- 7 months ago
In the heart of Umude village, a poor bead seller named Ikenna dreams of wealth to lift himself and his mother from hunger. But when an old friend leads him down a secret path of dark rituals and forbidden sacrifices, Ikenna discovers that greed demands a price no one should pay. This haunting African folktale reminds us that when we hunger for riches without mercy, we may lose the very soul we hope to save.
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🌟 Dive into African magic!
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🌍 Love stories with deep meaning and cultural roots?
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Long ago, in a humble village named Okuta, there lived a young man called Ikta. Ikenna shared a crumbling mud hut with his aging mother. The hut had once belonged to Ikenna's father, who had passed on to join the ancestors when Ikenna was still a boy. Poverty was all Ikenna had known.
00:16Each dawn, he rose before the sun to carry his small basket of handcrafted beads to the market. The beads, colorful and delicate, brought him only a few coins. Most days, the little he earned barely filled two empty stomachs. His and his mother's, Ikta often watched the other young men he'd grown up with.
00:35They now owned big houses, wives who welcomed them at the door, children who ran laughing around their yards. Meanwhile, Ikta stayed behind, poor and alone, ignored by old friends too busy counting their riches to visit him.
00:49Still, every morning, Ikta, dressed in his threadbare tunic, balanced his basket of beads on his head, and set off, hoping his fortunes would change. But day after day, the hope was just a fragile ember in his tired heart.
01:03One morning, as Ikenna made his way down the familiar dusty road to the market, he was deep in thought. His mind was full of worries how to stretch the few coins he earned, how to make sure his mother would not sleep hungry that night.
01:16The sun had barely risen, yet sweat already beaded on his brow, balancing the basket on his head. He didn't see the large stone half buried in the road ahead. His foot struck it hard, and he stumbled.
01:28The basket flew from his head, beads spilling in every direction like tiny scattered dreams. Ikta hit the ground with a painful thud, dust rising around him. Nearby villagers stopped to stare, but instead of helping, they laughed.
01:43Some whispered to each other, covering their mouths. Look at him. A woman sneered to her friend, still selling beads like a child. His age mates build houses.
01:52He sells trinkets. Ikenna's face burned with shame as he scrambled to gather the beads back into his basket, his fingers shaking. Each mocking words stung deeper than any bruise on his skin.
02:03By the time Ikenna managed to collect every last bead, his hands were covered in dust and his pride felt shattered.
02:10He lifted the basket back onto his head, keeping his eyes low so he wouldn't see the mocking smiles that followed him like shadows. Step by slow step, he reached the market and found his usual spot.
02:22Under an old tree dot, he spread out his beads neatly on a small mat, trying to smile at Possersby, but inside, his heart was heavy.
02:30He remembered every laugh, every cruel word. All day long, he sat there hoping for buyers, but few came. Those who did barely paid him enough to buy a handful of maize.
02:41When the sun dipped low and the market began to empty, Ikenna packed his unsold beads and counted the coins in his palm.
02:48It wasn't enough, not nearly enough. He sighed, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his hopelessness.
02:54He wished for just one good day, but even wishing seemed too costly now. That evening, Ikenna walked home slowly, the basket of unsold beads pressing down on his head like the weight of all his failures.
03:07When he reached the old hut, his mother was waiting by the doorway. She looked at him with gentle eyes full of worry.
03:13My son, she asked softly, did you sell enough today? Ikenna forced a smile and nodded, hiding the truth.
03:20He didn't want her to see the hopelessness eating at him. Inside, he placed the few coins on the wooden table, enough for a small pot of porridge, nothing more.
03:29As they ate in silence, his mother watched him, her eyes glistening with unspoken fears. Late that night, while his mother slept on her worn mat, Ikenna lay awake staring at the cracked ceiling.
03:41He whispered to the darkness, how long must I struggle like this? But the silence only answered him back.
03:47He felt small and alone, a man with no hope and no help in sight. The days turned into weeks, but nothing changed for each dawn.
03:56He rose before the first rooster's crow, washed his face with cold water from a clay pot, and dressed in the same old clothes that hung loosely on his thin frame.
04:05He balanced his beads on his head and walked the same dusty road with the same heavy thoughts.
04:10Sometimes, he wondered if the ancestors had turned their backs on him. At the market, he forced polite smiles at those who barely noticed him.
04:18He watched wealthier traders boast and laugh. Their stalls crowded with buyers, their pockets filled with coins.
