Izna Compeleted Book

Description

IZNA BOOK COMPELET 

Part 1

Dattijo is about fifty years old or more, very fair in complexion, and at a single glance, you can tell he is a thorough Fulani man.

He was sitting on a mat in his courtyard, watching his wife with happiness as she cleaned the rice he bought specifically so that they could cook a welcoming meal for the apple of his eye—who was returning from school after spending months away.

With a greeting ("Sallama"), a neatly dressed young man walked in, holding a black polythene bag which he handed to their mother, saying: "Baffa, wallahi fish was very scarce today, it was with great difficulty I managed to find this one. We should leave some for early tomorrow morning before they arrive so I can go back and see if we can get more."

With a beaming face, Baffa replied: "It doesn't matter Jafar, even this one will be enough since I already told Aliyu to catch and slaughter two chickens tomorrow so she can eat her fill."

Inna shook her head in amazement at Baffa, who could never suppress the overwhelming love he had for ANANO deep in his heart. Everyone in the town knew that his love for her was completely different from how he felt about his other children.

Baffa Salisu was his full name, and he was a native born and raised in the village of Danja under a small district in Yola.

Baffa had only one wife and five children—four boys and one girl. They had actually birthed a set of twins, but Hassana passed away before they were named, so they left her name as HASSANA, though they called her ANANO (which means Hassana in Fulani).

Anano was the last-born (Auta) and the youngest. Because she was born long after all her older brothers had grown up, everyone in the household treated her like a treasure—especially Baffa, who poured intense love and affection onto her because she was the only young child left in the house while her brothers had already grown into young men.

Baffa had a moderate amount of livestock wealth and his own farm which he cultivated every year alongside his sons.

In the entire village, nobody had ever acquired Western education; farming, livestock, and Islamic education were the only paths known.

Yusuf was the eldest—a patient man, though once he started arguing or fighting, he was very hard to calm down. Aliyu came after Yusuf; he was hot-tempered and quick to anger, especially if provoked, which is why people tended to avoid crossing his path. Then there was Usman, who was also disobedient and quick to fight, particularly over Anano, believing she was becoming overly insolent due to being excessively spoiled.

Jafar was the calmest and most patient among them, especially regarding Anano, whom he deeply cared for. Although all of them loved her intensely, she was closest to him; he was even the one who took her out to the village square to watch events and brought her back home.

Ever since she grew up, she had a burning desire for education—it was the topic of every conversation she had with her father. He had intended and vowed to send her to school, and by the grace of God, when an awareness campaign about Western education was sent to the village, her father was the very first person to agree to let his daughter go. A few others eventually agreed too, and preparations began immediately for them to start school.

After finishing primary school in the village, they proceeded to a boarding secondary school located deep inside the main city of Adamawa.

From the moment she started school, her horizons expanded even further. Anano was naturally sharp, outspoken, and possessed a quick tongue—she never failed to give a stinging reply to anyone, no matter who they were.

This holiday when they returned, they stayed a long time—nearly five months—before making preparations to return home, as they had finally completed their studies.

As soon as Jafar went and returned, he announced her homecoming after graduating. Joy overwhelmed Baffa, and he began proclaiming that his Anano had finished school and would become a great doctor who treats people.

Immediately, the entire town buzzed with excitement, especially upon hearing that she had become a doctor.

Special preparations were made to welcome Anano and celebrate her return, with people already coming to congratulate her even before she arrived.

Anano was extremely fair-complexioned like the rest of her family, but far more beautiful than all of them due to her femininity. Now that she had finished secondary school, she was seventeen years old.

By nightfall, all the frying and roasting of fish was done because there was nothing she loved more than roasted fish with onions since she was a little girl, which is why Baffa even bought some specifically to be roasted for her.

The next morning, early as dawn broke, Baffa had Inna sweep everywhere and start cooking rice along with fresh tomato stew, for which he had given Aliyu money to go to the city and buy special rice to be cooked for her.

