A LOVE LIKE PHOENIX

CHAPTER FIVE

A brief history of Alhaji Zayyan

Alhaji Zayyan was born into a polygamous family, in Zungeru Local Government of Kebbi State, his father has 7 wives and his mother was the 6th wife, his mother died trying to bring him in to this world, according to the culture and tradition of the people of Zungeru, any child born under such circumstances is to be abandoned on the mountains, as such a child is regarded as pure bad luck and keeping him in the town can bring a lot of bad fortune for the townsmen. These mountains were usually feasted with hyenas and other carnivorous animals. The palace guard who was instructed to carry out this act was scared to approach the mountains as he had heard tales of the bloodthirsty animals that lived up the mountain, instead he decided to take the child to a neighboring town as he was sent to do the act alone.

He dropped the child at the entrance of Kabbala village and turned his back almost immediately and headed back to Zungeru town. At midnight, the cry of a baby woke a couple whose hut is closest to the entrance of the village, when they got there they met a baby wrapped in a dirty wrapper, who could have done such an insensitive act to a baby, they thought to themselves as they walked home after picking up the child, they reported the incidence to the Emir of the town and he asked them to look after the child for a short period of time before he decides his next line of action. As fate will have it, the Emir had a family friend who visited him from the Federal Capital Territory, he told the head of the family, Alhaji Waziri about the occurrence of the incidence, and the man was more than excited to take the child home with him as he has been childless for more than a decade since he got married, he informed his wife, Hajia Aminah who was also excited. The Emir sent for the woman who had the child and she brought the baby, thereafter he was named Muhammad Zayyan and they headed back to the FCT.

When Muhammad Zayyan attained 2 years of age he was enrolled in one of the best schools in the FCT, he had the attention, love and affection of a doting mother and his father, he also had nannies at his beck and call, these factors might have been the contributing effect influencing how he turned out. Whenever he seeks for something and it was not given to him, he would cry at a very long screeching tune and bang his head on the floor till his need are met. This behavior bothered his foster mother but she thought it was mere childishness as he would change when he grows older. At school, the report were nothing to write home about, as he was dumb and not brilliant as he would always come last position or second to the last position, it was not until his mother started using her money to influence his result that he started getting better positions. As for his personality, he had a two-timing personality, at home or in the presence of his parents he would show his sweet, kind, respectful and obedient side, while at school he was the ringleader of the school top-most bully, who picked on the younger students, their operations ranged from taking students lunch box, to collecting any fancy collectible they found attractive from any student, taking lunch money from students and the list goes on. At this stage, his mother was sad and heartbroken as news and report of her son’s activities reaches her every day, she never thought that her sweet boy would turn out this way so she reached the conclusion that it must be the actions of her enemies “so holding my womb is not enough abi, they have to go after my child, what have I done to deserve this” she said as she cried. She sought advice from her older sister, who in turn adviced her to visit Gidan Kuka (House of Tears), the she will find the solution to all her problems there, she informed her husband, who welcomed the idea and promised to support financially in whatever way necessary, after her first visit and dropping a huge amount of money, Mallam Dan Baki, confirmed her fear that the boy had been affected by Jinn (spiritual beings created from smokeless fire) sent to the boy, by her enemies, he however promised to speak to the gods on her behalf and also to begin the process of the physical assortment to be used on the boy to send the Jinn out as soon as possible, that she should come back in a moons time (a month), after much plea and promise of increment, Mallam Dan Baki finally agreed that she should come back in two weeks time, after she got the concoctions and assortments and applying them where prescribed, there was a subtle change, after which he reverted to his behaivour after a while.

Zayyan was now in Senior Class in Secondary School, but he was still reckless and dumb as ever, whenever he was asked what he wanted he would always reply with the following words “Worrying about the future is for paupers, I am the only child of my parents, when they both die their money will belong to me or better still I can become a politician, I am not meant to have a stressful life”. He once threw a house party in his parent’s house when they went to Mecca to observe the Holy Pilgrimage, he threatened the staffs of the dismissal if they inform his parents, in that party a lot of unspeakable actions went on, which one would not expect from a secondary school student. While his mother was in Mecca praying for him he was busy throwing a bikini themed party, the party was rated 18+ as condoms were distributed freely to whoever needed them. Upon his parents return a concerned neighbor informed his parents of the atrocities committed in their house in their absence, and what Zayyan has been saying about his future and the man told them to call him to caution. His foster parents at that point felt that they have had enough of his antics and behaivor and decide to inform him that they are not his birth parents, maybe telling him that will make him sit up and change for better.

They feigned ignorance and pretended that they had no idea of his actions in their absence, while giving him his presents they told him that they had good news to share with him, he was so restless as he pressed for more information and his parents told him to wait until the appropriate time, they had invited the Emir of Kabbalah Village to give them credence when breaking the news to Zayyan. It was a weekend, when they all convened in the living room of the house, when Zayyan was beckoned upon, his parents started by telling him how they had been childless, still are, as he was an adopted child, he was not even legally adopted as he was merely given to them, The Emir confirmed the information and showed him his picture as an infant, while he was being handed to his parents. It was there and then that they informed them that after their death, their money will not be handed over to him as he has not shown anything to show that he is entitled to their sweat and as such they will be withdrawing their support after his secondary school, he has until then to figure out in which direction his life will be moving.

