Agony of the deaf episode 11 – 12
AGONY OF THE DEAF
(Faded Feelings)
Episode 11 & 12
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Written by Author Nath
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All relationsh¡p journeys are always full of ups and downs. While some people tend to quit when things get difficult or uncomfortable, the strongest couples understand and support each other to make it through the roughest times. There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer: no disease that love will not heal: no door that enough love will not open. It makes no difference how deep set the trouble: how hopeless the outlook: how muddled the tangle: how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all. If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world. You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.
However, the morning sun had risen. Through a hole of a tent, it reflected on Claude’s face who laid face-up on a royal mat. He opened his eyes to see the blur image of a beautiful damsel, smiling sheepishly at him like one that inhaled a laughing gas. She wore a mini red skirt and a crop-top. She’s completely fair with a wrinkle attractive hair. On her feet were cover-heel shoes that nearly got up to her slightly knocked knees. Meanwhile, Claude’s vision had totally cleared as he sat up from the mat, staring at the young harmless girl.
“Comment allez-vous?” The girl’s voice, asking how he was feeling pitched into his ear drum. He didn’t say anything, rather managed to stand on his feet. He looked around the tent to see heaped clothes and resting beds. He could also hear voices from outside. “Je m’appelle Chloé” the girl added with a stretched handshake.
Claude kept it hanging. “I know your intensions. It will not work. Eniola is the one I love, and I must find her.” he began working outside.
“Claude?” Chloe’s voice interrupted him. He turned to see the girl boldly staring at him. “We cheerfully assume that in some mystic way love conquers all, that good outweighs evil in the just balances of the universe and at the 11th hour something gloriously triumphant will prevent the worst from happening. No, it’s not always like that.” she paused to let the statement assimilate into his body and soul.
Claude, on the same hand marvelled at her well spoken English language, spoke with audacity and alacrity which made her appear more attractive. But the young man kept mute, gazing at her.
Chloe continued. “Don’t be a fool to think that love with a non-hugo will yield anything. Moreover, don’t get your hopes up, I’m not in love with you. You’re the one to earn my love not the other way round. But from what you just said, you can’t earn my love again if actually I was considering it.” she bypassed him and walked out of the tent before him. Her statements were not only like a slap to Claude but a pin too which kept him standing lostfully.
“Son..” the mother entered with an old man. Her voice brought the young man back from Chloe’s words which had kept him in a hallucination. “We want to get you prepared as a royalty and meet someone we hold at a high esteem.” she added.
“Mother, I do not want any of these!” Claude categorically stated. “Listen, we all can get to Demili for the neutralization of our blood to be free from the Kumas.” he added by bringing down his voice.
“We’ve been to Demili.” Charlotte, the mother sadly announced as she remembered….
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FlASH BACK
Charlotte and Chloe matched on a lonely road like soldiers matching to war. Both wore black elastic attire. On their feet were also black boots. The road was narrow without a single building beside it. All they could see were bushes and their ears accumulated enough terrestrial sound from animals. Their feet rattled on grasses like rodents on escaping journey.
“Ma’am Charlotte, how will you know your son if you see him?” Chloe broke the silence.
“A mother will always recognize her child.” She replied thereby bringing their rattling feet back to their hearing. She glanced at Chloe then continued. “Though it’s up to five years I left him. He has a remarkable feature. His eyes pupil is blue.”
“He must be handsome.”
Charlotte glanced at her with a smile. “I handed him over to an old man whom i instructed to take him to Demili here in Nigeria. I haven’t heard from them for a long time. Moreover, they think I’m dead.”
“I hope we find him.” Chloe concluded.
“Sssshhhhh” Charlotte sighed and stopped like a goddess who detected an unknown spirit. Both stopped, looking around strangely. Suddenly, four men flew down from nowhere. They were also on black but had a red tie around their heads. They had the resemblance of ninjas. Before their feet could hit the ground, Charlotte said, “Kumas” she pulled her gun likewise Chloe.
On the same hand, the kumas drew their swords, hit their feets on the ground. At the number of triggers pulled by Charlotte and Chloe, they blocked the bullets with the swords, simultaneously running towards the two women. They were wise and swift like a sarpent and strong like a molten magma. Sooner did Chloe and Charlotte realized that guns were useless, so they stood on the battle ground weaponless.
Chloe handled two why Charlotte managed two. One coul see swords hovering the air, looking for Chloe’s head to cut off, but the young girl, being well trained dodged many of them and tactically held one of them on the arm to take his sword; successfully, she did by dislocating his elbow then used the sword to send him to his early grave. Unluckily, the other Kuma came from behind to pierce his sword through her back, but she dodged it. Swiftly, the kuma withdrew the sword and cut her thighs open. In the process, she tried her gun again; she pulled it out and fired severally before killing the remaining Kuma. She sat down on the floor, breathing hastily.
