Abban Sojoji Book 2 Complete Hausa Hausa By Hafsat Bature

His body suddenly went cold as he moved closer to her, crouched down in front of her and said, “Hey, that’s enough crying! Lift your head and tell me what is troubling you. Why do you keep coming every day asking for Hajiya?”

She raised her tear-stained face, mixed with mucus as she sobbed, and said, “I come looking for Hajiya because I heard she helps young girls from the village find housework jobs where they are paid.”

He stared at her for a moment before saying, “But why are you looking for work at your age? Aren’t there elders in your family?”

She shook her head. “No, there is no one. We have no one. It’s just me and my siblings, and they are sick in the hospital. The doctor said they need surgery. I don’t have the money for it because they are many. That’s why I want a job so I can earn money and save it for their treatment so they won’t die and leave me alone!” She finished speaking and lowered her head, crying.

Now he understood why the little girl had insisted on seeing Hajiya. In his heart he said, “This poor child is carrying such heavy worries at her age. Oh, but she has a good mind!”

He held her hand and said, “Wipe your tears, that’s enough. I’ll help you see Hajiya. Come, let’s go sit on the bench.”

She stood up and followed him. They sat together on the bench. After a while he said, “Be quiet now and stop crying. Allah is the guardian of His servants. Even if a person has no one, as long as they believe in Allah, He will be their protector. Keep praying and your siblings will recover, and you will play with them again.”

She smiled because his words comforted her. He reached for the tea he was brewing in his small kettle. He had two small cups he used for serving tea. She kept glancing at the little metal kettle he used to boil the tea, fascinated by what was inside it. He poured some into a cup and handed it to her. She received it with both hands; she hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day. He poured some for himself into the other cup and sipped while telling her a folktale about a spider and a toad.

She didn’t really understand what he was saying. The tea he gave her distracted her because of its sweetness, especially with the sugar he added. She sipped it slowly. About three times she finished it and he kept refilling her cup. Finally he said jokingly, “You are really something! Look at you finishing all my tea. When Hajiya finds you a job and you start working, you’ll pay for my tea.”

She smiled, surprised at how he addressed her like a boy even though he could clearly see she was dressed as a girl.

Evening came and Hajiya had not yet returned. At the time of the Asr prayer, he opened the small gate door and they went inside. He fetched water for ablution, and they performed it together. Then he spread a mat for prayer. He led the prayer while she stood behind him.

After they finished, they remained seated on the prayer mat. He moved his prayer beads in remembrance while she drifted into deep thought. By Maghrib time they prayed again. Even before finishing, he heard the sound of Hajiya’s car arriving.

Joy filled her heart—today, by Allah’s will, she would finally meet Hajiya. He finished the prayer quickly and went to open the gate. Hajiya drove in with her large car and parked it. He shut the gate and followed behind her car, praising her as usual.

The girl couldn’t stop smiling. She remained seated on the prayer mat, waiting for the guard to speak to Hajiya about her. He opened the car door for her and she stepped out. She was one of those well-built women, fair-skinned and glowing, though it seemed she enhanced her complexion with bleaching cream. She wore an expensive blue lace dress decorated with stones, which suited her beautifully. She adjusted her headscarf. Diamond rings adorned her fingers, and a diamond necklace hung around her neck. Her makeup was striking—bright eyes, a long pointed nose, and bold red lipstick.

Respectfully, he said, “Welcome back, Hajjaju Makkatu!”

She frowned slightly, looking tired, and said, “Alright, Aku Sarkin Dumi, did anyone come while I was away?” She asked as she opened the back door of the car, for she hadn’t come alone—she had brought some village girls with her.

The guard replied, “Yes, many people came, but I didn’t take their names. I just told them you were away. However, there’s one child who keeps coming to look for you. I told her to wait for you today.”

She raised her eyes and noticed the girl sitting on the prayer mat wearing a hijab. Then she looked back at the girls in the car who were reluctant to come out. She clicked her tongue and said, “Are you planning to sleep in the car?”

One talkative girl laughed and said, “Hajiya, honestly this car feels so cool inside, the air is so refreshing I don’t even want to step out.”

Hajiya shook her head and smiled slightly. “That coolness you’re enjoying is the air conditioner. Even inside the house there is AC everywhere.”

Excited, the five girls stepped out. They looked like people rescued from hardship—their clothes were mismatched and tight, their shoes worn out, their makeup messy with lipstick smeared across their cheeks, black dots marked on their noses and foreheads. They scratched their heads constantly.

