The Catch by Tobi D. A (reading cloud ebooks TXT) 📕

The grass was evergreen, all perfectly leveled and broad across the valley. I laid there looking up at the sky as I watched the fluffy clouds float by. My roaming imagination made all I saw up above to be art. Lost in my imagination, I made out a grand parade of lions marching in the clouds with the suns light shining bright in the heavens. “This is peace” I thought to myself as I enjoyed the made up show.

“You’re going to make your catch, cast your net out” said a voice.

The softest female voice I’d ever heard uttered this strange remark and interrupted my rest. It felt like an angel’s call, like the wind blowing over a still lake in paradise. Immediately I changed my gaze to locate the entity that possessed the sounds of heaven and spoke such strange words to me.

Lo and behold, standing in front of me was an old, hunchbacked woman, dressed in a grey kaftan and her head was covered with a black shawl. I lost every atom of delight in my heart as my expectations couldn’t comprehend my reality. In the light of courtesy, I asked her what she meant by what she said and why she would say such to me, I didn’t even know her. “In due time, you would catch a fish out of the sea, this was my dream” she said and turned away. In haste, I picked myself up to a proper stance and before I could reply, she turned around saying I should remember. “How could such a sweet voice belong to someone of that age” I thought to myself. I was having perplexed thoughts as to what she meant by that strange message, I was not a fisherman, neither did I plan to go out to sea anytime soon. What a strange encounter I had in the middle of my peaceful afternoon.

“Hamza!” my wife called out to me from our lovely home behind me.

Getting inside, she asked who the woman was and so I explained the strange encounter, ‘Anita’ convinced me that it was nothing but a lunatics confrontation, she reminded that people with mental disorders are quite wide spread in the world now and anyone can come across them and their strange messages. Although I love to listen to my wife, I still found it tough to concord with her conclusion. I decided to take it off my mind and focus on the drop dead gorgeous maiden I had as my partner.

Anita was like a flower, a white calla lily. My goodness, whenever she smiled she bloomed and brought summers warmth to my heart. Her eyes were golden brown like honey. Anita reminded me that the philosophy “No one is perfect” was in no way true because she was perfect in every way, in and out. Certainly Gods perfect gift.

This is my woman, go get yours…

The one hapless shade we had in our rainbow four year old marriage was, we were unable to have a child. Anita and I had tried and prayed for a fruit of the womb, but it just wasn’t coming, we were both fit medically but fate hadn’t agreed with us yet.

I always believed that life meant hope and I would think of how Abraham and Sarah waited decades before they had a child, it wasn’t so clear that we would have all that time but it was a reminder. All we could do was hope and enjoy in gratitude the joy we had from each other’s company.

The sun began to set, making way for the night to serve its time. Anita prepared dinner which wasn’t something that happened much, I was more of the chef than she was but when she cooked, it meant she was in a good mood. After dinner, we laughed and teased one another till the candle mood came upon us.

The nights wind certainly fit the ‘weather for two’ description, we had each other for warmth and got procreative with a twilight love affair. The day made way for night and we relaxed in bliss.

“You look tired big man” Anita said with a cute smile the next morning. I felt like there was no burden in the world as I got lost in her purity, all things were right because I found peace.

We performed our morning activities and set out for our daily jobs, Anita was a food scientist and a big time make-up artist, while I was a paleontologist who basically got busy only periodically. We were comfortable. What a life…

Two weeks later,

Anita cooked me a nice native dish for dinner, and I thought this was a signal for a long good night. It certainly was, but not how I thought. “This came in the mail for you” Anita said as she handed me a small envelope after my meal. Uncertain of its content, I opened it without expectation. Anita had pulled the biggest prank she ever did since I met her, I began to cry as I watched her enjoy her victory.

“In due time, you would catch a fish out of the sea, this was my dream” The old woman’s words from 2 weeks ago began to resonate in my head and all of a sudden I realized its meaning. Anita said she was mentally ill but it appears she wasn’t. She was a messenger to us, believe it or not.

Anita noticed I had been speechless for too long and then she looked blue and asked “what is wrong?” I smiled and reminded her of the old woman and what she said.

Anita couldn’t piece in what that had to do with the envelope she gave me, so I said to her, “There is an old wives tale which originated from Wales in the United Kingdom, around the year 1676 I guess. This tale became a classic told folklore in Africa. It says, dreams about fish are supposed to predict pregnancy or expectant child birth”

“Oh my goodness!” Anita exclaimed.

“The dream checks out, we made THE CATCH”

Text: Tobi Ayegbusi
Images: adlergroup.net
Cover: adlergroup.net
Editing: Tobi Ayegbusi
Translation: http://adlergroup.net/
Publication Date: 11-17-2020

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