Zatone Compelete Book

Description

ZATONE BOOK COMPELET 

It was a massive house, boasting a huge grey gate. I slowly pushed it open, barely managing to budge it.

Beyond was a crazy, sprawling courtyard—large enough to park well over twenty cars easily.

Even though my heart skipped a beat at the sheer size of the estate, it didn't stop me from taking it all in. The grounds were vast, like a wilderness.

Yet, despite its immensity, the perimeter was bordered by glowing white stones, and outdoor lamps cast a brilliant, sun-like radiance all around.

I headed straight for the main entrance leading into the house. Thank goodness, the glass door was unlocked. I quickly slipped inside like a thief.

I caught sight of a beautiful, elderly white woman who looked to be around sixty-seven or sixty-eight years old.

There was also a fair young man whose face I couldn't see because he was seated right in front of the woman, head bowed as if discussing something of utmost importance.

I tiptoed past them. My shadow caused the woman to look up, and I swiftly hid behind the oversized, cluster-style sofas that ringed the expansive living room.

I began to thoroughly inspect the enormous living room, which was entirely uncluttered save for four complete sets of plush sofas, each centered around an exquisite glass coffee table.

As I moved closer to the woman, I finally caught what she was saying: "Abdul Majid, honestly, I don't agree with you taking on another marriage until everything blows over. Do you see what is happening? It's not that I want to stop you from marrying, but I care for your safety first until this storm passes and we figure out what to do."

The one called Abdul Majid lifted his head, and I was startled by his striking good looks and commanding presence. He was a first-class handsome man, as fair as an Arab. He fixed his large, bloodshot eyes on the woman before speaking.

"But Mother, I wasn't the one who brought up this marriage; it was Daddy. I argued against it and tried to dismiss the topic, but he refused. Even I am tired of the suspicions people have started directing at me regarding a problem I know nothing about." He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Mother, please make Daddy withdraw this proposal."

He finished speaking in a heart-wrenching tone.

Mother let out a sigh before replying, "Alright, Abdul. I will call Alhaji. Truly, this situation needs review; something is definitely going on. Stand up and go, may God bless you."

"Amen," he responded, rising slowly with a composed gait. She watched him with a sympathetic gaze as he walked out toward his quarters.

Upon entering his room, he collapsed flat on his large bed, staring up at the ceiling as he began to mull over what was happening to him.

Origin Story

Malam Amadu, whom his extended family affectionately called Baffa Madu, was a native of Gombe State from the Bajoga district. He was a handsome, Fulani man of great dignity, poise, and immense kindness—a true gentleman. He was the only child born to his father, Baffa Yusif, who tragically died from a snakebite right on the farm shortly after Amadu’s birth, passing away before he could even twitch.

Not long after Baffa’s death, his mother, Inna Hassu, also passed away during a cholera epidemic.

His upbringing then fell to Inna Laraba, who lovingly continued to raise Amadu, caring for him and instilling morals to the best of her ability.

When Baffa Amadu was just twenty-one years old, Inna Laraba arranged his marriage to her daughter, Rabi'a.

A year into the marriage, God blessed them with a baby boy named Malam Yusif, after Baffa Amadu's father.

Two years after Yusif, Ramatu was born, followed by Rudwanu, and then Hafsat, named after Baffa Amadu's mother.

Around this time, Inna Laraba passed away—a death that deeply devastated them, as Inna Laraba had been their pillar of strength.

Following Inna Laraba's passing, Rabi'a gave birth to two more children, Abubakar and Umar, after which her childbearing ceased. Baffa Amadu—whom his children affectionately called by his name—ensured that all his children received both Islamic and Western education, all the way to advanced levels for both sons and daughters, despite his rural background and sharp intellect.

Every single one of his sons earned a degree and a master’s degree, while the daughters obtained NCE qualifications. Now, they are all fully grown adults, with no young children left in Baffa’s household (as both children and grandchildren called him).

He married them all off, and they have since started families of their own.

Abdul Majid is the son of Alhaji Yusif, a prominent businessman who amassed immense wealth, owning gas stations across Gombe and its surrounding rural routes.

