In the kingdom of Biram, there was once Malicious queen named Yelwa, she knows nothing apart from war and conquer, with her powerful armies she captured great Hausa cities and coerced them to bow before her, some rumors depicts she murdered her blood brother and claimed his throne as he got no heir of his own, while some believed he died a natural dead.
” My queen,” The warlord exclaimed, ” I heard terrible news from my loyal servants.”
” What.” The queen stood in fear. ” Tell me what did you hear?” She requested.
” Tanim.” He whispered. ” She’s alive.”
” No.” The queen shouted in anxiety. She unsheathed her sword and placed it on his neck. ” If you lie to me I will slit your throat for you.”
” My queen.” The warlord knelt down. ” I never spoken unconfirmed result. I swear I saw her with my own eyes.”
” Rise.” She whispered touching his face. ” I trust your loyalty, and I will still trust it again, but not till you retrieve her to me before the sun set.”
” Yes my queen.” He curtsy before taking his leave. Far away from the Kingdom of Biram, lies a hut solely at the middle of hills, a young widow name Tanim has been residing there for a very long time, her late husband left nothing of living for her, she was very poor and this made her not able to have satisfied her beloved son.
” Umma Umma Umma, I saw horses riding toward us.” Said the little boy Fuad.
” Oh no.” The woman screamed. ” I know they will come after us, I know they will come.” She rushed to the hut and carried little of their things in bag made of tiger skin. She grabbed Fuad and ran toward the hills, at this time the horses had already surrounded the hut, the warlord command one of the army to check in.
” Sir, there is nobody here.” Said the army.
” She will not be far from here, I think I saw her son around this place, now let’s move.” The warlord exclaimed. Tanim and her son continue running in dry wood, although they have ran far away but still they can hear the neigh of horses, the warlord and his crowd kept riding toward the northern way not knowing that the people they were looking for had hid themselves in dry grasses. After the bygone of the warlord and his crowd, Tanim and her son came out of the grasses and started running toward the eastern horizon.
” Umma, Umma, why are they coming after us?” Fuad asked. Tanim keep shut with no word, it seemed she knows the answer to the question only that she is not willing to answer it now.
” Oh no, my leg.” Fuad screamed as seeing his leg mistakenly fall on trap.
” Don’t move.” Tanim warned him. She came to the trap watching it carefully to see what she can do, unexpectedly she heard hollo behind her, before she can make any move she was surrounded already.
” What a fortune, today we a caught a big one, and here you are.” Said the leader of the crowd.
” What do you want from me?” Tanim asked distraughtly.
” You have no worry dear, what I want is simple.” He respond.
” And what is it?” Tanim asked.
” You ever heard the word slavery?” He asked.
” Don’t tell me you are turning us into slavery!” Tanim whispered. The neigh of horses was what paused the conversation, the slave lord and his crowd turned back to see whose coming.
” The slave lord!” The warlord exclaim.
” My old friend, I am glad to meet the warlord.” Said he the slave lord.
” The woman you caught belonged to us, my queen need her.” Said the warlord.
” I am sorry old friend, but you know I like beautiful women, and this one is not for sell.” The slave lord respond.
” I can give you fifty coins for her.” The warlord offered a deal.
” I said she was not for sell, and if you try to have her I will kill fifty of your men.” The slave lord made his final judgement.
” Okay, let’s see.” The warlord whispered in agony. There was a terrible battle between the two crowd and this gave chance for Tanim and her son to made their escape. They only took little distance from the battle field then suddenly the slave lord and three of his survivors caught them. Tanim and her son were tightened with chain and taking to a new city called Rano. There they found themselves at slave lord domicile together with other people he coerced to become slaves.
” You are all welcome to the house of Bako, the slave lord,” Said the fat woman looking at the slaves one after the other. ” I am Lubabah, your mistress, nobody will beat you here and nobody will punish you as far as you did what you were asked to.” She glanced at Tanim and Fuad before she proceed. ” You will be giving shelter, food and clothing and all what you need.” She paused for a while looking at them, ” but there was one rule you need to know.”
