<p>Description For </p><p>WALIJAAM BOOK COMPLETE </p><p>"Now, with the money from this coral necklace, you plan to buy a tricycle, purchase land, build a house, and also go to Mecca, all in one go?" Baba Mamman asked, forcing himself to pose the question.</p><p>"Oh Allah, what I can't understand is whether you're asking me a question or just mocking me. You were told the plan clearly, yet you're speaking to me as if you're joking." She responded, sending him a sharp glare.</p><p>"That's not it, Iya. The issue is, who will buy this coral necklace?" Baba Umaru asked nervously, his tone laced with caution.</p><p>"Listen, I'm the one who will find the buyers. And if I can't get any in this town, I will borrow transport fare, go to the city, and sell it there. When I bring back the money, I will repay the borrowed fare. Is that not reasonable? After all, it's just the transport fare you're fussing about," she said, tilting her head dismissively.</p><p>“Iya, it's not about there being no buyers with high value in this town…”</p><p>"Good! I knew it!" She interrupted Baba Mamman abruptly.</p><p>"Iya, to be honest, nobody will buy it at the value you're imagining. Unless maybe those scrap collectors, like the ones who buy old metals and junk. Even if they agree to buy it, I doubt they'll offer more than two hundred naira (₦200). Even then, it would be after a long negotiation…" Baba Umaru tried explaining with seriousness. Before he could finish, Iya struck his face with a resounding slap.</p><p>"You! Junk dealer! You're saying I should sell my necklace to scrap collectors? This necklace that I've kept since my marriage to your father? The one I believed would fetch me millions because I know its worth is greater than gold? But because of your envy, you're saying it’s worth only two hundred naira?" she ranted, now in tears of frustration, overwhelmed by the suggestion. She raised the necklace, which reached down to her stomach due to its length, and gazed at it mournfully.</p><p>"I swear by God, none of you will hear another word from me about selling this necklace," she vowed, glaring at them. “I'll sell it myself, today. When I return, and you see me bring home multiple bags of pepper, you will know that business is booming, and you will eat your words.”</p><p>She placed the necklace carefully in a bag, muttering angrily about their lack of respect. Baba Umaru and Baba Mamman, intimidated by her fury, quietly slipped out of the room without further protest.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Later, Iya prepared herself to leave the house. She dressed in her finest clothes, tying her scarf securely around her head. She tucked the bag containing the necklace into her wrapper, determined to prove everyone wrong. On her way out, her grandson Jabiru stopped her.</p><p>“Where are you going, Iya?”</p><p>"I'm going to sell this necklace. When I return, we'll eat roasted meat, drink soda, and celebrate our good fortune," she said confidently, patting his shoulder.</p><p>"Can I come with you, Iya?" he asked eagerly.</p><p>"No, my boy. Stay home and wait for me. When I come back, I'll bring enough for all of us," she assured him.</p><p>Jabiru nodded enthusiastically and ran off to play. Iya left the house, heading first to a known jewelry dealer in the neighborhood. When she arrived and showed the necklace, the dealer stared at it for a moment before bursting into laughter.</p><p>"This? Is this the precious item you came to sell, Iya?" the dealer asked incredulously. “This isn't gold or diamond. This is coral! The kind only old Yòrùbá men wear. No one will buy this for more than scrap value.”</p><p>Insulted, Iya snatched the necklace back and stormed out of the shop, muttering angrily about people's lack of appreciation for true value.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>As she walked down the street, Iya tried to shake off the doubts creeping into her mind. Could they all be right? Could the necklace truly be worthless? No, she refused to believe it. She vowed to find a buyer, no matter how far she had to go.</p><p>"Wait and see," she muttered under her breath, “I'll show them all.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
