Foolhardy Whims

As the sun rose on the horizon, it became clear what had happened. Xaku thought it was just a dream, the fact that each time he dreamt, he saw himself in a different world. A world that rivalled his deepest, wildest imaginations. Dreams where he wasn’t just a neglected, ridiculed street urchin. A world where he was someone, and someone influentrial too.

Each dream was crazier than the last. More fantastical, more opulent, and Xaku revelled in these dreams, he basked in the possibilities of the unknown so much that he began to hope that he never woke up from these dreams. He decided to sleep in the afternoons, hoping that that would give him a chance to explore more dreams. Unfortunately, and for some reason, the dreams only happened at night, leaving him sad and frustrated. L

Soon, he became desperate, especially since the dreams were over the moment he remotely blinked his eyes open. What was the need having such luxurious dreams when he had his miserable reality to wake up to in the end? His frustration and desperation led him to Kado, a medicine man on the outskirts of the village.

Xaku was sceptical about his visit to Kado. He had a horrible reputation for extorting exceedingly from the people he helped and was known to be crooked beyond means. But Xaku had no choice. The other renowned medicine men in the village had laughed in his face when he told them his problems. One even spat in his face and said, “Xaku, you worthless man. Use your hands and work and stop living a life of nonsensical fantasies.”

Xaku had been royally furious. He cursed the obnoxious medicine man to the last of his breath, but in his head though. Whippings by the medicine man’s guards would be in his immediate future if he as much as talked back at him. Did he know how hard he had tried to acquire money? Xaku thought. As far as he was concerned, the maker distributed the world into people whose hands could make money and people who would never have luck in that sphere. Unfortunately, he fell in the latter spectrum, the very lowest one for that matter.

Moving on to Kado’s tent, the medicine man’s over-eager smile almost sent Xaku back home. But he had travelled far to get there. He couldn’t go back empty and if he was being candid, the man was truly powerful.

“Come come, my child. What do you desire? Fame, riches, good health? Kado’ has it all.”

Xaku eyed the beady-eyed man warily. “Of course you can.” Seeing the man’s confused frown, he reasoned that it was best not to anger him and proceeded to narrate his story.

Kado’s eyes glazed with boredom and irritation at the absurdity of the man before him. “Interesting. So what do you need me to do for you?”

“Can my dreams become my reality?”

Kado resisted the urge to face-palm. The gods must be really against him today to send him such bad much. Gritting his teeth, he spoke. “I’m afraid I fail to follow. Make them a reality how?”

“I want my dreams each day to materialize into reality when I wake up.”

Kado’s frown was scalding. “I don’t know son-”

“Please, Sir. I have no one else to turn to. I’m tired of my mundane existence. Just help me this once.”

Kado thought deeply. Apparently, his reputation of being a crook couldn’t save him from desperate men like this. However, he was sincere about what he wanted. And that was enough. “Okay, I’ll help you.” Kado proceeded to brew things in a large steel pot. He muttered some incantations and ladled a bit into a cup. Xaku tried to take it eagerly but the old man held his hand back.

“There’s a condition to this son. You must go to bed before the clock strikes twelve each night. Failure to do so would land you in grave consequences.”

Xaku scoffed and wrenched the cup from him, proceeding to drink the content in one gulp. He said his farewell after paying all he had heftily and began his journey back to the village.

And so it began. With each fantastical dream, Xaku saw that he woke up to that life in reality and his happiness was, that the villagers didn’t seem to recognize him either. He woke up to flamboyant lifestyles and preferred his reality now to his dreams. But he never forgot Kado’s words. Till one day after many months. Since every day brought him something new, Xaku was elated when he found out that he had woken up as the King of the village.

He was elated and didn’t waste time to make all sorts of questionable laws. And then, he decided to throw a party by eight pm. He invited all castoffs and street urchins alike and began to wine and dine with them. They cheered for him and he felt the full surge of invincibility in that moment. He partied hard and didn’t bat an eyelash even when he saw that the clock had struck twelve. He waved at his friends and wished with all his heart that he would keep being king. He patted his bed with a smile and closed his eyes to sleep with a smile. And when the sun rose and he didn’t wake up, Kado too had a smile on his face.

Jhymi🖤

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