When Inna finished all her work, she went back to her room to lie down due to a sudden headache that hit her. Meanwhile, the afternoon was approaching fast, yet there was still no sign of the students arriving.

I will only continue if I see your votes... Mamuh 💋

Part 2 (EZNAH)

He lay at the edge of the swimming pool, wearing only a 3-quarter short inside the small relaxation gazebo. His eyes were closed as if sleeping, but he wasn’t sleeping. His fair skin possessed a glowing sheen of luxury and beauty, especially since he had no shirt on.

He slowly opened his bright oily eyes, reached out his hand to the table, picked up his phone for the umpteenth time, and dialed her number again.

Hearing it was switched off, he sat up, his heart heavy. This was the very first time he had ever called Nafeesat since their marriage, yet her phone was switched off.

He stood up and dialed her number again; it was still off.

He couldn't stop calling until he had dialed about twenty times without getting through.

He thrust his hands into his trouser pockets, walked to the edge of the swimming pool, and stared blankly into the water in deep thought.

For the two years since he married Nafeesat, he had never picked up the phone to call her because she was always the one calling him morning, afternoon, and night—until he grew tired and turned off his phones just to escape the distress of her constant calls.

She was never angry at the fact that he never called her; her only desire was to call him and find out how he was doing. And whenever he was with her, she could never sit still, constantly attending to his every need just to make him comfortable, hoping to catch a glimpse of a smile—even if just once. But he had never smiled, for there was no love or happiness in his heart whatsoever.

Nafeesat possessed a level of patience and endurance that very few women had.

She held a deep, genuine, and powerful love for him—a love that from the very beginning made her agree to marry him even though she had to sacrifice all her own happiness for the sake of his love.

After their marriage, she found nothing but sorrow, neglect, and absolute coldness from him. Yet she suppressed it all because she never blamed him, not even a little bit.

Before and after marrying him, she had never seen him laugh, not even once. Despite all her efforts to make him smile, she never succeeded because he felt no love or joy in his life whatsoever.

Her heart constantly ached with sorrow as she realized there wasn't even an atom of love for her in his heart. She cried in secret and in public, yet she could never find a permanent home in his heart. Even though he was a soldier, he didn't have the hot temper of other soldiers, which was why she loved him even more—because he was calm.

Eventually, she resigned herself to fate, surrendered everything to God, and continued treating him with kindness. Slowly, a deep sense of pity for her crept into his heart because of her patience and intense affection—to the point where she refused to see fault or blame in any of his actions, especially since he was rarely ever in the country.

He brought her to LA (Los Angeles) to live with him and forced his heart to care for her. He tried his best to show her attention and affection, which she knew deep down was just an act to make her happy.

By the grace of God, a pregnancy manifested in her body. Never in her life had she thought she would see him truly happy until he heard about the pregnancy. From that exact moment, he multiplied his care for her, because right now, there was nothing he loved more than the child in her womb. His own life had been filled with the misery of lacking a mother, a father, or any relative to look at and feel joy. Now, he was finally going to have a piece of himself, his own blood. That was why, slowly, love and pity for her began to find a proper place in his heart.

Ever since she married him, she recognized the misery and loneliness dwelling in his heart, so she turned all her prayers to God to bring permanent happiness into his life—especially after she discovered that Mum Asee and his younger brother did not love him at all; they were only after his wealth.

When her pregnancy reached full term, he sent her back home to Nigeria to give birth there, after having an elderly woman brought to care for her, even though "Mum" was already in the house.

She used to call him constantly from dawn until night, never tiring. Even when he didn't pick up, she would leave him a voice note. But today, for the first time since dawn broke until evening fell, she hadn't called him. He knew for a fact that there must be a terrible reason stopping her, because she would never willingly fail to call him no matter how difficult things got.

He closed his bright eyes again, lifted his phone, and dialed her number.

Same thing—switched off.

He glanced at his wristwatch and realized that Nigeria must be close to the Maghrib prayer time.