” Lubka.” She called. ” Lubka.” She called again loudly, a giant man came to her running holding his two daggers. ” Tell us what you will do to a man that try to escape!” Lubabah requested.
” I will slice his meats, grind his bones, and slit his throat violently.” Lubka said in husky voice.
” Don’t forget that Lubka was not the only warrior here.” Lubabah screamed. ” There were bunch of warriors that will do the same if you try to escape.” She clapped her hands twice, in the third one the warriors started coming into the field holding terrible weapons, they stood at the back of Lubka looking at the slaves with no mercy. ” Tell us what you will do to a man that try to escape!” Lubabah requested.
” We will slice his meats, grind his bones, and slit his throat violently.” The warriors chorus.
” This was the final judgement to anybody that try to escape, it didn’t matter what you were. male, female, boy or girl.” She kept quiet looking at them one after the other. ” You will have your next order tomorrow.” Lubabah concluded taking her leave. The slaves move back to their dormitory. Tanim and her son Fuad continue to live in Bako’s domicile until when she experience the presence of spy around them.
” Look at me, I said look at me.” Tanim shouting to her son. ” You see that man.” She poked one man far away from them.” I don’t want you to go near him again!”
” Why?” Fuad asked.
” I didn’t trust him, he could be a spy sent from the queen!”
” You have to tell me why the queen is trying to find us!” Fuad requested.
” She is not only trying to find us!” Tanim respond.
” Okay tell me what she meant for us!” Fuad requested. Tanim kept shut with no word. Then lastly she said.
” Don’t forget what I told you.” She moved to dormitory leaving Fuad in wonder. Two days later Tanim had a new friend name Ladia, and there they started to have nice conversation.
” I don’t want to remain slave for ever!” Said Tanim.
” Me too!” Ladia respond.
” Assume I can have a chance I will make sure I make my escape!” Said Tanim.
” And I will make sure I follow you.” Said Ladia. This conversation led to escape plan, and they decided to lunch it in this very night. At the mid of night, the three figures successfully made it out of Bako’s domicile, on their way out of the city, the guards apprehended them, in the forenoon, the guards present them to the king.
” Your highness, we were suspicious of these young people we apprehended, we found them trying to leave the city in the night, maybe they could be a spies.” Said one guard. The faces of the young ladies beautify the king’s heart, so he decided to keep them with him. A week later the king received a messenger from queen Yelwa asking him to give her Tanim and her son or she will wage war against him. This message fully confirmed Tanim’s thought that the man she saw at Bako’s domicile must be a spy. The king defied queen Yelwa’s order and this rose a terrible battle that led the destruction of Rano Kingdom. Only few people were able to escaped. Tanim and her son together with Ladia made it alive. They moved to a new city called Gobir. They were chosen in the palace to work and there they continue the live in serenity.
” You ever married?” Tanim asked.
” Yea I have a daughter!” Ladia respond.
” Where is she?” Tanim asked.
” I once heard of her from a friend of mine that she was sold at Guzamala Kingdom,” Ladia whispered.
” And what caused your separation?” Tanim asked.
” After our kingdom was destroyed, we were captured as slaves and sold to different people, and this was the reason I lost my husband and my daughter.”
” I am sorry!” Tanim whispered in sympathy. ” You know the name they called the king that conquered your land?” Tanim requested.
” She was a lady, they called her Yelwa, the queen of the Biram.” Ladia respond.
One week later, the king of Gobir received a messenger from queen Yelwa, asking him to give her Tanim and her son Fuad. The king summoned Tanim and her son to present themselves before him.
” Tell me what did you do to queen Yelwa, why is she looking for you?” The king asked.
” Your highness, I am Tanim, the wife of….”
” She is lying!” The messenger shouted. ” She tried to assassinate the queen but unfortunately she didn’t succeed.”
