CHILDREN STORIES

KOBENA, THE WATER SELLER

✅ KOBENA, THE WATER SELLER

Writer: ✍🏻Francis Agamah

Mr. Sam Ofori lived in a small village called Ossin.He was a wealthy businessman with a beautiful wife called Frema Edunyame and two sons, Yooku and Ekow. The village, Ossin, was not suitable for digging a well. The villagers have to travel several days to fetch water elsewhere. It was even said that people started their journeys on Mondays and returned on Fridays because the entire stretch of land in and around the village was also not suitable for digging a well. It was rumoured that the land was under a curse.
Even the rich man Mr.Ofori Sam was affected by that crisis.
One day a stranger came to the town. He was looking for Mr. Ofori. When He finally came across Mr.Ofori, he explained to him that his mother Ayorkor told him he was his father.
" You mean to say you are my son?," Mr. Ofori asked.
Though Mr. Ofori had been in a relationship with Ayorkor when he was doing his national service in a nearby village for a while, he never knew their affair had resulted in a child who was even older than his two sons.
" What is your name,young man," Mr. Ofori asked.
"I'm called Kobena," he said.
"You are welcome home, Kobena, my son," Mr.Ofori said, laughing.
When his wife and children heard their father had an older son, they became infuriated and showed animosity towards Kobena.
It wasn't long before Mr.Ofori died. His will was read. Most of his properties went to his family and two sons but he also gave a piece of land to Kobena.
Mr. Ofori's sons Yooku and Ekow threw Kobena out of the house saying, "you are not our older brother. We don't know you. "
"My brothers, do not forsake me,"Kobena pleaded but his two brothers ignored him and warned him never to set his feet in their house again.
The piece of land that was given to Kobena was also taken away from him by his brothers. They say, "this land is too big for you."
Instead, they gave Kobena a smaller piece of land at the outskirt if the village. They mock him and said, Kobena, this is the land you derseve, not the big fertile one our father gave to you."
Kobena took the case to the chief. The chief who was bribed by Ekow and Yooku arbitrated the case and ruled that Kobena must take the small unattractive land at the outskirt of the town. All efforts made by Kobena to appeal the ruling proved futile.
Sadly, Kobena accepted his fate and built a small hut on the piece of land. He began to farm.
One day, Kobena went to the farm to cultivate some crops. His hoe accidentally hit a particular spot off the farm and suddenly, water began gurgling in large quantities. Kobena was shocked because Ossin was known not to be suitable for water. Kobena knew he had chanced on treasure. He made a big well. The water was not just an ordinary water but a sweet soft water.
Soon, the villagers got to know Kobena had a well full of fresh water. The entire village went into Kobena's compound to buy water.
With time he became rich and build a nice house. Still , he sold the water to the villagers. His business developed and he became a very rich man in the village. Other villagers who saw Kobena could make a well also tried to dig the land for water but upon several attempts , they realized the water could only be found in just Kobena's land. His half brother and the chief were ashamed of how they treated him.
Soon,they lost their father's properties and became poor.Kobena forgave his brothers who volunteered to work for him but he refused.
With time,Kobena became very rich and famous through the sale of water.
He was popularly known in the village as Kobena the water seller.
Till date, it is only on Kobena's piece of land that water can be found in the village of Ossin.