Faɗime Part 1 Complete Hausa Novel

*FAḌIME...*

_(Jinnu’s Family)_

© By Nainarh KD & Zahrah Royal Star

*Dedicated to Salma Ahmad Isah (Candy)*

*In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful*

*A love and laughter story that will capture your heart and soul.*

01

*KAWUYEN KINKIBA, KADUNA STATE.*

*MALAM YAHAYA’S HOUSE*

Lami burst out laughing again and again, her heart overflowing with pure joy at seeing the condition her co-wife, Ummah, was in—suffering the severe pains of labor. But that did not make Lami pity her; instead, she moved into the room, which was just modestly furnished. Looking at it, you would know it was the room of a bride who had not even spent a year there. She kept casting glances at Ummah, who was in the middle of the room struggling through labor, before moving to where she was and kneeling in front of her. She said:

“You have truly wronged yourself, and you have made a huge mistake by agreeing to become my rival. This torment you are seeing is nothing compared to what awaits the child you are about to give birth to, because I have promised to keep ruining and scattering the life of whoever the baby turns out to be. From everything I’ve done to make the pregnancy miscarry since it was still very small, nothing worked. So let it come out and face my vengeance, because it will only become a pitiful thing through the pains I have prepared for it.”

When she finished speaking, she stood up, loosened the knot of her wrapper, and brought out some herbal medicine—heartless, with no faith and no pity. Seeing Ummah in that condition, Lami forced herself and poured the medicine in front of her, with no compassion at all. Then she stepped aside, waiting for the result, while remembering what Malam “Kasan komai” had told her: that if she poured the medicine in front of Ummah while she was in labor, then whatever she gave birth to might not come out alive; and even if it lived, it would be useless, because the only difference between it and a dead child would be breath. Beyond that, Ummah would never give birth again for the rest of her life. All of that would happen only if Lami carried out everything exactly as he had instructed her. That was why, before giving her the medicine, he had given her a stern warning on how to use it and to do everything exactly as required....

By now, she had finished and moved aside, folding her arms as she waited expectantly.

Indeed, at once, Ummah’s labor grew more severe. She was now about to deliver. At that very moment, their husband, Malam Yahaya, who had gone out to call the midwife, came rushing back, while his mother’s wife—the town midwife—followed behind him. Seeing this, Lami quickly moved to Ummah’s side, consoling her and trying to help her, just as the midwife, Iya Suwai, entered the room and the baby came forth. She quickly went inside to help with what was needed.

After some minutes, the baby girl was in Lami’s hands. She stared at her, examining her closely, filled with bitterness at seeing a perfectly beautiful baby girl, mashallah, fair-skinned and soft like dough.

Like something out of a tale, Lami thought she saw the baby girl wink at her.

Lami widened her eyes, wanting to make sure what she had seen was real. The baby also widened her own eyes, and then Lami saw the baby suddenly burst into laughter. Her teeth showed in the baby’s mouth. Terrified, Lami screamed and stood up, trying to throw the baby away and run for her life, but it felt as though gum had been used to glue the baby to her hand. She could not stand properly; her body began to shake from overwhelming fear. She quickly turned her gaze back toward the baby, wanting to see where it was, only to find the baby staring at her with wide eyes and sticking out its tongue.

Mouth agape, Lami swallowed in fear. Filled with terror and shock, she had not even moved when she heard the baby say:

“Baabaah Lami, aren’t you going to bathe me? Do you want the cold to catch me?”

Only then did Lami remember that the reason she had taken the baby was to bathe her. Immediately, her whole body went limp. She had no strength left because of the intense fear. She began to think about how the baby had been born alive, after all. But Malam Kasan komai had told her that the child would come through in a woman’s labor; if it did not come out dead, then there would be no difference between it and a dead child.

At once, she began to remember how she had carried out everything when she was about to pour the medicine, and she started to think deeply about where the problem had come from.

Her chest pounded fast when she remembered the scream she had let out before pouring the medicine. If she was not mistaken, she had even cheered, which meant the work had succeeded—and as Malam Kasan komai had said, what would follow would not be good for them if the work succeeded.

By the time Lami got to that point in her thoughts, her panic had increased. She burst into tears, feeling that that was what she deserved in that moment of distress.

It was her crying that drew the attention of Iya Suwai, who entered the room carrying the basin that would be used to bathe the baby.

“Lami, are you all right? What is with this crying?” Iya Suwai said, looking at Lami in surprise.

Lami wiped away the tears as she began to...