THE GIRL IN THE DARK

Ana ta kiraye-kirayen sallar Magrib lokacin da ta ƙaraso, wani numfashi mai zafi ta saki, tana ƙoƙarin sauya fuskarta duk da ita ma ta san yaudarar kanta take. Haka dai ta ƙirƙiro murmushi yaƙe ta ɗorawa fuskarta.

Hannunta ta ɗaga za ta ƙwanƙwasa ƙofar, buɗe ƙofar ta ciki aka yi, Ammar ne ya fito, fuskarsa a jiƙe, hannun rigarsa a naɗe, da alama alwala ya yi, masallaci zai tafi.

Matsa mata hanya ya yi yana cewa, “Adda sannu da zuwa.” Amsawa ta yi sama-sama dan kar ya gane halin da take ciki, ta yi saurin shigewa. Shi ma ya yi wucewarsa masallaci.

Wani numfashi da ya maƙale mata ta saki ganin ba kowa a tsakar gidan, sun shige ɗaki sallar Magrib.

Direct famfo ta tafi ta ɗauro alwala tana nufar ɗakinta. Fitila ta kunna saboda duhun magariba da gari ya yi. Ajiye jakarta ta yi tana jawo sallayarta ta tada sallah. Bayan ta idar, haka ta zauna tana yin lazimi, ta yi shiru, tunanin duniya ya cika ta ga zulumin TARON gobe, ga tashin hankalin abinda zai biyo baya bayan haɗuwarta da Labeebah.

Kan katifarta ta koma ta kwanta tana ta saƙe-saƙe a zuciyarta. Ganin tunanin na ƙoƙarin tarwatsa zuciyarta da kanta ne yasa ta tashi tana ɗakko MacBook ɗinta wacce aka bata kyauta da su ka yi wani program. Danne-danne ta fara cikin tsantsantsar ƙwarewa kamar don ita aka yi laptop ɗin, ta fara bincike akan case ɗin da Musty ya kawo mata dan ta fuskanci ba ƙarami bane case ɗin.

Ammar ne ya dawo daga masallaci, ɗakin Ummu ya shiga, inda yake tambayar Ummu ina Adda Atti ganin bata gurin kamar kullum. Ummu ce tace, “Ah ah yaushe Attin ta dawo, ai mu ko ganin ta ba mu yi ba.” Inda nan Ammar yake tabbatar musu da ta shigo ai lokacin da zai fita masallaci.

Ammar ne yace, “Ummu in je in kirata ne?” Shiru Ummu tayi na ɗan wani lokaci kafin tace masa, “A’a”, saboda tasan ba zai wuce tana cikin zulumi da fargabar abinda zai faru gobe ba, duk da yadda Attin ke ƙoƙarin ɓoye wa ta gano tsoron da take ta ƙoƙarin dannewa.

Haka suka zauna suka yi karatun su, Ummu na musu tini da tambayoyi. Sai bayan wajen minti talatin kafin Ummu ta kalli Husna tace, “Husna jeki ki kira Atti ta zo a ci dinner, Isha ta kusa.” Tashi Husna tayi tana tsalle-tsallen ta, ta tafi da gudu, birki ta ja a ƙofar ɗakin tana ƙwaƙwasawa. Atti ce tace mata, “Shigo.”

Shigowa tayi tana gaishe ta tace, “Adda Ummu tace kizo muci abinci.” Girgiza kai Atti tayi, hankalinta na kan laptop ɗin tace, “Na ƙoshi kawai, ku ci.” “Tohm,” Husna tace tana fita tare da jawo mata ƙofar ɗakin.

Husna ce taje ta cewa Ummu, “Ummu tace wai taƙoshi, mu ci kawai.” Ummu ce tace, “Me take yi a ɗakin?” Husna ta bata amsa da, “Aiki take Ummu sosai.” Numfashi Ummu ta sauke saboda at least ta samu relief, ba tunani da damuwar Atti ta sa a ranta ba. Ko ba komai tasa ta abin da zai yi distracting ɗinta.

Abincin su suka zauna suka ci su ukun. Bayan sun gama ci suka yi sallar Isha, kowa ya nufi ɗakinsa don bacci, yau ba Uwar hirar gidan, kuma akwai school.

