"THE BOY BLESSED BY A MERMAID"

In Nnaku, a small village in eastern Nigeria, where the land was rich with green fields and the river sparkled like diamonds under the sun, lived a boy named Obinna. Life had not been kind to him. His mother died when he was only five, leaving him in the hands of his father, Nwagboso, and stepmother, Ugochi.

Nwagboso, once a strong farmer, had become a village drunk. He spent his days in the palm wine joint, telling old stories and laughing at things no one else found funny. His wife, Ugochi, was a bitter woman who had never hidden her dislike for Obinna. She reserved all her love for her only son, Chiemelie, while treating Obinna as nothing more than a house servant.

Every morning, Obinna was up before the first cock crowed. Ugochi would hand him a heavy basket filled with ripe bananas, sending him off to sell them in the village. "Don't return until everything is sold!" she always warned, her eyes sharp like a hawk’s. If he came back with even a single banana, she would punish him—sometimes with hot slaps, other times with no food for the night.

But Obinna had a secret place. Whenever the beatings became too much, he would run to the river, sit on a big rock, and cry. The river was his only friend, the only place he could speak his heart out without fear of being mocked. "Mama," he would whisper, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me with them?" He would watch the water flow, wishing it could carry his pain away.

What Obinna didn’t know was that someone was listening.

Idemili, the river spirit, had watched him for years. She was a mermaid, a beautiful water goddess who lived in the depths of the river. Unlike humans, she could sense pain not just from words but from the heart. Each time Obinna cried, her heart ached for him. But she had rules—strict ones. She was forbidden from interfering in human matters unless the gods willed it.

One evening, as Obinna sat on his usual rock, Idemili made a decision. Disguising herself as a young girl, she stepped out of the water and approached him. She had glowing brown skin, eyes like the moon, and long black hair that shone like wet silk. Her smile was warm, yet mysterious.

"Why do you always cry here?" she asked softly.
Startled, Obinna wiped his tears quickly. He had never seen this girl before.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking at her with curiosity and a bit of fear.

"A friend," she said, sitting beside him. "Tell me, why are you sad?"

For the first time, Obinna found someone who truly wanted to listen. He told her everything—about his wicked stepmother, his father’s drunkenness, his dreams of going to school, and how he wished his mother were still alive.

Idemili listened patiently. When he was done, she reached into a small pouch hanging from her waist and pulled out a white calabash. "Take this," she said, placing it gently in his hands. "Whenever you need money, open it. You will find all that your heart desires. But use it wisely."

Obinna's eyes widened in disbelief. "Money?" he whispered. "Real money?"

She nodded. "But remember, never tell anyone where it comes from. Keep it a secret."

From that night, Obinna’s life changed. Each morning when Ugochi handed him the basket of bananas, he would smile. He no longer needed to sell them. Instead, he gave them to the beggars and hungry children in the village. Then he would go to school, hiding the money from the calabash under his mat at home. At the end of the day, he gave Ugochi the exact amount she expected, making her believe he had sold everything.

Days turned into months. Obinna worked hard in school, and soon, he became the best student in his class. Teachers praised him, students envied him, and even the village chief heard of the brilliant orphan boy who had no shoes but had a mind sharper than a warrior’s spear.

Then came the WAEC exams—the test that would determine his future. Obinna studied late into the night, reading under a small kerosene lamp while Ugochi's son, Chiemelie, snored lazily beside him. When the results were announced, Obinna was named the best student in the entire region. The villagers celebrated him with songs and dances.

However, Ugochi was furious. Her son, whom she had given the best of everything, had failed the exams miserably. She could not understand how Obinna, the boy she treated like dirt, had beaten her son. She became suspicious.

One day, Ugochi followed Obinna secretly. She watched as he entered his small hut and pulled out the white calabash. He whispered something, opened it, and suddenly, money appeared inside. Ugochi's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
That night, while Obinna slept, she crept into his room and stole the calabash. She ran to her room, locked the door, and excitedly opened it.

But instead of money, a strong wind burst out, knocking her to the ground. The wind howled like an angry spirit, shaking the entire house. Ugochi screamed in terror, waking the whole village.
Obinna rushed to his room and saw what had happened. He fell to his knees, realizing what she had done. The calabash had been a gift—not to be stolen, not to be misused.

The next morning, Ugochi fell mysteriously ill. No healer could cure her, and her wealth disappeared overnight. Some said it was the Gods punishing her for her wickedness. Others whispered that Idemili had taken her revenge.

Obinna, however, did not rejoice in her suffering. He forgave her, for he knew that true wealth was not in money, but in knowledge and kindness. He went on to university, becoming a great man—one who never forgot the river, the rock where he had once cried, or the mermaid who had changed his life forever.


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I hope you enjoy it
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👍👍👍👍👍
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Nice story

Nice 👍
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