"Mairamu! Mairamu!!"

A woman was sitting on a chair, lost in thought, holding a pot in one hand. She was startled awake from her deep contemplation, not realizing the presence of another person until she heard a voice calling her from within her mind. She looked at him and quickly set down the pot, rising to stretch her stiff leg from sitting too long, and extended her hand to receive the package he had brought, saying.

"Welcome, Malam, are you just arriving?"

The one she called Malam, filled with concern, shook his head. Instead of handing her the package, he held it and began to speak softly.

"Since when have I entered and you did not respond to my greeting? Is it true that Mairamu's life will continue like this? Please keep my secret; I am worried that you will not give birth to another and will fall ill."

She lowered her head and wiped away the tears that had fallen.

"Okay, Malam. God willing, I will take care."

With that, she took the package to his room and then returned to pour water into his bowl, placing it on the small table in his living room. When he entered the living room, he went straight to his room and into the bathroom. Before he came out, she had gone to the courtyard to perform ablution, as the calls for the Maghrib prayer had already begun. He too came out of his room and headed towards the door to the mosque but paused, turning to look at her.

"Call Hafsatu and tell her to bring the children home."

She looked at him as if she would speak but swallowed her words and replied with a yes. After he left, she performed her prayer and made her usual supplications before picking up her phone to flash Hafsatu. Within three minutes, she received a call back. After exchanging greetings, she said.

"Your father says you should bring the children home."

From the other end, Hafsatu replied.

"Inna, won't it be until tomorrow before I can bring them myself? Hajara's condition is still not good; she has spent the day without eating or drinking, just crying."

Inna Mairamu sighed, knowing that Hajara must be in deep distress, making it hard for her to cope with everything at once. Is it true that there have been four proposals for your marriage that have failed? It has been two weeks since the last one, yet gossip and their troubles in the neighborhood have not ceased. Some say it is a secret that her stepmother (Inna Mairamu) has cast upon her, which is why this is happening, as she did not give birth to her. Meanwhile, others are condemning those with malicious intentions towards Inna Mairamu, who have testified to her wealth.

"Hello, Inna, can you hear me?"

At that moment, she regained her composure.

"I hear you, Hafsatu, she will return home since your father has given the order. I will just ask for permission to wait until tomorrow for you to come with them."

"Alright, Inna, may God show us the way."

Inna replied with an amen before they ended the call. Among Malam's children, there was no one she regarded as a mother like Hafsatu. She was his eldest daughter, aside from the four older sons who were also at home. All of Malam's children were seven in total, with only two being his own. Hashimu, Sadik (whom they call Baba Habu), Mustafa, Zakari, Hafsatu, Safiyya, and Hajara all had the same mother, who was also Malam's sister. This is why Malam's family and his mother's family were closely knit together. It was only after her death that Malam married Inna Mairamu, and only a few of Malam's family members liked her, as did his children. Hafsatu was almost the only one who accepted her, except for Zakari, her half-brother, but Inna Mairamu had never felt accepted by the rest.

Thus, she endured until she bore two daughters.