Episode 5: When hope seems lost

Azrah data fito sanye da uniform ɗin makarantarta tama Umma sallama harta tafi bakin kofa kuma ta tsaya ta juyo tana kallon Umma ta ce

"Dan Allah Umma kar kice zakiyi girki ko wani aiki, Kinga ba'a son wani abu da zai sa ciwonki ya tashi ko ya jawo miki ciwon kai" Umma tayi murmushi ta ce

"Naji Azrah, Allah muku Albarka, ki tafi kar kiyi latti ko?" Azrah ta gyaɗa ma Umma kai ta nufi kofa.

Azrah tunda ta isa makaranta, ta lura da yanayin da ya ɗan sauya, An taru a harabar makaranta yayin da Principal ke magana da ɗalibai

"Ku sani tun kafin ku shiga SS3, dole ne a biya kudin candy, Wannan tsarin ne tun daga sama, kuma ba za mu ɗauki ɗaliban da ba su biya ba idan har an rufe"

Maganar tayi nauyi sosai a zuciyar Azrah. Candy din dai wani nau'in horo ne na makarantarsu kafin jarrabawar WAEC, kuma kudinsa yana da ɗan yawa sai dai bai kai kuɗin WAEC ba, amma idan mutum yaci za'a tura sunan sa ga gomnati ya biya masa WAEC da NECO

Sai dai kamar yadda aka santa, Azrah bata bari damuwarta ta bayyana a fuska ba. Ta cigaba da sauraro cikin natsuwa, amma zuciyarta cike take da nauyi tana kokarin hana kanta hawaye,

Gaba ɗaya wannan ranan haka ta wuni a school babu wani laƙƙa a jikinta dan ita sanmaninta sai anyi 3rd term ne zasu biya.

A hanyanta na komawa gida, bata ma lura da abinda ke faruwa a gabanta tafiya take absent-minded ko hirar da kawarta Fatima take mata da 'Em.. eh.. A'a" take amsa mata ba tare da tasan tana hakan bama. Kamar wacce aka kunna ma zuciyarta wuta ko aka zare fahimtarta"

Tana isowa gida, taji aroman girkin Umma, ta karasa ɗakinta, ta aje jaka da schl stuff, sannan ta fito da sauri zuwa kitchen dan bata ga Umma a main spot ɗinta ba, A nan ta tarar da Umma tana tuka tuwo

"Umma! Na gaya miki fa ba'a so ki na aiki! Kina so ki fama ciwon kai naki ne? Dan Allah ki daina! Ki ƙoma ciki ki zauna ki huta mana!"

Umma ta juyo da murmushin mai laushi ta ce

"Na gama yanzu. Bari na koma daki Azrah" Azrah ta ɓata fuska tana kallon Umma dake mata murmushi

Da ta juya ta fita, Azrah ta bi bayanta cikin sauri, tana shiga ɗakin, ta zauna kusa da Umma tana kallon ta idon ta cike da damuwa ta ce

"Umma yau a makarantar mu wai mu tanadi kuɗin candy saboda a wannan term ɗin zamu yi kafin mu shiga SS3 duk wanda yaci shi gomnati zai biyawa kudin jarabawar waec da neco" Umma tayi murmushi ta ce

"In shaa Allah kina cikin wanda zasu ci Azrah, na yarda da addu'a sannan na yarda da ke" Azrah na kallon Umma kamar bata fahimci me take nufi ba, a hankali ta ce

"Umma kamar baki gane ba, zamu biya kudin candyn ne yanzu fah, toh ni da nake tara kuɗi akan sai na shiga ajin karshe ne, amma yanzu zamu biya" Umma ta sauke ajiyar zuciya ta ce

"Azrah, ki kwantar da hankalinki kinji? Ai tunda Bappah ya ce ya bawa Mama kudin WAEC ɗinki, danta juya jari dashi ai akwai sauki, Zamu samu mafita in shaa Allah" Azrah ta ɗan saki ajiyar zuciya

"Toh Umma, ni dai na yanke shawara zan fasa asusun nan nawa, Ko da bai ishe ni ba, amma zan yi ƙoƙari, Ni bana so wannan damar ta wuce ni saboda kuɗi"

A dai-dai lokacin Zahra ta turo ƙofar da sallama a bakinta, bayan ta gaishe su ta tsaya binsu da kallo sai kuma tayi dariya ta ce

"Kamar dai magana mai muhimmanci kuke ko?... Me ke faruwa?"