This was how she brought them from the village, groomed them, and placed them in homes as domestic workers, taking her commission.

She looked at the guard and said, “Bring the girl to me.”

Then she turned to the village girls and said, “Let’s go inside. But if any of you misbehave, I’ll send you back to your village to continue selling fura at the market.”

They entered the living room, and the girl followed behind them. The village girls stared around in amazement at how beautiful the place was. They even tried climbing onto the plush sofas, but Hajiya stopped them sharply. “Hey! None of you should sit on my sofas. There’s a carpet—sit on it. Behave like women!”

They settled down quietly. The girl, being more composed, found a spot to sit alone, while the others squeezed together like canned fish.

Hajiya went inside calling her maid, “Larai! Larai! Where are you? It’s like there’s no one in this house.” Larai came out, yawning, as if she had just woken up.

“Welcome back, Hajiya. I fell asleep. I took some cold medicine because it was disturbing me.”

Hajiya clicked her tongue playfully. “I don’t trust you and this constant cold medicine. Are you sure you haven’t started taking other substances?” she teased.

Larai laughed. “Hajiya, may Allah protect me from such things.”

“Good. Now, is there food in the house? I’ve brought children from the village.”

Larai shook her head. “No, Hajiya. I didn’t know you were coming back today. I would have cooked.”

Hajiya sighed. “It’s my fault for not informing you. We have bread, right? Just prepare tea and maybe some noodles for them.”

“Yes, Hajiya,” Larai replied and went to the kitchen.

Hajiya went to her room to freshen up and change.

The girl prayed silently in her heart, asking Allah to grant her this job so she could help her siblings who were suffering. One of the village girls asked her, “Do you know how to turn on the TV? Turn it on for us.”

She shook her head—not because she didn’t know how, but because she was afraid Hajiya might scold her and send her away. They mocked her, saying, “She probably doesn’t know how. Just a sad village girl.”

She glared at them and said, “Yes, I know how—but I won’t. Don’t you have hands?” They fell silent, surprised that the quiet girl could speak up.

Hajiya returned wearing a milk-colored night outfit, her hair tied with a ribbon, holding an Infinix Hot 10 phone. When they saw her, they sat properly.

She sat on a three-seater sofa so she could address them comfortably. The girl leaned against the two-seater on the right while the others sat to her left.

Calmly she began, “I have already explained everything to you, haven’t I?” They nodded.

“What remains now is to teach you how to conduct yourselves. You cannot go to people’s houses as workers looking untidy. You must learn personal hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and food hygiene. You need to learn many things from me, and by Allah’s will, I will guide you.”

She turned to the girl and said, “Young lady, you’ve been quiet. I don’t know you, but I want to know why you are looking for me.”

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but seeing the village girls staring at her like rabbits made her stammer.

Hajiya’s voice made them look away. “Is that your problem—always staring and gossiping?” They lowered their heads but kept listening.

In a soft voice the girl said, “I heard you help girls get jobs, so I came to ask for your help too.”

Hajiya held her head with her left hand. “Oh dear! If I had known that was why you came, I would have told you earlier to go home. Right now, no one has asked me to find them a worker. These girls you see are the only ones left to deliver to those I already promised. There’s no new request. I’m sorry, my daughter.”

It felt like a hammer had struck her head. Her body went cold and tears filled her eyes. She had struggled daily, walking back and forth to this woman’s house seeking work. Remembering her siblings’ condition, she knew she couldn’t give up.

Almost breaking into tears she pleaded, “Please help me. I can do any kind of work. My siblings are in the hospital and need surgery. The doctor said it costs eight hundred thousand. We don’t have it, and there’s no one to help us. I’m the only one trying to find a way.”

Seeing her desperation moved Hajiya. “That’s enough. Wipe your tears. How much did the doctor say?”

“Eight hundred thousand,” she replied.

Hajiya nodded. “If I had it, I would help. But things are expensive now, money doesn’t stay long with me. For now, where is your home? It’s late. Should I take you home, or will you stay here and return tomorrow?”

Quickly she said, “I will stay here. There’s no one at home—they are in the hospital. I won’t go back until I start paying for the surgery.”

Hajiya said, “Alright. But tomorrow I will investigate, and we will go to the hospital together. I don’t take a child without the knowledge of her family.”

“Okay,” the girl answered.

Larai returned carrying plates. She arranged three loaves of bread, a jug of tea, and small cups before them, then went back to bring the rest of the food she had prepared.