THE FIRST CLUE
BALARABE MANSION, ABUJA
Fahad be kwana a gida ba, mammi ta kwana da mamakin meyasa be dawo ba kuma be kirata ba.
Safiyar ranar ta waye cikin nutsuwa a Balarabe Mansion, amma a zuciyar Maryam, babu wani kwanciyar hankali.
Tun bayan dawowarsu daga Amsterdam, hankalinta yana kan FILE 17, duk lokacin da ta tuna da saƙonnin da aka aiko mata, sai ta ji kamar gaskiyar da ta kwashe shekaru tana nema tana gab da bayyana.
zaune take kan kujera a parlorn Mammi, tana riƙe da cup din tea, amma tunanin da take yi ya hana ta shan ko kaɗan.
Zayd yana zaune kusa da ita yana duba wasu emails a wayarsa.
“Haya, kisha manah kar yayi sanyi”
Ta ɗago ta kalle shi.
“Ba na jin daɗin tea din ne.”
Ya kalli cup din kamar me son gano wani abu, sannan ya kalle ta.
“Then what would you like? Coffee, juice, milk?”
Maryam ta yi murmushi.
“Rouhi, I’m fine”
Ya ɗaga gira.
“Are you sure? Jiya ma haka kika yi. Kika qi chin abinci, daga baya da muka koma part dinmu kuma kika ce kina jin yunwa.”
“Rouhi, kar wani yaji ka”
Ya yi murmushi, ya ɗaga hannayensa alamar surrender
“Okay, Haya. I’m just making sure you’re fine.”
A lokacin ne Mammi ta shigo falon tare da Hajiya Raliya kuma duk sunji maganar da sukeyi, suka zauna kujerar opposite din Maryam da Zaid, Maryam ta gaida su a natse
Mammi ta yi murmushi.
“tun da kuka dawo, na lura Zaid ya zama kamar wani health official, sai yayita tambaya ko kin ci abinci, ko kina jin wani abu, Bakida lfya ne?”
Mammi ta tambaya saboda ta gasgata abnda take tunani, tun da suka dawo take lura da sauyin jikin maryam
Hajiya Raliya ta yi dariya.
“Wallahi ni ma na lura. Zaid, tun yaushe ka zama haka?”
Zaid ya gyara zamansa yana murmushi
Ku kukache in kula da ita
Maryam ta kalle shi da mamaki
“Really? So da baka damu da kowa ba kenan?”
“Ba haka na ce ba, mammi”
Mammi ta yi dariya, amma bayan ɗan lokaci sai ta mai da hankalinta kan Maryam.
“Maryam ɗina kina cin abinci da kyau kuwa?”
Maryam ta gyada kai.
“Ehh, Mammi.”
“Amma tun jiya bakici wani abun kirki ba, se zabar abnci kikeyi?”
Maryam ta ɗan yi shiru.
“Ba komai Mammi. Wani lokaci kawai ba na jin sha’awar wasu abubuwa.”
Hajiya Raliya ta kalli Mammi, sannan ta sake kallon Maryam.
A hankali, Mammi ta fara haɗa abubuwan da take tunani. Ta kalli Maryam dakyau taga yadda ta ƙara ciccikowa, da yadda Zaid yake ta tabbatar ta ci abinci da shan enough ruwa.
Sai ta tambaya cikin murya mai laushi.
“Zayd… ka gaya mini cewa akwai wani abu mai daɗi da kuke ɓoye mana”
Maryam ta kalli Zaid.
Shi kuma ya kalleta yana murmushi, kamar yana jiran ta yanke shawarar abin da zai faɗa.
Maryam ta sunkuyar da kanta wata irin kunya na lullube ta
“Mammi…” zayd ya kirata
“Na’am”
“Shes..she’s..umm..zaku zama grandmas”
falon ya yi shiru, na dan lokaci.
Mammi ta zuba ma maryam ido kamar tana son tabbatar da cewa ta ji abin da ya dace.
“Me ka ce?” Hajiya Raliya ta tambaya
Maryam Kamar ta nutse don kunya
“Alhamdulillah.”
