AKIN, PAW PAW, AND THE XMAS GOAT.

Akin sat under the oil palm with a stone he found peculiar. It was smooth to the touch but ragged to sight. It seemed to crack the palm nuts with ease, the way a fork for instance, would crack an egg. It was so easy he had to restrain himself, else the nut and it's edible innards would be utterly smashed, leaving nothing behind but a black spot on the ground.

Paw Paw came running along just then, in a hurry. He had just stolen one of Mama Ojodus smoked fishes. She always sunned them on her roof, and Paw Paw had observed the phenomena long enough to map out it's time frame. She would-at quarter to twelve-sweep her compound, thoroughly so, such that the sand that made up the grounds would take on an appearance distinguished from its surrounding and become a bed of ground gold. Then she would feed the chickens, singing long forgotten hymns as she did so. After this, she would disappear into her hut for about 30 minutes, perhaps preparing her wares for preservation. She would come out with a tray of dead but healthy Titus fishes. She would turn to face her hut, as if about to say farewell, but rather than raise a hand she would lift her entire 235 pounds on the soles of her feet, stretching, till she could-just barely-place the tray on-top of her roof. This was usually around 12:50pm.

Paw Paw knew that it would be difficult to reach up to the roof. And that it would be the sole difficulty because after placing the smoked fish on her roof, Mama Ojodu would retire into her hut, going to bathe at her backyard, or do whatever it is old women do in their free time. Paw Paw knew all of this, what he did not know was that Mama Ojodu had purchased for herself a Christmas goat.

It was a goat wasn't it?

Paw Paw wasn't too sure; it looked like a goat; it had horns like a goat; and possessed a stout tail, but for all intents and purposes what he had encountered in Mama Ojodus compound was no goat. It was a beast, with the territorial arrogance of a dog and the ferocity to match. Paw Paw had just managed to get two sturdy metal buckets on-top each-other when he saw the animal out of the corner of his eye. Initially he had thought it was Akin, for no other reason but wishful thinking, Akin always made a fine accomplice. But what stared up at Paw Paw was not his tried and trusted friend; it was a goat-dog hybrid if there ever was one. It didn't budge when Paw Paw attempted to intimidate it.

Yet Paw Paw didn't mind having the onlooker, after all a goat is no viable witness, but there was something about the way the goat looked at him, Paw Paw did not appreciate it. He took a smoked fish and tossed it at the creature, expecting it to run away. The fish landed a few feet from the goats head. It didn't shrink back in fear, rather the goat took three tentative steps forward, with It's snout to the ground. Then the goat did something that had Paw Paw toppling over his ladder of buckets even though no one pushed him. The goat picked up the fish with its teeth and consumed it in three large bites. Then he lowered his head again-keeping his eyes on Paw Paw-and gave a guttural growl: like a wolf, like a predator.

Paw Paw was out of there seconds later, running as fast as he could, not looking back, not wanting to. It was merely the site of his best-friend sitting aloofly whilst an unprecedented evil lurked not to far away-that had stopped him.

Akin didn't believe him, his friend was always playing pranks and no doubt this was one of such. Akin shrugged him off, saying he'd sit there and face whatever danger was to come.

Paw Paw found himself in a dilemma, leave his bosom buddy to an undesirable fate and save himself? Or wait it out, see what happens. The latter appeared more honorable. So Paw Paw took a sit by his friends’ side, waiting for it to come, the stubborn goat.

It did come.

Paw Paw sprang to his feet and pointed in its direction, so that Akin may see for himself, the source of his consternation. Ahead of them was a cloud of smoke, approaching rapidly. Akin began to get up, suddenly perturbed. He was already on his feet and inching backwards when the Range Rover came up the slope.

Akin hissed and reclaimed his sit. The Range Rover raced past them, raising dust in its wake. Paw Paw apologized for the mistake profusely, but insisted that they leave nevertheless. Akin would hear none of it.

Then it happened again. This time the dust was somewhat singular, as though something far smaller than a range rover-but just as powerful- approached. It was the stubborn goat. Paw Paw knew it, Paw Paw said it, Akin heard it and Akin would not listen, not this time.

The horns became visible first, then the nostrils, breathing fire and brimstone, then the eyes. It was the eyes that had Paw Paw fleeing. His best-friend would have to fend for himself, besides the goat was after him, maybe it would leave Akin alone. So Paw Paw left him.

Akin didn't look up to acknowledge his departure. Nor did he look up when the goat ran past him. Akin just sat there, staring at his special stone that could crack a nut with a single, light, touch.

                                                                      

           “The instrument of our salvation is often too foolish to consider.” Anonymous.