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Coconut-head Finally Gets A Name
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Ayo Oyeku
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CHAPTER ONE
A World of Nicknames.
Her nickname is Coconut-head and she is a nine year old orphan living in Madam Caro's orphanage.
She happened to be one of the fifteen fortunate orphans living under Madam Caro's generosity. Coconut-head did not know her real name, Madam Caro never told her.
She wasn't the only orphan who did not know her real name, because all the orphans living under Madam Caro's roof did not know their real names.
They were all called by their nicknames.
Madam Caro's orphanage was a different world of nicknames.
All the orphans she took care of were identified by them.
Whenever people came to visit the orphanage, Madam Caro introduced the orphans by their nicknames. The visitors loved to hear the story behind each nickname. It was such a lively and sometimes touching experience.
Shoelace, the oldest among the orphans was ten years old, and Madam Caro had given her the nickname since she was a kid, because playing with a shoelace made her stop crying when she was a baby. As Shoelace grew into a young, beautiful girl, she showed early talents for being creative and industrious, and Madam Caro believed she would have a great career in future.
Africa was one of the wonderful boys living under Madam Caro's roof, he had earned his name as a child too because he was found dumped by the roadside, clothed in an oversized shirt with a bold African map. Africa was nine years old.
As Africa grew up in the orphanage, he was the only one that kept bushy hair, and also had a knack for reading, he was a bookworm.
He raised arguments and proffered solutions to problems too. Everyone admired and respected him for his unique quality, and Madam Caro thought he might become a lawyer, activist or politician in the future.
That was not all.
Rice was another interesting orphan living with Madam Caro.
It was said that on the day he spoke his first word as a child, he had muttered the word 'rice'.
That was how the name stuck.
Even though, as Rice grew, his favourite meal turned out to be cooked rice, everyone saw this as a pure coincidence and laughed at him whenever he ate. Rice was also nine years old, and was happy to be called by that name.
Rice developed a special love for eating and cooking rice as he grew in the orphanage.
He did not eat just plain, cooked rice, but with the help of Madam Caro they looked through food magazines and came up with different recipes for cooking it.
Rice made special meals with grains of rice, and everyone agreed he had cooking fingers, even though he was a boy.
The orphan with the favourite nickname was called 'Happy'.
Happy was always happy, she was such a beautiful and endearing eight year old girl who made everyone happy. No one wanted to know why she was called 'Happy' because once they met her they became happy. She had a special gift for making everyone happy in the orphanage. If she found anyone sad, she would walk up to them and try to share in their burden, everyone agreed she had a lively personality that made everyone happy.
Coconut-head was the only one who was different amongst the orphans.
She had no specific talents, and neither did she have any unique behavior.
She was quite gentle and caring, and was simply easy going.
She liked to mingle with all the other orphans, but they often made her sad by the way they made fun of her nickname. They said she had a funny head that had the shape of a coconut. Others said she was such a dull girl and that was why she had been named 'Coconut-head'.
Coconut-head was not happy about this, and she thought everyone didn't like her.
"Mother, why did you give me the nickname 'Coconut-head'?" she asked on an afternoon when she was feeling unhappy.
Madam Caro did not expect Coconut-head to ask her such a question, because she was well taken care of and was not maltreated in any way. Madam Caro paused for a moment and thought of a kind reply to give her.
"I can't really remember why I gave you the nickname; it's been a very long time, but all I can say is that you are my little angel and you are very dear to me." Madam Caro replied softly, and Coconut-head smiled.
"But I don't like the way everyone makes fun of me." Coconut-head said.
"I am so sorry about that, my dear. I will warn them to stop making fun of you." Madam Caro replied calmly, feeling concerned.
After that Coconut-head's face broke into a wide smile and Madam Caro whispered into the little girl's ears; "By the way, I have a special coconut juice I kept for you, would you like to drink it?"
"Yes!" Coconut-head exclaimed, as her face lit up and she broke into a fresh smile.
She wanted to taste the special coconut juice Madam Caro kept for her, that was why the two disappeared into Madam Caro's room to drink the juice without inviting others.
Madam Caro was glad Coconut-head wasn't angry any more.