“Subhanallah!”
Mammi ta miƙe da sauri ta zauna kusa da ita, ta kama hannayenta biyu.
“Maryam ɗina! Da gaske?”
Maryam ta qara sunkuyar da kai.
Zayd ya chigaba “mun je asibiti a Amsterdam, anyi tests, Dr ta tabbatar mana.”
Idanun Mammi suka cika da hawaye. Ta rungume Maryam sosai, tana shafa bayanta.
“Alhamdulillah! Allah Mun gode maka. Allah Ya sauƙaƙa miki, ya baki lafiya, ya kuma bamu zuri’a ta gari.” Hajiya raliya ta jero addu’o’i
“Ameen ya Allah” mammi ta amsa
Hajiya Raliya ma ta matso ta rungume Maryam.
“Allah ya sauke ki lfya. Wannan babban alheri ne.”
“Amin, Hajiya.”
Mammi ta ja da baya tana kallon Maryam, har yanzu murmushi bai bar fuskarta ba.
“Amma me ya sa ba ku gaya mana ba tun farko?”
Zayd ya ansa “Munaso mu tabbatar da cewa komai yana tafiya daidai kafin mu sanar daku, se kuma muka yanke shawarar se munzo mu gaya muku ba ta waya ba.”
Hajiya Raliya ta yi murmushi tana kallon shi.
“Ka kula da ita sosai, amma kada ka maida ta kamar wata mara lafiya. Ciki ba rashin lafiya ba ne.”
Maryam dai ji take kamar ta nutse a qasa amma gogan ko a jikin shi.
“In shaa Allah hajiya” ya ansa yana murmushi duk suka yi dariya.
A wannan lokacin, Maryam ta ji wani irin daadi a zuciyarta. Tun da ta gano tana da ciki, tana jin daɗin tunanin zama uwa, amma ynzu kasancewar Mammi ta sani kuma ta yi mata addu’a ya ƙara mata kwanciyar hankali, ta yanke shawarar gayama mama, amma me zatache idan ta kirata? Kai Gaskiya tanajin kunya
Zayd ne ya kalli keys din da ke ajiye a gefen side table din kujerar mammi
“Wannan ne key din da daya ɓace?”
Mammi ta gyada kai.
“Eh. Tun da muka gano cewa akwai wanda ya cire makullin, hankalina bai sake kwanciya ba.”
Zaid ya ɗauki key din ɗaya ya duba shi, sannan ya mayar da shi kan table din
“Wani ya samu damar shiga ɗakin tsawon shekarun da makullin ya bache, muna buƙatar sanin abin da aka ɗauka, abin da aka bari a ciki, kuma ko akwai wanda ya shiga ɗakin a kwanan nan, ina iya tuna ranar da maryam tache taji motsi a bayan garden, inata tunanin securities din gidan ne da suke zagaye da dare”
Hajiya Raliya ta gyada kai.
“Shiyasa muka ga bai kamata mu yi gaggawar shiga ba kafin ku dawo. Ba mu san abin da za mu tarar ba.”
Maryam ta kalli Zaid.
“Amma yanzu muna nan, me za mu jira kuma?”
“Ba abnda zamu jira, za mu yi komai a nutse tare da kula sosae, Idan akwai takardun da za su iya zama hujja, ba za mu so mu lalata su ko mu canza yadda suke ba”
Hajiya Raliya ta ƙara da cewa, “Kuma kada mu manta cewa Fahad ya san gidan nan fiye da kowa, Idan shi ne ya cire mabuɗin, zai iya zamana yana shiga ciki duk lokacin da ya ga dama, kar mu shiga yayi saurin gano muna bincike”
Mammi ta sauke numfashi.
“Har yanzu zuciyata ba ta iya yarda cewa Fahad zai iya aikata irin wannan abu ba.”
Zaid ya kalleta cikin tausayi.
“Mammi, ba mu yanke hukunci ba tukuna, amma dole ne mu bi abin da hujjoji za su nuna mana.”
Maryam ta kama hannun Mammi.
