WHEN THE TIDE TURNED

*ZAYD ARMAAN*

*CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO:72*

*JIDDAAH BARKUM*

*WHEN THE TIDE TURNED*

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Zayd ya ɗan tsaya yana kallon Inno. A hankali ya sauke numfashi, sannan ya kalli wristwatch ɗinsa, “I am already late.”

Inno ta zaro ido, “Wanne irin latti kuma?” Zayd ya ɗaga gira kaɗan, “Yeah. It’s past nine.” Inno ta ɗan dafe ƙirjinta, “Past nine?” Sai ta juya ta kalli Raihana, sannan ta sake kallon Zayd, “Yanzu kana nufin duk wahalar da yarinyar nan ta sha tun asuba, ta tashi ta yi maka breakfast, ta yi fankasau, ta yi kunun gyada, ta yi kosai, sannan ka zo kana cewa you are already late?”

Zayd bai amsa ba. Inno ta ci gaba da sababi, “Wallahi Zaydu, sometimes I don’t understand you. Mace ta tashi tun asuba saboda kai, ta yi maka abin da ka fi so, kai kuma kawai ka zo ka ce ka koshi, ina ma laifin kace a zuba maka ka tafi dashi, tunda dai na san karshe a can kake breakfast din.”

Zayd ya lumshe idanunsa na ɗan second, sai ya buɗe su a hankali. Idanunsa suka sauka kan Raihana, tana zaune a hankali, kanta a ƙasa, yatsunta biyu suna wasa da juna a saman cinyarta. Da ya ɗan kalle ta, amma karya ne kace kallonta yake kai tsaye, sai ya juya kansa. Ba tare da ya sake cewa komai ba, sai ya juya ya nufi dining area da wannan irin nutsuwar tasa. Kowane step ɗinsa yana da wani irin confidence. Ya isa dining area, ya ja kujera a hankali, sautin kujera ya ɗan yi ƙara a cikin falon, sai ya zauna.

Bai yi attempting ya taɓa wani abu ba, ya zauna kawai, ya ɗora hannu ɗaya a kan table, ɗayan kuma ya ɗauki wayarsa. Inno ta kalle shi, sai ta yi murmushi kamar wadda ta samu abin da take so, “Aha!” Ta juya wajen Raihana, “Go and serve your husband.” Raihana ta ɗago kai a hankali, gabanta na tsananta faduwa. Inno ta nuna dining area, “Ki je ki zuba masa abin kari.”

Raihana ta ji kamar duk idanun da ke cikin falon sun sauka kanta. Ta ɗan damƙe gefen doguwar rigarta da hannunta, ta haɗiye yawu, sai ta mike a hankali. Kafafunta kamar ba sa son ɗaukar ta. Ta fara tafiya a hankali zuwa dining area. Kowa yana kallonta. Suhaila ta ɗan yi murmushi tana kallonta, amma bata ce komai ba. Kubura kuwa ta yi ƙaramar dariya ta sunkuyar da kai. Ummie ta kalli Inno ta yi murmushi.

Raihana ta karasa wajen table ba tare da ta kalli Zayd ba, kanta a ƙasa. Ta ɗauki cup ɗin da ke wajen, sannan ta ɗaga flask ɗin kunun gyada zata fara zuba masa. Sai a daidai lokacin ne muryar Zayd ta sauka a kunnenta, a hankali, low, kusan whisper, wanda in banda tana daff dashi ba zata iya ji ba, “Is that how you do your things?”

Raihana ta tsaya, hannunta ya ɗan tsaya a iska. Ta ɗago manyan idanunta a hankali ta kalleshi. Zayd bai kalleta ba, wayarsa yake pressing, babban yatsansa yana motsi a screen kamar ba shi ne ya yi mata magana ba, “Waye zaki zubawa abu a cup baki wanke ba?”

Raihana ta kalli cup ɗin, sai ta sake kallonsa. Zayd ya ɗan ɗago idanu ya kalleta. Raihana ta kasa cewa komai, ta sauke idanunta, sai ta juya wajen ƙaramin sink ɗin da yake kusa da dining area. Ta ɗauki cup ɗin ta fara wanke shi, a hankali. Amma yadda take wanke cup ɗin ya nuna kamar an ba ta washing assignment na kwanaki uku. Ta goge shi sau ɗaya, ta sake wankewa, ta sake juyawa ta goge cikin cup ɗin sosai. Zayd yana zaune yana kallonta ta kasan ido. Raihana ta ji kallonsa, amma ta yi kamar bata sani ba, ta ci gaba da wanke cup ɗin.

