Hamdah Book One Complete Hausa Novel

Hamdah Book One is an engaging Hausa novel filled with family love, humour, lively conversations and the everyday experiences surrounding its young main character, Hamdah. This English version allows readers to enjoy the story while preserving the emotions, family relationships and cultural setting of the original Hausa novel.

Hamdah Book One

The sound of a car stopping outside was enough to make me hurriedly wash the soap foam from my face. I quickly straightened up, grabbed the metal frame of the bathroom window, climbed onto the toilet and peeped outside.

I screamed happily and even jumped in excitement. I almost slipped and landed inside the toilet.

I quickly climbed down, grabbed my sponge and began washing myself as fast as possible. Some parts of my body hardly got any proper scrubbing. I simply picked up a bowl of water and poured it all over myself.

I wrapped my cloth around my body and rushed out of the bathroom. I quickly put on my hijab and ran outside.

At the entrance to the sitting room, I ran straight into Aunty Rafee'at. I immediately jumped onto her and wrapped myself around her excitedly.

“Welcome, Aunty Rafee'at!” I cried happily.

Ummi, who was walking behind her, said, “Hey, let go of her! Do you want to knock her down?”

I climbed down from Aunty Rafee'at and immediately threw myself at Ummi.

“Welcome, my Ummi!” I said, clinging tightly to her.

Ummi said, “For God's sake, let go of me. You really have no sense at all.”

Then I noticed Abba, Abbu, Mamie, Aunty Jaleela, Ya Masa'ud, Nusaiba and Fauzan.

I released Ummi and ran toward them. I pushed myself right into the middle of everyone, hugging them one after another. I even hugged Fauzan and Nusaiba so tightly that the three of us fell to the floor.

Aunty Rafee'at lifted me off them while laughing.

“Hamdah, you're going to break them! You're not very old, but look at how big you've become. I wonder when you're actually going to grow up.”

I grinned widely.

“Abba said I only need to grow a little more before they send me back home and bring another girl for Inna. So you see, I'm almost becoming a big woman like you and Aunty Jaleela.”

Aunty Jaleela gave me a sharp look before walking into the sitting room and taking her seat. Ummi and the others had already settled down.

Holding Aunty Rafee'at's hand, I followed her inside and sat down.

Ya Masa'ud said, “Actually, you're not far from catching up with Jaleela, Inna's daughter.”

I burst into laughter and turned toward him.

“Really, Ya Masa'ud?”

“Absolutely,” he replied.

Aunty Jaleela frowned.

“Masa'ud, you and I are going to have a problem if you keep encouraging this girl to challenge me.”

Ya Masa'ud laughed quietly.

“How much older than Hamdah are you anyway?”

Mamie interrupted him.

“Masa'ud, are you going to start troubling her already? You were teasing her even while you were in the car. How much older than her are you yourself?”

Masa'ud replied, “Come on, Ammi. Don't make her too happy. She already thinks she's a grown woman. Young lady, I'm fifteen years older than you, so stop pretending you're already an adult.”

Aunty Rafee'at said, “Why don't you also count the days you're older than her? Isn't it fifteen years and some days?”

He replied, “Honestly, Aunty Rafee'at, this girl has always been obsessed with growing up. If she had been born before me, I swear she would carry a whip around every day threatening to beat me.”

Jaleela quickly responded, “Why don't you do something deserving of a beating now and see whether I'll punish you or not?”

Inna looked at them and said, “So, you troublesome people who know every little thing about each other have finally arrived?”

Ya Masa'ud replied, “Yes, we've arrived, Inna the Complainer.”

Inna immediately said, “Masa'ud, get out of here! You little devil, are you trying to provoke me?”

Masa'ud pretended to be offended.

“Honestly, someone could spend all day longing to come and see you, but the moment he arrives, you welcome him with trouble. Maybe I should just go back where I came from.”

He began pretending to stand up.

Inna replied, “Go on then. Take the road.”

He laughed.

“I'm not going anywhere. Don't you know how Abdullahi and I struggled to contribute money toward building this house? I'll just go outside, look around town and then come back and relax.”

Abba said, “Masa'ud, watch yourself. Is that really how you're going to speak to our mother?”

