Raised To Success

“How do I get to the other side of the mountain just to get the herb?” Mr. Arinze, being the head of the herbalists, said,

The herbalist had fifteen workers who were grouped to carry out a task.
“I heard the only herbs we can use to wake the prince are found in the corner on the other side of the deadly forest. Even though I'm the herbalist, I cannot venture into that forest just because of what I have in me. So, I would rather not contaminate myself,” Arinze spoke out while thinking of a way to save the prince. He told his workers to prepare for the task ahead of them.

“There are two places that this herb can be found: the ocean bank, which I guess is easier to reach, and the other side of the forest, which means you have to pass through the deepest part of the forest before you can get there,” he ordered. The workers begin to get scared of the direction they might be headed.

Meanwhile, Bisi had been part of the workers, and he could not go to places so scary just because of his nature. “Sir, I heard we can also find this same herb in the Akama hill,” he told the boss, Mr. Arinze, since he had no feelings for the other locations.

Meanwhile, to shut up the argument, Mr. Arinze decided to bring up a plan. He brought out some straws packed together. These straws are in different sizes in terms of their lengths.
He grouped the fifteen of them into three, each with a leader who would pick out of the straws.
He told them in his hands.
“You guys have to choose from these straws, and the one with the shortest will embark on the journey to the other side of the forest. The one with the straw that followed the short one will embark on the journey to the seashore, while the one with the longest will go to the Akama hill,” Mr. Arinze ordered as they all picked. Bisi picked the shortest, while his group started blaming him for selecting the shortest straw.

“You know you don't have the mind to pick the longest; why wouldn't you allow someone with the ability to select the longest?” one of his group members said.

Meanwhile, as they grow angrier, they all set out on the journey. The first group, which was those who went to the seaside, left as they were not far from home. They have selected the best location, but after their search, they came back after a few hours without bringing home the herbs.

Those who went to Akama Hill were also unlucky. The five of them searched through the hill without seeing any evidence of these herbs. After their search, they were afraid of coming home and instead went to the back of the hill to rest their heads until an hour before they came home.

Bisi and his group were on the hunt. They got to the forest four hours later. They were walking in fear as they had to deliver their task no matter what.

Andrei Tanase

“You put us on this unforeseen journey,” one of them said.
"I'm not at fault here; what I picked was by luck," he said.
As they were arguing, the second among them shouted, “Be quiet; I saw something right now.” All five members kept mute. Cold gripped their legs, and Bisi was drowning in fear.

Two minutes later, they began to hear the cry of a baby. Bisi stood still without moving an inch; the others tried to make a move, but were also not comfortable with the voice. A few minutes later, they experienced an unwanted breeze that passed by them.
“This looks like a passing ghost,” the last among them said as they all glued themselves together.

After waiting for two more hours, Bisi recalled what his grandma always told him: “Always be the first to grab the difficult task, even if there are scary circumstances around.” This word moved his soul, and immediately he stood up, leaving others behind. They shouted, “Hey, just come back right now, and let's go back home. Let's tell our boss we did not find herbs”.

He did not answer any of them but proceeded to take what they had come for, even though there were strange voices ahead. He got to the other side of the forest. He saw the herbs as described. He took plenty of it.

“Leave the herb, or else you will not go home from here,” a strange voice echoed.
“I guess you are joking. I will leave here with the herbs,” he said.
“Then be ready to die or be lost in this forest,” the same voice said.
“So be it.” It was just as if someone were inside Bisi speaking on his behalf, as it seems so unlike him.
After taking the herbs, he started leaving without harm. Suddenly, there was total darkness that surrounded him. “If you do not get out of my way, you will see the other side of my forefathers.” Immediately, he made this statement, the cloud changed back to its usual.

Immediately, fear gripped him as it was just as if what was in him had left. He ran his life until he got to the position where his mates were. They all raised their heads and opened their mouths as they were so surprised to see Bisi, the one with fear, coming with the herbs.

“Let's go,” he said, while they kept looking at him in surprise.
They got home when it was deep inside the night.

“Here are the herbs.” They presented it to Mr. Arinze, who got up immediately in surprise.
“I had lost all hope and had even told the king that it would not be easy to save the prince,” Mr. Arinze said.

“You all in this group will be handsomely rewarded,” Mr. Arinze said, as the others from the other groups were surprised to hear that statement.

Mr. Arinze immediately proceeded to the king's palace and carried out the task. The prince was revived.
“I want to reward the one who traveled to the forest to get these herbs.” The king was so excited.
When it was morning, Bisi and his group were called out and rewarded handsomely, but one of them opened up to the king: "I think Bisi should take the reward. He was the one who boldly traveled to the other side of the forest to fetch the herbs while we were waiting for his arrival," the whole of them agreed, while the reward was given to Bisi. His group members also took separate gifts.