Amarachi, Chisom and Ada were the only daughters of Mr and Mrs Obi. They lived in a village of Eziukwu. Mr Obi was a palm wine taper, while his wife was a trader. They had a happy family and they were able to afford at least their daily bread. Chisom, Amarachi and Ada were very happy, intelligent and obedient children.
One day Mr Obi fell from a palm wine tree, while taping palm wine and he was rushed to the hospital. Medicines were given to him but he couldn't bear the pains for long. He died after one week of the incident. His sudden death made Mrs Obi to develop chest pain and sleepless night, for she couldn't bear the death of her husband and in this condition she died after a month her husband died.
Amarachi, Chisom and Ada were left alone in the hands of their paternal uncles.
The death of their parents made them to become hardworking at their tender and younger age. Brilliancy is an attribute conferred to them which made their teachers to love them. Amarachi won a scholarship and the scholarship saw her through her primary education. She made an excellent result in her common entrance examination and the government of her state gave her a scholarship that will lead her through secondary school. Her uncle, out of greed took the scholarship and gave it to his daughter.
Since Amarachi; who is the eldest, Chisom and Ada had nobody to take care of them, they struggled to live with the advise and help of their grand mother. Due to their hardworking, they were able to carter for their needs and that of their grandmother. They decided to make a meaning out of their lives and to be somebody in live.
One day in their late father's room, they sat on his bed thinking of what to do with their lives. They began to say these word to themselves. "Oh God, what is the meaning of life without our parents around us?"
Amarachi started crying and saying "i have gone through my primary school with the help of the scholarship that i got. I won another scholarship into secondary school and my wicked uncle. Robert took it away from me and gave it to his daughter because we answer the same name and surname. Who will bear my cries? And who will avenge for me? God, what will i do? We are a poor children left alone in an old house that will soon collapse!"
They wept bitterly and had no one to console them and after sometime they thought of what to do and came to a conclusion that leaving the village for the city will be better for them. They had the confidence in themselves that they will make it.
They rose up and went to their grandmother's house to tell her of their plans. Their grandmother, full of surprises ask them if all was well. They said "yes all is well;" their grandmother inquired of their day's work and they told her that it was perfectly OK.
Amarachi gave her grandmother two hundred naira and her grandmother asked her "what do you want me to do with it?" She said to her "hold it ma i want to leave this village with my sisters to the city to search for a greener pasture so that we will not die of hunger. Their grandmother, still full of surprises ask them what city do you had in mind?" Amarachi replied "to Lagos city".
"I have been hearing about it, so we want to go there or do you know of a better place so that we will change our mind?" Their grandmother said to them: "how can you people go to Lagos, a city you don't even know about? you don't know the road and you don't know anybody there. Their grandmother shakes her head and began to cry.
They try to console her by telling her to stop crying as if they have gone to Lagos already.
Amarachi told their grandmother that they are not going with anybody but God alone will surely protect and take care of them. Their grandmother said to them "you have seen that life in the village is very hard and know it that life in the city is not easy. Think of your clothing, feeding, and accommodation which is the most important thing. You people are still children, and for the fact that you are very hardworking and started struggling earlier in life does not make you people an adult".
They told their grandmother that they have made up their minds. Their grandmother saw that their mind has been made up, so she asked them when they intend leaving, They told her that it will be in three days time. On the third day, their grandmother told them to go and wash their clothes, prepare and come back to her before they leave, they came back that fateful day to their grandmother and she gave them some words of encouragement and blessings.
When they finally saw themselves in Lagos, they thanked God and started struggling for their lives. They met a friend called Kelechi that same day they arrived Lagos, she took them to a place were they could spend the night, because they had no place to stay. On reaching the place, they asked Kelechi if the location was her house, not knowing she sleeps close to a secondary school that is in the area.
They were surprised and asked her what she was doing at the location, Kelechi laughed at them and replied affirmatively. She brought out a small mat, gave it to them and told them to manage it for the night. They asked her "since you say that this is your house, where is your cloths, shoes?" They also asked about her parents and why she lives alone.