Her nickname was rare and special; she just didn't want to tell Coconut-head why she was called so. As for Coconut-head she was not totally pleased with Madam Caro's answer, but she could tell Madam Caro meant no harm, and was truly a loving and caring mother.
But something gave Coconut-head much hope and joy.
She knew her nickname would be dropped soon and she would be given a real name.
During the next Orphanage Open Day, which occurs once in a year in the orphanage, she would get a chance to meet potential parents who were willing to adopt her.
Not only would they adopt her but she would become part of their family and be given a real name. The next Orphanage Open day was three months away, and Coconut-head was looking forward to it.
CHAPTER TWO
The Story of Madam Caro and Coconut-head.
Madam Caro is a kind and generous woman.
She was happily married in her young years to a successful lawyer.
She loved her husband, and everyone believed he loved her too, but after five years of marriage she could not conceive. Madam Caro went for several medical tests but still she did not become pregnant. Her husband became frustrated, and on a really blue afternoon, he disappeared and never came back home.
Madam Caro's heart was broken, and nothing could not stop her tears.
She lost her appetite, lost interest in life, and stopped loving too.
On an afternoon, a few months after her husband abandoned her, she was watching the television and heard the story of a little child who had been abandoned by an unknown person close to the riverside.
Some fishermen had rescued the little child and taken her to the Federal hospital.
At that moment Madam Caro felt pity for the abandoned girl, and decided to adopt her.
On the day Madam Caro went to the hospital to adopt the little girl she met a young man who had also come for the girl. The two had heard the little girl's story on the television and had been touched by it. They tussled over who would adopt the girl, because each of them wanted to.
The hospital management decided it was best to let a woman take care of the little girl, and that was how the man lost.
But the story did not end there.
The young man said he would give all the he could to support the upbringing of the little girl, and everyone agreed it was a good idea.
So, at the end of every month, the man visited the little girl in Madam Caro's apartment.
He brought her gifts too and he was happy to see the little girl grow into a young, beautiful girl under the guidance and care of Madam Caro.
That little girl was named Caro, and she became Madam Caro's first child.
"Mum, where is dad?" Caro asked one afternoon; referring to the man who always came to check on her and contribute to her upkeep, over the years.
Madam Caro was stunned by the little girl's remark.
She did not know what to say, because she realised the family was incomplete without a father, and the little girl already believed he was her father.
While she was thinking of the proper answer to give her, the man walked in and announced; "I am here my little angel," he said excitedly, and Caro ran into his loving arms.
Madam Caro simply smiled.
The man had overheard what the little girl said, and the smile he saw on Madam Caro's face gave him a scent of hope.
Madam Caro had always known him to be a kind and gentle man.
From their previous conversations she knew he was not married, and had fallen out of love too. But that day, he proposed his unfailing love to her, and as life would have it, they became husband and wife a few months after.
Caro wasn't simply a gift to the loving couple, she was a miracle, a miracle that brought joy into their lives, a miracle that opened the womb of Madam Caro, and made her pregnant again after losing hope.
She gave birth to twins and Madam Caro's joy knew no bounds. Her and her husband's act of kindness finally opened a boundless joy into their lives, and they thought of helping more abandoned children.
Madam Caro and her husband set up an orphanage, and created a world of hope for fifteen abandoned babies in their furnished and well kept orphanage.
Caro grew into a bright young educated woman, and later graduated from the university.
Madam Caro was happy to see the little girl she adopted twenty-one years back grow into a beautiful, successful and happy woman.
Even though she already given birth to twins, people called her Madam Caro as they all believed that Caro was her first child. The twins also mingled with the other adopted children, and a world of love and laughter without difference was built.
Over the past decade Madam Caro and her husband had always gone to the Federal hospital to take custody of some of the abandoned children. The stories of the babies were similar; abandoned by the roadside, riverside, or even neglected in the hospital by an absconding mother. But Coconut-head's story was different.
Coconut-head had been found on a public refuse dump.
Not only was she found on the refuse ground, the three-year-old child's head was bleeding, as a nail was partly driven into her skull by a heartless person.
