The lessons
496 Words
The following morning I woke up before Musa could wake up. I wondered how he managed to survive in such a ship without companion.
Not after long did Musa woke up to join me at the deck. My thirst for knowledge of sailing was to be quenched that day.
Musa started the ships engine. It was funny how easily he started the boat that from outside you couldn't expect it to move. It was a real wreck from outside but a Haven from inside.
He started, " My boy if to learn how to steer this ship, then you must be ready to know the shape of the river. Mind you it has different shapes by day and night. You need to know its shape so as to steer at night boldly."
I couldn't understand his philosophy of the river quite well. Really on this Earth who knows how a river is shaped from its source to the end.
"Take keen note of my lessons cause they are all you need to get across the river between that symbolises the dividing line." he added. "The way you follow a dark hall through the night is how on a boat at night."
"But the hall isn't a river sir," I argued.
"You have to learn this my boy and there is no short cut about it. Moon and stars at night throw heavy Shadows such that if did not know the shape of the shore you will end up crushing your boat"
He taught me how to look at the river as a book containing different pages. It was an interesting course book that after understanding it all the poetic beauty of the river disappeared from my eyes.
We were approaching a sand bank when Mr Musa shouted, "Look at the boat how it will behave or I throw you out".
The boat moved slowly without me understanding what I was been called to look at.
After the incident, I think it led him to believing I was fit to be left on check as he went to look at the rest of the crew down the engine room.
As the boat moved on I saw it was heading to crushing the banks and I hurriedly pulled the steer wheel. I grabbed it with so much force that the whole vessel was sent into a dance. I ruined it's movement from being smooth to great uneatability.
Musa hurriedly came back screaming at me , "Boy, you planning to kill the boat. what are you doing men,"
I could hold up on to myself. The world around me changed abruptly from winter to
summer interchangeably. I let steer wheel free and Musa grabbed it and stabilized the boat.
"I thought the boat was crushing,,," I finally gathered up enough courage to answer him.
"What was it crushing on? you have to open your mind before you react to the steering. It only needs you to be calm." He softly answered.
- Writer
