They Mocked The Poor Girl Because Of Her Long Neck, Years Later, This Happened.

• i wish I could cut it off the humiliation is too much zara whispered in tears dinma rushed over and held her don’t ever say that again do you know how many women pray to have a daughter like you do you know how many times I went to the shrine and fasted for a child before God brought you to me madam your your baby is fine but did you say you ate giraffe meat before delivery amara nodded shily yes the neck is from me she’s a strong girl everyone in the village of Umugo knew Amara as the woman who loved food not just ordinary food her cravings were
• special strange and sometimes very expensive amara was a young woman beautiful and lively her husband Okke was a hunter a very strong and respected man in the village they had been married for 2 years before the good news came amara was finally pregnant oh from the first month of her pregnancy Amara’s cravings began like wild fire okay okay I want roasted rabbit meat she shouted one early morning holding her big belly and rolling on the floor like a child okke without question rushed into the bush with his hunting tools and came back that evening with two fat rabbits amara smiled like a queen and devoured
• the meat before even greeting him the next week “Darling I want fresh monkey pepper soup not too spicy just the way mama used to make it monkey again Okke asked but his wife was already wiping imaginary tears from her eyes do you want our baby to come out with no eyes that’s what they say happens when a pregnant woman’s cravings are denied ok didn’t want that kind of story so he wore his hunting boots again and disappeared into the forest the villagers soon started calling Okke the running hunter because he was always in
• a hurry chasing one strange animal after the other to feed his wife’s cravings month after month Amara ate everything antelopee bush pig porcupine squirrel grass cutter and even panggalin if it lived in the bush Amara wanted to eat it sometimes she didn’t even wait for the meat to cool before tearing into it like a lioness the village women laughed behind her back this one is eating like she’s feeding twins triplets and a football team inside her womb but Amara didn’t care her only concern was that her stomach was happy kk on the other hand was growing lean
• hunting everyday spending money on other hunters buying spices and firewood for Amara’s neverending meals it was a lot still he loved his wife deeply and wanted the best for her and the baby finally it was the ninth month amara’s belly looked like a big calabash ready to burst any moment everyone expected that by now she would stop craving strange things but one early morning just 3 days to her due date Amara woke up and screamed “Oh K!” Or ran inside holding his cutless “What is it is it time is the baby coming?” No but

EPISODE: 2

• something else is coming Amara said licking her lips what is coming i want giraffe meat silence giraffe meat yes grilled giraffe meat with a goosey soup and pounded yam amara giraffes are not even common in this part of the forest even if I find one bringing it down is not easy do you want me to die in the bush amara folded her arms and squeezed her face like a stubborn child then let me die first let the baby come out with one eye and three legs you don’t care about me or our baby she lay on the ground kicking and crying loudly okke scratched his head in confusion the next
• thing she refused to eat drink or even talk she’s using hunger strike to kill me oki shouted in frustration but the matter was serious the village elders came to beg the women tried to talk to her she only repeated one sentence giraffe meat or no peace okke knew he had no choice he called four of his hunter friends and told them “Please help me find giraffe anywhere in the deep forest my wife is ready to bring down the roof.
• ” After 2 days of searching chasing and sweating they found one tall giraffe drinking water by a quiet stream it wasn’t easy but they managed to bring the animal down and carry the meat back to the village when Amara saw the giraffe meet she danced with joy big belly and all she sang loudly while the women helped her cook igusi soup bubbling in the pot pounded yam ready giraffe meat you will not escape me today the whole house smelled like paradise amar sat on a big chair like a queen with a mountain of pounded yam in front of her and steaming a goosey soup filled with soft giraffe
• meat she ate and ate and ate some more the plate was shaking “madam take it easy,” one woman warned “leave her,” Oki said let her enjoy the giraffe she nearly killed us over amara finished everything and licked her fingers then she smiled and said “Now I can give birth in peace.

EPISODE: 3

• ” 2 days later it was time labor labor the baby is coming the women ran in with rappers the traditional midwife arrived okke was pacing up and down like a mad man amara was screaming and pushing and finally the baby arrived a girl a healthy girl or so everyone thought but then the midwife looked closely and gasped “A a what is this?” Everyone gathered around the baby had a long neck not just long very long like something you only see in the zoo like a giraffe one woman whispered “Maybe it’s the giraffe meat she ate.
• ” Another said “Ha this child will need special wrapper normal baby cloth will not reach that neck.” Okke nearly fainted amara sat up sweating and smiling is she beautiful the women didn’t know what to say the baby was healthy strong and beautiful but that neck whoever came to greet them at the house stood in shock mouth wide open some people from the other village thought it was a joke others took small steps backward “madam your baby is fine but did you say you ate giraffe meat before delivery?” Amara nodded proudly yes the neck is from me she’s a strong girl but deep inside Amara began to
• wonder was this her doing had her cravings gone too far even the baby’s first cry sounded like like a baby giraffe calling for its mother she was named Kamzy kamsy was now 1 month old even at that young age her neck was already growing longer and longer amara felt like the ground should open and swallow her her husband the hunter tried to stay strong he still loved the baby and believed she was a blessing but Amara she had made up her mind she wanted the baby gone one day she looked at baby Camy sleeping
• peacefully and hissed you brought shame into my life you turned me into a joke no one sees me anymore they only see your long neck that night Amara did not sleep she lay awake on her mat her eyes wide open waiting as soon as I left for hunting early the next morning Amara stood up quietly she wrapped Kamsi in a thick cloth and tied her on her back she didn’t take any bag didn’t tell anyone where she was going she just walked she walked far deep into the bush the air was cool the leaves were wet with morning dew birds were chirping and

