The living room is a large old house that has been tastefully rearranged to appear modern and elegant, filled with furnished with pricey furniture and decor
Moyo and Bella are seated on different sides of the room. Moyo is tapping away on. his latest smartphone with games, while Bella lounges on the couch. flipping through fashion magazines while toying with her new make-up kit. Both have an air of indifference. NIA, a calm, strong African woman in her early seventies, walks into the room. She sighs and takes a deep breath when she sees dirty dishes piled on the kitchen counter. Nia composed but resolutely spoke.
"Moyo, Bella, I asked you both to wash the dishes and sweep the compound hours ago. Why haven't you done them?
Moyo barely looked up and said,
"I'll do them later, but my games come first. I told that foolish ignorant Kaya, the house help to take care of it.''
Bella dismissively added, "Yeah, it's not like we need to do it ourselves." That's why we have Kaya as a house help."
Nia raises her eyebrow, unimpressed by their attitudes. Nia casts a harsh glance
That is not the point. I asked you to do something as your punishment, and you assigned it to Kaya instead, and you ignored what I said. This is about responsibility and respect for elders. You are playing games when you are supposed to focus on your studies by this time. I heard your American teacher gave you two detentions in school for poor studies and rude behavior, and you are going to play games all day?.
bella sighed dramatically. "Stop being a drama queen, Grandma. Why should we have to do chores? We're not like other kids. We have money. We can pay the stupid house help money so we don't have to stress about it. I don't want my new nails spoiled."
Moyo scoffed
"Yeah, our friends don't do chores either.
And you're always asking us to run errands like we're some sort of servants. It's not fair."
"Foolish? Ignorant?, Stupid. All these heavy words on a young girl because I told her not to wash the plate you used for eating." Nia's gaze sharpens as she watches her grandchildren speak. She crosses her arms, She stood motionless crossing her arms allowing the tension linger in the air for a moment. Moyo and Bella exchange annoyed glances, clearly not understanding why their grandmother is so upset. She walks to Moyo and grabs his phone forcefully.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing? What's the matter with you?" Moyo exclaim
NIA untroubled yet rigid. She tactfully collected Bella's makeup kit and Magazine, then sits down and says in a ferocious tone.
Both of you. May I remind you that this is not America, where you can report me to the cops? Here in Africa, we beat rude kids, and I will beat you like I beat your dad when he was misbehaving as a young kid, and there is nothing…. nothing you can do about it. Even the Bible says, Spare the rod, and spoil the child. Jesus admonishes parents to train up a child in the way he should grow so that when he gets older. He will not depart from it, Now both of you sit."
They groan and reluctantly move to sit on the couch in front of her. Moyo folds his arms and frowns, staring at the floor, while Bella leans back, crossing her legs, visibly bored.
Bella mutters, "Another lecture...".
"We get it, grandma. We're supposed to be responsible or whatever." Moyo added.
NIA cuts in sharply: "No, I don't think you've grasp it, and for that reason we are going to talk. You've forgotten the value of humility, determination, and kindness towards others, especially to the people around you. You believe that you are superior to others only because we are wealthy. Allow me to remind you of your origins."
the two teenagers gave their granny a confused look, while Nia takes a seat across them, her expression softening as she prepares to tell a story. "We had nothing when I was younger—much younger than you. My parents toiled long hours on a wealthy man's farm every day to provide food on the table for our family of three, living in a modest straw and mud hut. I was always running errands, collecting firewood, fetching water, and lending a hand to the neighbors when they needed it. Since I understood that we all needed one another to survive, I didn't grumble.
Moyo twitches, perceiving his grandmother's seriousness in her speech, while Bella rolls her eyes despite her continued skepticism. Nia goes on. "The wealthy guy's son was an impolite young man.
Twale Kwale was his name. He belittled us and swore at everyone on the farm, never having a pleasant word to say about those without wealth. He said it was beneath him to assist his parents in any way, especially with farming or cooking. He made fun of the other kids, calling them worthless and impoverished.
He ignores his father's constant advice to be polite and control his language. When he was upset, he would curse the elderly men and ladies who came to help on his father's farm. One day, his father and mother were in a rush for a party. After dressing, Twale's mother instructed him to keep the jewelry box in her room, and they left. Twale went to play a game like Moyo, ignoring the errand. His mother came minutes later because she had forgotten her phone, only to find the jewelry box still sitting on the table. The farmers were already around, so she took it by herself, kept it in her room, and then left for the party. One of the girls working on the farm came to the living room on an errand sent by the elders, as the living room was accessible to everyone. Twale noticed he couldn't find the jewelry box, terrified of what his parents might do to him, he assumed the girl had stolen the jewelry because she was poor.
