Dr Fixit (351 - 360)

 351

Moonit's tale, the rain returned heavily 

and I sneaked back with sheer jollity 

to my grandma's bungalow. The gloom 

was both of the rain and night that would soon

put most activities across Antburg 

to rest. And parents and kids hugged 

their beds shortly after their meals.

Outside, the sound was like that of the mills

as the rain teemed down on our town.

In tight sleep (so I thought) everyone was bound.

352

We woke up the next day to be gripped

with anger and fear. While most were in sleep,

a few baddies were up to no good.

A home was burgled by a crook

and his five friends. (That is, the five fingers 

on one hand plus an additional finger

from the other hand). In Antish, the figure 

is 'heteon mme ket' (sometimes the pressure 

on you could be a leisure for another -

a child gains knowledge from a parent's encounter).

353

You know of 'heteon' and 'ket' 

which I outlined in some text

we already had viewed not too far

from here. 'Mme' is 'and' or 'plus'. Folks utter

quite commonly 'heteoket' as six.

That was the number of men who picked

a rich man's home to burgle and they were armed

with wicked-looking weapons and charms.

They brought a new tag to bandits

across our clans by their words and deeds

354

in that rich man's home that night

as most were in beds and snoozing tight.

They said they demanded things from 

the householders this way: 'Humph,'

one cleared his throat and said to the owner

of the house as he'd dragged his feet to hand over 

a key to the safe: 'Your property or life,

which one do you like?' The man's wife

quickly took the keys and gave to the gang

who carted all in the man's private bank.

355

'Ahma-uhkay?' (Where do you like?) replaced

'henor' which was the common tag placed

on thieves. Right after this incident,

the criminals became quite impudent

sending letters in advance to home owners

telling them what to keep and the date they'd meander 

to the area to collect the stuff.

None of our unfortunate folks dared scoff

the commands of the gangs. The government 

which was of military cadre did implement

356

a shoot-at-sight order as they were

irked at the effrontery of those who dared

to run what was similar to

a parallel government. They enacted too

a decree that would make those who robbed 

with arms face the firing squad if caught 

in public space as they were tied to the drums.

To intimidation Antburg wouldn't succumb.

But one thing folks did speculate

that who brought the daring syndicate 

357

to the area to dance disco in the parlour

of the rich man could be his sibling or neighbour.

The army ants consoled themselves with the fact

that what is sweet would make you like a cat

lick the first paw and then another 

and for a certainty, you'd forget to ponder

and then one day you would be caught.

The mob said for that fellow it would be hot.

It wasn't quite long after that Bendit,

keeping his pledge, helped guide my feet

358

to the library. I had a brand new set 

of ready-made clothes on me which from the market 

Grandma bought recently to offset 

the pledge too she made. We reached the gate,

which was open and had no sentry

standing by and walked towards the entry 

into the section where books were kept

and for public access. The path was paved.

It was hedged on both sides by the lawn,

punctuated with flower beds, and was mown.

359

Almonds and mangoes lined the compound.

The path ran from the gate and around

the vast complex. But we stopped near

the end of the right flank (the view as it'd appear

when entering the place), opened and closed the door

and walked upstairs. The stairs and floor

were tiled. Apart from the sound made by 

our feet, the place was enveloped with silence and not a fly

was seen anywhere. I'd always thought 

by the way they behaved, they had not

360

gone to school and so were quite crude.

That's why they touch things in ways quite rude.

Bendit wrote our names on the register

(I could write mine with chalk. I'd master 

the use of pencil and later pen in the new

academic session in my new class. Quite true

is the fact, right in my time and age,

we were way above our peers taking the passage 

into the library. Our mates had on their necks

their catapults and other missiles and their legs