In Jalo Village, it was raining heavily, accompanied by hail. Everyone had retreated into their homes and locked their doors, as it was very late at night. In Malam Iro's house, a young girl, around ten years old, sat outside shivering as the rain beat down on her. Everyone else in the house was inside their rooms, including her father, who was in his room, sleeping soundly, undisturbed by her plight.

Despite being accustomed to hardship, she started crying, her sobs heart-wrenching for anyone who could hear. The rain didn't stop until almost dawn, though it continued drizzling afterward. She remained seated until the call to prayer began, at which point her father emerged from his room with a kettle, indicating he was going to perform ablution.

Despite wearing a thick sweater, he shivered from the cold. He glanced briefly in her direction but turned away, heading to the bathroom. She watched him until he finished his ablution and left for the mosque. Her tears flowed again, filled with sorrow. She wondered if she was truly Malam Iro’s daughter, pondering why he didn’t pity her, his only daughter, despite seeing her in the cold.

Even as an adult, her father felt the cold. How much worse must it be for a child not yet ten years old? She remembered she had two months left before she turned ten. Deep in thought, she knew that since she was young, people had always feared her appearance, including her father. Some even called her a witch. Her only friend, Hadiza, died when she turned nine. After Hadiza's death, her mother came to their house and beat her severely, saying words she would never forget.

Lost in her thoughts, she felt a sudden splash of water. She quickly looked up to see who had done it, still feeling the cold from the rain earlier. Seeing it was Inna Uwale, she lowered her head. Inna Uwale shouted, "What are you doing here? Why haven't you gone to fetch water from the river?" Respectfully, she replied, "Inna, it rained heavily, and whenever it rains, I don’t go to the river." Inna Uwale dismissed her explanation, drenching her with more water. "Since you claim you've collected rainwater, you'll never say you haven’t gone to the river. From now on, even if it rains all night, I want you to fetch water from the river."

Trembling, she responded, "I understand." She then picked up her container and headed to the river while Inna Uwale continued to berate her.

As she stepped outside the compound, she saw her father speaking with a neighbor. She overheard them discussing her upcoming tenth birthday. She knew they were talking about her since everyone in the village knew her age. She walked past them, not bothering to greet them as her father had forbidden her from greeting him. He didn't want any association with her. Only the village chief spoke kindly to her, treating her like his own granddaughter.

Deep in thought, she reached the river, performed ablution, and prayed. Just as she was about to fetch water, she fell asleep. She didn't wake up until late afternoon. Quickly, she filled her container and hurried back, but as she was about to leave, she felt something grip her leg. She turned around but saw no one.