A daidai lokacin ne ala rangada sallama a kofar shigowa lounge din. Muryar da ke cike da energy ta cika wajen. Imraan ne ya shigo, kamar kullum, ya shigo da murmushi a fuskarsa, yana kallon kowa, “Good morning everybody!” Ya fara zuwa wajen Ummie, “Ummie!” Ummie ta yi murmushi, “Wa alaikumussalam, Imraan.” Ya ƙaraso ya gaishe ta cikin fara’a, sannan ya juya wajen Inno, suka gaisa da Suhaila.

Sai Imraan ya ɗago kansa, idanunsa suka sauka kan Zayd da ke zaune a dining. Ya tsaya na second, sai ya yi murmushi mai faɗi. Zayd ya ɗaga ido. Imraan ya fara dariya, “Ango! Ka sha kamshi!” Zayd ya maida kansa kana wayarshi kamar bai ji ba. Imraan ya karaso wajen table yana dariya, ya ja kujera ya zauna kusa da shi, “Wallahi na san akwai something different yau,” ya fada yana kallon warmers din same wajen.

Zayd ya kalleshi da kallon da ya isa ya sa mutum ya yi shiru, amma Imraan? Sai ya ƙara dariya, “What?” Zayd ya sauke idanunsa zuwa wayarsa, “Nothing.” Imraan ya girgiza kai yana dariya, “See this guy.” Sai ya ɗan juya kansa, idanunsa suka sauka kan Raihana wadda har yanzu take wajen sink tana wanke cup ɗin. Imraan ya ɗan yi shiru na second, sai ya kalli Zayd, sai ya sake kallon Raihana. A hankali murmushinsa ya ƙara faɗi, “Hmm.” Zayd bai amsa ba. Imraan ya ɗaga gira yana ta murmushi shi kadai.

A daidai lokacin ne Raihana ta gama wanke cup ɗin, ta goge shi da ƙaramin towel da yake wajen, sannan ta juya. Da ta ga Imraan ya riga ya zauna, sai ta yi masa murmushi a hankali, ta ƙaraso ta tsaya a gefe tana rike da cup din kamar shine mai bata courage, “Ina kwana.” Muryarta mai sanyi ta fito a hankali. Imraan ya kalleta, sai ya yi murmushi sosai, “Lafiya lau, Amarya, kin tashi lafiya?” Raihana ta ɗan jinjina kai, “Alhamdulillah.” Imraan ya kalli Zayd sannan ya kalli Raihana, “Sannu da kokari.”

Raihana ta yi murmushi kawai, sai ta ɗauki flask ɗin kunun gyada zata zuba masa, amma kafin ma ta zuba, muryar Zayd ta dakatar da ita, “Ajiye, ki bar wajen nan.” Muryarsa calm ce, amma babu room for argument. Ta ɗan kalleshi, kamar bata fahimci me yake nufi ba. Raihana ta kalli flask ɗin da ke hannunta, sai ta kalleshi, daga nan ta ajiye flask ɗin a hankali, ta juya ta koma falon. Imraan ya bishi da kallo kawai.

A hankali ta dawo, ta zauna a ƙasan carpet, tana ta wasa da hannunta, gaba ɗaya ta kasa sakewa a wajen, kallon ƙasa kawai take yi, expression ɗinta cike da rashin sakewa. Ummie da ta lura da hakan sai ta kalli Suhaila, “Tashi ki ɗibar muku abincin ku koma ɗaki.” Suhaila ta amsa toh, sannan ta karasa dining area ɗin ta zuba musu nasu, sannan ta kalli Raihana, “Anty Ray, muje sama.” Ba musu ta mike a nutse, ta karasa wajen Suhaila suka wuce sama.

Zayd ya zuba kunun a cup, ya buɗe warmer ɗin kosai, ya ɗan tsaya yana kallonsu na ƴan seconds, expression ɗinsa calm kamar kullum. Sai kuma ya ɗauki ɗaya ya ɗan gutsira a hankali ya fara taunawa. Imraan ya zuba masa idanu, sannan ya yi tagumi da hannayensa biyu, still staring at Zayd. Daga ƙarshe ya buɗe baki, “Rascal, banbancin da kake nuna min har ya kai haka, dan kawai ka yi aure?” Zayd ya ɗan kalleshi yana sipping kunun, amma baice komai ba. Imraan ya cigaba, yana ɗan girgiza kai, “Zata zuba mana abinci ka koreta, kai kuma ka zubawa kanka, kai kaɗai ka barni a watse a gefe saboda kawai ka yi aure.”

Zayd ya cigaba da shan kunun kamar bai gane abinda Imraan yake faɗi ba, sai kuma calmly yace, “Ina hannunka kai? Meye amfanin shi?” Imraan ya harare shi, fuskarsa dauke da murmushi, sai kuma ya dan hade rai, “Ba a sha, ka sha kayanka.” Daga haka ya tashi ya koma falon. Suka cigaba da magana da Inno da Ummie.

