The Adventures of Nihu

the world. It is a tragedy to remain in a world you cannot control and all the more tragic if you do not have control over your own life. P

ood the heat of the day. As smoke went up high to rest on the bosom of the fair weather, Old Phil scrubbed ashes off the ani

rder. I was wr

hey are caught. Please, do not feel offended for what I have j

next day, I was summoned to the palace to meet the King-who had bee

vertheless, I will be the last person to vouch for a hunter. His shot could go anywhere. Most especially in the forest, it could bring you a fine meal or usher a

w it hit

ple find it in th

still don't underst

your arrow ended where it did. However, mistakes make our world go round. When we learn from our mistakes, it makes us richer in experience. I wo

. I was not wise. I should have gone for the arrow." His countenance fell as

become a better man. I had a good friend, called Macquesemis, Macques for short. He was a man of innocence, and had a large farm in the countryside. He was blessed far more than his contemporaries were, including me. Wom

set him free. That terrible day, I visited him and when I heard the misfortune that had befallen my friend, I was moved with compassion. A

strength. We picked up the bandits who had yet to reach the mountains. If they had gone up, it would have been almost impossible to find them or recover the goods of my dear friend. The mountains are full of caves. Most thieves I have run aground when I was a

l you can no longer find his shadow. So, we fell on them massively and fought like Trojans all day long. Our men were falling like primitive people that fall stone dead at the blast of muskets. The rule in our

ork the farm, were all lying dead on the plain. Some faced the sky like happy people, while othe

wildcat. They fell like leaves before us until there was just one man left alive. Their leader was a man whose long hair almost reached his shoulders with two incredibly large eyes si

lashed out at me with his axe, it would have spelt doom for a one-time war veteran like me. My heart jumped into my mouth, but Macques was

far away for him to recover it quickly. I also had my axe displaced in the process. Since we could pick up our weapons, we faced each other like wrestlers in the old tradition that ultimately determines who is the strongest man in the local district. He roared like an old wounded lion. I beat my chest for I was ready to give his remains to the bald vultures that were already waiting patiently for the dust to s

deadlock. At any moment, he could throw a lucky punch that could mark my end. I remembered my knife and drew it from my boot, stabbing the hard fighter in the chest. He yelled up to high heaven and

guards arrived. They must have been informed of the bloody battle in that part of the local

d the gang of thieves. My belongings and that of Macques, including his large farm were seized. We lost all we had inherited from the army retirement. We were given the choice of banishment or exec

. So where is Macques?

ade this coat out of a deer he killed. It is quite good clothing. I have had it for over a year. My old friend died

have buried him in the field as is

d the cool breeze and the shelter of a serene world to blow over his grave. Maybe that would send him comfort a

grieve? Since you loved him so much, I w

ailments here. This place is death. I do not know w

y we su

been so happy if I had made it to the end of my time here with Macques. But now, I will b

So you mean I will

' death, I have been living alone. You can too. If you were wrongl

you get to the countrysi

to keep my mind busy and forget the ugly past. That does not mean I will not have anything to do with women

g of his reminiscence and continued to scrub the roasting meat. At last, the meal was ready

a few poles away. When he realized the boy was not listening to him, Phil

lding a mat over there!" Old Phil raised his

other hand, has he gone for shopping in the village square? Let u

a dwarf standing

standing near a tree? Oh, maybe the devil is playing hide and seek game and wants us to be part of th

on't be

ure that cannot prove or disprove his existence. And if I tell you I

disappeared the m

demons that roam the forest. They are nomadic dwarfs. They have no home, no shelter and no place of thei

he mat he held was considerably small. He had nothing else with hi

arf. What he's got is enough t

t does

's worth more than a sack of diamond

ou me

r him. If we get that mat, whatsoever we want, will come like a flood

rom getting that mat. If I get it, I'll w

y to collect the mat, the dwarf pounced on us? Our survival would depend on which way th

it's going to co

able to survive the onslaught of the devils in the day by chance, what do you think could happen to us if we chase a dwarf in a night so dark that w

ish we could go after the dwarf. If it is so very di

, sometimes they roll off th

s there no other way o

ighway to hell. Because the fortune you would make out of Agbere's mat is

ve had enough for one day." He went into his hut and Nihu