“I swear to Allah, today I must be paid. I don’t care!”
She held a tortoise, rolling her eyes and twisting her mouth angrily, her body shaking as if she was possessed.
The boy standing before her bowed down, begging her,
“Please Mairo, forgive me. I swear I won’t do it again. I thought you had gone somewhere else, that’s why I fetched water for you. I didn’t know you wouldn’t like it.”
That was when she looked at him angrily and said,
“Did I tell you to do it? You and your useless style! Today either you blow up that pot or I beat you mercilessly!”
An old woman who was washing clothes by the river looked at her and said,
“Mairo, why don’t you ever listen? What did this boy do wrong just because he fetched water for you?”
Mairo glared at her and twisted her mouth,
“And you, old woman, what is your business with me? Was I talking to you? Did I ask him to fetch water for me? This is pure disrespect!”
The old woman replied,
“You are really rude, Mairo. Just from talking, you’re acting like a mad person.”
Mairo snapped back,
“Hmph! You know I’m not mad, yet you interfere in my matter just to provoke me!”
---
Just then, Almu arrived with his donkey carrying empty water containers.
He looked at Mairo and could tell she was causing trouble from the way she was shaking and glaring. He simply smiled and greeted the old woman.
“Inna, good morning.”
“I’m fine, Almu. How are you?”
“Alhamdulillah.”
He then looked at Mairo,
“What’s wrong with you? Why all these angry looks?”
She ignored him and kept shaking her body.
The old woman scoffed,
“That’s how she is—full of disrespect and useless anger.”
Mairo turned to her angrily,
“What’s your problem? I didn’t tear your clothes. Mind your business, I don’t like interference!”
Before she could finish,
Almu slapped her hard, grabbed her, and threw her aside.
“Why are you so disrespectful? Is this how you talk to elders?”
Mairo screamed loudly, fell to the ground, rolling and pulling her hair,
“Oh no! I’m finished! He has killed me! Somebody save me!”
Almu became scared seeing her dramatic reaction. He bent down to help her up,
“Get up, let me see—”
Suddenly, she bit his hand hard.
He cried out in pain and quickly released her.
The old woman covered her mouth in shock,
“What kind of troublesome girl is this?!”
Almu stayed quiet, rubbing his hand, clearly hurt, then went to the river to continue filling his containers.
Mairo kept crying and rolling on the ground, but no one paid her any more attention.
---
Later, Halilu arrived and rushed to her,
“What happened? Are you okay?”
She just cried louder without answering.
He turned to the old woman and Almu, asking what happened.
The old woman said,
“She was just being rude. Almu pushed her a little, and she fell and started all this drama.”
Through tears, Mairo said,
“They’re lying! She told him I insulted her, then he lifted me and threw me!”
She screamed again as if she had been stabbed.
The old woman was shocked at her lies.
Halilu looked at Almu,
“How could you do that to her?”
Almu smiled,
“You know Mairo’s behavior. She’s lying.”
Halilu asked,
“What started all this?”
The old woman explained everything.
Halilu shook his head and then beat Mairo with a stick.
Immediately she ran home crying loudly.
---
When she got home, crying and holding where she was beaten, her grandmother rushed to her.
“What happened, Mairo?”
She hugged her, crying,
“They want to kill me! They gathered and beat me!”
Her grandmother became angry,
“Who touched you in this town?!”
Mairo lied as usual,
“It was that old woman. She told Almu I insulted her, then he threw me down and broke me!”
Her grandmother quickly checked her body angrily,
“If they broke you, we will take them to court!”
When she touched her leg, Mairo screamed loudly again,
“Halilu also beat me there!”
But when her grandmother checked properly, there was no injury at all.
Halilu later proved she was lying when she ran perfectly after he threw his shoe at her.
---
Eventually, her grandmother warned her seriously to stop lying and being rude.
Mairo cried and promised,
“I won’t do it again.”
Her grandmother softened and forgave her.
---
Later in the day, Mairo went out to sell food.
While walking, she heard music in the distance and followed it out of curiosity.
She arrived at a place that looked like a garden and saw people dressed alike—royal guards.
At the center sat a prince playing a game.
Mairo, curious and fearless, approached them and greeted,
“Assalamu Alaikum.”
The guards quickly moved toward her with swords, but one stopped them on the prince’s command.
She was brought before him.
After some interaction, she introduced herself:
“My name is Maryam, but they call me Mairo. What’s your name?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Later, he said,
“My name is Yusuf Usaini.”
She laughed happily,
“That’s why you are handsome! People named Yusuf are always handsome!”
He smiled slightly.
---
The scene continues with their playful conversation, showing Mairo’s bold, funny, and troublesome personality.
---
Summary of Mairo’s Character:
Very stubborn
Extremely dramatic
Lies often
Fearless and outspoken
Funny and entertaining
---
After Grandma agreed, they took Mairo to meet an elderly man and explained everything to him. He also agreed, especially after seeing that Mairo’s situation was serious.
Father was very happy because ever since his younger brother died, he had wanted Mairo to be brought to him, but Grandma had refused.
---
Around sunset (Maghrib time), they set out on the journey.
They had to stop about four times because Mairo kept vomiting. Her body was shaking from cold, and she quickly developed a fever. They even had to turn off the car’s air conditioner.
