Once Upon a Time in the beautiful Village of OC known for its fast array of healing hers lived a 32-year-old spinster named inam in her early youth when she was required to be married by tradition she had several sors but none of them spared her interest and despite her beauty the men did not bother to pursue her further after their first encounter with her because they felt intimidated by her intelligence in km's late father auu was a scholar who sailed around the world seeking knowledge and every time he returned he would bring ancient books for
her to read and tell her stories about the countries he had visited when her mother passed away agu retired early to care for his daughter but in the confines of their little home he would educate her on several things from English language to many other subjects in K there is so much to see outside our village he would tell her whenever they concluded their conversations and when agu passed away inm felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath her feet agu was not just her father he was her Mentor her guide and her
closest confidence aside from the memories they shared all she had left were his books which she immersed herself in daily as she reached the age to be married men began to approach her seeking her hand even though she was very beautiful the men soon saw that inim was very smart and curious about the world when they talked to her they often felt nervous or not good enough then they would lose interest because they saw she was too smart and independent in K they are so beautiful many of them would say admiring her thank you she
would reply politely then she would try to talk about something interesting have you ever noticed how tree branches look like our lungs the men would often look confused um no I haven't one would say yes she would continue excited it's amazing how nature looks like our own bodies don't you think but the tutors would shift uncomfortably unsure of how to respond they were used to women who spoke of domestic matters not science or nature inim would smile kindly but inside she knew that marriage to this man was out of the question she was nothing like
their mothers who were expected said to know little and remain submissive as she Grew Older she surrendered to her fate of remaining unmarried and Kim decided to spend her days educating the younger generation of all she knew most mothers prevented their female children from attending her lectures do you want to remain unmarried like her she will teach you all that nonsense that would never be useful and the men would concur saying we need women who can run a household not discuss books and foreign lands but inm did not care about what they said because she
was content with her life one sunny day inam was sitting in her classroom when she noticed unusual movements outside villagers were passing by in large groups she tried to ignore it but the more she tried the louder and more frequent the groups became curiosity got the better of her so she stepped out closed her classroom door and asked someone what was happening have you heard they say visitors have come from a far real land looking for our helps a woman replied normally in km wouldn't have been interested but the mention of the words far away
land intrigued her where are they she she asked her eyes widening the villagers told her they were at the palace and without hesitation inim began to walk quickly towards it when she arrived at the king's Palace she pushed through the crowd to get a better look and when she finally saw the visitors her heart warned they were indeed From A Distant Place unlike any visitors she had seen before they were not the usual visitor s who looked like them from neighboring communities nor do they resemble the white men who had come years ago to preach
religion these visitors had smooth clear skin with a fair tone Their Eyes Were Armond shaped giving them an exotic look that intrigued the villagers their hair was dark and straight neatly styled and They Carried themselves with a quiet dignity and respect that impressed the villagers their attire was different as well consisting of simple yet elegant clothing that was unfamiliar but intriguing these visitors had traveled all the way from Korea in Asia to seek unique herbs found only in the eastern part of Nigeria specifically in OC inim watched as the king officially welcomed the visitors and
asked the villagers to make them feel at home he introduced them by name and as he did a few villagers giggled but nothing in Kim she had read about these people in her father's books and knew about their naming Customs she decided she would meet the visitors the next afternoon to introduce herself and offer any assistance she could to make their seven month stay in OCC fruitful the following morning inim woke up with a excitement the day reminded her of the times her father returned from his long travels and eagerly shared all the knowledge he
had gained she decided to go into the forest to gather herbs to demonstrate her knowledge to the visitors all nights she rehearsed some Korean phrases her father had taught her in the past she giggled to herself as she remembered how eventful her night had been inam wed into the forest and began Gathering herbs as quickly as she could once she was done she started making her way out but suddenly she noticed a man on the other side of the forest though he couldn't see her she recognized him immediately he was one of the Korean visitors
