Be Careful What You Wish For

Be Careful What You Wish For

by Azeema Davies 

RETOLD by Tehillah Offor

Long, Long ago in a village called Gimbia, there lived a nine-year-old girl who was tall, dark in complexion and quite lazy. Her name was Naria, she lived with her mother in one of the huts.

Her mum, Mrs. Okobi, was plum and of average height, fair in complexion and a loving mother to Naria. One day, Mrs. Okobi called Naria to go outside and sweep the floor. She was grumbling again and she slowly dragged her feet and started mumbling. As she started sweeping, lots of butterflies flew by. Then she stopped a while and admired their colourful wing.

She wished that she could become a butterfly one day.She was upset and wondered why humans had to work hard and butterflies were free creatures. After she was done sweeping, she decided to relax under a mango tree. Suddenly, she was dreaming about herself, being a butterfly. She felt as free as air, sleeping, eating, playing whenever she wanted. She was even crowned the queen of butterflies. She even got any food she wanted like: pizza, ice-cream etc. She always had time for playing.

                   Her mother found her sleeping and started to wake her up but poor Naria was not responding because she was fast asleep like a new-born baby.

Finally, Mrs. Okobi tapped her gently and she woke up. Her mum guessed that she was tired of sweeping which is why she fell asleep. Naria started to tell her mother everything that happened.

                   One very pleasant Saturday

morning, birds were singing melodiously, trees were dancing and the wonderful bright sun was resuming its awesome job of shining ever so bright. Mrs. Okobi sent Naria to go and get some groceries from the market. Naira was grumbling on her way to the market as usual. As she was approaching the very busy, noisy and old-fashioned market, she came to a crowd of people that had gathered at the end of the market square. A town crier, a tall, dark slim man, with a weird hat, holding a microphone, was announcing that the next day would be a precious day because the wind of wishes was going to come to Gimbia village. Then Naria asked the old lady, selling vegetables to tell her more about the wind of wishes. Then she started to explain.

“The wind of wishes was an extremely special wind that blows by our village once every four years. It grants a person’s wish.“

Naria was happy and went home feeling her dream of becoming a butterfly would soon become realized.

   Naira’s dream grew strong as iron and as wide as her imagination could carry her.

 It was the day the wind of wishes was coming to the village. Naria was ready for a big day as she was the first person to get to the village square. She was casually dressed, as ordinarily as she could, to ensure her mother did not suspect something unusual about her as she left the house. She waited for everybody to start arriving and looking fabulous.

When it was her turn to wish, she said to the wind of wishes “I, Naria Okobi, have heard a lot about you and I personally do think you are awesome. Please, grant my wish of being a butterfly”

     Suddenly, everything became extremely glamorous around her. Naria wondered what happened to her. She noticed that she had colourful wings. She saw that she was free as she flew in the sky, singing “I am free, no more work!” Then, she noticed that as butterfly friends were working, they were chanting “We must work! We must work! All day long!!!”

So, Naria went to ask the queen of butterflies if they had to work all day long. The queen replied Yes!” and Naria left the palace disappointed. She went back to work when all the butterflies had gone to bed. Naria wish to be human again but her wish did not come true.

     At Naira’s home, minutes and hours passed and Mrs. Okobi did not see her daughter. So, she took action by reporting to the village police. They searched the whole village, day and night but Naria was nowhere to be found. The market women told Naria’s mum that she had been seen at the coming of the wind of wishes but did not know what she wished for. Everyone looked for Naria in the village square and in all of Gimbia market but no one could find her. Naria also missed her mother. She wept for hours but she still had to work, which made her cry more. There was no trace of Naria for weeks, months and years.

Time passed by and soon it was time for wind of wishes to come by again. Nobody could wish for Naira’s return home because everyone had made a wish the last time, except Mrs. Okobi. Therefore, Mrs Okobi went to the village square and wished for her daughter to return home. She said:

“Dear wind of wishes, my darling daughter Naria has been gone for years and she has not returned. Please bring her back home safely”. Naria suddenly morphed back into a human and ran home. She met her mother and hugged her tightly. Her mother was so happy to have her daughter back. Finally, Naria told her mum everything that happened. They were very jubilant. Mrs. Okobi told everyone that her daughter was back. The people of Gimbia rejoiced with Naria and her mother.

     From that day on, Naria did her work happily. She was never lazy and grumpy again.

Tehillah Offor is a 10 -year-old pupil of Corona School Victoria Island. This piece is her submission for the Jordan Hill September 2019 Writing Challenge.