“Za mu gano gaskiya, Mammi. Ko da gaskiyar tana da zafi, dole ne mu san abin da ya faru”
Mammi ta gyada kai.
“In shaa Allah.”
Daga nan suka tashi suka nufi ƙofar garden ɗin tare.
Zaid ya karbi makullin
Ya gwada na farko. Bai shiga ba.
Na biyu ma bai yi ba.
Na uku ya shiga kaɗan amma bai juya ba.
Na huɗu bai yi ba.
Maryam ta riƙe numfashinta yayin da Zaid ya gwada na biyar.
Shi ma bai yi ba.
Makullan duk sunyi tsatsa alamar dadewa, shiyasa suka qi shiga qofar
Hajiya Raliya ta rufe idanunta na ɗan lokaci.
Ya kamata musan yadda zaayi a bude qofar nan
Maryam ta kalli ƙofar, zuciyarta tana bugawa da sauri.
“FILE 17 yana cikin wannan dakin?”
“Bamu tabbatar ba tukuna,” Zaid ya amsa. “Amma duk abin da muka sani yana nuna cewa ya kamata mu bincika wannan ɗakin.”
Ya ɗauki hoton makullin da wayarsa, sannan ya ce za su nemi master key, wanda za a iya amfani da shi ba tare da lalata ƙofar ko abin da ke bayanta ba.
Mammi ta dan kalleshi
“Ba za mu iya sa kawai ayi muna irin makullan ba?”
“Za mu iya, Mammi. Amma sai wanda za mu iya amincewa da shi. Ba ma son labarin ya fita ko wani ya san abin da muke nema.”
Hajiya Raliya ta amince.
“Zan yi ƙoƙarin nemo wanda ya dace.”
Maryam ta sake kallon ƙofar.
A karo na farko tun da suka dawo Abuja, ta ji cewa gaskiyar da take nema tana kusa da ita sosai.
Amma ƙofar har yanzu a rufe take.
Kuma wani yana iya ƙoƙarin sa na hana su buɗe ta.
NORTHERN CREST HOLDINGS, ABUJA
Fahad yana zaune a office ɗinsa lokacin da wayarsa ta yi ƙara.
Ya ɗauka tareda duba sunan mai kiran
“Talk.”
Muryar Ali ta fito daga cikin wayar.
“Sir, sun je wajen ƙofar garden ɗinnan”
Fahad ya miƙe tsaye.
“Who? Dawa dawa?”
“Zaid, Maryam, Mammi da Hajiya Raliya.”
Ya yi shiru.
“Sun buɗe ƙofar?”
“A’a, sir. Sun gwada wasu makullai amma babu wanda ya yi. Da alama za su nemi wani maƙullin.”
Fahad ya matse wayar a hannunsa.
Tsawon shekaru biyar yana shiga ɗakin a ɓoye. Ya binciki akwatuna, ya buɗe files, ya karanta takardu har idanunsa sun gaji. Amma bai taɓa gano yarjejeniyar da yake nema ba.
Yanzu kuma, waɗanda zai fi so kada su kusanci wannan sirrin sun dawo Abuja kuma kamar yadda yake zargi, sune suke bincike
“Kanaji na Ali, Listen to me carefully,” ya faɗa cikin murya mai sanyi “Daga ynzu ka kula sosai da al’amarin da ke gudana cikin gidan nan, kayi min reporting everything, every small detail”
“Yes, sir.”
“Kuma kada ka kuskura ka bari suyi noticing dinka”
“I understand.”
Ya katse wayar.
Na ɗan lokaci, ya tsaya yana kallon table dinshi. A kan table din akwai wasu takardun company, amma hnkalinshi sam ba a nan yake ba
Idan yarjejeniyar ta bayyana, shikenan asirin shi ya tonu, baze iya ya ci gaba da kare ƙaryar da ya gina tsawon shekaru ba
Ya buɗe drawer din table ya fito da wani tsohon takarda da ya daɗe yana ɓoyewa. Ya kalle ta na ɗan lokaci, sannan ya mayar da ita.
“Five years,” ya furta a hankali. “Five years, and nobody found it.”
Ya yi shiru.
