Imagine two young girls walking home after a long day. They are dressed so modestly in those long hijabs that reach all the way to the ground, and they even have niqabs covering their faces. They are carrying the Holy Qur'an, walking with so much respect and calmness. They look like they don't have a worry in the world. They get to a nice, medium-sized house with a clean parking space. It is the kind of house where everything is tidy and well-kept. When they step into the living room, they give their greetings and you can see that the house inside is even more beautiful than the outside. This is where we first meet Iman and Salma. They are greeted by a woman who is around 45 years old, their Aunty. She is smiling and happy to see them back from school. But then, she says something that completely changes the mood. She tells them that their Uncle is on his way home.
The moment that word "Uncle" leaves her mouth, the girls freeze. It is like someone poured cold water on them. You can see the fear and the worry on their faces. Salma immediately starts thinking about her clothes. She says she needs to go and find her old, heavy hijabs and wash them because there is no way they can wear small scarves or light veils once Uncle Aliyu is in the house. This man is clearly very strict. One of the girls even says something like, "Uncle is a wicked man, he knows all the ways to be mean." (translated from the Hausa text: "uncle mugune yasan duk wasu hanyoyin mugunta"). You can tell that his arrival means the end of their freedom and fun for a while. If you want to see how this tension builds up, you should definitely download Hausa novels like this one to get the full experience.
Now, let me tell you about Iman because she is a real beauty. When she finally takes off her niqab in their room, the author, Aishatu Halliru Bissalam, describes her in a way that makes you see her clearly. She is fair-skinned and not too tall, with a pointed nose that makes her face look so elegant. She has these "sexy eyes" and naturally pink lips that look like she is wearing lipstick even when she isn't. She is about 17 or 18 years old. But despite being so beautiful, she is the most terrified of her Uncle. She remembers a time he made her do "frog jumps" as a punishment, and just the thought of it makes her want to cry. She feels like she can't even breathe when he is around. This is the kind of drama you find in the best Hausa novels where family dynamics are so real and intense.
Then we see the Uncle himself, Aliyu. He is 33 years old and a soldier. He is coming off a plane in his military uniform, and honestly, he sounds like a total heartthrob. He is tall, fair, and has that very serious, "miskili" look. That means he is the type of guy who doesn't talk much, doesn't smile, and just keeps to himself. All the girls at the airport are staring at him because he looks like an Indian film star, but he doesn't even give them a second look. He is very disciplined and very cold. Even when his security guards come to pick him up, he just moves with this military swag that makes everyone notice him. He is the kind of character you love to hate because he is so handsome but so mean at the same time.
Back at the house, the atmosphere is so heavy. The girls are peeking through the window, watching his car pull in. They are literally shaking. They wait for him to settle down, eat, and go to his room before they even think about greeting him. Aunty has to literally push them to go and see him. When they get to his door, they are so nervous. They enter and find him sitting on a chair, busy with his laptop. They kneel down on the floor to greet him, but he doesn't even answer properly. He just ignores them for like thirty minutes! Can you imagine just sitting there on the floor in silence while someone just types away on a laptop and ignores you? This part really shows how much he likes to control the people around him. You can find more stories with this kind of tension when you look for Hausa novels online.
After a long time, he finally looks at them, but it’s not to say something nice. He starts shouting at them, asking if they think they are too big to come and greet him. Salma tries to explain that she was praying, but he doesn't want to hear it. Then he tells Salma to leave. Iman thinks she is free too, so she tries to get up and follow her sister. But Uncle Aliyu stops her with a very sharp voice. One interesting moment in the book is when he looks at her and says — "Did I tell you that you could leave?" (translated from the Hausa: "Ke na sallame kine?"). Poor Iman has to sit back down while her sister runs out of the room. It is so scary because you don't know what he is going to do next.
He then gives her a task. He tells her to go and clean his bathroom and his bedroom. The thing is, the room is already perfectly clean! There isn't a single speck of dust anywhere. He is just doing it to punish her or to keep her near him. Iman goes into the room and starts "cleaning," but inside her heart, she is crying. She is wondering why he picks on her so much. Is it because she is the prettiest? Is it because she is the one who is most afraid of him? She looks around the white, clean room and feels so trapped. Aishatu Halliru Bissalam really captures that feeling of being a young girl under the thumb of a very strict male relative. It makes you want to jump into the book and help her out.
As the story goes on, you start to see more of this weird relationship. Uncle Aliyu is very observant. Even when he is acting like he isn't looking, he is actually watching Iman. He has these "sexy eyes" that he uses to stare at her for seconds before looking away. It makes you wonder if there is more to his strictness. Is he just a mean uncle, or is there some other feeling buried deep down? The way he treats her is so different from how he treats Salma. He is hard on both of them, but with Iman, it feels personal. This is the kind of suspense that keeps you turning the pages. You should check out Taskar Novels if you want to read the rest of this story and see what happens between them.
The girls try to stay out of his way as much as possible. They talk quietly in their room about how "wicked" he is and how they can't wait for him to leave again. But at the same time, they have to serve him. They have to make sure his food is ready and his things are in order. It's a very stressful way to live. One part of the book says — "She looked at the room and it was already shining, but she didn't dare say a word." (translated from the Hausa text). It just shows how much she respects and fears his authority. She knows that even if he is wrong, she can't talk back to him because he is the "boss" of the house.
This novel is really good because it feels so real. Many people have that one relative who everyone is afraid of. The one who enters the house and everyone stops laughing. The author does a great job of showing the military lifestyle and how it affects Aliyu's personality. He isn't just a regular guy; he is a soldier who expects everyone to follow orders. But seeing him interact with these young, soft-hearted girls creates a lot of drama. Will he ever soften up? Will Iman ever find the courage to stand up to him? Or will she just keep "frog jumping" every time he gets annoyed? There is so much more to discover in this book.
If you love stories about family, strict uncles, and beautiful girls trying to survive in a tough household, you really need to read "MY UNCLE". It is one of those books that you can't put down once you start. The language is simple but the feelings are very strong. You can find this book and many other amazing stories on Taskar Novels. It is the best place to find all your favorite books and keep up with the latest releases. Go there now to see more like this!