Azrah ta ɗan ƙalleta, bata da niyyar faɗa, sai dai Zahra ta matsa har taji labarin

Zahra ta haɗa gira ta ce, "Ai ni dai bazan lamunci a hana Azrah karatu ba saboda kuɗi, dole Mama ta amo da kuɗin da Bappah ya bata tunda ya hana miki Umma, ko kuma wallahi shi Bappahn zai sake bada wani" ta kare maganar ranta a ɓace

Azrah ta dubi 'yar uwarta, zuciyarta na sauƙa kaɗan Kodayake har yanzu bata da tabbacin yaya zata magance matsalar candy idan Mama ta ce 'Aa' kuma tasan zata iya dan bata damu da karatun nata yaran bama, idan Bappah ya ce bashi da kuɗi kuma fah? amma kalaman su Umma da Zahra sun rage mata nauyi a zuciya.

Da Rana bayan ta dawo daga makaranta, tana cikin shirin fita gidan Mummy sai Umma ta kirata ita da Zahra, suna zauna ita da Zahra a dakin suna kallon Umma, Umma ta kalli ‘yayanta da nutsuwa ta fara da

"Ku sani rayuwa ba zata taɓa zama daidai da yadda muke fata ba, ku kalli mahaifinku a baya da yadda yanzu kuma rayuwa ta canza masa, Amma duk da haka, kada ku taɓa rasa bege, Idan kun wayi gari da lafiya, ku gode wa Allah, sai dai yana da kyau kuma addu'a da positive thoughts, Rayuwa karshen ta ba komai bane, komai sai dai a barshi..."

Muryarta ta yi rauni yayin da kalmomin ke fita kamar ana taune su, Zahra ta lumshe ido, Azrah kuwa bata ce komai ba, amma zuciyarta cike take da ɗumbin damuwa, Kalaman Umma sun shiga zuciyarta fiye da yadda take sammani, amma gaba ɗaya sai suka sinci kamar wani abu na shirin faruwa dasu ne,

A haka ta tafi gidan Mummy kamar kullum, tana shiga compound ɗin, sai ga Saif, yana shirin fita, matsawa gefe tayi ta wucesa ba tare da ta gaishe sa ba, with shock ya dubeta daga sama zuwa ƙasa da kallon rainin da yake ma mutane, tasa kai ta wuce cikin gidan amma sai haka kawai take jin bata kyauta ba.

Kamar yadda ta saba, ta nufi kitchen tayi wanke-wanke, shara, sannan ta daura girki, Amma yau akwai wani abu dabam, Tana jin wani nauyi a zuciyarta, yadda taga gidan kamar an tattara wasu kaya, sai kuma take tunanin ko kalaman Umma ne suka dame ta? Ko wani abu ne ba ta iya fassarawa ba?

Bayan ta gama, ta fito parlour, inda ta tarar da Mummy da Suhaila suna zaune, ta musu sallama da murmushi, suka amsa, amma yau murmushinsu kamar dole ne, Yanayinsu ya nuna babu annuri, Hakan ya sake tsinka zuciyar Azrah bata tsaya tambaya ba, ta tafi gida.

A gida, ta tarar da Mama tana zaune a tsakar gida tare da ‘yan matanta Habiba da Siyama suna lissafin kuɗin tallar su, Azrah ta gaishe da Mama da ladabi, amma sai ta amsa a wani duƙule

"Duk wanda ya ɗaukawa kansa rayuwar boko, daga ƙarshe sai ya zama ɗan iska gashi dai muna ganinsu a gari, duk jariran da ake yarwa a titi nasu ne" Habiba da Siyama suka kwashe da dariya

Azrah ta share, ta riga da ta saba da irin maganganun Mama, ta wuce zuwa dakin Umma, sai dai a bakin ƙofa taji kukan Zahra dake durƙushe a baƙin kofar

"Zahra, meya faru?!" Ta tambaya cikin firgici

"Umma... tunda kika tafi gidan Mummy bata da lafiya, yanzu ma tana kwance…"

Bata jira cikakken bayani ba, ta fita da gudu, ta nufi cikin ghetto area ɗin unguwarsu, can inda ta san Bappah ke zama kusa da masallaci wato majalisarsu ta nufa, tun daga nisa tana hango shi, ganinta yasa ya miƙe nan ta sanar masa ba tare da bata lokaci ba, Bappah yaje ya sayar da mai adaidaita suka ɗauki Umma suka fito da ita wanda idonta a kulle bata son haske ko kaɗan

A nan sakar gidan sai ga Mama dake sanya ta juyo ta Kalle su sai kuma ta taɓe baki ta ce

"Ni wallahi banda cin kuɗin mu a hanyar asibiti! Ban ga komai ba da zaku rika wahalar da jama'a Ciwon kai ne ko mutuwa ce? Ciwon talakawa ma ai masifa ce, da ci za'a ji ko da kuɗin asibiti! Ki dai mutu ki huta da wannan ciwon naki!"

