(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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