Christabel the Courageous Girl

Written by Okenwa Chimakpam Francis

Cover Design by Beauty Benedict

Edited by Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Okenwa Chimakpam Francis, Author of Christabel the Courageous Girl

Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu, Editor of Christabel the Courageous Girl

Beauty Benedicty, Cover Designer of  Christabel the Courageous Girl

Mrs. Kogah Lydia, Principal of Shammah International Secondary School 

Chapter One

Christabel and Her Parents

Christabel was born into a very wealthy family. Her parents, Mr. Denis and Mrs. Anita, were rich and influential. Mr. Denis owned several companies, while Mrs. Anita managed numerous shops selling expensive goods. They lived in a large, beautiful house in the city, and their garage was filled with luxurious cars.

Christabel had everything she could ever want in life and was well cared for. At school, her classmates adored her because she was intelligent and generous, often sharing what she had.

On Christabel’s sixteenth birthday, she celebrated with her parents and friends. Her parents surprised her with expensive gifts, including a wristwatch, shoes, and a beautifully decorated cake. They also took her shopping, making the day even more special. Christabel truly enjoyed her birthday.

Shortly after her birthday, Mr. Denis had to travel abroad by plane. On the day of his departure, Christabel and her mother were heartbroken and cried as they bid him farewell.

Three months later, tragedy struck. As Mr. Denis was returning home, his plane crashed, and he did not survive. The devastating news left Christabel and her mother in tears.

Christabel was just sixteen years old when she lost her father. She had two uncles, Mr. Louis and Mr. James, who lived in a house built by her father in the village. After Mr. Denis’s death, her uncles seized control of his property, leaving Christabel and her mother to face difficult times.

***

Christabel and her mother relocated to the village to escape the hardship they faced. In the village, her mother started hawking oranges and mangoes to make ends meet. They lived in a small hut made of mud and sticks.

One day, as Christabel and her mother were out selling fruits, a motorcyclist accidentally hit her mother. Christabel rushed her to the hospital, but the doctor said the bill would cost 20,000 naira. Unable to pay, Christabel pleaded with the doctor to treat her mother, but he refused due to the lack of payment. Life became even tougher for Christabel.

Desperate, she hustled to sell the remaining oranges and mangoes and even resorted to begging to raise money for her mother’s treatment. Despite her efforts, she could only gather 10,000 naira. When she returned to the hospital, she was devastated to find that her mother had passed away. Heartbroken, she cried and pleaded for her mother to return to life, but it was in vain. 

Returning to their hut, Christabel discovered it had collapsed. With nowhere else to go, she was forced to sleep in a nearby bush.

A few weeks after her mother’s death, Christabel had a dream where she saw her mother. In the dream, she said, ‘Mother, I want to follow you.’

Her mother replied, ‘No, my daughter, I am a spirit.’

Christabel cried uncontrollably until she woke up. The next morning, she resolved to build a new hut for herself, determined to keep moving forward despite her challenges.        

***

One night, tragedy struck again. A group of kidnappers sneaked into Christabel’s hut. They searched through her few belongings, tossing things around until they found the money she had saved. They stuffed the money into their pockets and looked around nervously. One of them picked up a stick, blocked the door with it, and said, ‘Let’s burn the hut. No one will know we were here.’

They stepped outside and noticed an old kerosene lamp hanging by the doorway. One of the kidnappers took out a match from his pocket, struck it, and used it to light the palm-leaf roof after pouring kerosene on it. The dry leaves caught fire quickly, and flames rose into the night sky.

As the fire spread, crackling loudly, the kidnappers fled into the darkness. Inside, Christabel was fast asleep on her mat, tired from working hard for many days. She was so deep in sleep that she didn’t notice the smoke filling the room or the heat from the growing flames.

One of the kidnappers felt bad about what they had done. He came back, shaking with guilt. He quickly removed the stick from the door, grabbed one of the buckets that Christabel had placed outside while it was raining earlier, and poured the rainwater over the fire. The fire hissed angrily before dying down, leaving smoke and ashes behind. Without saying a word, he disappeared into the night.

By morning, Christabel woke up coughing, her throat dry. The smoky air made her chest hurt. She walked outside, shocked to see her hut badly burned. The walls were black, and the roof looked like it might fall. She dropped to her knees and searched the ashes where her money had been hidden, and discovered that the money was gone.