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Wani murmushi mai shegen kyau Atti ta saki sakamakon gano bakin zaren case ɗin da tayi. Miƙa tayi saboda yadda jikinta yayi tsami, tana jawo wayarta ta ɗan duba lokaci. Wani tsalle tayi tana sauka daga kan katifar sakamakon lokaci da ta ga ya tafi, har tara tayi, ba tayi sallar Isha ba.

Towel ɗinta da Sabulunta ta ɗauka ta fito tsakar gida. Gaba ɗaya tsakar gidan shiru, alamar mutanen gidan duk sun kwanta. Ruwa ta ɗiba ta nufi banɗaki, wanka tayi sharp-sharp ta ɗauro alwala ta fito. Ɗakinta ta koma tana zura dogon hijjabinta ta tada sallah. Bayan ta idar ta cire hijjabinta tana jawo kayan skincare ɗinta, shape-shape ta gama kafin ta ɗakko wata vest da wando iya guiwa ta saka, mayafin da ta fita dashi ɗazu ta ɗakko ta yafa a kanta ta fito waje.

Ɗakin Ummu ta nufa direct, ƙofar ɗakin ta tura ta shiga. Gaba ɗaya sun kwanta, bacci suke hankali kwance. Murmushi tayi mai sanyi kafin ta ja musu ƙofar ta fita, haka taje ɗakin Ammar, shi ma yayi bacci. Ita ma dawowa tayi ta kwanta dan tana buƙatar hutu sosai, ga shiryawar gobe dan bata san da me zata zo ba. Bargo ta ja tana rungume pillow case ɗinta yadda ta saba. Addu'a tayi tana lumshe idonta, bacci ya yi gaba da ita.

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Wani ƙungurmin daji ne, baƙi ƙirin. Ba a ganin komai sai duhun da ya lulluɓe ko'ina da kuma kukan manyan namun daji da ke ratsawa cikin tsakiyar dare. Iska mai ƙarfi tana kadawa tsakanin manyan bishiyoyin, sai girgiza suke, ganyayyaki na zubowa, yayin da busassun ganye ke yawo a ƙasa. Babu ko kaɗan haske, babu alamar cewa wani ya taɓa wanzuwa ko taka wannan wurin.

A cikin wannan duhun, wani mutum ne ke tafiya a hankali. Sanye yake da baƙaƙen kaya, kansa a sunkuye, kuma a yatsansa akwai wani baƙin zobe, sai kyalli yake a cikin duhun daren, mai wata alama a tsakiyarsa, amma ba a iya ganin alamar saboda duhun daren. A gabansa kuma wata yarinya ce ƙarama, tsaye ita kaɗai cikin dajin, ƙafafunta babu takalmi, ƙafafunta sun yi datti, amma idanunta cike suke da wani irin ƙarfin da kaifi mai ban tsoro.

Sai wata murya ta fashe daga cikin dajin, mara daɗin sauraro.

“Leekah!”

Yarinyar ta juya da sauri. Wata murya ta sake kiran sunanta daga nesa, wannan karon cike da tsoro. Ta fara gudu tsakanin bishiyoyin, ba tare da ta san inda take zuwa ba. Duk inda ta juya, duhu ne kawai, kukan namun daji da kuma wannan murya da ke ci gaba da kiranta.

A ƙarshe ta hango wani haske a gabanta. Tana ƙoƙarin isa gare shi, sai ta ji an kama hannunta daga baya. Ta juya, amma ba ta ga fuskar mutumin sosai ba. Sai ya sunkuyo ya rada mata, “You were never supposed to remember.”

Ta kasa magana. “Remember what?” ta tambaya cikin rawar murya.

Mutumin bai amsa ba. Sai kawai ya ce, 

“Run.”

Nan take wani ƙara mai ƙarfi ya tashi daga cikin dajin. Yarinyar ta juya, amma mutumin ya ɓace. Sai baƙin zoben kawai da ya rage a ƙasa. Ta sunkuya ta ɗauke shi, kuma da zarar yatsunta sun taɓa zoben, komai ya sauya.

Gaba ɗaya namun dajin nan suka zagaye ta da wasu mugayen halittu, masu ban tsoro, amma ba su lura da ita ba saboda duhun gurin. Sai wata murya ta fito daga bayanta—murya mai cike da wani irin ɗaci da kusanci da ba za ta iya mantawa da shi ba.

“Leekah.”

..........end of chapter 10..........

written by Muraimaa Naabba..........