“Amma ynzu sun dawo suna neman ta, meyasa? Wai meyasa abubuwa ke naman su rikice mishi ne?”
A cikin zuciyarsa, ya san cewa lokaci yana ƙara ƙurewa.
Sai dai bai san cewa Maryam da Zaid ba sune kaɗai suke kusantar gaskiyar ba.
Akwai wani mutum da ya daɗe yana ɓoye abin da ya sani.
Kuma akwai wata mace da ya yi imanin ba za ta sake zama barazana gare shi ba.
Matar da ta ɓace.
Aisha.
Sokoto
A chan family house din su Safiyya ya cika da murna da mutane, yan uwa da abokan arziki
Tun bayan haihuwar jaririn, gidan ya zama kamar ana wani ƙaramin biki. Kullun mutane wasu na shiga wasu na fita, yayin da Hajiya Ruqayya da sauran matan yan uwa da sukazo suke ta taimaka wa Safiyya wajen kula da kanta da sabon ɗanta.
Safiyya che kwance a ɗaki, tana riƙe da jaririnta a hannunta, duk da gajiyar da ke jikinta, murmushi bai bar fuskarta ba.
A parlour kuwa, mamar Maryam che ke fira da hajiya Ruqaiya, dazu da safe ta zo gidan domin ta ga Safiyya da sabon angon su, tazo da wasu kayayyakin jarirai da ta saya musu
Bayan ta fito daga dakin da safiyya da baby suke, suka zauna a parlour suna fira ita da hajiya ruqaiya
Sun ɗan tattauna game da haihuwa, yadda Safiyya ta sha wahala a lokacin naƙuda, da yadda jaririn yake shan nono, Daga nan Hajiya Ruqaiya ta sako zanchen maryam
“Ya Maryam take? Tun da suka dawo Abuja bamuyi magana ba. Na yi kewarta sosai.”
Mama tayi murmushi
“Maryam tana lafiya, Alhamdulillah.”
“Toh ma shaa Allah, ai safiyyah ma ke gayamin in shaa Allah zamu sake samun wani miji ko kishiya daga wurinta”
Mama Tayi shiru tana qoqarin gane abnda hajiya Ruqaiya ke chewa, ta kalleta dakyau
Hajiya Ruqayya ta yi murmushi.
“Bata gaya miki ba ko? Qila kunya takeji, Safiyya ke gayamin jiya”
Mama ta tsaya cak
Safiyya da fitowar ta daga daki kenan taji mamanta na gayama mamar maryam, ta ɗago kai da sauri, tana kallon mahaifiyarta.
Hajiya Ruqayya ta gane cewa Mama ta yi mamakin jin zanchen
Mama ta kalli Safiyya da ke takowa zuwa wurin su
“Safiyya sannu kin fito?”
“Eh mama sannu da zama”
“Yawwa”
Hajiya Ruqaiya ta Kalli safiiya
“Ai maryam ma tanada ciki ko?”
Safiyya ta ɗan ji kunya.
“Eh, Ta gaya mana ne bayan ta tabbatar da cikin a asibiti.”
Mama ta mayar da kallonta kan jaririn da ke hannunta da ta karba daga Safiyya, Murmushi ya bayyana a fuskarta, amma a cikin zuciyarta tana mamaki meyasa maryam bata gaya mata ba?
’Yarta tana da ciki, amma ba ita ce ta fara gaya mata ba.
Ta yi ƙoƙarin ɓoye abin da take ji, domin ba ta son ya lalata mata farin cikin da taji
“Alhamdulillah,” ta furta a hankali. “Allah yasa albarka. Allah ya sauƙaƙa mata.”
“Amin,” Hajiya Ruqayya da Safiyya suka amsa.
Hajiya Ruqayya ta lura da canjin da ya bayyana a fuskar Mama.
“Ki yi haƙuri, ban san cewa ba ta gaya miki ba. Na yi zaton kin sani.”
Mama ta yi murmushi
“Kai Habah Ba komai, wataƙila kunya take ji”
Ta sake kallon jaririn da ke hannunta, tana hamdala ga ubangiji itama zata kai ga nata jika
“Allah yasa muyita ganin nasarar yaranmu.”
