In the Damare neighborhood, young girls and boys, along with adults, crowd around the borehole to buy water. A large bucket costs ten naira, and three large buckets cost twenty naira. People often come to fetch water here, especially on days when there hasn't been water for two days, because most of the buyers are those who sell water using jerry cans and carts. If you see a young girl or boy buying water, it's likely their parents are very poor or just very lazy.
Aysher was sitting to the side, waiting for her turn because she didn't arrive early. It was only when Yadikko saw that the electricity was restored that she sent her. If the electricity is on, the water is cheaper than when they have to use a generator.
Aysher had just returned from school and was about to start eating when Yadikko told her to go fetch water. Seeing that the electricity was on, Yadikko instructed her to buy three large buckets of water.
Since Aysher isn't fond of noise, she sat to the side, eating raw sweet potatoes given to her by her friend Fatima Alhasan. Fatima had hidden them in her bag when she knew Aysher was going to fetch water.
After waiting for an hour, it was finally her turn, and she filled the buckets, carrying them one by one until she was done. She entered the house, carrying the last bucket and greeting with a smile, happy to finish so she could eat and then head to Islamic school to prepare for the upcoming Qur'an graduation ceremony in two weeks.
After eating, she washed her hands and grabbed her hijab and Qur'an. She lifted the curtain and said in Fulfulde, "Yadikko, I'm done, I'm going to school."
Yadikko looked up sternly and said, "You won't go now. First, go to Innawuro's house and finish the morning chores you didn't complete. Then you can go to school. If you finish your chores and return from school, even if it's 3 AM, you can finish the chores here. Your father proudly said you'd study. After this Qur'an graduation, you won't attend any more Islamic school. You'll work at Innawuro's house since your father won't let you hawk. That's settled."
With a heavy heart, Aysher returned her Qur'an to her room and left the house, heading to Innawuro's house.
**WHO IS AYSHER?**
Aysher Usman Abdullahi is her full name. She is 16 years old and in SS1 in her Western education, while she's in the final class in Islamic school. Aysher is a complete Fulani girl who, if she chooses, won't speak Hausa all day. She is extremely reserved and very beautiful. Her father works in trade, traveling between Gwari and Lagos, and he is reasonably well-off.
Aysher doesn't know her mother, except through pictures. According to her father's story, when she was eight months old, her mother left early one morning, leaving her on the veranda. At that time, Yadikko was the first wife and had three children: Muhammad, Bilal, and Zulai, who is now married because Yadikko refused to let her continue her education.
Despite efforts to bring Aysher's mother back, she refused, and there was an irreconcilable dispute between her and Baffa Usman (as he is called). There was nothing Baffa could do, so he reluctantly divorced her, even though he still loved her.