“Everyone Said Toma Was the Luckiest Girl in Ajagunlay”

Everyone said Toma was the luckiest girl in Ajagunlay. Young, beautiful, and taken from the slums by a rich man who gave her everything. But five months after disappearing wrapped in silk and makeup, she returned barefoot, with a pregnant belly and no explanation. Her father asked no questions.

He simply opened the door and welcomed her.

Welcome to the African tales of Muna, your gateway to endless stories and narratives.

The sun was just rising over the rusty zinc roofs of Ajagunlay. Roosters crowed in the distance. Smoke rose from small kitchens as mothers began their morning routines. But in a quiet corner of the neighborhood, sadness hung in the air.

Inside a small one-room apartment, a man was hunched over on a stool, sewing an old pair of pants. His hands trembled as he pushed the needle in and out of the thick fabric. His name was Pa Mande Okonquo, a 40-year-old widower with a heart bigger than his pocket.

On the old wall behind him hung a black-and-white photograph of a smiling woman.

Her name was Tealad, his deceased wife, the love of his life. The only woman he had ever loved.

Little Toma, just five years old, was next to her father Mande Okonquo, dressed in a black dress that was too big for her. Her small hand held the edge of his worn shirt.

In front of them was a small grave, freshly covered with red earth.

Her mother, Tealad, had been buried after a long and painful illness that drained the family of every last cent. The crowd that attended the funeral was small. Some neighbors came to show their respect, but most whispered quietly:

—”He’s all alone now. How will he raise that girl by himself? The man is struggling. This will finish him.”

—”Poor Tamiwa. She’s just a baby.”

But Mande Okonquo paid them no mind. His eyes remained fixed on the grave, his lips trembling. Slowly, he knelt beside the mound and whispered a vow:

—I will do everything for our daughter. I will be her mother and father. I won’t let you down, Aoma. I promise.

From that moment on, everything changed for Mande. Before the first light touched the sky, while the streets were still dark and silent, he would rise.

He had rough hands, hands that had sewn thousands of stitches, hardened by years of work as a tailor. But with those same hands, he gently combed Toma’s hair into little puff-puff buns.

Some mornings he would try to braid it. Other days, he would make cornrows. At first, he was clumsy, but he kept practicing. Then he would prepare her lunch, usually boiled yam with egg or beans with garri. He would put it in a clean plastic bag and place it in her backpack.

With his old, holey slippers, he would walk her to school.

And he didn’t just drop her off at the door; he would stay under the big mango tree until school was over, patiently waiting to walk her back home.

Many other children noticed.

—”Is that your dad?” they would ask.

—”Does he do your hair?”

—”How sweet, how nice.”

And Toma would smile proudly.

—”Yes, he’s the best.”

They didn’t have much.

In fact, they had almost nothing.

The house they lived in was a single room with no roof; only a curtain separated the sleeping area from the rest. When it rained, water would seep through the roof, and they used containers to catch the drops.

But Mande never let his daughter see his pain.

Even when he was hungry, he would give her his share of food and say:

—I’m not hungry, dear. Eat well for school.

When it was time for Toma’s common entrance exam, he sold his most prized possession, his sewing machine, which he had used for over ten years.

Now unemployed, he sat under a broken umbrella on the street, mending clothes by hand with just a needle and thread.

Sometimes he would get paid, sometimes not, but he never gave up.

The sun beat down on the neighborhood as Mande finished his daily work. His cracked and sore hands held the clothes he had mended by hand. When he returned to their little home, Toma would be waiting at the door with a smile that brightened even the darkest days.

—”Dad, will you do my braids again tomorrow?” she asked, hope shining in her eyes.

—”Of course, my princess,” Mande replied, hugging her tightly.

But that night, while Toma slept, Mande sat alone, his back against the cold wall, and let a silent tear fall. He thought about the future, how hard it would be to keep his daughter safe, how to ensure his little girl had a better life.

The following days brought new challenges. Food became scarce, and Mande began to think about asking for help, something he had never done. One afternoon, while picking up clothes to mend, he overheard two women talking on the corner.

—”Did you hear about the man who takes care of his daughter alone?” one said. “Poor thing, but it’s admirable.”

—”Yes, but how will he survive? Without work and support…” the other replied.

Mande felt an unexpected push. He decided to go to the local church, a place he had never set foot in before. There he met Mrs. Amina, a strong and charitable woman who ran a support group for single parents.

—”Mande, you’re doing an incredible job,” Amina said with a smile. “You’re not alone. There are people who want to help.”

For the first time, Mande allowed hope to enter his heart.

Meanwhile, Toma continued to grow. Her blue eyes remained a reflection of an innocence that Mande vowed to protect. But life in Ajagunlay was tough, and the children, though smiling, were not exempt from the hardships of the neighborhood.

One afternoon, on her way home from school, Toma found herself surrounded by a group of children.

—”Where’s your mom?” one asked mockingly.

—”She’s in heaven,” Toma replied firmly.

One of the kids pushed her.

—”You’re different, Toma. You don’t belong here.”

The girl stepped back, tears threatening to fall, but she remembered her father’s words.

“You are strong, you are brave. No one can take that away from you.”

The next day, Mande noticed that Toma was quiet. He took her aside and said softly:

—”Don’t listen to what others say, my love. You are valuable, more than they can imagine.”

—”Dad, do you think we’ll ever be able to leave here?” she asked, looking toward the horizon.

—”We will, Toma. I promise,” he replied with determination.

With that commitment, Mande began to look for more stable jobs. He worked during the day and, at night, attended sewing classes to improve his skills and earn better income.

But life had another blow prepared.

One day, Toma came home with a high fever. Mande had no money for a doctor.

Desperate, he went to the community clinic, where the doctor informed him that the girl needed urgent and costly treatment.

—”Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can,” the doctor said, “but I need you to get the money soon.”

Mande sat on a bench, his head in his hands. How could he raise that much money?

In that moment, he remembered the promise he made at his wife’s grave.

—I won’t let you down, Aoma, he murmured.

Soon after, he received an unexpected call.

—”Hello, Mr. Okonquo, this is Amina,” said a warm voice. “We have a fund for cases like yours. I want to help you with Toma’s treatment.”

Mande felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Thanks to Amina’s help and the community, Toma recovered.

Over time, life began to change for both of them.

One afternoon, while walking to school, Toma took her father’s hand and said:

—”Dad, you know what? I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”

Mande looked at her, excited.

—”You will be, my daughter. And you will be the best.”

Years passed, and Toma grew to become an intelligent and determined young woman. Thanks to her father’s support and the community, she earned a scholarship to study medicine at university.

On graduation day, Mande sat in the front row, tears of pride in his eyes as he watched his daughter receive her diploma.

After the ceremony, Toma ran to him and hugged him.

—”We did it, Dad,” she whispered. “Thank you for never giving up.”

Mande smiled, his trembling hands caressing his daughter’s hair.

—”It was thanks to you, my strength, my hope.”

And so, from poverty and struggle, a story of love, sacrifice, and triumph was born.

The story of a man who promised to care for his daughter and a girl who never stopped believing.