ZAIN ABEED Book 1 Complete Document by Nimcey Sarauta .txt

<p>Here is the English translation of the text:</p><hr><p>After Alqali Ibrahim came his younger brother, Alhaji Khaleed. Around that time, Alhaji Khaleed got married. He wanted to move out and live on his own, but Alqali insisted that he stay in the family house. He declared that no one was leaving—they would all live together as one family.</p><p>Alhaji Khaleed married Mama Sadiya, a modest and reserved woman who avoided conflict at all costs. Her meek nature made it easy for her to get along with Hajiya Kilishi. Mama Sadiya wouldn’t do anything without Kilishi’s permission and always sought her approval for everything. This dynamic inflated Kilishi’s sense of self-importance, making her feel even more superior and reminding her that, indeed, she was of royal blood.</p><p>Barely six months after Alhaji Khaleed’s wedding, their youngest brother, Alhaji Isah, also brought up the topic of marriage. Being the youngest, Alhaji Isah relied heavily on his elder brothers, Alqali and Alhaji Khaleed, to handle everything concerning his marriage. They doted on him, especially after the death of their parents. Whatever Isah wanted, they provided, as they had pampered him from childhood.</p><p>At the time, Maryam (also known as Mamy), a native of Maiduguri, had just completed her first degree in Nursing. Given the challenges she had faced during her education, she made it clear to Alhaji Isah that after their marriage, she intended to work and would not let her years of study go to waste. She also wanted to use her career to support and empower other women in her family. Alhaji Isah discussed Maryam’s stance with his brothers. Alqali immediately assured him that there was no problem, especially since her work was in the healthcare field. He stated that as long as she loved their younger brother, they had no objections to her continuing her career.</p><p>This decision by Alqali deeply angered Hajiya Kilishi. How could a young woman, working a government job, come into their household? What did they lack in the house that warranted bringing in someone with such a background? Kilishi strongly disapproved of Alqali’s judgment, and from that moment, tension began brewing between Mamy and Hajiya Kilishi.</p><p>Two weeks after Maryam moved into the family house, Alqali called a meeting with his two brothers and their wives to discuss how they would handle cooking arrangements. Since the matter pertained to the household, he wanted everyone’s input on how they would organize the kitchen duties.</p><p>Maryam immediately suggested that since she worked, it would be best if everyone cooked their meals separately. She explained that it would be unfair to expect her to come home after a long day at work and still be responsible for cooking for everyone. Alqali, however, dismissed her idea outright. He said it was not acceptable for him and his two brothers, who were the only ones left of their parents’ legacy, to separate their household in that manner. He argued that such an arrangement would mean leaving their youngest, Alhaji Isah, hungry until Maryam returned from work to cook for him.</p><p>In response, Maryam clarified that her husband, Alhaji Isah, was her priority and that she would never let him go hungry. Despite this, Alqali stood firm, insisting that they must share the kitchen duties. Maryam then requested that since she was working, Hajiya Kilishi and Mama Sadiya should handle the cooking on weekdays while she took responsibility for weekends.</p><p>At this suggestion, Hajiya Kilishi glared at Mamy and declared that it would not happen. She proposed a rotational system where each person would take turns every two days. Alqali was displeased with Kilishi’s reaction, stating that, as the eldest among them, it was her responsibility to embrace her younger sisters-in-law and make them feel welcome. He emphasized that Mamy had simply requested a favor, and it wouldn’t have hurt for them to accommodate her. However, he eventually decided not to press the matter further, leaving the women to sort it out themselves.</p><p>Barely three months later, Hajiya Kilishi started complaining that Mamy wasn’t preparing meals on time. If Mamy worked the morning shift, she would only start cooking after returning home at around 3 PM. The only exception was when Mamy worked the evening shift, during which she prepared the food before leaving for work. However, Mamy’s cooking was always exceptional. She used her own money to buy quality ingredients and prepared delicious, nutritious meals. Anyone who ate her food would eagerly anticipate the next time it was her turn to cook.</p><p>Despite this, Kilishi raised the issue with Alqali, suggesting that they revisit the cooking arrangement. She complained that Mamy’s late cooking disrupted the household and proposed that Mamy should be restricted to cooking only on weekends.</p><p>Alqali merely smiled at her complaints without saying much. He had foreseen this situation from the beginning, which was why he had initially supported the idea of granting Mamy weekends for cooking duties. He believed that, as the youngest and the wife of their youngest brother, Mamy deserved to be treated kindly and with understanding. He also felt that Kilishi, as the eldest wife, should have set an example by embracing Mamy and showing her kindness. Unfortunately, Kilishi’s pride and pettiness had blinded her from seeing the bigger picture.</p>