The Sacred Coffee.

George and Ariana met when he was serving his fatherland after completing his University studies.

It all started one beautiful evening when George ran out of coffee. He had walked round the village but couldn't find a coffee shop.

"Do you mean no one sells coffee in the whole of this village?" George asked the owner of the last shop he checked.

"I can't tie my money down on something people won't buy," the woman replied bluntly.

"What kind of hole is this?" He grumbled and left the shop.

"Uncle, hello." The shop owner called George.

"I know where you can get coffee," she whispered.

"Please, where is that?" He asked sharply.

"There is a shaman at the end of this road, people come there from the city and gift her things. She will have coffee, ask for Ariana when you get there"

---

"Good evening, I am asking after Arianna." He said to the ladies who were outside the Shaman's place.

"Ariana! Ariana!!" The ladies chorused and soon, a lady in a white robe came out.

"This man wants to see you," one of the girls said to her.

"How can I help you sir?" She asked politely.

"The woman who sells something over there said..."

Ariana didn't allow him to complete what he was saying before she dragged him away.

"Do you want to implicate me?" No one must know I sell the temple gifts.

"She didn't explain that to me, I am sorry." George apologized.

"What do you want?" She asked and he replied, "Coffee."

"That's expensive," She replied and paused to see if anyone was coming.

"Give me the money and meet me at the government public school by 6 pm." She replied.

---

George arrived there at 6 pm and there was no sign of Ariana or coffee after waiting for another 30 minutes.

He was contemplating what to do next, when a voice said "Hello, sorry I came late."

George turned to see the person and was stunned. Ariana had changed from the temple robe to mufti and he didn't believe she was the same person he saw earlier.

"Are you Ariana?" He stuttered.

"Yes, here is the coffee." She replied.

George took the pack and from that moment, he couldn't stop thinking about her especially when drank the coffee.

_Source

He found out that Ariana was 23 an orphan who worked as a messenger for the Shaman.

He started wooing Ariana and a few months later, Ariana said yes to him. Everything started well and it wasn't long before George realised that Ariana was hot-tempered, she had serious anger issues.

---

"I can't live without you, can I come with you?" Ariana asked George a few days after he finished his program in the village.

"Are you sure about that? I know nobody will ask after your whereabouts but it's not..."

Ariana didn't let George finish before she kissed him. He agreed to take her and they both left the village.

George did everything he could to help her blend well, he enrolled her for adult education and got her a small apartment but he never introduced Ariana to his parents.

"Shouldn't I meet your family now? I am not getting younger" Ariana asked after a few years.

"Be patient a little more," he replied and Ariana flared up again.

"You keep saying that every year, you don't want to marry me right?" She asked angrily.

"Calm down, you need to finish your education first so I can start a business for you," George replied and she went on screaming.

"I have told you to caution your anger, this is becoming unbearable for me."

A few weeks passed and George broke up with her after another heated argument that got their neighbours' attention.

"For the sake of my mental health, it's better we go separate ways." Those were his last words before leaving Ariana's place.

George couldn't stop thinking about Ariana when he arrived home some hours later so he made coffee to clear his mind. He tried to sip from the cup but he couldn't.

_Source

He tried talking and he could. George rushed to get water, he tried juice and he could drink anything except coffee.

"If you ever break up with me, you will lose the ability to do one thing you love a lot."

Ariana's words struck George's mind, he remembered what she said as he left her place in the morning.

"Ariana!" George screamed and he rushed out of the house.

He quickly took a taxi to her place and was shocked to see that she had left too.

"Was she planning this before? Where could she be?" George decided to stay hoping she would show up but she didn't.

A week passed and George had already lost his mind because he couldn't have coffee. He spoke about it with an elder who told him that he had been cursed.

George travelled to seek help from the shamans in the village.

"Look for the sacred coffee, brew it and rub it on your mouth. The curse will be broken." The Shaman told George.

George researched about the sacred coffee and his discovery broke his heart. Only one of the plants grows in the world at the entrance of Sumibu Cave annually.

George informed his family and set out for Sumibu. For two years, people beat him to the sacred coffee. He decided to live near the cave so no one would beat him to the sacred coffee.

While staying there, he fell in love with nature. He grew his food, planted more trees and cared for sick or injured animals.

George finally got the sacred coffee and he was freed from the curse. He wept after sipping coffee for the first time since the curse began and chose to make the woods his home.

_Source

Ariana's curse gave him a new passion and he lived happily for the rest of his life.