The driver stood up; the situation had become serious. Even though he didn’t want to, he politely turned to Hajiya Kaka and said respectfully:
“Hajiya, I think it’s better if I help you find another vehicle so you can continue home. I’ll call a mechanic to check the car. I don’t know why it stopped.”
Hajiya Kaka sighed deeply and looked at her beautiful granddaughter, whose attention was completely fixed on her iPhone. She said,
“Alright, rich girl, let’s go. You’re just sitting there pressing your phone like a princess. The car has broken down—let’s get down and look for another ride.”
The girl, who couldn’t be more than eighteen years old, looked like someone who wasn’t fond of talking. She didn’t say a word. She only pursed her lips and tried to open the car door. But before she could, the driver quickly walked around and opened it for them.
Then he took out his phone from his trouser pocket and began calling a mechanic while raising his left hand trying to stop a keke napep (tricycle).
Hajiya Kaka wasn’t left behind. She also stretched out her hand trying to stop a ride until, by God’s will, one finally stopped. Before the driver could say anything, Hajiya Kaka said:
“Stop! Stop! Young man, stop and carry us.”
The conductor glanced at the car beside them—a shining white Lexus RX 350. It looked brand new and eye-catching. Instantly he knew he had made a big catch.
Hajiya Kaka entered first, then her granddaughter. Their driver bent slightly toward the conductor and said,
“Take them to G.R.A.”
The conductor looked at Hajiya Kaka and said,
“Hajiya, your fare is three thousand naira.”
Hajiya Kaka replied,
“Let’s go. May God take us there safely.”
Their driver tried to bring out money to pay, but Hajiya Kaka said,
“Dan Ladi, leave it. I’ll pay him.”
Dan Ladi returned the money to his pocket and said,
“Alright Hajiya Kaka, I’ll come later. May God protect the road.”
Hajiya Kaka replied,
“No, Dan Ladi. Come and take one thousand naira and buy yourself water.”
Dan Ladi smiled and said,
“No Hajiya Kaka, leave it.”
She continued,
“Alright, Dan Ladi. When the car is repaired and you pass through the first street before going to Alhaji Biniya’s house, buy me some kosai from the place that sells them very well and bring it for me.”
Before Dan Ladi could reply, the conductor said,
“Hajiya, are you done?”
She answered,
“Yes, we’re done. Let’s go, king of stubbornness! I swear, I don’t like a rushed life. That’s not how life should be lived.”
Her granddaughter beside her held her head and said,
“Since he has already driven off, Kaka please keep quiet. You’ve been complaining since!”
Hajiya Kaka became quiet, but she pouted her lips forward—clearly unhappy with what her granddaughter said.
They had traveled for some time when a man by the roadside signaled them and shouted,
“Stop!”
The conductor said,
“We’ve taken a drop.”
He was about to continue driving when Hajiya Kaka said,
“You know we hired the drop, but when someone stops you, you should stop. Since you’ve stopped, what’s the problem? Carry him. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim.”
The conductor said,
“Alright, thank you.”
He turned to the passenger and asked,
“How much?”
The man replied,
“Five hundred naira.”
The conductor said,
“I honestly don’t have change; I just came out.”
He was about to start the tricycle again when Hajiya Kaka quickly said,
“Wait, young man. Let me check for change. I don’t like seeing my fellow trader looking for change.”
Her granddaughter immediately looked at her and said,
“My fellow trader? Kaka, since when did you start driving keke without telling us?”
Without answering, Hajiya Kaka opened the handbag on her lap, gave them the change, and moved a little so the man could enter.
Not long after they continued their journey, they passed through a filling station. Seeing this, Hajiya Kaka said,
“Hmm… they’re about to spoil the food.”
Nobody replied to her inside the tricycle.
While fuel was being filled, three young men on motorcycles nearby were discussing the army. One of them said,
“I like the way the army commander confronted those kidnappers head-on.”
Before the others could reply, Hajiya Kaka poked her head out of the tricycle and asked,
“So the army commander himself confronted the kidnappers? Isn’t he afraid?”
One of the young men smiled and said,
“Afraid of what, Mama? He isn’t afraid.”
Hajiya Kaka nodded and said,
“One day he might visit their house.”
Everyone burst into laughter—including her granddaughter, who was still busy scrolling through her phone.
After leaving the filling station, they soon saw many secondary school students standing by the roadside waiting for transport to school. Hajiya Kaka sighed and pointed them out to her granddaughter.
“Look at them, all waiting for transport.”
Her granddaughter glanced briefly, then returned to her phone without replying.
After some distance they saw another group of students. Hajiya Kaka couldn’t keep quiet again.
“They too are waiting for a car… Hmm… May God grant you good husbands.”