However, Charlotte had also killed the other two. She rushed up to Chloe to see her bleeding from the thighs. “Oh, my God!” She knelt down, used the sword in her hand to cut out a lengthy fabric from Chloe’s trouser. “Permettez-moi de mettre la pression dessus avec ça. It will reduce the flow of the blood.” She applied pressure on the wound by tying the fabric on it just as she said in French. Relentlessly, they continued their journey to Demili.
Demili, own by an Igbo man was in,side a small village, Dassa, occupied by the Yorubas. Notwithstanding, they entered into the village to see mud houses and children playing on heap of sand. It seemed peaceful but undeveloped. Charlotte and Chloe stood at a s₱0t, surveying the environment. Charlotte called one of the children and said to her, “Can you please, take us to Demili?”
The child who wore only a pant moped at her strangely. Charlotte glanced at Chloe then looked at the child again. “We don’t bite. We are only searching for the way to Demili. Can you show us?”
Yet, the child said nothing rather began to s–k her finger. Charlotte straightened up with a heavy exhalation. Chloe smiled.
“She doesn’t understand English.” A male voice came from behind. The two women turned to see a young man in native attire. “O le lọ, ọmọbirin kekere.” He told the little girl to go who ran back to the heap of sand happily. “My name is Adewoyin. I know who both of you are and I’m sorry to say that the man of Demili whom many of your kind had searched for is no more. He is dead.”
Charlotte and Chloe looked at each other disappointedly.
“How did he die?” Charlotte asked.
“Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names. Who is old and doesn’t believe it, will trip into his grave without seeing it.” he replied cleverly. Silence trailed among them.
“Actually we didn’t come for what you think we came for. We are looking for a boy called Claude. He is also… also… a hugo.” Charlotte lowered her voice. “He suppose to be here with a man.”
“The name doesn’t ring a bell. But truly, if he is what you said he is and have his picture, I can mix a concoction for you to locate his location.”
“Yes, we do have his picture.” Charlotte put a hand in her pocket while Adewoyin and Chloe exchange eye contact. The young man narrowed her eyes down to her wounded thighs. He averted them to the picture given to him back Charlotte. After taking a good look at the teenage picture of Claude, he glanced at Chloe once again.
“Follow me. You need to be stitched up. You must have had a rough journey. The kumas must have attacked you.” he turned and began to walk away, followed by the two women.
“How did you people know much about us, I mean, our history? How do you know about the kumas too?” Charlotte kept asking.
“People of my tribe are very curious and inquisitive people.” Adewoyin replied without looking back at them…..
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CONTINUITY
“That was how we found you.” Charlotte concluded.
“Your highness, my name is elder Guillaume.” The old man beside Charlotte interfered with old rusty voice. He could not stand upright due to old age, seeming weak to the eyes of any being. “Your father, Pierre, was a fearless man who stood for his people in the days of battle with the kumas regardless the fact that our kingdom was destroyed and many of us fled to this land. Is time for you to face reality. You need to accept who you are and never go back to who you dream to be. Dreams are what you hope for; reality is what you plan for. Knowledge is consciousness of reality. Reality is the sum of the laws that govern nature and of the causes from which they flow.”
“You also speak in proverbs?” Claude wondered why all the old men he had met use proverbs.
Guillaume cleared his throat. “Whatever does not exist in proverbs does not exist in reality and as such cannot be said to be known. If it is known, then it is real and it is contained in proverbs which originated from China.” he explained.
“Why were you in the old man’s agbada last night?” Charlotte changed the topic.
“Long story.” Claude replied. “Who did you say we are meeting?”
“He is waiting for you at the other large tent. He is the owner of this arid land. He has helped our kind in many ways like providing weapons for us to prepare for the coming fight with the kumas. You need to be humble to him.” The mother clarified.
“After which you’ll be trained on our culture.” Guillaume added.
Claude followed two of them out of the tent. He was in between like a protected king. Walking out of the tent, the brightness of the sun shone into his eyes. He watched many of the hugos bow to him in a qua from the tent to the opposite large tent where the visitor, the man described by Charlotte was waiting. Looking at the bowed heads, Claude felt a kind of royalty in him. He glanced at Chloe who wasn’t on the qua rather at a separate distant, also bowing her head. He bent slightly downward to Guillaume and whispered, “Do I have to say something?”
“Not all. Let’s proceed.” he replied.
Claude straightened up. They walked straight in between the subjects to the opposite large tent. The scenario was really royal to behold. On the way, Claude whispered again saying, “They look scared.”
“That’s because the owner of the land is here. They suspect he may tell us to vacate the land that’s why you need to hear from him.” The mother replied.
