UNCOUTHLY ATTACHED

UNCOUTHLY ATTACHED: 1.

Matan Fada, Katsina State.
2012.

"Falak, take the hot water to the bathroom for me please, I don't feel too well today." Falak's father gently said to his daughter as she find a place on a stone and sat down on it in front of their local coalstove.

"Yes, baba. You can take the bath and I'll make some concoctions for you, it'll help." She obediently stood up and take the old metal bucket to the small secluded place they call bathroom.

It's a small plot that they cut and put local red blocks around it and put a torn wrapper as the curtain closing the small doorway. That's how most of the houses in the village are.

They are not rich and not near average, they are poor and her father can't work anymore because of his age, so they survive with the little food her step mother sells when they buy fifty naira own and it's enough.

Not that her father has to suffer to get it, she'll give him without preamble but she'll never give Falak for free, she'll have to buy. So her father will give her the money to buy.

But when he doesn't have the money, he will just share the food with her since she won't eat it alone if he offered. She'd say he's old and he shouldn't stay hungry while she's very young and full of energy. That she can survive a day or two with only water.

"Allah ya miki albarka; (May Allah bless you)." Her father said before getting into the bathroom to take a bath.

Her father, Mallam Muhammad is not your average man. He's very poor and has no work or business as he's old and very weak. He was once the richest man in the village but everything change when he divorced his second wife.

He can't even buy food for himself but manage to give his daughter what to eat. His first wife sells food and so she always serve him even though she'd mock him first before doing so but he'll still take it and give his daughter the money he manage to get outside so she could buy food with it.

Falak went back to the local coalstove and adjust the firewood around it then adding some leathers inside to add the fire. She use the hand fan to flame it and that's when her mother in-law decided to favor her with her presence.

The firewood is wet which is why her cheerful mood is damped. She knew her stepmother intentionally let them get wet yesterday when it rained. She won't intentionally beat her or do anything of that sort but she made so many moves for her to suffer and thinks Falak wouldn't know.

She didn't raise her head from the firewood and obediently greeted her good morning which she didn't get any reply from and she is not surprised, it has always been like this.

"Make sure you take my water to the bathroom when your father is out." That is all she said before walking away from the smoke mist that makes Falak's eyes red and teary.

Her stepmother, Adama who's known as Adama Mai Abinci around the village of Matan Fada and she's known for her abuse with words as she's like that with everyone.

Adama has three children, Saddiqa, followed by Saleh and last born Raiyanatu. Since she's the first wife her father married before her mother, they are all older than her. Falak doesn't know who her mother is and her father didn't tell her anything about, only that she's alive.

She has already taken her bath and she's dressed in a white jeans which has yawed to light brown and a long knee length old atampha blouse. The outfit was given to her by her best friend -Fikriya- who is now in the city with her Aunt working as a maid.

She gave her the outfit with a heavy heart because she also loved the clothes but Falak insist that she should give her because she wants to remember her anytime she's wearing it. Not that that will be the only reason she'll remember her but she loves the outfit.