Saida Zayd ya shanye kunun tass, kosai ma ya dan ci da yawa ba laifi. A hankali ya mike. A daidai lokacin wayar Imraan tayi ringing, ya mike ya fita. Zayd ya kalli Ummie, “I’m going.” Ta ɗan mike, ya karasa inda yake, cikin kwantar da murya ta fara magana, “Habibie, karka manta akwai daurin auren anjima after Jumu’a, try and come back kafin time ɗin, ka shirya ka yi attending, kaji ko?” Ya ɗan lumshe ido, bai son gardama da Ummie, amma wallahi niyyarsa idan ya fita sai dare zai dawo.

Ummie ta ɗan shafa fuskarshi, “Kana ji na?” Ya buɗe idanun, ya ɗan jinjina mata kai, “Hmmm.” “Now go, karka makara, make sure by 12 noon ka shigo gida.” Okay, kawai yace. Daga nan ta sauke hannunta daga fuskarshi, ya juya a nutse ya fice daga lounge ɗin.

Inna ta gyara zama ta haɗe rai kamar hadarin watan Augusta, tana kallon Baffa dake zaune a kan dadduma a gefen kujera a cikin ɗakinshi. Ta ɗan ja numfashi, sannan ta cigaba da magana cikin takaici, “Yanzu Musa, saida ka saki matar nan shekara kusan arba’in kuna aure. Dama dai a ranka na san ba sonta kake ba, amma tunda aka kwashe shekarun nan na ɗauka ka haƙura ka ajiye makaman yaƙinka. Ashe dai har yanzu akwai wani abu a ranka, ba ka tashi danƙara mata saki ba saida girma ya sameta, ta gama ƙarar da ƙuruciyarta wajen bauta maka kai da yayanka. Yanzu ba ka ji kunyar yaranka ba da ka saki uwarsu? Wanne irin rashin adalci ne wannan? Dama bari nayi a gama sabgar nan na maka magana.”

Ta ɗan matsa gaba, fuskarta ta ƙara nuna tsantsar takaici, “Toh wallahi, inde ni ce uwar da ta haifeka, ina mai umartarka da ka maida aurenku yanzu-yanzu, a nan ba sai anjima ba. Kuma Billahillazi, ko bayan raina ka saki Sabuwar, ban yafe maka ba.”

Da sauri Baffa ya ɗago kai, yana kallon Inna da uban mamaki, ya ɗan buɗe baki kamar zai yi magana, amma ya yi shiru. Inna ta kankance idanu, “Ehh, haka nace, wlh ka saki Sabuwar, ko na mutu ban yafe maka ba.” Sai kuma ta fara share ƙwalla da gefen hijab ɗinta, muryarta ta na ɗan rawa, “Yanzu sabida kana ganin kai ɗaya nake dashi, shiyasa kake min irin haka. Na baka umarni ka maida ni yar iska... Yanzu da kaninka ɗan uwanka yana nan, ai idan kai ka baƙanta min, shi zai faranta min. Amma ganin kai ɗaya ne, shine dalilin da ya sa kake takani da ni da maganata a duk lokacin da kaso.”

Baffa ya lumshe idanunshi cikin wani irin tashin hankali, ya sauke numfashi a hankali, sannan yace cikin sanyin murya, “Inna, kiyi haƙuri, wlh ban taɓa niyyar bata miki ko sabawa umarnin ki ba. Kinsani, nayi haƙuri da Sabuwar tun a baya, har yanzu ma ina kan haƙurin ne. Ranar ma ta ƙureni ne, amma kiyi haƙuri, na maida ita, na maida aurenmu, kuma kome zata min, In Shaa Allah ba zan sake sakinta ba, indai shine abinda zai sa ki farin ciki.”

Sai Inna ta washe baki, duk da ƙwallar da ke idonta, ta ɗan gyara zamanta, sannan ta jinjina kai cikin gamsuwa, “Madallah, Allah ya maka albarka. Ni wlh nasan kai me biyayya ne, kana min biyayya iya iyawarka, kuma lafiya zaka gama da duniyar nan, Allah ya maka albarka.” Ta ɗan ɗaga hannunta kamar tana tabbatar da maganarta, “Ai shi aure haƙuri akeyi dama, duk girman mace sai ta maka abinda baka so, amma kauda kai ake a matsayinka na babba kuma jagora a gida.” Baffa ya ɗan jinjina kai a hankali, “Hakane.” Inna ta gyara zama, ta nuna masa hanya da hannunta, “Yauwa, toh yanzu ka tashi, kaje ka sanar mata ka maida ita, daga nan kayi maza ka tafi Jumu’ah, kar a idar kana nan.” Ba musu Baffa ya mike, ya ɗan kalli Inna na ƴan seconds, sannan ya fice daga ɗakin. Inna tabi bayanshi da kallo har ya ɓace daga idonta, sannan ta sauke ajiyar zuciya, ranta fessss.

