CHAPTER 1

DASS

In Bashi village, under the shadow of Mbula Rocks, Mairo slept on a bed too small for her fragile body.

She was dreaming of books. Many, many books.

"KE MAIRO! TASHI!"

Cold water splashed on her face before she could stretch. A kick followed.

"Wake up and get ready before I use my hands and send you back to your Creator!" her mother shouted, then left.

Mairo sat up, shivering. She whispered her adkhar, then rushed to the bathroom for Subh.

Mairo was to travel to her grandmother’s house today because her grandmother was sick. Her grandmother had requested Mairo’s father to bring Mairo to help her with some chores.

Her mother hated the idea. She went back and forth, trying to convince her husband.

"Mallam, Mairo is only 7 years old," she said. "She can’t take care of a sick old woman all alone."

Her husband looked at his wife with amusement.

"Ke kulu? What do you mean Mairo is 7? The last time I checked, you made her start hawking at the age of 5. She is the only female child I have. Mallam, that is what I’m trying to make you understand," said her mom.

"We will be fine. I will give you a helping hand. My mother needs her more than us, and that is final," he said, and left the room so he would not miss Subh at the mosque.

In her room, Mairo got ready. She was excited and sad at the same time.

Excited because she loved staying at her grandmother’s house. There, she didn’t have to hear her mother’s harsh words, and she could go to school.

Sad because she would miss her best friend Hadi, who had been crying nonstop since she heard the news of Mairo’s traveling. And she would also miss her favorite brother too.

At exactly 6am, Mairo was set to go. She was outside with her small leather bag which contained her clothes, waiting for her dad to bring out his bicycle.

Hadi came running, hugging her best friend.

"Make sure you don’t make another friend, okay?"

"Yes, Hadi. I already promised you that no one will ever take your place. I will miss going to madrasa without you," she said.

And before Mairo could talk again, her dad was out. She jumped on the bicycle, and so they left, leaving Hadi behind, waving until they were out of sight.

They reached her grandmother’s hut at exactly 9am in the morning due to the distance between the villages. Both Mairo and her dad were exhausted.

The moment her dad stopped his bicycle, Mairo ran into the house, excited, without waiting for her dad to look for a place to keep his bicycle.

"Asalamualaikum!" came her tiny voice from afar.

She repeated it, and her grandma walked out slowly. Before she could finish answering the salaam, Mairo ran into her grandma, hugging her tightly and laughing.

"Ohh Goggo, I miss you so much!"

Goggo laughed excitedly. "Maisuna! 'Namesake', so it’s you? I never expected you to arrive early. Seems like you couldn’t sleep because you were to come to my house today."

Her dad laughed, entering the hut too and saying his salaam after the laughter died.

"La’am Sarai, Goggo. Good morning, Goggo," he said.

"Gajiya lan? How are you?" he asked.

"I’m fine, thank you. Iyali ma wake? How is the family?" she asked.

"They are all fine."

"Well, that’s good."

After the exchange of greetings, Goggo turned to Mairo and said, "Mairo."

She looked up and said, "Na’am, Goggo? Yes, Goggo."

"Take this." She squeezed a hundred naira note into her tiny hands. "Go to the house at the back of my hut and get you and your father some akara and pap. You guys look exhausted and hungry. Go along with a cup to collect the pap, okay?"

"Okay, Goggo," Mairo said immediately, and stood up to get a cup and went out.

The moment she was out, Goggo cleared her voice and said, "I see Mairo is overly excited to be here. It seems like that wicked mother of hers is still maltreating this girl, because it shows she’s relieved to leave her place."

Her dad looked up, scratching his head. "Uhmm... uhmm..." He was looking for words to say.

But before he could say anything, Goggo opened her mouth and said, "Look, Musa, I don’t want to hear anything.