” No, this is not true….” Tanim screamed
” Keep quiet,” The king shouted, ” What a wonder!” Said the king looking at the messenger. ” But how would I believe you?”
” I cannot lie to you your highness, I can take you to the queen, I am certain she can explain this herself.” The messenger respond. The messenger won the king’s heart by sugar words, and so the king completely agreed that Tanim was guilty, guards was ordered to apprehend her and take her back to Kingdom of Biram and the messenger was to show them the way. On their way to the kingdom of Biram, they were attack by Maguzawa people. Tanim and her son Fuad used this opportunity and made their escape.
” You have fail me again.” Queen Yelwa shouted looking at the messenger and the warlord. ” Who should I kill among you, I said who should I kill.” She screamed in agony.
” Your highness.” The warlord called. ” I had a plan, but we will not lunch it till your daughter became a woman.”
” Are you out of your common senses?” The queen screamed.
” Your highness listen to him,” The messenger advice. ” I sensed a point of acceptance in his speech.” He continued.
” Tell me what you have for me.” The queen whispered. The messenger and the warlord looked at themselves, then later on the warlord stated his plan. Tanim and her son Fuad kept moving from one kingdom to another trying to escape the attack of queen Yelwa, years after years but they have no peace till they lastly made it to Zazzau kingdom, at this time Fuad had became a man and was in love with a girl named Madaya.
” You will not marry her!” Tanim shouted.
” Madaya was a good girl and…..”
” She’s your enemy!” Said Tanim looking at Fuad. ” She was a spy sent by her mother queen Yelwa. Fuad kept shut with no word, later on he took his leave.
” Tell me how many names do you have?” Fuad asked.
” Madaya, that’s it my love.”
” Spy! What if I say you were a spy!” Madaya looked at him in fear, does it mean he knows who she was! She thought, Tanim broke into the room looking at her.
” I know when you were a kid, I can still recall your face, and I don’t think I will ever forget it.” Tanim whispered.
” I am sorry.” Madaya said in regret.
” Was it true you a spy?” Fuad asked
” Yes I am a spy sent by my mother, but not anymore, I am now in love and ready to accept what ever judgement you sentence upon me.” Madaya whispered.
” How was you mother able to detected us where ever we goes?” Tanim asked.
” By thaumaturge and guess.” Madaya respond.
” Okay tell us about yourself!” Fuad requested.
” Since while I was child I hated my mother because she was malicious.” Madaya started. ” And after I grew I found that she was completely insane.” She continued. ” She once sentenced five Islam followers to death, I don’t know their crime but I am certain my mother must be guilty. To my surprise any arrow that was shot toward them will turn to ashes before it approached where they were tightened, and any army that try killing them will definitely fall dead. My mother, the queen. Has no choice than to let them go and so she did. I knew there must be something about Islam, something that sounds right, from that day I continue to look for real believer, an Islamic member, that will teach me more about it, but I never find one, later on my mother gave me a mission.
” You are going to the kingdom of Zazzau, the first two people you will meet in the palace, you are going to kill them for me. And don’t forget this is an order.” This is what she told me, I did as she said and I found that the first two people I met was you and your mother. I fall in love with you Fuad at that very time I looked at you, I cannot kill you nor your mother, I am now willing to stay with you and embrace your religion Islam.” Madaya concluded.
” Come here my child.” Said Tanim. Madaya added some steps near her. Tanim embraced her pleasantly. ” You are welcome to the new world.” Said Tanim. Afterward the king of Zazzau Harun proposed to Tanim to become his third wife, she accepted the offer pleasantly and the marriage ceremony was held the next day. One month later, queen Yelwa led a troop of armies, they surrounded the Zazzau kingdom and asked king Harun to either give Tanim and her son or the Zazzau kingdom will be destroyed.
” What did you do her, why is she looking for you and your son?” King Harun screamed.
” Your highness.” Tanim started talking. ” I have told many people this story but no one ever believed me.”
