Today, since morning, I have been thinking about my life and how I have taken on the responsibility of taking care of my mother.
As if in a dream, I heard my mother’s voice calling me urgently,
“Sumayya! Sumayya!”
Before she called the third time, I quickly got up, grabbed a light scarf, covered myself, and went out.
“Mama, I’m here…!!”
She looked at me carefully and asked,
“What happened to your eyes?”
“Nothing, what did you see?”
Instead of answering directly, I asked her,
“I don’t like unnecessary questions, what happened to you?”
She asked again, more seriously,
“My head hurts and I couldn’t sleep,” I said, forcing my eyes open.
“Did you take medicine?” she asked.
“I’ll take it later,” I replied briefly.
She just nodded and continued,
“Go to your father at his shop and tell him there’s no food.”
I stood there without moving or saying anything.
“I’m talking to you, can’t you hear me?” she repeated.
“Okay,” I said and turned to leave.
I already knew the answer, so why stress myself?
As I walked, I kept thinking to myself…
Just as I expected, he was lying down.
“Peace be upon you, Baffa, how are you?”
He answered coldly, “Fine.”
I also responded coldly, “Mama said there’s no food.”
Without changing his expression, he said,
“Tell her I don’t have money. It’s been long, and I haven’t gone to work.”
I said nothing and left. I already knew the answer.
As I walked, I started thinking of how to get money that same day.
Before reaching home, I had already come up with a plan.
---
When I got home, I told my mother,
“He said he doesn’t have money.”
She said nothing.
I went back to my room, picked up my phone, and searched for a number saved as “Boss Lady.”
I called her. As it started ringing, I closed my eyes.
She picked on the second ring.
“Besty! You’re not serious!” she said immediately.
I replied,
“Oh please, don’t say that, how are you?”
“I’m fine. So you remembered me today?” she asked.
“It’s not like that. Where are you?”
“I’m at Ni’ima Hotel. Are you coming?”
I sighed.
“Yes, I’ll come. I need money urgently.”
“Okay, just come. And don’t disappoint me,” she said firmly.
“I’ll be there in one hour, Insha Allah.”
After the call, I felt weak but got up, bathed, wore my hijab, took a face mask and my phone, and left.
I informed my mother I was going out briefly.
I took a tricycle (napep) to the hotel.
Even though it wasn’t my first time going to a hotel, my heart always raced with fear.
My friend (Boss Lady) teased me,
“Why are you always scared of him?”
“It’s not fear… I love him, and I’m not ready to lose him,” I said honestly.
Suddenly she said,
“He’s behind you, looking at you.”
My heart started pounding fast.
He approached us.
He greeted and joked with us, then asked my friend if he could spend time with me.
After some negotiation, she agreed.
We went into his office.
He tried to get close to me, but I resisted.
I was uncomfortable, even though it wasn’t my first time.
I started crying silently, wondering,
“Is this how my life will end?”
After he was done, I left immediately.
He gave me money.
Later, my friend introduced me to another man.
I didn’t want to go, but she convinced me.
Again, I refused anything serious, but he still gave me money.
I returned home with fear in my heart.
I lied to my mother about where I went.
We used the money for food.
Later, my friend told me a man named Abdool liked me.
I refused at first, but eventually agreed to meet him because of money problems.
On the day we met, I went to his house.
I was very scared.
While we were inside, suddenly there was loud knocking on the door.
He later sent me a message:
“Find somewhere to hide! Hisbah officers are here!”
My heart stopped.
I hid among clothes.
They came in and found me.
They covered my face and took me outside.
I begged them not to tell my family.
They took me to the Hisbah office.
They later called my father.
When he came, I broke down crying.
He was very angry.
The next day, at the Hisbah office, my father said something shocking:
“If any of you wants to marry my daughter Sumayya, here she is. Just pay the dowry.”
I was shocked.
Marriage…??
I started crying uncontrollably.
