In the time before, the village of Okla is always filled up with laughter and happiness. The whole corners of the village had seen the realm of laughter as their one and only source of life. Living recently has been by the grace of God. Everyone has taken sadness as their path to success, which in turn was not showing forth except those with brave hearts.
Amina, the only girl who has known the way to smile and laughter through her grandma brought the way out of the mess.
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“In a time before, we all used to be happy and smiles overtook every corner of the village. Most people had worked less with many earnings as a result of the unity we had”, her grandma was in grief while spilling out those words to Amina, her granddaughter.
“So, what happened that everyone is left in sadness? What caused the sad mood to everyone's heart?” Amina, who seemed inquisitive, wants to know more about the sadness in the villager's faces.
Amina still kept gazing at people's faces, including her grandma's face. She still does not understand the reason behind the sad look. Everyone in every corner remained silenced as no one dared make further inquiries on the sad look.
“You are still a child. No one dares spill out the reason behind it or else, the sadness will keep rising without seizure”, as the grandma speaks, Amina observed that the cloud was beginning to change. She began to fear. The trees began to dance as a result of the light breeze that was overtaking the space.
“Does it mean that what my grandma just said is true?” She let out some deep sigh as she thought within herself deeply.
“I still don't care, I want to know why”, she was so adamant and does not want to take her ears out of her grandma's words. It was just as if she had something that can seize the uprising of anger in people's faces. Her inquiring habit was just coming too much as her grandma could not hold it instead, she let the cat out of the bag.
“Maybe there should be a lasting solution to the predicament if you spill it out”, Amina added as she was so confident undermining the havoc this was going to cause to the whole villagers. Everyone has been warned not to inquire further on why they are left on sadness without smiling or laughter.
“I know after telling you, my conscience will not forgive me”, her grandma was worried.
“I just need to know even if everyone was told not to let it out. I'm sure something is behind it”, Amina was just so sure of herself.
“Alright. It happened in the time before, where people always have this habit of smiling. Everything was good, and it was just all round honey”, the grandma observed that the sky changed, and the trees were beginning to drop their leaves. The breeze was a sign that someone is telling the truth behind the sad look of the villagers, she only thought to herself, but unknowingly to her, Amina said “grandma, you can see that the breeze is trying to tell us something. It is telling us that changes are coming soon. The villagers will smile soon and sadness will eradicate their faces”, Her grandma was shocked after hearing this from her little granddaughter who was just 14 years old.
She continued her words : “sadness only came in-between our people when one little girl from the marine world came to the village. She came in disguise, looking like an ordinary human. She fell in love with one of our brothers” her grandma let out a deep sigh as her lips were about closing. Her eyes were dropping, showing a sign of sleep. She tried to struggle to speak out the whole of the stories, but then her voice went blank. Fear gripped Amina as she wanted to shout, but then she was so wise. “What should I say happened to Grandma if I shout?” She thought to herself. She allowed grandma to sleep and observed her critically to know if she would raise an alarm. Her waiting was turning to hours, and grandma was just breathing without waking up. She raised out her voice as those around rushed outside.
“What happened?” Her dad asked in the presence of some of the villagers who were around.
“I just observed her and saw that she was not in a good balance”, she said.
“don't worry, grandma is just sleeping”, her dad replied but somehow knew what had happened.
“Why did you allow Grandma to tell you the reason behind people's sadness in this village? Were not told you will put her in danger if she let out the reason to anyone? Even as old as I'm I don't know the reason, as I'm not ready to endanger anyone's life. I had asked her and this same thing happened to her”, Her dad said after those outsiders had left.
“I'm sorry dad, but I think something can be done to change this character everyone is passing through in the village”, she said boldly.
Few minutes later, her grandma woke up and said, "don't trend on that path”.
“You have not finished telling me the story, but I knew what would have been the end”, Amina rushed out and ran to the river bank. Her dad was blank of where she would have run to.
“Please, what should the people of my village do to make them laugh and smile again?” She spoke out without knowing if someone would reply.
The day turned into darkness immediately as a swift breeze began to rain out leaves on Amina. Her heart was pounding seriously without stopping. She was glued to the position she sat on.
“You are too little to make such inquiries”, a voice came in from the river as the water swapped in and out. She was freezing without knowing what to say.
“Please, free my people”, she managed to speak up.
“i take fear and sadness out of them if and only if they can be able to sacrifice a lamp just this once in the next market day just because of your sake”, the water swapped again as something was rushing deep inside the river. When the river was calm, Amina regained herself as the dark weather turned to normal day. She could not wait a minute as she ran straight to the village square. She was shouting, “everyone should please come to the village square, I have a confession to make”, she said that just to draw the attention of everyone as well as the village leader.
“Everyone please, listen and do not take my words for granted”, she said as everyone opened their eyes with a sad look on their faces.
“I brought a message from the river”, everyone began to hiss as she said from the river.
“Please, just listen and do not take my words for granted. I'm just a child, but I want peace to reign in the village”, she said.
“We are hearing”, the village leader said.
“She said we should sacrifice a lamb just this once in the river and then all our problems will be solved”, her grandma smiled, and she knew that would be the solution to the problem.
Some people were still in doubt, and they knew nothing behind the sad look on people's faces.
“If it is just a lamb, I will give it a try, but you will be the one to do that”, the village leader said.
When it was the market day, she matched straight to the river bank and threw the lamb in the river. Immediately, the day turned again into darkness as the same sound of water splashing on the walls of the river repeat itself. “You have done so well, little one. Go, it's over”, the voice faded, and the darkness turned back to normal daylight.
Suddenly, everyone started smiling and laughter graze the faces of everyone not like in the time before.