04:25Ikenna's tiny mat looked pitiful beside them. When his stomach growled from hunger, he swallowed it down with gulps of water.
04:32He dreamed of a day when he too could sit tall behind a big stall. His mother well-fed, their hut replaced by a house of strong bricks.
04:40But dreams cost nothing, and so far, nothing was all they gave him in return.
04:45One harsh afternoon, the sun burning overhead, Ikenna sat behind his humble display when a man named Chuka approached.
04:53Chuka was an old friend from childhood. Once they'd played barefoot games under the mango trees,
04:58but now Chuka wore fine clothes and gold rings on his fingers.
05:02Ikenna, my friend, Chuka called loudly, but there was a sharpness in his smile.
05:07He squatted beside Ikenna's mat and picked up a bead, rolling it between his fingers as if it were worthless.
05:14Still selling these tiny things, Chuka asked, his voice dripping with mock pity.
05:19You should have listened to me long ago. There are faster ways to make money than wasting time in the sun.
05:24Ikenna forced a smile, swallowing his pride.
05:28One day, I will find my own way, Chuka, he said quietly.
05:32But Chuka only laughed, dropping the bead back onto the mat like a crumb.
05:37He walked away without buying a thing, leaving Ikenna staring at the empty road,
05:41his heart twisting with shame and envy, dot as Chuka's laughter faded into the busy market.
05:46Ikenna stared at the beads lying dull under the midday sun.
05:50He wondered if Chuka was right, maybe there really was another way, a faster way to escape his misery.
05:56But what could he do? He had no land, no cattle, no family but his mother.
06:01The thought lingered long after he packed up his unsold beads and trudged home that evening.
06:06When he reached the hut, his mother greeted him with a tired smile and a bowl of thin porridge.
06:10Ikenna forced himself to eat, even though each spoonful tasted like his disappointment.
06:16That night, after his mother fell asleep, Ikenna sat outside under the moon.
06:21He watched the stars blink above the dark village roofs and wondered if they were watching.
06:26Him too, mocking him the way Chuka had.
06:28He whispered to the night,
06:30What do I have to do? What must I give to change this life?
06:33But the stars only glittered in silence.
06:36The next few days brought Ikenna no comfort.
06:39The market stayed the same.
06:41Buyers passed him by.
06:42Traders mocked.
06:43Him behind forced smiles, and coins trickled into his hands,
06:47too slowly to stop his stomach from growling at night.
06:50His mother noticed his silence growing deeper, but he hid his thoughts behind a weary grin.
06:55One morning, hunger nodded him so fiercely that Ikenna did what he'd sworn never to do.
06:59He borrowed a few coins from a man named Obiako, a trader known for lending money but with a cruel
07:05tongue. Obiako agreed, but his eyes glowed with the delight of knowing Ikenna would struggle to
07:10pay him back. Don't make me come looking for you, Ikenna Obiako warned as he dropped the coins
07:16into Ikenna's palm. Ikenna nodded quickly, his mouth dry. He promised himself he'd sell enough
07:21beads to repay every penny soon. But deep inside, a small seed of fear took root, a fear that maybe
07:27he was sinking deeper than he knew. Ikenna tried to forget Obiako's warning. As he returned to
07:33his spot in the market, he polished his beads until they shone in the sun, and called out to
07:38Possersby, with a forced cheerfulness that made his throat ache. But no miracle came. The few buyers
07:44who stopped haggled him down to almost nothing. Each evening, he counted his coins and felt panic
07:49crawl through his chest. By the time Obiako's deadline came, Ikenna still didn't have enough.
07:55He barely slept that night, staring at the roof and listening to his mother's soft snores beside
08:00him. That dawn, he hurried to the market, hoping for one last chance to gather what he owed.
08:06But before he could even set out his mat, Obiako appeared, his wide shoulders blocking the morning
08:11sun. His voice boomed through the quiet stalls. Ikenna, where is my money? Traders turned to watch,
08:18their curious eyes cutting deeper than any blade. Ikenna's hands trembled as he held out the small
08:23coins he had managed to collect. Obiako, please, he pleaded, his voice low so others wouldn't hear
08:29the shame, dripping from his words. Give me just a few more days. I will pay you back, I swear it.
08:35But Obiako's face darkened. He grabbed Ikenna by the collar and pulled him up from his mat.
08:41You think I'm a fool, Ikenna? You think I'll wait while you waste my money on your hopeless beads?
