Shallow Water by Adewale Fasipe

Author:Adewale Fasipe [Fasipe, Adewale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-02T22:00:00+00:00

"Beware shallow water!"

The loud bellow of the voice startled the boys. They turned in unison to see a man with a dreadlock drawn down to waist length. His tattered shirt hung loosely on his mildewed body. He was walking majestically towards them while pointing at Damola.

"A darkness is seeking to devour you!"

The statement was made with such audacity that baffled the hearers.

"Are you talking to me?ʺ

The mad man didn't respond, instead he stooped to the ground, grabbed a fairly long stick and in one swift manoeuvre landed on the edge of a huge depression filled with water.

"Come!"

The boys stayed rooted on the same spot. The scene began to catch the attention of passers-by and shop owners. Damola summoned up courage and moved with compliance, his friends joined him like some errant students heading to the principal's office.

"See, in this water there are so many fishes."

The boys looked, there was not a single fish in the water. Suspensions moved in a spiral as the mad man kept turning the stick.

"No matter how long you try, you can only catch three of them."

Damola froze, the jaws of the others fell.

With one deft stroke he flung the stick over a distance.

"Shallow water, shallow water, shallow water."

The mad man rolled out the words in sustained interval pocking them with drum beats. He began to dance to the rhythm. The boys exchanged puzzled glances. Then suddenly his dance steps stopped. He maintained a fixed gaze at them.

"So sad, the one who tries to save him eventually imperils him."

"Excuse....me...sir," Damola stuttered. The mad man tilted his head mechanically.

"Why would I be interested in that kind of a fish?" He continued while pointing at the water.

"Hmmmmmm," The mad man began with a long throaty drawl.

"The day is far spent, night is drawing nigh. Shadows rise and fall against a flickering light to leave behind a smouldering heap after a moment in time."

He paused for effect and then started another demonstration. The boys looked on in utter confusion.

"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock," He rambled on in a continuous monotone, his matted strings waving in the air. Almost at the same time, he swung his legs in the march past of a soldier on the parade ground. He then threaded a straight line back and forth before coming to an abrupt attention.

"Mission finito!" He exclaimed, and capped it all up with a military salute. And with that he jumped to the other side, broke into a jinking run and within minutes was out of sight.

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