The Adventures of Nihu

y began to journey back to their proud heritage-the countryside that they called home. As they walked, the bush paths felt their coming, and their wild hits of

pride could do also assumed that his high mindedness was because he was going to be given a piece of land that set him apart from h

to an antelope that was busy grazing near a bush path void of human activity. Nihu squinted his eyes and took aim, but his shot went wide and the arrow stuck into a tree. Meanwhile, the antelope rose, noticing the action that was against its poor soul, and faded safely into the nea

evening. He got hold of Nihu's arrow to use as a weapon if, eventually, he ran into anyone. Like any thief that would n

ook standing far taller than the pair of legs that carried him. That pair of rickety legs could provoke laughter in a congre

the new look to him. The glory within the noble farmer did not encourage him to take a careful look here an

as the robber had already driven the arrow into Gubado's chest. As he staggered, his cutlass fell to the ground and he began to battle very hard to overcom

collected all that was on the severed countryman. Rings, beads and all his belongings were placed in his pockets. A future of plenty emerged from just

s left chest was still there and the severed head invited flies and ravenous animals to have their share of the free meal. Be

hest. A farmer, one who had seen Nihu shooting arrows in the forest, visited the palace to report the incident. With this confirmation, the King and his council of elders

eir standings in the community implied. Angry looks hung on the faces of the observers who raised a roar immediately Goudonas and his accused son walked into the court. "Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" The cry went like s

ubado's love had prevailed everywhere. With a wave of his bejeweled hand, the King signaled stillness. The

But the king sneered, "Don't bow to me. Eat your rega

s everyone nodded, and some shouted, "Yes!

ny harm to my uncl

s chest. How would you prove to me and the people that y

hat I shot an arrow in

arrow struck on a tree and not in the chest

silent world. If as you claim, your arrow str

Someone else must

r thirty years. Moreover, it is to no other place other than the Lonely Forest. Go and prove your innocence in the forest! If you survive, you survive. But if you die, i

rdered, "Let him take a parting gif

al for the day. With his legs kicking the air, Nihu was carried to the field where he was tied to a stake. One of the hefty guards, as dark as the midnight, drew his whip and laid it forty times ac

l of water and emptied it on Nihu who was already covered in a pool of his own blood. He wept as a hungry baby for the salt water tormented his battered flesh. He rested on the stake like a frustrated man reduced by the dreadful sting of

e of her wrapper. She ran home to get a clean cloth, Nihu's rucksack, and flute. When she got to the field, she dressed Nihu in the clean cloth and gave him a pain reliever as well. Since it was an abomination for anyone t

ould not leave its trademark on the ground. It was forced to stay on the mountaintops, plains, and treetops without penetrating down to rob the Earth of its cool shade. Yet the sun still happily made itself felt, sending reflected rays around the coast, as the streams and rivers waited to receive its glow. They received what th

steps of his old boots. A few fell a distance away as if receiving a blow from an enemy. Nihu bar

tted in the litter, leaving a trail of waste. Nihu's boots slipped on one such black pool, lifting the boy from the forest floor. As he was descending to be received by the open arms of Earth, the old baobab tree behind w

onto the ground. After he slammed the bag on his back, he turned around. Perhaps someo

llness provokes not only curiosity, but also prompts the heart to skip a beat. Fear of the unknown creates anxiety that ca

known. Nihu held his bag firmly, supporting his frame with his left hand that he rested at intervals on the trees separated from each other sometimes by yards and sometimes by inches. Every n

he sent them much needed refreshment. The sun retired gradually from the busy torment of the world it was ordered to serve since creation. Nihu, too, had his own share of the diminishing return that is like plague when it is taking

py kind of place like this. He found succor under a tree and rested on his rucksack that he made into a pillow. As the twilight continued to ride on the wings of the evening, the glowing insects and crickets bega

the eyes of a wild cat with the utmost desire to feast on prey right away. A ravenous look alone could kill a dove. Unsure of what he was seeing, perceiving that the lights from the insects could be what he most feared, Nihu jumped to his feet. He quickly climbed a nearby baobab

ndered him from seeing what was beyond so that he could know the devil behind such a heartbreaking roar. Everything, including the light from the glowing insects was misleading. The roar persisted, disrupting his

happening around him as the roaring of wild animals grew by the second. He reached for his torch inside his rucksack. He lit it, punched it towards the direction of the roar and received a heavy fright in return. His heart skipped a beat, knocking hard inside his chest when he saw that the sound belonged to an old lion. In less than a second, he switched off the torch. The darkness mounted on the wings of th