Light at the end of the tunnel

How often do you not find yourself contemplating on whether or not you are not being considered a fool for doing one thing or the other? Especially when you find yourself doing things that the seemingly high and mighty (oftentimes regarded the wisest) persons would quickly and readily shy away from?

Why must you always be the one cleaning up the mess of others? Why must you be the one making sure the lights and the air conditioners in your office are turned off after work even though your colleagues are fully aware of the implications of wasting electricity and other utilities?

Well, don’t throw up your hands in despair and give up so quickly, because your story may have a happy ending like one told me by grandma about a poor girl who once lived in Afiadenyigba.

Afiadenyigba was a small village inhabited by about 3,000 people. Though the youth (16 – 45years) made up about 60 percent of the population, it was a common thing to find the older citizens engaged in activities that helped to maintain the society clean and safe. They gathered together for communal labour to carry out activities such as clean up campaigns.

There was however a young girl, Enyonam, about nineteen years of age, who was always found among the old folks any time they gathered for any such community activities. It was also common to see Enyonam sometimes weeding the footpath that led to the village riverside, where the entire community went to fetch water. The river was the only source of water for all purposes including drinking.

Enyonam’s mates would ridicule her; call her names like Aprewa or Abrewa Posoposo as they passed by her to the river bank to fetch their water. Some of them walked hand in hand with their young lovers and hooted at Enyonam who ignored them and continued with her work.

Well, it so happened that a huge tree fell down and blocked the only footpath that led to the riverside, making it very difficult for the town folks to cross it to and from the river.

Unfortunately for the town folks, the tree was so huge that any attempts by the usual committed members of the society (the old folks and Enyonam) could not push away or cut the tree off the path to make way. They tried and tried until most of them gave up saying that they couldn’t do anything but wait for the tree to rot away.

The younger men and women on the other hand did nothing to help move the tree; instead, they went round the long tree and with time, managed to create an alternate route to the river, though the new path was very long and rocky.

But not Enyonam, she did not give up entirely, any time she had some free time to herself, she went there to continue cutting the trunk of the tree, still believing that, sooner than later, she would clear the way so the villagers could have their smooth and short path back.

Unknown to everyone in the village, the king had always admired Enyonam and her spirit of diligence and perseverance. He thought and thought about how best to reward the young girl.

And so on that fateful day, the king prayed in his heart that his plans worked as he gathered the entire community at the village square to make his announcement.

The king said “My people, there’s a serious issue that must be attended to in the palace …. It is time for the prince to take unto himself a bride”.

The crowd, especially the damsels went agog with joy …. Oh that the prince will pick me … they giggled among themselves.

"But, there is a condition for this tradition to be fulfilled. Your prince has misplaced his royal necklace and we must find this necklace before we can progress with the marriage. Whoever finds the necklace will be greatly rewarded and should the person be a young maiden, befitting a bride and finds favour in the prince’s sight, she becomes the lucky bride", the king concluded.

As the crowd dispersed, the girls talked excitedly about how nice it would be to be the lucky person to find the necklace. Enyonam, though she prayed sincerely in her heart that the prince found the royal necklace she only went back to complete her task to clear the path. She could not even imagine herself as the lucky bride; after all, everyone knew her as abrewa …. an old lady.

And so she continued day in and day out with her part time job. Gradually, she succeeded in cutting through the big trunk. On the final day however, something happened. Enyonam’s eyes caught sight of the royal necklace under the tree! She quickly picked it up and headed straight to the palace. The king was very pleased and most importantly happy because, no one else but Enyonam had found the necklace. His plans had worked. He has found his son a good wife.

Interestingly, the prince also loved Enyonam and was very happy that she would be his bride. They had a colourful wedding ceremony that became the talk of town in the community and all the surrounding villages for days. The king then revealed how he came up with the plan to teach the young men and women a good lesson. Perseverance pays and modesty is a virtue, he told his subjects.

Aware soooooo !!! … Enyonam.