the king had introduced and if her memory served her correctly he was the leader of the group and his name was jinho he seemed engrossed in his work taking notes and examining herbs inam quickly hid behind the tree watching him she wanted to approach him and offer her assistance but as she gathered her courage she began to feel shy she took several deep breaths trying to muster the courage but it wasn't happening so she decided to leave the forest and s to her plan of visiting them later maybe she felt shy because she hadn't expected
to see him but just as she was about to leave her leg got tangled in a creeping Vine and she fell flat letting out a loud scream the noise alerted jinho and he quickly abandoned the herbs and rushed in her direction are you okay he asked as he helped her up inam unusually turned tide just stared at him thinking of a way to offer her assistance English jinho asked interrupting her thoughts suddenly she became upset why would he speak to her in mono syllables she straightened herself and replied of course I can speak English he
quickly apologized when he noticed her annoyance I am sorry I did not mean it that way I only learned to speak English 3 years ago inm felt annoyed with herself wondering why she was so nasty to him she apologized and he smiled back claiming no offense instantly she introduced herself and volunteered to assist his team during their stay in her Village I am a teacher and very versatile in many things including heral medicine I'm sure I can help you pick leaves grind them into fine powder whatever it is I can do it jinho smiled as
she spoke you are very expressive when you speak you use your hands eyes everything it's wonderful to watch it will be lovely to work with you he said inm was excited they spoke a bit longer and she introduced herself properly to him and he did the same then suddenly she remembered the herbs she had come to pick to show him and his group they were scattered on the ground from her fall she bent down and began to gather the bundles jinho realized what she was doing and helped her pick them up too as he did
he stopped at a yellow colored herb I have been looking for this all morning did you know that when you mix this with a bitter leaf it is the perfect cure for a stomach ache he said excitedly inam shared in his excitement happy she was already providing value but she could not help but share her thoughts on the yellow herb that's a wonderful mixture but I can assure you that it is not as potent as the inaka leave it will cure the pain in such a way that you would forget you ever had it inim
said to him jinho frowned slightly shaking his head I don't think so I've been studying the yellow herb for years and it is part of the reason I came all the way here it is a cure for many illnesses in km's eyes narrowed with all due respect Mr jinho I have lived in this Village all my life and I know our herbs the inal Lea has properties that surpass the yellow herb Chino's expression became more serious and with all due respect inm I have dedicated my life to the study of herbs the yellow herbs benefits
are scientifically proven science doesn't know everything in came fired back her voice Rising some things are known through tradition and experience you cannot dismiss that just because you haven't read it in a book jho's jaw tightened I am not not dismissing your Traditions but you must understand that the yellow her has been tested and its efficacy documented they both stood there clearly upset with each other neither willing to back down well I just remembered that the kids I teach have a test coming up so I won't be able to assist your team anymore because I
will be very busy inm said picking up her basket and walking away jinho remained where he was was Unapologetic he refused to let someone who was versatile in many things tell him about something he had devoted his life to a week passed and jinho began to settle into the village he could often be found walking diligently in a central location the king had provided a large shed under the mango trees some Village ladies swed over him and his colleagues While others remained loyal to their local men inm would occasionally pass by on her way to
her classroom and her eyes would often lock with Jin hose before she would quickly Look Away Ming to herself I'm not willing to walk with a man who is not willing to learn one day during a heavy rainfall in OC inim was running late to her classroom when she finally arrived she saw jinho interacting with the children who were excited to have him around hello she greeted him politely I think you are in the wrong room jinho smiled and said I came looking for you remember you told me you are a teacher it was not
hard to find you inam he began I've been thinking it's okay to disagree I'm sorry if I came off as head strong I guess I felt frustrated that something I have been working on all my life seemed to be false inam felt his frustration and replied it's not false the yellow her is indeed powerful but there is something more potent see it as a gift and explore what it has to offer I also apologize I could have been Kinder they both laughed breaking the tension jinho then asked would you like to explore the in Chaka