Everything his parents has been saying since they started talking felt like a scene from one these Nollywood movies he so much detest, he did not believe anything they were saying not until the older man sitting there showed him the picture. He could feel his world shattering and crumbling, he never expected this twist to the plot of his life, he always thought after school he will stay back and enjoy his parents money, maybe enroll in a private university abroad, he was thinking about enrolling in a university in South Africa or Uganda where he can buy his grades with money and take charge of their wealth while forcing them into an early retirement. He did not know when he bursted out crying,

“Dan Allah Kuyi Hakuri (please do not be angry)”he cried out

“What should we not be angry about?” His mother asked

“Was it our fault that we gave you a good life?” she continued “it is quite disappointment that you turned out this was”

“Our words are final, you are on your own after secondary school”

“Please Hajia and Alhaji, I know I do not deserve any compassion from you, please give me a second chance. I will turn a new leaf. I will abandon all my bad vices, please Sir” he said while crying and rolling on floor

“Ranka ya dade please help me beg them” he pleaded with the Emir

His mother’s motherly emotions and instinct awakened but she knew that if she gave in too soon, he will not take her seriously, and will return to his vices. She needed him to stay on the right path perpetually. The meeting ended without them changing their grounds or even shifting an inch, Zayyan needed to be taught a lesson.

Two weeks after the incidence, true to his words, Zayyan portrayed himself in a calm and soberly manner. A loud knock on their gate woke the family up on a Saturday morning, from inside the house they could a huge ruckus going on outside the gate

“Where is the boy in this house?” a woman in mismatched wrapper, bathroom slippers and unkept wig said, a young girl not older than 16 years tailed after her

“Call your oga, call everybody, everyone must know what has happened” she said on the top of her voice

“Yes, Iliyasu let them in, who are you?” Alhaji asked as he stood on the porche of his house and beckoned her to approach the porche

“Your son impregnated my daughter, we just came back from the hospital” she said, she said scrambling to open a tattered bag “here, here is the result and your son is responsible for it”

Everyone there chanted Innalilahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun, (from Allah we are, and unto him shall we return), Zayyan already peeked from his room’s window and saw them, at that point he already knew that all hope was lost and his future was doomed.

“Call Zayyan for me” Alhaji Waziri thundered at no body particularly. A maid scurried to call Zayyan

“Sir, ehm Daddy, Daddy I swear, wallahi tallahi I didn’t impregnate anybody” he said amid tears

“You, just kill me, will you” Alhaji said exasperatedly “Congratulations on being a father, you thought I did not hear about the party you threw in my absence, was that not where this happened?”

“Zayyan… arrhh.. ahhh” Alhaji said as he clutched his chest and went down slowly and his breath went up he was grasping the air as he was trying to hold something

Innalilahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun, (from Allah we are, and unto him shall we return) Hajia Aminah screamed, “Alhaji please help me, get the car”

Idi, the driver brought the car around and they headed to the hospital as the family doctor was paged, upon getting to the hospital, Alhaji was admitted and his health was stabilized as series of tests were carried out on him. Few hours later when Alhaji was well rested the doctor informed them that he suffered a mild heart attack but owing that he was brought to the hospital on time, he was saved otherwise the story would have been different, he then went ahead to prescribe a two weeks bed rest for Alhaji in the hospital as well as some medications. After his discharge, he told Zayyan that he should be prepared to become a father as he would not be rejecting the paternity of that child, however, as an inch to what I earlier said, I will be marrying you off to the first lady I see, let this girl deliver first.

Nine months later, she gave birth to a baby girl, who was named Zaliha Zayyan, thereafter his parent married him off to Mustabshira, who was then a girl from Kabbalah Village.

PRESENT DAY

“Alhaji, Bello has just been arrested” Hajia Mustabshira wailed as she sat on the floor in his living room “please help me”

“What do you want me to do?” he said

“Please Alhaji, help me” she said

“Has he not tarnished my name and reputation enough?” he started “you spoiled him and I warned you when you started this your Magaji nonsense, did I not?”

“Now you will pick up your gyale and drive down to the police station to get his bail, and you are not allowed to go with Barr. Limanti, I have instructed him not to accompany you to the police station, neither should he release his junior colleague to you” he said that in a stern voice while wiggling his forefinger at her

“Now, get out of my sight”

Hajia Mustabshira knew at this point that there was nothing she could do other than to grovel at the feet of Alhaji, and that was exactly what she did

“Alhaji ka wa Allah, ka wa maiki rasullulilahi kayi hakuri (for the sake of Allah and his Holy prophet, do not be angry)” she cried as she threw herself at his feet, while holding his leg “I can’t do anything without you, I’m begging you please, this will be the last time”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, that was the exact same thing you said, the last time, and the time before that one, and the time before that one too, the last time was two months ago, wasn’t it, now where is he?” he asked her

“Alhaji, you know the children of nowadays, you can only birth them and not their characters, I will increase my effort, please help me” she said

“I have heard you” he said in a dismissive tone, which suggested that if she knew what was best for her, she should comply with his initial order.

“Alhaji please mana, I’m begging you” she persisted, she was hoping to get him to agree to bail their only son at the police headquarters

“Se kiyi” he said as he stood to leave the living room

Hajia Mustabshira cried her heart out without holding back because she had a lot of things responsible for her tears, apart from the unending disgrace their son had vowed to bring upon their family, this time around the boy was charged with an the offence of Armed Robbery along Kebbi-Zuru highway, he was caught redhanded in the act, she knows that if he is arraigned before a court of law, the punishment is death by firing squad straight up, atleast she had heard the stories of Anineh, Maitatsine, and Oyenusi, and this the reason why she needs Alhaji to come in on this one. She has to get Alhaji to do her bidding, she can’t afford to lose her only son just like that, she will discipline him later, but first, she has to get him out of the Police headquarters by all means. She will pick up her gyale quite alright, but she is not going to the police headquarters, she is going to Mallam Dan Tsoho,

What will be the outcome of her visit?