Her Grandmother Died… Then She Suddenly Transformed Into a Beauty They Called a Curse.
Kneel and clean our feet. You good for nothing? Gods of our land. Why am I the ugliest on the land of beauty?
Olan Mik, my granddaughter, you will become beautiful the day I die and our family wealth will be gone.
They will call your beauty a curse. But that curse will free you forever from mockery.
They see the shadow, not the sun inside.But this family’s light has a hidden price.
Now that we have abundant wealth for our poor husbands, we will not be mocked as poor again in the seven villages of Aun.
We will never live as slaves again. I, Oma, bind the fortune of my bloodline to this gold.
Hear my words, spirits of our ancestors. But if anyone born of our blood mocks her because of that mark, the covenant shall be broken.
On the day I leave this world, her hidden beauty shall awaken and the wealth that came from this sacred promise shall vanish like dust before the wind.
Olani was not born ugly. In fact, on the day she came into the world, the women of Agon gathered around her mother’s hut and whispered to one another, h this child is too beautiful for this world.
She was the only granddaughter of Oanama, the richest woman in all the seven villages of Agle.
Her family owned endless farmlands. Countless bands of yam, herds of cattle, and enough gold to make kings jealous.
But then something happened. Something no one could explain. As Olan grew older, her beauty began to disappear.
Little by little, day after day, year after year, the little girl everyone admired became the girl everyone feared to look at.
At first, her family thought it was a sickness. They summoned habalists. They called powerful divers.
They even traveled to distant villages searching for healers. But nothing worked. Instead, she became uglier and uglier with every passing day.
Soon, the beautiful child that brought joy to her family became the greatest shame of the household.
People laughed at her openly in the marketplace. Little children pointed at her and ran away.
Women covered their mouths and whispered behind her back. Even her own cousins, the very people she called family, you good for nothing, pretended they did not know her.
Though she wore the finest robes money could buy, not a single soul ever called or lani beautiful.
The deepest wound of all was that even her own mother slowly began to turn her heart away from her.
Many nights, Olanik would cry herself to sleep. She would stare into the darkness and ask the same question over and over again.
Why would the gods make me the ugliest girl in the land of beauty? Then the years passed.
The young maidens of Agon grew into women. One after another, young men arrived at their father’s compounds, bearing gifts, asking for their hands in marriage.
Drums were played, songs were sung, weddings filled the villages. But no man ever came for Olan.
The few she tried to speak to turned away the moment they saw her. Some even looked at her with disgust.
Yet deep inside her lonely heart, Olani loved only one man. Adiwali, the tall, handsome, hardworking son of the richest paline tapper in Aoni, the most desired bachelor across all seven villages.
But when her cousins discovered she had feelings for Adewali, they laughed until tears rolled down their faces.
Do you think [laughter] you actually think aw will marry you? Even a blind man would run away from your face.
Those words pierced her heart like a spear. And with every passing day, Olaniki’s world grew colder.
[snorts] There was only one person who still loved her. Only one person who never laughed at her.
Her grandmother or landl. The old woman would hold her close, stroke her hair, and wipe away her tears.
And every single time, Ola Nik would ask herself the same question. What will become of me when grandma is gone?
Little did she know that her grandmother had been waiting her entire life to answer that question.
One bright morning, excitement swept through a like Hamatan wind through dry grass. Adw the handsome son of the richest palm wine tapper was hosting a grand celebration at his father’s compound.
Young maidens from all seven villages spent days preparing for the occasion. They braided their hair.
They polished their beads and they dreamed of catching Adi’s attention. Inside Oama’s compound, Orlando’s cousins danced around the courtyard showing off their finest robes and glittering gold bracelets.
One boasted loudly. H when Adiwali sees me today, he won’t be able to take his eyes off me.
And when he sees my golden bracelet, he will know I am the wife he deserves.
Deserves. As they laughed and admired themselves, Olanik stood quietly at the corner of the courtyard.
For weeks, she had dreamed of attending the celebration. Not because of the music, not because of the food, but because it would be her first chance to speak to Adiwali, the man she had secretly loved for years.
Suddenly her mother turned to her. Olan, you are staying behind. Olan lowered her head, but mother I only wish to attend for a little while and embarrass us.
