Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: PROCRASTINATE (08/04/16)
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TITLE: The Dilemma of Ndiwulira | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Rutaagi
08/08/16 -
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Ndiwulira was known for being smart and stubborn. He always won arguments which earned him much fame and confidence. But success gradually earned him a bloated ego that blinded him.
One day, Ndiwulira strolled and settled in a neighbor’s garden against all advice. When the planting season came, the neighbor ploughed and planted. He remained hidden in some tree in the garden, watching whatever was going on.
As soon as the maize germinated and leaves came, he quietly climbed down from the tree and settled on one of the leaves. He continued to ignore all earlier and new warnings hoping for a better life the farm offered rather than return to his famine ravaged village he had run away from.
Suddenly, the maize flowered and the cobs developed. Ndiwulira slowly moved and entered in one of them. Safely under the cob covers, he was protected from all hazards. More warnings came against the farmer’s cruel hand and instruments. He kept deaf ears, reasoning that he will stealthily escape at some convenient time.
When the cob seeds developed, he stealthily entered the first one. He daily started feasting until he grew too fat and well nourished.
The harvesting season came! The farmer arrived with his workers and started collecting all mature maize and putting them in large baskets. Ndiwulira kept mum, only feasting endlessly, not caring about the imminent eerie.
Later, after hectic harvesting, the bags were loaded on a pick-up which headed for one of the urban markets. Ndiwulira enjoyed a free ride to the city, not knowing what awaited him!
Upon arrival in the market, it was all fun for the villager that Ndiwulira was all his life. The tarmac roads were great. The tall skyscrapers were admirable. The crowds of people, in resplendent attires and speaking different languages were memorable.
The farmer’s pick-up suddenly stopped on the first market stall where a customer was waiting. She bought a cluster of maize one of which was Ndiwulira’s place of abode. For the first time, he received a premonition to try to escape but there was hardly any opportunity. Things moved very fast from the pick-up to a box in a stall and into the buyer’s car.
Reaching home, the housewife’s maid, speedily, removed the maize from the car straight to the kitchen. She removed the maize covers, washed, put them in a pressure cooker and covered it. She switched on the electric cooker.
For the first few minutes, Ndiwulira started feeling some warmth! A feeling of hope came to his mind. He thought that it was not as bad as he had begun to fear. Like many believers do, he started binding and banishing the devil as a liar who was trying to inflict unnecessary fear upon him.
Suddenly, temperatures began to increase as water reached boiling level and the hot steam started spreading in the entire pressure cooker. He started sweating; breathing became more difficult as the heart started beating faster.
He shouted but no one could hear. He kicked and knocked but there was nowhere help could come from. By this time, all his friends, who could have advised him, were many miles away, in the village he had abandoned. They were, probably, mourning and wondering what had happened to him.
The housewife, after delivering the food home, had rushed back to office and would soon return with her husband and children for lunch.
After switching on the cooker, the maid was busy outside carrying out her normal chores, not caring much about how the cooking was progressing. She knew, from experience, that the pressure cooker will scientifically do the cooking, the automatic washing machine will do the washing and the hoover will do the cleaning. And for her, she will simply do serving, eating, sleeping and, at the end of the month, she will get her salary and be happy.
Similarly, Ndiwulira thought that he would intrude his neighbor’s garden, find a home in a maize cob, nourished by the farmer and, thereafter, live comfortably. The farmer, too, thought that, by inheriting the garden from his father, having resources to grow maize, without appreciating the Creator, was all that he needed to do. He eerily met his end because he took life for granted. The farmer, too, took his wealth for granted. Do we take the gifts of life for granted? We need to always thank God for all the blessings He graciously grants us. Psalms 139: 13-14.
FICTION
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Ndiwulira* [‘procrastinator’] – a type of parasitic maize caterpillar that loves living in and thriving in maize cob seed.
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Well written. The end could have a touch up for a better teaching lesson.