‘’You must despise your enemy strategically, but respect him tactically.’’ MaoZedong

Nobody could really tell why they were the worst enemies around. But the fact was that they hated each other so much that they don’t greet each, don’t contribute to each other conversations, laugh at each other jokes, nor allow their wives and children to do the same. They don’t drink water from the same stream, share the same friends, patronize the same vendor, and allow even their domestic animals like chickens; goats and sheep to mingle, nor go to the same ceremonies or discuss each other among families, friends and foes. In fact, they hated meeting each other accidentally along the way, at the markets, or at burials.
What everyone in the tiny community knew about the two men apart from their profession of both been farmers was the distinct fact that they were the worst of two enemies around the village, including the surrounding villages around their heterogeneous setting and all efforts by the village head, kinsmen, and other concerned humans like them have so far proved abortive over the years. Again, the fact that they share the same fence did not help matter as both had stubbornly vowed not to move or sell his property to buy another elsewhere just to please the other. To them, they were enemies for life, unless one of them was willing to accept the other as better and more gifted.

That was the way the two men and their families lived over the years in their village. The only visible sign that they shared anything in common was the fact that they were both naturally short, and almost of the same height. But since they hated standing close to each other nobody could really distinguished who among the two was taller. Although they both had different colour, while one was black the other was yellow, but they still carried the same physical structure and swaggered superciliously among other taller people.
Mr. Black and Mr. Yellow as they were both distinctively addressed by all and sundry, excluding their immediate families who call them Baba (Father) at home, were really two of the various queer characters created among humans on earth. Surprisingly these two men belong to the same religious faith, although they never attended the same sermons, but they read and studied the same Holy Book. The fact was that the two enemies didn’t really care if they shared a free world, comprising of a free air, a free distinct sun, and a peculiar moon. Their enmity never pricked their stubborn conscience to the fact that none of them had a say in the free rain that seasonally watered their farms and yielded them abundant crops. They failed to grab the reality that they were both just like other human beings on earth , sharing a temporary space and that naked they came into the world and naked they shall both returned as well, with their stubbornness changing no part of the metrics of each day. The reality was that they hated each other passionately, but no one around could really discerned who hated each other more among the two, until an incidence happened naturally along the way one day.

It was a rainy day and both had no option that day than to paddle their old bicycles along the slippery bridge that lead everyone else in the village back to their homes from their farms. The human traffic on the bridge on this particularly evening was heavy and everyone hurried off across the slippery bridge towards his and her aboard. The two enemies were also among those that rushed down home from the heavy rain and thundering sky. It was actually Mr. Yellow, who was pushing his bicycle that first sighted Mr. Black, as he also pushed his bicycle frantically away ahead of him. So, avoiding meeting up with him on the same road despite the heavy rain, he turned and make to take another route, but he suddenly slipped his foot and down he went.
He plummeted into the moving current of water below the bridge with his bicycle. The heavy current of rain water plunged him away and everyone around gaped miserably at his short frame as the water ferried him away and his old bicycle swallowed by the river. Then to everyone surprised, Mr. Black, who also saw what happened, first stared mischievously with a cynical smile at his worst enemy as the current of water stole him away, then all of a sudden he pushed everyone aside and bravely dived into the water and went after him. Everyone around watched the impending tragedy as the two enemies battled the current of water, and Mr. Yellow who apparently could not swim was almost getting drowned by the water. But, Mr. Black exhibited his great skill of swimming as he heroically went after his enemy under the water and to everyone relieved rescued his weak body from the deep river and single-handedly carried him ashore.

Everyone around clapped and rushed to them excitedly and praised him for his courageous deed. In fact, most of them hoped and believed it was the end of their enmity. But they got the shock of their lives when Mr. Black, after helping to revived Mr. Yellow back to life, stared cynically at him again and then to everyone’s ears said.

‘’ I saved you just for one purpose, I don’t want you to have a free ticket to heaven as a drowned man, and since our religion taught us and make us understand that any person who died through drowning automatically goes to heaven, why then should I allow you to have that privilege?’’ He demanded from his enemy, strengthened his wet clothes and then sauntered away without another glance at him.

End

Random Voices
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