A LOVE LIKE PHOENIX

CHAPTER THREE

(In the residence of Alhaji Muhammad Bello)

A brief history Alhaji Muhammad Bello

Alhaji Muhammad Bello is an indigene of Bulkachuwa village, Bauchi State of Nigeria, as a child he was given away to Mallam Me Salati (a prestigious Islamic scholar) in Jamaare, Bauchi State to obtain his Islamic knowledge as an Almajiri, he could not remember the age he was taken there, all he know was that he found himself on the streets of Jamaare, begging for food to survive and remit same to Mallam me Salati and his other seniors, otherwise, they’ll beat him up and chase him out of the room allocated to the Almajiris. When he attained the age of 8 years he started doing menial jobs, like fetching water, cutting and sale of firewood, washing of plates etc, to provide for himself and to contribute his quota to his Mallam, the bulliying had stopped as he learnt to speak up for himself and to fend them off. Whenever, a flashy car passes by, he always admired it and dropped down in prostration reciting “Allahuma Salli wa sallim”, he vowed to be rich and pray that Allah bless him beyond measures, he was always at the gates of Alhaji Shehu Dantaba, the biggest Food stuffs provision merchant, who is well known in Bauchi state and other surrounding States. Young Muhammad approached Alhaji Shehu Dantaba one day, to follow him to the market as an errand boy. Alhaji Shehu was skeptical at first, but after much persuasion and affirmation from Mallam me Salati, he finally agreed to employ young Muhammad as an errand boy in his shop located in Kasuwan Barci, Jamaare and even gave him some of the used clothes of his children, to wear so as to look presentable, as opposed to the rags he is accustomed to wearing.

Few years later, young Muhammad now aged 13 years has proven his worth to Alhaji Shehu through trustworthiness, loyalty, and effective services, Alhaji pondered about enrolling young Muhammad in Tafawa Balewa Model College, which is the same school his children attend, he sought for advice from his friends and they all gave him their candid opinion, while some of them were of the opinion that being an Almajiri, he will escape from his grasp and control after attaining western Education, others were of the opinion that it is a good initiative and may Allah reward him. After much advice, he finally enrolled him in to the Tafawa Balewa Model College, he was able to convince the principal to admit him into Jss3, as he was too big, physically, for the other lower classes and the principal agreed.

Over the years, young Muhammad completed his studies in the famous Bayero University Kano, where he got a degree in Information Technology in the year 1995, although while there was an amount of considerable change in him, his first orientation of being an Almajiri, and the ardent Islamic extremist views still persists. It was the year he graduated from B.U.K that, Alhaji Shehu now aged and immobile, offered Muhammad, the hand of his daughter Fanne Bello, in marriage, her mother, Hajia Yahkura Bello, opposed the union and threatened to turn the whole upside down if Alhaji Shehu, persists with the marriage plans, according to her, Muhammad was a Almajiri and she can never allow any of her female daughters marry one, “a leopard can never change its spot” she always maintained. She saw her children as brides to Emirs, Princes and rich businessmen. It was not Alhaji Shehu told her to go and protest the marriage from her father’s house, that prompted her to agree to the union, although begrudgingly.

Six months after the marriage, Alhaji Shehu handed the management of the Bauchi stores to Muhammad, as the general manager of the stores, a year later his wife Fanne, gave birth to a baby girl who was named Karimah Bello after his mother-in-law (YahKura). Less than a year later, Fanne took in again, she was disturbed this time around as she recalled the hell-ish traumatic experience she went through in the hands of her husband, he refused her access to hospital for her pre-natal hospital visit, on the grounds of not wanting her to expose her body to strange men who were not her Muharram (male relatives she cannot marry), “Hospitals are not in the teaching of our Noble Prophet, it is a Bidiah (an innovation), neither did our early mothers in Islam practiced going to the hospital” he had nailed this words into the ears and subconsciousness of Fanne, not only did he prohibit her from going to the hospital , he also prohibited her taking orthodox medicine as he claimed that orthodox medicines emanated from the west and anything emanating from the west was evil.