“Ameen ya Allah” Hajiya Ruqaiya ta ansa
Amma mama tana tunanin ta kira maryam idan ta koma gida don tayi magana da ita, za ta tambaye ta game da abnda taji ynzu, ba don ta yi mata faɗa ba, Sai don tana son jin wannan labari daga bakin ’yarta.
A wannan boyayyen wuri, Aisha che zaune, a gabanta akwai tsofaffin takardu, wasu bayanan company, tun bayan rasuwar baba, rayuwarta ta canza. Ta yi imanin cewa mutuwar sa ba ta zo ne kawai sakamakon haɗarin mota ba. Akwai abubuwan da ba su yi daidai ba, shine babban dalilinta na neman aiki a northern crest, kuma duk lokacin da ta fara bincike, sai ta gano wani sabon dalilin da zai sa ta ƙara shakku.
A farkon bincikenta, ta fara da tambayar wasu tsofaffin ma’aikatan Northern Crest Holdings. Ta yi tunanin cewa wataƙila za ta gano kuskure ne kawai akayi na zargin mahaifinta a cikin bayanan, amma abin da ta gano ya fi haka, wasu bayanai sun nuna cewa kuɗaɗen da suka ɓace ba su dace da yadda aka gabatar da binciken Bashir ba. Wasu takardu kuma sun bayyana kamar an gyara su bayan an fara binciken.
Ta nemi bayanai daga wajen mutanen da suka yi aiki da mahaifinta. Wasu sun ƙi magana. Wasu sun ce ba su san komai ba. Wasu kuma sun yi mata gargaɗin ta daina tambayoyi.
Amma ba ta daina ba.
Har sai ranar da ta fara zargin cewa wani yana bibiyar ta.
Ta tuna ranar da ta fito daga office, ta ga motar da ta taɓa gani a baya a gefen titi. Ta tuna kiran da ta samu daga lambar da ba ta sani ba, inda aka yi mata gargaɗin kada ta ci gaba da binciken rasuwar mahaifinta.
A lokacin ne tsoro ya fara shiga zuciyarta.
Ba don kanta kawai ba.
Don Maryam, Don mama
Ta san cewa idan wani yana son rufe wannan sirri, Maryam da mama zasu iya shiga cikin haɗari
Aisha ta ajiye hoton mahaifinta da take kallo, ta buɗe wani ƙaramin littafi da take rubuta bayanan bincikenta a ciki.
A wani shafi, ta rubuta:
NORTHERN CREST — ORIGINAL AGREEMENT — FILE 17
Ta zana layi a ƙarƙashin kalmomin.
Ba ta da tabbacin cewa FILE 17 shi ne ainihin wurin da yarjejeniyar take. Amma wasu bayanan da ta tattara sun nuna cewa Rahman ya adana wasu tsofaffin takardu a wani wuri na sirri.
Sannan kuma wannan bawan Allahn da ya taimaketa shi ya gaya mata chewa abnda take nema yana cikin file 17
Kuma idan wannan bayanin gaskiya ne, to akwai yiwuwar yarjejeniyar da kowa yake nema tana nan har yanzu.
Amma yanzu Maryam da Zaid sun dawo Abuja.
Lokaci ya yi da za ta fara taimaka musu ta hanyar da ba za ta fallasa kanta ba.
Ta kalli hoton Babanta
“Zan gano gaskiyar, Baba. Ko da kuwa zan ɗauki lokaci.”
Sai ta kashe wayarta, ta mayar da takardun cikin jaka, ta ɓoye su a wurin da ba za a iya samun su cikin sauƙi ba.
A wannan lokacin, ba ta san cewa Maryam da Zaid sun riga sun je ƙofar garden ɗin ba.
Kuma ba ta san cewa Fahad ya fara jin tsoron abin da zai iya bayyana ba.
Amma abu ɗaya ta sani.
Gaskiyar da aka binne tsawon shekaru ba za ta iya ɓoyuwa har abada ba.
