Silent Night, Holy Night
But this was the norm for all the villagers who were born living this life and traced it back to generations and generations. Other than the realities of living a nomadic life, Seth as young as he was had a host of enemies who would love nothing but to see him perish from the face of the Earth. His parents were fervent Judaeo-Christians with great wealth that was set be inherited by him for his brothers were nowhere to be found, for decades no one had seen or heard about them. Although the villagers knew all that they knew about the Rhadebe’s none knew how they did lived up there in the mountain from dawn till night time.
Between the occasional daily duties, all that the family did was to read from the King James Bible which was an undying source of inspiration and education within the family. It would happen that some days the whole family would sit down and take turns reading and explaining Biblical verses but most of the time Seth’s mom did the reading. Sometime Mr. Rhadebe would interest his family on his many stories about his travels throughout Africa as an exile. Just like all the Biblical stories Seth loved his dad’s stories about his bravery and conviction to fight for justice.
After all in Africa to discipline, a child is to build a community. Far from the pen, Seth’s mother was cooking the chicken Seth would have on his long journey to Kimberly along with some sheep innards for everyone to eat. No woman came to help Seth’s mom though it was custom when someone was preparing for a long journey. One by one stars pierced the dark veil; small specs of light grew into huge fiery balls with an occasional flitting comet now and then. The meat was well prepared and served and dished accordingly and everyone including the dogs ate to their fill.
Fires were put out; visitors headed home down the steep slope. Seth’s home was on the hilltop near the mountain summit and the whole mountain was theirs, alienated from neighbors by a roaring and rushing river. “Men do come back tomorrow and help us take this young lad to the bus-stop.” “We shall do likewise Mr. Rhadebe,” said the men as they disappeared into the night. No one wanted to build on an island mountain shaped like a volcano with huge jeering rocks scattered all over as if a single sneeze would set them tumbling, but Seth’s father saw otherwise. Fires were put out; visitors headed home down the steep slope. Seth’s home was on the hilltop near the mountain summit and the whole mountain was theirs, alienated from neighbors by a roaring and rushing river. “Men do come back tomorrow and help us take this young lad to the bus-stop.” “We shall do likewise Mr. Rhadebe,” said the men as they disappeared into the night. No one wanted to build on an island mountain shaped like a volcano with huge jeering rocks scattered all over as if a single sneeze would set them tumbling, but Seth’s father saw otherwise.
Seth loved his home and he loved playing on the huge rocks and scaling the summit, he knew how it felt when Moses, Elijah and all the Prophets went up on mountains. But the views of the gorgeous lowlands with cascading valleys and hills torn apart by zigzags of long rivers and streams hugged by lush green forests was just breathtaking. People were obliterated from the scene and only their plowing fields and thatched microscopic houses were left looking like scattered flees.
The silence of the night chanted everyone to sleep and as usual Seth had to take a bath followed by prayer, then a bedtime story. Every time they finished where they left off and today they were reading from:
- Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
- A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
- A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
- A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones...
Proverbs 12
To be continued...
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