leaf together km agreed instantly because every time she passed his Workshop she secretly longed to be there working alongside the team now she finally had the chance inam began to work with the team as they explored new herbs she became quite close to jinho who ensured she knew she was an important member of the team her opinions always counted and their convers ations grew more personal they shared stories and dreams Beyond herbal medicine and often exchanged food they marveled at the similarities between Korean kimchi and IO ugba both fermented vegetable dishes most times they would
Lounge under a tree eating jellof fries or bibing B which were both rice based meals they also taught each other B of their languages and they would laugh at themselves whenever they got the pronunciations wrong one day in the workshop a shocking visitor arrived it was Ura the princess of OC jinho went out to welcome her and after a chat he brought her in introducing her to the team this is Princess Ura and she will be walking with us now everyone welcomed her and work began as usual inim couldn't help but glance at Ura often
she had never seen the princess before as Urena spent most of her time indoors attended to by her Maids many suitors from distant lands sought at hand in marriage and in Kim finally understood why Ura was stunningly beautiful later in the day jinho found his way to inm for one of their chats but just as they settled down to discuss Ura interrupted them jinho can you please show me the herbs you put together for joint pain she asked he excused himself and followed the princess inm felt disappointed her conversations with jinho had become the highlight
of her day but she consoled herself thinking we can speak tomorrow and many other days however as days passed orena demanded more of jho's attention even bringing lunch from the palace for them to share chinho tried his best to steal moments with in K sometimes waiting until evening to walk her home one day inam waited for jinho to walk her home as usual but he did not show up as she walked home alone she missed their conversations and wondered if Ura was with him she finally admitted her feelings for him but she knew it was
of no use he had not shown interest and his stay in the village was not permanent the next morning as she stepped out to go to her classroom jinho was sitting outside waiting for her and in came blushed as she saw him I'm sorry I kept you waiting yesterday he apologized inam nodded was it Ura she seems to want your company a lot she instigated jinho smiled gently it was not Ura it was ik the village chief he came to thank me for the sleeping helps and we got caught up in our conversation and you
notice everything except how much I love your company inam shyly looked at him have you not noticed how much I like you he asked her inam looked at him firmly this time I am a grown woman I do not sit around making assumptions jinho knew she was right he had been waiting for the perfect time to tell her he liked her since they met in the forest but he was afraid of scaring her away I really like you in and would love to cut you he said inam giggled and responded well you would have to
give me some time to think about it days passed and jinho waited patiently for inm to give him a response and she eventually agreed to allow him to cut her her heart was sure he was the right person for her and as time passed news quickly spread about jinho and inim out of of jealousy Ura stopped coming to the workshop as her love interest clearly preferred someone else the villagers on the other hand gossiped endlessly about the new couple let enjoy it while it lasts he will leave the village soon and she will return to
her big books some jealous medings would say in Kem and jinho were unfaced by The Whispers they were fascinated by each other and that was all that mattered as their relationship grew stronger jinho knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with inim so he asked if she would consider marrying him we can sa the world together and create wonderful memories he said in addition to his proposal but inim frowned slightly she knew their relationship was getting serious and probably headed to marriage but she was unwilling to leave her home her parents were
buried there the kids she taught her culture her whole life was in OC jinho saw her expression and retracted his words or we could set up our own home here in OC the herbalist and the teacher he joked he could not afford to lose her and if it's meant staying in OC he would inam objected asking that he not P his life for her but he was determined to spend the rest of his life with her I can always travel and come back to you when the need arises he said and that sounded like a
better balance for inim so she hugged him in agreement wedding preparations quickly began the spinster who nobody thought would ever be married had finally found her better half some medens laughed at jinho for refusing the younger meetings but no one was as beautiful as in Kim in his eyes he loved every bit of her but amongst all the villagers there was no one angrier than Ura chinho was the first man she had intentionally sought after and he chose a Spiner over her she was Furious and filled with jealousy and she knew the exact thing to
