STORYTIME: ANANSE AND THE RAINDRUM 7

 

RECAP

Ananse discovered that, indeed, the game was rigged. The Crab King and the old man were putting their best foot forward in ensuring he failed. His first riddle was given to him.

We proceed...

CHAPTER 7 

Immediately after the last words left the mouth of the old man, Ananse’s brain gears shifted and began grinding. He wasn’t called Mpaesem’s wisest advisor for nothing. He murmured to himself, “A silent robber? Steals without hands... A thief who visits every creature... Leaves no footprints and takes the same thing from all... ” The crowd, which had been initially silent as the old man spoke, erupted into loud whispers from intrigued citizens when he finished, causing a buzz in the room that became a distraction for Ananse. The King did nothing to stop it. Ananse’s eyes darted up, down, left, and right as his mind worked. He mulled over the words the old man had said—words he had barely missed. Again, he muttered to himself, “A silent robber? A thief who visits every creature... Steals without hands, leaves no footprints, and takes the same thing from all. No one remembers?” As he almost got comfortable with the buzz in the room, a massive clock was elevated from an underground opening. Its ticks and tocks, coupled with the opening and closing of doors with obviously old, creaky hinges, brought even more interruption to Ananse’s thoughts. Four hefty guards shuffled around the huge clock to lift and position it by the Crab king, who was undeniably enjoying the turn of events. It was set on the floor with a loud thump. The guards marched away with an air of accomplishment, the heels of their polished shoes tapping loudly on the ground. When the clock was brought in, the noise died down as the crowd stared at it, surprised by its enormity. Suddenly, there was a loud chime. Ananse and the rest of the crowd shuddered at the loudness, but he didn’t know what that meant. “It means he has two more chimes left…” Ananse overheard one spectator tell another. “Heh-heh, I guess the treacherous trickster has four minutes left till his death,” the other mocked. Ananse was put off by the remarks, but he welcomed them. Now he knew he had six minutes to answer the riddle, and two were already gone.

“How generous,” he thought, sarcastically. More ticks and tocks. Ananse breathed in and out. He shut his eyes very tightly to drown out the noise. The only sound that remained, apart from his rapidly beating heart, was the steady tick-tock of the clock. His eyes shot open. He had the answer!

To be continued…