Agony of the deaf episode 18
AGONY OF THE DEAF
(Faded Feelings)
Episode 18
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Written by Author Nath
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Some of the people we feel sorry for feel sorry for us for thinking that they are the ones who should be felt sorry for.
You might wanna read that again to ascertain Chloe’s feelings and to fathom how she saw anybody that had a knowledge of her plight. It was heartbroken, yet she never hesitated to walk into an inn because the heart is the only broken instrument that works. Hence, the shattering of the heart when being broken is the loudest quiet ever.
The human heart is disheartened by the most unreasonable self-judgments, because even when we take on giants, we too often confuse failure with fault. The only way back from such a bleak despondency is to shape humiliation into humility, to strive always to triumph over the darkness while never forgetting that the honor and the beauty are more in striving than in winning. When triumph at last comes, our efforts alone could not have won the day without that grace which surpasses all understanding and which will, if we allow it, imbue our lives with meaning. Chloe was yet to understand it as she seated alone in the local inn. In front of her was a strong narcotic which she used to step down her grief.
One could see other men and women at round table, drinking and discussing. A low music saturated the air and dim light shone all over the inn because darkness had taken over the atmosphere. One could barely have a clear view of someone’s face. Therefore, Chloe didn’t have a good view of a man that just walked into the inn dressed like a cowboy: viewing from down, he had pointed brown shoes, a jean trouser, inner shirt and a big brown jacket. To sum it all, on his head rested a brown hat. He paused at the door before taking a step forward. The echo of his shoes dramatically overcame the sound of the low music thereby drawing attention to himself. Chloe straightened up when she saw him coming to her tabel. The height and footsteps seemed familiar to her but she couldn’t remember where she witnessed such locomotive posture. Not minding the attention, the man stopped at her table.
“May I?” he requested.
Chloe looked up under his hat to clearly see his face. She finally remembered him..
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FLASH BACK
“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…”
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CONTINUITY
Chloe took a sip of the glass of alcohol and hit it on the table as she tried to subdue the intoxication. “What are you doing here?” she asked the man as a way of positive response to his request.
Adewoyin understood and sat opposite her. He flipped his fingers at the bar-man who brought a bottle of more narcotic on the table. “I came for a business. Still going back to Dassa tonight.” he poured a quantity of the drink in a glass cup.
“You just walked up to me like you knew I was here.”
“No, it was when I saw you here, I walked up to you.”
Chloe stared at him with red eyes caused by the alcohol. “You looked at us that day and correctly detected that we are hugos. How did you do that?” she asked.
Adewoyin smiled. “My life has been revolving around anything about the hugos, so why wouldn’t I know when I see one? If your only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail. So I just knew, the same way I know now that you’re heartbroken. What’s the problem?” he replied, looking away from her to the glass cup.
Chloe never answered him. Nevertheless, he continued. “Sometimes we may feel disheartened and demoralized but we must keep faith in ourselves. We may be going through a lot of ups and downs in our life. But we must realise that growth begins from chaos, and sadness flies away on the wings of time.” he watched Chloe emptied her glass of narcotic then began to fill another one.
“You talk as if you also know why I’m heartbroken?”
“The love of your highness and that of the deaf is strong but unpredictable.”
Chloe paused surprisingly. “Have you been monitoring us?”
“When you befriend a chief, remember that he sits on a rope.”
“You speak in proverbs.” Chloe emptied the glass cup again and began to fill another one.
“Let me just say that since I set my eyes on you, my heart had been going with you. In other words, I have been seeing through your heart. So here I am consoling you; Even if things don’t unfold the way you expected, don’t be disheartened or give up. One who continues to advance will win in the end.”
“No, I have given up on him already. I don’t think i will win.”
“Who’s talking about not giving up on him or wining?” He leaned forward from his seat. “Obviously, if you don’t give up on him you’ll shamefully lose. You need to be courageous and never see him as your enemy even if you regard him as one. Only that way you can move on! If your enemies see that you grow courageous, and that you will neither be s-duced by flatteries nor disheartened by the pains and trials of your journey, but rather are contented with them, they will grow afraid of you.”
Chloe kept drinking.
“When your way doesn’t work, don’t be disheartened. You must be willing to try another way. A closed door doesn’t mean you have been cut off permanently. It is a challenge, an obstacle, a tool to be used to open another door.” Adewoyin concluded.
