Life can be so unpredictable sometimes. One minute you are laughing with your family, and the next minute you are lying on a hospital bed with needles in your arm. That is exactly how Volume 2 of this story starts. Poor Umaimah is dealing with a very high fever, and the doctor has to give her injections to bring it down. You can really feel for her because nobody likes being in the hospital, especially when you feel like your body is giving up on you. Sa'ad is right there by her side, trying his best to comfort her and give her some good advice. Umaimah is just lying there, thinking about how different he is from her other uncle. One part of the book says — "This is what Uncle Aliyu doesn't know how to do—pampering." (translated from Hausa). It shows you that even when she is sick, she is still comparing the people in her life and noticing who actually cares for her the way she needs.
Even though she is weak, Umaimah’s spicy personality does not stay hidden for long. As soon as she starts feeling a little better, she starts teasing Sa'ad. She wants to see a picture of a girl named Farida. When Sa'ad finally finds the picture on Facebook and shows her, Umaimah doesn't hold back at all. She looks at the photo and asks, "Is this how she is with that big, wide mouth?" (translated from Hausa). It is so funny because it shows she is getting her strength back. You know how it is when your friend is sick and they finally start making jokes again? That is when you know they are going to be okay. But while she is joking around, there is still some serious stuff going on with her health. Umma is worried because Umaimah hasn't had her monthly period yet, so they have to go see a specialist. If you enjoy stories about family secrets and health struggles, you should check out HALIN GIRMA because it has that same kind of deep family vibe.
While Umaimah is recovering and dealing with her own issues, things are looking very bad for Tahir. He is in the hospital in Kano, and the doctors are really struggling to figure out what is wrong with him. His mother, Ummi, is completely heartbroken. She is just praying and calling on God because she doesn't know what else to do. It turns out that Tahir’s heart is almost failing because of too much stress and emotional pain. It is so sad to see a strong person get broken down like that just because of life's problems. They eventually decide that the only way to save him is to fly him to Saudi Arabia for better treatment. You can find more emotional stories like this when you download Hausa novels from the best sources online. The way Surayya HMS writes about Tahir's pain makes you feel like you are standing right there in the hospital room with them, feeling the cold air and the heavy silence.
Fast forward about two months, and the whole mood of the story changes because it is now the holy month of Ramadan. You know how lively a house gets during fasting time, right? There is the struggle to wake up for Sahur and the rush to cook for Iftar. Umma and Umaimah are always having little back-and-forth arguments about waking up early. Umaimah is the type of girl who loves her sleep. She keeps begging Umma to let her sleep and says she will fast better on the weekends when there is no school. Umma gets so frustrated that she threatens to call the head of the house to come and handle her. This part of the book is so relatable because many of us have that one person in the house who is impossible to wake up for Sahur. For more stories about the daily lives of young Hausa girls, you might like AMRATU which is another great read.
Even though Umaimah seems like she is just a playful girl, she is actually very smart. At school, her principal calls her and two of her friends, Sadiq and Aminu, into the office. They are all scared thinking they did something wrong. You know that mini heart attack you get when the principal calls your name? But it turns out to be great news. They are so bright that the school wants them to take their final exams early, even though they are still in a lower class. This is a huge deal! When Umaimah reads the letter, she is so happy she starts jumping for joy. It is a big moment for her because it means she is one step closer to going to the university. You can see her growth from a little girl into a young woman who is ready to take on the world. This journey of growing up is also a big theme in best Hausa novels that people are reading these days.
Besides school, Umaimah is also learning how to sew clothes. She spends her weekends at a place called Dijah Collection. She gets so good at it that she even starts helping to manage the shop. For the upcoming Sallah celebration, she decides to sew clothes for everyone in the house. She even sews a long dress for Baba Rabi, their house help. When Umma sees the clothes, she is surprised at how professional they look. It is nice to see her using her hands to create something beautiful. If you love stories that talk about marriage and building a home, you should read ZAMAN AURE to see how these skills come in handy later in life. Everything seems to be going well for the family as they prepare for the big holiday. They are buying chickens, cleaning the house, and getting their hair braided.
The night before Sallah, something big happens that changes everything for Umaimah. She is restless in the middle of the night and starts feeling a sharp pain in her stomach. She doesn't know what is happening, so she goes to her parents' room. She ends up falling asleep on their bed, but when she wakes up in the morning and goes to the bathroom, she sees blood for the first time. She is so scared that she screams! Umma comes running in, and when she sees what happened, she starts crying too. But she isn't crying because she is sad, she is crying because her little girl is finally becoming a woman. One part of the book says — "That's it, adulthood has come to you but you still have no sense." (translated from Hausa). Umma says this while she is emotional, realizing that Umaimah is not a baby anymore. For more stories about orphans or children growing up in different homes, AGOLA is a very touching book you should look into.
After this big milestone, Umaimah starts focusing even more on her future. She finishes her final school exams and the results are amazing. She even gets a scholarship because she did so well. She also starts attending a catering school because she wants to learn how to cook professional meals. You can see that she is keeping herself busy and trying to be the best version of herself. Her brothers and uncles are all very proud of her, even though they tease her about wasting gas when she is practicing her cooking at home. The house is full of life and laughter, which is a big contrast to how the book started with everyone crying in the hospital. If you like stories with double-sided characters or secrets, you should check out BAKI BIYU 1 on the site.
There is so much more to this story as Umaimah navigates her way through school and her new life as a young woman. You start to wonder what will happen when Tahir comes back from Saudi Arabia. Will they finally be together? Or will more problems get in their way? The drama in Volume 2 is just the beginning of a much bigger journey. You can find many more stories that will keep you up all night on Hausa novels online. Another one I really recommend if you like this style is NARJEESAH, it has that same kind of gripping feeling that makes you want to read just one more chapter before you sleep.
Surayya HMS did a great job with this one. The way she moves from the sad hospital scenes to the happy Ramadan moments is just perfect. You really get to know the characters and you start to care about what happens to them. If you want to read the full story of UMAYMAH VOLUME 2 and see how it all ends, you should definitely head over to Taskar Novels. They have a huge collection of all the latest books, and it is the best place to find everything you are looking for. Trust me, once you start reading, you won't want to stop!
