Umma, Baba Ridwanu’s wife and Nusaiba's mother.

Summary

In these chapters, tensions reach a boiling point surrounding the mysterious affliction plaguing Abdulmajid and Fatima. Abdulmajid's aggressive temper continues to isolate him and frighten the household, particularly Fatima, who suffers severe psychological and physical breakdowns whenever he approaches her. Her mother, Ummi, is thrown into deep despair, haunted by ominous dreams and the terrifying warnings of unseen entities whispering that Abdulmajid and Fatima's proximity will lead to Fatima's death.

Despite the overwhelming fear of the household—with even extended family members steering clear of Abdulmajid due to the ominous curse or misfortune surrounding him—Abbi (Abubakar) makes a shocking and unyielding executive decision: he officially declares that Fatima will marry Abdulmajid in one month, alongside Yusra.

While Ummi, Daddy, Amma, and the rest of the family vehemently oppose this union, viewing it as sheer recklessness and danger, Abbi remains completely unmoved, insisting it is the only necessary path forward. Meanwhile, external forces, including political figures, corrupt marabouts, and hidden conspirators tied to dark occult practices, panic as Abbi's decisive moves threaten to expose their secrets, leading to frantic behind-the-scenes machinations and internal betrayal among the conspirators.

Description & Themes

• Genres: Hausa Romance, Domestic Drama, Occult/Mystery, Family Conflict.
• Core Setting: A wealthy, politically and socially prominent family household in Northern Nigeria, juxtaposed with secret occult dealings and spiritual desperation.
• Tone: Suspenseful, tense, emotionally heavy, and dramatic.

Analytics

• Character Dynamics & Conflict:
  • Abbi (Abubakar): Acts as the patriarchal authority figure who rules with absolute, unyielding decree. Despite everyone's objections and fears, he pushes forward with the marriage for reasons only he fully understands, prioritizing a calculated strategy over emotional consensus.
  • Ummi & Fatima: Represent emotional vulnerability and victimhood under patriarchal and supernatural pressures. Fatima's somatic symptoms (collapsing, tremors, hysterical fear) reflect severe trauma associated with Abdulmajid, while Ummi's despair highlights maternal protectiveness clashing with fatalistic acceptance.
  • Abdulmajid: Caught in the middle of a mysterious affliction, his aggressive exterior masks a deep concern for Fatima, though he vehemently opposes the marriage because he views her purely as a sister.
• Motifs & Symbolism:
  • The Occult and Marabouts: Corruption of faith is heavily critiqued through Hajiya Kulu and her transactional relationship with a fraudulent, terrifying marabout whose dark practices ultimately consume and terrify him.
  • Parental Control vs. Individual Choice: The narrative explores traditional authoritarian parental decisions in marriage (Auren dole/Zato) pushed to extreme psychological and supernatural limits.
• Pacing & Narrative Structure: The excerpt rapidly shifts perspectives between the domestic household crisis, external political/marital maneuvering (Yusra's family), and the panic within the occult syndicate, building mounting suspense toward the impending 30-day wedding deadline.