Hajiya Mariya swiftly came downstairs dressed in a native wear. Her bag was clung on her shoulder, and was holding a mug in her right hand, sipping. Her seven year old daughter was following her dressed in school uniform; blue and white. Her school bag was clung on her back.
They entered the kitchen together. Hajiya Mariya dropped the mug on the kitchen table.
'' Pick your lunch box, hurry up we are almost late'' said Hajiya Mariya as she turned to leave the kitchen.
"Ok Mum," Hanan headed to the dinning table to pick her lunch box.
Hajiya Mariya was already sitting in the car waiting for her daughter. Hanan entered and she drove off. She parked the car at Hanan's school and gave her some money to spend. Then she drove off to work.
When she reached the office, she parked the car in the parking lot. And entered inside the office.
"Good morning everyone," she said smiling.
"Morning Hajiya Mariya,"her colleagues greeted her back with smiling faces.
"How is Hanan?" her friend asked.
" She is fine. I just dropped her in school."
Hajiya Mariya entered her office and began to work.
* * *
One O'clock in the afternoon, Hajiya Mariya's neighbour came to pick her daughter from school and as usual, she picked her daughter Zahra and Hanan to her house. Hanan used to stay in Hajiya Jamila's house, till her mother closed from work. She always close late in the evening. And will come back exhausted and with lots of work to do and hardly have time for her daughter. Hanan is always lonely at home, she have no friends to play with but have lots of games. She used to seat in her room with her teddy bear and stared at the sky through the glass door or go to the garden and seat on the swing or play video games or read her story books.
* * *
One Saturday morning, Hanan woke up with a terrible fever. She was running a high temperature and shivered in her quilt. She felt like throwing up and quickly ran to the bathroom. She threw up profusely that she became weak. Hanan tried calling her mother but she was too weak. She was dizzy and couldn't move her feet, suddenly fell down on the bathroom floor and fainted.
Where is her mother?
Her mother forgot some files in the office and went to pick them. She was so carried away that she didn't think of checking her daughter but believed she was still sleeping so she thought she can rush to the office and get the files before Hanan wake up.
On her way back home, she was stocked in the traffic for almost an hour. She reached home past nine and went upstairs to her daughter's room to check her. She checked the room but no one was there, then she checked the bathroom. And to her greatest surprise, she saw her daughter lying unconsciously on the floor.
She screamed "HANAN"!
* * *
Hajiya Mariya in confusion bent down and shook Hanan, shouting out her name. But Hanan was already unconscious. She carried Hanan and ran down stairs with her, shading tears. She picked her car keys on the table and swiftly went outside and laid Hanan on the back seat. Then quickly entered the car and drove off to a nearby hospital.
On reaching the hospital, some nurses on duty, quickly assisted her and took Hanan to the emergency ward. Hajiya Mariya wanted to enter but they stopped her and told her to wait outside. One of the nurses has already went to call the doctor and in a jiffy, the doctor arrived and entered the emergency ward quickly wearing his white coat and stethoscope.
Hajiya Mariya was going up and down in dilemma and confusion. She didn't care about the tears that was rolling down her cheeks like a cascading waterfall. She was blaming herself for what happened to her one and only daughter. How could she be so careless? Why didn't she checked her daughter early morning before doing any other thing. If anything happened to her daughter, she will never forgive herself. Had it been Hanan's father is alive, she could have been in big trouble, he will seriously deal with her. He loved Hanan so much and had always took care of her more than the mother. He would stay at home and take care of Hanan. Took her to so many interesting places like the park, garden, ice cream shop, etc. Sometimes, he take a break from work just to stay at home and take care of his daughter, Hanan. Because the mother is always busy with work and doesn't have time to take care of their daughter. Hanan's father used to scold her and call her workaholic. She always want to become famous and rich. Sometimes, she will travel abroad for work and leave her husband with Hanan. And as usual, he will be the one to take care of her. He was fed up with wife's attitude and most times they had serious quarels. Sometimes as if the marriage will crash. But Alhaji Salim was always the patient one. And that was how he had been coping with his wife till the day he died in a ghastly motor accident. His death really shocked Hanan and Hajiya Mariya. And it was a great loss to so many people. He was a kind, patient and hard working man that so many people liked him. He died when Hanan was only five years old. She really missed her father and cried anytime she remembered him. They had been so close and had been taking care of her and always listened to her and helped her in terms of her troubles with her friends in school and so on. Now that he was no more, she couldn't cope with her mother and her attitudes. Sometimes, her mother will scold her or pull her ears when she misbehaved or did something wrong. And Hanan will cry all day and her mother will not care rather she will concentrate on her office work. Most times, when she is at home, she will spend most times on her laptop surfing, designing and programming. She hardly raise her head to see what her daughter is doing.
