Fa'iza.
The day Fa'iza had an argument with malama Jumaida, we all watched from our windows. Mothers ordered their wards to immediately get into the house, even flogging some obstinate ones who were slow to do so. Growing up, we heard a lot of stories about malam Jumaida, how she had killed all her children and her husband, then went ahead to snatch all her father's land from her brother, Nasir. When Nasir wanted to take up the issue in court, she killed him. She had since then lived a solitary life,and seemed to enjoy only her company.
The day the argument happened, Fa'iza had reported seeing her husband, Gajere coming from malama Jumaida's house. She waited until he came back in the evening, then she brought up the issue before him.
"Who gave you the right to go outside the house? " Gajere demanded furiously. "You went to see one of your lovers ko? I have warned you about leaving this house without permission, but you will never hear me. Ke, ke Fa'iza! Ki mai da hankalinki da ni fa! Do you know that I can divorce you for this? Or don't you know? And, why are you keeping quiet ? Can't you talk?
" Maigida, I only went to pick some twigs from mairo's house for the afternoon food. since the day firewood finished last month, that is how I have been . . ."
"Would you shut up, dan uwarki!
"But, Maigida. . ." she was interrupted with a heavy slap on her left cheek.
"I'm warning you!" Gajere ranted, pointing Fa'iza with his middle finger "The day I hear such story aagin, na rantse, I will divorce you. Shegiya kawai." He picked his chalet, and angrily headed for the mosque.
Mother, who was watching from the broken fence, said something about how angry Fa'iza looked.
Later in the evening, there was Fa'iza and malama Jumaida.
After a long argument between the two, malama Jumaida looked at fa'iza and smiled mischievously, in a way that frightened even the adults that were watching. She seemed to have been possessed by some sort of spirit.
Then, she spoke.
"Tonight, you'll experience a strange thing.
"At 01:37am, they'll come for you. Three men would finally find their way to your house. They'll be delighted to identify your house after so many hide-and-seeks. They'll be famished. Your kitchen. The 3 litre palm oil you bought, they'll shake it to unfreeze it; the weather would be so cold by then. After gulping everything down, they'll pick your knife and serate through the container and let it fall to the ground by exactly 01:46am. You'll hear the sound as of a glass ring falling on ceramic tiles.
"Don't wake up!
"Oh no! You have. You'll gasp. They take position; one at the door, one on your room mate to stop him from waking, one walking to you with a golden sickle.
"You shout! Aaaah!!!
"I am your demon. I have come for youuuu. . .
"He slaughters you chunk by chunk. There is a polythene bag under your doormat. He fills it with your tiny pieces, until only your liver, your gall bladder, and your brain do not fit in. He seals the bag with your little intestine, and eats your appendix. The bedsheet is bloody. He carries it and covers your roommate, letting blood drip into his open mouth.
"They go.
"02:34am.
"Don't wake up after they have gone.
"O, they have sliced you.
"You are dead now
"I am your demon."
later at night when Malam Gajere returned and his friends at the zaure reporr what transpired between the two women, he abandons his food, goes to his room and picks his whip, then heads for fa'iza s room.
"Who gave you the right to leave the house in the evening?"