Bound ✅

Defining Punishments

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"Anty. Maama na Kiran ki." Maama is calling you.

Halima jumped and her phone dropped from her hand. She stared at the nine year old who was standing in front if her in a too big blouse and tattered wrapper. Halima looked her up and down.

"Menene?" What is your name?  She waited for the obviously scared girl to answer.

"Feenah." She answered simply. Halima walked around her bed, picked her phone and tied the wrapper around her own chest properly.

She had been scared witless by Feeenah because she worried about someone coming in and meeting her only in the wrapper she put around her body before bathing.

“Meye asalin sunan ki?” What is your full name.

The girl rolled her eyes at Halima. "Safeenah." Halima sighed and walked in the direction of the bathroom adjoining her room. But just at the threshold, she heard Safeenah say that 'She doesn't even look any different. So much for selling her body.'

Halima whipped her head in surprise but Safeenah had walked out, her tattered wrapper trailing after her. Halima walked bonelessly into the shower area. As she stripped, she felt tears run down her cheeks.

She asked herself if Salisu's mother could just not be nice, or be happy for her or if she desired that she died from depression. Halima cried as loudly as she knew the sound would not carry to her mother who was cooking.

She wondered if people would ever ask her questions, if they'd stop her once and ask for the true story. She wondered if people would stop being so critical, if they'd stop rashly passing judgement on her without asking for the whole story.

When she stepped out, she was using her fluffy green towel to wipe her body when Safeenah barged back into her room. "What do you want?" Halima asked her immediately.

"Your mother said when you're done dressing, you should come out." Halima eyed the young girl and walked to the direction of her wardrobe. She would not give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her break. Not even a nine year old spawn of shaytan.

After Halima donned the blue gown she had chosen to wear for the day, she wore her in-house slippers and walked to the kitchen where she was sure her mother was. And surely her mother was there stirring a pot of stew on the fire.

When Halima entered fully, she saw Safeenah at the sink washing dishes, she looked at her for a split second and seeing no remorse in her eyes, Halima's anger flared. "Keh!" She referred to the girl harshly.

"Get out. Now." The girl raised her brown orbs to stare mournfully at Halima. Then she continued to wash dishes.

"Didn't you hear me? Get out of this kitchen." Halima's repeated speech made her mother turn. "What happened to the both of you? And you Halima why are you being wicked?" Halima watched Safeenah nod cunningly behind her mother and got even angrier.

"Tell that devil's spawn behind you that i don't want to see her legs in this house. Ever again. If you're dying of hunger, go elsewhere. Don't come here." When Halima finished speaking, her mother seemingly understanding Halima was angry ushered Safeenah to the living room away from Halima's raging temper.

"What happened?" Halima just looked at her mother and continued to wash the plates she had taken over when Safeenah left.

"That girl? Where did you get her from?" Her mother explained that it was one of the children who roamed the streets and swept people's frontages for a living and that she had gone to see her malam.