DANGANTAKAR ZUCI
A girl with a beautiful chocolate complexion was dressed in a white vest suitable for hot weather, while her pants also matched in white. Despite being not quite tall enough to reach the kitchen counter, she had been diligently working there for about seven years. Her task was to handle the chicken soup, and today, she was using a large spoon and a plate to carefully remove the pieces of meat from the pot. She was making sure to be quick, not wanting anyone to catch her in the act. She managed to sneakily consume nearly half of the meat when an elderly lady entered the kitchen.
The moment the lady saw her, she dropped the salad she was holding and exclaimed, “Husna!!!” The girl, known as Husna, immediately started crying. The elderly lady, referred to as Hajiya Maamaa, took the plate from Husna’s hand and scolded her, “Yanxu fisabillah, Husna, you are free to take meat from the slaughterhouse, but you can’t claim it as yours alone. You act like a witch, crying when you see meat.” Husna was left speechless and continued crying as the lady lamented, “You’re the only one who behaves like this. This girl will have a tough day.”
Husna’s sobs intensified, and her husband attempted to enter the room but was redirected to his mother’s quarters. He remarked, “Let your brother come in; he won’t eat anything except meat. When he doesn’t get it, he gets angry. I don’t understand why he’s so obsessed. Young girl, leave the kitchen and go to your father to take a bath. You’re causing a scene. Let’s bring a girl; she’ll have a better day.”
Husna rushed out of the kitchen, tears streaming down her face, and placed her hands on her head while shaking it. She closed the plate of meat and muttered, “Let them come in and eat. Then we’ll see if that crazy dog has bitten your brother and made him avoid this meat.”
In the living room, Husna found herself crying until she fell asleep, her hands covering her mouth, and dried tears on her face except for her moist nose. After a while, she sat in a chair, picked up a glass, and turned her attention to the Sunnah T.V. channel.
In a more peaceful manner, her husband entered the living room and greeted Hajiya Maamaa, to which she responded with a nod. He appeared quite fatigued but hungry. He entered the kitchen without paying much attention to Husna. After a brief pause, he inquired, “Who ate the meat in this soup?” Husna responded immediately, “Nobody ate it. If this girl weren’t here, I would have caught her eating in the kitchen.” Her husband remarked, “That’s her specialty.” “Indeed,” she replied.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but his eyes landed on Husnah, who was sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed. He was about to say something when he noticed her cheeks. “Keeee, don’t speak ill of my wife today, or you’ll regret it,” he warned. He began unfastening his belt, and she trembled with fear due to Ibrahim’s erratic behavior, which she found sinister.
Unaware that her husband had approached, she suddenly shouted at him, and Hajiya Maamaa did not even glance in their direction. Finally, he entered the bedroom to confront her, his belt in hand. After a couple of strikes, he realized she had urinated on his leg, causing him to release his grip. Fuming with anger, he stepped on her leg, causing her to tumble to the ground, where her head collided with the glass table in the center of the living room, producing a loud noise.
In the midst of this turmoil, a bystander entered the room, confused by the commotion, and rushed to the injured woman. He picked her up and carried her away, hoping that Husna’s incessant crying would prevent Ibrahim from causing further harm.