Winnie and the Magic Masks

Let me tell you a story about a girl who became a wife, mother, friend, and business owner, halfway across the world, in a place that she least expected….

Winnie grew up in Nigeria, a beautiful country in West Africa.

When she was a little girl, she would walk through her neighbourhood and look at all the beautiful colours that surrounded her.

Winnie loved how the flowers looked like a box of crayons and how rainbows led her to magical places. She loved the crimson of the setting sun and the deep blue hues of the ocean.

Growing up, she dreamed of traveling the world. When she got older, she married someone who also had the same dream. They were happy and travelled to faraway places like Norway and Scotland.

Norway had steep cliffs, glaciers, and Northern Lights that twinkled in the night sky. But Winnie missed the friendly energy of Nigeria.

Scotland had huge castles, art festivals, and highland dancing. But Winnie never quite felt at home.

Something was missing…

After a few years had gone by, Winnie and her family decided to move to Newfoundland and Labrador, a province in Canada.

Newfoundland was full of rolling hills, steep cliffs, and rugged coastlines. There were caribou, moose, and puffins with rainbow-coloured beaks. There was colour everywhere!

Winnie loved the colours of the fields and the colours of the streams. There was even a whole neighbourhood, called Jellybean Row, where the houses there were painted in blue, green, orange, purple, and yellow. It was all unbelievably beautiful.

Now Newfoundland was very cold in the winter, but the people had warm hearts. They welcomed Winnie and her family with open arms.

Winnie loved sharing her culture with them and would talk about Nigeria whenever she could. She also loved to wear African-styled dresses and outfits made with bright fabrics. At first, she thought that her new friends in Newfoundland would not like her clothes, but people complimented her wherever she went.

“Wow, your dress is so beautiful!” they would exclaim.

“Winnie, where did you get such a lovely head scarf?” her neighbours would ask.

And Winnie would gush with pride, “This material comes from Nigeria,” or “thank you, this is Ankara fabric.”

Winnie also learned how to sew bags. She would make them out of Ankara material as well. Soon people were asking her to make them bags too!

Winnie received so many orders for her bags that she decided to start her own business and sell her bags at the local flea market.

Coin purses, lunch bags, leather bags, and totes. Winnie made them all!

Sometimes sales were up and sometimes sales were down. Some days Winnie sold many bags and sometimes she only sold one.

Winnie never felt discouraged. No matter how many she sold, she kept on dreaming about growing her business.

One day, Winnie heard her neighbours talking about something very alarming.

“What’s going on?” she asked them, with concern.

“There is a bad virus going around that is making people very sick,” her neighbour said in a hushed voice, as her eyes widened like the moon.

Winnie didn’t know exactly what this all meant but she was about to find out.

Suddenly, schools, malls, parks, and stores were closed. Kids could no longer play together.

No more libraries. No more playgrounds. No more fun.

And no more selling at the flea market.

Winnie was worried. What was happening?

People everywhere started wearing masks over their nose and mouth. Smiles seemed to disappear. Everyone looked distressed and downcast. Winnie wanted to help people. Yet, what could she do?

She thought and thought and thought some more…

Then Winnie had a great idea! She would help people by making them masks using her own brilliant fabrics and patterns. She took apart a mask that her friend had given her, to see how it was made, and quickly set about creating her own design.

At first, it was all very confusing, but Winnie was very clever. She measured and cut. She cut and stitched. She got out her sewing machine and started to work her magic. Her first mask was too big and let in too much air.

Her second mask was too tight and squeezed her cheeks. Ouch!

Winnie kept coming up with new designs until she finally found the perfect fit. So many of Winnie’s friends wanted to buy her masks that she could not keep up with the demand. Winnie was so busy that she had to enlist the help of her entire family!

Her daughter measured the elastics.

Her husband cut the cloth.

And Winnie stitched them together with her sewing machine.

Whirl!    Snip!    Clank!    Hummm!

Winnie and her family worked long hours every day.

Everyone wanted to buy her masks because they were so cheery. They fell in love with the vivid colours and the delightful patterns. From the top of Signal Hill to the trails of Cape Spear. From the shores of Bonavista Bay to the corner of Corner Brook. People came from all over Newfoundland to buy Winnie’s masks.

And when they placed them on their face, something magical happened. People began to feel happy again. They shared jokes and stories with one another. Musical laughter filled the air. They got closer together and their eyes sparkled. People felt alive once more!

As for that nasty virus, it bounced off the masks and flew up into the sky, winding its way through the clouds.

In time, the flea market reopened. Winnie sold her masks and many more items there. Soon, her business began to flourish, just as she imagined.

And Newfoundland became her newfound home.

The End.

Who is the real Winnie?

Winifred Aghoghome Ohwoka holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and a Diploma in Accountancy. She is the owner of Signage Clothing and Crafts in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Winifred enjoys making and learning new crafts, travelling, and meeting new people from different cultures. She loves to make people happy. Winifred is married to Mr. A. Ohwoka and blessed with two wonderful children.

About the author

name: Rachelle Gooden

Rachelle is an experienced librarian, writer, and humanitarian. She holds an honour’s degree in English from York University and a master’s degree in Information Studies at the University of Toronto. Rachelle’s librarianship spans almost two decades and includes several leadership roles and assignments including Special Collections Selector for the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection. In her current position as a Senior Services Specialist, Equity and Inclusion, she continues to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

Rachelle’s volunteer work includes designing and helping to establish an elementary school library in Ghana and teaching basic bookkeeping to women in a remote village. She is a lover of books, travel, and life. In her spare time, Rachelle enjoys relaxing with family and friends, baking, and working on her own writing projects, including her first two picture books, Winnie and the Magic Masks and Count on Dr. O. Rachelle lives in Whitby, Ontario with her husband and two children.