She walked with a confident stride, and wherever she stepped, it sounded like she was chewing gum. She released a loud burp, and then a long hiss. "I swear, if you don't stop bringing your filthy feet into my house, you'll keep seeing all kinds of rudeness from me. I told you the owner of this house is beyond your reach, but you refuse to accept it. I hate seeing you with your mouths full of kola nuts," she said.

In anger, Naseeba replied, "Fateesat, has your rudeness reached this level? Have you forgotten that Inna Mai Towo is Mama's sister? Should I remind you?"

Fateesat descended the stairs, clapping her hands and laughing loudly. "Naseeba, did they tell you I have memory loss? I know who she is; she's your aunt. But I won't call her my mother-in-law because since the day I married her son, I removed him from your family. Tell the old woman to quickly disown him because he is beyond her control," she said.

Inna Mai Towo started crying and said, "Fateesa, you have wronged us. By God, you will see your end. Naseeba, let's go home. We won't stop coming here because it's not your father's house."

Fateesat walked across the luxurious floor and sat on one of the luxury sofas, crossing her legs and shaking her foot adorned with rings and bracelets. "Salamatu Dauda Me Allo, I swear, the person you are holding is your niece's son. I will call him to insult you," she said.

"Hi, my sweetheart. I can smell poverty all over this floor," she said, turning to her friend. "Baby, did their noise wake you up from the sleep we had after making love all night?" she asked.

Wearing only a see-through sleeping dress, she asked, "What brought this old human here?" She hissed and grabbed her friend's hand, placing it on her breast and rubbing it. "It's some witch's daughter who is sick, and she came to ask for money for medicine," she said.

Before she could finish, Naseeba rushed towards them and grabbed Inna Mai Towo's hand. "Naseeba, leave her. You heard her call my name. Let's go. May God judge between us," she said.

They laughed, and Baby said, "I feel like being mischievous today. What did we do to you? Is it poverty that is bothering you? This woman is always smoking weed."

"Indeed, let's go inside," she said, and they entered.

They walked until they were about to collapse from hunger and the scorching sun, from Tudun Yola to Murtala Hospital on foot. In the ward where she was admitted, she lay helplessly because she couldn't afford the prescribed medication. A nurse entered and said, "Umma, save this girl's life. Can't you see her condition? She needs a blood transfusion. Her blood is burnt, and she needs O+ blood."

She wiped her tears with her veil and said, "I will find it." She turned to leave, and Naseeba said, "Inna, let me go home and bring you some food. Mama doesn't know I came here." She sighed and said, "Thank you, Naseeba. May God bless you." Naseeba replied, "Amen, Inna. May God heal my sister." She said, "Amen," because she had lost hope in life. Her only brother had abandoned her, and her leg's condition had worsened. If she died, she didn't know what would happen to Ilham. She felt a sharp pain and started bleeding from her mouth. Naseeba rushed back, crying, "Inna, Inna, please wake up!" With difficulty, she opened her mouth and said, "Naseeba, go. Don't worry; nothing will happen to me, God willing." Naseeba sighed and said, "Inna, I can't leave you." She smiled painfully and said, "Don't worry; God will protect us." Naseeba stood up and said, "Okay, Inna, I'm leaving." "May God protect you," she said. After Naseeba left, she struggled to sit beside Ilham's bed, staring at her. Everyone in the ward was minding their own business. She sweated and made a decision. She quickly approached a nearby bed and said, "Peace be upon you. How is the patient?" The woman, who was attending to her daughter, replied with a stern face. Seeing this, Inna felt even more disheartened. "Please, can you lend me your phone to call my son?" she asked. The woman looked at her phone and frowned. "I don't have any charge," she said. Inna quickly pulled out an old phone from her wrapper and said, "Please, use mine to call him." The girl looked at the old phone and said, "This phone can't make international calls." Inna's heart sank because she remembered the last time she saw him. He had given her this number, saying she should call if anything happened. She knew he was a man of his word. "So, it can't make calls?" she asked. "No, it can, but it will cost a lot, like two thousand naira," the girl replied. "Please, just flash him," she pleaded. "Okay, may God make him call back," she said, setting the phone to speaker mode. She dialed the number, but no one answered. "He didn't pick up," she said. "Thank you. Since you are in the hospital, he will call back, God willing," Inna said. "Yes, I'm here. May God make it so," the girl replied. Inna returned to her seat, waiting. Naseeba hadn't returned, and she was feeling very hungry. Ilham hadn't moved at all.