Amani Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

If she remembers correctly, Daddy had been preparing to open that boutique for her since last year—so it was only now that God made it possible for it to be completed.

Alhaji said there was no name more suitable for her than Tafisu, because she truly embodied the name. He meant that she was more privileged than her peers, more favored than her siblings, and enjoyed more of a father’s care than anyone else—since she had a father like him, who stood firmly behind everything she wanted and was always ready to defend her against anyone who tried to meddle in her affairs. He said it without joking, and she knew Daddy meant every word he said; he was fully prepared to stand by her against anyone and anything. That was why she never compared his love with anyone else’s in her life.

Hon. Usman handed her the documents and said, “Take them and look through them, Tafisu. The boutique I promised to open for you here in Katsina has been completed. It’s located among the shops on Goruba Road. Tomorrow, you and Mukhy should go and see it. If there’s anything that hasn’t been done, or anything missing, or if you want to change any of the items from the list you gave that were ordered, just let him know. If necessary, we can place a new order, because he already has a trip planned in about two months’ time to Mexico. I’m expecting he’ll bring in some marble samples for me, so he can also add whatever is missing for you.

“If you like, you can even go together and inspect it. As you check things, tell him what you see, and he’ll write everything down carefully for me.”

Immediately, Amani’s face tightened and darkened, like a storm cloud that had gathered and burst from the east. She became deeply upset, in a way she had never been in her life. She scrunched up her beautiful face into a hard scowl; at that moment, her expression turned exactly like Jalan’s—her mother’s—whenever her hatred was stirred. Jalan was the only woman he had ever loved in his life, and after her, he never loved any other woman. Seeing Amani take on that look made his heart skip a beat.

In moments like that, her behavior resembled that of spoiled children who are neither trained nor disciplined—children whose parents simply follow whatever they want or don’t want. She complained in a mix of sulking, anger, and pouting.

“God forbid I ever cross paths with him. May God separate the axe from the tree it cuts. Daddy, how many times do I have to tell you—have you forgotten? Honestly, stop involving me with that man with the permanently clenched face and that stubborn, arrogant attitude.

“What’s the reason someone is always frowning at people like the Angel of Death, when his own stomach is shaking with hunger? A skinny man, yet full of satanic pride and a terrible character, like people from ancient times.”

Daddy lowered his voice. Even though he wanted to laugh, he swallowed it. From the way she was exploding with words, it was clear Tafisu’s anger had been triggered. Gently trying to calm his daughter, he said:

“My daughter. I keep telling you not to worry about Mukhtar’s facial expression in our business dealings or daily transactions with him. Everyone you see in life has worries; it’s possible that the burden in his heart shows on his face. Whether he smiles or not does not affect my relationship with him or our pursuit of profit—because it’s obvious I can’t do without him.

“Whatever his natural disposition is, I can work with him like that. That’s what I want you to start doing too. There is no one who can serve me with the dedication of body, mind, health, and heart that he does—he devotes himself completely to managing my wealth. God made him this way, with little cheerfulness; it’s not only you he treats this way, Tafisu—everyone does. Go to our office and see for yourself; I can swear to you that no one has ever seen him laugh.

“And besides, Tafisu, what business of yours is it whether he smiles or not? What you should look at is the benefit he brings me and his trustworthiness with my wealth. Before you find someone as trustworthy as him, with his fear of God and lack of greed over money, it will take a long time, Amani.

“I have tested Mukhtar in countless ways, using the wisdom God gave me for testing people, and I have never caught him trying to harm me, cheat me, or act deceitfully. In fact, it was his integrity that bound me to him and formed this strong bond between us. It has gone beyond the relationship of employer and employee—I see him as a son of the house.

“In the past, if you remember, I had many employees before him. Not one of them failed to betray me in one way or another.

“I have never found a young man as upright as him, and finding such a good youth in these times is very difficult, Tafisu. I have my reasons for loving that boy—reasons you wouldn’t understand.

“The only reason I tolerate him upsetting you with his attitude is because if we dismiss him, as you want, we will never recover the loss his absence would cause. There are employees you benefit from, not employees who benefit from you—no matter how much you pay them. Put Mukhtar Diffa in that category.

“Unless you plan to start doing the work he does for me if you force me to sack him—which is impossible. As a woman, you cannot do what Mukhtar does for me: traveling abroad, importing goods, handling the entire company, not to mention the other personal difficulties he endures for me at home—all on a salary that is hardly worth mentioning, yet with honesty, respect, and utmost care.

“God has given him business knowledge and a mind like a computer. Every method you know that has turned my pennies into millions over the past years—I assure you it’s from Mukhtar that I get the theory. Since he came into my life, I have known no losses, only profit.

“He took a breath and looked at Amani, who was listening with one ear, since her attention was on her phone. He didn’t mind; he knew she could hear him. He continued:

“Every clean, profitable strategy you see in this company today comes from him.

“One impressive thing about Mukhy is that he never looks back and complains about the small salary I pay him monthly. By God, he has never complained—even though the salary I pay him is nowhere near the value of the work he does for me or what he brings in. Consider that he has devoted his entire life to my wealth and possesses vast business expertise. He hasn’t even visited his parents since he came under my care.

“I always tell him to go home, and he says, ‘Alhaji, if I leave, you will suffer, because there’s no guarantee I’ll be allowed to return.’

“You know there are certain kinds of people who don’t know worldly enjoyment or indulgence at all. Such people only help others enjoy life or acquire wealth, without caring about the little they themselves receive. I assure you, Mukhtar is one of them.”

Amani stood up; the talk about Mukhtar—whom she had nicknamed ‘the outsider who’s valued more than family’—had started to irritate her deeply. She knew that if she didn’t leave, Daddy would never get tired of praising Mukhtar. Daddy wouldn’t pause, wouldn’t put a comma, wouldn’t put a full stop, and wouldn’t get tired—unless you avoided mentioning Mukhtar Diffa in front of Hon. Usman Faskari. Once you did, you’d start hearing sermons upon sermons of virtues pouring from the Alhaji’s mouth about him.

She said, “Daddy, your words enter my left ear and leave through my right. Whatever you say about that boy, he doesn’t sit well with me. I hate people who act powerful, arrogant, and domineering, when they’re really nobody.”

She started climbing the stairs to her room so Daddy wouldn’t continue telling her things that made no sense to her.

Alhaji Usman smiled. When would Amani understand the difference in human personality? Everyone is created differently by God in terms of personality. Despite having a degree in International Relations, she still hadn’t grasped that human personalities are never the same and have nothing to do with facial expressions.

“Come back here, Tafisu,” he said. “Are you leaving without checking the boutique documents?”

Amani replied without stopping, “Daddy, if everything is fine with you, it’s fine with me. I’ll hire three people to manage the shop—from among your relatives in Faskari—and the one you said you were breastfed together with, is it Kamilu or Kamalu? Leave them in the village farming and herding in hardship, while you take an outsider and place him in honor.”