13/04/2025
What My Stepmother Turned Me Into After My Mother Died
Episode 3
Written By Jerry Smith.
The village had not changed much in the last ten years. The same dusty roads, the same old trees, the same small huts, though some roofs had begun to sag, showing signs of age. The elders still gathered under the large baobab tree, exchanging gossip and news, while the children played by the stream, unaware of the secrets that hung heavy in the air.
It was an ordinary day when the villagers heard it: the sound of an engine. It was rare to hear a car in the village, and it made heads turn. People paused in their chores and looked up, squinting into the distance as a sleek vehicle appeared on the horizon.
As the car rolled into the center of the village, a hush fell over the crowd. They had never seen such a vehicle before. Its shiny black body gleamed in the sun, a stark contrast to the dusty, beaten paths of the village. The doors opened, and out stepped a woman.
Her presence was commanding, her posture straight and confident. The villagers stared in awe. She was beautiful, dressed in a sharp suit, her hair pulled back into a neat bun. But it was her face that struck everyone the most—so familiar, yet different. This woman was no stranger, though her transformation had been nothing short of miraculous.
“Is that… is that Ebere?” someone whispered.
Murmurs spread like wildfire. Ebere had come back.
Adaku, sitting on the porch of her crumbled hut, was the last to notice the commotion. She looked up in confusion, squinting through the haze of the midday sun. And then she saw her—Ebere, standing tall and radiant.
For a moment, Adaku’s heart seemed to stop. Her breath caught in her throat. The years had not been kind to her. Her once strong, imposing figure had withered. She had no money, no support, and her children—Tochi and Adaeze—were now completely disabled, their bodies twisted and weak, suffering from mysterious illnesses that no healer had been able to cure.
Adaku’s eyes filled with tears as memories flooded back. “Ebere… is it really you?” she whispered.
Ebere’s gaze met hers, but there was no anger, no hatred. Just calm, steady dignity. She walked toward her stepmother, her heels clicking sharply on the cobblestones, the villagers parting to make way for her. Adaku, trembling, tried to stand, but her frail legs buckled, and she fell to her knees in front of Ebere.
“Forgive me… please,” Adaku sobbed, her voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t know what I was doing… I was wrong… I was so wrong.”
The villagers gathered around, silent as the scene unfolded before them. Ebere stopped in front of Adaku, her gaze unwavering, and for a long moment, she didn’t speak. It was as if she was measuring the weight of the years, the pain, and the wounds that had been inflicted.
Finally, Ebere spoke, her voice calm and steady.
“I forgive you,” she said, her words carrying the weight of years of pain, grief, and healing. “Not because you deserve it, but because I need to free myself.”
Adaku looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “But… but I tortured you! I beat you, starved you… I ruined your life…”
“I was a child then,” Ebere replied softly. “I have grown. And I’ve learned that carrying hatred only poisons the soul. It’s time for me to let go.” “And it was all of that who pushed me to be here. Without that i don't think I'll be here now”
Adaku’s tears fell freely now, but Ebere stood tall, her shoulders square, and she didn’t flinch. “You cannot undo what has been done. But I can choose how I move forward.”
The villagers watched in stunned silence. Some were moved to tears, others were unsure of what to say. But one thing was clear—Ebere had returned not as the broken girl they once knew, but as a symbol of something far greater: resilience.
Ebere turned to face the villagers, her eyes sweeping over them. “I want you to understand something,” she said, her voice carrying across the crowd. “What happened to me, what happened to us, is not something I will forget. But I will not let it define me. I am here now because I’ve chosen to move forward. And I will help this village rise.”
A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd, and people began to step forward, nodding in appreciation. Mama Ojiugo, the woman who had once tried to help Ebere, was the first to speak up.
“You have become a great woman, Ebere,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “We all knew you had it in you.”
Ebere nodded gratefully. “I’ve learned from strangers who gave me love and kindness when I needed it most. They raised me, educated me. They showed me the way. And now, I want to give back.”
“But what of Adaku?” one of the villagers asked, glancing at the frail woman still kneeling before Ebere.
Ebere’s eyes softened. “Adaku’s punishment is not mine to give. She will face her own demons. But I will not let hatred rule me any longer.”
As the words left her lips, Tochi and Adaeze, now grown but frail and broken, were carried out of their hut by two elders. Their faces were pale, their eyes sunken, their bodies twisted from years of sickness. They looked like shadows of the children they once were.
Adaku gasped at the sight of them. “My children… what has happened to you?”
Ebere looked at the two children, her face softening. “They are paying the price for the wrongs done, but I do not blame them. They did not choose this.”
Tochi’s voice was weak as he spoke, his words barely audible. “We… we didn’t know… we didn’t know, Ebere.”
Ebere walked over to them, kneeling beside Tochi and Adaeze. She took their hands in hers, her fingers warm against their cold skin.
Adaku collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The years of guilt, shame, and regret had finally broken her. Ebere did not comfort her. She stood and turned back to the villagers.
“Now, it’s time to heal,” Ebere said. “The past cannot be undone, but the future is ours to shape. I will work with my organization to bring resources, education, and healing to this village. Together, we will rise.”
The villagers erupted in applause, some even shouting her name in awe and admiration.
And so, Ebere left the village forgiving Adaku not because she deserved it, but to ease her conscience. She left Adaku and her children back in the village to reap the fruit of their wickedness
The End.
What do you think of Ebere’s journey?Do you think Adaku truly deserves forgiveness?
How do you feel about the themes of resilience and healing in Ebere's story?
Share your thoughts with me below in the comments and let’s discuss!
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Jerry Smith
