The room is dark and the man on the bed is half-dead. This is the fourteenth day after he was attacked by some wild beast while embarking on a hunting trip. He is a hunter, who met a bad fate two weeks ago.
The time is about a quarter to 3 AM in the village of Oakville. The village is known for its accommodating atmosphere of crime-free episodes, harmony and love among its inhabitants. The village bond among its inhabitants is strong to the extent that the village sets out dates, probably, once a year, to mark the anniversary of another peaceful year in Oakville
This was always done because Oakville had had a series of wars in the past, which almost saw its disintegration. Thanks to Lord Kemuel.
The only son of the sick hunter has been keeping watch over him, just after his mother had completed her watch shift. The lantern in the room, which gives brightness to it, has been put off because the sick man could not sleep with it being lit.
The son had just dozed off when the hunter was on the verge of giving up on the ghost.
He must've been running on fumes. He felt tired and sleepy, so sleep finally had its way.
Papa Jordan, — the son called out.
This came an hour after Mr Mike, the hunter, had passed away.
Jordan, the son, had just woken up. Pa...papa Jordan, he called out again in a low, shrill voice. The third call came like a bombshell, he sounded louder than the previous ones. This perhaps, brought the mother to the scene.
It happened that at night, the wife and the son of the hunter jointly kept watch over him while on the sick bed. They did this by time-splitting the responsibility. That is to say, after the set hours, they exchanged the watch-over duty. This was done to cut each of them some slack of rest during the night.
Papa is dead, said Jordan. His eyes oozed as tears rolled down his cheek. His mother, on the other hand, stood there in reverie. She happened to have been cut off from the present world.
It was after some time that she happened to have been reconnected with the present situation. She wept along with her son. Tears flooded like the river Nile.
It wasn't yet the break of the new day when the news had already spread all over Oakville.
In line with its undiluted rapport among her inhabitants, Mr Mike's house was filled with sympathizers. One would wonder how the news spread so fast. But it has always been the same, once someone is pronounced dead, the news travels fast without paying a fare.
Oh my God!
"The wise man of Oakville is finally gone, said Lord Kemuel."
Lord Kemuel is the head of the village of Oakville. His rule has been earmarked "A peaceful reign." This name was given to Lord Kemuel's reign, not only because of the peace his reign brought to the village of Oakville but also because of his ability to reconcile the village with its warring neighbourhood.
Kemuel sympathized with Mr. Mike's family, and also ordered the inhabitants of the village to keep to its ordinance of "Gifts for the bereaved family."
It is a custom in Oakville, that gifts be brought to the house of a bereaved member of the village before the funeral.
These gifts were to comfort the family in terms of need. The ordinance was yet, obeyed.
Mr Mike, when he was still alive, was a kind-hearted man. In Oakville, he was popularly known as ''The wise man," no wonder Lord Kemuel addressed him as a "Wise man."
This name was given to him following his decision not to have more than one child.
His decision was influenced by his status in the village of Oakville. He wasn't as rich as other occupants of Oakville. So for him not to bite off more than he could chew, he resolved not to have more than one child along with his wife and himself.
And this did work for him.
All through his time on earth, his family ate, had shelter, and was a happy one.
With this decision, the villagers nicknamed him the "wise man."
Days were fast passing by.
Ruth, the mother of Jordan, and the latest widow in Oakville, saw Jordan as her only hope. A type of string behind her existence.
The funeral arrangements were made and were peacefully conducted. A week after, Mr. Mike's only brother, staged a forfeiture warning on all his properties.
The widow's tears flow intensely. "My Lord, I'm completely broken down by this news of forfeiture, will you not wipe my tears dry"? – Said Ruth, asking Lord Kemuel to come to her rescue.
The issue was quickly addressed and the forfeiture was reversed.
Days passed, weeks passed, months passed, and the departure of the wise man was soon forgotten. Except for his survivors who don't seem to forget those cheerful memories they had. This is sometimes shown in their moods.
Mr Mike's absence was felt for almost a year after the funeral. Ruth on the one hand, barely went a day without sitting on the veranda with her hands supporting her jaw, while she lost in thought. Jordan, on the other hand, had the most sleepless night since he was born.
That brings to the fore how he had a vision on the second day of the following week after the funeral. It was a scary one. "It appeared that I was the one who killed him and sucked him dry while he cried and wallowed in pain." — Jordan relayed the scary dream to his mother.
To keep life going on and on and to let go of some of the bad energies of the loss, Ruth applied for a job in a local pub, there in Oakville. However, the conscience of ingratitude stooped to conquer her heart when she remembered she owed Lord Kemuel some gratitude. Of course, the leader of Oakville did stand by her all through the trying moments of grief.