Kuruciyar Minal Book One Complete Hausa Novel

A Terrifying Dream

Amina sat on her thoroughly compressed mattress, which looked as flat as a slice of bread. In the corner of her room lay a bowl containing smelly, leftover tuwo with kuka soup from the previous day that she had neglected to throw away.

She was sobbing hysterically, crying as though her life were ending. Her mother, Inna, walked into the room to investigate why her spoiled favorite child had not come out to handle her morning chores. Shocked by the sight, Inna paused.

“What could possibly be wrong with this girl?” Inna thought to herself. “How can someone sit alone in a room weeping for no reason?”

Clapping her hands in disbelief, Inna cried out, “Good Lord! Aminatu, what is the matter? Who offended my darling child? Why are you crying?”

Amina looked up, speaking through dramatic, heavy sobs. “Inna, please forgive me! And please ask my younger sister, Deejeh, to forgive me too! Tell her I’m sorry for taking her awara (bean cakes). I won’t beat her anymore, and… and I won’t spill her food or steal her sugarcane ever again! I promise I’ll even pay back the 50 naira I owe her! I swear I’m dropping all my bad behavior!” She burst into another loud wave of tears.

Inna stared at her in utter astonishment. “Aminatu asking for forgiveness? Even bringing up her younger sister Deejeh? Truly, it must be about to rain ice today!”

calming her down, Inna asked, “Alright, my dear, quiet down and tell me what happened.”

Minal sniffled, “Inna, I swear I had a nightmare that I caught Lassa fever and died!”

Inna sighed. “You see? That’s what happens when you live in filthy conditions! When was the last time you took a proper bath? Do you think you’re doing yourself any favors?”

Amina sobbed harder, squirming on the floor. “It’s only been five days!”

“And you’re not even ashamed to admit that?” Inna chided. “Forget Lassa fever—you’re opening yourself up to Ebola with that kind of unhygienic lifestyle!”

Amina kicked her legs on the floor dramatically. “Haba, Inna! Don’t you love me anymore? Besides, even if I don’t bathe every day, I still change my undergarments!”

“Keep your mouth shut before you alert the neighbors,” Inna scolded, holding her nose. “Your breath is foul. Get up right now, brush your teeth, and take a shower!”

Amina threw a minor tantrum on the floor, but Inna consoled her, reassuring her that dreams aren’t reality. Inna reminded her that today was her final examination at school before her final WAEC term. Reluctantly, Amina composed herself, took a shower, and prepared for school.

Extorting Inna and Going to School

As Amina prepared to leave, she turned to her mother. “Inna, do you remember that 100 naira I lent you?”

“When?” Inna asked.

“Back when our exams started,” Amina claimed.

“I remember,” Inna said. “But my dear daughter, how much money have I given you since then?”

Amina wrinkled her nose. “Aha! So you didn’t give me that money out of the goodness of your heart, Inna?! By God, you must pay me back my money!”

“You troublesome child,” Inna sighed. “You’re as persistent as they come.”

Untying the corner of her wrapper, Inna produced a faded 200 naira note. “Take this, but bring back my change because it’s all the money I have left,” she said, fully aware she likely wouldn’t see the change.

Amina pulled a face before taking the money. “I’m only accepting this old note because I really need it!”

She gave Inna an affectionate hug, said goodbye, and headed to her friend Zaliha’s house so they could walk to school together.

During break time at school, Amina scaled the school wall, went to the local market, and spent the entire 200 naira buying gurasa (local flatbread). She gave all the bread away as charity (sadaka) to almajiri children, praying that God would continue to bless and protect her parents.

Despite her stubbornness, short temper, and outspoken nature toward anyone who crossed her, Amina possessed deep empathy and love for her parents. Her poor hygiene habits stemmed partly from a distorted sense of frugality: she believed that if she conserved soap and perfume, her parents wouldn’t have to spend money replacing them. Because of this, she only bathed twice a week—a habit her parents had grown exhausted of arguing about.

Character & Background Breakdown

Amina (Minal) Yusuf

• Age: 18–19 years old.

• Physical Description: Very fair-skinned, average height, proportionate nose, attractive “sexy” eyes, figure-eight body shape, and long hair.

• Personality: Feisty, loud-mouthed, outspoken, but secretly cowardly and deeply religious in her own way. Extremely frugal and protective of her parents’ finances, leading to eccentric habits like skipping daily baths.

Family Background

Family Member	Relationship	Background & Details
Malam Yusuf	Father	Known locally as “Baban Kowa” (Everyone’s Father). A humble carpenter who is highly respected in the community. Originally a Fulani from Taraba State who lost his family in a fire at age 18. Moved to Kano at 25, then settled in Malali, Kaduna.
Falmata (Inna)	Mother	A Kanuri woman from Borno State who manages traditional skin treatments (gyaran miki) and incense (turaren wuta).
Abubakar	Older Brother	Firstborn child. Currently working on his university final project at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). Self-sufficient and sends money home whenever possible.
Khadijah (Deejeh)	Younger Sister	12-year-old youngest sibling (auta) who frequently gets picked on by Amina.

Key Plot Highlights

1. The Nightmare Incident: Amina’s hilarious overreaction to a nightmare about Lassa fever leads to a funny confrontation with her mother about her poor hygiene habits.

2. Secret Compassion: Despite extorting money from Inna and acting stubborn, Amina scales the school wall to buy food for beggar children, praying for her parents’ well-being.

3. Family History: The narrative introduces the background of Malam Yusuf’s modest household in the Malali area of Kaduna State.