<p>She looked at the little girl, who was now resting against her, and said, “If you agree, we should take care of her. If people ask, we’ll say she’s the daughter of a distant relative whom we brought from the village.”</p><p>The man smiled. “I like that idea. May God bless you for your kindness and help us raise her well.”</p><p>He turned to Lawisa. “From now on, this is your mother.”</p><p>“Have you ever seen your father?”</p><p>Lawisa shook her head.</p><p>“Good. From today, I’m your father. Your mother actually wanted to bring you here to me—that’s why she left you. So from now on, you’ll live in this house. I’ll enroll you in school—do you like that?”</p><p>A big smile spread across Lawisa’s face as she nodded excitedly.</p><p>“Good. When people ask, tell them we brought you from the village. Okay?”</p><p>She nodded again.</p><p>“Now go use the bathroom and get some rest.”</p><p>As the man and his wife watched her settle in, the wife said, “God has blessed us with a daughter from nowhere. Our house has been so quiet since Jamila got married.”</p><p>The husband laughed. “Yes, now we have a daughter from the heavens. We only had Jamila before, but now we have another child.”</p><p>And so, they raised Lawisa as their own, telling the neighborhood that she was a relative’s child from the village. They enrolled her in both Islamic and Western schools, and she grew up under their care.</p><p>However, Lawisa was rebellious and mischievous. She was always causing trouble in the neighborhood.</p><p>That’s how she met Maimuna, who was an only child. Maimuna’s parents loved her dearly and were financially stable. The two girls became inseparable, even though Lawisa was a few months older. However, Maimuna was physically bigger, so people assumed they were the same age.</p><p>They grew up together, attending the same primary and secondary school. Their school was mixed-gender, so they became close with two boys—Babawo and Sani.</p><p>During breaks, Lawisa would tell Maimuna to buy food so they could eat in class with the boys. Over time, Maimuna also became comfortable around them.</p><p>By the time they reached SS3, they had completely immersed themselves in secret relationships with the boys. They had places where they met in private, even using an abandoned house belonging to Sani’s father.</p><p>Eventually, they lost their innocence to the boys, who gave them pills to prevent pregnancy. They kept it a secret from their families.</p><p>Tragedy struck when Maimuna’s parents died in a car accident. She moved in with her uncle, who later arranged a marriage for her.</p><p>Lawisa, not wanting to lose her friend, convinced Maimuna to demand her inheritance first. Once she got it, they ran away together, believing they would find freedom and a better life in the city.</p><p>The next morning, when Maimuna’s uncle realized she was gone, he knew it was Lawisa’s influence.</p><p>He sighed, “She made a mistake following Lawisa. But life will teach them both a lesson.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p>
