There was a long silence from everyone in the room, you could hear a needle fall if not for Jidda's wail and for her pleas that she's told what happened
"Yi mun shiru" hajia commanded and walked over to her, she grab her arm harshly and pain shut through her entire body
"You! For 23 years, you have been the source of my pain, what are you crying for? What? You are just a mistake that should have never happened, you are a misfortune, I pray no body gets to experience a fitna in your form, not even my enemies"
Hajiya felt a sharp pain penetrating through her cheeks, she slowly turn to see the cause of the pain and she realized it was her husband
Alhaji Bubakar was so furious
"What is her fault? Lairai me yarinyar na tayi? Tanan koda abun ya faru, is she your father or his friends, it's been 23 years now, when do you want to let go, this girl has done everything for you to accept her but you couldn't"
1995
The sun looks more beautiful today, it rays beaming with light but you know the thing with sun, you stare too much and it hurts
"Lairan baba" Hajiya Hadiza laira's mother called
"Naam" laira came running from their hut, taking a halt in front of her mother
"Umma don't worry, nashirya hijabi kawai zan sa" she assured
Hawking for girls in the is like a second culture, that's literally what girls in that village does to be the bread winners of their home there were no school at the provinces, children had to travel for long to get education and not every parent allow their children to go that far especially girls because civilization was far, most of the guys are nomad, they rear cows and sheeps some were butchers and many other handy work
"Lairai yau ma ki kawo awaran nan wurin da muke zama, ana so sosai" Her father Alhaji sani trilled
"Toh Abba" she hesitated
She honestly doesn't like going there because they glare at her like wolves who have seen raw meet and besides they do nothing but gamble, she hates to admit but not every father is responsible and hers is among those irresponsible fathers
"Aa rmallam, haka kwanaki ka anshe cinikin yarinyar nan ka zuba a chacha" Hajiya Hadiza protest
"Aa umma, I'll take it there" larai quickly chirped in
She didn't want him to start hitting her mother again because it has become a habit for him, wether he is intoxicated or sober he hits her and everyone who comes to her rescue
"Ga wara" she kept shouting on top of her lungs, so that people in the neighborhood will be aware of her but luck wasn't on her side, it's been 3 hours and only 2 customers only
She walked towards the big African Almond tree where her Father and his friends waste away there life, miles away she could smell the cigarettes they were smoking, she immediately know they were there, because apart from gambling and smoking they do nothing o and beating their wives and kid
"Baba, ga waran" she stood there watching as her fathers friends wining against him, things were getting severe because this is the third time they are winning against him and he was getting frustrated, she could read his features
She just hope he gets back to his senses and come home with her but the worst happened
"Ke! Bani kudin hannunki" he comanded
She didn't make much so she hesitated but when he shouts the second time she hands him the Kobo she made
He looks disgustingly at them and threw them back at her
"Hahahaha, sani an cika dari biyu yau, ba abunda za kayi, kabari har gobe" one among the two friends laughed, and the other joined him
Alhaji Sani angrily grab the arm of his daughter, ignoring all her struggles to get away
"Na aza larai" he spite
The two evil men smirk, Larai didn't miss the disgusting looks they were giving her, they were checking her out and she felt fear shut her entire body, it made her numb, her own father is about to ruin her life
"Abba let me go umma is waiting for me" she struggle in his hold but he pinned her down, she wailed and wailed her heart was beating rapidly in her chaste, fear clad her and her sense of reasoning