They entered the kitchen together. Hajiya Mariya dropped the mug on the kitchen table.
'' Pick your lunch box, hurry up we are almost late'' said Hajiya Mariya as she turned to leave the kitchen.
"Ok Mum," Hanan headed to the dinning table to pick her lunch box.
Hajiya Mariya was already sitting in the car waiting for her daughter. Hanan entered and she drove off. She parked the car at Hanan's school and gave her some money to spend. Then she drove off to work.
When she reached the office, she parked the car in the parking lot. And entered inside the office.
"Good morning everyone," she said smiling.
"Morning Hajiya Mariya,"her colleagues greeted her back with smiling faces.
"How is Hanan?" her friend asked.
" She is fine. I just dropped her in school."
Hajiya Mariya entered her office and began to work.
* * *
One O'clock in the afternoon, Hajiya Mariya's neighbour came to pick her daughter from school and as usual, she picked her daughter Zahra and Hanan to her house. Hanan used to stay in Hajiya Jamila's house, till her mother closed from work. She always close late in the evening. And will come back exhausted and with lots of work to do and hardly have time for her daughter. Hanan is always lonely at home, she have no friends to play with but have lots of games. She used to seat in her room with her teddy bear and stared at the sky through the glass door or go to the garden and seat on the swing or play video games or read her story books.
* * *
One Saturday morning, Hanan woke up with a terrible fever. She was running a high temperature and shivered in her quilt. She felt like throwing up and quickly ran to the bathroom. She threw up profusely that she became weak. Hanan tried calling her mother but she was too weak. She was dizzy and couldn't move her feet, suddenly fell down on the bathroom floor and fainted.
Where is her mother?
Her mother forgot some files in the office and went to pick them. She was so carried away that she didn't think of checking her daughter but believed she was still sleeping so she thought she can rush to the office and get the files before Hanan wake up.
On her way back home, she was stocked in the traffic for almost an hour. She reached home past nine and went upstairs to her daughter's room to check her. She checked the room but no one was there, then she checked the bathroom. And to her greatest surprise, she saw her daughter lying unconsciously on the floor.
She screamed "HANAN"!
* * *
Hajiya Mariya in confusion bent down and shook Hanan, shouting out her name. But Hanan was already unconscious. She carried Hanan and ran down stairs with her, shading tears. She picked her car keys on the table and swiftly went outside and laid Hanan on the back seat. Then quickly entered the car and drove off to a nearby hospital.
On reaching the hospital, some nurses on duty, quickly assisted her and took Hanan to the emergency ward. Hajiya Mariya wanted to enter but they stopped her and told her to wait outside. One of the nurses has already went to call the doctor and in a jiffy, the doctor arrived and entered the emergency ward quickly wearing his white coat and stethoscope.
