Omshawail, the Prodigious Child
06 December, 2015
KHARTOUM (SUDANOW)—The media last Tuesday announced the demise of Omshawail, the miraculous child who, six years ago, survived 40 days among snakes and scorpions in a deserted 34-meter-deep well in which her father threw her, then 13 years old, as a punishment for losing four of the goats she was grazing in Soudery region in North Kordofan.
The motherless girl spent her childhood grazing the goats of her cruel father in Soudery region in patient perseverance, abandoning her right to playing with her peers.
Four of the goats went astray, the father, regardless of her age, the responsibility she was bearing and above all, his own parenthood, threw his own daughter, as a punishment for losing the goats, in a deserted 34-meter-deep well full of thorns, snakes, scorpions and which were flying in front of her in the dark well.
A snake with fire-red eyes was gazing at Omshawail all the time while she was lying on a thorn bed but never thought of harming her.
It just happened that, as he was passing by, a shepherd boy heard a human voice coming out from the well and was scared to hear that voice from the deserted well which the people of the village believed was inhabited by evil spirits or devils.
The boy ran back to the village and broke the news of the human voice in the deserted well thought by the villagers to be haunted by jinn.
A courageous man called Abdul Khair Saeed decided to find out the secret of the voice, went to the well and got closer and upon hearing it, he called: "Are you a jinni or a human" and the faint voice replied: "A human".
Saeed did not hesitate and climbed down the deep, dark well, despite the difficulties caused by the flying bats and thorns, to save the owner of the human voice and, assisted by his companions, Saeed managed to climb up with the girl from a world of horror and near death to life.
Saeed cleansed Omshawail's body and hair from the thorns and the dirt and changed her clothes which were eaten up by the termites.
The story of Omshawail coming back to life on the surface was more astonishing and circulated than the deed of her father dropping her into the well as it is unusual to be rescued for sure death. The horror alone that she had experienced for 40 days with poisonous creatures was enough to kill her but no one would die before the time set by All-mighty God.
Asked about what she was eating or drinking for survival, Omshawail answered that a man in a white dress used to bring her camel milk with salt every day, something which doctors say is a full nourishment.
The media paid much attention to this extraordinary incident and visited Omshawail in Soudery region in North Kordofan and in Khartoum where she moved to live with her grandmother. People came from various places to see her and health and rehabilitation services were offered to her free of charge as she still suffered the memory of terror inside the well and she fainted to a state of dizziness in addition to emaciation and bruises. Every person who heard of her story came to see Omshawail and listen to the miracles which many people believe they no longer occur but God's will over-rules and any occurrence happens only if the Almighty wills and only He is the only one who decides of life and death.
Omshawail was last year married to a cousin and the wedding was also a remarkable event the preparation of which the media took part and was attended by distinguished media personalities while the marriage home was a gift by a Saudi Arabian philanthropist.
Omshawail story stuck in the memory of everyone who heard it. Unfortunately, it turned out that dizziness was fits of epilepsy and last Monday she was attacked by epilepsy fit while returning from a neighboring shop but this time the fit was fatal and she passed away, causing a great wave of sorrow and sadness among the people who were happy with her rescue from the well and with her marriage.
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MAS/ AS
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