Forgive and Forget Part II

(If you haven't read, Forgive and Forget Part I, go ahead and give it a read!) 

The family ate their grain, finished dinner and the night mat was laid out on ground. The moon already shone brightly in the starry sky and it was time to sleep. His daughter had already dozed away. That’s when he heard a soft tapping on his mud wall. Someone was peeping from the entrance. His face was older, but Hack recognised it. Josef was at his door.

Silently he exited his house, so as not to disturb anyone. A thick, white beard covered Josef 's aged skin which had more lines than ever. “I hope I've not come too late to talk?” Josef asked. The scent of alcohol emitted from his mouth, but it was just drink, he was not completely drunk.

“What do you want?” Hack asked wearily.

“I expected you to meet me as soon as I entered the village.”

“Your business here is no concern of mine”

“Are you sure about that? The past...”

“The past is forgotten. I care nothing for your reasons of being here, just do not disrupt the village life.”

His tongue took a big lick of his lips and Josef concluded their conversation, “I won’t do anything to endanger what you’ve built”. He walked off.

**

Days and weeks passed. Like every other day, Hack worked in the fields. News filtered on Josef just hanging around in the village, drinking every day. As days and nights passed by, the harvest festival came closer. Hack buried himself more into his daily work. Chopping down sugarcane and managing the village. Everyday talk of Josef came in, but it was nothing to worry about. Soon enough the former village chief became friends with the village’s local drunks. 

**

Music, dance, drink, food. This was the splendour of the harvest festival, a celebration to mark the final day of harvest labour in the fields.  Grape juice dribbled down his chin as Hack enjoyed a traditional dance by the village’s fair maidens.

All around him he could see joy and happiness. All of their hard work at the field paid off. Soon enough, his own wife was dancing and then his baby girl came running up to him and dragged him off to the dance circle.

That’s when it happened and not for a moment was Hack surprised.

Josef was sitting in one corner, enjoying the festivities of food, drink and entertainment. From his corner, he charged out, brandishing the machete in his hand. His charge led directly to Hack. Throwing his daughter on to the floor. Hack went out to meet him.

They met in the oldest dance of all, the dance of death. Hack leaped to the side, avoiding the swing of the machete. He rolled a few more times, avoiding the swing of the machete. The festivities had stopped and the villagers sprinted away, all attempting to evade the wild blows. “No”, Hack screamed, but it was too late.

Two men jumped in, trying to lend a hand and boldly attempted to end the fight. The machete pierced his naked flesh, stabbed his heart and a lifeless body fell to the ground. The other man had his torso cleaved from his shoulder. “Stay away!” Hack screamed. Josef’s face was twisted into a smile.

The machete swung forward. Instead of leaping back, Hack jumped ahead with his hands outstretched. Through sheer skill, his fingers gripped Joseph’s arm, stopping the blade inches away from his face. For a few seconds, there was a battle of sheer strength and will power. Both of them exerting their fullest muscles capacity and will their opponent to lose.

Then, it was just over. The blade moved back, Hack’s head arched forward, breaking his opponent’s nose, Hack twisted Josef’s arm hard enough and the blade slipped through his fingers.

“You know I actually forgave you when you drove this village to war, death and destruction. I even forgive you that night... when you tried to have my betrothed.”  The machete was in Hack’s hand now. Josef was on his knees and defiance shone in his eyes.

“My wife... even after what you tried to do with her told me, ‘Forgive and forget’. I tried to listen to that advice. I forgave you... but I never did forget. It would be foolish to forget. I knew you would try something.”

“Stop your blabbering and do what you will.”

“I can forgive, but I can’t forget. I forgive you for trying to kill me, almost injuring my daughter, killing those too good men. But... I can’t forget”.

The machete hacked down, slicing through flesh and bone. A head rolled into the mud and blood pooled around.

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