00:00In the remote village of Oriola, lived a kind-hearted woman named Nandaira.
00:05She was known far and wide for her delicious meals, cooked with love and skill.
00:10The villagers affectionately called her Nandaira the cook,
00:13and people from neighboring towns often traveled just to have a taste of her famous dishes.
00:19Each morning she would set up her humble food stall by the dusty roadside,
00:23her smile as warm as the sun, her cooking even warmer.
00:27She wasn't just admired for her food, Nandaira was a pillar of the community,
00:32always helping others in need.
00:35Nandaira had a young daughter named Tari who she loved deeply.
00:39After her husband Ofori died unexpectedly while she was still pregnant,
00:44Nandaira had to raise Tari alone.
00:47Life wasn't easy but Nandaira never once gave up.
00:50She worked tirelessly to provide for her daughter,
00:53always putting Tari's happiness before her own.
00:56The villagers respected her deeply.
00:59Though they knew she carried great sorrow,
01:02they only ever saw her kindness and resilience.
01:05Nandaira and Tari shared a bond that was more than mother and daughter,
01:09they were inseparable best friends in every sense of the word.
01:13One quiet morning as the sun lit up the red earth of Oriola,
01:17a young man named Nsoji came to eat at Nandaira's stall.
01:21Strong and cheerful, Nsoji was well-liked in the village and often praised Nandaira's meals.
01:27That day, like many before, he greeted her with a smile and devoured her food with satisfaction.
01:33But by afternoon, Nsoji fell gravely ill.
01:37His skin turned pale, his body trembled, and soon he was vomiting blood.
01:42In Oriola, this was no ordinary sickness, it was a sign of poison.
01:46The village buzzed with fear and confusion.
01:50Whispers quickly turned into loud accusations.
01:53It was Nandaira.
01:54She must have poisoned him.
01:57The villagers didn't wait for explanations.
02:00Grief and fear clouded their judgment.
02:03They marched to her stall, their hearts burning with rage.
02:07Nandaira tried to plead her innocence but they wouldn't listen.
02:11Stones were raised, shouts filled the air.
02:14The woman who had once fed them, helped them, loved them was now their enemy.
02:19The first stone struck.
02:20Then the second.
02:21By the time the crowd calmed, Nandaira lay lifeless on the ground, her food stall stained with more than spilled stew.
02:29Ten-year-old Tari watched it all, hidden behind the trunk of a tree, her cries silent in the noise of hate.
02:35Her world had crumbled in an instant.
02:39After the tragedy, the villagers couldn't bear the guilt of keeping Tari.
02:43They sent her away to Kimbala, a neighboring town where her uncle Jabari lived.
02:49Jabari was a gentle man with a quiet soul.
02:52When he heard what happened, tears filled his eyes.
02:56He welcomed Tari with open arms.
02:59His wife and children embraced her as one of their own.
03:03Slowly, Tari's pain began to heal.
03:06The food, the laughter, the warm bed, all reminded her of her mother.
03:10Though she missed Nandaira terribly, her uncle's home became a place of safety.
03:15Years passed.
03:17Tari grew from a quiet girl into a thoughtful young woman.
03:21At eighteen, she had inherited her mother's grace and resilience.
03:25Jabari, now aging, saw in her the strength of her mother.
03:29But there was a truth he had never shared.
03:32One day he called her to his side.
03:34His voice was heavy, his eyes distant.
03:38Tari, he began, there's something about your mother you must know.
03:43She listened, heart-pounding, as Jabari recounted the day Nsoji died, the mob, the false accusations,
03:48and how the village turned on Nandaira.
03:51Tari's eyes filled with tears.
03:53The story she had feared to hear for so long was finally spoken, and it hurt more than she imagined.
04:00Her mother had died not from guilt, but from a cruel misunderstanding.
04:04I always knew she wasn't guilty, Jabari said softly, she was too pure.
04:10But fear blinds people, Tari.