Tears filled her eyes as she cried loudly. ‘God, why me?’ she said, her voice shaking. ‘Why is my life so full of pain?’

In the silence, she thought she heard a soft, soothing voice in her heart, like that of an angel: ‘Be prayerful. Don’t lose hope. I am with you.

Christabel wiped her face, though she couldn’t stop crying. She walked down the road, her shoulders trembling. A man saw her and came closer.

‘Why are you crying?’ he asked gently.

Christabel explained everything, her voice shaking with tears. The man listened, his face kind. He reached into his pocket, pulled out some money, and gave it to her.

‘Take this,’ he said. ‘It will help you start again.’

Christabel looked at the money in her hand, her fingers shaking. ‘Thank you, sir,’ she said softly, tears of gratitude streaming down her face. With the money he had given her, she would be able to travel to Asaba, where her aunt lived.

***

Christabel arrived in Asaba and made her way to her aunt’s house. Mrs. Ngozi, who sold vegetables and fruits in the market, was busy in the kitchen when Christabel walked in. The moment the children saw her, their faces lit up. They rushed over, bombarding her with excited questions.

‘Ifeanyi, Chinedu, Soludo!’ Mrs. Ngozi called from the kitchen.

‘Yes, Mum!’ the boys chorused, hurrying to help their mother. Adaeze, their sister, was already stirring something in the pot.

After lunch of eba and okra soup, Christabel smiled warmly and thanked her aunt.

‘Thank you, Aunty Ngozi,’ Christabel said, then looked around. ‘Is there anything I can do?’

Mrs. Ngozi’s face softened, and she replied, ‘Ifeanyi, go with Christabel to fetch water. Fill all the buckets.’ Just as Christabel was about to leave for the borehole, Mrs. Ngozi called her back. ‘What about your mum?’ she asked.

Christabel paused, her heart sinking. Her hands trembled, and her eyes welled up with tears. She turned to her aunt and whispered, ‘My mum is dead.’

She spoke through her tears, telling them about her loss. The family gathered around her, offering comfort and kind words.

A week later, Christabel was enrolled in school to continue from where she had stopped in SS2. Each morning, she woke early to help her aunt sell vegetables and fruits in the market. Despite her sadness, she was determined to contribute to the household and make her aunt proud.                      

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

Christabel Becomes a Medical Doctor

Christabel carried a basket of vegetables on her head as she walked quickly along the dusty road to the market. The sound of cars speeding by on the expressway filled the air. As she walked, she noticed a woman getting into her car with a handbag loosely hanging from her shoulder.

Suddenly, the handbag fell to the ground with a loud thud, but the woman didn’t notice. She got into her car and drove off.

‘Madam! Madam!’ Christabel shouted, waving her hand, but the noise of the passing cars drowned her voice.

She put her basket down and picked up the handbag. It felt heavy. She opened it a little and was surprised to see stacks of money. Beneath the money, she found a piece of paper with an address written on it.  

The next morning, Christabel stood nervously in front of a big gate, holding the handbag tightly. She knocked, and soon, the gate opened. A woman wearing a beautiful gown appeared and looked at Christabel curiously.

‘Good morning, ma,’ Christabel said softly.

‘Good morning, young lady. How can I help you?’ the woman asked politely.

‘Ma, I found your handbag on the road yesterday and brought it back to you,’ Christabel said, handing over the bag.

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Oh my goodness! Thank you so much. I didn’t even know I lost it,’ she said with a warm smile. ‘What’s your name?’

‘My name is Christabel,’ she replied shyly.

The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Chiamaka and asked for Christabel’s address. She promised to visit soon.

The next day, Mrs. Chiamaka came to Christabel’s house and met her aunty, Mrs. Ngozi. After a warm greeting, she turned to Christabel and said, ‘You’re such an honest girl. I want to help you. If you agree, I’ll take care of your education and support you to achieve your dreams.’

Christabel looked at her aunty, unsure. ‘Aunty, should I go with her?’

Mrs. Ngozi smiled and said, ‘It’s your choice, my dear. If you trust her, I won’t stop you.’

‘I’ll go,’ Christabel said firmly. Though she was nervous, she believed it was a chance to change her life, so she decided to take the risk, even though she would never advise anyone to take risks that might endanger their lives.