Fanni, knowing the her husband and what he is capable of doing, confided in her mother,Hajia Yahkura, her plan to abort the fetus, Hajia Yahkura, called her quack Doctor, who prescribed some pills, which will kill the fetus, to take in readiness for the abortion, she had planned to lie to her husband that she was going home to visit her parents so that she can sneak off to the hospital, which she did and he agreed and even volunteered to drop her off at her parent’s house. Unknown to Fanne and her mother, he placed a tail on her, as he never trusted his mother-in-law, immediately, they left the house he was informed, upon receipt of the information as to their, he went to the police station to make a formal Complaint, using his influence and money, the Divisional Police Officer released to him a hilux truck filled with Policemen and he headed to the clinic where he arrested the Doctor and the staffs of his hospital, and he subjected his wife and Mother-in-law to public humiliation as he repeatedly referred to her as a p********e.

That was the last straw for Hajia Yahkura and Fanne, who vowed to show Muhammad what fibre a Kanuri Woman is made of, “I will hit him where he hurts the most” each of them thought to themselves, they both referred to one person ‘Alhaji Shehu Dantaba, Muhammad’s Boss and Godfather’. Alhaji Shehu despite his strict business values, he doesn’t joke with the affair of his descendants particularly his female children.

Almost, immediately when Alhaji Shehu heard what happened he faulted Hajia Yahkura for taking such a measure, instead of informing him, and chided Fanne too for holding back from informing him of her experiences, Muhammad when summoned could not give a tangible reason for his actions other than the fact that, his wife and mother-in-law wanted to actually kill his unborn child. Alhaji admonished him and told them to inform him of all events, while quoting a few hadiths of the Prophet (SAW) that encouraged fair treatment of one’s family members. He charged the couple to live in peace and told Muhammad I want to see the impact of the degree he has in his actions, as he is very sure that Muhammad’s friends do not act like that to their wives. Since the occurrence of the event, there had been a remarkable change in Muhammad’s behavior and etiquettes. Later on he married, Bilkisu Mubarak as his Matna (second wife), and he begat three children through Fanne and three children through Bilkisu.

PRESENT DAY

“Na’am ” Hajia Fanne said, as she was on the phone with her son, whose wedding ceremony is around the corner, she was checking in with him, on the items she asked him to get, so that it can be included in the Lefe (traditional set of boxes to be presented to the bride, through the bride’s family)

“Make sure you include at least 2 complete set of Dubai gold jewelry in Maira’s Lefe oo, you know how much your abbah needs to nail this contract from Alhaji Abdulrahman and a impressive lefe will go a long way to do that” she said pulling her ears as if she was warning him in her presence

“Are you sure that you got all those Swiss laces and Dubai Abayas? I refered and even sent you the contact of the vendors”

“What about those Holland wrappers?” it seems he answered in the affirmative as a smile of relief spread across her face “how many of the wrappers did you get?”

“Good, least I forget, hope all the cosmetics and skincare products you got were top notch?”

“Oh you haven’t, okay let me refer you to some products, you should get some Juvia’s beauty product, Huda beauty too, Ohh, you know Fenty Beauty x Africa just launched too right, you should get some, yes what is the name of this brand she is endorsing, check it out on her i********: page make sure you purchase some and add it into her cosmetics box”

“Please, this wedding must go unhitched, ai your abbah is still funding the Lefe isn’t he? So spare no expense in making the lefe exquisite, I beg of you”

“Alright, then I have to go and make some preparation on my part so as to prevent and glitch or mishkila (problems), you know the evil eye is real” she said the last lowering her voice “so be prayerful okay?”

“I hope you still do the things I told you to do and you still use the stuffs I sent you”

“Okay, Allah ya tsare(may Allah Protect you)”

“Least I forget, did you give Maira that bracelet and perfume I sent through you?”

“Make sure she uses them oo, that one will seal the preparation we have started.”

“Okay, let me go and see Alhaji, I do not know if he has any further instructions. Keep me posted on any recent developments, will you?”

“Allah Hafiz”