The helpless girl was found bleeding and crying on the refuse dump with a coconut in her hand. Passers-by felt the little girl must be jinxed because she should have been killed by the nail driven into her skull, and they avoided her. But the matter was later reported to the social workers and the little girl was rushed to the Federal hospital.
The doctor who operated on the helpless girl said that she was lucky because the nail had only cracked a little part of her skull and did not damage her brain.
The operation was successful and the little girl survived the damage done to her.
The doctor said that the little girl would have died if she had not been brought to the hospital; he believed she was a lucky and precious child - yet another miracle.
But the nurses joked that it was the magical coconut in the little girl's hand that rescued her. They said the little girl's head was as thick and as strong as the coconut in her hand, and even a nail could not crack it.
Bad as the joke might sound, the nickname stuck and when Madam Caro came to pick her up from the hospital Coconut-head already had a nickname which could not be changed.
Madam Caro watched Coconut-head grow into a beautiful and brilliant girl, and was happy she brought her up in her orphanage.
The little girl was not jinxed as everyone thought, and whoever must have attempted to kill her by driving the nail into her head was simply a heartless and wicked person.
Madam Caro loved Coconut-head like all the other children.
So whenever Coconut-head asked Madam Caro why she had been given the nickname, Madam Caro pretended not to remember, because if she told her it would make her sad and unhappy.
CHAPTER THREE
The Orphanage Open Day.
The Orphanage Open Day was a three days event where kindhearted people came to adopt the orphans.
Madam Caro made sure the event was an entertaining and exciting one, and the whole orphanage prepared for it.
The orphanage was given an extra touch of beauty.
Five of the orphans were expected to be adopted: Shoelace, Africa, Rice, Happy and Coconut-head. Madam Caro asked each of them to come up with a special activity that would attract potential parents.
She would allow these selected children to be adopted because they were grown enough to be taken care of in a family, but the younger ones were made to stay back and become more mature before they could be adopted. Hence, the five children planned individually on how to woo their potential parents.
The orphans in Madam Caro's orphanage were happy, well trained and brilliant.
Some read poems to the visiting parents, while some sang songs.
Others displayed their unique dancing ability, while others drew fine paintings on cardboard. Over the past years, the event was always thrilling and captivating, and all the grown children were adopted.
But on this particular year, something different happened.
On the first day of the Open Day event, it was Happy who was the first to be adopted.
She was such an exciting and happy young girl; she danced, sang and even recited some poems. All the visiting parents who saw her were willing to adopt her, and it was Happy herself who ended up choosing the family she wanted to live with.
It was that easy, and her new parents simply named her 'Happiness.'
That day Happy became Happiness Okoli, she was very happy.
Shoelace came up with something creative.
She gathered different colours of shoelaces and used them to create a lovely foot mat.
This is how she did it: she got a plain foot mat and applied lots of gum on it, then she carefully stuck the shoelaces on it, using them to write the message WELCOME.
It was really beautiful.
Everyone who entered the orphanage had to step on the beautiful foot mat, and they could not hide their admiration for the person who made it. That was how Shoelace found a family that day.
This is what Africa did.
He created a section for himself in the orphanage, with a table and chair. He placed lots of books on the table and wore a wig; it was such a funny look.
Everyone who went to meet him was given a kind reception, and Africa asked them to ask him three questions - promising to get at least one right. This idea caught everyone by surprise. Africa was truly intelligent; as he answered most of the questions he was asked.
His brilliance shined through him and in no time he had a family as well.
Everyone thought that Rice was going to prepare a special rice delicacy for the visiting families, but he did not. He created a large wallpaper filled with different pictures of rice delicacies. Different dishes were photographed, and at other times cut out from food magazines, then pasted across the wallpaper. He wrote the name of each rice delicacy under their respective images.
Every parent who entered the orphanage was enthralled by the beautiful pictures on the wallpaper. Not only did Rice allow them to feed their eyes, he also asked them to pick their choicest meal, and he taught them how to cook it. It was such an interesting and exciting experience for everyone who listened to Rice. They admired his love for rice, and saw why he had been nicknamed Rice.
In no time, Rice had a family too.
Madam Caro was impressed by the activities all her orphans had come up with. All the adopted orphans would join their respective families by the end of the following week.
