Yar Gidan Tsohuwa Littafi Na Daya

They didn’t notice her; they had gone deep into their lovers’ conversation. She quietly crept behind them and placed a rubber snake — fitted with a small battery so it wriggled like a real snake — right behind them. Then she sneaked away and joined her friends, including Lantana, who were hiding nearby, peeping and laughing.

She too hid and began watching to see how the stylish young man would react.

When she realized they still hadn’t noticed the snake behind them, she stepped out and pretended she was just passing by. As she got close to them, she suddenly screamed, pointing behind them, “Oh my God! There’s a snake behind you!”

Yahaya Gaye turned around and came face to face with the snake behind him. Before he knew what was happening, he passed gas loudly, screamed, lost his slippers, and ran off shouting, “Oh God! A snake! People, come and save me!”

Ladiyo, who knew Dijama’s tricks, wasn’t scared. Instead, she stood up angrily and walked toward them. The moment Dijama and her friends saw her approaching, they burst into laughter and ran in different directions, holding their stomachs and shouting, “It’s just a joke! It’s a rubber snake!”

Yahaya Gaye ran quite a distance before finally stopping, panting heavily. From afar, he heard their laughter and their voices saying it was only a rubber snake. Furious at being embarrassed in front of his girlfriend — and especially because he had run and even passed gas — he angrily headed back toward them.

When Dijama saw him coming straight at them in anger, she shouted loudly, “Everyone for yourself!” They all scattered, each seeking a way to escape.

As she turned to run, she collided with someone just as Yahaya Gaye was about to grab her. In panic, she clung to the person, not knowing who it was. When she lifted her eyes, she realized it was her elder brother, Mahmud.

He slapped her hard and grabbed her hand, handing her over to Yahaya Gaye. “Here she is — deal with her! Even we are tired of her and her behavior. Beat her thoroughly; I won’t interfere.”

Yahaya Gaye was fuming with anger. Ladiyo came closer and knocked Dijama lightly on the head, whispering, “You’re lucky your brother came today; otherwise, you’d have suffered.”

Dijama kept staring at Yahaya Gaye’s face, struggling not to laugh.

Mahmud dragged her along, knocking her lightly on the head while scolding her. When they reached their house gate, she forcefully pulled her hand away and ran inside shouting, “Allah is sufficient for me against you, wicked person!”

He quickly chased after her, trying to catch her, but she ran straight into their grandmother’s room. Seeing her, the grandmother quickly sat upright and said, “No one will beat you except Mahmud — and I know he only wants you to behave yourself.” Just then, Mahmud arrived at the door, breathing heavily.

The grandmother warned him, “Don’t you dare enter my room, do you hear me?”

He stopped at the doorway, still panting.

Dijama looked at his face and suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, holding her stomach. Each time she looked at him, she laughed even harder.

His anger rose further. Seeing how furious he was, she said between laughter, “Brother, do you know why I’m laughing?”

He glared at her and shook his head.

“It’s because of Yahaya Gaye — the way he passed gas and ran!”

Even Mahmud had found Yahaya Gaye’s dramatic escape amusing earlier, since he had witnessed everything. A laugh almost escaped him, but he quickly left for his room, saying, “When you’re done laughing, bring me my food. I’ll be waiting.”

She pretended not to hear and continued narrating the story to their grandmother as they both laughed.

After a while, the grandmother said, “Get up and take your brother his food. He’s waiting.”

She pouted. “Grandma, I won’t go. He’ll beat me.”

“He won’t beat you. I’ve already spoken to him. I told him not to touch you. You know Mahmud listens to advice.”

Reluctantly, she stood up and went to the kitchen, collected his food, and headed to his room.

She entered without greeting and found him sitting on his mat wearing only a sleeveless vest and shorts. His fair skin was covered with thick hair. She had never in her life seen a man dressed like that before. Shocked, her body began to tremble.

He shouted at her sharply, snapping her back to reality. “Who gave you permission to enter my room without greeting? Go back, greet properly, then come in.”

Quickly, she turned and went out, still trembling.

As soon as she left, he stood up swiftly, picked up his jalabiya, and wore it.

She knocked and greeted properly this time. He answered and ordered her to come in.

He glared at her, still angry, and pointed to a table. “Go and put it there. Then come here — I want to talk to you. And if you dare run or scream, I’ll break one of your hands.”

Silently, she placed the food down, bowing her head submissively. She then came and knelt before him, head lowered.

He moved closer, grabbed her ear, and twisted it painfully until she cried out from the pain. “Repeat what you said earlier. Did you say ‘Allah is sufficient for me’ against me?”

She began swearing frantically that she hadn’t said it. “Please forgive me, brother, I won’t repeat it. I didn’t say that against you. Please don’t tear my ear off.”

“If I ever hear another complaint about you in this house, I’ll smash your mouth. Do you understand?”

She quickly nodded “yes,” tears streaming down her face.

When he noticed urine dripping from her wrapper due to fear, he quickly released her and stepped back. He grabbed a whip and moved toward her, saying, “Wipe that urine right now, or you’ll regret it.”

She quickly stood up, and as she did, a piece of paper fell from her wrapper.

He shouted, “You! What is that paper?”

Her eyes widened. She fell back to her knees, holding back tears, pleading, “Please, brother, forgive me. I won’t do it again.”