From then on, Christabel lived with Mrs. Chiamaka, who treated her like her own daughter. She enrolled Christabel in a good secondary school, where Christabel worked hard. She passed her SSCE exams with excellent grades and received a scholarship to study medicine abroad.

Seven years later, Christabel returned to Nigeria as a qualified doctor. Wearing her white coat, she stood proudly outside Ikeja General Hospital, ready to help others. It had been a long journey, but Christabel knew her hard work and honesty had led her to this moment.

***

Christabel was driving down the road, heading to Ikeja General Hospital one bright morning when her car suddenly stopped. She sighed, realising the petrol tank was empty, and guided the car into a nearby petrol station. As the attendant filled her tank, a beautiful black car pulled up beside her.

A tall man stepped out and smiled warmly. ‘Hello, beautiful lady. How are you?’ he asked confidently.

Christabel turned, raising an eyebrow. ‘I’m fine, thank you. And you are?’

‘My name is Kalu,’ he said, extending a hand. ‘Can we be friends?’

Christabel hesitated for a moment before nodding. ‘All right.’

Kalu’s grin widened. ‘Great! Can I have your number?’

After a brief pause, Christabel called out her number, and the man saved it in his phone. As she drove off, she noticed his car trailing hers for a while before they went their separate ways.

Over the weeks that followed, Kalu called often, and their conversations grew longer and livelier. He made her laugh, listened to her stories, and soon they began spending time together. Kalu treated Christabel with care, surprising her with shopping trips and thoughtful outings. Their bond deepened, and before long, Kalu confessed his feelings for her.

One sunny afternoon, Kalu knelt in front of her, holding a small red box. As he opened it, a beautiful ring was revealed. ‘Christabel, will you marry me?’ he asked.

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. ‘Yes, Kalu. I will.’

After Christabel said yes, Kalu carefully took the ring from the box and gently slid it onto her finger, his eyes filled with love and joy.

A few days later, Kalu decided it was time to meet Christabel’s family. ‘I want to meet your aunty this weekend,’ he announced with a proud smile.

‘That’s wonderful,’ Christabel replied, her excitement obvious. ‘She’ll be happy.’

That weekend, they visited Mrs. Ngozi, who welcomed them warmly with a steaming pot of jollof rice and fried chicken. After the meal, she turned to Kalu and asked, ‘Who is this fine young man?’       

Christabel smiled, taking Kalu’s hand. ‘Aunty, this is my fiancé, Kalu.’

Mrs. Ngozi clapped her hands in delight. ‘Ah, my dear! Congratulations!’

Six months later, Christabel walked down the aisle to marry Kalu, surrounded by family and friends. Their joy multiplied when they welcomed their first child, a healthy baby boy, into their home. It was the beginning of another beautiful new chapter in their lives.

***

One day, Christabel decided to visit her village with her family. As they arrived at her uncle’s house, she stopped in shock. Her uncle Louis, once strong and proud, was now sitting in an old wheelchair, his legs not moving. His wife, once lively, sat beside him, her blind eyes staring into space.

When they saw Christabel, her uncle’s eyes welled with tears. His voice broke as he reached out towards her. ‘Please, my daughter, forgive me. I have wronged you... I’m so sorry,’ he whispered, his hands shaking.

Christabel’s heart softened. Before she could respond, her uncle wife’s voice trembled as she spoke. ‘Forgive my husband, please,’ she pleaded, her own tears falling freely.

Christabel stepped forward, kneeling beside her uncle. ‘Uncle, please,’ she said softly, brushing a tear from his cheek. ‘Stop crying. I forgave you a long time ago. There’s nothing left to forgive.’

Her uncle let out a soft cry, holding her hands. ‘Thank you, my daughter. Thank you for understanding,’ he whispered, wiping his eyes.  Christabel smiled gently, her voice warm. ‘It’s okay, Uncle. It’s all in the past now.’

Her thoughts then shifted to her other uncle, Mr. James, who hadn’t been there. The last time Christabel had seen him, he was a proud man, full of life. She had heard rumours that he had fallen ill some time ago, but she didn’t expect this—her heart sank. It seemed that one of the hardest lessons of life was that those who wronged you would ultimately reap what they had sown.

With a sigh, she helped Louis and his wife into the car and drove them to the city with her.