week #5/Week #6 Contest Alert: Tell your story - Sorry! A Word That Unites

Sorry” Saved Me in the Market – A True Story from My Tougher Days

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Back when money was tight, I couldn’t afford a taxi, so I walked two miles to Ndi­oka Market to buy the week’s food. My last ₦2,500 paid for garri, onions, and a small plastic bottle of bright‑red palm oil—the only oil we’d use all week.

The sun was hot, the road dusty. At the crowded gate someone bumped my elbow. The thin bag tore, and the bottle slipped. Crash! Palm oil splashed across the clay floor, spraying the white yams on a woman’s stall. Shoppers shouted; the trader’s eyes blazed. Palm oil is hard to wash out, and red stains mean lost sales.

Angry voices swarmed:
“Who will pay for my yams?”
“This boy is careless!”
Hands grabbed my shirt. My heart pounded, I had no money left, only shame.

I swallowed hard, lifted both palms, and said the only honest thing:

“I’m sorry. It was my fault. I don’t have money, but please let me clean it.”

I knelt, used my own drinking water and ragged handkerchief to wipe each yam. The crowd kept muttering, yet my apology was louder than their anger. The woman watched me scrub until the stains lightened. At last she sighed, “Enough. Stand up.” She took my empty garri sack, filled it with three clean yams, and said, “Next time, hold your bag tight. Dey Go.”
Relief flooded me; the crowd dispersed.

Why “sorry” mattered

Acknowledged harm – I didn’t argue or blame the crowd.
Showed respect – Kneeling to clean proved my words were real.
Invited mercy – My honesty touched the trader’s heart, turning anger into help.

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How I could have avoided the mess

Double‑bag liquids when walking long distances.
Keep heavy items low in the bag to prevent tearing.
Use a backpack instead of a thin market pouch.

What i learned

That day I learned that even when pockets are empty, a sincere “sorry” can pay a debt pride never could. I walked home with fewer yams than planned but a bigger lesson in humility and grace.

i invite @owulama @favy and @Sahmie
big ups to the organizer @ngoenyi