Chapter Sixteen: Shattered!
- Hadiza Bagudu
- Jul 9
- 7 min read
At the royal palace in Maroua, a select number of preachers and nobles were praying for the king's quick recovery. While a doctor treated him with herbs, he vomited all day. Some said it was poison, others claimed it was a jinn, but all were concerned he might not survive it, considering his age. Hayah and the Chiroma were by his bedside, feeding, cleaning, and praying for him. Intermittently, Hayah would join in reciting the Qur'an together with some of his students, and after each chapter, they would pray and continue. By midnight, there was still no improvement. In fact, the king's health had deteriorated steadily throughout the day, and Hayah knew the wait would not be long. By 4 am, the king gave up the ghost.
Meanwhile, in Ndokula, the mood was horrible. The Waziri was right. Malam Buba's family was highly embarrassed before their guests due to the no-show on the part of Hayah, and his people, and his absence of an explanation. They had prepared for the marriage ceremony and invited everyone from the village, and they all came out, dressed in their very best outfits. Meals were prepared, and chickens and cows were slaughtered. The slaughter of cows is a big deal in the Bororo community, reserved only for very special occasions, as cows are highly valued, almost like family members.
Malam Buba was humble, but he couldn't resist the feeling of pride as his daughter was about to marry one of the most important men in the Fulani kingdom. And to think that she was the daughter he had the least hope in, gave him joy. Fantah had always been hot-headed and a rule-breaker, which had set tongues wagging in the village. He had been previously worried that no man in the village would marry her. Thankfully, his brother was willing to let his son marry her, and the boy seemed to like the idea. But when Hayah came along, he couldn't refuse him. Besides, she seemed to like him too, so he prayed that the marriage would be a happy one. As for his brother, he apologized to him and was forgiven. Well, enough of ruminating. It's D-day, and there is no going back.
Earlier that morning, he had gone to his wife's hut to chat with her and his daughters. He was so happy and prayed for all of them. Diddi's marriage was to be held the next week to not interfere with Fantah's.
But everything was shattered by the turn of events. They waited all day, but Hayah and his entourage never arrived. There was no message, no word, or explanation. They sat there looking like fools in front of everybody. They had made up all sorts of excuses that grew weirder and weirder as the day progressed. Around sundown, people started leaving one after the other, and by twilight, the house was completely empty of visitors. His wife and Diddi were in the room crying. No one knew where Fantah was, but he knew undoubtedly that she must have been crying her eyes out with hot tears wherever she was. As for Malam Buba, he was standing in the cowshed praying silently for the earth to open and swallow him. He dreaded the next morning when he will have to face his neighbors.
Fantah was standing in the middle of the field where she and Hayah used to meet. It was way past midnight, and she was alone in the fields, wondering what had happened. Despite all the embarrassment, she looked beautiful. She was wearing her late grandmother's wedding outfit, preserved through the years for her, and it fitted her elegantly. She was also wearing some of the expensive jewelry that Hayah had given her as a gift during her last visit to Balda. It was the first time she wore them. She waited for a special time to wear them, and what could be more special than her wedding day?
The day had started on a wonderful note. Diddi made her hair, and her mother gave her a bath and did her make-up for her that morning. Her hands and feet were shiny black with lalle, and she smelled nice from the sweet oils and perfumes that were applied to her. Everything was perfect. The only thing missing was her prince. But at that moment, it felt like the whole world was sitting on her chest. She couldn't understand what had happened. Hayah loved her, and she knew it. He would never do anything to hurt her; he was a nobleman who cared about his reputation and would never do anything to sully his image. What could have happened? She wondered. Was he alright? Was he alive? Did his wife stop him? She wouldn't put it past her. Maybe she used charms and witch doctors to get him to change his mind. And now, he doesn't want her anymore. She just couldn't reconcile the whole thing in her mind.
Her eyes were dry. She couldn't cry. She was still in shock. She tried to cry, to get some relief from the pain and sorrow in her heart, but the tears wouldn't just flow. She was too wired up to cry. So, she just stood there alone in the field in the middle of the night, looking and wondering.
Somewhere behind tall grasses, Sa'adu was watching her. He was worried about her. He was afraid she might do something to hurt herself. So, he followed her without her knowledge. Earlier that day, he had gone to her and wished her a happy married life. She felt guilty, but he told her not to worry; he would always love her and look out for her. After all, she was still his sister. That was exactly what he was doing.
Meanwhile, in Maroua, the Lamdo's death hadn't been officially confirmed or announced yet, but there were whispers here and there, and the tension in the town was high. Hayah and the Chiroma met with the kingmakers on how to select a worthy successor as soon as possible. There were two royal families involved: the Garei and the Iya, both ascending the throne alternately. Over the years, the Iya family had grown weaker, while the Garei family grew stronger. The possibility of the Iya family regaining the throne at this moment was very small, indeed. The sudden death of the Lamdo had presented a serious problem for the kingmakers, and while they were at it, the Chiroma, who was from the Garei family, was already being taunted by many vested interests as the leading candidate. However, the Iya family also presented a candidate, and a power tussle ensued. There were fierce arguments, tempers flared, and threats were not scarce. A compromise seemed like the best solution to the conundrum. To cool flaring tempers, Hayah reminded them that the late monarch was not yet buried. In Islam, it is customary to bury the dead as soon as possible before matters of inheritance, which they were violating. After a few grumblings here and there, they all agreed to go and bury the Lamdo. An official announcement was made, and the city went into mourning. Not a few citizens attended the burial of their beloved monarch later that afternoon. As soon as the burial rites were over, the internal politics continued. They deliberated for hours until finally, by midnight, they agreed on the unlikely choice of Salli from the Iya family. The announcement was made at daybreak, and a coronation was scheduled for the next Friday.
Everything was happening very fast, and Hayah barely had time to catch his breath. It was as if the universe was against him. His life was suddenly turned upside down. His marriage plans were ruined. He kept sending messages to Fantah but never got a reply. He didn't blame her. He had embarrassed her and her family in no small measure. Even though it was not his fault, he understood what they were going through. He wanted to go and see her to explain everything, but he couldn't. The Lamdo, his friend, and mentor were dead, and this new Lamdo did not seem to like him. He could feel it. The kingdom was also vulnerable to attacks by the Habe before the coronation when the Lamdo would have taken control of it. He had a feeling they would want to test the resolve of the new Lamdo. It didn't matter that they were recently dealt a heavy military blow. In fact, the anger and resentment might motivate them to attack. Something needed to be done to dissuade them from such a course of action - something big and scary - requiring resources and detailed preparations. And he was constrained to stay.
That night, Hayah went home, tired, and sad. The Lamdo was not just his friend but was also like a father to him. He was his father-in-law, after all. His death really affected him, and yet, he couldn't even mourn him because of his position as the chief Imam. He went to Talatu's room. She was in a corner crying. He realized that she was in even more pain than he was. Not only had she just lost her own biological father, but the throne of the Lamdo was no longer in her immediate family. Her political relevance was greatly reduced. He felt so sorry for her and went over to comfort her.
“I am sorry, my love. It is quite unfortunate what happened. But it was his time. We cannot argue with God's will.” She kept sobbing. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I loved him too, you know. He was like a father to me. I am sorry.” All he wanted to do at that time was to comfort her and ease her pain. And he did.
He made love to her that night, not just as a duty or to satisfy himself, but to make things better for both of them, to bring some peace and comfort, which they both desperately needed at that moment. What he didn't know was that she had earlier drunk the concoctions that the Magajiya gave her.
[End of Chapter Sixteen]
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