Before could respond, one of her cousins bust into laughter. This celebration is for beautiful maidens, not for girls who scare people away.
The courtyard erupted with laughter. Stay here and watch over your grandmother. Do not step foot near Adi’s compound.
I cannot believe they The laughter faded into the distance as her cousins left for the celebration.
Olani remained behind alone, heartbroken, watching the road they had taken, watching her only chance to speak to Adi disappear before her eyes.
But what those young women did not know, what Olanik’s mother did not know was that every bracelet they proudly wore, [snorts] every robe they flaunted, every piece of gold they displayed before the village existed because of Olani.
They were enjoying a wealth that had been purchased with her beauty. A sacrifice made long before they were born.
And they did not know something else. A terrible secret. A secret hidden for more than 22 years.
The day would come when those same cousins would kneel before Olaniki, not to mock her, not to insult her, but to beg.
Beg her to become ugly again so the wealth they worshiped would not vanish forever.
From inside her heart, old Orlando watched everything in silence. The insults, the cruelty, the tears in her granddaughter’s eyes.
She wanted to speak. She wanted to tell Olan the truth. She wanted to confess the terrible bargaining she had made before the girl was even born.
But fear sealed her lips because man knew one thing for certain. If ever learned the truth, she might never forgive her grandmother again.
M wa.They see the shadow, not the sun inside. But this family’s light has a hidden price for the wealth they see and the gold they hold.
A sacrifice was made. A story never told. This heavy crown of sorrow I must bear because I am the chosen one.
Chosen one. Meanwhile, a dewale celebration had become the talk of all seven villages.
The compound was overflowing with guests. Village chiefs, wealthy traders, respected elders, even travelers from distant lands had come to honor the occasion.
Drums thundered across the village. Dancers filled the courtyard. Laughter echoed through the night. And at the center of it all stood a dewale.
Tall, handsome, confident. Many swore he looked more like a prince than a palm wine tapper’s son.
Every maiden at the celebration dreamed of speaking to him. Every mother secretly wished he would marry her daughter.
But then something terrible happened. Without warning, Adiwali staggered. The smile vanished from his face.
His eyes rolled backward. And before anyone could reach him, he collapsed to the ground.
The music stopped. The drums fell silent. Fear spread through the crowd. My son Adew.
Villagers rushed toward him. But Adiwali did not move. He did not speak. He did not open his eyes.
It was as though his spirit had abandoned his body. Moments later, a voice echoed from the entrance of the compound.
Stand aside. The crowd immediately parted. The chief priestess marched forward. Her face was grim.
Her sacred staff struck the earth as she walked. She examined Adiwali, closed her eyes, then suddenly gasped.
The boy is an object. The villagers recoiled in fear. Whispers spread through the crowd.
An obanche. An obanche. A spirit’s child. One whose soul belongs to both the world of men and the world beyond.
His spirit is being called away. If nothing is done before the next sunrise, he will never wake again.
A cry rose from the crowd. Adi’s father nearly collapsed. Tell us what must be done.
I will do anything. The priestess lifted her staff. There is only one cure. The crowd held its breath.
A pure maiden must journey into the forbidden forest. There she must find the sacred lake known as the mirror of souls.
No ordinary flower grows there. Only the flower of reflections. A blossom blessed by the first goddess.
It blooms only under moonlight and only a maiden with a pure heart may pluck it.
If the flower is brought before midnight tomorrow, Adiwali shall live. But if the maiden fails, the forest will claim her soul forever.
A fearful silence swept through the crowd. Then Adwali’s father stepped forward. Tears filled his eyes.
Listen to me. Whoever saves my son, I shall give her more than half of my wealth.
The crowd gasped. And if my son survives, she shall become Adiwali’s wife. Immediately the maidens began whispering.
The reward was beyond imagination. The wealth, the status, Adw himself. But there was a problem.
No one wanted to enter the forbidden forest. That same night, back at Olama’s compound, Olan’s cousins could talk of nothing else.
Imagine becoming the wife of Adali and inheriting half of his father’s wealth. I want the reward, but I am not foolish enough to enter that forest.
