The sun was at its peak, it cast a warm glow over the beautiful and colorful compound located in Rayfield, Jos. It was a very big house painted white and it has four flats. The four families occupying the flats were all from different ethnic groups but lived peacefully and happily.
Three children, Nandom, Nenpo, and Davou, were playing together, their laughter and shouts filling the air. They were almost the same age, and despite having different parents, they were inseparable. Nandom was standing on a high stool, trying to balance himself, while Nenpo and Davou cheered him on.
Suddenly, a fourth child, Nanjul, emerged from one of the flats and pushed Nandom from the top of the stool, when he wasn’t expecting it. Nandom fell down face flat and lost consciousness. The other children gasped in shock, screaming “toh toh toh, Nanjul! Toh toh toh, Nanjul!” as they rushed to his side. Gwei Kaneng, Davou’s grandma, who was roasting maize in front of the kitchen, rushed out to check on Nandom.
She tapped him gently and shook his body, and to everyone’s relief, he slowly opened his eyes. Gwei Kaneng asked what happened, and Nanjul tearfully explained that Nandom had pushed him earlier so he only returned the favor. Gwei Kaneng’s expression turned stern, and she asked Nanjul to apologize to Nandom. Nanjul’s eyes welled up with tears as he said sorry, and Nandom forgave him.
Gwei Kaneng called out to the children, “Come, sit down, and I’ll tell you a story.” Two more girls, Plangnan and Timbyen, joined the group, and Gwei Kaneng handed out roasted maize to them. Each child got a share, with two of them sharing one maize. Nanjul and Nandom shared theirs, and as they ate, they smiled at each other, their friendship renewed.
“Long ago,” Gwei Kaneng began, “there was a man named Dachal. He was known throughout the land as someone who never forgives. He believed in an eye for an eye, and people avoided him because of his harsh nature. If someone trespassed on his property, he would use charms to harm them. Thieves who stole from him would often meet a terrible end.”
The children listened intently, their eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Gwei Kaneng continued, “One day, Dachal was returning from his farm when he saw a group of people gathered around a thief who had been caught. Dachal was about to attack the thief when he realized that the thief was his own son. The crowd was divided, with some calling for the thief’s death, while others pleaded for mercy.”
Gwei Kaneng’s voice took on a reflective tone, “Dachal pleaded with the crowd to spare his son’s life. One of the men in the crowd yelled at him, ‘You wicked man! Were you not the same person that sent my son to jail even after I pleaded with you?” It was in that moment, he realized the importance of forgiveness. Here he was demanding something he had never offered to anyone. He learned that if he wanted others to forgive him, he had to learn to forgive others too.
Dachal was already expecting the worst because he spotted about five faces in the crowd who were victims of his unforgiven nature. He sobbed silently looking at his son in the eyes, not knowing if it will be the last time he’s going to see him. But the crowd didn’t execute Dachal’s son. They showed him mercy. The leaders in the crowd told Dachal’s son “We are letting you go for the sake of God. If it were for your father, you would have been dead. From that day on, Dachal changed. He released all the people he had jailed and became a kinder person.”
The children nodded, taking in the lesson. Gwei Kaneng smiled, “What did we learn from this story?” she asked. The children chorused, “We should forgive others if we want them to forgive us!” Gwei Kaneng beamed with pride, “That’s right! Forgiveness is a very powerful thing.”
As the story came to an end, Gwei Kaneng handed out more roasted maize, and the children thanked her, promising to return for more stories in the night. Gwei Kaneng smiled, “I’ll tell you more stories, but remember, no fighting, or there will be no stories!” The children laughed and promised to behave, already looking forward to the next tale.