03/08/2014
Childspark Initiative
Here's to welcome you to our world! We hope it makes you smile... We hope it brings some fun memories :)
THE BEAUTIFUL GIFT
OMODELE was ten years old. She lived with her grandmother in a small town called Ishagamu, fifty-four miles away from Lagos. Her parents had just divorced and the change of environment was beginning to take its toll on her.
On a bright sunny afternoon, on her way back from school, she realized there was a frown on the face of everyone she saw. Her countenance dropped. She remembered her mother and the bitter argument she had with her father before he walked away.
"Why can't we all be happy?" she wondered, tears welling up in her eyes.
She got home and her grandmother, as always, welcomed her with a smile, singing praise-songs. Omodele could not return the smile. The frowns and furrows on the faces she encountered on the street had left her in low spirits.
"What’s the matter with you, ‘Modele?” her grandmother was concerned. “The look on your face worries me”.
“Everyone was frowning at me, grandma” Omodele whimpered.
She looked up into her grandmother’s eyes, weak, tired and helpless. Grandma opened up her arms and embraced her with a warm smile. She lifted her up on to her laps.
“Do you know you have the power to change that?” Grandma asked her kindly.
Omodele could not understand. Grandma reached into her pouch on a stool nearby and gave her some money.
“Now, you will go to Iya Olosan and buy us some oranges” said Grandma with a sweet smile. “And promise me to do something…”
Omodele nods readily.
“Put a smile on your face as you go” Grandma urged.
Omodele sprang up and hurried away to buy the oranges.
Twenty minutes afterwards, Omodele returned with the oranges and a big smile on her face. Her grandmother was curious.
“What happened?” she asked. “You seem very happy”.
“Oh, grandma, please let me buy oranges for you every day!” she said. “Everyone I saw smiled to me. Even Mama Olosan gave me an extra orange!”
Grandma allowed her to enjoy the moment.
“Do you know why?” the grandmother asked, rubbing her hand gently over Omodele’s head.
Omodele drew a blank. She didn’t know why.
“You smiled… They smiled to you because you had a smile on your face” Grandma declared. “A smile, like good deeds, is infectious. When you give a smile, you get a smile in return. When you show kindness, it comes back to you, many times over. Never forget”.
Omodele paused as she looked deeper into her grandmother’s eyes. Her face dilated into a big smile. She hugged her tenaciously.
“Thank you, grandma!” Omodele was overjoyed.
“Yes, my dear daughter, a smile is a gift and it looks good on you!” Grandma said, almost in a whisper.
Written by TOPE IDOWU