” Just tell me why she is looking for you?” The king requested.
” Many years back,” Tanim started narrating her story. ” Before king Tunau the true king of Biram had a child, Yelwa was his junior sister, he gave her everything a brother can sacrifice to his sister, but the poor Yelwa hated him, she need his throne, she thought he didn’t deserved to become a king, and so she started to show jealousy to him, a jealousy I fully perceived but I never told him about it. She decided to assassinate him in one boring night, I only heard his terrible screaming, I broke in his room seeing him lying dead. And the killer Yelwa did not make any attempt to escape. The expression of her face reveal regret not knowing that she was pretending. She begged me to have mercy on her, she begged me not to raise an alarm, and she begged me not to ever reveal this to anyone. Although she was guilty but I covered her up not knowing that she set me up. In the forenoon, the poor Yelwa used sugar words and won the heart of the palace members. She told them I killed the king because I need his throne, I told them what happened but none listened to me. Guards were asked to kill me, I fights my way out of the city and went far way from the kingdom of Biram, there I built my hut and later on I gave birth to a baby boy name Fuad. I continue to live in that hut till when the warlord and some of his loyal servant detected my whereabout. I had no choice than to flee and so I did, queen Yelwa continue to track me wherever I goes, her ambition was to kill me and my son.” Tanim concluded. ” This is all I knew.” She whispered looking at king Harun. ” Now you can decide to judge, me and her who was right and who was guilty.”
” I am with you.” Said the king.
” And aye.” Said the king’s first wife.
” And aye.” Said the king’s second wife.
” And aye.” Said Madaya.
” And aye.” Fuad said with smile.
” And aye.” The members of the palace chorus. King Harun prepared his armies, they marched toward the palace and ran through the city gate. There they saw queen Yelwa waiting for them. Madaya stepped forward looking at her mother.
” You are trying to start a war you cannot end!” Said Madaya.
” You betrayed me.” Queen Yelwa whispered. ” I am going to kill you for that.” She screamed. Queen Yelwa ran to Madaya in agony, the armies of both side ran together and that led a terrible battle, Madaya didn’t attack her mother, the queen. She found a means of escape immediately after the battle started leaving the queen in wonder. Queen Yelwa used her war tactics to make sure she won but all of nothing. King Harun’s armies were gigantic enough to resist what ever disaster she brought. She wondered what kind of war was this, king Harun’s armies were not killing her armies, all they can was to terrible wound them. Within half of her men were wounded. This gave her no choice than to call for back up. Yet not a single man from Harun’s men got a bruise. She looked to and fro but her warlord was not in the battle field. After the back up was called, the queen’s armies moved back in fear. She led them toward the hills and there they set a camp. She sank in sadness thinking about a way to win this battle. Her daughter has betrayed her and her warlord was trying to turn against her. She made a final a suggestion that she will attack again in the night. After the middle of night had approached, queen yelwa led her armies again and there they paid an unexpected visit. Surprisingly the Harun’s armies were still awaken. All of them on top of the city wall holding bow and arrows. The queen and her armies were welcome with thousands arrows, thousands arrows that defeated them all at the same time. The queen alerted the second back up. Together with her armies they moved to their camp in depression. What a war was this, she thought, a great queen as she was yet cannot defeat a tiny kingdom of ants. She has defeated great many Hausa kingdom, she has conquered great many land but here she fail. What confused her most was that her enchantment can no longer work.
” My queen!” She heard a husky voice behind her. She turned backward and there she saw the warlord.
” Why are you not in the battle field?” She asked.
” Because there was no victory in this war!’ The warlord respond.
” How did you know?” She asked again.
” You have defeated great many kingdoms, your armies are much greater than Harun’s armies, you are the greatest sorcerer ever see with applicable fighting skills and enchantments, but yet you fail to defeat Zazzau kingdom, the question here is why?” The warlord paused looking at her. ” The Zazzau kingdom was protected by True GOD. Believe in him and your sins will be forgiving.”