This time again the granddaughter said nothing.
Hajiya Kaka became annoyed.
“I swear I hate this silent stubbornness of yours, Husna. That’s why I don’t like traveling with you. I prefer traveling with Hassana—we chat along the way. But you keep quiet like your brother Hafeez. You’ve copied all his stubborn silence.”
Husna shook her head and replied,
“Kaka, what do you want me to say? Honestly your talking is already too much for me. My head almost burst. That’s why I kept quiet.”
Hajiya Kaka nodded and said,
“That’s true. With Rabi’atu the chatterbox, of course I have to talk alone. But if someone talks alone all the time, what’s the difference between that and madness?”
The conductor laughed quietly. Even another passenger beside her smiled, while Husna kept quiet as if the discussion wasn’t about her.
Hajiya Kaka pouted and said,
“That’s true.”
After a moment she repeated to herself,
“That’s true.”
Eventually they arrived safely at a large mansion. The conductor dropped them at the gate of the magnificent house. One look at the house and you could tell money had been spent heavily on it.
The gatekeeper opened the small gate respectfully, greeting Hajiya Kaka.
Inside the compound were four luxurious cars parked in the parking lot, slightly dusty because they weren’t used often.
Meanwhile, Hajiya Kaka entered the sitting room where the cool air from the air conditioner hit her. She threw her shawl on the chair and said,
“If not for that condolence visit that became compulsory, nothing would have made me leave the house this early.”
Hassana, who was arranging breakfast on the dining table, came to the sitting room and said,
“Kaka, you’re back? Where did you leave Husna?”
Hajiya Kaka looked at her. The two granddaughters looked almost exactly alike, so much that if you didn’t know them, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. But their characters were completely different: Husna was quiet and reserved like their older brother Hafeez, while Hassana was cheerful and friendly with everyone.
After thinking for a moment Hajiya Kaka replied jokingly,
“I sold her and came back. The money was swallowed by force.”
Hassana smiled immediately, realizing they must have argued again.
Just then Husna entered the sitting room. She and Hassana smiled at each other. Hassana brought tea and turned on the Bollywood channel on the TV.
While drinking tea and watching, Husna kept scrolling her phone. Soon they started arguing about actresses—Husna insisted Rashmika was better than Deepika.
Hajiya Kaka shook her head and walked to the dining table to eat, because she didn’t understand what they were arguing about at all..)
The driver stood up; the situation had become serious. Even though he didn’t want to, he politely turned to Hajiya Kaka and said respectfully:
“Hajiya, I think it’s better if I help you find another vehicle so you can continue home. I’ll call a mechanic to check the car. I don’t know why it stopped.”
Hajiya Kaka sighed deeply and looked at her beautiful granddaughter, whose attention was completely fixed on her iPhone. She said,
“Alright, rich girl, let’s go. You’re just sitting there pressing your phone like a princess. The car has broken down—let’s get down and look for another ride.”
The girl, who couldn’t be more than eighteen years old, looked like someone who wasn’t fond of talking. She didn’t say a word. She only pursed her lips and tried to open the car door. But before she could, the driver quickly walked around and opened it for them.
Then he took out his phone from his trouser pocket and began calling a mechanic while raising his left hand trying to stop a keke napep (tricycle).
Hajiya Kaka wasn’t left behind. She also stretched out her hand trying to stop a ride until, by God’s will, one finally stopped. Before the driver could say anything, Hajiya Kaka said:
“Stop! Stop! Young man, stop and carry us.”
The conductor glanced at the car beside them—a shining white Lexus RX 350. It looked brand new and eye-catching. Instantly he knew he had made a big catch.
Hajiya Kaka entered first, then her granddaughter. Their driver bent slightly toward the conductor and said,
“Take them to G.R.A.”
The conductor looked at Hajiya Kaka and said,
“Hajiya, your fare is three thousand naira.”
Hajiya Kaka replied,
“Let’s go. May God take us there safely.”
Their driver tried to bring out money to pay, but Hajiya Kaka said,
“Dan Ladi, leave it. I’ll pay him.”
Dan Ladi returned the money to his pocket and said,
“Alright Hajiya Kaka, I’ll come later. May God protect the road.”
Hajiya Kaka replied,
“No, Dan Ladi. Come and take one thousand naira and buy yourself water.”
Dan Ladi smiled and said,
“No Hajiya Kaka, leave it.”
She continued,
“Alright, Dan Ladi. When the car is repaired and you pass through the first street before going to Alhaji Biniya’s house, buy me some kosai from the place that sells them very well and bring it for me.”
Before Dan Ladi could reply, the conductor said,
“Hajiya, are you done?”
She answered,
“Yes, we’re done. Let’s go, king of stubbornness! I swear, I don’t like a rushed life. That’s not how life should be lived.”
