The Paramount Chief

By: Dan Phale*

Some ages ago in the forest of Wanyeriwa there lived a man called Jumbo. He was a Paramount Chief who ruled over a vast land extending to the entire nearest city which was named after Wanyeriwa forest.

Jumbo was blessed in that he was one of the few elite in the land. He had children among being Ellen who was a lawyer.

His household lacked nothing; however Jumbo never felt satisfied. Surely speaking a body is easily satisfied but not the heart. Suffice to mention herein that this led him to becoming an authoritarian with a spirit of greed and selfishness. He ruled with an iron fist.

In passage of time the Paramount Chief started grabbing land from other people at the expense of inferiority complex whereas the poor were influenced by an hypothesis that the rich man never dances badly as per the proverb.

Well, it happened that one day the Chief bumped into Webster. He threatened to harm him in an unspecified manner if he did not let the land to the chief… Of course Webster was a silent man who was working at Wanyeriwa Central Hospital as a surgeon.

“Why have you decided to grab this land from me?” Webster roared with anger, adding, “I’ll sue you in the court of law.”

This was the first time for Jumbo to be fiercely challenged by an ordinary person regarded as an underdog. Little did he know that even ‘a silent man has lips like a drum…’ In fact Webster knew pretty well that ‘the best way to eat an elephant in your path is to cut him up into little pieces’ so that one does not get injured.

Upon getting home the Paramount Chief told Ellen to get ready for a court battle with Webster.

A few days later Ellen was served with a summons by Webster’s lawyer. And aware of record of Webster’s competency in courts, Ellen it would be an uphill for her and her father to win the win the case… Of course how could the offender expect to win a court battle??

This prompted Ellen warn her father of the tough task ahead of them.

“My daughter, according to a proverb,” said Jumbo “Kings have no friends… I’ll know what to do and how to do it.”

Quickly he drove with his bodyguards to the chamber of Webster’s lawyer.

“Stop pursuing Webster’s legal suit in the court, or face trouble.”

                ***************

If we borrow a wise saying from our ancestors there is no length without an end.

One day, before the court day, Ellen fell so sick that she collapsed. Instantly she was rushed to Wanyeriwa Central Hospital for medical attention. And more coincidentally than not Dr Webster was on duty.

Ellen had a tumor along the spinal column. But when she was operated upon by Dr Webster, her life was served. And immediately Ellen fell head over heals in love with Webster. They finally got married to each other.

Moral lesson:

In life we are all equal no matter how different our social class may be. We are supposed to enjoy fundamental human rights equally.

Each of us has an important role to play in the society. As such we are required to treat one another alike.