The City Heroes (4 page)

The morning had just faded under the watchful eyes of the ants and still Philip was not found. Wild and free, they could feel the scorching sun. They were sad. After a long walk down the hill and there was nothing to show for it, their world seemed to be growing smaller, and frustration mounted, and the ants began to remember the days they'd had and the songs they'd sung together. Now, there was something missing in their hearts. They felt lonely and pondered the notion that this might be the feeling they would walk with all the rest of their lives. Philip was missing—in body and in their hearts.

In the midst of the confusion, Paul stumbled upon a piece of jewelry that Philip had worn around his neck the night past. He picked up the piece of jewelry that lay on a branch and alerted the others: “Hey, I've found something!”

“What is that?” Fred and Bojo chorused as they moved closer.

“It's from Philip!” Paul replied, holding the jewelry.

Fred inhaled sharply. He felt it and nodded quietly. He looked carefully about and said, “Philip should not be far from here. Keep it safe and let's go!”

The ants had barely started down the hill when they found Philip unconscious in a hole, the dead antelope a mere pole away from them. Their friend was stuck in some woods. They did not check for bruises and fractures even though there was no way he would not have suffered them. Instead, they set about rescuing Philip from the claws of death as they rushed to the anthill to set him on the path of revival.

Philip was attended to immediately once they reached the anthill, and he slept all day. By the time he awoke, dinner was set. Paul and Bojo helped him to the table where Fred was waiting. After eating quietly for a while, Bojo cleared his throat and said, “Philip, we thought you were dead. How did you find yourself down there?”

Philip swallowed hard and quenched his thirst with a glass of water. He let go a belch and sat up. “When I saw you guys on the tree, I was glad that you were safe. But as for me, it was too late to make such a move. So, I decided to hide near the antelope. Not knowing the distress ahead, or the sorrow that my decision would bring, I clung to the antelope for safety. But it was only a matter of time before my fate was decided. Once the flood came, I was swept off my feet. And it carried us down the hill, the antelope and I tumbling down until it seemed that life had left me.” After the long oratory, Philip lowered his head and continued to eat. Finally, he stopped chewing and turned to his friends to ask, “What about the antelope?”

Fred adjusted and replied, “It has been taken care of. We informed the king about it, and he gladly asked the soldier ants to fetch it into the store house.”

Bojo smiled broadly and cut in, “Not only that. The king was impressed by our bravery. For that reason, he has proclaimed us free ants!”

“He gave us wives. Now you can start your own family,” Paul added, chewing noisily.

“Really?” Philip tried to hide a smile as he looked at them.

“Yes, of course. Your wife is waiting for you in your room!” Fred told Philip, “She will help you recover fast, and you will never have a dull moment.”

Philip was excited about what he had and they were all happy their friend had not tasted a bitter death. However, the soldier ants worked hard all night and filled the entire store in the anthill with the antelope meat, which would last the colony an entire season! It is good to save for a rainy day. It is not always easy to do, but if we learn from one another, and work hard, we will never be left wanting.

My favorite meal is a roasted bird and two slices of bread plus a cup of lemon tea. I don't eat them often because birds are hard to hunt. I could have a bird in my cage and no bread and tea on my table. The reason is simple. My grandmother decides what the family eats everyday. So, I only eat my favorite meal by chance. However, to take advantage of any opportunity, I always prepare for a rainy day. Sometimes I go on a long journey to hunt birds in the field. As a little hunter, trained by my grandfather, setting a trap is as easy as yawning at the dawn of a new day. I hunt almost everyday because I don't know when my grandmother will decide we eat only bread and tea. To say the least, a feeling of joy runs through my veins each time I roast a bird.

Whenever I am in the field, I keep an eye on the traps, just as a mother hen protects her chicks against the hawk. It is wise to do so because it is like watching over eggs in a basket. Going from one end of the field to the other to see if my traps have caught a bird is exciting.

Sometimes I worked all day to get birds. But this time none came close to my traps; apparently they were not ready to be prey. To make matters worse, the birds were simply hopping around my traps, as if they knew the trouble that would befall them if they came close. In the midst of the confusion, my mind began to work. I speculated that the birds knew that I was lurking behind an almond tree. Also, the bits of grain on the traps were not the best, and did not attract the poor creatures. My sadness grew taller than my pair of legs.

I was not lost, but I knew that the chances of having my way were very slim. Apart from my empty traps that were scattered about on the field like the pastures clothed with flocks, there was no weapon worth grabbing that I could use on the birds. As my desperation grew, I moved away from the almond tree. Destroying one of my traps, I meant to use the stake as a weapon. Before the birds could blink, I was already in the chase, wielding the big stick as if there were no tomorrow. Sensing danger, the birds flew in every direction, making it difficult for me to concentrate on any of them.