08:46Before Ikenna could answer, Obiako's hand cracked across his cheek a loud, sharp slap that silenced the
08:52market for a heartbeat. Ikenna stumbled backward, his cheek stinging, his eyes burning with tears he
08:59refused to let fall. Traders and buyers stared, whispering among themselves. Some pitied him,
09:05others shook their heads and turned away. Ikenna's pride lay scattered on the dusty ground,
09:10just like his beads had days before. Obiako threw Ikenna's collar aside and spat on the ground near
09:16his feet. Next time, I won't use my hand, he hissed before turning and pushing through the gathered crowd.
09:22Ikenna stood frozen, his legs weak as the morning bustle slowly returned. A few kind traders slipped
09:29him small coins when Obiako was out of sight, quiet tokens of pity that made Ikenna's shame burn even
09:35hotter. He gathered the coins in trembling hands and paid Obiako's debt in full that same day,
09:41though it left him with nothing for food. By evening, Ikenna sat alone behind his empty mat,
09:47staring at the dry earth under his feet. His mother's worried eyes haunted him. How could he
09:54tell her that her son, the boy she called her Hope, was now nothing more than a beaten beggar?
10:00As the market closed, Ikenna packed up his beads, the slap still burning on his skin, and the weight of
10:06his failure sinking deeper than ever. That night, back in their dim hut, Ikenna's mother noticed the
10:12bruise blooming on his cheek. She gently touched it with her rough fingertips. My son, what happened
10:18to you? she asked, her voice trembling. Ikenna forced a weak smile and lied. It was nothing,
10:24mama, just a little quarrel in the market. He didn't have the heart to tell her how far he'd fallen.
10:30He knew she would blame herself for not giving him a better start in life. When she slept, Ikenna sat in
10:35the doorway, listening to the night insects and feeling the cold breeze brush his skin. His mind spun in
10:41circles. Every path he saw seemed to lead back to hunger, shame, and failure. And then, a memory
10:47surfaced. Chuka's mocking words about faster ways to make money. Ikenna hated himself for thinking it,
10:53but desperation makes even dangerous paths look bright. He knew where Chuka lived, a big house at
10:59the edge of the village. That night, he made up his mind to go.At dawn, Ikenna rose before his mother
11:05awoke. He washed his face at the clay waterpot, put on his only clean shirt, and stepped quietly
11:11out of the hut. The village paths were still empty, save for goats wandering near cooking fires and
11:17women fetching water. He made his way to Chuka's house, a large compound surrounded by a tall wooden
11:23fence. Ikenna paused at the gate, his heart thumping like a drum in his chest. He wondered if he should
11:28turn back, but the taste of yesterday's shame was still bitter on his tongue. He knocked softly.
11:34Moments later, a servant opened the gate, surprised to see Ikenna standing there.
11:39Soon, Chuka appeared, dressed in a fine cloth wrapper, gold glinting at his neck. He looked Ikenna
11:46up and down and smirked. What brings you here so early, old friend? Ikenna swallowed his pride.
11:52Chuka, I need help. I'm ready to do anything. Just show me the way. Chuka's eyes gleamed with
11:57interest as he stepped aside and motioned Ikenna. Inside, inside Chuka's house, the air smelled of
12:04roasted meat and burning incense, Ikenna sat on a wooden stool while Chuka lounged on a cushioned
12:09bench, watching him like a hawk sizing up prey. You say you're ready to do anything, Chuka asked,
12:16his tone calm but heavy with unspoken promises. Ikenna nodded, his throat dry. He could feel the
12:22weight of his words sinking into his bones. Chuka leaned closer. Listen well, my friend. What you want
12:28comes with a price. Once you start, you can never turn back. No one must ever know how you get your
12:35wealth, not your mother, not your neighbors, no one. Ikenna's palms sweated as he nodded again.
12:41Tell me what to do, he whispered. Chuka smiled, a thin cold smile that made the room feel darker.
12:47Good, Chuka said. He pulled out a leather pouch and dropped it in Ikenna's hands. Take this,
12:52it's only the beginning. When you're ready for more, come back to me. But remember, Ikenna,
12:57this path feeds you today but will haunt you forever. Ikenna left Chuka's house with the
13:02leather pouch hidden deep in his pocket. He didn't dare open it until he was far from the compound.
13:08When he did, he nearly gasped. Crisp notes and shiny coins glimmered in the early morning light.