Hajiya Mariya was going up and down in dilemma and confusion. She didn't care about the tears that was rolling down her cheeks like a cascading waterfall. She was blaming herself for what happened to her one and only daughter. How could she be so careless? Why didn't she checked her daughter early morning before doing any other thing. If anything happened to her daughter, she will never forgive herself. Had it been Hanan's father is alive, she could have been in big trouble, he will seriously deal with her. He loved Hanan so much and had always took care of her more than the mother. He would stay at home and take care of Hanan. Took her to so many interesting places like the park, garden, ice cream shop, etc. Sometimes, he take a break from work just to stay at home and take care of his daughter, Hanan. Because the mother is always busy with work and doesn't have time to take care of their daughter. Hanan's father used to scold her and call her workaholic. She always want to become famous and rich. Sometimes, she will travel abroad for work and leave her husband with Hanan. And as usual, he will be the one to take care of her. He was fed up with wife's attitude and most times they had serious quarels. Sometimes as if the marriage will crash. But Alhaji Salim was always the patient one. And that was how he had been coping with his wife till the day he died in a ghastly motor accident. His death really shocked Hanan and Hajiya Mariya. And it was a great loss to so many people. He was a kind, patient and hard working man that so many people liked him. He died when Hanan was only five years old. She really missed her father and cried anytime she remembered him. They had been so close and had been taking care of her and always listened to her and helped her in terms of her troubles with her friends in school and so on. Now that he was no more, she couldn't cope with her mother and her attitudes. Sometimes, her mother will scold her or pull her ears when she misbehaved or did something wrong. And Hanan will cry all day and her mother will not care rather she will concentrate on her office work. Most times, when she is at home, she will spend most times on her laptop surfing, designing and programming. She hardly raise her head to see what her daughter is doing.
The door opened and the doctor came out of the ward. Immediately, Hajiya Mariya rushed to him agitated.
"How is she doctor? " she asked with trembling voice.
"How is she doctor? " she asked with trembling voice.
The doctor removed his eye glasses and looked at her in disappointment.
" I want to see you in my office now," he said and walked away.
Hajiya Mariya was totally confused and she stood still as if blood has stopped flowing in her body. She asked herself this question "is she dead?"
Hajiya Mariya sluggishly followed the doctor to his office. He ordered her to sit on one of the chairs in his office. He sat on the chair that was facing her and kept his stethoscope and glasses on the table.
" I am highly disappointed with you, Hajiya Mariya. How could you leave your daughter with malaria for a long time before bringing her to the hospital unconsciously?" asked the doctor seriously, staring at her.
Hajiya Mariya opened her mouth agape. "It has been in her for long? I wasn't aware. I just saw her unconsciously in the bathroom this morning," she uttered astonishingly.
The doctor nodded his head in disappointment and looked at her. "How could you say that? That means you are not an observant mother. You have not been observing your daughter. This means you have not been taking care of her. He sighed and said, your daughter have plasmodium coach and this vivax malaria can lead to severe disease and death due to splenomegaly that is a pathological enlarge spleen. We have to admit her in the hospital for two weeks till she fully recovered. "
" Oh! my God. I'm in trouble, what will I do now? Is she going to survive it? Please tell me doctor," Hajiya Mariya sobbed.
" Calm down Hajiya Mariya, this is not time for crying. Pray for your daughter and she needs you now more than ever. You have to sacrifice so many things to take care of your daughter especially your job. I will advise you to be very observant on your daughter that is when you will know what is wrong with her and always spare your time and be with her.
And don't worry, I have been your family doctor for years, I will try my best to treat your daughter very well," explained the doctor.
Hajiya Mariya wiped her tears with her handkerchief and said, "Thank you doctor, I always appreciate your effort."
* * *
Since from that day, Hajiya Mariya stayed in the hospital to take care of her daughter and she took excuse from the office. Hanan was very happy to see her mother by her side. I hope she will continue like this. Hanan said in her mind.
Two weeks later, Hanan recovered fully and she was discharged. She resumed to school and concentrated on her studies. Her friends and teachers were happy to see her and she was welcomed her wholeheartedly. Hanan was encouraged and promised herself to work harder in her studies.
On the other hand, her mother resumed back to the office and as usual, come back from work late evening and hardly have time for her daughter. And these days, she always have visitors at home almost all the time including weekends. Where they sat and discussed about work and how to make it one of the best company in the country. Hanan was not happy, she will peep through the stairs and watched them. But she tried to make herself busy, playing with her toys, reading story books or watching cartoons to while away her time. Her mother will not allow her to go to their neighbours house and play with them, she said they are ill mannered. She don't want her daughter to mingle with them. And it's a GRA, everyone is minding his business.
One Saturday morning around 10:00am, Hanan was in the kitchen trying to make tea for herself, she climbed a stool to take a mug, her height didn't reach the cupboard and suddenly, all the mugs fell down on the tiles and broke. The sound distracted Hajiya Mariya and her colleagues, she rushed to the kitchen to see what happened and she saw the broken mugs on the ground.
