Once again I set my feet on this unholy ground. It's been over two years since I've been here but the familiar stench of impurity still lingered heavily within its atmosphere.
I take my time walking to my destination, paying attention to the trees, bushes, houses, and people that still are unchanged. The grounds remain dusty as ever, as one small footstep can cause a huge sand storm. I walk by the stream where I use to fetch water back then with my friends, I remember all the atrocities that were committed there, from peeing into the stream, to pooing and even spitting in it but it didn't matter what we did because people still use the same water to cook and drink and to bath which my year study have opened my eyes to its consequences. Now I just stare at the unfortunate kids, teenagers, and adults recycling pathogens with smiles on their faces, and I feel a sense of disdain towards them.
I move further down a path that seems to have been completely invaded by grasses leaving only a single lane of pure land for the passersby to follow as though they were the colonial masters. I finally emerge from the path to a group of people discussing by the gate to the king's palace. I see a familiar face within them, it's chibuzor. I see he later became the chief priest, peddling the affairs of his father and the ones before him. He sees me and throws a strong stare at me as though I stole from him. I simply look away and proceed into the palace.
"Your highness..", I say as I enter the palace, taking a knee to the grown and bowing my head as the culture demands. He sees me and ushers me to stand up and then points in the direction of his son saying, " it's been a week now and still he is not responding to any of the chief priest's treatment... They say he is cursed by the gods never to walk again because he refused to follow the trend and marry within his community....my son, he is my only son!".
I look at the king and the queen seated on the throne with their eyes soaked with tears. I then turn to the Prince who lay paralyzed on a mat on the floor surrounded by servant maids. I then walk to him and begin my analysis.
I check his pulse, check his heartbeat and I check his pupil dilation. I check his temperature and then I concluded. But just before I could deliver it to the king, the prince went into cardiac arrest. Vibrating on the mat as thou he was an earthworm who salt has just been sprinkled upon.
The commotion it caused forced the chief priest to run into the palace with his walking staff in his hand. He sees the commotion and the smiles before delivering a burst of evil laughter. He turned to the king and said, "I told you...I told you...I told you that for disobeying the gods, your son, must die! ... Now do you believe? Hahaha..."
I nodded my head in disregard as the royal household flew up in tears. I tell the king not to worry but the chief priest stamps his staff to the ground, declaring that no one can defy the gods, not even me. I let out a chuckle and nodded my head again in disregard.
I return to the Prince who is now unconscious, I administer an immune booster via an injection and observe as the king and the royal house including the chief priest fixed their gaze on me. I then stood up and with a smile on my face I tell the king. "your son is fine." He is in denial as the prince is still unconscious. Until he hears a soft cough. They all rush to the prince, but I stop them instantly. I tell them that he needs to rest. I tell them that the prince is fine, and what they need to do is to administer the malaria drugs which I later handed to him in the order I prescribed. The king cheered me on and hugged me so did the queen, but before I left, I walked to chibuzor, I look him in the eyes, then I say to him, "Brother, you should have stayed in school instead of chasing after clouds that father placed Infront of you"...
I exit the palace with a smile on my face and walked the unholy ground back to my holy abode. Waiting patiently for their next victim.
Una vez más puse mis pies en este suelo impuro. Han pasado más de dos años desde que estuve aquí, pero el familiar hedor a impureza aún perdura en su atmósfera.
Me tomo mi tiempo para caminar hacia mi destino, prestando atención a los árboles, los arbustos, las casas y las personas que aún no han cambiado. El terreno sigue tan polvoriento como siempre, ya que una pequeña pisada puede provocar una enorme tormenta de arena. Paso por el arroyo donde solía ir a buscar agua en aquel entonces con mis amigos, recuerdo todas las atrocidades que se cometían allí, desde orinar en el arroyo, hasta hacer caca e incluso escupir en él, pero no importaba lo que hiciéramos porque la gente sigue utilizando la misma agua para cocinar y beber y para bañarse, lo cual mi año de estudio me ha abierto los ojos a sus consecuencias. Ahora sólo miro a los desafortunados niños, adolescentes y adultos que reciclan patógenos con sonrisas en sus rostros, y siento un sentimiento de desprecio hacia ellos.