She was so proud of them.
By the end of the second day all of them had been adopted, except Coconut-head.
No one wanted to adopt Coconut-head, because she did not come up with any exciting activity to attract them.
At times she sang, at other times she danced, but nothing worked.
By the end of the second day Coconut-head was certain she would not find a family and her name would not be changed.
She broke down and cried.
CHAPTER FOUR
Team Spirit.
That night Coconut-head ran upstairs to her room and cried.
She did not come down for dinner, and everyone took pity on her, but there was no way they could help.
When all had gone to bed, Madam Caro went upstairs to Coconut-head's room.
Slowly she pushed her door open and entered.
The room lights were off and everywhere was dark.
Coconut-head hid under her duvet and pretended to be asleep.
But her trick did not work, because Madam Caro could hear her crying and sniffling under the duvet.
"My little angel, I am sorry about what happened today. Do not worry; you will surely find a family tomorrow." Madam Caro said softly as she sat at the edge of Coconut-head's bed.
"I don't think so." Coconut-head replied with a broken voice, with her head still hidden under the duvet.
"Yes, you will. Have faith, my little angel." Madam Caro added.
At that moment the door creaked open again and Happy entered.
Madam Caro could see her figure in the darkness and wondered why she was not asleep.
Happy came closer and sat beside Madam Caro on the bed.
"I am sorry about what happened today Coconut-head. You will surely find new parents tomorrow." Happy said softly.
Coconut-head was touched by the soft way Happy spoke.
She lowered the duvet and raised her head up; "Thank you Happy, but I don't think so." Coconut-head said tearfully.
"Yes you will, have faith." Happy tried to assure her.
The door creaked open again and Shoelace and Rice entered.
Madam Caro was surprised to see they were awake too.
Not only were they awake, but they were concerned about Coconut-head too.
This made her happy, and she was glad all the orphans lived in harmony and loved one another.
"We are sorry about what happened today Coconut-head. We just want you to know that we love you." Shoelace encouraged as she stood in the middle of the room with Rice.
"Have faith, Coconut-head, tomorrow will be better." Rice added, gently.
Coconut-head became speechless, she could not even cry again.
She never knew she was much loved by everyone, she thought they all made fun of her nickname because they didn't like her. But with four of them in the room, alongside Madam Caro, she knew she had been wrong. She now sat upright on her bed and felt quite pleased.
At that moment another person entered and made for the light switch.
That person switched on the light and the room became bright immediately, and they could now see each other's faces.
It was Africa who had switched on the light, and they all smiled when they saw him.
"I have been reading lately..." Africa said, and they all laughed because they knew he was always reading.
"So what have you discovered from the books, Africa?" Madam Caro teased.
"I discovered that rather than complaining about a problem, you should look for ways to solve it." Africa replied boldly.
"Oh, that's true my son, so what's on your mind?" Madam Caro asked him again.
"I think we should come up with an activity tomorrow that would help Coconut-head secure a parent. That's what I have been thinking about ever since I noticed she was sad." Africa explained.
"That's a good idea Africa; I can help Coconut-head design her name with a shoelace, just like I did with the foot mat." Shoelace suggested.
"That's brilliant Shoelace. Does anyone else have another idea?" Madam Caro remarked in a happy tone of voice.
"Yes, I have an additional one," Rice said, they all turned to look at him.
"We can prepare a special delicacy for Coconut-head, called 'Coconut Rice', and whoever comes around can have a taste."
"Oh, I love coconut rice. You and I can prepare it very early tomorrow morning, Rice." Madam Caro added and Rice smiled back at her.
Coconut-head was excited by the ideas they had all brought up.
She could not believe they all loved her this much. She kept looking at their faces delightedly as they spoke. She just smiled; she did not know what to say.
"And just one thing remains," Happy cut in and everyone turned to hear what she had to say.
"It's important you learn how to smile, greet, play and interact with the visitors when they come tomorrow, people love a smiling face."
Everyone agreed she was right.
That night Coconut-head did not sleep much, she was excited to face the next morning.
When the morning came every member of the team set to work.