He had only two children in the world: Abdul Majid and Rabi'a, whom they called Meema. They thoroughly spoiled Meema as the youngest daughter. They provided their children with both traditional and modern education, to the extent that Abdul Majid became a top-tier medical doctor. His father refused to let him work for the government, so he built a private hospital specifically for him. This didn't stop Abdul Majid from helping people; both the poor and the wealthy were treated equally.

Following the completion of Abdul Majid's education and the joyful opening of his hospital, he approached his father about marrying Rashida, a girl they had met while abroad in Germany.

This was precisely what Alhaji Yusif wanted. After extensive background checks regarding the girl's upbringing, the elders stepped in and wedding dates were set.

Just two weeks before the wedding, Rashida went out shopping with her mother and vanished completely—search everywhere as they might, there was no trace of her.

Abdul Majid was utterly distraught because he loved Rashida dearly. She was a grounded young woman whose parents' wealth hadn't spoiled her character, and studying among foreigners hadn't made her abandon her religion.

They filed reports with the police and broadcasted her photos on television and newspapers, but no news emerged. Eventually, Rashida's parents returned to apologize to Abdul Majid, as the ordeal had taken a severe emotional toll.

After everything finally settled down two years later, his father and mother eventually persuaded him to seek out another hand in marriage. He proposed to a young woman named Nafisa.

He and Nafisa grew very close, as she was a witty, humorous person who successfully helped ease his longing for Rashida. However, just three days before the wedding ceremony, she entered the bathroom to bathe. Her mother heard a startled scream, and upon rushing inside, found her throat slit like a sacrificial ram.

This incident caused Abdul Majid to collapse and end up in a hospital bed, where he spent a long time unconscious.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Abdul Majid sought marriage four more times. Twice, the brides simply vanished without a trace—searched for high and low, nowhere to be found.

His father also tried twice to arrange marriages for him with his sister's daughters: first, Mama Hafsa's daughter, who in her mother's presence began vomiting blood, convulsed, and died before even reaching the hospital; and second, Inna Ramatu's daughter, who was kidnapped just like the others.

At that point, malicious gossip began to spread. Some claimed Abdul Majid was a criminal gang member; others whispered that he was a sorcerer sacrificing human lives for wealth—terrible rumors no one wanted to hear.

Finally, the most recent tragedy struck: the daughter of Baba Ridwanu, his father's younger brother. Her body was found in her room alongside bottles of poison, leading the family to suspect she took her own life because she had previously expressed an aversion to the marriage.

Barely five months after Amina's death, his father approached him yet again with another trial—a marriage proposal to his friend's daughter.

Abdul Majid let out a heavy sigh as the ringing of his phone cut through his deep reverie.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw it was his father calling.

He answered with a greeting, "Good afternoon, Daddy. How is the office?"

Without answering his question, his father demanded, "Where are you?"

"I am in my room." "Then come down, I want to see you."

He acknowledged the order, then wearily stood up to answer his father's summons.

What on earth is happening to Abdul Majid? Is it true that he is a criminal, a blood-drinker, or a sorcerer?

Let's wait and see as the story unfolds piece by piece.

Summary

The narrative opens with a covert infiltration into a sprawling, heavily fortified estate by an unnamed narrator. Inside, an elderly woman (referred to as "Mother" or Amma) and a remarkably handsome, deeply troubled young man named Dr. Abdul Majid are discussing an ongoing crisis. Abdul Majid begs his father, Alhaji Yusif, to drop plans for yet another arranged marriage, weary of the dark, persistent rumors branding him a monster, a murderer, or a sorcerer.

