OGRISM TAIL.

Chapter 1 Abednego, a young energetic boy in the only village of ‘Namamali’, a lively boy worth emulating. He had a certain irrefutable logic about himself that was so fascinating. Most people in the village couldn't afford to be away from him due to his personality that was promising. He was brought up in a robust family and vigorously lived with great dreams and visions of getting married and raising up a healthy family, just like his parents. “Having a brilliant family is the most vital thing on earth,” he amicably figured out to. As time went by Abednego began to focus on how to get a family of his own. "One day I will marry a woman of my dream, and when I do so, I will make sure that it lasts for a lifetime," he pondered upon himself.  Though there was a challenge with Abednego's parents, whenever he made friends his parents would ask him not to trust them and have close relationship. According to his parents, his being sensitive might get their child hurt easily, so they asked him to maintain distance with people. So Abednego never made friends. He would share his thoughts, feelings with his parents most of the time. But as he entered teenage life he found it difficult to share his feelings with his parents anymore, as they were bit conservative. He lacked self confidence and proper communication skills, which often would result in misunderstandings. Abednego found it difficult to express himself. People's comments would carve on his mind making a scar. To avoid people's comments he tried to be a perfectionist. Later, he became obsessed with perfection. He never shared this with his parents thinking that this might make them unhappy. All these feelings were buried deep within, having no one to share with. Abednego thought his wife, when he gets married, would cure his loneliness. Barely a year after, Abednego met with Nina, a young beautiful girl, who would later be Abednego's wife. She was a jovial girl coming from Abednego's neighbouring village. They later met at dinner, an informal gathering done yearly in the outskirts of Namamali village. They had attended almost a decade earlier. Throughout the evening, they found each other again and again. Nina loved Abednego's easy laugh. "He liked my smile," she amicably said to herself. It was obvious they were both interested. They were the last to leave. A week later, Abednego asked Nina out. Nine months later, they walked down the aisle and pledged their lifelong love and faithfulness to each other. It was a traditional marriage that was attended by almost everyone in that small village of Namamali. This young energetic boy Abednego knew marriage would bring change, but change — even when expected — can still be surprising and unfamiliar. They are different; their personalities echo quite opposite voices. The girl was invigorated by time with villagers; while Abednego leaves a new group dazed and overwhelmed. They couldn't get enough time with each other. Depression began affecting Abednego, it was piercing his heart deeply like a hot knife through butter. The paradox is obvious yet quite mysterious. At times, when they were talking, Nina felt so understood — like he really “gets” her. The way they were interacting made her feel as if they were cut from the same cloth. Then, a small shift in tone, her eyes water, and Abednego says the unthinkable, "You cry a lot.” Suddenly, Abednego is alone — and want to be! How could one statement instantly distance them and leave him blankly starring at the same person that, only moments before, he had been savoring? But to his wife tears represent devastation or catastrophe. His moist cheeks and brimming tears frighten and confuse Nina. Even unwrapping their wedding gifts was an eye-opening experience for Abednego. The couples returned home from our honeymoon to a living room overflowing with presents. It was unlike anything they had seen before, and Abednego was ecstatic! It took them days to get through this generous bounty: pots, dishes, linens and more. It warmed their hearts to realize that each gift had been hand-selected by friends and family. By day two, they'd established a pattern. Abednego would unwrap. She would squeal with delight and record the gift information. He would organize the pile and return with a new present. Finally, they unwrapped the pot followed by other sealed vessels in soft goat skin, now it was Abednego's turn to smile. It hit Abednego that the entire ritual of wedding gifts is more for the wife. In jest, his sweet wife picked up her three gifts and said, “Well, at least I got three things," they both laughed. The kind of life they were going to live is what mattered little to him, but Nina didn't that it mattered to him. Abednego playing along, even participating in the unwrapping, proved to him he was invested and trying. She was learning how to better love him, and Abednego was learning what life can mean to him, he knew difficult times were ahead, difficult moments that can't be explained. They were living in a terrible land, a terrible village governed by a cruel king, Imboko. Abednego saw it wise not to disclose any secret to Nina, her wife. He knew that she will not be able to grasp it, so he chose to keep it to himself. Abednego loved that after so many years of waiting to wake up next to his wife, that he now of staying together, something strange was taking place in their love triangle, Nina wasn't conceiving. This became as a shock to Abednego. Nights became nightmares,  "There's something amiss in this marriage", Abednego thought. "What could be happening, could I be a problem, Oh, no. It cannot happen, it,can't be that way," he refuted. They have been living together happily but when the issue of not having a child crossed Abednego's mind, he covered his head and began to soab uncontrollably. Her wife Nina couldn't think of it anymore. When she think of high hopes she had, dreams and visions of raising up robust family, she became so sad.  "What did I do to deserve all this?" She questioned. " wish I could tell her how I feel. ..I wish I could tell her how I feel," Abednego retorted. "In the morning, I cant take anymore, but I have to, I have to tell her. Yes, I will tell her how II feel, she is my wife, I know she loves me. I have no objection but to tell her how I feel.," he said to himself while feeling worried. Nina's husband walked silently towards there hut, Sat down and started pondering in his heart "There, yes there, like an escaping shadows of darkness that room behold of you." He said to himself. "The light touch her exquisite features, long dark hair past her shoulders, her lips as red and flawless as a bloom rose, eyes so captivating that shocks all my senses, you are flawless in every way imaginable, you are my burning desire, my endless love, and yet the most beautiful and good hearted suffers a mental disorder." He thought about her, expressing his deeper love to Nina her wife. It wasn't known how long he took outside there, but when he stood up to go around his checks, he realized that time had really gone so first. The moment he made a move towards the door of their hut, there she was, a girl standing looking outside their hut. He knocked but she didn't seem to hear so He opened the door, stepped in and as he did she turned her head and gave an angelic smile, his heart melted he was so stun by her natural beauty he forgot what he was doing there he probably was sitting here for like the whole afternoon before she approached him and asked, "you must be exhausted?", "yes, yes, no, I mean YES!"  Abednego was nervous never in their life has he ever seen a mortal goddess stand before him so amicably, despite the fact that they were in deep challenges of living together for fifteen years, as wife and husband but without getting any child. "Is there anything we can do to have a child?" He asked. She turned, looked outside the window of their hut and said, "No, there's no any other way." "How could she say no?" Abednego pondered.  "You don't have any idea on how we can get a child?" He went further to asked. "Yes, but I have a mom and dad, I will reason out with them." she said. " Why don't we think of any other vital way instead of consulting them?" He asked. "Sure, that's a great observation. I've been thinking about it since I've been here." She told him.  "Good, but what hell are we going through?" Abednego asked. He resolved in his heart that no matter what happens, he will never leave his wife Nina to suffer the shame of barrenness alone.  "Whatever that happens to my wife, Nina, I will never leave her." He softly said. He proceeded to walk out their but she grabbed his arm and told him how much he appreciates his love. She also promised to be faithful to him and never to despise their marriage. Towards the end of sixteen years, Nina run to the husband while holding her tummy. "Guess what!" She exclaimed.  "I am pregnant!" She shouted at the bottom of her voice, then she said, "Well my dear husband, it is a pleasure. If only I would of met you in a different setting". I couldn't really say anything you see I'm the shy girl when imploded just to carry the tummy, funny I think." She marvelled. does, despite the warnings that someday he will get tired. Waiting for his wife wasn’t passive; it was active. He prepared, anticipated and hoped. His life didn’t begin when he met Nina. He already had a life, a life he was readying and expecting to share with another. He couldn’t wait for a wife to complete him. He would be his complement. He knew God could fulfill him; it wasn’t going to be his wife's job to meet his every need. Daily, he made choices to create a life that another would want to become a part of — and he had the faith that one day, a woman would join that life. When you have longed and hoped for someone for such a long time and she's finally here and real, the joy in having your heart’s desire doesn’t soon diminish. Their lives are now intertwined. But there was still much more hidden in the closet that would eventually unfold. Despite the fact Abednego wanted a family of his own, there was much more than that in the village of Namamali. The only secret that he was supposed to reveal to the wife before it was too late. The land was crying, the land couldn't make their life better, it will only make their life bitter. No male child was kept buy the parents, boys were king's object, the now reigning king known as Imboko. Imboko was a horrifying leader whose leadership was filled with blood. Will they enjoy their marriage, that was the question that lingered Abednego's mind. Though marriage was valued in Namamali village, but the king was making the life of every villager bitter. It was real on a dreary Wednesday afternoon when Abednego returns from working in farm, he was dead tired. He entered in their hut, closed himself in before he proceeded to bed. So many issues had preoccupied his mind, many families were destroyed by the king in that land. Now he is married but has kept the secret away from the wife. "What if she finds out," he wondered People were being killed every now and then, "Probably Nina, his wife or even himself could fall a victim," thoughts crossed his mind. He looked up at the soot strand, hanging above his head touching their grass thatched house. Though Nina loved him, yes, but she was in a wrong land, a land that could easily open up and swallow her at any given moment. He felt sad for her. He dreamed of one day liberating the village from that cruel king, he saw himself slaughtering the king as the whole villagers applauded him. "What a brilliant day will it be," he admired.  Years went by and Nina's love and her husband grow stronger and stronger. After fifteen years