BALARABE MANSION
Maryam tana zaune a ɗakinsu
Tun lokacin da ta dawo Abuja, tana ta tunanin Mama. Ta san cewa ya kamata ta gaya mata tanada ciki, amma ba ta san yadda za ta fara gaya mata ba, ita dai gaskiya tana jin Kunya sosae, ya ma zata sa Abun?
Zaid ne ya shigo ɗakin ya same ta cikin tunani.
“Haya, what’s wrong?”
Ta ɗago kai.
“Nothing.”
Ya zauna kusa da ita.
“Maryam.”
Ta yi murmushi.
“Na san wannan kallon naka, Za ka ci gaba da tambayata abin da ke damuna har sai na gaya maka, ko ba haka ba?”
“Exactly.”
Tayi murmushi
“Ina tunanin Mama. Har yanzu ban gaya mata..umm..”ta taba cikinta
Ya gane abnda take nufi
Ya ɗan yi shiru yana tunani, be kamata ache mama bata sani ba amma shima yana jin kunya baze iya gaya mata ba
“Mu kirata ynzu?”
Maryam ta girgiza kai.
“Ba yanzu ba. Ina so in yi mata bayani da kaina, amma gaskiya inajin kunya sosai”
Zaid ya kama hannunta.
“She’s our mother, dole musan yadda zamu gaya mata, koda text ne”
Maryam ta sunkuyar da kai.
Zaid ya shafa hannunta.
“Duk sanda kika shirya gaya mata kiyi min magana musan yadda zamuyi”
Maryam ta gyada kai.
“In shaa Allah.”
A lokacin ne wayarta ta yi ƙara.
Saƙo ne daga unknown number
Ta buɗe shi.
“Kun je ƙofar garden duk da Baku samu shiga ba, Amma kada ku yi tunanin cewa abin da kuke nema yana bayyane a fili. FILE 17 bayada wata alama da zaku gane shi, kuna ma iya wucewa ba tare da kun lura da shi ba. Zan aje muku mukullin da ze bude qofar a garden, ba kusa da qofar ba, ta gefen kujerun da ake zaunawa na biyu, ku daga dutsen da ke wurin se ku tona qasa, zaku gan shi”
Maryam ta karanta saƙon sau biyu.
Zaid ya lura da yadda fuskarta ta canza.
“What is it?”
Ta miƙa masa wayar.
Ya karanta saƙon, sannan ya kalli Maryam.
“Someone knows what we did today.”
Maryam ta ji sanyin tsoro ya ratsa jikinta.
“Rouhi… wai waye wannan?”
Zaid ya kalli saƙon na ɗan lokaci kafin ya amsa.
“Wani ne da ya san wani Abu game da ma’ajiyar bayanan, Wani da yake son mu gano gaskiya, ko kuma wani da yake son ya jefa mu cikin tarko.”
Maryam ta matse hannunsa.
“Me za mu yi?”
Zaid ya kulle wayar, ya kalleta cikin natsuwa.
“Gobe, za mu koma wannan ɗakin. Amma a wannan karon, ba file kaɗai za mu nema ba. Za mu binciki komai… har sai mun gano duk abin da ke ɓoye”
Maryam ta gyada kai.
A cikin zuciyarta, ta yi addu’a cewa duk abin da ke jiran su, Allah Ya kare su.
Knocking sukaji a qofar parlor, a tare suka sauko qasa, Fahad ne
“Bro kun dawo ba sanarwa, ya hanya?”
Kafin zayd ya ansa mishi ya hango maryam
“Anty maryam kin tafi Amsterdam kika manta dani”
Tayi murmushi
Zayd ya jaye daga qofar Fahad ya shigo ya zauna a parlor, suka gaggaisa sunata fira, Fahad nata so ya gano koda wani abu a yanayin fuskar zaid da maryam amma be gane komai ba, haka suka dade suna fira har wuraren 11pm kafin yayi musu sallama yache zeje ya kwanta.
Wasu sirrika suna jira a gano su. Wasu raunuka suna jira a warkar da su. Amma idan ƙaddara ta fara kira, babu wanda zai iya dakatar da ita.
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