Read a wonderful story about an old witch who has a wish!
I am not afraid of the old woman who greets me each time I meet her when I am on my way to school. Most of my friends are. I don’t know why. She always smiles at me when she sees me. I think she is very friendly and I would like to know where she lives.
“Good morning my son,” she says.
“Good morning agogo. How are you today?”
“I am fine; I am fine, thank you. What a lovely boy you are…now hurry up, my son. You don’t want to miss your bus, do you?”
My friends say I should never talk to her. Rumour has it that she is a witch. She is said to fly at night. I don’t know if anybody has ever seen her do that. Limbani, my best friend, says I should avoid her at all costs.
“That woman is childless. She has no family and she always talks to strangers. Sometimes she insults them without any reason at all. There is something wrong with her. Charles, you should never talk to anyone who is shunned by everybody. It brings bad luck. I wish you would just listen to me.”
Maybe my friends are right. I should choose another route. There are many buses I can take to school. Maybe she is all nice and lovely to me because she would like to eat me one day. I wouldn’t want to be anybody’s dish.
I just wish she would stop being kind to me. It is difficult to be rude to people that show you goodwill, isn’t it? Anyway, I will try…
Today is the day. I decide to leave earlier than usual. I want to catch the 7:30 bus that stops near the supermarket where we buy snacks at breaktime. I walk faster than usual. I am feeling tense. If only I could be in my classroom right now. I am just confused.
There are many people in the street already. Some of the faces are familiar. I shout out ‘Sharp!’ from time to time. My curt greeting is returned with a ‘Bho, bho my friend!” None of this gives me pleasure. I feel extremely tense. Each step I take draws me closer to the bus stop. I think I will make it. I want to make it.
“It looks like you want to take a different bus today.”
The voice is familiar. I hear it every day when I am going to school. I wish I had never heard that voice before. It sounds nice but today it carries a different meaning. Without looking back, I start running. I run as fast as my heels can carry me. My limbs are light and they do not betray me. I arrive safely at school. I recount the story of my survival. My classmates are stunned.
“We told you!’ they finally say.
The next day, I go to school with Limbani. We take yet another route. We do not meet the old lady. Gradually, I start forgetting her.
“She must be dead by now,” Limbani says. “We can try the old route just to see if she is still around.”
Unfortunately, she is. She smiles at us when she sees us.
“Good morning my sons,” she says.
“Good morning …ago…go,” I stutter.
“Good morning old witch,” Limbani shouts. “Leave us alone or my father will deal with you. Do you want to see what shaved the guinea fowl?”
I am shocked by Limbani’s words. It is not good to talk to elderly people in such a way. No one has seen the old witch at her ‘job’ after all. It is not a crime to be childless, I think. I come to my senses.
“Don’t mind him agogo. My friend didn’t sleep well last night.”
She is crying. You can read the hurt in her eyes.
“Crocodile tears!” Limbani blurts out jagged words.
“I wish you were kinder to me. I am just a lonely woman. I don’t know what wrong I have done to you or your friends, but please forgive me.”
“Goodbye agogo,” I say. “I am afraid we will miss our bus. Take good care of yourself and don’t mind us.”
“Oh, I am sorry my sons for keeping you for so long. Your teachers won’t be happy. What lovely boys you are…now hurry up, my sons. You don’t want to miss your bus, do you?”
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Further Exploration: (The Old Witch and the Wish)
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Read:
- Short Story: The Most Beautiful Garden, Learn English With Africa, May 2019
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 5-Intense Dialogue about Wishes and Wants
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 4-Express Strong Wishes
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 3-Talk About Your Wishes
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 2-Talk About What You Would Like
- English Vocabulary: Lesson 1-Express What You Want
- Short Story: THE TIMETABLE, Learn English With Africa, September 2019, PDF
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
English Short Story: The Old Witch and the Wish, Level A1-A2, with Strong Wishes Vocabulary © Learn English With Africa, September 2019
