Zuciyatace Book Compelet

Description

"Keh! Keh!! Ke!!! Are you waiting for us to get late?" From inside, I heard a voice answer, "Yes, Inna, we are coming out."

A young maiden stepped out, looking about fifteen years old, followed by a boy around ten. She was dressed in a dusty-blue (anta) skirt and blouse, carrying a Glorious Qur'an along with some books and a hijab of the same dusty-blue color. It was clear they were heading to Islamic school.

Yet, one glance at their uniforms revealed they were worn out (faded), as their original dark maroon color had faded into a light maroon due to age. However, because they belonged to clean children, the uniforms were always washed, ironed, and shining. Even now, the uniform was immaculately clean, starched, and gleaming.

She stood at the doorway of the room, grumbling that people never call others by their proper names, only shouting, "Keh! Keh!!" as if summoning a cart. She tried to put on her hijab, but burst into laughter because of the boy—clearly her younger brother, who looked just like her and was dressed in the same uniform of shirt, trousers, and cap—making faces at her.

She flashed him a glare and said, "Sajeed, I swear I'll slap you! Am I playing with you?"

He replied, "Sorry, Aunty SAJEEDAH, I've stopped."

She clicked her tongue—mtsww—and tried once more to put on her hijab.

As for me, seeing this, I quickly took a closer look at her. She was neither very light-skinned nor dark; her complexion was that rare, expensive chocolate color you might find only once in a crowd of a hundred people.

She wasn't a classic beauty, but she couldn't be called ugly either. She had a proportionate nose—neither too long nor too short—a small mouth, and crystal-white eyes like those from China, though without the deep-set squint. She was slightly tall, with a massive crown of natural hair that she never washed with shampoo. Tiny, soft hairs lay flat across her skin. Truly, SAJEEDAH had a breathtaking figure, possessing a classic hourglass (coca-cola) shape.

She had prominent hips and full breasts—hmmm, one could only say Tabarakallah, Masha’Allah. At that exact moment, SAJEEDAH put on her hijab.

The daughter of Malam Abubakar and Inna Saratu, she and her younger brother Sajeed were the only two children of their parents, with a five-year age gap between them. Originally, Malam Abubakar was from Niger Republic and was a complete orphan—both his parents had passed away, leaving only relatives who constantly pestered him. Consequently, he left his country and moved to Minna to settle.

He engaged in petty trading here and there, and that was how Allah brought him together with Saratu, whom he married. Allah blessed them with two children, Sajeedah and Sajeed. Truly, SAJEEDAH’s parents were dead-broke poor; you could easily tell this from their clothing and their living environment.

SAJEEDAH and her family lived in a dilapidated compound surrounded by rusted corrugated iron sheets. It consisted of two rooms built with sun-dried mud bricks, completely unplastered and unpainted. The doorways had no doors, and there was only a single toilet—also walled off with corrugated iron sheets—where if you stood up straight inside, anyone outside could clearly see you.

They lived in the Tunga neighborhood of Minna. SAJEEDAH spent the week helping with her father's business; he used to sell soup ingredients at the Maje market, but he had stopped due to poor sales. Now, he kept a small wooden table outside their house and sold retail items from a tray. She completed her primary education right here in Tunga and finished her junior secondary (WAEC) exams, but right now she was sitting at home, unable to progress to Senior Secondary School One (S.S. 1) due to a lack of money. Her greatest dream was to attend the School of Nursing, but financial hardship stood as a major obstacle.

Every day, Malam Abubakar, her father, prayed for the ability to fulfill SAJEEDAH’s dream of becoming a medical nurse.

Therefore, she only attended Islamic school now. She had completed reading the entire Qur'an long ago and was now memorizing it (hadda), because SAJEEDAH was brilliantly smart. In both Arabic and Western education, she excelled everywhere. Sajeed was also bright; he was in primary five at school and at primary twenty levels in Islamic school. There was a strong bond of affection between SAJEEDAH and Sajeed, and they loved each other dearly.

SAJEEDAH was a quiet, well-mannered, and obedient girl. She was extremely shy, modest, and pious (living up to her name). She was quiet, soft-spoken, and remarkably patient—so patient she was like a monitor lizard known for endurance. But if she ever got angry—hmmm—she was impossible to console. They say the patient have no anger, but when they do, it's intense. Sajeed shared many traits with his sister, differing mainly in being talkative and mischievous.

SAJEEDAH hated being called "Keh!" by their mother, which caused her to grumble, while Sajeed laughed at her.

(As for me, I couldn't help saying, "Sajeedah, you just have to bear it since you're the firstborn, and it seems Inna Saratu belongs to the old-school parenting club, lol!")