Sigo avanzando por un camino que parece haber sido invadido completamente por las hierbas, dejando sólo un carril de tierra pura para que los transeúntes sigan como si fueran los amos de la colonia. Finalmente, salgo del camino y me encuentro con un grupo de personas que discuten junto a la puerta del palacio del rey. Veo una cara familiar entre ellos, es Chibuzor. Veo que más tarde se convirtió en el sacerdote principal, que se ocupa de los asuntos de su padre y de los anteriores. Me ve y me lanza una fuerte mirada como si le hubiera robado. Simplemente desvío la mirada y me dirijo al interior del palacio.
"Su alteza...", digo al entrar en el palacio, arrodillándome ante el crecido e inclinando la cabeza como exige la cultura. Me ve y me hace levantarme y luego señala en dirección a su hijo diciendo: "Ya ha pasado una semana y todavía no responde a ningún tratamiento del sacerdote principal... Dicen que está maldito por los dioses para no volver a caminar porque se negó a seguir la moda y casarse dentro de su comunidad....my hijo, ¡es mi único hijo!".
Miro al rey y a la reina sentados en el trono con los ojos empapados de lágrimas. Luego me dirijo al príncipe, que yace paralizado en una estera en el suelo, rodeado de sirvientas. Me acerco a él y comienzo mi análisis.
Le tomo el pulso, compruebo sus latidos y compruebo la dilatación de sus pupilas. Compruebo su temperatura y concluyo. Pero justo antes de que pudiera entregárselo al rey, el príncipe sufrió un paro cardíaco. Vibrando en la alfombra como si fuera una lombriz a la que se le acaba de echar sal.
La conmoción que causó obligó al sacerdote principal a correr hacia el palacio con su bastón en la mano. Vio la conmoción y las sonrisas antes de soltar una carcajada maligna. Se volvió hacia el rey y le dijo: "Te dije... te dije... te dije que por desobedecer a los dioses, tu hijo, debía morir... ¿Ahora crees? Jajaja..."
Asiento con la cabeza sin hacer caso mientras la casa real se levanta llorando. Le digo al rey que no se preocupe, pero el sacerdote principal estampa su bastón en el suelo, declarando que nadie puede desafiar a los dioses, ni siquiera yo. Dejo escapar una risa y vuelvo a asentir con la cabeza en señal de desprecio.
Vuelvo con el Príncipe que ahora está inconsciente, le administro un refuerzo inmunológico mediante una inyección y observo como el rey y la casa real, incluido el sacerdote principal, fijan su mirada en mí. Entonces me pongo de pie y con una sonrisa en la cara le digo al rey. "su hijo está bien". Él niega con la cabeza ya que el príncipe sigue inconsciente. Hasta que escucha una suave tos. Todos corren hacia el príncipe, pero los detengo al instante. Les digo que necesita descansar. Les digo que el príncipe está bien, y que lo que tienen que hacer es administrarle los medicamentos contra la malaria que luego le entregué en el orden que le receté. El rey me anima y me abraza al igual que la reina, pero antes de irme, me dirijo a chibuzor, le miro a los ojos y le digo: "Hermano, deberías haberte quedado en la escuela en lugar de perseguir las nubes que padre te puso delante"...
Salgo del palacio con una sonrisa en la cara y recorro el impío terreno de vuelta a mi santa morada. Esperando pacientemente a su próxima víctima.
Bravo! I love how you ended this story, it sharp, precised, unexpected and satisfying! Well done!
This story is about how being ignorant and naive can cause a lot of damage. Knowledge is power, they say. Without knowledge issues that are not meant to complicated are complicated quickly, like wild fire.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. Stay blessed!
Thanks...you liking it means everything 😊
Chibuzor was as if he was wishing the prince died but I'm so glad the doctor came to their rescue. Just malaria and they felt its spiritual problems 😂, ignorance is a sin.
Maybe they would have just went to bury the prince saying he was dead 😅.
This is a really beautiful write up, thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much..I'm also a big fan of your work....🥰
You're welcome friend.
Wow thank you 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤗🤗🤗🤗😚😚😚😚☺️☺️☺️☺️🤩🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍🤩🤩.