The others nodded immediately. Nearby, Olan quietly served dinner to her grandmother, pretending not to listen.
Yet, every word reached her ears. When she heard Adwali’s name, her heart froze. When she heard he was dying, her eyes widened.
And when she heard there was still a way to save him, something awakened inside her.
No, Adew must not die. For the first time in many years, the lonely girl everyone mocked made a decision.
A decision that would change her life forever. Before midnight, she would enter the forbidden forest.
That evening, after hearing of Adi’s condition, Olan served her grandmother some yam and egusi.
The old woman noticed immediately that something was troubling her granddaughter. She thought it was the same pain Olan had carried all her life.
The pain of being mocked, the pain of being unwanted, the pain of being called ugly.
My child, have you ever seen a caterpillar cry because it cannot fly? Olanica looked up confused.
Everything has its season. The moon does not shine at midday and the sun does not rise at night.
The old woman smiled sadly. You two have a season, Olan. The young woman lowered her eyes.
Grandmother, you always say strange things. Olma reached for her hand. One day you will become the most beautiful maiden in all seven villages.
Tears immediately filled Oran’s eyes. Please stop saying that. You once told me it would happen when you die.
The old woman became silent. How can I become beautiful because you die? I don’t want your life.
I don’t want beauty if it means losing you. Both women wept. One because she feared losing her grandmother, the other because she knew she deserved to lose her granddaughter’s love.
Yet neither of them knew that before dawn the prophecy would come true. At midnight, when the village slept, Orlan quietly stepped out of the compound carrying only a lantern and hope.
She was going into the forbidden forest. The forest was alive. Trees whispered, shadows moved, voices drifted through the darkness.
Suddenly, she heard her grandmother’s voice. Olan, my child, come back. I need water. Olan froze.
The voice sounded real. Too real. But then she remembered an old saying. The spirits of the forest borrow familiar voices to lead travelers astray.
And so she continued. Further ahead stood a giant tree with two faces. One face smiled.
The other frowned. Twin tree, turn back, child. Leave the flower of reflections, and we shall make you beautiful before sunrise.
For a moment, Olan hesitated. Then she shook her head. I did not come for beauty.
I came to save a life. The forest fell silent. At last, she arrived at the mirror of souls.
A sacred river so still it reflected the stars more clearly than the night sky itself.
At its center bloomed a silver flower, the flower of reflections. As Olanik reached for it, a goddess rose from the water.
Then she spoke. Answer my riddles, child. Only then may you claim the flower. My first riddle reads, “The more you give me away, the more of me remains.”
Olan thought carefully, then smiled and answered, “Love.” The goddess nodded. Second riddle. I am lighter than a feather, yet the strongest man cannot hold me for long.
Olan closed her eyes, then answered. Breath. The goddess smiled. You have wisdom, she saidhe heartedly.
Take the flower. At that exact moment, far away in the village, old Olanma called out weakly from her hut.
No answer. A few moments later, she called again. Hola. Still no answer. With her final strength, she called one last time, “My child.”
Then she drew her final breath. At the very same moment, Olani plucked the flower of reflections.
A powerful wind swept across the river. The waters glowed, the stars trembled, and something unseen shattered.
The curse. Olanik fell to her knees. A warm light surrounded her. When she looked into the river, she gasped.
The face staring back at her was not the face she had known all her life.
It was breathtaking, radiant, beautiful. Tears streamed down her cheeks. No, this is not why I came.
She fell before the goddess. Please take it away. Make me ugly again. Adewali needs this flower more than I need beauty.
The goddess laughed, not cruy, but knowingly. Foolish child. The flower did not make you beautiful.
The beauty was always yours. Your grandmother’s oath has ended. The chains around your destiny have broken.
The flower is for the man you love. Olanke’s eyes widened. But know this, the wealth your family woripped has vanished with the cost.
They have harvested the very seeds they planted. Go home and do not weep for their riches, for every debt demanded by fate must one day be paid.
Holding the flower of reflections tightly in her hands, Olamik began the journey back to the village.
Unaware that by sunrise, nothing in her life would ever be the same again. They see the shadow, not the sun inside.
But this family’s light has a hidden price for the wealth they