Zahra dake kuka ta tsaya cak ta ce

"Zafin ciwo ai ba mutuwa bane, wanda yake da lafiya ma sai ya mutu ya bar wanda yake jinya sa duk ikone na Ubangiji"

Da shock suke kallon Zahra, Azrah ta kama hannun Zahra zuciyarta na ƙuna dan bata da lokacin saɓani, yanzu burinta tana son Umma ta samu lafiya ne.

Kekensu na tsayawa a cikin asibitin Nurses suka fito da gadon emergency, suka tarbe su cikin gaggawa Umma na kwance a kan gadon hannu, zuciyarta na bugawa a hankali. Azrah da Zahra na binsu a baya, Bappah na kokarin danne damuwarsa shima

Bayan an shigar da Umma ciki, wani nurse ya fito yana tambayar wanda zai karɓi bayani

"An gano high blood pressure da strong migraine ne, kuma yanzu tana buƙatar magunguna masu ƙarfi da jinya ta musamman Za'a buƙaci a sayi magunguna, sannan za'a duba kansu da CT scan domin tabbatar da cewa ba ciwon brain tumour natan bane ya kara girma..."

Maganar ba ta gama fita daga bakin nurse ba, ya mika wa Bappah takarda, Azrah ganin Bappah yana tsaya kawai karɓa ta karɓi takardar da hannunta mai rawa, ₦89,500 Tana kallon amount ɗin kamar bata fahimta ba Idanunta suka kada da hawaye

"Zahra…" ta kira da muryar da ta karaya, Zahra kudin nan… babu shi."

Zahra ta matso kusa, itama hawaye na bin kuncinta ta furta

" Bappah fa? Ko Mama?" Ta kare maganar tana starring Bappah da manyan idonta

Azrah ta girgiza kai, ta kalli nurse din da har yanzu yana jiran su

"Please… just start with something, we will get the money" ta ce da muryar da ta cika da fargaba da kuma rauni

Nurse din ya girgiza kai. "We'll wait for the deposit Ma, We can’t administer some of the medication without it"

Azrah ba ta san lokacin da hawaye suka zubo mata ba, tayi saurin juyawa ta fita daga asibitn ko sake waiwayo Bappah batayi ba, zuciyarta na tsinke

A bakin asibitin, ta zauna a jikin bango, tana kokarin shan iska da tunanin ina zata fara zuwa? Amma numfashinta ma kamar yana barinta ne

"Toh ya zan yi? Ina zan samu kudi yanzu?" Ta furta da karfi, kamar tana magana da mutanen arean ne

Tana nan zaune, sai wata tsohuwar mata ta shigo da wani yaro mai ciwon sikila, tana neman taimakon kuɗin da za'a ma yaronta karin jini, Azrah ta kalleta zuciyarta tayi wani irin sanyi kamar itama ta fara hakan, Bata jin zata iya bari Umma ta shiga cikin hadari saboda kudi.

Nan take ta tashi da sauri

Zata fita neman kudi, Ko da ta je gidan su suhaila ne ta roƙi Mummy? Ko ta nemi wani daga cikin makusanta da bata taɓa tunani ba? Ko ta kai wayar Umman ta saida?

Zuciyarta ta yanke shawara ɗaya Zata yi duk abin da zai tabbatar da Umma ta samu lafiya.

Ta juya cikin hanzari, Fuskarta cike da hawaye amma kwarin gwiwa ya fara ɗagata tana feeling hope yana kusa, wannan ba lokaci bane na kuka kadai lokaci ne na neman mafita

Tana dawowa gida, Azrah ta shige ɗakinta da sauri, ta duƙufa ta zaro ƙaramin akwatin da ta sakawa ƙey a cikin leda 'asusunta A hankali ta zauna ƙasa, zuciyarta na bugawa kamar zata fito waje, Tayi addu'a kafin ta ɗauko ƙaramar guduma daga ƙarƙashin gado, sannan ta ɗan tsaya tana kallon akwatin kamar tana tambayarsa, "me zan samu a ciki?"

Taaah! Guduma ta sauka

Taaah! Na biyu

Har sai da akwatin ya fashe, ga kuɗaɗen da ta tara

Ta fara tattarawa da rawar hannu ₦37,500 Kawai.

