Auren Bazawara Complete Book Oum Hairan

Description

Translation in English

Chapter 1

She kept greeting from the doorway of the house, but not even a cough was returned in response, while the sun beat down heavily on her head. She was dripping with sweat with nothing else, and seeing that her greetings were ignored, she lifted her wooden slate (allo) from her hand and placed it on her head to shield herself from the blazing sun that was tormenting her.

After a while, she repeated her greetings, but it was still silent with no response. This made her squat, remove her slippers, and sit on them like someone about to take a lesson.

From a distance, an elderly man walking towards her was watching her. He quickened his pace to confirm his suspicion. He reached right beside her and said, "NANA KHADIJATU, my child, what are you doing in this heat that everyone is running away from?"

She looked up quickly upon hearing her father's voice, and with joy, she looked at her father saying, "Abba, I have returned. I greeted, but it wasn't answered, so I sat here. I didn't know if there was no one at home."

"Regardless of all that, my child, why would you come and sit in this weather like you were forced? Get up at once so we can go inside, and don't you ever come and sit like this again, you hear? This could easily bring sickness upon you," said the father of KHADIJATUL KHUBRA. He took her hand and they headed inside the house.

Right from the doorstep, the father gave a greeting. Hearing silence with no response, Abba proceeded to push his way into the house while giving another greeting. What surprised Abba the most was seeing someone sitting right in the courtyard. He walked up to her, eyeing her closely, before he could utter, "Ladiyo, so you were sitting here while we were greeting, yet answering proved too difficult for you?"

She twisted her face (like a spoiling vegetable) before answering him, "I heard, so what? Or was I placed here just to answer your greetings?"

Seeing that she would embarrass him in front of his daughter, the father dropped the matter by saying, "May God set you right."

Ladiyo's immediate reply was, "May He set right something far worse than that."

He didn't reply to her further; he turned while shaking his head and walked into his room.

All this drama happened in front of Kubra, her head bowed down while tears trickled from within. Seeing that her father had left the spot, she also turned with the intention of leaving. However, Ladiyo's voice beat her to the doorway, hurling a string of insults at her. She quickly finished stepping inside, her heart beating wildly. She found a spot in the corner of the dark room and sat down, waiting for what else might come.

She sat inside the dim room, quiet and looking around like a stranger experiencing a new place for the first time. She struggled alone until sleep overpowered her.

She envisioned a magnificent, beautiful place. She hurried to reach it, but despite that, she couldn't get there and instead grew tired. This caused her to look for a place to sit, scanning the area to see if she could spot where water was. Finding no sign of water made her turn and look at the path she had taken—a straight path whose beginning she couldn't see, let alone the end. This made her drop her head and begin to cry out of despair.

From a distance, she began to hear the clamor of people accompanied by a sweet fragrance that made her quickly lift her head and follow the direction with her nose. It was a crowd of people in large numbers about to pass close by her. She quickly stood up to follow them. Even though they were riding, it didn't stop her from stepping in front of them, saying, "For God's sake, help me."

No one listened to her; instead, they surrounded her and kept moving. Running hastily, she stepped in front of them again, pleading with them. This time, out of annoyance at how she bothered some of them, they shouted at her. Startled, her body trembling with fear, she watched them. A giant rushed towards her carrying a whip, making her start crying, begging him for forgiveness. He raised the whip with the intention of bringing it down on her body.

Before he could complete his intent, a thin voice from behind him said, "Don't you dare do what you are trying to do." He turned hurriedly to see the speaker, but seeing the speaker's face made him step back from her, his body trembling like a reed in the wind.

A handsome youth appeared from where he had stepped back, dressed in white, his walk full of pride, until he reached where they were. He looked at the giant before opening his mouth; even before the giant could speak, he said respectfully, "I apologize, Your Highness."

The youth raised a hand to him, and without attempting to speak again, turned with the intention of leaving...

Chapter 2

She quickly followed behind him, trying to make him stop, but her effort bore no fruit. Even though he wasn't walking fast, she followed him saying, "SERVANT OF ALLAH, please stop."

Seeing that she couldn't catch up to him and he wasn't trying to stop, she kept following him. However, like someone walking in the wind, she couldn't reach him. She stopped, and at that moment, she watched as he got much farther away from her. She sat down full of frustration; she didn't even know his name, considering he was the one who saved her life. She smiled when she remembered that they would meet again, even if not this time.

Meanwhile, Ladiyo, who was sitting in the courtyard, had been calling out to KHUBRA ever since she passed by. Hearing silence with no response, she stood up and headed to the room with the intention of checking what on earth Khubra was doing that made her refuse to answer when called. Entering the room, she found her lying on her old, threadbare mat where she slept. Finding her sleeping caused no small amount of anger. She shook her head before turning back, saying, "So you're ignoring me, young girl?"

She picked up a large earthen water pot (randa), headed to the room with it, and without waiting for anything, poured its contents all over KHUBRA who was in the middle of a dream.