The story then flashes back to the origins of the family, detailing the respectable, upright lineage of Baffa Amadu (Abdul Majid's grandfather) in Gombe State, emphasizing education, hard work, and deep-rooted values. It then traces the life of Alhaji Yusif and his son, Abdul Majid—a successful, benevolent doctor whose life has been cursed by horrific tragedies. Every single woman he has been slated to marry has met a horrific fate: Rashida vanished without a trace; Nafisa was murdered in the bathroom days before the wedding; two brides mysteriously disappeared; two cousins died violently (one vomiting blood, another found poisoned); and whispers of human sacrifice and dark sorcery have isolated Abdul Majid. Despite the devastating body count and social backlash, Abdul Majid's father remains unfazed, summoning his exhausted son once more to push yet another marriage onto him.

Analytics and Description

• Genre: Psychological Mystery, Family Drama, Romance / Suspense Fiction (Hausa Literature / Littattafan Soyayya style).
• Core Themes: Family honor, tragic destiny vs. human malice, societal rumor-mongering, parental pressure, and psychological trauma.
• Narrative Perspective: Shifts smoothly from an engaging first-person observational prologue into a broad, omniscient third-person generational background, before returning to deep third-person limited perspective centered on Abdul Majid's internal anguish.
• Character Dynamics:
  • Abdul Majid: A tragic protagonist caught between his father's relentless matchmaking and a bizarre string of supernatural or criminal disasters targeting his fiancées. He is empathetic, highly educated, and emotionally shattered.
  • The Father (Alhaji Yusif): Seemingly indifferent or stubbornly blind to the mounting body count and trauma surrounding his son's proposed marriages, continuously forcing unions despite the fatal pattern.
  • The Mother / Amma: A voice of reason and maternal empathy, counseling caution and recognizing the danger and psychological toll on Abdul Majid.
• Pacing and Tone: The text transitions from atmospheric and suspenseful (the opening infiltration) to nostalgic and respectable (the grandfather's origin story), before plunging into dark, high-stakes psychological dread.

Comments

• Atmospheric Hook: The framing device—sneaking into a fortified mansion to overhear a deeply personal and tense family conversation—instantly hooks the reader, establishing an air of mystery and voyeuristic intrigue.
• Strong Characterization: Abdul Majid is set up not as a villain, but as a sympathetic victim of circumstance. His physical attractiveness contrasts sharply with his internal vulnerability and exhaustion, making the community's swift turn toward vicious gossip feel especially unjust.
• Compelling Mystery Box: The recurring pattern of lost, murdered, or mysteriously dead brides creates a heavy, gothic mystery. Is there a serial killer targeting his partners within the extended family or close circle, is it a supernatural curse, or is someone close to Alhaji Yusif orchestrating these horrors to ruin Abdul Majid?

Conclusions

This excerpt establishes a rich, multi-generational family saga layered with heavy elements of psychological suspense and murder mystery. It effectively subverts the traditional romance trope by injecting high-stakes dread into the institution of marriage. The unresolved tension at the end—where Abdul Majid must face his relentless father yet again—sets the stage for a high-conflict confrontation that will likely expose hidden family dark secrets, test loyalties, and force the truth behind the cursed engagements out into the open.

Analytical DimensionDetailed Description & Breakdown 1. Narrative Structure & PacingUtilizes a framing device (first-person covert entry) to hook the reader, transitions into a detailed generational flashback (establishing pedigree and respectability), and settles into a suspenseful third-person narrative focused on psychological dread. 2. Character Archetypes & Motivations• Abdul Majid: The sympathetic, high-status victim trapped by family pressure. • Alhaji Yusif: The relentlessly driven, seemingly blind patriarch pushing hazardous unions. • The Mother (Amma): The empathetic voice of caution and emotional refuge. 3. Core Thematic ConflictsExplores the clash between tradition (parental authority over marriage) and modern reality (trauma, safety, and systemic danger), alongside the destructive power of societal gossip and unverified rumors. 4. Genre Conventions & FusionBlends elements of classic Hausa domestic drama (littattafan soyayya) with modern psychological thriller, gothic mystery, and investigative suspense through the recurring pattern of doomed fiancées. 5. Suspense & Mystery MechanicsLeverages a high-stakes "mystery box" via the repeating pattern of vanished, murdered, or poisoned brides, forcing the reader to question whether the cause is a curse, a family conspiracy, or an external saboteur.