THE FOREST MAN

In a big dark forest, there was a lived man called Akinwuji. He lived in a house made of bamboo leaves and clay. The house had only one room and was the only building admit in the forest, it was inhabited by Akinwuji, being the only human being in that Forest.

Akinwuji was tall and dark in complexion with black hair, had been living in that dreadful forest for more than twenty years and had only one friend called Onimi. Onimi belonged to the fairies kingdom which forms the closest neighbour of Akinwuji. Other living being in that forest including the demons and animals kingdom.

Akinwuji had a very big farm on which he planted many crops such as yam, cassava, corn and vegetable. He did not used to went to town to buy anything but engaged in trade by barter with other creature for his daily needs.

The journey from that forest to the town would take not less than three days for human being only and no human being had ever come to that forest due to its dreadful nature.

One morning ,as Akinwuji was working in his farm at the back of his house, he heard somebody calling his name repeatedly.

"Akinwuji ! Akinwuji!! Onimi calling.

" who is that " Akinwuji asked.

"Is your friend, Onimi" Onimi answered.

"My good friend, am at the back"

As Onimi entered the backyard of the house, he met Akinwuji sweating profusely despite the coldness of the morning .

"Good morning my dear friend"

"Good morning, i can see that you are seriously working on your farm" Onimi commended.

"Yes, i want to take some product to my customer".

"In exchange for what?" Onimi asked.

"In exchange for cloth"

"Are you taking the goods to your customer or he is coming to pick them?"

"Am going to give it to him"

"Okay, we can go together then"

Akinwuji then excused his friend to take his bath and changed his cloth before they set their feet on the way . After twenty minute, they started going to his customer's house.

"I come to sleep in your house today"

Onimi informed his friend as they were moving close to his customer's house.

"I guess your wife is pregnant?"

"Yes, i just discovered it today and you know that it is forbidden for me to sleep in the house again till she puts to bed" Onimi elaborated.

"I known that when your wife is pregnant you must not sleep in your house" he said.

"Yes, because that is our culture"

"I have not seen this boy for few days back"

"Which boy?"

"The boy i used to give my farm product to sell"

"Oh ! That good boy ! He will come. He can't run away with your product"

"I know that he can't do that"

As the two friend were talking about the boy, a man emerged from their back and greeted.

" Good evening Akinwuji" said the man.

"Evening" They replied in chorus.

"Here are the cloth" the man said.

"Okay , take the product" Akinwuji said.

After the exchange of the good , they both expressed their satisfaction and retrieve their willingness to continue doing business together. After the man departed , Onimi examined the clothes and made some remarks .

"These cloth look beautiful" Onimi commented.

"Yes, i want to give them to my tailor so that he can sow them for me"

"If that is the case, let us go to the tailor right away "Onimi suggested.

"Akinwuji! Akinwuji !! Akinwuji !!" a guy shouted.

"You are here" Akinwuji replied.

"I have been to your house but you are absent" the guy said.

"I come down here to collect my clothes from my customer" talking to the boy.

"Is this the guy you were talking about of recently that you gave your farm products to?" Questioned by Onimi.

"yes" He answered.

"He is a nice and honest boy, i know him very well"

"This is your money" the boy handed over the money to Akinwuji.

Akinwuji collected the money, counted it and expressed his pleasure. He thanked the boy for being honest and bid him, good boy.

"Go and drop your cloth" his friend said.

It took Akinwuji less than five minute to drop the cloth for the tailor, door closed Onimi stood up from where he sat use his hand to clean his cloth and going to Akinwuji's house, on their way; Akinwuji was telling his friend on how he came across the boy.

"One evening when i was sitting outside relaxing, the boy come to me asking for help"

"You mean the guy that just left now?"

"Yes, instead of just giving him money , asked him to sell my farm product for me" ,Akinwuji explained further.

"How does that then assist him?"

"I asked him to return only my capital and take the profit"

"Oh !! I can now understand, that will favour him more, you have tried for him my friend"

It took them an hour to get home, Onimi sat on the floor he was very tired and felt hungry too.

"Am hungry, what do you have at home"

"Just name what you want and i will provide it"

"Okay, i will eat yam"

"I too will eat yam" went inside to get a pot. The two friend gathered firewood from the nearby bush and set the fire burning. They pilled the yam and used the clay pot to cook it.

"The wind is so friendly to us, see how the fire is blowing uncontrollably" Onimi said.

"It is a signal that the yam will soon be done and ready for eating"

After nearly ten minutes, the yam was ready and two friends removed the pot from the fire and put it in between them while they put red oil inside the plate made of calabash.

"This yam us so sweet, are you sure it from our soil here" Onimi asked.

"Yes, the yam is sweet and it is gotten from my farm"

"Now, i think am okay"

"I have also had enough"

Akinwuji recollected the time he was living among his fellow human being and was now surprised with similarity in behaviour between human being and other creatures exemplified by his good friend, Onimi. He than threw some question to his friend.

"I always wonder that we virtually are the same "Lamented Akinwuji.

"We are the same my friend , only differ by culture"

"Yes, our cultures show that we are not totally the same thing. God created us to be different beings and live in different environment"

"Yes, the culture shows our different"

"Okay good night my friend , lay on the bed"

"Okay, good night" Onimi replied. lay on the bed and face the other direction, used a long cloth giving to him by Akinwuji to wrap his body and off the light.