This is my post on #freewriters2794 #dailyprompt not a myth hosted by @marinnewest's.
There is a story about the "Odogwu Tree" that has been told for generations in the peaceful village of Ikot Ekan, which is surrounded by rolling hills and thick forests. According to elders, it stood far into the forest, its leaves glistening in the moonlight like silver, and its trunk wider than five men could put their arms around. They claimed that it whispered secrets to those who dared to listen, healed the sick, and answered the cries of the desperate.
It was merely a myth to many. A story designed to prevent kids from getting lost in the woods. But to 17-year-old Eno, who was bold and inquisitive, it was more—a mystery worth solving.
Eno's mother had become very sick. Hope dimmed like evening light, and no medication helped. Eno sat next to her mother one night while she slept restlessly, recalling the old tales her grandmother had told her. Her grandmother once muttered, "The Odogwu Tree doesn't just exist in stories." "Those who genuinely believe can find it."
Eno went into the forest at dawn with a calabash of water and some cloth-wrapped food. The air became thicker as she descended farther; it was silent, not dangerous. Even the wind appeared to hold its breath, and birds ceased to chirp.
She stumbled upon a clearing after walking for hours, and there it was, ancient and magnificent, as the stories said. The Tree of Odogwu. Even in the sunlight, its leaves had a slight shimmer. Heart thumping, Eno stepped forward. She knelt down, touched the bark, and muttered her mother's name.
The tree made a rustling sound. One leaf drifted down and gently landed in her hand. Before giving it to her mother, Eno rushed home and crushed it into tea.
Her mother's fever had subsided and her breathing had stabilised by morning, marking the first time she had stirred in days. The villagers stood in awe as word spread swiftly.
Eno held up the leaf and said, "No more myths." It's true. I have witnessed it.”
The story of the Odogwu Tree was no longer merely a bedtime tale after that day. It came to represent bravery, faith, and the strength of conviction.
And they would never forget that not everything is a myth in the centre of Ikot Ekan. They are simply awaiting discovery.