Short Story: Tears of the Night, by Mac-King T. Thompson

Tears of the Night

“Bye Mama.”

Yaya said as he walked away from the sight of his mum into the silent night.

“May heaven back you, my Dear Son.” His mother said under a creeping voice as she bid farewell to her son as he embarked on an adventurous journey of his fate, uncertain of what the future had in store for him.

Yaya went on to join his friend Sam on the other side. Sam had earlier visited church to pray about the journey but was welcome with a message from the preacher man that got him confused for many hours, even as the day wore on. Regardless of what the preacher man had said, Sam would go on the journey anyway, along with Kone their friend.

Yaya never sat down to understand why and how he was convinced to embark on that journey of his life, until the day when he was ushered into the room of the ideas of men. What could the room of the ideas of men possibly mean?

Each person in the room had his or her own reason and dream to fight for. Yaya and Sam were led into the room by Kone for their first time, to be welcome by a host of people also prepared for the journey.

“What a journey it would be.” Sam said.

Yaya nodded his head and pondered in his heart with the theme, “how I wish…”

Yaya was still uncertain of the end. He approached a stranger in the room. “Who are you?” He asked.

The stranger answered with confidence, “I am Ali, the guy who’s going to make it big in life.”.

“Seriously!” Yaya watched him utter those words and further questioned him, “where do you come from and to what cultural heritage do you adhere to where you have come from?”

Ali was surprised to hear any question asked of him about his cultural heritage because he had never heard any such question asked of him before.

“Undoubtedly” he replied, “I’ve come from Araram, a town in the northern state from where I belong. But to my cultural heritage, I have no quest for it, because it does but only renders the life of its victims into danger.”

“Danger!! Oh you screamed,” thought Ali, “then you are going to cry your heart out when you stand to witness the deceitful act of those our lives have been entrusted to guide us.”

Yaya felt sorry for Ali and turned his head in shame to have asked such a question.

“Don’t be sorry, my friend” Ali said as he threw his hand on Yaya’s shoulders and held him affectionately.

“I am not a stranger,” he said, “but only I have come from a distance, just for the want of life”

Yaya whispered, “I have also come because lack has come to dissect my family. Oh! ‘Lack is such evil, that when it get hold of you, in return, you seek and want everything, even that which is not yours.”

Their act of affection caught the eyes of others in the room and they begin to share their stories together. There, Yaya realized they had come from different places and various backgrounds as their stories unfolded.

Yaya turned to Sam and requested, “what means of transport are we journeying with?”

“We are journeying with a boat,” Sam quickly replied.

“I am quite nervous, I have never travelled by boat before and I wish it could be a large vessel. Don’t you think so, Sam?

Sure, but if it happens to be a small boat, you ought to be strong, you have got to face your fears many times if you want to make it and turn your dreams into reality, right?” Sam encouraged Yaya.

Troubled Yaya found himself a place to sit and calm his nerves. He picked up a handful of snack he had brought along and got some to chew while he reminded himself several times that everything was going to be fine.

So to cope with what laid ahead, he called to remembrance a poem he had read in the past to encourage himself of a happy end. Here it goes;

In stillness, do I learn to listen,
yes when all seems to be away.
Yet in quietness, do I learn to lean on whom I trust the most,
thus do I feel happiness flowing from within,
even when the glowing light seems to glow dim.
And if the tides of life seem so wide,
you take courage and ride your way.
Yes, even when the road seems so narrow,
you stand, tame your heart and walk along the lane.

So Yaya recited.

Thereafter, the door to their room was open with such strength; It was the sailor of the boat as he entered. With a loud voice, he called, “Hello fellows. I have got your vessel and I come to take you on your journey.”

“What a relief,” Yaya sighed. “At least, not a marina boat but a vessel was appropriate like this, built with a sailors’ chamber and hopefully a large space to contain these hundreds number of people here.”

On the queue, everyone’s name and availability were checked and confirmed before they joined the vessel. That was when Yaya realized that his fare had been paid by Kone, his friend. And they were all bound together to their destination. A journey thought to be about a week.

To be continued. You can read Read Part 2 of this riveting story here

This story was sent in by Mac-King T. Thompson. He lives in Tema, Ghana.