"Thief, you stole the box of jewelry," he yelled
The girl's family,had a friend who was related to the king, went to him.The little issue grew out of control like wildfire and reached the wise king's court.
When Twale's parents found out after their return, they were heartbroken, His mother accepted responsibility for their child's improper upbringing and described the entire sequence of events leading up to that point. However, the king had his judgment to pronounce to Twale the accuser of the brethren, so he called. The king said to Twale.
"You made bad comments against her with your words without providing concrete evidence, and I hear you speak rudely to others. Why have you done so?"
"That was a harmless comment i didn't mean it." Twale said to the king, and The king told him to write out everything he had said on paper, tear it to pieces, and throw it in the air, then come the following day for his judgment. Twale wrote the terrible words he said in front of the king and on his way home, he tore it to pieces and threw the paper in the air and laughed at the minute punishment.
The following day he came back for the king's judgment. The king then said to Twale to go retrieve all the papers he threw away the day before and bring it back to the palace Twale startled, exclaims, " My king, that's impossible. The winds must have scattered them long ago. I won't be able to find it." And so, the king said to him, "Just as the paper blew into the wind, that is the same way your harsh comments and foul language cannot be revised back when spoken. Especially hurtful words said in rage. Words you say affect others in one way or another, be it positive or negative. It damages people." The king warned, yet he ignored, and continued to speak to people in the way that he found pleasing, till People started to shy away from him.
Nia pauses, staring into the eyes of her children, her words carried heavy meaning. NIA continued, "Two months later, his parents got into an accident and died.
The community was struck by a catastrophic drought, and the crops started to fail, even the wealthy families in the village began to struggle. Some individuals provided aid to other families, however when it got to him, nobody wanted to give him anything at all, not even water, because of the way he spoked. Twale, in tears, reached out to my mother because she was the only one supporting the farm after the death of his parents. So he asked my mother why no one was willing to help, and my mother told him...
... "take a hammer and a nail. And Whenever he was upset, he should drive the nail into a wall with the hammer while cursing the person who had offended him. Twale did so, overtime he discovered that the walls were filled with holes and nailed slammed to the walls. my mother remarked. The lesson he learned from this nail being hammered into a wall was that, although he could have forgotten what he said to someone nasty at the time, people don't and won't easliy forget. Forgiveness is possible, but the hardest thing in life is forgetting.
"What do I do to amend my ways?" Twale inquired.
My mother then replied to him, just as he removed the nails from the walls. He should start by trying to say he was sorry to those he offended. Start offering gifts and like how he cemented the walls. He should try to change his ways, though people may still be weary of him, but over time the hurt will go away, but they will never forget. Twale then realized lately that kindness and humility are far more valuable than wealth.
Moyo's expressions relaxes a bit, the arrogance fading as he starts to see the point, while Bella shifts uncomfortably, rolling her eyes "That darn kaya, she didn't do the chore like I told her to. I will teach her a lesson later." Beĺla whispers.
"But… that's different, grangran. We wouldn't lose everything like Twale." moyo remarked And Nia said softly "It's not about losing money, Moyo. It's about losing something more important—respect, community, the ability to understand that no matter how much you have, you're no better than anyone else or Kaya, who Bella labeled stupid. Because you believe that your wealth gives you the right, you insult your friends and your employees. But one day, that attitude will come back to hurt you. Kaya is my housekeeper not a maid, I got her from the orphanage.
She comes to help me, and I decide to pay her dues for her diligence and kindness to assist me all the time as an old woman. She is not mine nor is she your housemaid, have I made myself clear."
Bella sits up, her voice quieter now, almost defensive but still grumpy. "But all our friends are like that. They don't do chores and don't have to care about stuff like that."
So your friends go around insulting people? I see bad friends have influenced you. This won't do. And that's the problem," Nodding. "You follow others who have likewise lost sight of the importance of working hard and showing kindness to those who are less fortunate. You believe it elevates you above others and makes you powerful. However, that is PRIDE
" Humility is the source of strength. How you treat people who can't do anything for you determines true importance. We love God with all of our minds, hearts, bodies, and souls because he is loved, and he sent his son to die to save everyone. In addition, we ought to love our neighbors as ourselves. How can we claim to love God if we don't love our neighbors? I am going to tell you a short story about the reasons you should not imitate bad friends."
Nia's phone suddenly rang in the other room, "Wait for me, let me answer the call. I believe your parents are on the line." She said as She stepped away from the kids to take the phone. Do you think Grandma made up that story or was it true?' Moyo questioned.
"I don't give a damn about that dumb story. However there is one thing I would love to do
What"
" I would like to deal with that stupid, naive, and ignorant Kaya. Wash the plates, I said, I am going to deal with her. Kayaaaaaa…ohhohooo I am so going to tell her a piece of my mind,
KAAAAYAAAAA?"