Matar Shege Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel
Matar Shege Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel begins on January 7, 2016—the day the book of my destiny first opened and I entered a world of misery from which I never imagined I would escape.
I was sitting inside a tricycle on my way back to Brigade from my elder sister’s house in Hotoro. My attention was completely focused on the phone call I was answering from my fiancé. Only two months remained until our wedding.
“Young lady, please let me stop here and collect a package for my boss,” the tricycle driver said.
I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a laundry shop.
“Okay,” I replied.
An Unexpected Stop at the Laundry
Misfortune never misses its appointed day. Had I known that I would witness what I saw that day, nothing would have persuaded me to leave home.
A black car was trying to park nearby. Although I knew very little about expensive cars, I could tell that it was no ordinary vehicle. The car had been parked for almost three minutes. Its door was open, yet the person inside had not stepped out. That made me focus all my attention on the mysterious person.
He finally stepped out of the car right before my eyes, and my heart skipped a beat the moment I saw him.
He was extremely fair-skinned, with large, bright eyes that looked as though they had never shed a tear. His nose was not particularly long, while his well-shaped mouth perfectly complemented his round face.
He wore a black shirt with black ankle-length trousers. A beautiful black wristwatch rested elegantly against his fair-skinned wrist.
My faith and self-control wavered badly. I immediately felt a strange sensation spreading through my heart and body. I released a weak sigh while continuing to stare at him.
I saw him frown and run his hand through his shiny, carefully styled hair. He suddenly tousled it in a way that seemed deliberate, because the messy hairstyle made him look even more handsome. Anyone who saw him might have assumed that he was not Nigerian. I swear, I never imagined that such a handsome man could be found in Kano.
He returned to his car without getting inside. He simply stretched his hand into it, brought out a red baseball cap and placed it on his head.
At that moment, my tricycle driver returned with a bag in his hand. I watched as the young man entered the laundry shop, clearly looking upset.
“I am sorry, Hajiya. I wasted your time,” the driver apologised.
I gave him a brief smile as we passed the laundry.
“It is nothing,” I replied.
The Mysterious Man Named Salim
After travelling a short distance, I heard the driver’s voice again.
“His name is Salim. He owns that laundry shop and the Seven Thirty restaurant. He is not friendly, and he smokes cigarettes. People also say that he owns a company in Sharada, which he personally manages. His family also lives there.”
I was not surprised by everything the driver told me. I knew his sudden explanation had something to do with the way he had seen me staring at the man he called Salim.
“Hmm!” I sighed before speaking again. “Do you know anything else about him apart from what you have just told me?”
“That is everything I know,” he answered.
“Do you have his phone number?” I asked as my heart began to race.
The driver laughed.
“Me? How could I possibly have his number?”
Unable to hide my excitement, I said, “Please take me back there. When he comes out, follow him for me.”
The driver turned around sharply and widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Please leave me out of this. I am not ready to die. Young lady, I have a family,” he protested.
I laughed and asked, “Would you die simply because you followed him?”
“Why not? Even if I do not die, I know I will suffer. You might even make me spend the rest of my life in prison.”
I continued laughing.
“You are right,” I said.
After a moment, I asked, “You said he smokes cigarettes. How did you know that?”
I was eager to hear his response.
“Yes,” the driver replied. “I have seen him smoking there twice. It appears that the habit has become part of him because he smokes openly in front of everyone.”
I nodded slowly.
“May Allah guide him,” I said.
We did not speak again until we reached my neighbourhood. By then, I had become completely lost in thoughts of Salim.
Returning Home to Mama Saude
I entered the house after offering the usual Islamic greeting. I found Mama Saude sorting rice beside a smoking stove. Thick smoke had filled the entire house and left behind an unpleasant smell.
Mama Saude was my father’s wife. He had married her not long after separating from my biological mother. I was the reason behind their separation, and whenever I remembered that painful truth, sadness overwhelmed me. Sometimes, I even cried.
Mama Saude was not a kind woman. She did not love me at all. She was always searching for an opportunity to create trouble between my father and me. Unfortunately, my father believed everything she told him. He would sit down and rain insults and harsh words upon me.
Still, I did not entirely blame him because my own behaviour was often worse. I was extremely stubborn and hardly listened to anyone. That was why everyone was eager for me to get married, so they could finally have some peace.
Hmm! As the story continues, you will discover the kind of person I truly was.
I ignored Mama Saude and went straight into my sparsely furnished room. I threw my handbag aside and collapsed onto my mattress.
The call to the Asr prayer woke me from the brief sleep into which I had fallen. I went directly to take a bath, came out and performed ablution.
I was about to enter my room when I heard Mama Saude offering a greeting as she entered the house. I did not answer her. Instead, I hissed angrily.
I could not understand her behaviour. She knew very well that I had been sleeping, yet she had gone out without even locking the main door. What would have happened if a thief had entered and stolen something from me?
“May Allah make things better,” I muttered as I tried to enter my room.
Before I could step inside, I heard her voice behind me.
“Hey! Who do you think you are saying that to?”
I ignored her question and entered my room. If I responded, we would continue arguing until the Maghrib prayer. She never overlooked anything and never became tired of complaining.
Thankfully, I was not in one of my disrespectful moods that day. Otherwise, I would have answered her, and the argument would have continued endlessly.
Our constant quarrelling had become a normal part of our lives. We argued almost every day like hostile co-wives or bitter rivals. That was why I rarely stayed at home. I preferred wandering around outside, even though I knew my father would scold me whenever I returned.
Zinatu in Matar Shege Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel
Zinatu was a proud and self-confident young woman who had just turned twenty. She had completed secondary school three years earlier and had abandoned her Islamiyya education long before then.
She had pleaded with her father repeatedly to allow her to continue her education and at least obtain a university degree. However, he completely refused. Because of her stubborn and disobedient behaviour, he saw no reason to send her to a higher institution.
He was also afraid that she would mix freely with men and become influenced by more experienced women. His concerns were understandable because Zinatu hardly listened to anyone.
Zinatu attracted many admirers. Wherever she went, at least one man would become interested in her. Nevertheless, she never gave men any serious attention because she did not believe in love. To her, romantic relationships brought nothing but hardship and trouble.
That was why she had spent a long time without choosing a man to marry.
She did not have a single close female friend, but her male friends were too numerous to count. She easily befriended almost any man she met. Because of this, people regarded her as a reckless tomboy, while others even suspected that she was involved in immoral behaviour.
This was Zinatu’s complicated life at the beginning of Matar Shege Book 1 Complete Hausa Novel.