Hilwa Haroun, a spirited girl from a small town in Nigeria, relocates to the bustling city of Abuja, hoping for a fresh start and new opportunities. However, adapting to her new life proves to be a challenging journey filled with unexpected twists...
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CHAPTER ONE: IN TROUBLE, trip to bauchi.
Jama'are, Bauchi state.
Listening to the birds sing while staring at the river was one of the things Hilwa loved. The place was so serene and easy on the eye, so she found peace there. Whenever she felt the urge to be alone or when she got in trouble she came there to hide. Today was one of the days.
Her mother, who she calls Ummi, sent her to grind their vegetables (Markade) which they would use to make today's soup, on her way back she got into a fight with Binta, a very annoying girl who doesn't get tired of getting in her hair, in the process the girl spilled it. Hilwa had cried and didn't even glance at the path to their house and instead came straight to the river for she knew she was in for it. She would definitely receive the beating of her life today.
Hilwa who seemed to be around 14 or 15years old, sat on a rock, humming to a song under her breath.
Behind her was a tree, a very big and long tree, which covered her completely. One could hardly notice a person sitting there. A reason why she loved the place.
She sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly beginning to set and she knew if she doesn't get home now, she'd get in more trouble.
Ummi is probably looking for her, she silently thought and decided she'd just go and face whatever it is she would receive because she knew sooner or later whether she likes it or not she must go back home.
With that thought on her mind, she rose to her feet, put on her almost worn out slippers, dusted off her atamfa wrapper and picked the tiny bucket Ummi gave her before heading for home with her heart beating wildly.
She was almost there when she heard her name being called "Hilwa! Hilwa"
She quickly spun around only to see her best friend Amina/Meeno, jogging towards her.
"Meeno, Jam na? (How are you?)" Hilwa asked in fulfulde as meeno halted in front of her.
Meeno scanned her briefly "Jam, Good, where are you coming from? And are you okay? You look pale"
Hilwa lightly stomped her foot "I got into a fight with that stupid girl"
"Binta?" Meeno raised her brows, hands akimbo.
"Who if not her?" Hilwa rolled her eyes, still irritated.
Meeno held her hand and pulled her back to the the direction she came from, "And you didn't tell me? Lets go and beat the stuffing out of her"
Hilwa abruptly stopped making Meeno rebound back, "No! We are not going there now, wait till tomorrow, I'm already in so much trouble now, the stupid girl had spilled my grind vegetables and I couldn't even go back home, i went to the river and hid there, I know ummi won't be easy on me" She concluded, almost with teary eyes.