Startled, Khubra jumped up, checking her body which was soaked with water, while the whole room was flooded and the water pooled in the center. She looked up at LADIYO, who stood casting a wicked glare at her. She turned again to look at the room; every single item inside was soaked because there was a lot of water.

She began gathering her clothes with the intention of cleaning up. LADIYO, standing and rolling her eyes at her, snatched her and washed her face with a slap. Khubra was dazed, not knowing what to do—should she cry or what? Her lack of support drove her to look for a way out of the room. Ladiyo's insults stopped her. She turned back, saying politely, "Forgive me, Baba Ladiyo, I will clean the place up."

"You son of a bitch, you're telling me you'll clean the place? By God, you can't," Ladiyo said, before continuing, "At once, before I discipline you, go fetch water. You know my work is waiting for you, yet you entered the room and went to sleep thinking you're a queen, huh?"

She slipped past her and went out without saying another word, knowing the kind of work waiting for her. She took her water pot and headed to the stream, feeling terrible with her clothes wet. She walked feeling overwhelmed with shame because her body shape was visible through her wet clothes, even though the path wasn't crowded, simply because of her extreme modesty.

She walked along thinking about what happened just before she left home. In another part of her mind, she thought about her dream, which she could almost consider the catalyst for everything.

She finished fetching water and immersed herself in household chores. Despite her young age, today and tomorrow's trials had hardened her in domestic work. She worked the entire day like a donkey until close to sunset before she finished. Only then did she find peace of mind after taking a bath, performing ablution, and entering her room—the first time since she left that she managed to step back inside.

She stood for a long time watching how the earth absorbed the water in the room. She managed to edge to the side and start her prayers. Before a few hours passed, she had finished. She lay down in the corner, all curled up. Only then did the memory of her dream return. She smiled, wishing to see his face again, even if just in a dream, though she never expected to see him in reality.

Life continued like this for KHUBRA. Every single morning she would go to the Qur'anic school (makaranta allo), and as soon as she returned, she would dive into endless chores until Maghrib. She had nowhere to go and stayed home all the time (like locust beans/daddawa). Her life was solitary, with no friends and no confidante. Her biggest worry was nothing other than not being able to visit her mother's relatives, whom she couldn't even remember since she was too young when it happened. She wiped away the trickling tears, feeling pity for her life and the cage she was trapped in.

Chapter 3

On a cool Wednesday morning, while walking on the path, the thought of the man she saw in her dream returned to her. She felt there was nothing in the world she desired to see more than him, having not seen him for a whole week. She began walking faster to reach home, her only goal being to finish her usual chores and lie down so that today, by chance, she might have the luck of seeing him.

She arrived, but what did she find? Upon reaching the house, she found Ladiyo and her younger sister who had come from KANO sitting in the shade, laughing loudly and filling the house with noise. She greeted repeatedly, but none of them bothered to answer. She passed by and put down her slate. She returned, knelt down on the floor, and greeted Asma'u, who was nicknamed Ma'u.

Ma'u twisted her face, glared fiercely at her, followed by a hiss, and snapped dismissively, "Get out of my sight here, you busybody."

With a heavy heart, Khubra stood up and left the spot, her mind upset, and she dived into her chores without a care for anything else.

Ladiyo let out a loud hiss that made her sister Ma'u look at her, asking, "Yaya, I hope everything is well?"

"Nothing is well; with this cursed girl in this house, I never find peace," Ladiyo replied.

Ma'u seized the opportunity and began to speak: "Yaya, I swear I hate this girl myself. When I came, I didn't expect she was still here. Now, here is a proposal: why don't you give her to me so we can go to the city? We can find her domestic work, and whatever she is paid every month, she can send to you. You see, you get to rest from sitting around doing nothing with no business of your own. Or what do you say?" She ended her talk wanting to hear a response.

Ladiyo began pondering Ma'u's words, and after a while, she said, "Well, but think about it, Ma'u. How will you take her without her father knowing? I'm not her biological mother—people already mock me for not bearing children—and I'm sure he won't agree."

"Oh, come on, Yaya, you're acting like you're not a woman. Whenever a matter is brought up, you don't agree right away; you always raise objections. Fine then, continue sitting around with no business." She frowned, clearly unhappy with her sister's response.

"No, Ma'u, you don't understand what I mean. Malam Buba must know where she goes. Even if she is taken without his knowledge, he will ask, and seeing that I didn't give birth to her, how will he agree to what I say?"

"Alright, I understand. But you should figure out how to pack her clothes, take her to work so you too can get ahead."

They burst into laughter, high-fiving each other. For the rest of the day, Ma'u kept persuading Ladiyo until she finally agreed to do it even if Malam Buba didn't like it.

After spending three days in the village of Kashin Dila, Ma'u intended to return to where she came from. The clothes Khubra came out with confirmed that they had succeeded in their plot. With her face full of worry, they said their goodbyes. Ladiyo saw them off to the doorstep, wishing her sister a safe journey. They took an Okada (commercial motorcycle) which dropped them directly at the Hadejia town motor park. Around one in the afternoon, their bus hit the road.