EPISODE: 4

• small monkeys jumped from tree to tree but Amara didn’t stop she looked left looked right no one was around then she saw a thick tree by a small footpath and stopped she untied the cloth looked at her daughter one last time and whispered “You will thank me one day.
• ” She laid the baby under the tree covered her with a wrapper so wild animals wouldn’t see her easily and ran back home when she reached the village she dropped to the ground and began to scream “Help my baby my baby is gone!” People ran to her hut what happened she screamed louder i went outside to fetch water and before I came back my baby was gone someone shouted “Kidnappers!” Another said “This is wickedness.
• ” Amara rolled on the ground and cried crocodile tears but deep inside her heart was calm “no more shame no more long neck no more mockery.” When Ekenna came back from the forest and heard the story he dropped his hunting bag and shouted “My baby my daughter who took her?” He cried ran around the village asked everyone but no one knew anything no one saw Amara leaving that morning no one knew what she had done but far away deep in the bush little Camsy was still there her cloth was dusty her small hands waving her soft voice crying weakly
• w her neck tilted to the side she was tired hungry cold then suddenly someone came it was a woman walking with a sack of cassava on her head her feet were dusty her wrapper was faded her eyes looked tired her name was Dinma she lived in a small lonely hut far from the village near the hills she had no husband no children she was called the barren woman dinma had suffered for many years people mocked her too “you don’t know the pain of child birth,” they used to tell her but she had a kind heart that morning Denma was walking back from

EPISODE: 5

• her small farm when she heard something w she stopped and listened is that a baby she dropped the cassava and ran toward the sound there beside a tree she saw the baby small helpless crying softly she gasped who left a child here she bent down quickly and picked her up then she saw it the long neck she didn’t scream she didn’t drop the baby she only stared for a moment then hugged the baby tightly “oh my god who could do this to a child?” she called out “Hello is anybody here?” Silence she looked around but no one was near
• only trees only silence then she looked down at the baby she looked back at her and gave a small tired smile that was the moment Dinma’s heart melted i don’t care what you look like you are mine now she used part of her wrapper to tie Chemy on her back and carried her all the way home when Dinma reached her small compound she cleaned the baby fed her with pap and wrapped her in warm cloth “you are beautiful,” she said “i don’t care what anyone says.
• ” She didn’t know the child’s name so she whispered “I will call you Chisaram it means God answered me that night Dinma couldn’t sleep she just stared at the baby beside her touching her tiny hands watching her chest rise and fall but deep in her heart she was worried who left this child in the bush will they come back looking for her she had no answers but one thing was sure she was not going to let go of the baby dinma named the baby Chisaram but she always called her Zara for short and that was the name the little girl grew up with zara grew fast her body looked like every other child’s
• except for one thing her neck it was long too long for a child as she got older the neck got longer some people said it looked like a rope others said she looked like a giraffe but Dinma didn’t care she took care of Zara like her own daughter she called her my sunshine my miracle and my answered prayer god gave you to me she would always say “And Zara,” she didn’t call Dinma auntie or madam she called her mama when Zara turned six Dinma took her to the village primary school she dressed her in a clean uniform and tied
• her hair nicely zara was happy but her first day in school turned into a sad day as soon as she entered the class one boy shouted “Huh see giraffe.” Another girl covered her mouth and giggled “Why is her neck taller than the blackboard?” The whole class laughed and laughed zara stood quietly her eyes became red tears rolled down her cheeks she went back home crying mama I don’t want to go to school again they are laughing at me dinma hugged her zara don’t mind them you are special one day they will stop laughing but it
• didn’t stop in school during playtime no one wanted to play with her they would say “Go and play with trees they are your neckmates.” Sometimes they threw paper at her back zara tried to smile she tried to be strong but when she came back home she always cried in Dinma’s arms and Dinma would wipe her tears and say Zara you are beautiful never forget that zara grew older by the time she was 17 she had grown into a very fine girl her skin was smooth her eyes were bright her voice was calm but still her long