Madam Caro and Rice took time to cook the special meal, while Shoelace designed Coconut-head's name with a shoelace. Africa supervised all the activities, and ensured everything went according to plan.
By nine o'clock that morning all was set.
Coconut-head's name was designed with a shoelace on a table cloth.
The table cloth was laid on a table and the special meal, along with some plates and cutlery were arranged neatly on the table.
Everyone settled down with their different activities, and no one knew that they had planned Coconut-head's activity for her.
Visitors came in on the third and last day of the Orphanage Open Day, and Coconut-head's activity stood out among the rest.
Some families stopped by to have a taste of her special meal, and they all enjoyed it.
Coconut-head smiled at them, and made sure she had a nice conversation with each of them.
Among the people that visited her corner was Mrs. Sylva.
Mrs. Sylva was a tall, fair complexioned woman.
She seemed to be in a hurry, and was particularly impatient.
She stopped in front of Coconut-head and had a taste of her meal.
"This is sweet, tastes like sugar." Mrs. Sylva remarked with a sweet tone, "I love it."
"Thank you, Ma." Coconut-head replied.
"Oh, I really love this; can you put some in a pack for me? I want my husband at home to have a taste of it." Mrs. Sylva begged like a child.
"Yes, I will do that for you." Coconut-head replied smiling, as she set to work.
While she did this, Mrs. Sylva's phone rang and she went outside to pick up her call.
By the time she came back inside, she hurriedly picked up the rice pack and dashed out, dropping her purse on the table.
Coconut-head could see she was in a hurry to leave, as she forgot to thank her for her kindness.
But luckily enough Coconut-head saw the purse and hurried outside to give it back to her.
Mrs. Sylva was about to drive out of the compound when Coconut-head flagged her down.
She slammed on her brakes when she saw Coconut-head waving the purse at her.
"Oh, thank you so much my sweet little angel, I had forgotten the purse."
Mrs. Sylva thanked her as Coconut-head gave the purse back to her.
Quickly she squeezed some money into Coconut-head's hands, even though she didn't want to accept it, but Mrs. Sylva insisted.
"And thanks for the coconut rice; it is so sweet and tastes like sugar!" Mrs. Sylva thanked her as she drove away.
Coconut-head just smiled.
By the time Coconut-head came back into the orphanage, the Obilo family had been waiting for her.
While she was outside they had helped themselves to some food.
They were already enjoying the special meal when Coconut-head returned.
They were glad to meet her too.
Mr. and Mrs. Obilo had a wonderful interaction with Coconut-head, and she enjoyed every bit of their conversation.
Within minutes Coconut-head already wished she could become a member of their family; they were pleasant and loving people.
They were unlike all the rest that had tasted her meal and walked away.
They were unlike Mrs. Sylva who was basically in a hurry.
They were much like the family Coconut-head dreamed of, she couldn't wait to hear them offer to adopt her.
"We would like to adopt you," Mrs. Obilo said after a while, and it seemed a butterfly flew in Coconut-head's stomach.
She was happy to hear this.
"But you won't be going with us today; we need to put our house in order so we will come for you before the week runs out." Mr. Obilo added quickly.
"You can always give me a call too, anytime." Mrs. Obilo said, slipping her business card across to Coconut-head. The little girl was delighted to collect it, and she kept it in her pocket.
With all she had heard from the lips of the Obilo family that day, Coconut-head was happy.
She would be joining a family soon, she was glad the plan they employed overnight had worked. In her heart she thanked all her friends in the orphanage who had supported her. She looked forward to bearing a new name.
CHAPTER FIVE
A Wrong Step.
That day passed, and another day passed.
The week ended, and another week followed.
Coconut-head anticipated the return of the Obilos, but they did not appear.
That week ended and the following week ended too, but they never came.
Reality began to dawn on Coconut-head's mind when Happy left the orphanage and joined her new family.
The week came when Shoelace also joined her new family.
Her hopes began to fall apart when Africa also joined his new family.
Rice, who had been encouraging her in the past weeks, eventually had to leave her in order to join his new family too.
Coconut-head's heart sank, and she became lonely.
The Obilos did not come for her.
Madam Caro pitied her, and told her to calm down and wait until the next year, when she would have a new chance to find another family.