Ya Masa'ud laughed again.

“Abba, this old woman starts complaining the moment someone arrives. Before she even gives a person water, she has already started scolding him. I'd better go outside.”

Still laughing, he walked out.

Inna's Familiar Family Complaints

Inna shook her head.

“Children nowadays only know how to talk. Ever since you brought Lantai into this family, you've all become the same. Even the money her late mother was supposed to use to buy seasoning, she came and collected my daddawa. She acted important and wealthy. I even sent Murtala to settle the issue, only for him to return and speak nonsense to me.”

Mamie smiled and shook her head.

By now, she no longer became upset by anything Inna said about her mother. Inna had been repeating the same story for nearly thirty years. At first it used to bother Mamie, but eventually she stopped taking it to heart.

When Abbu realized that Inna had started telling the familiar story again, he reached into his pocket, brought out some money and handed it to her.

“Inna, here is the money for your daddawa.”

She collected the money and threw it beside her on the chair.

“The person who owned it has already suffered enough,” she muttered.

Nobody responded.

A Happy Family Reunion

After everyone exchanged greetings, a long family conversation followed.

As for me, I couldn't stop talking because I was extremely happy to see my parents and siblings again.

I remained close to Aunty Rafee'at because the two of us got along very well. Aunty Jaleela, however, sat some distance away, busy with her phone.

Whenever I spoke, she would glare at me as if I talked too much. I would simply twist my mouth at her because the two of us were always teasing and challenging each other.

Eventually, it was time for prayer, and Abba and Abbu went out.

Aunty Rafee'at turned to me.

“Hamdah, come on. Let's go to your room so I can pray there. I hope it isn't dirty.”

I laughed.

“Come on, Aunty Rafee'at! I clean my room every day. I even spray perfume inside it. Come and smell it yourself.”

I grabbed her hand and led her into my room.

After looking around, Aunty Rafee'at said, “Well, well. Inna's young lady really knows how to keep a room tidy.”

I laughed again, delighted by her praise.

Hamdah Wants to Leave With Them

After we finished praying, we sat on the edge of the bed.

I looked at Aunty Rafee'at and asked, “Aunty Rafee'at, you're going to spend a few days with us this time, aren't you?”

“No,” she replied. “We're going back today.”

My face immediately fell. I pushed my lips forward unhappily.

“You're leaving today? Then I'm going with you.”

She shook her head.

“No. Stay here. When it is time for Ya Salim's wedding, you can travel with Inna.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Aunty Jaleela entered the room. She walked straight into the bathroom, performed ablution, came back out and stepped onto the prayer mat.

Abba Talks About Hamdah's Upbringing

Back in the sitting room, Abba and Abbu returned from the mosque and found Inna, Ummi and Mamie there.

Nusaiba and Fauzan were inside the guest room connected to the sitting room. Abbu and the others sat down and continued chatting.

After a while, Abba sighed and said, “Inna, please keep a closer eye on Hamdah. She's growing up now, so we need to pay more attention to her.”

Inna immediately reacted.

“Are you trying to say I don't know how to raise a child? Forget Hamdah. Even you yourself were raised by me.”

Abbu quickly intervened.

“No, Inna. That's not what he meant.”

She replied, “Then I don't want unnecessary interference. None of you can give this girl better upbringing than what I'm already giving her.”

They began calming their mother and explaining themselves until her anger eventually disappeared.

The Family Returns Home

After the Asr prayer, everyone prepared to return home.

It had become their tradition that at the end of every month, the family members would gather their households and come to spend the day with Inna before returning home in the evening.

I remained outside watching until they finally left.

Only after they had disappeared from sight did I turn around and go back inside.

About Hamdah Book One Complete Hausa Novel

Hamdah Book One Complete Hausa Novel introduces readers to a warm and lively family environment through Hamdah's eyes. Her excitement, playful personality and close relationships with members of her extended family bring humour and emotion to the story.

This English translation makes the original Hausa story easier to enjoy for readers who may not understand Hausa while preserving its Nigerian cultural setting, family relationships and conversational style.

Continue reading Hamdah Hausa Novel to discover what happens next in Hamdah's story.