Auren Shehu Book 2 Complete Hausa Novel

He lay flat on his back on the grass known as carpet grass, both hands supporting the back of his head, deep in thought as he gazed at the stars lined up, sparkling across the sky. It was a large garden divided into two sections: one section filled with fruit trees—mango, guava, cashew, and others—and another section furnished with resting chairs. Apart from the occasional cry of a night bird, there was complete silence, as night had fully settled. It was around two o’clock.

He was dressed in a knitted robe typical of the Fulani, with a turban wrapped around his head and face, covering more than half of it. As one of the night guards of the house, he usually spent his nights here in the garden, lying down and reflecting—an activity that brought him great pleasure.

Beside him lay a large stick called a gora, used for herding cattle, even though it had been almost a year since he last stayed at their cattle camp known as Rugar Shehu.

The sound of someone landing, followed immediately by the barking of the house dogs, made him spring up into a sitting position, staring intently toward where he believed someone had entered the compound. When everything went quiet except for the barking of the dogs, he stood up, grabbed his gora, and headed straight for the tree near the garden fence—certain that whatever had landed must have passed through that route.

From the moment she landed, she had been struggling to free her veil, which had caught on a tree branch she had used as a ladder. She pulled with all her strength, but it refused to come loose. She knew that if she didn’t manage to get inside, the guards would surely catch her today—the dogs’ barking was louder than usual.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickly turned around. When she saw him raising his stick, preparing to strike, she shut her eyes tightly and cried out,

“Wayyo ni, Dady!!!”

He froze instantly, his hands trembling in shock at the breathtaking beauty before him. Truly, beauty was not something uncommon in their camp, but never in his life had he seen a sight that startled him like the creature standing before him.

He studied her face—made visible now that her veil had come off—while the rest of her body remained fully covered in hijab from head to toe. Just as he had been lost in thought while gazing at the stars, he now found himself equally absorbed as he studied her face.

Her lips—soft and glowing like polished coral. The shape of her nose, perfectly aligned above her small mouth, only added to the beauty of her long face.

When she felt no blow land on her, she slowly opened her eyes. The sight of her wide, white eyes fixed on him unsettled him even more, forcing him to step back slightly while murmuring praises to his Lord, convinced that the being before him was not human.

She stared at him in fear, especially at his broad build and towering height—unlike anything she had ever seen in her life. To make matters worse, his appearance resembled that of armed men or Fulani kidnappers, the kind Nigerians often fear. This thought, combined with the increasing barking of the dogs and approaching footsteps—which confirmed that the guards were drawing closer—made her hastily pull off her veil and lift her hijab to allow herself to move faster.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction as he stood frozen, staring at her, she bolted along the path leading to the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she tried to pull out the small key she had hidden inside her shorts. She even stumbled as she glanced back to make sure he wasn’t following her.

By God’s mercy, the door opened. Being new to this risky act, she moved cautiously, feeling her way in the darkness since the kitchen lights were off. Only the moonlight streaming through the window guided her. She didn’t panic until she heard the voices of the guards from within the garden. Praying silently that her secret wouldn’t be exposed, she hurried through the living room and into her bedroom, shaking with fear. Never since she began sneaking out at night had she faced danger like this.

She removed her hijab, exhaled deeply, and collapsed onto her bed.

Suddenly, the room lit up as the electricity came on, making her jump upright in fright. Seeing someone leaning against the wall, she widened her eyes and exclaimed,

“Halitta, won’t you ever mind your own business? How far will this madness go?”

Halitta slowly scanned her from head to toe—from the tiny tight bum-short she was wearing, to the fitted red top that barely reached her navel, and her head full of expensive Brazilian hair extensions braided with horsehair. Shaking her head, she muttered,

“Yakura…”

“Please, Halitta—not now. I’m extremely tired!”

She cut her off, raising her hand. Hearing the bedroom door handle turn, she quickly grabbed a blanket to cover herself. Their mother, whom they called Ammy, walked in, yawning heavily, sleep still clouding her eyes. Looking at them with concern, she said,

“I knew you’d both be awake. Was it Audu’s noise and the dogs’ barking that woke you?”

“Yes, wallahi, Ammy…”

They both replied at the same time, causing Halitta to stare at her sister in surprise. She, however, showed no concern and said,

“I really don’t understand their problem—setting dogs on us and making so much noise. They should just be banned from entering the garden altogether…”