"What is wrong with you Hanan? What are you looking for there? " See the damaged you have done. And she pulled her from the chair and beat her and dragged her to her room upstairs and locked her. "Stay there till you learn your lesson," said Hajiya Mariya angrily and went downstairs to clean the kitchen.
Hanan was beating the door with her hands, calling the mother and apologizing and begging her to open the door for her. But the mother turned deaf ears and walked away.
Hanan continued cry and beating the door till she got tired and sat on the ground. And she was very hungry, she didn't eat breakfast which her mother did not prepare for her.
Hmm! What kind of mother is this?
" I want to see you in my office now," he said and walked away.
Hajiya Mariya was totally confused and she stood still as if blood has stopped flowing in her body. She asked herself this question "is she dead?"
Hajiya Mariya sluggishly followed the doctor to his office. He ordered her to sit on one of the chairs in his office. He sat on the chair that was facing her and kept his stethoscope and glasses on the table.
" I am highly disappointed with you, Hajiya Mariya. How could you leave your daughter with malaria for a long time before bringing her to the hospital unconsciously?" asked the doctor seriously, staring at her.
Hajiya Mariya opened her mouth agape. "It has been in her for long? I wasn't aware. I just saw her unconsciously in the bathroom this morning," she uttered astonishingly.
The doctor nodded his head in disappointment and looked at her. "How could you say that? That means you are not an observant mother. You have not been observing your daughter. This means you have not been taking care of her. He sighed and said, your daughter have plasmodium coach and this vivax malaria can lead to severe disease and death due to splenomegaly that is a pathological enlarge spleen. We have to admit her in the hospital for two weeks till she fully recovered. "
" Oh! my God. I'm in trouble, what will I do now? Is she going to survive it? Please tell me doctor," Hajiya Mariya sobbed.
" Calm down Hajiya Mariya, this is not time for crying. Pray for your daughter and she needs you now more than ever. You have to sacrifice so many things to take care of your daughter especially your job. I will advise you to be very observant on your daughter that is when you will know what is wrong with her and always spare your time and be with her.
And don't worry, I have been your family doctor for years, I will try my best to treat your daughter very well," explained the doctor.
Hajiya Mariya wiped her tears with her handkerchief and said, "Thank you doctor, I always appreciate your effort."
* * *
Since from that day, Hajiya Mariya stayed in the hospital to take care of her daughter and she took excuse from the office. Hanan was very happy to see her mother by her side. I hope she will continue like this. Hanan said in her mind.
Two weeks later, Hanan recovered fully and she was discharged. She resumed to school and concentrated on her studies. Her friends and teachers were happy to see her and she was welcomed her wholeheartedly. Hanan was encouraged and promised herself to work harder in her studies.
On the other hand, her mother resumed back to the office and as usual, come back from work late evening and hardly have time for her daughter. And these days, she always have visitors at home almost all the time including weekends. Where they sat and discussed about work and how to make it one of the best company in the country. Hanan was not happy, she will peep through the stairs and watched them. But she tried to make herself busy, playing with her toys, reading story books or watching cartoons to while away her time. Her mother will not allow her to go to their neighbours house and play with them, she said they are ill mannered. She don't want her daughter to mingle with them. And it's a GRA, everyone is minding his business.
One Saturday morning around 10:00am, Hanan was in the kitchen trying to make tea for herself, she climbed a stool to take a mug, her height didn't reach the cupboard and suddenly, all the mugs fell down on the tiles and broke. The sound distracted Hajiya Mariya and her colleagues, she rushed to the kitchen to see what happened and she saw the broken mugs on the ground.
"What is wrong with you Hanan? What are you looking for there? " See the damaged you have done. And she pulled her from the chair and beat her and dragged her to her room upstairs and locked her. "Stay there till you learn your lesson," said Hajiya Mariya angrily and went downstairs to clean the kitchen.
Hanan was beating the door with her hands, calling the mother and apologizing and begging her to open the door for her. But the mother turned deaf ears and walked away.
