Zainabu

Zainabu is originally from the village of Dakace, located on the way to Zaria. She is a young woman around 21 years old. Her father passed away when she was just two years old. After completing her mourning period, Zainabu’s mother remarried in a nearby village. However, Zainabu’s uncle insisted that Zainabu should not be taken away, saying their family would not practice agolanci (a form of fostering or guardianship). With no other choice, her mother left Zainabu with prayers for her well-being.

Zainabu's upbringing was full of challenges due to the lack of both parental figures. She completed her Quranic studies and attended LEA Dakace for primary school. Afterward, she continued her education at GSS Dakace. Zainabu was ambitious but known for her troublesome nature. She never went to school without engaging in some form of mischief. If her schoolmates confiscated her goods, she would fight them after school.

Most of Zainabu's peers were married, but Zainabu, acting as if possessed by spirits, would drive away any potential suitors. The last boy who approached her was their teacher, who was secretly a rogue. One day, during their meeting in a nearby field, he asked Zainabu for a kiss, claiming it was a gesture of love. She told him to wait, then returned with a large stick and beat him severely. When questioned, she publicly explained their altercation to everyone present.

After this incident, Zainabu found it difficult to attend school because the teacher made her uncomfortable. Despite being in her first term of SS3, she had to abandon her education and start selling fried potatoes and soy cheese.

One day, Ayuba, the son of the local chief, took fried soy cheese worth ₦300 and ran off without paying. Zainabu cleaned herself up and went to report him to his father, warning that wherever she encountered Ayuba, she would make him bleed. She left him in the hospital, and his medical bills were significantly higher than the cost of the soy cheese.

Consequently, Ayuba’s father was frustrated and scared of her. He warned her, "If you kill him, you'll spend your life in prison. We, the elders of this town, have decided you’ll stay unmarried unless you change your ways."

Amidst this turmoil, Yaya Habu, Zainabu's cousin, returned to town. Habu worked as a driver for a woman in Kaduna, and in his spare time, he operated a commercial tricycle (keke napep). He was close to Zainabu and decided to take her to Kaduna, where she could resume her education and eventually marry, hoping this would curb her troublesome behavior.

This marks the beginning of Zainabu's life with Habu. However, she soon began to exhibit her unruly behavior. She started dressing like a man, wearing trousers and a cap, and worked at the bus station, competing with men for passengers. Despite her rough appearance, passengers preferred her tricycle because she didn't allow dirty or baby-carrying passengers on board. She charged high fares, and if challenged, she would make the passengers disembark. In the end, she managed to collect her fees and continued her life in the city.

This is the story of how Zainabu came to live with Habu and her subsequent adventures.