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Today, since morning, I have been thinking about my life and how I have taken on the responsibility of taking care of my mother.
As if in a dream, I heard my mother’s voice calling me urgently,
“Sumayya! Sumayya!”
Before she called the third time, I quickly got up, grabbed a light scarf, covered myself, and went out.
“Mama, I’m here…!!”
She looked at me carefully and asked,
“What happened to your eyes?”
“Nothing, what did you see?”
Instead of answering directly, I asked her,
“I don’t like unnecessary questions, what happened to you?”
She asked again, more seriously,
“My head hurts and I couldn’t sleep,” I said, forcing my eyes open.
“Did you take medicine?” she asked.
“I’ll take it later,” I replied briefly.
She just nodded and continued,
“Go to your father at his shop and tell him there’s no food.”
I stood there without moving or saying anything.
“I’m talking to you, can’t you hear me?” she repeated.
“Okay,” I said and turned to leave.
I already knew the answer, so why stress myself?
As I walked, I kept thinking to myself…
Just as I expected, he was lying down.
“Peace be upon you, Baffa, how are you?”
He answered coldly, “Fine.”
I also responded coldly, “Mama said there’s no food.”
Without changing his expression, he said,
“Tell her I don’t have money. It’s been long, and I haven’t gone to work.”
I said nothing and left. I already knew the answer.
As I walked, I started thinking of how to get money that same day.
Before reaching home, I had already come up with a plan.
---
When I got home, I told my mother,
“He said he doesn’t have money.”
She said nothing.
I went back to my room, picked up my phone, and searched for a number saved as “Boss Lady.”
I called her. As it started ringing, I closed my eyes.
She picked on the second ring.
“Besty! You’re not serious!” she said immediately.
I replied,
“Oh please, don’t say that, how are you?”
“I’m fine. So you remembered me today?” she asked.
“It’s not like that. Where are you?”
“I’m at Ni’ima Hotel. Are you coming?”
I sighed.
“Yes, I’ll come. I need money urgently.”
“Okay, just come. And don’t disappoint me,” she said firmly.
“I’ll be there in one hour, Insha Allah.”
---
After the call, I felt weak but got up, bathed, wore my hijab, took a face mask and my phone, and left.
I informed my mother I was going out briefly.
I took a tricycle (napep) to the hotel.
Even though it wasn’t my first time going to a hotel, my heart always raced with fear.
---
My friend (Boss Lady) teased me,
“Why are you always scared of him?”
“It’s not fear… I love him, and I’m not ready to lose him,” I said honestly.
Suddenly she said,
“He’s behind you, looking at you.”
My heart started pounding fast.
He approached us.
---
He greeted and joked with us, then asked my friend if he could spend time with me.
After some negotiation, she agreed.
We went into his office.
He tried to get close to me, but I resisted.
I was uncomfortable, even though it wasn’t my first time.
I started crying silently, wondering,
“Is this how my life will end?”
After he was done, I left immediately.
He gave me money.
---
Later, my friend introduced me to another man.
I didn’t want to go, but she convinced me.
Again, I refused anything serious, but he still gave me money.
---
I returned home with fear in my heart.
I lied to my mother about where I went.
We used the money for food.
---
Later, my friend told me a man named Abdool liked me.
I refused at first, but eventually agreed to meet him because of money problems.
---
On the day we met, I went to his house.
I was very scared.
While we were inside, suddenly there was loud knocking on the door.
He later sent me a message:
“Find somewhere to hide! Hisbah officers are here!”
My heart stopped.
---
I hid among clothes.
They came in and found me.
They covered my face and took me outside.
I begged them not to tell my family.
They took me to the Hisbah office.
---
They later called my father.
When he came, I broke down crying.
He was very angry.
---
The next day, at the Hisbah office, my father said something shocking:
“If any of you wants to marry my daughter Sumayya, here she is. Just pay the dowry.”
I was shocked.
Marriage…??
I started crying uncontrollably.