Inspirational
Little Girl Hugged Her Dead Father in His Coffin, Then Something Happened That Made People Scream
Kofi was born into an impoverished family in Ethiopia, and his parents had a dream of breaking free from the cycle of generational poverty. Unfortunately, they passed away before their dreams could come true. Determined to make something different for himself, Kofi sought out ways to create a better future for himself. Unfortunately, despite years of hard work, he was yet to realize his dreams.
To make ends meet, he worked on construction sites before turning to selling injera and dorawat by the roadside. He also sometimes took up night shifts at factories in order to make money to keep his food business up and running smoothly.
After his night shift, he would go straight to his small shop and work tirelessly throughout the day without rest or sleep. On one of these days at the shop, Kofi encountered Solana. What struck him first was her beautiful dark skin, then her enchanting eyes and cheerful smile. Solana would come every day at the same time to buy injera. It went on like this for a few weeks, and before Kofi knew it, he fell head over heels for her.
Solana and Kofi quickly became close friends during this period, but Kofi yearned for more. He wanted Solana in his life and couldn’t wait to tell her how he truly felt about her. One day, when a heavy storm was predicted, it seemed like fate had given him just that opportunity.
That day, Kofi made only a little food, so he had to apologize to customers who came after everything got sold out. However, he kept Solana’s injera aside, hoping she would show up. It must have been his lucky day because she came just after a few minutes. As Kofi served her food, it suddenly began to rain. He was in a panic because he had to quickly pack up his cooking equipment and lock everything up before everything got ruined by the rain. Money was tight for him, so any unplanned spending would be out of reach at the moment.
To his surprise, Solana helped him pack up, and with the two of them, it took only a few minutes. But by the time they were done, though they were already drenched, Kofi apologized profusely to Solana, but she waved it away with her soft smile. They took cover at the bus stop and talked for hours as the rain pelted down.
As Kofi and Solana conversed, he could no longer contain his feelings. He finally confessed that he loved her and wanted her in his life. Solana paused for a moment, overcome by emotion, then with a warm smile on her face, she said, “What took you so long? I’ve been dreaming of this moment.” With those words spoken between them, their relationship began to take shape and soon blossomed into something beautiful.
Most days, Solana would join Kofi on the street to sell food. Their love was a thing of beauty and it drew customers to their small food business. Solana also helped spread the word about Kofi’s culinary talent, which further increased their customer base.
Kofi’s business took a major turn for the better when he was contracted to provide catering services for a conference. This order gave Kofi an opportunity to showcase his culinary skills and demonstrate the quality of his services, leading to more orders in the future. Profits soon rolled in, and within a few months, Kofi was able to open his small shop.
Kofi considered Solana his lucky charm, and his love for her deepened. As Kofi’s business grew rapidly, his relationship with Solana progressed even faster. It was as if the lovers had a premonition they would spend only a little time together. In just eight months, they moved in together, and within four months, they were married.
The couple was eager to start a family, but despite their best efforts and medical reassurances that everything was alright, they were unable to conceive. Solana was troubled; many times she would stay up all night crying. Kofi would wake up, sigh deeply, and assure her that they would have children of their own someday. He was actually right; two years later, Solana became pregnant. The couple was overjoyed.
Solana’s pregnancy was smooth sailing, and in due time, the happy couple welcomed the baby girl whom they named Abiba. The girl was beautiful; she had her mother’s dreamy eyes and her father’s arched brows. It was as if the baby took all that time to come to them so that she could be flawless.
A few years were all it took for Abiba’s parents to realize that their daughter was a genius. By the age of three, she could already read well and had strong math skills. Abiba was hungry for knowledge, and her parents indulged her. This trio was a perfect team; they did everything together and were truly happy.
Unfortunately, this joy was short-lived. On Abiba’s fifth birthday, a terrifying incident occurred. The family was playing indoor games when Kofi suddenly collapsed. In response, Abiba frantically held him tightly and kept shouting, “Dad, wake up!” Fortunately, he regained awareness after a few minutes.
Solana attributed the fainting episode to stress and assumed it wouldn’t happen again. But just a week later, Kofi collapsed again. After these frightening fainting episodes, the couple went to the hospital so Kofi could be examined. There, they found out that he was dying. Poor Kofi was diagnosed with a terminal illness and immediately kept under medical observation.
Kofi’s health irrevocably deteriorated as each day passed. However, Abiba’s presence seemed to give him a renewed sense of life. Despite his heartbreaking situation, Abiba remained strong and bravely held back her tears whenever her father experienced seizures or coughed up blood.
Soon enough, it became clear to everyone that Kofi didn’t have much time left. Solana, however, refused to accept that her husband wouldn’t fight for his life. “Why have you decided to leave us?” Solana asked tearfully one day as she saw her husband lying lifelessly on the hospital bed. “You promised to be there always, to love me forever. Why can’t you fight?” she asked angrily. Kofi pulled her back with the little strength he had left and told her he was sorry. But Solana slipped out of his grasp and ran out with angry tears blinding her vision.
After Solana left, Abiba spent the whole day with her dad, refusing anyone entrance into his room. Abiba hugged her father tightly, and they both wept in their hearts. They said goodbye. Kofi died peacefully in his sleep the next day.
When Solana learned of her husband’s death, she was inconsolable. She was filled with regrets and was angry at herself. She wished she had told him a proper goodbye and that she would never stop loving him nor get married to another man. Abiba, on the other hand, felt at peace. All the beautiful conversations she had with her dad helped her gain closure.
Solana wouldn’t stop crying, even at his funeral. Abiba was sad but dry-eyed. Just before Kofi’s coffin was lowered, Abiba felt an impulse to hug her beloved father one last time. She asked her mother if she could hug him in his coffin, and the young woman conceded, seeing no harm in the act.Everyone looked on pitifully as Ab
iba stepped into the coffin and hugged her father for several minutes that felt like ages. Tears streamed down the little girl’s cheeks and dampened her father’s burial clothes. Abiba whispered sweet nothings into her dad’s ear, then she gave him one last kiss on the forehead.
That was when something quite shocking happened, to the guests’ dismay. A dove suddenly flew into the cemetery and perched on Kofi’s chest. The dove slightly pecked at Abiba, and her lips stretched into a smile, while the adults shook with fear. Some of the funeral guests screamed in disbelief. Even Solana was a little unsettled, not sure what to make of it. But Abiba knew that doves represented peace and love, so she took this rare occurrence as her father’s way of showing his love for her one last time.
Years later, Abiba told her children and grandchildren about the incredible bond she and her father shared. She also told them how a dove perched on her father’s chest and pecked her. Abiba’s kids and grandkids also believed the dove’s presence symbolized the love Abiba and her father shared.