Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Tasi Bello wasted no time and went straightaway to Magama quartets in search of the girl-hawker.
He didn't know where he begin. believing the Hausa adage that says, The questioner never gets lost, the Hausa boy decided not to look for any of his former classmates residing in the locality. After all, another Hausa popular belief has it the men are the more jealous of other men showing interest in their girl-friends or wives than women boyfriends and husbands.
He felt that he would make a stronger impressing to tell his friends that he had found a girlfriend than ask them to him to locate her.

He went in the late afternoon, thinking that he Willis find it much easier to locate the house if he went back afterwards at night for the traditional tryst, which often takes place at nightfall, rather than waste time going about in the dark asking people around.
Tasi found the task (he saw it as that) very difficult, even though, as it  is their wont, men of all ages had come outdoors and sat in groups according to age talking, cracking jokes and sampling any of the numerous snacks men, boy and girl hawkers brought along on their way past. He asked the men who he thought would know about the girl's father more than boys and girls.
some of these might not even be domiciled in the neighbor-hood.
Assalamu alaikum, he greeted a group men sitting on benches in front or a house. peace be upon you.
wa alaikumus Salam, said one of the men. The same to you.
please, I am looking for the house of Bala Fari.
Bala Fari? the man asked no one in particular.
There is no one with that name in this quarter, is there jama'a (people)? He turned to his companions. They all answered in negative.
Tasi went on and even asked locals dabbling in trade as grain-sellers, fruiterers, vulcanizers, butchers and youth selling small packets of the so-called pure water, but to no avail. Girls Hawking snacks wouldn't be of any help either because Tasi didn't know the name of the girl he was looking for.
Finally, a barber shaving a boy his head paused from his labours and said, I know Balliya, but not the man you mentioned.

His daughter sells kola nuts, Tasi said.
Whose daughter doesn't sell something in this quarter? I think it is Balliya you are looking for. He pointed at a house at the end. you see that house with a seating Dakali mound?
The one painted light yellow with a boy sitting on the mound. That one indeed. Go there and ask.
Tasi thanked the confident pursuer ( confident in his show of knowledge, rather than in his aviation)
of a dying trade. with the emergence of the electric clipper, Tasi couldn't remember the last time her he saw a local barber seated with folded legs shaving somebody's head. Since youth affected the so-called °skin-head° synthetic style, but Tasi found it more preferable to have his hair on, rather than have it shaved with trendy, more efficient clipper.
He crossed the road and approached the house. The boy was still seated on the dakali.Attired in an anklelength. Saudi- Arabian style gown, he showed no resemblance with the girl- hawker.
Is this Bala Fari's- oh, I mean Balliya's house?
Yes, it is, the boy answered, looking closely at the newcomer. But he is not at home.
I am not looking for him.
who are you then looking for?
A girl who sells kola nuts.
Barmani?
Is that her name?
Tasi was stuck by the strangeness of the name. He had never met any girl going by that name. Her mother must have lost many babies at childbirth and decided to call the one that survived, Let-her-be.

Yes, the boy was saying, but she hasn't returned from selling kola nuts. Who should I say came here looking for her?

Suddenly Tasi realized with the shock of a heavy punch he didn't see coming that he had not told the girl his name. Hiding a snigger from the boy, he considered himself absolutely beginner in the game of love. He had taken the girl on her word, only to be proven wrong. Should he forget her and go his own way? or should be persevere like the breve man he wanted to show the girl the he was?

on her own part the girl, compared to Tasi Bello, was only faintly interested in her meeting with what was likely to be another boyfriend. She had had several all of who she considered boastful braggarts.
They tackled life in a hurry and feel by the roadside in the game of the love because in general they proverbially burnt before they even came to the boil.