THE CREED OF HOPE

Part 1

Early hours of the morning, dews touching the hearts of the leaves, the droplets from the rooftop.

The hens are all asleep, the cock is about to crow. The intelligence of cock to decipher time, nature has its own.

Chinedu, wake up
I could hear the weak voice of my mother.

It's 5am already let's go to the woods and go pick mangoes, bush pear or plum locally called "ube" and "Udara" which is the Africa star apple.

Been tired and sleepy I could hear the chirping sounds of the morning
Birds making short and high sounds, shrieking cry. Very loud as piercing through my ears. Oh my sleep cut short, immediately I stood up, mummy I think I should go a lone.

you can rest while I go picking up fruits.
Don't worry son, mummy said.
Chi chi, get your lantern, check the wick if it's okay, make sure there's oil in it.
Lantern was the source of light for us, we will always go along with match sticks used to ignite fire.

Sometimes the cool breeze of the morning could quench the light.
My mother had told me, she lost other children before me, I was so sick as a child and she had done all she could to treat me, but to no avail, often times she takes me to the waters.

And kept me close to the River if the water goddess or animals could come take me, she cried but no one cares, my Dad had passed on.

She prayed always and the gods had mercy on me.
"Chinedu you look more tired that I'm"

"No mum"
I've been thinking,
Thinking?
Yes mummy

I just wondered, the circumstances behind our travails. My birth, health and the struggle to stay alive.

Chi chi your lantern will soon quench veer towards my direction, away from the breeze.

"Yes mum"
You see life, there are battles to be fought, rough it is,

When you have no succor no fortress to run to.
But you see, we don't only fight the spiritual, there are physical battles most of them are from those you call relations, how many of them cares if we die, none, yet we are alive

Aliveness is the blessings from the immortal, the touch of his passion towards the Preparedness to inheritance of prosperity for the 'morrow. Son never pay back show love no matter how cast down we are today.

We had arrived the woods, so dark, we went through the path way, covered by large plants thick vegetation we will use sticks to make way for us, people hardly come here, because it's scary there had been rumor of dangerous things happening in this wood.

We had passed the woods into the forest close to the ocean, we saw fortune...

To be continued...