Drifting, Searching, Becoming...

Prologue

Gombe, Nigeria.
13th April, 1990.

"By Allah, I would sooner forfeit my life than accept that woman!" Hajja Saddiqa's voice roars from the depths of the sofa. Beside her, on the floor, lies Talatu, her errand lady, who bore the bad news before the accused even arrived. She crouches at her master's feet, head bowed to evade the scrutiny of suspicious family members. Talatu, the eyes and ears of Hajja Saddiqa where she cannot tread, now cowers in fear of what's to unfold. The mere glance reveals Hajja Saddiqa's wrath.

The news of her second son's marriage descends upon her like a relentless plague. Talatu concludes her narration just as Lamido strides in, his estranged wife trailing in his wake. Lamido stands in the vast living room, catching the storm of his mother's fury. An audience surrounds them-some visibly thrilled, others struck with fear.

The twenty-eight-year-old Lamido, whose birth name was Ibrahim knew his mother would never accept his marriage. He anticipates his mother's rejection. She, a traditional woman from a royal lineage, and his late father, Alhaji Ilyasu Namadi Wali, a renowned northern Nigerian business tycoon, contribute to the weight of family expectations. Lamido questions if even his extended family will endorse his choice. Their creed dictates lineage's significance akin to the air they breathe.

In contrast, his infamous wife lacks such lineage, surname, or education, not to mention her humble upbringing. Eight years into her life, she gained a name-Aabidah-bestowed by Iman after a Friday Juma'ah salah. Despite this, Aabidah remains a town topic, rife with unfavorable news and gossip that tainted her at a tender age.

The town echoes the sentiment; Aabidah was a nobody from the start. Knowing his mother, Lamido admits he'd never entertain the idea of marrying someone like her. Yet, circumstances led him to a decision he deemed necessary hours ago, driven by a belief that even Almighty Allah would not forgive him for turning a blind eye to this girl. In the present, Lamido grapples with uncertainty, unsure if he has just made the gravest mistake of his life.

"You're testing me, Lamido. I said divorce that woman right this instant," his mother declared with authority; he was her favorite. Yet, even that favoritism didn't make her lenient. She held every one, even her stepchildren, under her command. Her royal blood allowed her to dictate, and being the eldest wife of her late husband only added to her dominance. She was the queen, and going against her was like walking into certain death. However, some dared to take risks.

Lamido bowed his head at his mother's request; he couldn't comply. Perhaps, it would be the first time as a grown-up to disobey his mother's wish. The girl needed his protection at that moment.

"Leave that woman right away, Lamido," she warned, and he knew the consequences. He understood the kind of treatment those who disobeyed her received. His own might be worse, considering its impact on the family name.

"I can't do that, inna." Only when he heard it out loud did he feel the ambiguity of his short but frightening statement. "I can't do that, inna," echoed in his head like thunder on a stormy night. He also didn't miss how his younger sister's mouth fell wide open, with her eyes as wide as soccer balls.

A pin drop silently eloped the living room, and Lamido could swear if that thudding wasn't coming from his chest, it was from the girl who had unwittingly disrupted his life. She stood behind him, completely invisible to the pairs of eyes in the room.

"Wallah Lamido, be very careful with me this afternoon. I would rather forsake you than accept such a girl in my family. What do you think you're doing to tarnish our image this way? Have all the girls in this town cursed you to get that woman as a wife? What were you thinking, Ibrahim?!" she chafed furiously. That's big; Lamido immediately raised his head at his mother's last word. She had just taken his name; that had never happened before.