do to hurt him for rejecting her two days to the marriage ceremony between jinho and inm the town crier went around informing the villagers of new information from the palace the King has demanded we preserve our culture henceforth with the indigen of OC will only marry from OC for a period of time failure to adhere to this rule will result in banishment he announced UR was pleased she narrated the issue to her father the king and asked him to issue a decree the king loved his daughter so much and decided to grant her request long
enough to frustrate jinho which would result in his exit from the village if Ura could not have jinho nobody else from OC would inm and jinho were devastated by the news they had to avoid been so close to each other to avoid problems with the King but one thing was certain their relationship was over their hearts ACH when they saw each other jinho knew he also had to leave soon and he wanted to ask inim to come with him but he knew how much she loved OC inim on the other hand spent her time reading
her father's books she tried to take her mind away from how terrible she felt one day as she was cleaning her father's collections she saw a map she smiled warmly as she remembered her father's favorite words in Kim there is so much to see in this world he would say then he would Trace his fingers to the map of Nigeria and point to the eastern part but you see my dear no matter where I go my heart will always be here because of you and your mother she jumped at the Revelation she had heard him
say those things repeatedly but now it's made complete sense to her she realized that her heart was with jinho and wherever he went that would be her home inim ran to his workshop and pulled him out for a conversation I will go with you jinho she said jinho took her hands in his a mix of really and sadness in his eyes are you sure this is your home your life he said and she nodded they went straight to the Palace to declare their decision and Ura and two other chiefs were seated in the king's court
conversing with the King when they arrived Ura rolled her eyes in disgust when she saw them holding hands jinho addressed the king and thanked him for his Hospitality then he informed them of their decision and this made the princess visibly upset my father are you going to let them get away with disobeying your orders banishment is not enough this man and his group should not be allowed to leave with any hers from OC she said and the King nodded in approval to his daughter's wishes in km turned to jinho she tried to remove her hands
from his because she knew the herbs were his life work and he wouldn't trade a lifetime with her for the herbs but she was wrong jinho held her tightly and assured the king that he would not go with any of the herbs as he was determined to marry inim inim felt a surge of Pride and love for jinho she was further convinced that he was the man for her they both left the palace as there was no nothing that could be said against them and when they got out she said to him we'll start over
together chinho we'll find new helps and continue your work together we can overcome anything and jinho nodded he had no doubt in his heart neither did he think he was making a mistake two days later in Kim jinho alongside his team were ready to leave the Village People gathered to watch them as well as in Cam's students she hugged them farewell but one student hugged her more tightly almost refusing to let go it was Ada the only female student in her class I'm going to be a teacher like you one day ad said to inam
inm's heart was so warm she was glad her time in the village mattered adaa you will make a fantastic teacher she responded eventually she bed the ship with jinho and as they sailed far away from OC someone from the team came up to them and said we found several bags of the hers we worked with at the bottom of the ship inm and jinho both ran to see it they carefully examined the hers and found the letter it was from the king in the letter he thanked jinho for helping out with his heral concoctions and
apologized for what had happened as there were situations Beyond his control He also mentioned that Chief ik put in a good word for jinho to thank him again for the sleeping hers and as for inim our beautiful daughter of OC in a year I will lift the banishment and reverse the law you will always be welcomed here may God bless your union the king knew his daughter was a spoiled brat but he also did not want to hurt her feelings so he agreed to make a temporary decision to make Ura happy in and jinho hugged
each other in excitement happy they chose themselves and so with hearts full of hope and love they set off to build a new life together knowing that wherever they went they were home I hope this story serves as a reminder that people should not settle just because they have not found what they desire yet whether it's in relationships career or general life decisions whatever it may be I pray that the Lord will grant your desires according to his will thank you for listening to this story today it's quite different but I hope you liked it
please let me know what you learned in the comment section and if you enjoyed it please like and share with your loved ones till next time bye