---
9:37 PM
They arrived in Sokoto.
When Qasin woke Mairo, she was fast asleep, hugging Momi tightly. After everyone got out of the car, Momi woke her.
Startled, Mairo jumped out of the car and looked around in shock.
The house was a large upstairs building, beautifully decorated everywhere. Mairo kept rubbing her eyes, thinking she was dreaming.
---
Momi held her hand to take her inside, but Mairo stopped at the entrance, clearly afraid.
Momi became worried she might refuse to enter.
“Are you okay? Let’s go inside.”
Mairo stayed silent, holding her shoulder nervously.
“Is this the house?” she finally asked.
“Yes, this is it. Come.”
She still hesitated, but Momi gently pulled her inside.
---
Inside the living room, Mairo held Momi tightly.
Usman was lying on a long chair sleeping, while Siraj was watching TV. Siraj stood up happily to greet them.
“Welcome, Momi.”
“Thank you. You’re still awake?”
“Yes. Who is she?” he asked, pointing at Mairo.
“She’s your younger sister.”
“You brought her from the village?”
“Yes. Let me go inside first.”
---
Momi took Mairo upstairs to the bedroom. Even there, Mairo kept holding her hand.
After resting a bit, Momi told her:
“Go take a bath, eat, and sleep.”
Mairo shook her head.
“No, Grandma only washes my feet when I want to sleep.”
Momi replied,
“Here, we take a full bath. Go and remove your clothes.”
---
After bathing her, Momi brought her out. Mairo immediately jumped onto the bed without waiting.
Momi prayed, then later brought food and tried to wake her.
Mairo woke up suddenly, frightened.
“Here, eat and sleep.”
She stared at Momi before taking the food.
It was tuwo (swallow) with soup and meat.
“I can’t finish it,” Mairo said.
“Eat what you can.”
---
She ate quickly and finished, making a mess everywhere with the soup.
“Where do I wash my hands?” she asked.
Momi showed her the toilet.
---
Later, when Momi tried to leave the room, Mairo quickly got up.
“You’re leaving me here alone?”
“Are you scared?”
“Yes, I can’t sleep alone.”
Momi tried to calm her, but Mairo refused.
Finally, Momi shouted at her to sleep.
Trembling, Mairo lay down and buried her face in the mattress. She cried softly until she fell asleep.
---
The Next Morning
Momi woke her up early for prayers.
Mairo was trembling with fear, but followed her.
After praying, she went back to sleep.
Around 8 AM, Siraj woke her up.
Still sleepy, she started calling for Grandma.
---
When she came downstairs and saw the height of the building, she screamed loudly in fear.
“I’m finished! Grandma, I’m going to die!”
Everyone burst into laughter except Siraj.
Momi scolded her,
“Why are you shouting like that?”
Qasin smiled,
“She’s just scared. She’s a village girl.”
---
At breakfast, Mairo cried.
“I want to go home.”
“Why?” Siraj asked.
“I don’t like this house. I don’t like upstairs houses. And Momi keeps scolding me.”
They laughed again.
---
Later, Momi told her to wash dishes and clean the house.
Mairo refused, saying,
“I don’t know how.”
Momi warned her strictly.
So Mairo started washing while crying, doing it poorly because she had never done such work before.
---
Later That Day
Momi refused to give her lunch because she refused to bathe.
In the evening, Mairo begged for food.
Qasin came in and asked what happened.
Momi explained she was trying to discipline her.
Mairo cried and insulted Momi, but Qasin stopped her.
He calmed her down and told her to apologize.
After a while, she apologized softly.
---
The Next Day
Momi woke her early again.
This time, they prepared breakfast together. Momi didn’t shout at her since she cooperated.
---
Suddenly, Qasin entered angrily with some papers.
“This is a contract the Prince sent to our company.”
Momi was happy at first, but Qasin was upset.
“He just wants to ruin my life.”
They discussed whether to accept or reject it.
Momi advised him to accept it wisely.
After much discussion, Qasin agreed.
---
As he was leaving, Mairo ran to him,
“Please take me out, I want to go outside!”
He smiled slightly,
“Not now.”
She became sad again.
---
Later
Momi told Mairo to clean again. Mairo started crying.
When Momi later called her to bathe, something happened—
Mairo screamed loudly in the bathroom.
Momi rushed in and realized the shower water was too hot.
She quickly turned it off and comforted Mairo.
“I’m sorry, I forgot how hot it gets.”
Mairo cried,
“I want to go back home to Grandma.”
Momi calmed her and bathed her gently.
---
Later, Mairo asked:
“Can I go on errands for you?”
Momi smiled,
“No, if I need anything, I’ll send the driver.”
Mairo felt sad again.
---
Final Scene
Later, Qasin saw her and asked,
“Are you okay?”
She ignored him and kept eating.
Momi explained she got burned by hot water.
Qasin felt sorry and comforted her.
Then Momi sent Usman to buy clothes for Mairo.
---
Summary of This Part:
Mairo struggles to adapt to city life
She is scared of modern things (stairs, shower, etc.)
She misses her grandmother deeply
Momi is strict but caring
Qasin is calmer and kinder to her
Conflict begins with the “Prince” (Yarima), hinting at future drama
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