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8. THE
TREE BOY
The next market day was just four
days ahead. Bale once again bought three wraps of his favorite Moi-Moi and
sat quietly alone under a tree by the
road side. His friends had really left him. He watched as people moved up and
down the streets leading to the market square, just some few yards away from
the new chief's house. He watched as how a woman quickly bent to pick the
banana peels that the child she was carrying dropped and then threw them in a
basket positioned by the side walk. Gradually, he took time to look around and
noticed that the law of sanitation was
gradually becoming the norm of the Olobun community. It wasn't as dirty
as it used to be when his father was still in control, he admitted within
himself, however he was indifferent about that.
He looked down the street and saw
a woman begging a sanitary officer who was about to confiscate her over
exposed, flies infested Akamu (pap) which she had been selling to ignorant ones
for consumption. Again, he sat quietly as he watched the movement of the people
under the intense sun. He felt that even though humans have tried not to litter
the environment directly, the surroundings cannot be said to be very clean.
After all the streets were still covered with dead leaves animals' excreta and
other rubbish. He watched as two women tried effortlessly to sweep the dirt and
dead leaves on the prominent parts of the road, and as more kept dropping from
the tree tops. Eventually they sat down under a tree to relax for some time and
soon slept off. He smiled as his plan replayed itself in his minds. He looked up
at all the trees around him with admiration and said to himself, “they are free
to do as they like and go scot-free!” As he was about to lower his head, he
sighted two police officers coming down the street.
Quickly, he brought out the three wraps,
devoured them all at once and pretended not to have noticed the officers, then
threw their leaves conspicuously on the road as they got nearer. Suddenly, he
stood up and turned in the opposite direction as if to walk away when a coarse
voice said, “you again? Will you ever learn?” He gradually turned in their
direction as if unaware they were around in the first place and answered, “What
is it again?”
“You can't deny you don't know what you
have just done is wrong?” answered the same officer with the coarse voice. The
boy wasn't strange to them or any other policeman in the Olobun village
anymore. Dada, the taller officer, listened as his shorter partner Ofa, spoke
to the boy. “And was it not for the same reason you were detained some few days
ago? We don't want more trouble for you, so correct yourself now!”
“Are you blind?” replied Bale, “can't you
see there are several dead leaves lying on the road already? So what difference
does the one I dropped make? If you will arrest me, then you have to be ready
to arrest all the trees here too, or that will be an injustice.”
“You can't be serious!” yelled officer Ofa
angrily, as he reached to grab the boy by the waist, “we can't take that from
you - not even if your father, old chief Onidoti Adugbo, is still in town. You
are under arrest!”
As he was about to grab the boy, he
withdrew his grip as he witnessed a sudden transformation. Bale legs began to
sink into the earth. His body was becoming fatter as his arms stretched towards
the sky. Several branches developed out of his body. “ARREST ME!” his voice
echoed, “Arrest me if you can. Ha! Ha! Ha!” The laughter was wild and
hysterical. Then he turned into a big, tall and ugly tree that none of them was
bold enough to come nearer to.
“Arrest me if you dare,” said the
familiar voice from the tree. The tree developed several leaves and branches
and it began to shed leaves indiscriminately on the floor! “Now I can litter
the environment and get away with it!” said the tree boy as more leaves dropped.
Not long, the news spread fast. People
came from near and far to watch the tree boy. And as they came, he began to
sing:
Birds are free to do as they
like.
And Goats too are free to do what
they want.
God doesn't blame them, so man
can't arrest them.
Trees are free to shed leaves as
they want
and fowls are free to ease where they wish.
God doesn't blame them, so man
can't arrest them.
I am a human and I think I'm
higher;
Yet I daren't do as I please,
else get I arrested.
I envy you birds, I envy you
trees, and I envy all
animals cos, you all have the
freedom that I lack.
You can't touch me now, cos I'm a tree, ha! ha!
You can't arrest me now, cos I am
free, ha! ha!
Tomorrow I'll like to be a pig.
To ease as I like.
And to fart as I want. Ha! ha!
He sang the song on and on for those that
cared to listen throughout the day.
To be Continued...
To be Continued...
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