Coconut-head did not say a word, she just cried.
She knew the Obilos were wonderful people and must have forgotten about her unintentionally.
She began spending more time alone by herself, and stayed away from the younger ones in the orphanage.
An idea struck her by the end of the third week; she picked up Mrs. Obilo's business card , which she gave her the last time they met at the orphanage, and decided to give her a call, using the digital phone available in the orphanage.
But the number did not go through. She tried again the day after, but again the number did not go through.
Coconut-head tried and tried, but the number did not go through. She was sad and her heart was broken.
But Coconut-head did not relent; she hatched up a plan and decided to visit Mrs. Obilo in her office. The office address was boldly written on the business card, and it was quite easy for the curious young girl to locate the place.
With part of the money Mrs. Sylva had given her the other day she would find her way there.
Coconut-head did not tell anyone about her plan and on an afternoon when Madam Caro was busy in her room and with the orphanage guard asleep, she sneaked out and headed to Mrs. Obilo's office.
Just as the description on the business card was spelt out, Coconut-head located the office easily. Mrs. Obilo was surprised to see Coconut-head in her office that afternoon.
"Hi, little angel," Mrs. Obilo said breaking into a smile.
Coconut-head was glad she had recognized her and she was also glad Mrs. Obilo was happy to see her. She just smiled at the young woman.
"How did you get here? Is Madam Caro with you?" Mrs. Obilo asked her as they sat together at the office reception.
"I came by myself. I followed the description on your business card." Coconut-head replied, meekly.
The look on Mrs. Obilo's face at that moment told her that she was not pleased with the idea, and that she did not like the way she had come to her office alone.
But quickly, Mrs. Obilo changed her mood and said;
"Let me finish up my task and we'll go out and have a nice time."
Coconut-head was happy. She patiently waited for Mrs. Obilo at the office reception, and looked at the pictures on the wall.
As promised, Mrs. Obilo later rejoined her and they drove out of the office.
Mrs. Obilo took her to a nearby restaurant and Coconut-head enjoyed a sumptuous meal with a cold drink. The two chatted while they ate, and Coconut-head enjoyed every moment.
To her amazement, Mrs. Obilo took Coconut-head to a boutique and bought her a lovely dress.
Coconut-head was very happy.
They left the boutique and they drove quietly away.
As they drove on Coconut-head expected Mrs. Obilo to talk about adopting her, but she didn't. She hopefully thought Mrs. Obilo would simply drive her to her home, where she would join her family, but she didn't.
Instead, Mrs. Obilo drove her back to a familiar area, a familiar building, back to the orphanage. Coconut-head's heart sank.
Once they got back to the orphanage Coconut-head could see the anxiousness and despair on Madam Caro's face, the kind woman had obviously searched everywhere for her.
She heaved a sigh of relief on seeing Coconut-head, but held back her displeasure and anger, seeing who was beside her.
"Hello, Madam Caro, good to see you again." Mrs. Obilo said, unaware of what had gone wrong.
"Hello, Mrs. Obilo, good to see you too." Madam Caro said, trying to force a smile.
"I was delighted to see your little angel in my office today. We went out and had a nice time.
But my husband and I have decided not to adopt her, that's why we didn't come back for her." Mrs. Obilo said.
Coconut-head almost burst into tears when she heard her speak.
"That won't be a problem Mrs. Obilo, and thanks for spending some time with my little angel, I really appreciate it." Madam Caro replied quickly, without a change in her tone and her facial expression.
"Oh, don't mention it, she can always come around anytime, she's my friend." Mrs. Obilo remarked as she turned to leave.
Madam Caro accompanied her out of the orphanage while Coconut's eyes were filled with tears. She trembled, wondering what Madam Caro would do to her when she returned.
CHAPTER SIX
Shuga!
Coconut-head thought Madam Caro would punish her that day, but she didn't.
She thought she would the next day, but she did not.
Madam Caro did not chastise Coconut-head, instead she acted normally, and this made Coconut-head feel very bad about her last behavior.
Madam Caro was a very kind and generous woman, and Coconut-head's conduct made Madam Caro feel as if she was being maltreated in the orphanage and tired of staying there.