04:13His confession gave her pain but also a strange peace.
04:17Finally, she understood.
04:20Not long after, Jabari fell ill and passed away.
04:23At the funeral, Tari's cousins gathered her quietly.
04:26You're grown now, they said.
04:29We can't care for you anymore.
04:32It's time you found your own path.
04:34Tari was stunned.
04:35Once again she was alone.
04:37With nowhere to go, she thought of Oriala, her childhood home, the place of her mother's legacy and downfall.
04:44Could she return?
04:45Would the villagers remember her mother's kindness or just her final day?
04:50With a brave heart, Tari journeyed back.
04:52She arrived quietly and set up a small food stall, just like her mother used to.
04:58Each morning she cooked with love.
05:00Her food was just as good as Nandaira's, maybe even better.
05:04But the villagers kept their distance.
05:07They remembered too well.
05:08The story of Nandaira's supposed crime still haunted them.
05:12Day after day, Tari stood at her stall, smiling, waiting, hoping.
05:17But no one came.
05:19Her food remained untouched.
05:20The stares, the whispers, they all told her the same thing.
05:24You're her daughter.
05:26We haven't forgotten.
05:28Tari felt defeated.
05:30But she didn't stop.
05:32Her mother had never given up and neither would she.
05:35One evening, as the sky turned orange and shadows grew long, Tari walked home, her basket still full of unsold food.
05:43Tears welled in her eyes.
05:45Along the path, a hunched figure emerged from the trees.
05:48An old woman, cloaked in rags, eyes glowing like embers.
05:54Tari stepped back instinctively.
05:57The woman smiled but there was something strange in that smile.
05:59Why do you cry, child?
06:02She asked, her voice both gentle and unsettling.
06:05Tari hesitated then spoke.
06:08They won't eat my food.
06:09They think I'm like my mother.
06:12The old woman nodded slowly.
06:14Yes.
06:15They remember.
06:16But it's not just memory that keeps them away.
06:19Something is missing from your food.
06:21Tari blinked.
06:23Missing?
06:23I use the best spices, the freshest ingredients.
06:27It's not about taste, the woman interrupted.
06:31It's about power.
06:32The woman reached into her cloak and pulled out a tiny gourd carved from black wood.
06:38This, she said, will make them come to you.
06:41Just mix a pinch into your cooking.
06:44Tari took the gourd, curious but wary.
06:47What's inside?
06:48The woman's smile darkened.
06:51Essence of obedience.
06:52Your mother refused us long ago.
06:55That's why she died.
06:57She wouldn't join our circle.
06:59So we made the village turn against her.
07:02Tari's heart skipped.
07:04You.
07:04You caused her death.
07:06She chose pride over survival, the woman replied coldly.
07:11Now you must choose.
07:13Take our gift.
07:14Or suffer as she did.
07:16The weight of the gourd felt heavier than it looked.
07:19Tari stepped back, shaking her head.
07:22No.
07:23I won't use it.
07:25Then you will suffer, child, the witch said, vanishing into the shadows.
07:29That night Tari sat in her tiny room, the gourd resting on the table.
07:34Could this really be the cause of everything?
07:37Had her mother refused a dark gift only to die by it?
07:40Her hands trembled.
07:43Her mind raced.
07:44But in her heart she knew her answer.
07:48The next morning she returned to her stall but this time with a sign that read.
07:53Made with love.
07:54Not magic.
07:56At first no one came.
07:57But then an old man walked up.
08:00He looked at her then at the food.
08:02Your mother once saved my daughter's life with her cooking, he said quietly.
08:07I never forgot that.
08:09He bought a bowl.
08:11Then another person came.
08:12Then two more.
08:14Slowly the stall filled with people.
08:17Not because of magic.
08:19But because love, real, true love, never dies.
08:22I hope you enjoyed the story.
08:24If so, please like the video, comment what you learned from the tale, and don't forget
08:28to subscribe to the channel for more enchanting tales just like this one.
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