At this time, tears had started dropping from Chloe’s eyes. Yet, she kept drinking more of the alcohol boldly as if it was water. Just after she emptied the cup for the last time to fill another one, Adewoyin caught her hand then both stared into each other’s eyes.
“Get your hands off me!” she glared.
“Pull yourself together.” he hesitated.
Chloe pulled out a dagger with the other hand to cut him, tactically, Adewoyin blocked it. She withdrew the other hand to hit him, smartly, he dodged it too. It fully metamorphosed into a fight which drew attention to them. Both stood up as Chloe kept punching him, surprisingly, none touched him. He blocked and dodged all which proved to her that Adewoyin wasn’t just a civilian but a trained one. He held her two hands, locked her two legs and pulled her to himself forcefully in a way both gazed at each other again, breathing hastily.
“You have to pull yourself together.” Adewoyin began again. “People look for the best and that doesn’t mean that others are useless. Others might be the best for another. There are various leaves in the bush, but people go in to look for okazi leaves.”
Chloe broke down in tears and found herself doing that on his chest. Adewoyin released her, car–sing her hair as she pour her tears on his chest. Meanwhile, people who were looking at them dispersed to their various positions. Just then, Chloe wanted to slip from him because her legs had become weak.
“Come, let me take you home. You’re drunk.” Adewoyin led her into his car through which they headed straight to Dassa.
His house was at Demili, the very place of late Ogadimma, the very person who can neutralize the blood of the hugos. It was a large building with many rooms. Chloe staggered into the house held closely by Adewoyin. They entered into one of the rooms and Chloe collapsed on a bed. Adewoyin placed two hands on his w–st, looking at her amusingly.
“Come let’s sleep together otherwise I’ll die by your hands” Chloe said with eyes almost closed and laughing coyly.
“A goat that dies in a barn was not killed by hunger. If you must die it won’t be by my hands. Have a good night rest.” he smiled out of the room.
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The next morning, Chloe woke up, perceiving the aroma of fried plantains. She traced it to the kitchen to see Adewoyin in a singlet and a short. She leaned at the door, smiling sheepishly.
“Oh, you’re awake.” Adewoyin noticed her presence. “Morning. I don’t normally do this but I figured out I have a guest who was actually drunk last night and might be really hungry this morning.”
“Morning.” Chloe stepped into the kitchen and took a slice of plantain. “You should have been married and fill the house with kids.” she jokingly added.
Adewoyin smiled. “The tortoise said that many hands at work is enjoyable, but many mouths to feed can be embarrassing.”
“Here you go again with proverb.” Chloe took another plantain. “That reminds me, what’s okazi as used in a proverb last night?” she asked.
“Oh, you remember that even after you wanted to beat me up. Okay, okazi is an expensive and scarce leaf used by the Igbos for making soup. It’s hærd to find in the bush.”
“You’re not Igbo. How come you know all this?”
“Ogadimma was my master and he was an Igbo man.”
“So the deaf is an okazi searched and found by Claude according to the proverb.”
“She is his own okazi while you are another person’s okazi.”
“Who?”
“Uhmmm..” Both gazed at each other. Just then, a knock came from the door.
“Let me get it” Chloe walked out to the living room. She opened the door to see a black beautiful girl with an open teeth who she didn’t know. That was Ogechi. She wore a jumpsuit with sunglasses. She looked mean and dangerous.
“Are you the one in charge?” She asked Chloe.
“I’m the one.” Adewoyin replied from behind, cleaning his hands. “Come in,side.” he added.
“No, thank you.” she stretched a paper to him. “I need everything on the list.” she instructed.
After going through the list, Adewoyin surprisingly looked up at Chloe to the young guest. Quickly, he went to the store, got the things on the list for her and she left after paying for them. Chloe closed the door. “You seem worried, why?” she asked him.
“Look at the list.” He handed the list to her.
After looking at the list Chloe said, “These things are for something dangerous for hugos. Is she a hugo?” she looked up at him.
“That’s where the problem is!” Adewoyin w¡dened his eyes. “She’s not a hugo!”
“Then what does she need all these things for?”
“I don’t know. For her to know these things, she really know everything about the hugos.” Adewoyin replied as both stared curiously and anxiously……
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TO BCONTINUED