Coconut-head felt sorry for herself.
By the third day Coconut-head went to meet Madam Caro and apologised for her bad behavior.
"I am so sorry, mother. I won't do that again.
"I am not really angry with you, I was just wondering why you had to go to that length," Madam Caro said, and told Coconut-head to be patient until the coming years Open Day, until she finds a new parent.
Coconut-head promised to be of good behavior from that day onward and Madam Caro gave her a big hug. Coconut-head hugged her too and was happy.
Madam Caro was now pleased with her.
"Being the eldest in the orphanage now, I want you to take good care of the younger ones." Madam Caro said.
"That won't be a problem mum, but I have a small request." Coconut-head replied, rolling her eyes.
"Go ahead and make your request." Madam Caro replied, wondering what the little girl wanted to ask for.
"I like the unique qualities of my friends; I want to be like them.
Can you teach me how to be like them?" Coconut-head asked.
"If I understand you properly; you mean you want to smile like Happy, cook rice like Rice." Madam Caro mentioned all the unique qualities of the orphans.
"Yes." Coconut-head replied gleefully.
"That's really smart of you, my little angel." Madam Caro said, impressed by what the little girl had said.
She continued, "It's very good to copy good qualities from others, so that you can be a better person. Later on when you discover your own uniqueness, you will add it to what you've gained from others."
Coconut-head was glad Madam Caro not only agreed to her request, but was also willing to support her.
That day, the two friends forged a new bond, as Madam Caro became the teacher while Coconut-head became the student.
Within the next week Coconut-head had embraced a new lifestyle.
She had created a reading time-table for herself, and was beginning to learn new things like Africa.
She began to look after the younger orphans, and her new behavior reminded them of Happy. She was still learning how to perfectly craft designs with the shoelace.
When Madam Caro finally decided to teach her how to prepare coconut rice, Coconut-head was very excited.
On that morning Coconut-head paid detailed attention to how Madam Caro prepared the special meal. She had also assisted with the cutting and grating of coconut fruit. She watched how the right portions of ingredients were mixed together to create the special meal.
The aroma of the special meal swept through the whole building, and all the orphans were eager to have a taste of it.
It was at that moment that someone entered the orphanage.
"Wow! I guess I came in at the right time. I have been salivating and dreaming of the coconut rice for the past few weeks..."
The person who entered spoke delightfully as she entered the house.
Madam Caro and Coconut-head rushed out of the kitchen to see who it was, and to their utmost surprise it was Mrs. Sylva.
"Oh, Mrs. Sylva, good to see you. What brings you here?" Madam Caro asked with a tinge of surprise and fun in her voice.
"I have come to say hello to my little friend, and to have another taste of her coconut rice." Mrs. Sylva replied, smiling at Coconut-head.
The three of them burst into laughter almost immediately.
"Good morning, Mrs. Sylva," Coconut-head curtsied and continued, "nice to see you again." she concluded with a bright and sincere smile on her face.
Mrs. Sylva was delighted to see Coconut-head again, and she drew the little girl into a warm embrace.
Mrs. Sylva thanked Coconut-head again for the other day; as the three settled down to have a wonderful meal of coconut rice that morning.
They all enjoyed the meal, but Mrs. Sylva enjoyed it the most.
She said this after finishing her meal.
"It is so sweet, tastes like sugar!" Mrs. Sylva repeated, just like she had said the other time.
But this time around, the three of them laughed over the statement, but Mrs. Sylva was not done yet.
She said more, turning to Coconut-head;"I can see you are such a sweet little angel and I have decided to name you, Shuga, just the way we pronounce the word 'sugar' in my African native language."
Before Coconut-head could say a word Madam Caro quickly cut in, in order to affirm if she understood what Mrs. Sylva meant.
"You mean my little angel is going to become a member of your family, and you will name her Shuga?"
"Yes, that's right." Mrs. Sylva replied, full of smiles.
"She is now my daughter, and she has become Miss Shuga Sylva."
Coconut-head could not believe her ears.
It seemed the whole world stopped for a second, and she could only hear angels singing.
Her desire had finally come true.
She screamed with joy and ran to embrace her new mum.
The End
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