He dialed Mum's phone; it rang out without being answered. He called four missed calls—no answer.

He felt his heart start to race wildly, sensing deep down that Nafeesa was unwell.

He clenched his eyes, which were beginning to change color, feeling an intense desire to see her and make sure she and his baby were safe. He opened his eyes and dialed another number.

It rang twice and was picked up. With difficulty, he opened his mouth and said in a smooth, classy voice: "Whatever you are doing, drop it tonight and go make bookings for us. We are going home tomorrow."

"What? Are you kidding me?..."

He cut the call, grimacing in annoyance because he couldn't stand listening to Zayyan’s further talk, which would only give him another headache on top of the one he was already suffering from.

Summary of the Excerpt

The provided text weaves together two distinct narrative threads:

1. Anano's Story (The Fulani Village & Graduation): In a traditional Fulani village in Yola, an elderly man named Baffa Salisu eagerly awaits the return of his youngest daughter, Anano (Hassana), who has just graduated from secondary school in the city of Adamawa. Anano is sharp, witty, beautiful, and deeply loved by her father and brother Jafar. Unlike anyone else in their village, she pursued Western education with her father's full backing. Preparations are underway for a grand homecoming celebration featuring roasted fish and special rice.
2. Nafeesat and Saheeb's Story (The Soldier and His Wife): In contrast, in Los Angeles, Saheeb—a wealthy, emotionally distant soldier—is growing frantic because his pregnant wife, Nafeesat, has uncharacteristically failed to call him all day. Saheeb was initially cold and indifferent to Nafeesat during their two-year marriage, but her unwavering love, patience, and the upcoming birth of their child have finally melted his heart. Sensing something is terribly wrong because her phone is off, Saheeb abruptly orders preparations to fly back to Nigeria. Meanwhile, ominous forces—orchestrated by "Mum" and ruthless criminals—are closing in on Nafeesat in Nigeria over hidden property documents belonging to Saheeb.

(Note: The narrative later converges into a tense, dangerous wilderness scene where Anano—traveling back from school—cross paths with Nafeesat, who is fleeing kidnappers/assassins linked to Saheeb's family, leading to a life-or-threatening crisis involving both young women).

Analytics of Analytics

• Thematic Dualism: The story brilliantly contrasts the rustic, warm, traditional communal life of rural Northern Nigeria (simplicity, family affection, educational triumph) with the cold, wealthy, high-stakes psychological drama of the diaspora/military elite (emotional detachment, greed, betrayal).
• Character Archetypes:
  • Anano: Represents youthful ambition, resilience, intelligence, and familial pride.
  • Baffa: Exemplifies unconditional parental love and progressive thinking within a conservative setting.
  • Nafeesat: Embodies extreme sacrifice, silent endurance, and transformative, redemptive love.
  • Saheeb: Portrays emotional trauma, redemption through unexpected parenthood, and sudden awakening from apathy.
• Plot Tension: The juxtaposition of a joyous homecoming celebration (Anano) with a life-and-death manhunt/betrayal (Nafeesat) creates high dramatic irony and suspense.

Comments

• Pacing & Tone: The author (Mamuh Gee) effectively shifts tones between the heartwarming, nostalgic depiction of traditional Fulani family life and the tense, thriller-like suspense of the urban/criminal subplot.
• Character Growth: Saheeb's transition from an emotionally deadened, unreachable husband to a panicked, caring partner highlights a compelling redemption arc driven by the impending arrival of fatherhood.
• Suspense Building: The cliffhanger involving Anano stumbling into the dangerous forest where Nafeesat is being hunted sets up a high-stakes convergence of the two storylines.

Conclusions

The excerpt serves as a rich, multi-layered contemporary Hausa romance/thriller. It highlights themes of love, familial sacrifice, the transformative power of education, and the destructive nature of greed and emotional isolation. As the two distinct worlds of Anano and Nafeesat violently collide in the dark forest, the stage is set for a gripping intersection of destiny, survival, and ultimate revelation.