Malam Abubakar had a wealthy neighbor, a Fulani man named Alhaji Siddi. He was extremely rich, but also a notorious miser (a king of stinginess). He despised the poor entirely; though he had money that could kill him, he never helped the needy, and even his neighbors received nothing from him (except for obligatory Zakat, which he gave only with great difficulty). He had two wives—both Fulani—and five children: four girls and one boy.

His first wife, Hajiya Harira (whom they called Mama), was a patient woman who didn't look down on the poor. She had two daughters, Maryam and Balkisu.

The junior wife, Hajiya Hajara, shared her husband's stingy and elitist traits. She had three children: two girls and a boy. Sadeeqah was the eldest in her mother's quarters (whom they called "Momi"), followed by Suwaiba, and a boy named Maniru, though they called him Kiroh.

Aunty Maryam and Aunty Balkisu both studied at C.O.E. Minna.

Sadeeqah was in S.S. 1, Suwaiba was in J.S.S. 2, and Kiroh was in J.S.S. 1. All of them attended an expensive private school called Nuhu Raizin from primary school up to their current secondary classes, except for Sadeeqah, who after completing her junior WAEC was sent to a boarding school in Abuja, where she currently was.

There was zero discipline in Alhaji Siddi's household, though Hajiya Harira's quarters were somewhat better. Momi's quarters, however, were entirely loose.

SAJEEDAH’s only friend was Sadeeqah. Being age-mates, their chemistry matched perfectly, and they loved each other deeply. Their friendship had started when they were young, and despite numerous fights and attempts by people to force Sadeeqah to abandon Sajeedah, she refused to let go.

Sadeeqah would often bring food from her house to share with SAJEEDAH, and whenever she was given allowance money for school, she would share it with SAJEEDAH. Sadeeqah was beaten many times because of this friendship, but she never stopped.

SAJEEDAH knew this because she, too, had been warned. Momi had repeatedly twisted SAJEEDAH’s ears, warning her to stay away from her daughter, but to no avail. Their bond was divinely ordained.

That was why SAJEEDAH held an astonishing love for Sadeeqah, not for any material gain, but because of the genuine affection Sadeeqah showed her without ever looking down on her as the daughter of a destitute man. They loved each other purely for the sake of Allah. Sometimes, you might even think SAJEEDAH was afraid of Sadeeqah, but that wasn't the case—it was merely her quiet nature at play.

Curiously, despite all this friendship and mutual love, their characters were complete opposites.

Sadeeqah was undisciplined, shameless, and a flashy "swag" girl who attended parties, hung out with a different crowd of wealthy kids, and exuded arrogance—perhaps because she knew she was beautiful?

Indeed, she was a striking beauty, very light-skinned, though she had practically no body shape, walking somewhat stiffly. She was also prone to telling tall tales (which I figured wasn't a problem since she had the money to back it up). Furthermore, she had a hidden habit that SAJEEDAH knew nothing about: womanizing/flirting with men (Na'udzubillah).

What SAJEEDAH didn't know was that Sadeeqah had already gotten pregnant back when she was in J.S.S. 2, and now that she had gone to school in Abuja, her eyes had opened even wider. (Ah, may Allah guide us to the true path of Islam, Amin!)

With a frowning face, SAJEEDAH looked at Sajeed and said, "Well, shall we go?"

He put on a pitiful expression, looked at Inna—who was stirring porridge in a small pot—swallowed hard, and said, "Please, Aunty Jeedah, let's stay and drink, please?" (He sometimes called her that, or Aunty Sajeeh, while she called him Junior Jeed).

She glared at him and said, "Oh, really? What about being late?"

Inna chimed in, "Late for what? Since I’ve already made it, just stay and drink. You know he's not like you who sits around dawdling." As she spoke, she was dishing out the porridge.

Sajeedah sipped her pap slowly, as if reluctant, while Inna watched her closely. Sajeed, however, drank greedily without a care. Annoyance overtook Inna, so she pouted and said, "As for you, may Allah cure this lack of appetite of yours."

SajeEDAH smiled, which made my eyes pop out as I caught sight of a beauty spot right beside her dimpled cheek. (I thought to myself, Ah, so SAJEEDAH has hidden treasures on her body after all!) She lowered her head without saying a word. After they finished their pap, they finally left for Islamic school.

Today was Saturday, and it was the day the Niger State pilgrims were expected to arrive. Therefore, the Minna International Airport was packed to capacity with a crowd, everyone's face filled with the joy of reuniting with their loved ones.

It had already been announced that the flight was about to land, so everyone was fully prepared to welcome their family members.

Barely thirty minutes later, by the decree of the Almighty, the plane landed safely. After about thirty minutes, the pilgrims slowly began stepping out of the aircraft, walking down the steps calmly with radiant expressions. Within another thirty minutes, they had all finished disembarking.