Her granddaughter beside her held her head and said,
“Since he has already driven off, Kaka please keep quiet. You’ve been complaining since!”
Hajiya Kaka became quiet, but she pouted her lips forward—clearly unhappy with what her granddaughter said.
They had traveled for some time when a man by the roadside signaled them and shouted,
“Stop!”
The conductor said,
“We’ve taken a drop.”
He was about to continue driving when Hajiya Kaka said,
“You know we hired the drop, but when someone stops you, you should stop. Since you’ve stopped, what’s the problem? Carry him. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim.”
The conductor said,
“Alright, thank you.”
He turned to the passenger and asked,
“How much?”
The man replied,
“Five hundred naira.”
The conductor said,
“I honestly don’t have change; I just came out.”
He was about to start the tricycle again when Hajiya Kaka quickly said,
“Wait, young man. Let me check for change. I don’t like seeing my fellow trader looking for change.”
Her granddaughter immediately looked at her and said,
“My fellow trader? Kaka, since when did you start driving keke without telling us?”
Without answering, Hajiya Kaka opened the handbag on her lap, gave them the change, and moved a little so the man could enter.
Not long after they continued their journey, they passed through a filling station. Seeing this, Hajiya Kaka said,
“Hmm… they’re about to spoil the food.”
Nobody replied to her inside the tricycle.
While fuel was being filled, three young men on motorcycles nearby were discussing the army. One of them said,
“I like the way the army commander confronted those kidnappers head-on.”
Before the others could reply, Hajiya Kaka poked her head out of the tricycle and asked,
“So the army commander himself confronted the kidnappers? Isn’t he afraid?”
One of the young men smiled and said,
“Afraid of what, Mama? He isn’t afraid.”
Hajiya Kaka nodded and said,
“One day he might visit their house.”
Everyone burst into laughter—including her granddaughter, who was still busy scrolling through her phone.
After leaving the filling station, they soon saw many secondary school students standing by the roadside waiting for transport to school. Hajiya Kaka sighed and pointed them out to her granddaughter.
“Look at them, all waiting for transport.”
Her granddaughter glanced briefly, then returned to her phone without replying.
After some distance they saw another group of students. Hajiya Kaka couldn’t keep quiet again.
“They too are waiting for a car… Hmm… May God grant you good husbands.”
This time again the granddaughter said nothing.
Hajiya Kaka became annoyed.
“I swear I hate this silent stubbornness of yours, Husna. That’s why I don’t like traveling with you. I prefer traveling with Hassana—we chat along the way. But you keep quiet like your brother Hafeez. You’ve copied all his stubborn silence.”
Husna shook her head and replied,
“Kaka, what do you want me to say? Honestly your talking is already too much for me. My head almost burst. That’s why I kept quiet.”
Hajiya Kaka nodded and said,
“That’s true. With Rabi’atu the chatterbox, of course I have to talk alone. But if someone talks alone all the time, what’s the difference between that and madness?”
The conductor laughed quietly. Even another passenger beside her smiled, while Husna kept quiet as if the discussion wasn’t about her.
Hajiya Kaka pouted and said,
“That’s true.”
After a moment she repeated to herself,
“That’s true.”
Eventually they arrived safely at a large mansion. The conductor dropped them at the gate of the magnificent house. One look at the house and you could tell money had been spent heavily on it.
The gatekeeper opened the small gate respectfully, greeting Hajiya Kaka.
Inside the compound were four luxurious cars parked in the parking lot, slightly dusty because they weren’t used often.
Meanwhile, Hajiya Kaka entered the sitting room where the cool air from the air conditioner hit her. She threw her shawl on the chair and said,
“If not for that condolence visit that became compulsory, nothing would have made me leave the house this early.”
Hassana, who was arranging breakfast on the dining table, came to the sitting room and said,
“Kaka, you’re back? Where did you leave Husna?”
Hajiya Kaka looked at her. The two granddaughters looked almost exactly alike, so much that if you didn’t know them, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. But their characters were completely different: Husna was quiet and reserved like their older brother Hafeez, while Hassana was cheerful and friendly with everyone.
After thinking for a moment Hajiya Kaka replied jokingly,
“I sold her and came back. The money was swallowed by force.”
Hassana smiled immediately, realizing they must have argued again.
Just then Husna entered the sitting room. She and Hassana smiled at each other. Hassana brought tea and turned on the Bollywood channel on the TV.
While drinking tea and watching, Husna kept scrolling her phone. Soon they started arguing about actresses—Husna insisted Rashmika was better than Deepika.
Hajiya Kaka shook her head and walked to the dining table to eat, because she didn’t understand what they were arguing about at all..)