Mama Sabuwa ta gama shafawa Bintu wani turare kenan, wai shi na farinjini. Ta ɗan ja baya a hankali, ta ɗora hannunta a kugu tana kallon Bintu da wani irin farin ciki, idonta cike da alfahari kamar wacce ta gama shirya sarauniya, “Kinganki kuwa yaa Allah! Wlh ko makiyinki idan ya ganki sai ya sake kallonki. Yanzu bikin yaushe zaki dawo? Ni na zata zaki haɗa kayanki da yawa ki tafi sai an gama, amma sai na ga baki ɗauko komai ba sai wnn yar jakar da ko dankwali ɗaya ba zata ɗauka ba.” Ta ɗan matsa kusa da ita, tana ƙare mata kallo daga sama har ƙasa, sannan ta ɗaga gira cikin wani irin expression, ƙasan bakinta ya ɗan karkace gefe.

Bintu ta ɗanyi dariya, idanunta suka lumshe na ɗan lokaci, tana matsar da gashin attachment dinta da ya zubo gaba gefe, sannan tace, “Mama kenan, kinji ki, ba fa gidan Hajiyata bane ake bikin bare na koma can na tare. Bikin yar kawarta ne kuma iya yau ne kawai zaayi komai, a kai amarya, idan an kai amarya, ai dawowa zanyi, saidai idan Hajiya ce tace zan mata wani abu, shine zan iya kwana.”

Mama Sabuwa tayi wata yar dariya, ta ɗan girgiza kai a hankali, gefen lips ɗinta ya ɗaga kamar wacce ta riga ta fahimci komai, “Auu, hakane fa! Ai wlh na zata yanda kike fadar amintartasu da Hajiyan, kema zaki iya kwana, ko dan kiyiwa Hajiyan taki ƙara. Da kin sani ma tun jiya kika tafi, sai ki ga a ɗan kwana ɗayan nan kin samu wasu yan gayun ko acikin kawaye amaryan ne kun sabaaa.” Ta ɗan tsuke baki, ta lumshe ido kaɗan sannan ta kalli Bintu da side-eye mai cike da alfahari, “Amma dai ba komai, wnn turaren zai janyo miki bala’in farinjini, wlh. Je ki maza!” Ta ɗan tura kafadarta da wasa, tana dariya ƙasa-ƙasa, kanta ya ɗan karkata gefe, tana kallon yanda yar ta tayi kyauu, tayi bala’in fari, ga wani kitso mai shegen kyau ta zubo shi gaba, hanneyenta fal da zobuna na gwal, tana jin kamar ita dai Allah ya sallameta da ya hada bintu da wnn hajiya.

Bintu kawai tayi murmushi, ta ɗan sauke idanunta ƙasa, bata ce komai ba. Ta ɗauki veil ɗinta zata saka kenan, Baffa ya ɗaga labulen ɗakin ya ɗan kallesu na wasu seconds. Mama Sabuwa ta daskare na ɗan lokaci dan rabon Baffa da ko bi ta kofar dakinta ta manta, murmushin da ke fuskarta ya ɓace nan take, ta gyara tsaiwarta, sannan ta haɗe rai. Ta ɗan ɗaga gira tana harararshi ta ƙasan ido, lips ɗinta a tsuke, kamar wacce ta riga ta shirya gagarumin balai amma tana jiran ya fara.

Ba tare da ya ja magana da tsawo ba, kawai yace, “Na maida ke ɗakinki.” Daga haka ya saki labulen ya juya. Mama Sabuwa ta kalli inda ya juya da wani irin shock, idanunta suka buɗe sosai, bakinta ya ɗan buɗe kafin ta rufe shi da sauri. Ta ɗan juya kanta kamar tana ƙoƙarin tabbatar da cewa da gaske abinda ta ji kenan. Sannan ta juyo ta kalli Bintu da mamaki, ta ɗaga hannunta kaɗan kamar zata yi magana amma ta kasa samun kalma.

Bintu kuwa ta tabe baki, ta ɗan ɗaga gira, sannan ta ɗauki mayafin ta saka, expression ɗinta almost like “what can I say?” Ta kalli Mama Sabuwa na seconds kaɗan, sannan ta ce, “Mama ni dai na tafi.” Bata jira amsar Mama Sabuwa ba, ta fice abinta, ta bar Mama Sabuwa a wajen, wacce tayi freeze gaba ɗaya tana kallon hanyar da Bintu ta bi. Ta ɗan lumshe ido, ta ja numfashi a hankali, sannan ta kalli labulen da Baffa ya bari a baya, fuskarta cike da disbelief da ɗan mamaki, kamar har yanzu bata gama processing abin da ya faru ba.