Loving The Broken✓

1•The Burnt Food

'Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood'
_marie curie

Third Person's POV

Kano State, Damgiri LGA

She rinsed the last set of clothes and hung them on the cracked wall, putting her hand behind her back because of the ache.

"Hauwa'u!" She heard her name called, "Na'am Inna I'm coming" she walked hurriedly into the hut. "I'm here" she stammered with fear. "Are you done with the cooking, Jumai is hungry" The Woman asked, "Ehm...ehm..I.." and then she rushed out of the hut to the kitchen yard.

The food was already burnt, she bit her lower lip remembering how aromatic the dambu was looking. "What is smelling?!" The woman whom she calls with Inna came into the kitchen.

"Jiddarh, you burnt the food!" She yelled and Jiddarh moved backward shaking her head. "You burnt the food" she slapped her, "Inna please I am very sorry, please forgive me, it was a mistake, I'll cook another one" she sobbed.

Inna hit her with her leg making her to wince in pain, "Why do you always forget, I'm tired of tolerating this fish head of yours in this house oo, my daughter is hungry and you're here saying nonsense, you will cook another one?, You want to waste my husband's money ko?" She asked hitting her more while Jiddarh used her hand to protect herself and cover her body.

"Why did you let the food burn?!" She yelled, "I..I..was.. washing jumai clothes" she explained herself. "Is that why you let the food burn, ehn?...I'm asking you?!... answer me my friend.." she was hitting her while shouting, after beating her mercilessly she asked her to keep the burnt food for her self.

"This will be your meal for tonight, and tomorrow, make another one for us, stupid girl" she concluded and landed a knock on jiddah's head making her to squint her eyes letting more tears flow, she is already used to this, working all day and never appreciated, instead she gets scolded and beaten.

when ever she does something wrong the punishment is for her to sleep outside the hut and eat only one meal a day, she's also used to eating leftovers of her uncle's family, sometimes she wonders if that man is really her father's younger brother.

She looked at life from a good dimension and it had always treated her positively until one faithful day when she lost both parents, the world came crashing before Hauwa jiddah the pampered girl. She became helpless and worthless among the people of her village, they mocked her and said she took after her mother in wickedness.

Hauwa jiddah the daughter of malam Dahiru and Malama Fatima, a beautiful young girl who looks 16years old lost her parents when she was 12 and ever since she has been living with her uncle and his family.

'nobody loves me, I'm a loner and all I bring is bad lock' she cried staring at the burnt food she has to eat for two days now. 'Why?,why Inna and Baba, why did you have to go and leave me in this cruel world, now you see how lonely and ruined my life is, Dan Allah ku dawo, ku tafi dani, please come and take me along with you!" She cried hitting her chest.

She sobbed until her head began to ache, 'Crying is not the solution" she thought and then stood up to go and apologize to her aunty whom she calls with witch in her mind.

Later in the evening, Habibu her uncle's first son tied the goats and took them into their hut glancing at Jiddarh who was grinding pepper on the grinding stone.

She adjusted her wrapper to her chest seeing how he was looking at her smiling sheepishly, she has caught him countless times staring at her in a strange way.

She's scared of him and he's taking advantage of her weakness to always scare her off, there was a day he placed a lizard on her back makin her to shout and cry, she was trembling on the floor while he and his sister Jumai were enjoying it and laughing.

"K Jiddarh!" Habibu shouted her name, "Y...yes" she answered, "Y..yes...why are you always scared, iye?" He laughed, "Nothing" she forced a smile on her face.

"U-UHMM!" each time they hear the sound of someone clearing his throat, they know that the man of the house has arrived, her uncle never said Salam while coming into the house, he said he needed no permission to enter his own house. "Sannu da zuwa Kawu" she ran to collect the leather bag in his hand but he used his leg to kick her making her fall back.

"Kaji jakar Yarinya!, ni sa'an kine, so you had the audacity to report me to your Malami that I refused to pay your school fees, was he going to scold me or beat me up to pay the money, iye!, I'm asking you, kin kurmance ne!, have you suddenly gone deaf?!" he asked throwing a stick at her.

"Kayi haquri, wallahi I didn't ask him to talk to you, please I'm sorry" she sobbed knowing that NYSC Teacher has landed her into trouble.

"Hmm, Jin hka take ai Jiddah Bata Jin magana, she doesn't follow what I say again in this house?, She even burnt tonights meal, wallahi baka gani ba Mai gida. After feeding her and giving her shelter, you still sponsor her studies, but she doesn't have even a slight respect for you, Amma wanan anyi tsinanniya" Inna he's wife contributed.

She loves it when she sees him scolding he's neice, all she does is worsen the situation and rekindle the anger in him.

"As from today you are barned from going to school, you are withdrawing, Yar banzan Yarinya, so mannerless" he pushed her and went inside.

"Stupid ungly being, move away!" Inna kicked her away too. She sobbed and patted her hurt body. "What a pity to live amidst such wicked and heartless people" She whispered.
•••••••••••

Sorry here it is😅who pities Jiddah, put yourself in her shoes, how would you feel☹️💔😭eyya, if only she knows that the worst is yet to happen

Goodnight