PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd – South Sudan

"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything, with nothing" By Konstantin Josef Jireček, a Czech historian, diplomat and slavist.

GOD DOESN’T SAVE TWICE (short story)

6 min read

By David Aoloch Bion

There is a big pond of Saccharine liquid in ungeographically marked land. In the South of that pond inhabits a dark skin man who believes in polytheism. In the North of that pond inhabits a brown skin man who believes in monotheism. Both men don’t know themselves on both sides of the pond.

As the result of the ungeographical known land , both men have anonymous names, so they are referred as the south man and the north man. In short Sou and Nor.

Sou rears cattle, goats and sheep. Nor rears cattle, sheep, goats, Carmel, donkeys and horses.

Each man brings his animals to drink on pond. If Nor bring his animals to pond at noon, Sou bring his animals to pond in evening. When he looks around, he could see a man’s footmarks, animal’s hoofmarks and fresh dung and urine, he asks himself

“Who brings his animals to my pond, the day I get him, I will do to him what he-kid never do to his mother she-goat”. He drives his animals away.

Likewise, if Nor drives his animals to the pond in evening he could find man’s footprints and animal’s hoofprints….etc, he asks himself

“Who is this bustard that bring his animals to my pond, if I get him, he will call his wife for help”.

On one sunny day, it happens that the two men arrive at pond at the same time in noon. The two men were caught up in claims and counterclaims of the pond, each say expletively the pond is his. Their claim of the pond goes on for three hours but end in a stalemate. They take rest for two hours and they resume the talk. At six o’clock, they agree that each shall go and sleep at his home and at seven o’clock in morning, he shall drive his animals to the pond, he who will arrive at the pond first, he is a right owner of the pond because he is nearer to the pond.

Both men go to their respective homes. At seven o’clock, they drive, their cattle, each with his son-heir.

Sou arrives at the pond at 11:00am with his dark skin son. Nor arrives at 12:30 noon, one and half hour late with his brown skin son.

“Don’t you conclude now that, I am the right owner of the pond “Sou asks.

“You are not, because, somebody tells me that, you sleep just near the pond in night you have never been to your home ” Nor argues.

“I sleep at my home, look, my son can confirm that . When we talk yesterday, my son not there”.

“I don’t want to repeat the long fruitless arguments of yesterday, I have one sentence for you, don’t bring your animals to my pond again” Nor warns

“Why can’t I bring my animals to my pond, I will bring them as long as I live”.

‘Then, I will kill you, you slave”.

“You kill me because of my pond, my undying right”.

The two men tussle in a duel, they wrestle for ten minutes while sons look on. Sou throw down Nor and he takes a spear to cut his throat, Nor cries,

“O God saves me”

God hears his prayer and gives him strength, he kicks out the spear in the hand of Sou, he also manages to subdue Sou and turn him down, he takes a spear, he cut the throat of Sou, the blood pours down red. Sou kicks , kicks his legs .He dies ‘’Damn it ‘’Nor says

Sou son sees blood from his father’s throat and run with their anima ls.

The son of Nor says ‘’ father kill that his son’’

‘’ no human being is finish , let it be his seed’’ Nor said

Nor becomes only owner of the pond. Nor travels to many places around the world to tell people that he has a pond with the most healthier drinking liquid for animals, which he calls “blue gold”, and under the blue gold in pond, there is a black liquid which is excel in smears houses and other domestic use, which he calls “black gold”.

Million of People visit the pond and they praise Nor for he has celestial gift of nature . Those who have animals come to water their animals at the pond and give some animals to Nor in exchange for his blue gold, those who have houses and things come with green and red special papers with beautiful pictures of queen, kings etc . Some witty quotation on papers like ‘’the root of all happiness,or the root of all evils ’’ to Nor in exchange of his black gold. Nor, his wife and children enjoys to watch the pictures of the most powerful people in world on these papers.

One of the men who take the black gold comes and he sees the bones of Sou dry whiter near the pond, he asks

‘What are those look like human bones?”

‘’Yes they are ‘’

‘’Whose bones’’

“These are the bones of one feckless slave I kill many years ago”

‘Why?”

“He claims this pond is his for that I kill him”

“It is not good to kill human beings before God”

“But this is slave, it is good before God, even God help me to kill him”

Some years later another man who buys black gold visit the pond and see the bones, he asks

‘’whose skeleton is this ?’’

‘’For a slave I kill many years ago ’’

‘’Why’’

‘’He says the pond is his ‘’

‘’ are some people who want to take the pond you?’’

‘’yes’’

“You are my friend, I will get for you some weapons to protect yourself in case other men may come and claim to’’

‘’Thank you, there are many enemies who claim this pond’’

The man gives Nor many types weapons, some of weapons fly like birds .

For forty years everyone know well Nor for his pond of blue and black gold.

One day, the son of Sou thinks to go and visit the pond where his father kills forty years ago. He drives his animals to the pond. The son of Nor also come to the pond. They meet on the pond. They start to fight a duel again likes their fathers.

The son of Sou throws the son of Nor down and he draws a spear to cut his throat, he cries “Oh God saves me”

“God doesn’t save twice” Son of Sou said “God can’t save your father from my father hands and save you too from me” He says while he cut the Nor son throat. The son of Nor dies. ‘’ I told my kill to him but he did not ‘’ he screamed  The son of Sou becomes the owner of the pond forever.

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