OVERCOME JEALOUSY

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AUTHOR’S PROFILE

NAME: KAFUI MENSAH
AGE: 10
GRADE: 6
SCHOOL: YERIEL BRACHA SCHOOL

STORY TITLE: OVERCOME JEALOUSY

Once there lived three friends. Their names were John, Matthew and
Harold—Jay, Matt and Harry. Harold was the oldest among them; he was
13 years old. He was very handsome and tall but wasn’t very smart. John
was the smartest one. He was only 12 years old but fantastic at Science.
However, John wasn’t as handsome as Harry, and of course, he was very
short. The third, Matthew, was also 12 years old. His parents were very
rich and so he always had two or three people hanging around him like
houseflies to, you know, fight over the little money he had to share. But
Matt wasn’t as good looking as Jay and Harry. In fact, he was ugly, very
ugly.

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At school, Harry was admired by the girls a lot because he was
handsome. Jay was also liked very much by his classmates because he
could help them do their home works and in effect, escape the woes of
Mr. Andrew’s, their class teacher’s, anger. And all the teachers liked Matt
so much because he brought them food and other nice items everyday.

Everyone in their school and neighborhood knew they were best friends
because they were always together. One Saturday, it was Matt’s birthday
party which happened two weeks after Jay’s birthday party, and he
invited his close friends and other people in their school. To his
disappointment, only few people came. He was very sad because his
party wasn’t as fun and exciting at Jay’s.

Jay’s party was great. There were lots of food, drinks, and a colorful
dance floor where they danced. It was an amazing night! Everyone loved
it. So Jay became very angry for not being as rich as Matt. Monday came,
and the results of the just ended Examination had been posted on the
notice board. Jay came first whiles his two other friends were trailing
somewhere close to last. When they saw this, they were very sad and
angry at Jay.

At break time, they went their separate ways to eat and play. This had
never happened before. Their friends saw this and asked them why. Mr.
Andrew also saw this and asked them what was going on. He smiled and

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shook his head after listening to them.

Mr. Andrew said to them, ‘I’ve heard all of you. Now go to the backyard
garden and each one of you should pluck one flower and bring it here
quickly before break is over.’ They all hurried to the school’s garden and
plucked their flowers. Jay plucked a yellow flower, Matt, a red rose
flower and Harry, knowing Matt and Jay had plucked yellow and red,
plucked a beautiful purple flower. They sent them to Mr. Andrew.

Mr. Andrew told them, ‘Put your flowers together and tell me how it
looks like now.’ They were now very beautiful. Mr. Andrew continued,
‘Just as the flowers are more beautiful when together, so are you. Don’t
let your different abilities tear you apart. Stay together and you’ll be
stronger and more beautiful.’

The three friends bowed their heads in shame with their hands cuffed
behind them. They came to realize that jealousy almost destroyed their
friendship. They resumed to class when the bell was rung for the close of
the break.

During the lessons, they were thinking so much about what Mr. Andrew
told them. They were in deep regret. They tried to make eye contact with
one another in the class but then turned their eyes in a different
direction when their eyes met.

Soon, the bell was rung for school to close. Immediately, they walked

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towards each other but didn’t know what to say. As they stood watching
one another, they suddenly burst out laughing. They laughed and
laughed and laughed. Indeed, they came to know they had no good
reasons to hate one another.

They walked out of the class together, going home. When Mr. Andrew
saw this, he smiled and called them to his table. They slowly walked to
him and before they could say ‘Thank you’, Mr. Andrew told them to take
the flowers and keep them as a sign of their friendship. They happily
took the flowers and bade Mr. Andrew goodbye.

Jay, Harry and Matt stayed happily united ever after and made it a point
to never entertain jealousy.

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