DEN OF CLEVERNESS 2 Episode 5 by Nathaniel Anuma

DEN OF CLEVERNESS 2 Episode 5 by Nathaniel Anuma

There is a saying that says when a child carries his father up, his eyes become covered by the father’s wrapper. How on earth could Ken handle the riddles that his father couldn’t handle? He reasoned it as he stared at Ikuku inside his room, then suddenly sat down on the edge of his bed again. One could tell that he had a difficult task ahead of him, even Ikuku did not only see it on his face, he felt it within himself then pitied him. The tranquillity that stretched to all corners of the room could enable the sound of a fallen pin to break it. Ken looked up.

“I want to get it right” he began without directing his eyes to the old man. “So, I have a responsibility not only to save lives but to protect the eyeglasses from being taken from me otherwise die. I’m also being attacked by.. by.. what did you call them again?” he met his eyes. “Graths?” he began again by standing up aggressively. “I have to travel to Mount Loom, answer riddles before I’m free from them”

“You’ll also meet with the god of cleverness” Ikuku added.

Ken began to walk to and fro in anger and frustrating demonstration. His voice became more intense. “What if I say i don’t want all this to happen and distroy the magical eyeglasses? Have you forgotten that I’m a student whose SSCE is by the corner and I have to study for it? How on earth do you want me to handle both activities at the same time? Not even only that! I don’t know how to keep a secret, therefore I’ll put my friends in trouble just like Wisdom has gotten into one already” he flung out the eyeglasses from his bag, stretched it to Ikuku who took a step backward. “Take it now or I distroy it!”

Ikuku saw the young boy sweating and breathing in confusion and frustration. What could he possibly tell him? But he took a deep breath and said calmly, “Lad, cleverness can solve every pro..”

“Every problem?!” Ken interrupted with a high voice again. “Are you kidding me? Who am I to face the god of cleverness at the Mount Loom which my father couldn’t do? You even confirmed it that I won’t be able to do that! And you are talking about cleverness being the solution of every problem!” He moved closer to him again still stretching the eyeglasses to him. “Take it, Ikuku!”

“Do not tempt me young man!” Ikuku’s voice shadowed his own like rumbling thunder. Immediately, Ken flung the magical eyeglasses on the floor, carried a wooden chair and smashed it into pieces, sweating and hastily breathing. He directed his eyes to Ikuku as the room once again observed another tranquillity. Just as he turned, he saw the magical eyeglasses on his bed and stepped back, looking woozy.

“The Christians always say that you cannot be tempted by a temptation you cannot not overcome” Ikuku walked towards the bed where the eyeglasses rested but never touched it, while Ken became dumbfounded and speechless. “Lad, you walked up to the crying baby with his mother under the tree in front of the hospital just to make him stop crying”

Ken got surprised. “How do you know I did that?”

“I knew you would” he paused for sometimes then continued. “Lad, I know inside you, you have this spirit to save lives. You can’t stand people being hurt. So pick up this eyeglasses and take up your responsibility. The Graths attack once in two days, so you only need to keep Wisdom and yourself safe. Make sure others don’t get to know about the eyeglasses, especially the mass otherwise the more you save people’s life, the more they are killed by the Graths” he used his staff, picked up the eyeglasses from the bed and stretched it for him to take it back which he did reluctantly. “Never you think of going to the Mount Loom. It’s deadly with difficult deadly riddles too. Now, go save the little girl at the city mall” the old man concluded.

Ken watched him walk to the exit, clutched the door knob to go, but Mrs Ukachi stood at the door like an iroko tree. She wore a pair of trouser and a Polo, looking excited but the sight of the strange man before her rumpled her face.

“Who are you and what are you doing with my son?” she interrogated authoritatively.

Ken quickly hid the eyeglasses behind him as he walked towards the door. “Mother, he’s Ikuku, the man that saved us from the goddess of cleverness. He came to visit”

“Oh!” Mrs Ukachi stretched forward her hand for a handshake, but Ikuku ignored her. She quickly brought out a wedding invitation card and handed it to him. “I’m inviting you to my wedding. It’s in two weeks time”

“Wedding?” Ken became surprise.

Mrs Ukachi walked inside. “Yes, son, Mr Raymond proposed” she smiled, hugging him happily, while Ken saw Ikuku through the mother’s shoulder, smiling and leaving the room. He tried so hard to keep the eyeglasses out of the mother’s sight.

She disengage him saying, “I’m so excited, son”

“I’m happy for you too, mother” Ken returned the smile.

“I’ll be going to tell your father’s people tomorrow” she left the room excited. How would she had known that her son was in a big mess?
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Nevertheless, regardless of the darkened weather that turned to night, Ken surged forward to the city mall using an automobile. He stepped out of the car, just in front of the mall which glow with light of different colors. He could feel the light and excitement of people from the gate. He wore a black thick jacket over a shirt and a pair of jean trousers. On his feet were white canvas. He looked harmless and innocent as he walked into the mall. He looked around to see people eating, shopping and most of all, children playing and enjoying an electrical rotating swing. His eyes roamed about to detect the particular child he saw with the magical eyeglasses, but never saw her. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the voice of a child at a corner saying to the mother, “I want to ride on the swing, mom!”

“Not now, Helen” the mother hesitated. Both were on an immovable metal seat.

“Please, mom!” the little girl wanted to cry.

“Fine! But just one turn”

The little child smiled. “Thanks, mom” The mother held her by the hand as both headed to the swing. Ken exhaled after noticing the girl to be whom he had come for. Now, how would he save her without being seen as something else? Would he just walk to the mother and say, “You daughter gonna die. Don’t let her ride on the swing?” Or would he just stand at the spot she will fall and grab her? He didn’t know.

Nevertheless, Helen, the little girl, had climbed on the swing, being watched by the mother. The swing had a spherical shape and revolves round like the earth around the sun. As the mother watched, Ken stood by her side with his two hands inside the jacket pockets.

“Good evening, ma’am” he greeted without meeting her eyes.

The woman looked at him strangely. “May i help you?”

“Yes”

She listened.

“Help me bring down your daughter from the swing” Ken replied, yet never meet the woman’s gaze. He surveyed to see the exert spot the little girl would drop dead from the swing. Just then, it began to rotate.

“Why?” The woman was still inquisitive.

Ken finally looked at her. “Just do as I said. It’s not late yet”

Both stared at each other. Of course Ken knew the woman was confused and didn’t know what to say, do or belief. Suddenly, electricity sparked below the swing and it stopped halfway thereby making Helen to fall off instantly from it due to imbalance. Shout escalated from the mall when they saw the little girl falling especially from the mother. Some had put on their call phones video, capturing the incident. Knowing the spot the little girl would fall, Ken rushed immediately and caught her.

The woman rushed them. “Helen! Helen!”

Ken gradually pulled her down on her feet then she embraced the mother, crying. Before Ken knew what was happening, people began to applaud for the heroic act and videoing him.

The woman stared at him. “Who are you?” She asked.

Ken didn’t reply, rather began to walk out of the mall. Meanwhile, his video with the incident had entered into the internet and Mercy, Jade and others would be !more curious to know what was going on. Mr Nnanna, already had started specialising means to know the secret behind the young boy’s prediction of tragic incident…

DEN OF CLEVERNESS 2 Episode
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