Chapter 29

29

I ran to my room and cried silently. "Daddy where are you? Why did you leave me? The only person who cared for me now is not around again

"Stupid girl what are you doing here crying? Did I touch you? Did I do anything to you?" She ask angrily and I nod my head crying

"Oh! You're still crying?! Wait for me OK? Aren't you eager to weep? Don't worry I'm going to help you, just wait for me" she said and quickly went out to where God knows what she was about to do

I was so afraid of what she's going to do,and before I could know she came in with a cane

"Why are you crying? Whip Did I touch you? Whip just because I told you that you won't go to school again? Whip stupid girl so you want to finish my husband money?! Ehn! Is that it?!" Whip

"No Ma"

"Shut up! Did I ask you to talk?! Whip and for that you're not eating food in this house for good three days! Stupid girl" she said using her right leg to hit me on my stomach before walking away

"I cried silently to Allah to help me"

And truly she stick to her word for not giving me food for three days

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"Stupid girl!" I heard her yelling my name

"Yes Ma" I answered back rushing to the sitting room

"Why are you just answering me now? Do you know since when I've been calling out your name?" She ask slapping me

"I'm sorry Ma " I said not daring to look into her eyes

"And who said you could stand when ever I'm talking to you! you kneel down when ever you're in front of me.....is that clear?"

"Yes Ma" I answered back controlling the tears that was about to come out

"Are you through with the plate?"

"Yes Ma I'm through"

"Good! This is 12 O'Clock....I kept some cloth for you to wash, go wash them and in the next thirty minute I want you to be done so that you could go hawking for me"

"Yes Ma " I answered back running to her room

"Hey! Hey!! Wait there! I don't want you to go and put something bad in my room,lemme pack the cloth for you.

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"You see these are the steps before making cupcakes:" she said teaching me how to make it

"250g unsalted butter,250g Caster sugar, 250g flour,pinch of salt,four eggs,four table spoon of milk,ice cream scoop(well it's optional),2×12 muffin tins and so on......"

She showed me how everything is to be done,and I was happy that at least she's showing me how to do things, at my age I can be proud that I can do things and most especially house chores,the only thing remaining for me to know how to do now is cooking

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"You make sure you sell everything before coming back to this house! I don't want to hear anything like you were not able to sell everything and most importantly my money must be complete. And you know our rules right?" 'No selling No food'

"Yes Ma"

"Good now go....Má pe oooo (Don't stay long ooo)"

I sold everything within thirty minute and quickly ran back home happily, "Alhamdulillah I can eat my food coz I'm really famished" I thought

"As salamu Alaikum,good afternoon Ma" I said kneeling  down,I hate it when people repeat things to me three times,I don't want her to get mad again

"Wa Alaikum Salam....Kí lo dé? (what happened)? Mà só funmi wípé òti dà ójà mi nu (Don't tell me that you've poured all my goods away)?"

"Rárà Ma (No Ma)" I said shaking my head

"Then What are you doing here by this time? You ought to be where you're still hawking! Tell me, what are you doing here? Mà só funmi wípé olé kirí (Don't tell me you can't hawk?) At this your age! Eh! Arà mì orírí (Eh! Wonders of life)" she laugh wickedly clapping both of her hands together

"No ma...actually I sold everything already"

"Ehn! Író ní ooo(Ehn! Its a lie ooo).....Otà kè? (You sold it?)

"Yes Ma " I replied smiling

"That's good then you can go again for the second time....come lemme give you some again"

Laillaha illalahu I thought I'm going to eat coz I'm so much hungry

"OK Ma"

I went for the second time and it wasn't even up to twenty minute that I sold everything, I came back home and she was so happy "Never knew you have good luck in selling things.....well that's good,Your food is in the kitchen you can go take it"

"Thank you Ma"

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It's been Two month that daddy travelled and I've been living in hell since then. Till date, Aunty Nana have been maltreating me so much and no one is here to rescued me,I can't go to school or Arabic school, thank Allah that whenever I went out to hawk, I always meet good people who took pity on me and gave me extra money,I always hide the money under my wardrobe in case, and now today she said I'm not going to hawk but to iron all her cloth and I've been in this cloth since 7:00am and up till now 11:00am I'm still not done

I was on the last cloth when I remembered that I was cooking fried rice,at my age 'seven years old' I'm good in doing everything now,aunty Nana has taught me everything,there's no any food that I can't prepare,i rushed to the kitchen and off the gas forgotten that I place the iron on the cloth,before I know it the cloth has burn and it's the most expensive cloth of Aunty

"Subhanallah.....la illaha illahu Muhammadu Rosulillahi salallahu alaihi wasalam.....what do I tell aunty today! I'm so dead! What will I do now?! This shouldn't have happened to me! I'm so dead today! Aunty is going to kill me" I muttered to my self crying

I placed her cloth gently and neatly on the table coz I can't enter her room without her permission,I did my ablution  and perform my suhr prayer,I pray to Allah to guide me on the right path and to always shower his mercy on me,I was about to stand up when I heard Aunty's voice

"MARYAM! MARYAM!! MARYAM!!! " she shout my name barging into my room

"Yes Ma" I answered nervously

"What's this?! Why's my cloth burnt? Did you do this? Olóshi Ómò (Stupid girl)"

"I'm sorry Ma,it was a mistake walahi I didn't mean for it to happen" I said crying

"Oh! Really?! You think you can deceive me with your crocodile tears? No problem... It's a mistake right? I'll show you how mistake are been done. Go and bring me the iron idiot" she shout making me to run out of my room

Iron? What does she need it for?

I brought the iron and she plugged it,when she sees that the iron is hot, she asked me to remove my hijab and kneel down

Ya Allah I hope it's not what I'm thinking?

I did as she says and the next thing I feel was the hotness of the iron on my back,I shout loudly coz it's so painful.

Arrrgh! Arrrgh! please stop it's hurting! Arrrgh! Arrrgh!! Please stop it's hurting me please aunty" I said shouting and crying

But what we heard next really surprise both me and aunty

"Nana! What's going on here?" Dad ask looking so angry.