Kelechi opened up by telling them that her uncle sold her into slavery but she managed to escape, she doesn't know her village but she believes that her parents are still alive. She lives in the city as an orphan all by herself. Amarachi and her siblings in turn told Kelechi about their own story. They had pity on each other and consoled themselves hoping for a positive future ahead.
Fast forward, years later, they had all grown up and also done with their education as they managed to work hard by doing any kind of work that they could to survive and school in the city. One day, they met their friend that they first came in contact with the first time they arrived Lagos, because they hadn't lived with her the whole time they had stayed in Lagos.
They exchanged greetings and discussed about their live experiences while growing up and in the university. Of course, it wasn't so easy for them, as they struggled to come out with good grades from the universities they had all attended and also sustained better jobs.
They were given three weeks leave at their places of works, and so they decided to use the opportunity to pay a visit to their grandmother at the village. They arrived their village in their cars and went straight to their grandmother's house, there they found everywhere unkempt, untidy and bushy.
Inside the old house was their grandmother, she couldn't talk well nor see clearly because she was stricken in age. She noticed the presence of people in her room and asked, "who are you?" They replied, "mama we are your children who left for Lagos some years ago." From the expression on her face, she was so happy to have them back after all the years that she haven't seen them.
They took their grandmother to the hospital for treatment and later that same day, drove to their uncle's house to see him as well. Their uncle welcomed them to his house as guest but couldn't recognize them, until they opened up by telling their uncle that they are his late brother's children.
Uncle Robert, on learning who they were knelt immediately and apologized to them for all the ill-treatment he made them go through at the cost of being their guardian. With tears on their faces, they rose him up and said to him in a unique and chorus voice, "uncle we have forgiven you because to err is human but to forgive is divine." Their uncle thanked them and they lived happily ever after.
One day Mr Obi fell from a palm wine tree, while taping palm wine and he was rushed to the hospital. Medicines were given to him but he couldn't bear the pains for long. He died after one week of the incident. His sudden death made Mrs Obi to develop chest pain and sleepless night, for she couldn't bear the death of her husband and in this condition she died after a month her husband died.
Amarachi, Chisom and Ada were left alone in the hands of their paternal uncles.
The death of their parents made them to become hardworking at their tender and younger age. Brilliancy is an attribute conferred to them which made their teachers to love them. Amarachi won a scholarship and the scholarship saw her through her primary education. She made an excellent result in her common entrance examination and the government of her state gave her a scholarship that will lead her through secondary school. Her uncle, out of greed took the scholarship and gave it to his daughter.
Since Amarachi; who is the eldest, Chisom and Ada had nobody to take care of them, they struggled to live with the advise and help of their grand mother. Due to their hardworking, they were able to carter for their needs and that of their grandmother. They decided to make a meaning out of their lives and to be somebody in live.
One day in their late father's room, they sat on his bed thinking of what to do with their lives. They began to say these word to themselves. "Oh God, what is the meaning of life without our parents around us?"
Amarachi started crying and saying "i have gone through my primary school with the help of the scholarship that i got. I won another scholarship into secondary school and my wicked uncle. Robert took it away from me and gave it to his daughter because we answer the same name and surname. Who will bear my cries? And who will avenge for me? God, what will i do? We are a poor children left alone in an old house that will soon collapse!"
They wept bitterly and had no one to console them and after sometime they thought of what to do and came to a conclusion that leaving the village for the city will be better for them. They had the confidence in themselves that they will make it.
They rose up and went to their grandmother's house to tell her of their plans. Their grandmother, full of surprises ask them if all was well. They said "yes all is well;" their grandmother inquired of their day's work and they told her that it was perfectly OK.
Amarachi gave her grandmother two hundred naira and her grandmother asked her "what do you want me to do with it?" She said to her "hold it ma i want to leave this village with my sisters to the city to search for a greener pasture so that we will not die of hunger. Their grandmother, still full of surprises ask them what city do you had in mind?" Amarachi replied "to Lagos city".