As a little hunter, my grandfather taught me how important it is to have an aim, and to know the target even in the midst of many animals. So I was not bothered as the birds faced different directions. My legs did not betray me as I raced across the field. Before I could blink, I had traveled very far over the field, chasing creatures that might never be mine.

What kept me in the chase was that there were no tall trees around. The nearest one was the almond tree behind me, and I had a good distance to cover before I reached the forest. So I kept running as the birds went in different directions.

Finally, I was able to catch one of them. I heaved a sigh of relief, because it was only a matter of time now before my favorite meal would be on my table. But as I smiled broadly, I noticed that the bird that I had just caught was a small creature that was just learning how to fly. My countenance fell because I'd caught the wrong bird. By the time I raised my head to continue the chase, the birds had all disappeared into the forest, leaving me with only the poor bird in my grasp. Battling with my poor effort, my gaze stumbled upon the wandering clouds. The sky was gloomy, as if it wanted to rain. Nevertheless, it was too late for me to remain in the field. So I grabbed hold of the little sparrow and faced my home with a good speed.

The evening was not one to celebrate. I had just covered a good distance when the windows of heaven opened and it began to rain hard on the poor earth. With nothing better to do, I made the best use of my legs and was glad that I reached home before it was too late. I was glad to find myself in my room again. Without wasting time, I put aside the cage with the little sparrow and quickly changed my clothes. I had barely finished dressing when my door opened and my grandmother walked in. Clearing her throat, she asked a simple question: “Otok, where have you been?”

“I went to check my traps,” I replied.

She smiled a little and said, “You will never stop checking your traps, Otok. Let this be the last time you will leave this house without informing anyone. By the way, I hope you had a good day.” Her voice was as soft as a whisper.

“I always have a good day,” I replied, nodding.

The old woman smiled faintly. “I trust you, my boy. Your meal is on the dining table. Make sure you eat it immediately, before it gets cold.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

“I can't remember the last time I checked your cage. Let me see how many birds you have caught,” she said.

I faked a yawn. “I don't have the entire forest of birds in my cage. I only have one bird!” I replied. I scratched my head and turned away.

“Let me see,” she insisted.

I was not ready to grant her wish. I could not imagine how I would present such a creature in the cage when expectations were so high. The day was not as good as I had boasted earlier. So, I crossed my arms over body and stood in the middle of the room staring at her. But my petty trick did not work. Sensing that something was fishy, the old woman took a deep breath and moved nearer, “My little hunter, if I am pleased with what you have in your cage, I will start your tomorrow in a bright way!” She spoke with a harmless look on her face.

“Really? What will you give me?” I asked. Though I was excited, I felt as though she was trying to deceive me.

“Don't doubt me, Otok. I won't deceive you, because a grandmother's compassion is sweet and safe.” She smiled as if she were unable to hurt a fly.

I sighed and pondered her words. Convinced that she would keep her promise, I moved to a corner beside my bed and returned to her with the cage and the little bird inside it. She moved forward and grabbed the cage. After staring at my bird for some minutes, she swallowed hard. I turned away because I was not impressed with my effort that day.

She moved nearer and gave me a pat on the back. “Otok, you have done well. You remind me of your grandfather. He was a great hunter, and despite his greatness, he did not know how to hunt until he was older than you are now. To be a hunter at your age is fantastic. If I may ask, what do you want to do with this bird?”

“I want to eat it!” I replied and crossed my arms over my body.

“Ah!” she exclaimed and led me to the bed. As we sat on my bed, she crossed her hand over my shoulder and kissed my head. “My boy, you can't eat this poor creature. Can't you see that it is just learning how to fly? Besides, birds like this are very hard for a little boy to keep. You may wake up one morning and find it dead.”

I sneezed as I glanced at the poor creature. The bird was indeed too small. Then I turned to her and asked, “So, what do you want me to do?” My voice was as soft as the savannah breeze.

“Take it back to the forest and let it go,” my grandmother suggested.

It was a hard decision to follow. “After toiling all day, my bird will have to go!” I exclaimed.

She knew that I was not happy with what she'd said. She rubbed my head with her palm and said, “Don't worry, my servants will slaughter a goat for you tomorrow morning. At least a roasted goat is better than the poor creature in your cage.”

“Yes,” I replied and nodded.

Then she took a deep breath and turned her face toward the ceiling. As I read her lips, I knew she had something more to say. “Otok, there is something important that we must discuss.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Now that your school is resuming next week, I will miss you,” she disclosed as she frowned a bit.

I gave her a huge embrace. “I will miss you too, Grandma. When is my father coming to pick me up?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. But before he arrives, you will have eaten your roasted goat.”

“That's my grandma! I can't wait to have it.” I pressed a kiss on her right cheek and made a loud popping sound with it.

“Good. Your dinner is on the dining table,” she said smiling, and moved away.