by
Megan
n the Youba village of Ife, Grandmother Nalo got ger grand-daughter Kai up early. She waited while Kai got up and dressed. Then they sat down and ate."Lets take a walk, Kai,"said Grandmother Nalo. As they started out, Kai shivered on the fall morning in 1445, and ran back for her shawl. When she returned, her grandmother looked very ill and pale. "Are you all right?," asked Kai. "Kai, please sit down," responded her grandmother. After a long moment of silence, Granmother Nalo started sobbing softly. "Kai, you are considered a young child, being only 10 years of age. No one wanted to tell you, but it is time. Your brother Oni just died on his third birthday. I'm so sorry." Ever since she was little, Kai knew her brother was at the neighboring village with the elders but she didn't know he was sick! Kai turned and ran from her grandmother. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. She was crying and gasping for air untill she was too exhausted to go on. With tears on her cheeks, she stumbled under an old willow tree and fell fast asleep. When Kai woke up, she was back at home. "Goodmorning Kai. I found you last night after your granmother told me what happened and I carried you home," stated her father. All day Kai was too depressed to leave her family hut so she stayed inside and mourned. Late that night, Kai heard crying, a babies crying, coming from outside the hut. She slowly got out of bed and tiptoed outside. She expected a neighbor's baby had crawled away from home, so she was going to go take it back. When she got outside, she saw an image of her brother appear in thin air! "You're alive! I thought you were dead! Oh Oni, let me go get Mama and Papa!" "No, Kai, no. I'm not alive. I came to say goodbye. Kai, I'm feel so good and I'm never sick anymore. I love you Kai. Just remember, I'll always be watching over you." He disappeared from Kai's sight.As a tear trickled down her cheek, Kai quietly whipered,"Goodbye." The next morning, Kai's grandmother rushed over to their hut. She asked Kai's Mama if she could talk to Kai outside, and waited for her to come. When she came, she said, "Kai, everything will be all right. Last night-" "I know grandmother, I saw Oni to." From then on, late at night, Kai's parents would hear Kai talking to her brother. They didn't understand her becase they thought he wasn't with them anymore. Only Kai and her grandmother knew! The moral to this story is:if someone you love leaves your life, they may not be gone, but watching over you.
Send comments to: Megan