THE GOLDEN SPOON

Hello fellow hive fans. I hope you all are fine.

Tunde was a regular man. In a small, cramped room, he shared a life with his wife, Ngozi, and their two kids. Life was always tough for them. He was the janitor at a school and the salary he received was almost never enough. On most days, the family barely had one meal. There were also nights when they all went to bed hungry.

The situation worsened when Ngozi got extremely sick. She was feeble and ended up spending most of her time on the bed. Afterward, the doctors disclosed to Tunde that it was a kidney infection. She required an operation. The money was so far from what he could ever think of paying that the news had him shattered.

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Once, during the evening, he was outside his house with his head between his hands. Even though he was alone, he did not hesitate to speak. "God, why me? How do I save her? What can I do?" He had hungry children, a wife who was slowly disappearing, and he was full of impotence.

He remembered the moment when he implored his elder brother to come to his aid. He had gone in tears, pleading, “Please lend me money. I will pay back little by little. Ngozi’s life depends on this.” But his brother shook his head. “I don’t have that kind of money. Even if I did, why throw it away on sickness? Take her home and use herbs. That hospital will drain you.” Tunde left broken, realizing even family had abandoned him.

The days slowly passed. Ngozi’s condition deteriorated. One day, while Tunde was sweeping behind the school, his broom hit something hard on the ground. He used his hands to dig until he unwrapped a bright golden spoon. The handle of it was decorated with odd symbols. At the beginning, he considered it to be a mere little thing. Afterward, with just a small quantity of rice remaining, he put the rice into the spoon. To his surprise, the rice grew to twice its size and the bowl became full. He repeated with water, and it also grew.

His heart was racing. Could this be real? That night, his family ate to their hearts' content. For the first time in months, they slept with full stomachs.

Tunde initially used the spoon to feed his family and give food to a few neighbors. People lavished him with compliments for his generosity. He was filled with pride. But not long after, he changed. He realized that a spoon could be used to make money. He started producing food in bulk and selling it at exorbitant prices. His house was filled with bags of rice, beans, and garri. People wondered how a poor cleaner had become rich all of a sudden. Some whispered about him. Others even feared him.

With the money he made, Tunde finally paid for Ngozi’s surgery. She came back home strong and healthy. The family rejoiced. But instead of stopping, Tunde wanted more. He bought land. He built a big house. He opened a shop. Despite that, Tunde was never content. He continued to gather up food and sell it at crazy prices. Those who used to admire him were now complaining that he was taking advantage of them. He didn't bother with their opinions. He was telling himself all the time that he was doing it only to provide for his family in the coming times.

One night, Tunde was with his wife's family at the dining table. They were laughing, eating, and applauding him as a good husband who had saved Ngozi's life. Then the door was knocked. Ngozi went to the door and saw a tall policeman in uniform standing there.

“Good evening. I am Inspector Sean from the state CID. Is this Mr. Tunde?”

Tunde stood, uneasy. “Yes… I am Tunde.”

The officer stepped inside and handed him a paper. “You are under arrest for illegal trading, tax evasion, and suspicious activity. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court.”

The room fell silent. Ngozi trembled by the door. The children clung to her wrapper, frightened. Tunde stared around, searching for words, but none came.

The truth was clear. His greed had led him here. He had hoarded food, cheated buyers, and broken laws. People had reported him. His sudden wealth had raised questions, and now it was all crashing down.

As he was led out in handcuffs, shame covered him. He remembered the days when he had nothing but still had peace. Tears filled his eyes. The wealth he thought would save him had now destroyed everything.

When the police looked through his home they discovered the gold spoon lying on the ground, broken into two pieces. The brilliance was no longer there, covered with rust. It looked like it was not there at all.

Tunde regretted all that he had lost when he was behind bars. He imagined how he might have utilized the spoon to assist the others, to provide the hungry, to rescue lives. But, he went for avarice. He exchanged tranquility for riches and ended up without anything.

Ngozi visited him sometimes, but her eyes no longer held the same love. She looked at him with pity. His children grew up carrying the shame of their father’s name. Tunde often whispered to himself, “If only I had been content. If only I had helped others. If only I had not been greedy.” But it was too late.

Years later, people in the community told his story as a lesson. Parents told their children about Tunde and the Golden Spoon. They said greed can turn blessings into curses. True wealth is not gold, food, or houses. True wealth is kindness, contentment, and love.

Tunde was once in a position where he lacked money and was looking for hope. One miracle came to his hand, but he let it slip out of his hands. What could have been a blessing turned into a disaster because he neglected the one thing: more than enough is always better than too much.