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It was a hot afternoon in the city of Enugu, Nigeria as Chinedu sat on a bench outside his compound, pondering on what life had presented to him. He had always envisaged on uplifting his family out of poverty. His father, a tricycle driver who barely struggled to put food on the table and his mother, a petty trader who couldn't even pay for his junior sisters school fees.
Now a life-changing oportunity had come-a bible recitation quizz with a cash prize of ten million naira.
But there was one problem, Chinedu was a stammerer.
Anytime he spoke, words hung up in his throat. His classmates laughed at him and even some of his family members.
"A boy who can not speak normally, can't go anywhere in life." His own uncle once told him.
The day he told his father about the competition and the mouth watering prize, the old man sighed.
"Are you sure you are capable of doing this my son?"
"Y-y-yes... Pa-pa-papa I-I- w-w- will try." Chinedu replied.
His mother, who always encouraged him, touched his shoulder. "God will not forsake you, my son, do not be afraid."
Every single day after school, Chinedu would sit on a sit on a side stool under the shade of a mango tree, reciting a portion of the bible. He choose psalm 23 but each time he tried, his words stummbled like a man walking on a slippery floor.
"Th-th-the lo-lo-lo-lord I-I-Is m-my she-she-shepherd..."
He slapped his head repeatedly in fustration.
One cool evening, his younger sister Amaka, sat beside him trying to console him.
"Brother Chinedu stop crying, you can do this, remember God is with you and we are here for you." She said.
"Okay." He said, wiping away the tears off his face.
"Th-the lo-lord I-Is m-my she-shepherd."
He tried again this time, struggling with each words that came out of his mouth.
Day's passed and his classmates made a mockery of him.
"You really want to go for this bible recitation? You? Don't be ridiculous, you will become a laughing stock out there." One of his classmates said to him.
But Chinedu never let those words get into his head as he continued his practice.
A night before the competition, Chinedu's mother put her hand on his head while he we went on his knees as she prayed for him.
"You are more than a stammerer my son, you are a conquerer. May the almighty God that i serve go with and give you victory."
"Amen." Chinedu said, as tears streamed down his face.
The hall was filled to the brim as the competition was broadcast live. Six contestants presented their recitation fluently and the spectators gave them a round of applause. It was Chinedu's turn, then he stepped foward.
"Wait, isn't that Chinedu the stammerer?"
"What does he think he is doing?"
"This is going to be hillarious."
Some people in the crowd whisphered.
Chinedu's heart became gripped with fear. He was losing all hope but then he saw his family amongst the crowd, his father's hopeful eyes, his mother's head bowed, saying a quick prayer and Amaka smiling, waving a hand at him. Immediately, his confidence returned.
T-t-t-the l-lord is my she-she-shepherd.
Laughter erupted from the hall.
"What a waste of time, did he think he could actually make it?" Someone in the crowd whisphered.
But chinedu wouldn't give up. He pictured himself sitting under the mango tree practicing his recitation with Amaka by his side, then suddenly he felt his energy boost.
"The...lord is my shepherd i shall not want he maketh me lay down in green pastures."
His voice became steady and his heart calmed as He continued with his recitation, his words flowing fluently out of his mouth, pushing through every syllable refusing to let his condition define him.
By the time he reached the final verse, someone in the crowd clapped, then another. The whole hall became filled with thunderous applause.
Chinedu began trembling as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He had done the impossible.
Just in, the judges announced the winner.
"The winner of the ten million naira grand prize is no other person than Chinedu okafor!"
His mother screamed in excitement as she went on her knees with her hand's lifted up to the sky as she sang song's of praise's, his father lifted him up and his sister Amaka clung unto his legs, crying.
That faithful day, Chinedu did not only win the competition but he defied all odds, proved a lot of people wrong and changed the fortune of his family.