"I have been hearing about it, so we want to go there or do you know of a better place so that we will change our mind?" Their grandmother said to them: "how can you people go to Lagos, a city you don't even know about? you don't know the road and you don't know anybody there. Their grandmother shakes her head and began to cry.
They try to console her by telling her to stop crying as if they have gone to Lagos already.
We are still here with you, you know that things are getting hard and worse for us each day. We need to go to the city for a change. It is true that no body knows us over there but we have hopes that things will be better for us there.Their grandmother wiped her tears and said to them, 'ok my daughters, but who will take care of you there and who will show you the way?'
Amarachi told their grandmother that they are not going with anybody but God alone will surely protect and take care of them. Their grandmother said to them "you have seen that life in the village is very hard and know it that life in the city is not easy. Think of your clothing, feeding, and accommodation which is the most important thing. You people are still children, and for the fact that you are very hardworking and started struggling earlier in life does not make you people an adult".
They told their grandmother that they have made up their minds. Their grandmother saw that their mind has been made up, so she asked them when they intend leaving, They told her that it will be in three days time. On the third day, their grandmother told them to go and wash their clothes, prepare and come back to her before they leave, they came back that fateful day to their grandmother and she gave them some words of encouragement and blessings.
My children continue to be a hardworking, good and brilliant children. God must surely see you people through and the spirit of your late parents will also be with you, go well for it shall be well with all of you my children. God will give you people the desires of your hearts and you all shall be great. Said the grandmother.She began to cry and they told her to stop crying that nothing will happen to them, their grandmother wished and bid them a safe journey and they thanked her for how she has been taking care of them and the love she has shown them since their parents died.Their grandmother shaded tears as she saw the poor children making their way out of the village.
When they finally saw themselves in Lagos, they thanked God and started struggling for their lives. They met a friend called Kelechi that same day they arrived Lagos, she took them to a place were they could spend the night, because they had no place to stay. On reaching the place, they asked Kelechi if the location was her house, not knowing she sleeps close to a secondary school that is in the area.
They were surprised and asked her what she was doing at the location, Kelechi laughed at them and replied affirmatively. She brought out a small mat, gave it to them and told them to manage it for the night. They asked her "since you say that this is your house, where is your cloths, shoes?" They also asked about her parents and why she lives alone.
Kelechi opened up by telling them that her uncle sold her into slavery but she managed to escape, she doesn't know her village but she believes that her parents are still alive. She lives in the city as an orphan all by herself. Amarachi and her siblings in turn told Kelechi about their own story. They had pity on each other and consoled themselves hoping for a positive future ahead.
Fast forward, years later, they had all grown up and also done with their education as they managed to work hard by doing any kind of work that they could to survive and school in the city. One day, they met their friend that they first came in contact with the first time they arrived Lagos, because they hadn't lived with her the whole time they had stayed in Lagos.
They exchanged greetings and discussed about their live experiences while growing up and in the university. Of course, it wasn't so easy for them, as they struggled to come out with good grades from the universities they had all attended and also sustained better jobs.
They were given three weeks leave at their places of works, and so they decided to use the opportunity to pay a visit to their grandmother at the village. They arrived their village in their cars and went straight to their grandmother's house, there they found everywhere unkempt, untidy and bushy.
Inside the old house was their grandmother, she couldn't talk well nor see clearly because she was stricken in age. She noticed the presence of people in her room and asked, "who are you?" They replied, "mama we are your children who left for Lagos some years ago." From the expression on her face, she was so happy to have them back after all the years that she haven't seen them.
They took their grandmother to the hospital for treatment and later that same day, drove to their uncle's house to see him as well. Their uncle welcomed them to his house as guest but couldn't recognize them, until they opened up by telling their uncle that they are his late brother's children.
Uncle Robert, on learning who they were knelt immediately and apologized to them for all the ill-treatment he made them go through at the cost of being their guardian. With tears on their faces, they rose him up and said to him in a unique and chorus voice, "uncle we have forgiven you because to err is human but to forgive is divine." Their uncle thanked them and they lived happily ever after.
The End.
Written By Iwuchukwu BetterMaria
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