Alone With The Man Eaters

There are reasons why people are in places, whether they know it or not; and regardless of the circumstances. Nothing just happens; for behind the scenes are forces that orchestrate what’s visible. The quest for greatness is endless, yet in the intricacies of the shades therein, there’s such a place as the ultimate source, the road to which persists as a confounding enigma through the ages. Amazing though is the curious observation nothing genuine has been known to exist without a counterfeit. That’s in plural. Yet a very short worded factor divides the difference extraordinaire between the two: Choice!

There are moment triggers, when truth towers commandingly above the fuzzy cloud of speculation and deception, when it’s all presented as it really is from the source, when no vacuum exists between the source and what’s visible, when the visible beholds immortality as tangible carriers of the source invisible. It is the moment when the source brilliantly stands undisputed in a vivid public statement that there is only one source, when all substitutes go on a definitive hush and the dream Greatness Supreme is realized, real-time.

Growing up I was consciously aware of the constant raging conflict for supremacy between the good and the bad…out there. The intrigue was breathtaking, the twists riveting and the unpredictability mesmeric. I was curiously amazed by the instrumental role played by the walkie-talkie on either side. I was of the opinion good was good and deserved to win all the time. Sometime it worked out exactly that way to my delight, while it went the other way at other times and sadly so. I was slowly moving from the place of being a spectator. Unknown to me for sometime was just how real it was within me as it was out there. At stake in the midst of it all was the all defining trophy-my heart. And so I embraced the walkie-talkie as my favorite toy and hobby.

With this backdrop I found myself catapulted before the president, his demeanor stern on that memorable mid-summer morning pleading for dear life; for one last chance with my walkie-talkie.Standing next to me was the hangman, breathing down my neck following an express presidential order. It offered a temporary sense of relief when my request was granted. I immediately passed word to my three colleagues who had also been affected by the sentence. The president’s demand had been a real litmus-test, throwing his entire inner fraternity of advisers, wise-men and consultants into a spin. It was life in exchange for the disclosure. Full disclosure.

Rather than seek an interpretation, he had demanded both for a narration and interpretation of the dream in an apparent move to leave no loophole for deception in his startling all defining revelation. No demand like this had ever been witnessed before. No wisdom known in the human sphere could unearth it. There was only one option left to the best of my understanding: The source. Our lives were on the line. My three colleagues and I got busy on our radios.

The deadlock was broken late that night in the distinguished life saving signal that broke through to the relief of many. In a swift rejoinder, an evidently enthralled  head of state called in a press conference and exalted the source in  honor to be praised all over the world. He additionally spelt out far-reaching repercussions for anyone within his jurisdiction who stood in contempt of the decree. “For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, blazing from generation to generation.”

It proved a rather interesting season for me in the ensuing aftermath, one that saw me rise through the ranks in various caps. To my surprise, one of them became that of chief magician! There is a saying opposite poles attract. That is true even for sources. But there comes a time necessity drives them to hunt each other down for survival’s sake. My presence within the system had overtime been rubbing certain obscure elements the wrong way and they were significantly losing key gains.

An elaborate scheme was hatched behind the scenes. No one saw it come, including the Commander in chief. The next thing I knew I was downstairs in what must have been a dungeon, face to face with the most horrific scene of my life: A pride of menacing lions. My world came to a halt right there. At first I thought it was a bad dream, then I realized there was nothing fictional about my senses,especially the visual! The adrenaline rush was doing a better job than a shooting star. Majority of the slightly more than a dozen monstrous creatures and counting were crouching on their bellies as if expecting me for a tele-conference!

I felt paralyzed with great fear as I watched one of the swarthy creatures in a prolonged yawn, in what seemed to be a slow motion. I had the impression that was meant for an appetizer. My whole life scrolled down before my eyes. I thought of the most suitable form of final prayer. All this happened within an instant, yet every moment seemed an eternity.

From the dimly lit,reeking underground enclosure, I could see a lean stealthy lethal canine slowly approaching from my left. I heard a few growls, the terrifying deep echo causing vibrations within my tendons. Some of the evidently hungry man eaters were slowly tightening their noose around me thankful for the dinner gift hamper. I felt numbed as I lost track of time. I was in a trance as I painfully watched the moments tick by. I felt life ooze out of my body as my eyes caught a clear view of the spine chilling beast that had been stalking me from the left. The twin blood-shot peculiar globes were a manifestation of such a dense presence of blood curdling evil.

My knees gave way instantly and I knew I was taking what would definitely be my last breath when all of a sudden a prolonged rumble erupted from my right, causing the ground to shake violently. It was a great roar, one that unleashed such a strong sense of authority it disarmed the close to ten beasts barely a stride from me by then. They scampered for safety, hurriedly taking cover in the rocky shadows of the enclosure. My eyes strained to clearly visualize the stout nine-point five foot long sensation approaching me in a majestic fashion. Its eyes were like a blazing fire, its thick black tinged mane an exclusive signature.

I instantly felt a new lease of life begin to flow inside me. I felt firmly embraced in a strong anchor of peace that assured me all would be well. The regal lion lowered its head to the ground, picked up my walkie-talkie and handed it to me. It had been a long day. I felt like this day had been too much for one lifetime. As the huge wave of slumber came sweeping, I sighed in disbelief. For once I had to admit that had been so close!

It was the familiar urgent call by the president that woke me up at first light. My thick framed lifesaver was peacefully lying asleep next to me. I was quickly ejected from the terror cave and within moments the would be successful schemers were on their way to replace me for the day shift-The long arm of justice. A startling discovery was made in a routine fumigation of the enclosure later that day. There was no trace of their body parts at the floor of the cave. None of them had made it to the bottom!

©The Blazing Trail 2012

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