₦airaland Forum

Mysterious and Glow

Two of the men in the groove got up as the young man approached, and walked in his direction. When they were close enough, they nodded at him and asked if he knew where they could get some food.

I just passed a stream with a guava tree beside it, he said. Its back that way, and you could probably reach it in about a half hour if you walk fast enough.

Thanks, said one of the men. We’ll walk with you for sometime then head for the stream. We have a few items we need to collect from further down.

The young man did not have any objection to this, so they all strolled on.

A few clouds were gathering in the sky but not enough to indicate a storm. So the young man felt he need not worry about facing another gale so soon after experiencing the previous one. The only shelter in sight were the few woods scattered here and there and sighted occasionally, so it was rather a relief to not have to think of getting drenched in a hurricane.

His companions were very chatty. They told jokes, exchanged tall tales, high fived each other, and generally made merry, even though he didn’t join in. They were both tall, but that’s where their similarity ended. One was dark, mysterious and aloof, while the other was tan, gregarious and affable.

The Falconer

The young man decided to stop for a drink at a fresh stream. He was tired, and still wondering where to get a meal. A low lying tree near the stream had fruit hanging from it, which he found to be large, juicy guavas. Relieved, he plucked some and sat down to eat. The guavas were delicious, and he put some in his bag for later.

After eating the guavas, he felt full, and lay down for a nap.

When he woke up, the sun was still shining but now he felt rested and had more strength for his journey. He thought about the lady and wondered if she was sailing at that moment.

When he resumed his journey with renewed vigour, he was on the lookout for the cup making ladies, but the ones he saw, were far away in the distance.

He did see a group of men to the left of him however, so he headed that way. A man strolled leisurely past, then doubled back to shake his hand.

I’d like to introduce myself , he said. I’m Ghor Jhus.

He had a very striking face. His features were clear cut, his eyebrows shapely, and his eyes piercing. He had a leisurely appearance about him, and did not seem overly curious about the young man. He offered to walk with him a short distance until they got to the closest shade- the sun was still shining brightly in the sky.

The young man asked Ghor Jhus what he did for a living.

Oh, I have a glass tree, the other man replied. Mine is used for storing moments. You’ll see me or someone from my group, working with the ladies and their cups, at some point.

Alright, said the young man. I’ll be on the lookout.

They were nearing a little hollow now, and he sighted other men sitting in the groove. Ghor Jhus walked with him there, and then took his leave. He sauntered off gracefully, his shirt billowing slightly in the breeze. He raised his arm and the young man saw a hawk descend, then alight first on his arm, then his shoulder.

^ more detail to be added.

The Plains of Beauty

The plains spread before him, with a faint haze shimmering in the distant foreground. As he got closer to a small wooded area consisting mostly of shrubs, he paused in front of a garden with flowers forming the words “The Plains of Beauty”.
In one corner of the garden, were some women busily putting things into different boxes. He approached them and asked what they were doing.

Hello, they said. They didn’t seem surprised to see him, or at his question. This, he reflected, was quite common around these parts- no one ever seemed surprised when he showed up.

The ladies showed him what was in the boxes. One held different coloured soil, another had green leaves, some had flower petals arranged by colour- red, blue, green, yellow, brown, pink, green, all stacked, collected and cleared for processing. They told him the items were necessary and in great demand.

What are they used for, he asked.

You’ll see, they replied.

They went back to work and the young man kept moving.

He saw a young woman seated on a nearby stone. She was holding an earthen cup in her hands and seemed to be molding it into a shape. She also had a little box beside her from which she took out items to use on the cup. Paint, brushes, tweezers, and so on.

The young man was curious and asked her what she was doing.

She looked up and he noticed her unadorned expression.

I’m making a cup she said. I will need it for later.

What’s happening later, he asked.

Other people will see me, she replied.

He was puzzled, but decided to keep moving. He bid her goodbye and she went back to her work, molding the cup and viewing it critically from different angles.

As the young man walked, he saw a number of women in different stages of working at their cups. The cups themselves were beginning to take on various colours and shapes, some were very impressive artwork while others were obviously amateur. It seemed the longer you worked on making your cup, the better you got at it generally. However, some seemed to have worked on theirs too long, and the results, when that happened, were a bit loud and garish. Other cups looked like war paint had been applied to them. Bold strokes, bright, vibrant hues, and thick lines and angles, typified these ones.

The Thinker contd.


Is that so, young man, said the thinker. Well, since you’re not sure, why not go on your way?

The young man was rather confused.

Alright, he said, I’ll be moving on.

He turned to leave, and as he did so, out of the corner of his eye he caught another expression on the thinker’s face. This time, it was worry. But when he looked fully at the seated thinker, all he saw was a calm countenance and the ubiquitous chin cupped in his hand, just as before.

The thinker said nothing, and seemed to be waiting for him to leave. So he turned to go.

The scenario again repeated itself and he saw fear on the thinker’s face. Which was wiped away in an instant as soon as he tried to look.

This state of affairs played out a few more times, with envy, disillusionment, affection, annoyance, hurt, distrust, grief, hostility, indifference, desire, disdain, curiosity, loneliness, passion, sadness, confidence, shame, trust, despair, joy and a host of other emotions flitting across the thinker’s face but quickly replaced by a calm façade as soon as it was noticed.

The young man queried the thinker about his feelings the first few times, but could not get a clear answer, as the thinker preferred not to discuss anything, but rather stayed contemplating his own thoughts.

The young man decided to press on with his journey, determinedly faced forward and kept moving. One last glance at the thinker’s face showed relief, which was once again quickly replaced by an unruffled countenance.

The young man thought better of asking and, journeyed on.