He was just a big baboon living at the edge of the only hill in a vast jungle. The place he lived might have seemed far and wide, but he felt like his world was lonely.
No! Feeling lonely was better! He was the clown, someone everyone would make fun of. He was bullied in a roundabout way; Monkey would play in his yard and leave his droppings on the ground. Hare would steal from his field and urinate in it as irrigation.
Never once did he ever think of taking action about the matter. The reason was that he always thought of himself as a dumb creature. His ancestors, who bathed in ashes before going to a party, were proof of that.
Just like any other day, he went to the river to pray. He needed someone to listen to his painful story.
Baboon's prayer was long and sad, like a memorial service. With a thoughtful expression covering his face, he bowed three times to the water gods.
However, on this very day, one of the water gods his ancestors believed in decided to show up.
A whirlwind formed in the middle of the lake as a giant figure began to rise from the ground. The body was that of a muscular, pale-skinned man, as if he were from Ireland. The heads were four in total, all having hollow ocean-blue eyes. The wrinkles resembled those of a tree bark, showing the old age of this being. Three of its heads had stitched lips, leaving only the front head with the ability to talk.
With fear reflected in the form of sweat beads, Baboon went on his knees, as his mouth failed to produce any words.
The sea god could see through the mortal like an open book, so he decided to introduce himself first: "I am Pierwszy, the one who is going to give you a solution to end all your problems."
Pierwszy knew that Baboon needed help, but he was going to teach him how to fish, not just give him a fish. "I know that you want me to make those who bully you disappear from this world. Instead of praying for the three of you to get along, you wished for their eradication instead. This is why it took time for your prayer to be answered. However, fret not, for I am here."
With tears of rage streaming down his face, Baboon hit the sand with his forehead a few times. "Thank you! Thank you! I will do anything you ask of me!"
Pierwszy could relate to what Baboon was feeling, as he had assisted many people with this kind of problem in the world.
Raising his giant right hand, which looked like a rhino's neck, lightning cracked in the empty sky, and a twin axe descended to fall in front of the mortal.
The silver metal blades were shining and had a sharp edge that could chop down a tree in one light swing.
Baboon took hold of the metal bat-like stick that connected the two blades, and he felt it resonate with his body. The solution to all his problems was right before him.
"I will not fail you, my lord," Baboon declared as he stood up, facing the forest field with its marvelous flora and fauna.
"Very well, you are the only one who can end your curse," Pierwszy said, all his heads smiling, as he sunk deep into the lake below.
At the same time, Hare, Baboon's nephew, had a sack of maize cobs. He had just finished his daily harvesting of his uncle's field, which was behind his house.
From his point of view, his uncle was stupid, and even if he knew he was the one taking his harvest, there was nothing he could do about it.
Going around his uncle's house (cave), he reached the path that led to his wooden house, which was filled with Monkey's droppings near Baboon's yard.
Holding his breath to avoid the stinky smell for a few minutes, he reached a place where there was a pleasant scent, as if cologne had been applied to the ground surface.
His lips began to release a dissonant symphony to his uncle, like that of a black American rapper from Earth. Nonetheless, he attracted a lot of listeners with his melody.
By the time he reached his doorstep, he had already secured a date for the day. It was unknown whether she wanted the items in his sack or his looks.
Entering the house, a lovely lavender scent enveloped the place. Two wooden chairs sat in the middle, with a wide dining table covered by a white cloth. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room. The floor was made of crystal-like tiles, and a further lounge sat at the edge of the room where the window was located.
Hare wasn't the type to let others into his bedroom easily; he threw the sack of maize aside with a gentle thud before he started exchanging kisses with the girl he had brought home.
Tito closed the book, as he could somewhat predict what was going to happen next until the ending.
"Baboon killed Hare along with his girlfriend while he was about to commit the deed. Later, he went to Monkey and killed him along with his family. In the end, Baboon realized what a monster he had become and eventually killed himself.
Pierwszy took the faces of Baboon, Hare, and Monkey to awaken his three other faces. Just like in all other stories, Baboon was duped for someone's gain," Tito thought as he threw the book on top of the pile of books he had.
"The lesson in this story speaks of a greater realm than the others. It is: don't trust a god who appears in moments of desperation. If he really is a god, why didn't he show himself all this time? A true god should look after his people to ensure they never fall into desperation," Tito muttered as he looked at the empty sky.
"Are you trying to say there are gods in this world?"