” What are you trying to tell me?” The queen asked.
” That you need to embraced the Islamic world.”
” Don’t tell me you have join the mosque’s people!” Said the queen in astonishment.
” Of course I did, I will give you a time so you will think about it, whenever you are ready let me know.” The warlord paused for a while.” Your brother king Tunau also embraced the Islamic world before you killed him!”
” How did you know I killed him?” She asked.
” Because I saw you with my own eyes.” The warlord respond.
” The GOD that protected the Zazzau kingdom, was the same GOD my brother believe in before I killed him, my surprise was how I succeeded in taking the life of my brother without His GOD protecting him, why did this happened. Why His God does not protect him the time I came trying to kill him?” Queen asked.
” Our life was created based on destiny, it was destined for your brother to die in your hand that was why you succeeded in killing him, assumed it was not his destiny to die like that, you will never succeeded and nobody will ever be.” The warlord respond. The warlord took his leave. Queen Yelwa think precisely about the statement of warlord, she recall the time she sentenced five Islam followers to death, any arrow that was shot to them will turn to ashes and any army that try killing them will fall dead.
” You are trying to start a war you cannot end!” She recall what her daughter told her.
” You have defeated great many kingdoms, your armies are much greater than Harun’s armies, you are the greatest sorcerer ever see with applicable fighting skills and enchantments, but yet you fail to defeat Zazzau kingdom, the question here is why?” She recall what the warlord told her.
” Gandu.” Queen Yelwa shouted to one army.
” Your highness.” The army curtsy.
” I need to see the warlord now!” The queen requested.
” Yes my queen.” The army took his leave. Within the warlord came, he sank next to her in respect
” I am here my queen!” Said the warlord.
” Tell me why you didn’t embrace the Islamic world at the range of my brother king Tunau!” The queen requested.
” I didn’t embrace the Islamic world at the range of king Tunau because of my inability to think precisely, most people were like that, they don’t think precisely that is why they find it difficult to differentiate between the true religion and the false one.” The warlord respond.
” Good, I need to know more about the true religion!” She requested. The warlord smile before he proceed to narrated his story. In the forenoon. Queen Yelwa and her armies moved forward to Zazzau kingdom. They stood near the gate and the warlord started talking in husky voice.
” We come in peace, the queen only need to speak to Tanim and her son.” He repeated this statement twice. The gate of Zazzau kingdom was opened. Tanim and her son together with some armies to guards them made themselves out of the city. Queen Yelwa smile looking at the people she hunted for years, next to them stood her daughter and king Harun. The queen looked at them for a while before she decided to descend down her horse. Mistakenly she fall down the horse badly. Madaya ran to her mother shaking her up. The rest of the armies for both side came watching the queen.
” Your queen is dead.” Said king Harun. He told them the story narrated by Tanim. And there they believed that there queen was guilty. Although Madaya hated her mother for been malicious queen, but now she was shedding tears for losing her. That’s life, no matter what your parent did, you will always love them.
” Have no worry, your mother died a Muslim.” Said the warlord to Madaya in sympathy. He walked toward Tanim and her son. ” The queen came to ask for your forgiveness but unfortunately she was not destined to ask for it. Hope you can forgive her now!”
” We forgive her.” Tanim and her son chorus. Some days later, Tanim recognized one woman among their slave, a woman she knows before. She looked at her intently and found that she was her friend Ladia. Tanim asked Ladia about her daughter and the respond was that.
” My daughter manage to won her freedom at Guzamala kingdom, I found her there but unfortunately we were caught again and turned to slave.”
” Your days of slavery has end here.” Said Tanim.
” What do you mean?” Ladia asked.
” I am the wife of the king and I am going to free you now.” Said Tanim. Fuad was crown the king of Biram, Madaya became his wife and there they continue to live happily ever and after.
The End
Written by Abdul King Article
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