A hand must give

A hand must give

In the quaint village of Shongwe, nestled between rolling hills and lush landscapes, lived a man named Nondumo. Known for his insatiable greed, Nondumo's obsession with money and frugality strained the bonds of family. His wife, Nolwazi, and their children endured daily battles over meager household expenses, as Nondumo sought to maximize his wealth at any cost. Nondumo was a man of contradictions. While he valued hard work, encouraging his children to toil relentlessly, his generosity remained imprisoned within the vaults of his own desires. He counted every coin, pinching pennies even when it came to providing the most basic necessities for his family. Quality was sacrificed for quantity, and the once-harmonious household became a battleground for the scraps of Nondumo's thriftiness.

One day, after returning home with another round of poor quality food, Nondumo found himself entangled in a heated argument with his wife. Nolwazi pleaded for better quality food, emphasizing the importance of nourishment for their children. Ignoring her, Nondumo declared that they must consume what was bought, warning that anyone who allowed the food to go to waste would receive no more food under his roof.

Desperation became the unwanted guest at their humble abode as Nolwazi, facing the harsh reality of her situation, tried to make the best of the meager resources at her disposal. The family struggled, their bodies weakened by the lack of proper nutrition. Trapped in a cycle of poverty and maltreatment, the once-happy home crumbled under the weight of Nondumo's selfishness. The breaking point came when one of their children fell seriously ill. Rushed to the hospital, the child received immediate attention to pull him back from the brink of danger. However, the hospital demanded payment before further treatment could commence. Nolwazi, heartbroken and desperate, approached Nondumo, pleading for the funds needed to save their child's life.

In response, Nondumo, blinded by his own greed, offered a litany of excuses to avoid parting with his money. His son's weakened immune system and fragile stomach were convenient scapegoats for his refusal to provide financial assistance. Despite Nolwazi's pleas, he callously dismissed her, leaving her with no choice but to bear the burden of her child's suffering alone. Overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, Nolwazi's desperation erupted into a curse. She wished upon Nondumo a lesson in giving, hoping that the universe would compel him to understand the value of generosity. Unbeknownst to her, her cries of anguish reached the ears of Mboza, a mythical creature embodying insatiable greed.

Mboza, with one eye, one hand, and one foot lost in the pursuit of its own desires, stirred from its slumber. Its existence was defined by insatiable desires, a creature so consumed by greed that it had willingly mutilated itself for the sake of possessing more. Now, it sought a vessel for its insatiable appetite, and Nondumo became the unwitting host of its torment. From that moment, Nondumo's life unraveled in a tapestry of misery. Mboza, invisible to all but the man himself, haunted him at every turn. Whenever Nondumo anticipated receiving money, his hand would inexplicably paralyze, and Mboza would snatch away the funds it believed belonged to it. Attempts to walk into places of payment left Nondumo's legs paralyzed, and the creature would take his place in claiming the earnings. Blinded by greed, Nondumo tried seeking help from his family, but they were too immersed in their own struggles to notice the supernatural presence that tormented him. Each time he attempted to find his lost money, his eyesight failed him, and Mboza reveled in the man's perpetual misfortune.

Nolwazi, witnessing her husband's suffering, found no solace in revenge. Instead, she desperately implored the villagers and family members to intercede on Nondumo's behalf. But the villagers, unaware of the supernatural force at play, were too preoccupied with their own hardships to lend a helping hand.

In the solitude of his misery, Nondumo began to reflect on his own actions. As the torment intensified, he experienced a transformation. The relentless pursuit of wealth gave way to introspection, and he started to recognize the importance of family and compassion. The lessons learned in the crucible of suffering began to shape a new Nondumo—a man who understood that true wealth lay not in hoarded coins but in the love and well-being of his family. As Nondumo underwent this metamorphosis, Mboza observed the changes with a peculiar satisfaction. The creature, having served as an agent of cosmic justice, deemed Nondumo's transformation adequate. Satisfied that the man had learned the value of giving, Mboza departed from his life, leaving Nondumo to rebuild from the ruins of his past.

With newfound humility, Nondumo sought to mend the fractured bonds within his family. He redirected his wealth not as a means of control but as a tool to ensure the well-being of those he loved. In a twist of fate, the man who had once hoarded every coin emerged as the richest individual in the village—the wealth not measured in currency but in the richness of relationships and the harmony of a united family.

The villagers, once burdened by their own struggles, witnessed the transformation of Nondumo. His story became a parable, a cautionary tale against the dangers of unchecked greed. The village flourished, not just in material prosperity but in the shared understanding that true wealth was a tapestry woven from the threads of love, compassion, and familial bonds.

In the end, Nondumo's journey served as a testament to the redemptive power of introspection and the potential for change, even in the most unlikely of hearts. The village, once marred by discord, found unity in the echoes of a lesson learned, and Nondumo, having shed the shackles of his own avarice, became a beacon of hope for those who dared to look beyond the surface of wealth and discover the true treasures that lay within.