I spotted a towering young man of about thirty stepping out from a doorway, accompanied by a stout man of around forty-five—dark-skinned and slightly tall—who appeared to be one of the pilots. They were dressed in uniform: white shirts, navy blue trousers, and caps. The fair young man was holding a navy-blue sweater in his hand along with three large phones. Slowly, he reached up and removed his cap, revealing a mass of ruffled hair that gleamed brilliantly from proper care.

The guy was fair, remarkably handsome, first-class material, tall, athletic, and broad-chested. His face was framed by a thick, healthy beard, and he had a long nose, sleepy-looking eyes, and a small pink mouth. Truly, the guy was drop-dead gorgeous; one glance told you he had Arab blood in him.

He walked calmly toward an office with the other man. After about fifteen minutes, he emerged and headed toward a massive luxury car bearing bold lettering: PILOT S. A. SARDAUNA.

The driver bowed slightly and said, "You are welcome, Sir!"

In his melodious, sweet voice, he replied, "Thanks, Peter, how far?"

"Fine, Sir," Peter answered.

"It's good," he said, before walking over to the rear door. Peter opened it, and he stepped inside to take his seat. Peter closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, got in, and drove off.

They drove into an exquisite, unimaginably luxurious mansion. Peter parked directly in a massive garage filled with about ten other luxury cars, each living up to its name.

Peter quickly hopped out, opened his door, and the young pilot slid out his well-toned legs, holding his belongings. He walked with calm composure, as if reluctant to touch the ground.

A beautiful, short, fair girl with full cheeks but practically no nose—around twenty years old—came running toward him so fast her cheeks were shaking, evidently intending to give him a hug.

Right then and there, he barked a terrifying shout that brought her to an abrupt halt out of sheer terror.

Honestly, even I was so startled by that shout that my writing pen dropped to the ground!

In intense frustration and with a raised voice, I heard him say—?

(Excerpt from the Hausa novel "Zuciyata Ce" by Ameenat Umar Faruq / Meenat)

Summary

The story opens in Minna, Niger State, introducing Sajeedah, a modest, disciplined fifteen-year-old girl from an impoverished background. She lives with her parents (Malam Abubakar and Inna Saratu) and her mischievous younger brother, Sajeed, in a dilapidated compound. Despite their poverty, Sajeedah is brilliant, pious, and dreams of becoming a nurse, though financial constraints hold her back from secondary school.

Her only true friend is Sadeeqah, the wealthy, spoiled, and rebellious daughter of Alhaji Siddi—a notorious miser and neighbor to Sajeedah's family. While Sajeedah is virtuous, Sadeeqah lives a double life of luxury, arrogance, and secret delinquency (including hidden pregnancy and promiscuity).

The narrative shifts to the airport to introduce Seeraj Abbas Sardauna (Pilot S. A. Sardauna), a wealthy, handsome, and disciplined airline pilot who has just returned from a flight. After arriving at his luxurious family mansion, he harshly rebuffs the overly forward advances of Zubee, a young woman pushed on him by his family as a prospective bride. The narrative then delves into the family history, tracing the wealth and background of his grandfather (Alhaji Sale Harka) and his father (Alhaji Abbas Sardauna), before setting up the cross-continental business connection that brought Alhaji Abbas into contact with his future wife, Raihana, in Jordan.

Description

• Setting: Minna, Niger State (contrasting the impoverished Tunga neighborhood of Sajeedah’s family with the opulent lifestyle of Alhaji Siddi and Pilot S. A. Sardauna's high-class mansion).
• Atmosphere: A mix of grounded realism depicting Nigerian working-class struggle (talakawa life), contrasted sharply with elite wealth, romance, family dynamics, and hidden secrets.

Analytics

• Thematic Contrast: The author heavily relies on juxtaposition—juxtaposing poverty against extreme wealth, piety against hidden delinquency (Sadeeqah), and calm discipline against explosive arrogance (Pilot Seeraj).
• Character Archetypes:
  • Sajeedah: The classic virtuous, patient, and oppressed heroine burdened by poverty yet rich in character.
  • Sadeeqah: The cautionary tale of a wealthy child corrupted by unmonitored freedom and poor moral guidance.
  • Pilot Seeraj: The quintessential brooding, ultra-wealthy, alpha-male romance protagonist who commands absolute respect and keeps women at arm's length.

Comments

• The opening chapters establish a rich, multi-layered plotline that weaves together separate social classes in Minna.
• The author's descriptive writing is vivid—particularly in painting physical appearances and contrasting environments—though certain characters (like Sadeeqah) embody dramatic extremes common in contemporary Hausa popular literature (littattafan soyayya).

Conclusions

This excerpt lays a strong foundation for a classic romantic drama and social commentary. It establishes the stark inequalities between the rich and the poor in Northern Nigerian urban settings, while setting the stage for inevitable collisions between the lives of Sajeedah, Sadeeqah, and Pilot Seeraj Sardauna as the plot unfolds.