Zodi’s Story
Zodi stares into the painted eyes of a rag doll, its coiled hair and dark features triggering a distant memory. She is no longer the confident young woman with a bright future. No. Her mind drifts and she is five years old back in Africa. It is the day her father gives her away.
Poverty has stretched its ugly fingers into Ethiopia and Zodi’s Muslim parents can’t afford the medicine she needs, so they entrust her into her uncle’s care. After her homesickness passes, she thrives. Zodi’s world pivots out of control when she turns eight and the deadbeat cousin moves next door. She tries to defend herself against his predatorial advances, but he laughs, saying, “Girls are nothing.” When Zodi brings to light the ugly truth of Kibo’s abuse, her aunt and uncle don’t believe her. Feeling unsafe, she pleads with them to let her return home.
Zodi is overjoyed when reunited with her family, but she can’t help feeling that her parents are keeping a secret from her. Her suspicions are confirmed when her father neglects to pay her tuition and she realizes he’s quit his job because he’s sick. At his funeral, grief overtakes Zodi when she hears her mother, Shibray, sobbing in the next room. Her words fill Zodi with anxiety: “Your uncle won’t help us! He’s left us to the hyenas. Now we die!”
However, it’s not the hyenas prowling the neighborhood at dusk that are at the forefront of Zodi’s mind—she’s outwitted them before, and she’ll do it again. What worries her most is Shibray’s declining mental state, forcing her to become the adult of the house at nine years old.
Panic grips Zodi when Shibray is diagnosed with HIV, leaving her to care for her five little brothers and find a way to make ends meet. Getting a job working at the coffee factory is her only option. It means putting food on the table, but it’s dangerous work and accidents happen to even the most skilled workers.
Going to school, working, and caring for her family takes a toll on Zodi and after cheating the water witch, she comes down with a mysterious illness. There’s no money for doctors, so when a neighbor offers to take her to church to get healed, Zodi’s mother reluctantly agrees. The Christians at the Korean church pray over Zodi, but she seems to get sicker, and she acts crazy when they talk about Jesus. The Christians realize she’s possessed and don’t give up their prayer vigil and God miraculously heals her.
Zodi is eleven years old when she gives her heart to Jesus. She runs home to tell her mother the good news. This infuriates Shibray, who throws her out of the house. Shibray’s last threat rings in Zodi’s ears: “If you betray Allah, you better run. I’ll send your brother to kill you.”
Zodi trembles in the grip of her mother’s wrath. It means death if she follows Jesus. The choice is simple.
Run.
********
This is a true story. Everything I’ve written in the above synopsis is true. I’ve cried daily as I penned Zodi’s story. I’ve walked in her shoes all the way to the end. But sometimes I wonder if I would have had her strength and faith… What would I have done? I pray I’m never faced with that choice. I’d like to think that I would choose Jesus if faced with the same decision.
I have another confession to make. Zodi’s story isn’t available yet. The good news is I’ve already had one offer for a contract, but I need to make sure the publisher is the right fit for my book, so it might take a little while. Also, after meeting with agents and editors at the Asheville Christian Writers Conference in—you guessed it—Asheville, North Carolina, I’ve discovered my story still needs some tweaking. So, I’m still in the process of editing…but I’m thrilled to say that I’ve found an editor/writing coach to work with to help me take my manuscript to the next level.
Stay tuned! Follow me on social media for video updates. You can find me on Facebook @Elsie McKenney’s Books, on Instagram @elsiemckenneyauthor and TikTok @elsiemckenney_author.
One more thing. What would you do in Zodi’s shoes?