13:14For a moment, Ikenna's heart soared. He felt taller, stronger, as if the world had suddenly bent in his
13:20favor. He rushed to the market and bought bags of rice, smoked fish, and vegetables. He even picked
13:27up sweet groundnuts, something he hadn't tasted in months. At home, his mother's eyes widened when
13:33she saw the baskets of food. Ikenna, where did you get all this? she asked, her voice trembling
13:38between surprise and worry. Ike forced a laugh and touched her shoulder. Mama, our ancestors have
13:44smiled on me at last. Good fortune has come. He lied again, too afraid to see the truth in her eyes.
13:50She tried to smile back, but deep in her heart, a quiet unease stirred. That evening, Ikenna cooked
13:57a feast he and his mother hadn't tasted in years. They sat cross-legged on their woven mat, eating
14:02roasted fish, yam, porridge, and sweet fruits. For a while, laughter returned to their small hut.
14:09His mother blessed him over and over, her eyes shining with gratitude and relief, but Ikenna's
14:14smile hid a restless storm in his chest. As she dozed off by the firelight, he sat awake,
14:20staring at the pouch now empty beside him. He knew this would not be enough for long. The market
14:26wouldn't change overnight, and the debts would return if he stopped now. Chuka's warning echoed
14:31in his head. Once you start, there's no turning back.at dawn. Before the roosters crowed, Ikenna slipped
14:37quietly out of the hut. He made his way back to Chuka's house, each step heavier than the last,
14:43he told himself. He was doing it for his mother, but deep down he knew he was doing it for the taste
14:48of something he feared he'd never give up again. Chuka was waiting for him this time, as if he'd
14:53known Ikenna would return. He sat under the shade of a mango tree inside his compound, a thin smile on
15:00his lips when he saw Ikenna approach. You're ready for more? Chuka asked, though he already knew the
15:06answer. Ikenna nodded, trying to hold his head high, even as his stomach twisted.Without wasting
15:12words, Chuka led him through a hidden path behind his house to a secluded hut built far from prying
15:18eyes. Inside, an old man with a white beard sat cross-legged before a flickering clay lamp.
15:24This was the village's chief priest, a man few dared to visit. The priest's eyes glowed in the dim light
15:30as he studied Ikenna. So you wish for riches? Young one, he asked in a voice that rumbled like distant
15:36thunder. Ikenna felt sweat gather on his brow but forced himself to nod. Yes, I am ready to do what
15:42it takes. Chuka only watched, his face a mask of secrets, as the hut filled with the smell of burning
15:48herbs. The priest leaned forward, his breath carrying the bitter scent of herbs and smoke. He drew strange
15:54symbols on the ground with chalk and murmured words Ikenna could not understand. Chuka stood behind Ikenna,
16:00one hand resting heavily on his shoulder, as if to remind him there was no escape now.
16:05You wish for wealth? The priest repeated, his eyes never leaving Ikenna's, but wealth demands
16:11sacrifice. Are you ready to pay its price? Ikenna's tongue felt thick in his mouth. He thought of his
16:17mother's smile, the full basket of food, the taste of freedom from hunger. Yes, he whispered. The priest
16:23nodded slowly. Then bring me to white cockerels by tomorrow night. We shall call the spirits that open the
16:30door to riches. But remember, once the door opens, it does not close without taking something. In
16:36return, as they left the hut, Ikenna's legs felt like sticks of dry wood. Chuka clapped him on the
16:41back. You've done well, my friend. Soon you'll eat like a king. But in Ikenna's heart, a quiet fear
16:47had already begun to grow. I didn't sleep that night. He sat by the dying fire, staring at the stars through
16:54the cracks in the hut's thatched roof. His mother snored softly on her mat, unaware of the storm
17:00inside her son's chest.At dawn, Ikenna sold his last beads and borrowed a little more money to buy
17:06the two white cockerels, the priest demanded. He hid them in a basket covered with old cloth and
17:11carried them to the edge of the forest where the hidden shrine lay. When he arrived, the chief priest
17:16was already waiting. Chuka leaned against a tree nearby, watching with an approving nod. The priest took
17:22the cockerels without a word, tied their legs together, and placed them inside a clay circle
17:27marked with white powder. As night fell, the air filled with thick, sweet-smelling smoke from burning
17:33herbs. The priest chanted, his voice rising and falling like distant drums. Ikenna watched the
17:39ritual, his heart thumping wildly. He didn't understand the words, but he knew, from this night on, his life
17:45would never be the same again. By the time the ritual ended, Ikenna's legs were numb from kneeling.
