BETTY THE YOUNGEST FARMER

BETTY THE YOUNGEST FARMER

by Emmanuel Deliver Amable

In the village of Thambidah, where warriors roamed and women managed households, 13-year-old Betty defied convention. She lived with her grandmother, who taught her the ways of farming.

One morning, the village men embarked on a hunt, leaving Betty to tend to their family farm. With a cutlass and hoe in hand, she bravely set out on the 5-kilometer journey. The distance seemed daunting, but Betty persevered.

As she reached the farm, she rested and drank the porridge she had packed. With renewed energy, she worked tirelessly for three hours, taking short breaks to rest.

Just as she finished, a strange noise caught her attention. Cautiously, she investigated and found her late father's spirit, who warned her of a nearby antelope. With newfound determination, Betty fought and killed the antelope, providing food and shelter for her family.

The journey back home was arduous, but Betty's spirit remained unbroken. Her grandmother, proud of her accomplishment, tended to her wounds with herbal remedies.

The next day, Betty returned to the farm to thank the ancestors. Her father's spirit reappeared, guiding her to plant a specific seed. The seed would yield fruit, sustaining over 1,000 villagers for five years.

Betty and her grandmother shared the vision with the villagers, who worked together to cultivate the land. As the fruit flourished, the village prospered, and Betty became known as the youngest and bravest farmer in Thambidah.

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