By Larry SUN (larrysundynasty@gmail.com)
Papa Ada was a hunter; he had killed a big python and brought it home to his family. Everybody had rejoiced for there would be a feast this night. The excited Mama Ada had gone to her farm to get tomatoes and pepper for a snake soup. On the farm, she saw a bunch of mushrooms and plucked. Her husband would love it; mushroom soup was his favourite. It was already getting dark; she gathered enough mushrooms and went home to prepare the meal.
She called Ada to go and wash the plates and pots but the ten-year-old girl refused. Ada was the youngest member in a family of nine. She was a stubborn child. Her mother decided to punish her for her disobedience; Ada would go to bed supperless. The little girl went out in anger and fed herself with the pawpaw in the compound.
The food was finally ready; a mushroom soup garnished with fish and the snake Papa had killed. Mama Ada pitied the stubborn girl and served her a plate of the soup with a wrap of fufu. Rather than being thankful for the kindness, Ada kicked the food away in anger, saying that she was not interested in their useless food.
The whole family members chastised the girl rudely and sent the black sheep to the Coventry. Ada felt rejected and sat alone outside the house while the rest of the family dined happily.
A few hours after the meal, all the family members – except Ada – began to vomit and convulse; they all died before help could come. Ada, who had refused to eat from the meal, was the only surviving member of the family.
Mama Ada had mistakenly cultivated poisonous mushrooms known as Destroying Angels and fed her family.
*Larry Sun (+2349061754872) writes from Ikorodu, Lagos
