A GIDAN TA NA GIRMA

“Wow, God, our Mother, you have gone and left us in the misery of life. By God, I have to celebrate…”

She remained motionless, unresponsive to all the commotion around her. People in the house rushed to her side, pouring water over her, but she did not stir.

Her sister, filled with confusion and panic, ran to the house’s door, shouting for help. Passersby and neighbors rushed to their aid.

Their eyes widened in shock as they witnessed what was happening. An elderly man, their father, stood beside the young girl who couldn’t have been more than nine years old. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he struggled to shed them. Instead, they trickled down his cheeks and fell toward her like a stream. A man helped them into a car, along with her sister and Asibity.

They raced to the emergency room, and the whole group gathered anxiously outside. The doctor emerged and said, “I need this medication immediately. Find it.”

A man quickly replied and rushed to retrieve the needed medicine and water. He handed them to the doctor, who gave them to the young girl. To everyone’s relief, she began to cry.

The doctor administered a sedative injection to calm her down. Afterward, he came outside, extended his hand to the gathered crowd, and said, “She has regained consciousness, but I gave her a sedative. She should recover her senses shortly.”

The old man, overcome with emotion, burst into tears, saying, “Husnah must have been playing with the guitar as if she had gone mad. The loss of a mother is a profound sorrow, let alone the loss of a dear child.”

The doctor sighed and felt the girl’s forehead, then embraced the old man and consoled him with comforting words.

The family thanked the doctor and he departed. They sat in silence for a while before the old man stood up. He approached one of his daughters and said, “Let us find strength and patience in our hearts. Stay with your sister, console her, and make her understand that prayer is what we need, not tears. I will go to the mosque for Friday prayers.”

His daughter nodded with teary eyes.

The two sisters entered the room. The girl lay in her bed, clutching a glass of water.

One of the sisters pulled up a chair and sat by her side, looking at her tenderly.

She said, “Husnah, let’s pray for our mother and refrain from crying. I know that even if she were alive, she wouldn’t want to see us in such agony. Remember, she always advised us to accept our fate, whether it be good or bad. You know, I’m just going to face any challenge head-on. Do you remember that?”

Tears welled up in their eyes. No one could persuade them, but the people in the vicinity couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the children. Even the nurse was moved by their plight.

Husnah whispered, “Aunty Zarah is here. Mom left us and went away, didn’t she? I told her not to leave us, but she did. And our father doesn’t love us; he doesn’t care for us.”

Zarah covered Husnah’s mouth gently, saying, “Husnah, don’t say such things. Hush now. Our father loves us.”

Husnah retorted quickly, “He brought us here and left us behind. And you think he loves us? Even if he left some money for you to buy us food, I’m sure he only left grapes for our mother.”

Aunty Zarah couldn’t hold back her tears, and seeing her cry made Husnah cry as well. She remained silent, lost in her misery.

They spent the whole day at the hospital, from ten in the morning until late afternoon, but there was no news of their father. When they returned home, they asked a kind woman nearby for some food and water.

Gratefully, they accepted her help. Zarah lovingly fed Husnah until she was full, providing her with a generous portion of jollof rice.

As night fell, their father was still absent, and there was no word from him. It seemed that only the people around them cared for their well-being.

The local residents offered various kinds of food and spices to support them.

The next morning, around half-past eight, the doctor examined Husnah and said, “I will release her now, but you must ensure she receives proper care. She is on the verge of a severe anxiety-induced heart attack. With the right treatment and support, she should recover. But please, take good care of her. Do you understand?”

The family nodded and expressed their gratitude to the doctor before leaving the hospital, hoping for a brighter future.