"Fadimatuu Fadimatuu!"
Fadimatuu heard Ammi hollering her name as she was cleaning the house after washing Ammi's clothes.
She sighed and went to her.
"Ammi I heard you calling me" she said calmly.
"Yes I want you to go to Hajiya Aysha's place to collect our frying pan!" Ammi said glaring at her.
Hajiya Aisha was their neighbour
and their house is opposite each other.
And she had a daughter who was the same age as Fadimatuu and they are best of friends.
Her name is Aaminah.
Although Fadimatuu like going to her best friends house but now she wanted to finish cleaning the house before she goes.
But what could she do when Ammi had sent her there, she had no other choice but to go there now, if she don't want to face Ammi's wrath.
I know you wonder who is Ammi to Fadimatuu right? Here goes your answer.
Fadimatuu is the only child of Zaynab Farouk and Muhammad Abubakar.
Since when Fadimatuu was born, her mother died leaving her and her father alone.
Hajiya Zaynab was Shuwa Arab living in Maiduguri.
She was the first born of her parent and had one younger sister name Hajiya Hadiza.
While Alhaji Muhammad who is Fulani and origin of Adamawa state.
But they're living in Kano state since when he's a toddler.
He is the last born in their house and had three siblings, Alhaji Tasi'u who is the first born then Hajiya Bilki then Hajiya Saada.
They met at Kano state when Hajiya Zaynab visited her uncle's place.
Alhaji Muhammad who were neighbours to her uncle saw her there and fell in love with her.
And after a year they got married and live in Kano state and Alhaji Abubakar was doing his business there.
Six months later she got pregnant and Alhaji Muhammad was nothing but caring to her.
After 9 months she went into labour where she gave birth to her beautiful daughter named Fatima Muhammad Abubakar but popularly known as Fadimatuu.
And she died in the process of giving birth to her.
Hajiya Zaynab's death really touched Alhaji Abubakar whom swooned at the news of her death.
Her maternal Grandmother collected fadimatuu when she was born and took care of her.
When Fadimatuu was 2 years old her father collected her from her Grandmother saying that he can't stay away from his daughter any longer, because he love Fadimatuu very much and she reminded him of Hajiya Zaynab.
He married Hafsatu Balarabe who is his cousin.
At first hafsatu was nice to fadimatuu taking her as her own daughter but when she saw that up to 2 years of her marriage she hasn't gave birth yet.
And she saw the way her husband was showering love to his only daughter.
And somethings that made her changed her ways.
That's how she started to hate fadimatuu.
Fadimatuu was 4 years then, she never enjoyed her childhood like any other kid.
Hafsatu always beats her and gave her hard work to do.
All these happened without the knowledge of her father.
Her father used to leave for market since morning and came back until night and fadimatuu was asleep by then.
And she warned Fadimatuu against telling her father what she's doing to her if not she would kill her and at that time Fadimatuu was a kid, so she's scared of telling her Father.
Life goes on like that with fadimatuu suffering every day.
So Hajiya Hafsatu is Fadimatuu's step mother, her Ammi.
Back to present
Fadimatuu went to Hajiya Aisha's place to collect the frying pan, when she entered the house she mets her friend "Aaminah" sweeping the compound.
She said salam to her and went to Aaminah's mum to collect the frying pan.
When she's going Aaminah asked her "Why are you silent today fadimatuu?"
"Wallah is Ammi she never let me rest, she always find work to give me and if I did some mistake she will beat me. I'm tired Aaminah!" Fadimatuu complained to her best friend.
"Don't worry Fadimatuu, you should continue being patient everything would pass nothing is permanent" Aaminah try to consoled her.
"Thank you Aaminah you always know how to calm me down" Fadimatuu said hugging her,
who smiled and hug her too.
Fadimatuu and Aaminah had being best friends since when they're kids and are both 16 now.
They're in SS3 now and are going to start JAMB soon (JAMB is an examination that Nigerian students used to do before entering University).