The journey progressed. Khubra, stuck in the booth amidst luggage, weighed down by worldly worries and deep thoughts, didn't notice when sleep overtook her.

He turned and saw her crouching, head bowed down, doing nothing but crying. With his majestic stride, he walked right up to her. She didn't know he was coming until she smelled his fragrance close by. She quickly looked up and opened her mouth to speak. He reached out and covered her mouth. Khubra widened her eyes, shocked by what was happening. She quickly pulled his hand away from her mouth and asked anxiously, "Why are you touching me when I am not your lawful wife?"

He looked her up and down before answering, "Have you ever heard of a husband committing a crime by touching his wife?"

Khubra opened her mouth, staring at him. How did I become his wife? Khubra said this aloud without realizing it.

With anger and annoyance, he began to speak: "Did I lie to you then? Since you take me for a liar, from today you will never see me again. I will go far away from you until the time you realize the truth." With that, without speaking to her again, he turned and continued walking away.

She pleaded with him to come back, but alas, all her crying didn't make him even look back. She wept bitterly, saying, "For God's sake, don't leave me, please come back, I agree..."

Right at the moment she was dreaming, they arrived at the city of Kano Dabo, the city overflowing with blessings. She was sleeping soundly in the booth, her lips moving, head turning, and tears streaming down her face. She didn't even know when the booth was opened until Ma'u came over, furiously scolding Khubra for not coming out, only to find her sleeping. She dealt her a slap. Startled, Khubra woke up, holding her cheek, climbed down, began fetching the luggage, and they headed out of the station.

Only then did she realize that everything that happened was just a dream. She touched her face, and the water she felt on it left her wondering where she got it.

"Get moving, you're wasting my time. Walk or I'll discipline your body..."

With a weak heart, she dragged her feet and they continued on their way.

Summary

The story follows Khubratul Khubra (Kubra), a young, gentle, and extremely modest girl living a difficult life in a village under the care of her stepmother, Ladiyo. Kubra's father, Malam Buba, is somewhat detached, leaving Kubra subjected to harsh treatment, heavy domestic labor, and isolation by Ladiyo, who resents her.

Amidst her harsh reality, Kubra experiences recurring, vivid dreams about a mysterious, handsome young man in white who protects her from a hostile crowd and treats her with cryptic familiarity, claiming she is his wife—a man she grows emotionally attached to despite never meeting him in reality.

The plot thickens when Ladiyo’s visiting sister, Ma'u from Kano, convinces Ladiyo to secretly traffic/send Kubra off to the city under the guise of domestic work ("aikatau") so they can profit from her monthly wages. Despite initial hesitation regarding Malam Buba, Ladiyo agrees. Kubra is packed away into the booth of a bus heading to Kano. During the journey, as she sleeps in the booth, she dreams of the mysterious man again, who tells her he is leaving because she doubts him, leading to an emotional awakening as she arrives in Kano with Ma'u, realizing the harsh transition from her village life to an uncertain future in the city.

Description

• Setting: Set primarily in a rural northern Nigerian village (Kashin Dila / Hadejia) and transitioning into the bustling urban landscape of Kano (Kano Dabo). The atmosphere swings between the oppressive, dusty heat and harshness of village chores and the mystical, emotional dreamscapes of Khubra's subconscious.
• Themes:
  • Resilience and Innocence: Kubra's endurance of emotional abuse, overwork, and loneliness while maintaining her modesty and gentle nature.
  • Cruelty of Stepparents: The stereotypical harsh dynamic between stepchildren and stepmothers/relatives lacking empathy (Ladiyo and Ma'u).
  • Destiny and Mysticism: The intertwining of reality and dreams through the enigmatic male figure who anchors Kubra’s emotional hope.
• Tone: Melancholic, empathetic, dramatic, and suspenseful, blending traditional Hausa rural life with elements of romance and psychological magical realism.

Analytics

• Character Dynamics & Conflict:
  • Protagonist: Kubra represents the archetype of the oppressed yet pure-hearted maiden. Her lack of a voice or allies isolates her, shifting her internal coping mechanism to her dreams.
  • Antagonists: Ladiyo and Ma'u symbolize greed, exploitation, and domestic cruelty. Their alliance shifts Kubra's conflict from passive endurance at home to active displacement/trafficking to the city.
• Narrative Structure & Pacing:
  • The excerpt utilizes alternating shifts between waking reality (harsh chores, verbal abuse) and surreal dream sequences (the protector in white).
  • The dream sequences serve as a psychological coping mechanism and foreshadow future romantic/destined plot points.
• Stylistic Elements: Written in popular Hausa urban/contemporary fiction style (Littattafan Soyayya elements), characterized by emotional hyperbole ("kuka mai tsanani", heart beating at "9²"), direct reader/author interactions, and culturally rich descriptions (use of allo, randa, tsakar gida, and regional travel routes like Hadejia to Kano).