“Who is he?” Claude was still inquisitive.
“He never disclosed his name or his residential location.”
Claude exhaled, anxiously looking forward to meet the man. Stepping into the large tent, he turned to the window to see his subjects more terrified about something he couldn’t put a finger on. He turned to his mother from the window and said, “Where is the man?”
“I am the man.” A deep voice replied from a miniroom in the large tent. Claude turned to it to see Chief Mekus coming out from the room.
“No way!” He exclaimed.
The mother and Guillaume became surprised. “Do you know him, your highness?” Guillaume asked.
“He was the reason why I wore the funny agbada last night.” Claude unabashedly stepped forward. “This man is evil and wicked. Oh, you all know him but you never knew I have been with him for five years. He planned to have me marry his daughter for establishment of a hugo generation. I refused because Eniola is the love of my life.”
“Good to see you too, Ike.” Chief began.
“My name is Claude Pierre.”
“Well, whatever you are called. You’ve seen that you can’t escape from me. A chicken who claims to be mad has not seen the drunken fox. Don’t be stupid for the second time, Claude. You can’t outrun me. I own this land your people live in, therefore, literally, I own you too. I give you 24hrs to come back to my daughter, apologize to her and eventually marry her with full love and compassion otherwise not only will your people leave this land, they will die in the hands of the Kumas, your ancestral enemies.”
Claude turned way from him angrily as silence creeped in. He looked at his mother. “Are you aware of this?” he asked her.
“Kind of. You have to do it for the sake of your people.” the mother replied.
“Why can’t you give any of my people to him to marry his daughter?”
“Hmmm.. that’s where our culture comes in a again.” Guillaume interfered. “Only a royal blood can pass their blood generation to generation if they marry a non-hugo.” he clarified.
Claude waited for some creepy moment before speaking to chief. “I served you for five years and improved your business beyond your imagination.”
“And I saved you from bleeding to death! I gave you a life of purpose, I gave you all a man wants in life even want to give you my daughter to marry!” Chief backfired.
“All that, you took away from me!”
“All that, you can have back if you consider my request.”
“Never!” Claude’s voice frightened his subjects who heard it from outside thereby dwindling a soliloquy among them. “I do not need all those things again and you know that you have to settle me for serving you for five years. Let this land you gave to my people be my settlement. Deal is over. Get out from my land!!” He commanded chief unabashedly, pointing at the door.
“My son…” the mother wanted to calm him down but was interrupted.
“No, mother! We are done here!” he had said. The mother fearfully swallowed back her words.
Chief, however couldn’t bear the anger in him. He glared at Claude like a lion about to prey on another animal. “You just drew a battle line, young man.” he said.
“And I won’t hesitate to kill you if you cross it.” Claude backfired.
Chief walked towards the door, but suddenly looked back at him saying, “The man who sells sand as salt should not complain when he receives pebbles as money. It is not the day the child spills oil that he is flogged, but rather the day he spills crude oil. You have stained your hands with crud oil, young man.”
“If one person cooks for a group, they eat all the food, but if a group cooks for one person, he will not eat all the food.” Claude, for first time, had his mouth, prematurely speaking a proverb. Chief nodded his head and wanted to leave with anger, but Claude interrupted him saying, “Chief, the land is not enough for my settlement. You will not go back the way you came. I need your clothes.”
“You must be insane!”
“Guards!!” Claude shouted and two able men with guns entered. “Strip him. He’s going with only his underwear.” he commanded.
The men did as he said regardless Chief struggled never to be naked. At the end he was. His big stomach sagged below his abdomen and the shape of his d–k could accurately be determined especially when he shamefully left the tent, dangling his d–k like a ringing bell. “Claude, If one plucks fruit with the intention of filling his bag, he falls to his death at the base of the tree. I am the lion, prepare for me!” his voice came from outside.
“A flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea.” Claude shouted back at him from in,side. He looked at his mother and Guillaume who were terrified. “I never wanted to be here or be who I am, but because of that man, I’ll do all it takes to be here and to be me.” He walked out from the large tent to his subjects. He saw fear in their eyes.
“Je m’appelle Claude Peirré!” He began with a loud voice that attracted the attention of all, even Chloe. “N’ai pas peur! Do not be afraid! This land is now ours! Anybody that trespasses it, I assure you will not live to return. Cast your fear into the fire! Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nothing in life is to be feared! We must conquer the kumas and anyone that dares us. Long Iive the hugos!” He raised his hand victoriously.
“Long live the hugos!” they shouted, raising their hands, motivated. At a window, Charlotte and Guillaume admired his courage. On the same hand, Chloe caught Claude staring at her…..
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TO BE CONTINUED