IN ALL IT'S GLORY.

6

Tamuno sat in the comfort of the darkness of his room as he began to recall the events of today. It was a huge disappointment on his family. His clean image for the past two years after the demise of his father shredded to nothing. His garment of honor had turned into shame. How will he walk in the society with such a face? He has become just like his father, an image of shame. He laughed sarcastically and thought to himself that at least it took his father a lot of years to build such an image but it took him just a day. He looked around his shabby room and thought that what was the use of living such a sad life . No reason to smile and nothing to look forward to the next day. Tears of pain and sorrow started to pool down his face as he thought of his predicament today. He could still see flashes of faces as people pointed towards him saying “that’s Azukpe’s son, like father like son, the spirit of the father has possessed the son, I always knew that the peace and quiet in their home was a sham, who ever thought that there would be another Azukpe facing the judgment of the king.” The King looked at him pitifully but he had to make a judgment.  With no trace of emotion in his voice, he ordered that Tamuno should be paraded around the town naked. He also added that he should be beaten in the process and left at the town square for the people to see the consequences of stealing. It was a horrific experience.
He looked around his room once more and thought to himself that his life has never before been full of roses all he sees is thorns everywhere. He needs to leave this cruel world and unite with his father. He smiled to himself and said that he is going to apologize to his father in heaven and tell him that the earth is a cruel place where humans eat up each other. They do not care for one another and they rejoice in evil and throw love into the wind.  He should have never stolen the chicken but then they should have understood that he needed to feed his family. But then what do humans know. He smiled sheepishly and reasoned that already he was thinking like a dead man. He needs to leave this cumbersome world. His only regret is that he will be leaving his family behind in the hands of no one. Looking up at the ceiling he said a short prayer asking for forgiveness.  He got on the little stool that used to be beside his bed and said goodbye to the world as his body went limp.

            ARIKE MALO.