17:51The chief priest's chants faded into the night air, replaced by the sound of crickets and the distant
17:57hoot of an owl. The priest turned to Ikenna, his eyes dark and unreadable. It is done, he said. Go home.
18:05When dawn comes, wealth will find you. But remember my words, the spirits give nothing freely. They always
18:11collect their due. Ikenna nodded, though his heart beat like a drum of warning. Chuka gave him a satisfied
18:17grin as they walked away from the shrine. Rest now, my friend. Tomorrow you'll see what real money
18:23looks like. When Ikenna returned to his hut, his mother was awake waiting. She asked no questions
18:28when he lay down beside her, his clothes smelling of smoke and forest earth. She simply whispered a
18:34prayer over him as he drifted into uneasy sleep. At first light Ikenna sat up, startled by a rustling near
18:40his mat. There, tucked neatly in a woven basket, were bundles of money, crisp notes stacked higher
18:46than he had ever seen in his life. For a long moment Ikenna could only stare at the money,
18:52his breath caught in his throat. He touched the bundles as if they might vanish, crisp notes,
18:57enough to buy him freedom from hunger and shame. He thought of his mother stirring porridge over the
19:02small fire. Unaware of the storm he had invited into their home, he quickly hid the money under his
19:08mat before she could see. That day, he went to the market with pockets heavy and spirit high.
19:13He bought fresh clothes, new beads for trade, and gifts for his mother, soft cloths, sweet fruits,
19:20things she hadn't seen in years. The neighbors watched him with wide eyes, whispering among
19:25themselves as he passed. Some smiled and greeted him kindly. Others narrowed their eyes, suspicion
19:31flickering behind forced politeness.
19:33When Ikenna returned, he found his mother seated in the yard, peeling vegetables. She looked up,
19:40confused by the fine bag he carried. Ikenna, my son, what is this blessing you keep bringing home?
19:46She asked gently. But Ikenna only hugged her, hiding the tremor in his heart. Days turned into weeks,
19:53and Ikenna's wealth grew. His stall at the market doubled in size. He lent money to traders who once
19:59mocked him, and his mother now ate well every day. But with each new day, a heaviness grew in his chest.
20:05One evening, after a rich meal of roasted goat and sweet yams, he sat alone under the moonlight.
20:11Chuka's words haunted him. The spirits always collect their due. Ikenna tried to push the thought away,
20:17but it clung to him like a shadow. When he couldn't stand the fear any longer, he returned to the hidden
20:23shrine. The chief priest sat waiting, as if he had been expecting him all along.
20:28I see you have enjoyed the gifts, the priest said, his voice deep as thunderclouds.
20:34Ikina nodded, his throat dry, but nothing is ever free, the priest continued. To keep the flow of
20:39riches, you must give something in return, something of your blood. Ikenna froze. I have no brothers,
20:46no sisters, only my mother, he whispered, horror creeping into his heart. The priest only smiled,
20:52a slow, cold curve of his lips that made Ikenna's stomach twist. Ikenna's breath caught in his throat
20:58as the chief priest's words settled like poison in his mind. Your mother is your blood, the priest said
21:04quietly. You must choose wealth or your life. Ikenna stumbled out of the shrine, the wind cold
21:09on his sweating skin. He walked home like a man already buried, the weight of his secret heavier
21:15than any poverty he had ever known. That night, he sat across from his mother as she hummed softly,
21:20mending an old wrapper by the fire. Her eyes crinkled with love when she caught him staring.
21:25My son, you look so troubled. What burdens your heart? Ikenna could not answer. He wanted to
21:32scream that he was sorry, that he would rather starve than harm her, but fear clotted him from
21:37the shadows. When dawn came, the villagers found Ikenna's hut empty. Deep in the forest, near the
21:43old shrine, they found him kneeling in the dust, weeping beside the lifeless priest who had promised
21:48him gold. Ikenna's mother was buried with honor, and Ikenna was cast into the forest, never to return.
21:54In New Village, people still whisper the tale that greed eats the heart long before any spirit does.
22:01I hope this tale touched your heart. If it did, please show your love by liking the video,
22:06sharing what you discovered in the comments, and subscribing for more magical stories yet to come.
22:12Thank you for joining us on this journey, and until next time, may your own story grow bold,
22:17bright, and beautifully yours.
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