Narrator: Taw Taw You may asks but asked not why the night full or asked not why the daybreak and asked not was the wind fears but slowly should you listen. I could still remember the admiring and beaming face of this young fellow I meet on my way to Jade.
Let me tell you a story about a boy called Baka. I rode far to a distant land called Jade to sell my goods, on my way, I meet a group of merchants who were also on their way to jade to sell their goods and buy some when coming home. This group of merchants was from GAGA. Because I was traveling alone I decided to join them for safety reason. I made friends among them and we had a nice conversation. There are great speakers, they are much conscious of words and they choose the right words when speaking. As we walked half the journey then I notice that there was a young boy among us, I asked my new friend called Carte: who is that boy riding on the horse? On Carte’s face, he smiled.
CARTE: oh that is Baka.
TAW TAW: I look around he was the only boy among us, being curious: I asked again CARTE why his father will bring him along when he knows well that this journey of ours is dangerous. We can be attacked by thieves you know.
CARTE: smiled at me and said you see that man walking behind the horse that is his uncle KABA and the one holding the rope of the horse is KABA’S son JODEEN.
TAW TAW: what about his parent’s?
CARTE: His parent’s died in a ship which got drown in the sea when they were on their way to a distant land and he was the only savior on that ship.
TAW TAW: (I was so curious to hear more about this boy) then I said tell me more, how did he make it?
CARTE: one morning we woke up and saw him by the seashore and it was believed that the Heavens subdue the sea to carry him to the shore.
TAW TAW: This is really an amazing story for the ears.
CARTE: Yeah it is. And as for his uncle; I bet you he will lay down his life for that boy.
TAW TAW: don’t you think he should have left the boy behind.
CARTE: he can’t, his wife is not fun of the boy that because the boy is beloved by her husband than his own children and he fears that if he leaves the boy behind his wife will discard him. He has no choice but to take him along believing that he will be saved with him.
TAW TAW: a friend I admire his uncle.
CARTE: Yeah I guess you have to.
TAW TAW: I wanted to look at his uncle's face because we were behind them I couldn’t see his face so Carte calls him loud and he turns, Carte brought up a small conversation so that I could see his face clearer. When he turned to my surprise I voice out load amazing they really look alike and all the people turned and smile, they knew what I was talking about, the uncle looked at me and smile. The cloud was getting darker and we had to find a place for rest till morning comes. We ended up settling under some trees for the night so that we can continue our journey. We sat in groups, for me because I was so curious to know more about the boy and his uncle so I decided to join them and they welcome me by saying.
KABA: feel comfortable like your home.
TAW TAW: We sat by the fire which we made with dry woods and Kaba started to narrate a story,
KABA: Far into the ancient time, when men who live, fought and died for justice. For and for them, they were men who fought the tyrants and liberate the people from oppresses, rulers. They made them feel alive again and delivered them from ignores and made them feel like humans. Because their freedom was taken away from them by their rulers. They brought justice to the lands they walked on, they were men that stood for the truth, and they were men that brought equality among people. They never fear any soul or death, and they die as true heroes. And when they face an enemy or a beast they say come taste your death. These were people who once lived on the earth and fought for the peace of humanity.
TAW TAW: The story inspired me, this was humble and modest people with good character. They are people one should emulate. As I listen silently to him speak of this great hero’s whom sacrifice their wealth and life for this course, so I cried. For this story been told, I heard of it not yet I wish I was among them. I look around me slowly I saw men silently listening and on their faces, I see sorrow and proud. Then my eyes meet Baka and he smiles, so I smiled. The night was getting cold and dry wood was getting finished.
Kaba asked two men to come help him to get some firewood for the end of the night. So they went leaving his son and Baka behind. As I sit silently watching Baka putting more sticks into the fire. We heard a scary sound from the dark and yet we know not what made that sound then we panic, everyone draws his sword accept Baka. The sound was getting closer and closer and you could feel our breath and the fear of us grow stronger and stronger. Among us, one shouted.
PERSON1: show yourself, cowards, if you are men like us show yourselves and have a taste of our swords.
TAW TAW: Then it appeared, it was a red beast with two horns, two long teeth, and one green eye. It was a beast that the eyes had never seen before. When men saw it, they felt terror and fear run through their bones; some drop their swords without knowing it. For me, I felt as if I was not standing on my feet. As the beast got closer no man deer face it, a beast that man without heart will bow down to its submission, with fear in us we all run and climb the trees around us leaving young Baka alone at the ground. So shaking we were, we forget that Baka had been put under our care. So we watched the beast come closer and we deer not climb down the tree to safe Baka, he was young and we all knew very well that he could not climb the tree.
So we await his death. Baka remove one of the firewood from the blazing fire. He stood firm with no fear waiting for the stroke of the beast, it walked around him with strong breath and fearful row, yet he panic not. The beast walked around him with fearful gaze and walked away. A while before we came down of the trees. We were shocked by what we saw; we forgot ourselves while standing with silence then KABA run back with the men he went with to get the firewood. He saw the people standing in circles and he knew something has happened, with a shaking voice.
KABA: he shouted who is in the circle?
PERSON2: said Baka,
CARTE: as he walks slowly into the circle with his eyes full of tears thinking that something bad had happened to him. He saw Baka holding firewood, he went closer to Baka and hug him, he turns and turns him around to see if something had happened to him and saw nothing not even a scratch on him, he turns to his son and asked.
KABA: son what happened here? Why are you all surrounding Baka?
CARTE: Jodden could not utter a word so did the people, then I explained to him what had happened and said am sorry for failing to protect Baka, Kaba cry out.
KABA: oh so you could not protect your brother whom I left under your care.
JODDEN: am sorry father.
KABA: turn to Baka why didn’t you run for your life son,
BAKA: oh father forgive me, I felt ashamed to run,
KABA: ashamed,
BAKA: how will I face the Heavens when I die trying to run. I am a servant so is that beast. KABA: Son I believe the Heavens are full of mercy and will not hold you for running to save your life.
BAKA: if I run I will feel that am among the people with weak heart. The beast came alone so do I stand alone.
KABA: kiss his forehead and said indeed you are the son of your father.
TAW TAW: It was shocking to hear those words from a young boy. It is a memory that has turned into a scar and a story that will be told by the lips and listened by the ears and articulated by the mind.
Written by@hadihami
Image credit pixabay