Hanan continued cry and beating the door till she got tired and sat on the ground. And she was very hungry, she didn't eat breakfast which her mother did not prepare for her.
Hmm! What kind of mother is this?
LAST PART OF THE LONELY CHILD BY ASMA'U SADA
Hanan didn't know when she fell asleep on the ground. Her mother did not remember her till she all her visitors had gone. She went to the kitchen and made tea and toasted bread for Hanan. Then she went upstairs to her room. She opened the door and saw Hanan lying on the ground sleeping. She felt guilty and sorry for her. Hajiya Mariya quickly woke Hanan which was fast asleep. She woke up and saw her mother beside her with a tray consisting of tea and toasted bread. She cleaned her eyes with her hand to enable her see clearly. She looked tired, sick and sleepy.
" I'm so sorry dear for what happened. I was frustrated with office work that was why. Get up, let me help you wash your face in the bathroom," said Hajiya Mariya sympathetically as she helped her daughter to get up and escorted her to the bathroom. She helped Hanan to wash her face and came back to the room. She handed over the tray to Hanan, which she collected and started eating hurriedly and hungrily. Her mother sat beside her and watched her pathetically, she felt like crying for her daughter. She knew she had maltreated her daughter sometimes and she don't feel happy about it. But she is too carried away with her job that she can't help it. She is a workaholic and want to get rich and fame, that's why she sacrificed so many things because of her job even her daughter. Imagine! Hmm!
That's how Hanan's life continued with busy mum that doesn't have enough time to take care of her. She became worried, unhappy and unlively that her teacher noticed. She stopped following her friends and always seat a lone at the back of their class, thinking deeply about her life. The teacher called her one day and asked her what was wrong with her and she said nothing. The teacher kept asking her every day and she kept saying the same thing. So, the teacher was worried and called her mother and they discussed. Hajiya Mariya said she think she is not too well that's why. But she will handle the issue. That's how the discussion ended that Hanan was sick.
Hajiya Mariya didn't care much to ask, but Hanan told her she is always sad that her mother don't have time to take care of her. And the mother replied that it is because of her job, one day she will have enough time to stay with her and take good care of her and that everything she is doing is because of her. So that she have enough money to take care of her.
That day, Hanan wept bitterly. She became more lonelier, worried and sad. It reached the extent that she don't concentrate on her studies and don't eat well at home and at school.
* * *
One Monday morning, Hanan collapsed in the class and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors examined her and discovered that it was beyond their power, so they quickly transferred Hanan to Psychiatric Hospital. Hajiya Mariya was called and she rushed to the hospital agitated and confused. After 2 hours of examining Hanan, the doctor discovered that Hanan is seriously affected psychologically and may not recover fully. That day, Hajiya Mariya collapsed and fainted several times that she had to be admitted for two days before she recovered. She blamed herself for everything and regretted. She prayed for her daughter and asked for God's forgiveness. She wept all day and anytime she came to see her daughter. Her life became miserable and sad. She was sacked at her place of work because she was no longer concentrating on her job. She became jobless. She begged her daughter to forgive her but Hanan was not in her normal condition. She wept and wept all day. And always said aloud, "how I wish I had taken care of my daughter, this wouldn't have happened. "
(C)Asmie's Diary
THE END!!!!
This is one of the most touching story I have ever written. And I shed tears while writing it. I felt like not continuing writing the story, it really touched my heart.
I don't have this story written in a book. As I just pasted the cover picture, the picture speak for itself. The ideas just started flowing as usual. This story made me to joined it in my collection of short stories.
* * *
This story is a great lesson to mothers with such kind behaviour. And I hope they will realize their mistake and do the right thing because opportunity comes but once in life. This is a huge responsibility that is given to us by our Creator. And He will ask us of it one day.
Take Note.!!!!
Please spare a minute and comment on the story.
Thank you. I hope you enjoyed the story.
(C)PAsmie's Diary.
All right reserved. No part of this story should be transmitted in any form or by any means. Photocopy, printing, publishing, copy and paste to social media platforms.i.e pages groups,.facebook,Whatsapp groups, etc without the permission of the copyright owner.(c)Asma'u Sada (Asmie's Diary)
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