Ba ma ya kai rabin kuɗin ba... Ta dafe goshin ta ta furta

"Ya Allah" hawaye na gangaro mata, kamar waccan aka aikata ta miƙe da sauri

Bata tsaya tunani ba, ta ɗauki kudin cikin leda ta zura a jaka, ta fita da sauri, harta isa asibitin tana addu'a, office ɗinsu ta wuce ta miƙa kudin ga nurse din

Ya karɓa, ya gyara rigarsa, yana duban takardar This is not complete, but we'll start her on injections while we await the balance"

Azrah ta ɗaga kai, "Please just don't let her get worse"

Aka shigar da Umma dakin jinya, suka soma aikin duba lafiyarta Amma duk da haka, komai sai cikakken kuɗin CT scan da wasu tests, har yanzu ba'a fara ba.

Azrah ta dawo gefen Bappah da ke tsaye a waje, yana kallon ƙasa kamar wani da aka zarga da laifi

"Bappah… akwai saura kaman ₦50,000…" muryarta na rawa.

Bappah ya yi shiru. Daga nan ya ɗan karkatar da kansa "Azrah… gaskiya… banga inda zan samu ba yanzu, ba hanya Azrah"

Kamar an buɗe tankin hawaye a idonta Azrah ta fashe da kuka, ta durƙusa a gaban Bappah, zuciyarta na tafarfasa "Bappah don Allah, Umma zata mutu ne kafin a samu kudin?"

Zahra dake gefe ta sa hannu ta ja Azrah daga gaban Bappah, "Zo mu tafi Aunty Azrah, Kukan nan ba zai canza komai ba Bappah kuma ba asaransa bane"

Suka koma bakin bench suka zauna, Shiru ne ya ratsa tsakanin su Kawai sautin sanyi da famar numfashi na ban tausayi ya cika sararin zuciyoyin su

Azrah ta kalli Zahra ta daure da murmushi na karya, sannan ta ce

"Ina zuwa Zahra"

Zahra ta ce, "Ina zaki je kuma?"

Azrah ta girgiza kai "Zan samo kudin ne Ko da sai na kai wayan Umma ne, ko na yi aiki da karfi, sai na samo…"

Ta fice da sauri wasiyyar Umma na dawo mata wa da yake mara sanya mata jiki, Wannan shine lokacin jarabawa,

Har yamma tayi, Azrah tana yawo kamar mara tushe a cikin gari. Ta shiga layi-layi, ta tambayi duk wani mutum da ta ke da kwarin gwiwar cewa zai iya taimakawa abokai, tsofaffin ma’aikata, har ma da 'yan adashe da ta taba yi da su Amma kowa da dalilinsa: wasu sun ce sun riga sun ci adashen, wasu kuma suka ce babu cash yanzu Wani ma yace mata “kiyi hakuri, rayuwa tayi tsada sosai.”

Azrah ta zauna a gefen titi wani lokaci, tana kallon mutane suna wucewa. Ranta ya yi nauyi Ji take kamar duniya ta ninka mata A zuciyarta bata ma sake tunawa da cewa tana da aikin a gidan Mummy ba balle ta tuna da zuwa gidan nata neman kudin duk ta manta, Abinda kawai ke gabanta shine Umma

Daga Magrib Azrah ta miƙe da sauri Kamar wacce ta hango mafita, ta yi tafiya cikin sauri-sauri, har ta dawo asibitin tana cikin tsoro, ko lafiya? Ko ciwon ya tsananta? Ko akwai wani abu da ta rasa?

Tana isa, ta zarce kai tsaye dakin da aka kwantar da Umma, Ta saki ajiyar zuciya lokacin da ta ganta a can, kwance da idonta rufe, amma tana numfashi a hankali, ta kalli Zahra da itama tana saye a jikin glass ɗin tana kallon Umman ta ce

"Zahra ya jikin Umman?"

Zahra ta ɗago kai, ta ce da sauki, "Baki samu kudin ba ko?"

Azrah ta girgiza kai a hankali, hawaye na cika idonta "Wallahi babu wanda ya iya taimaka min Na gwada ko'ina Zahra... ko'ina"

Zahra ta kama hannunta "Ki zauna kawai ki huta Allah zai kawo sauki, Mu dake da addu’a"

Azrah ta zauna, zuciyarta a karye, jiki ba ƙarfi Gaba ɗaya ji take kamar duniya ta juya mata baya

A yanzu bata da wani mafita sai dai tsayawa da addu'an kawai.