Nia's Unfolding Journey

n the quiet village of Umuoka… when the morning sun rested softly on the thatched roofs… a young woman named Abeni walked slowly along the dusty path. Behind her… the drums spoke. Deep… steady… ancient. Their sound moved through the air like a message from long ago. And one by one… villagers stepped out of their homes… watching her pass in silence. Her face was calm… but inside her heart… there was a storm. Since the day she met a quiet stranger near the river… her thoughts had refused to rest. She did not understand the change within her… but she felt it… like a whisper calling her forward. As Abeni walked deeper into the village square… the eyes grew many. Men stopped their work. Women stood at their doorways. Some looked at her with pride… others with worry hidden behind soft whispers. She felt their silence pressing on her shoulders. For a moment… she wanted to turn back… to hide in the quiet corners of her world. But something stronger than fear… kept her moving. Slowly… the drums faded. The air became still. Heavy… like the village was holding its breath. And though Abeni did not know… the elders had already begun to speak her name… and to wonder about the path… she had started to walk.