|
In
the hills of northern Borno,
there is a large lake called Lake Chad. Once, there was a beautiful
rich town by that lake-the town of Kalkuhwa. But, it’s no longer
there.This story will tell you why.
It was the starting of the rainy season. In the sky,clouds were
gathering, in the distance you could see lightening. Among the hills
you could hear the noise of thunder.
The people of Kalkuhwa were eating and drinking joyfully just as
they always do at the begining of the rainyseason.
Suddenly,an old woman from the hills came into the town, looking
very tattered and poor.When the people of Kalkuhwa saw her,they
laughed. What brings you here,old woman?’ shouted the chief rudely.
“Oh sir,” she replied. “I beg you let me shelter here, soon it will
rain.”
“There’s no place here for people like you,push off!’ shouted the
chief. The old woman had no alternative.The people laughed and
pointed at her as she wearily walked up the hills away from Kalkuhwa.
At the outskirts of the town, a poor widow saw and took pity on
her,welcoming her into her abode. “All I have is a little porridge
but you are welcome to share it with me,” she said.The old woman was
moved by the widow’s kindness and sat down to tell her what had
happened. Then, lowering her voice, she said:
“You don’t know me,do you?I am Wuon Koth,I came here to give the
people of Kalkuhwa the power to make rain but, fortunately, I
discovered they don’t deserve it.
They treated me badly and because of this I shall destroy them,but
you my good friend,of course, shall be left alone.”
Together,the two women walked up the hills.Reaching the top,Wuon
Koth stopped to look down on Kalkuhwa.At first,she sang her usual
rainmaking song and as she did, the rain fell:
“Let it rain, let it rain, oh rain,make the air cool, the roofs
rattle, the maize grow,and fatten up the cattle, let it rain, let it
rain.”
In Kalkuhwa,the men, women and children joyfully laughed and danced
in the open rain. But, then,Wuon Koth began to sing again; it was
almost the same song but this time the words were new and terrible:
“Let it rain, let it rain again, let the river burst its banks,
flood their homes, their markets the streets and the whole town, let
it rain, let it rain, again and again.”
For hours on end,the rain came down. The people’s joy turned from
anxiety to fear and then to terror. In desperation, some of them
climbed on top the roofs of their houses. But, it was no use, for
the rain beat them harder and harder, not a single soul was left.
LESSON TO BE LEARNT: Don’t shun the needy in order to obtain favour
from GOD and man.
From: Janet Nwando U.Obianyor,
P.O.BOX 9273, Kaduna.
08082916832.
|
Indigestion
|
