In a land were all men are hunters, and the houses are hut of mud and thatch. There lived a man whose skill in hunting was rival to none. His name is Adam, a man known for his great exploits in hunting and the glory of victory he gained with each kill made.
Aside from hunting animals, Adam also had another job, as a husband and a father. And he was happy to be a father. He had a son Samuel and three daughters. Although he was very impressed with his daughters who turned out to be perfect women. His son on the other hand refused to hunt and be like the rest of the men and his age mates in the village. And to Adam, Samuel was a disgrace.
Several times, Adam would drag him out into the forest, to teach him how to hunt games but it would always end up in disaster as Samuel would refuse to kill any animal.
"This animals are a gift from the the almighty.. killing them would be wrong father." he would say to his father who always walked away from him in anger.
Year after year, Adam dragged his son into the forest to hunt but in the end Samuel still refused to make the kill.
Adam taught Samuel how shoot with a bow and arrow, he taught him how to shoot a gun but still Samuel refused to use this skill against the animals.
"Why should I end their life just to keep mine going father? are they not also alive as me? Don't they deserve to live?", Samuel would ask his father every time his father gave him a weapon to shoot, even as they hunt in the bush filled with variety of animals and populated with tall Iroko trees.
"Son, you need to understand that hunting is a way of life because eventually with or without your intervention death is inevitable..." Adam paused next to a tall tree in a path covered with grasses and surrounded by several other tall trees as he noticed a gazelle in a distance feeding on grass. He positioned himself with his bow and arrow, ready. And without making a sound he leans his body slightly close to the tall tree beside him. He takes a deep breath silently and slowly tugs on his arrow on the bowstring, pulling it backwards enough that his breath seizes for a moment. Timing the animal perfectly, he releases his arrow and it flies straight into his target knocking it down and dead. He smiles and releases his breath.
"and there you have it. Dinner is served!" he said gloating at his perfect shot.
But Samuel felt nothing but disgust in the cruelty he just witnessed. He remained silent for the rest of the hunt.
When they arrived back to their village. The village was in chaos, majority of the villagers were injured while the rest were caring for the injured. Adam met one of the men who was assisting the injured victim to a safety and asked him what was happening. The man replied "The village is under attack!"
"By who ?" Adam pressed further.
"It's not who... it's what...".he paused trying to balance the injured victim in his hands cradled like a child, "A ferocious lion Invaded the village. Most of the hunters have gone after it. While the ones who are still here are trying to protect and evacuate the injured."
"In which direction did they go?" Adam asked dropping the dead gazelle on floor and grabbing his gun, his quiver and other instruments which was with Samuel. The man pointed in the direction of a thick dark forest not very far from where they stood. Adam then instructed Samuel to return home and make sure that his mother and siblings are safe before he ran into battle.
Samuel picked up the gazelle and ran straight home. On reaching home, he was greeted by his mother who was over joyed to see him. She hugged him and spined him around checking for any scratch or bruises. She hugged him again and then ushered him inside. As they quickly made their way to the safety of they home, Samuel's mother quickly asked, "where is your father?". Samuel then turned to take a look at her and replied, "He hunts with the others".
That night, Samuel could not sleep. His mind kept drifting to what may happen if they fail to remove the lion from the village. He touched his chest and could feel his heart beat going faster than normal. He was scared and he knew it. He looked at the his sister's and mother clutched together at the corner of the room which was submerged in darkness but the presence of the little oil lamp at center of the room gave some shed of light.
They sat and waited for there father return but he didn't. Feed up with the anxiety that threatened to leave him breathless. Samuel picked up his bow and quiver, his family needed a protector and his father is that protector. So, to protect his family he fled into the dark forest to bring back his father.
The forest was dark and eerie, there was silence and the only sounds he could hear was his own footsteps as he made his way through the darkness. But he was glad. It meant that no one dared to approach him. If anyone tries to get close enough, his arrow will pierce their chest. And if he was lucky, he'll hit them with one strike. He knows it's dangerous to be in the forest at night especially with the lion loose. It wasn't that he wasn't afraid of danger, he was actually terrified but protecting his family was his first priority.
And so, he continued running along the path when suddenly something moved behind him. Instinctively he turns his head in alertness and his eyes widen when he notices a predator.
His bow raised in defense as the large beast growled menacingly. Before he could act to fight it. The large beast lunged at Samuel and in an instant he was knocked onto the ground with its heavy weight pressing upon him as his back hits the grass. He grunted in pain as he pushes the beast off his chest with his knees and gets on his feet. He draws his bow and arrow, aiming for the lion's stomach. The beast swats it to the side with it's paw. He feels a sting across his right shoulder as he flies through the air and lands with a thud on the dusty ground and among the withered leaves. He could sense itA wound from the lion's claws.
He looks at the lion who was now approaching him slowly. The beast was much bigger than him and had a much more muscular build than him. In an attempt to intimidate him, the lion roared. Samuel immediately pulls another arrow from his quiver, and aims it towards his lion's throat. But then he realizes something, he had pulled on the bowstring with the arrow but he couldn't shoot it . "No, it couldn't be."
His hands were trembling and his legs felt weak. How am I going to kill that thing? He thought to himself desperately as the lion got closer and closer to him. He closed his eyes, willing the lion to move slower as the arrow trembled in his fingers. He doesn't open his eyes until he feels the coldness of a sharp blade on his chest. He opens his eyes to find his father standing in front of him badly injured. His father looks at him and smiles before charging at the animal with a little dagger and a partially broken right arm.
Adam fought long and hard with the lion, maintaining his stand while still receiving injuries in the process until the lion had him pinned to one side of the forest forgetting about Samuel.
Samuel knew he had to do something but he couldn't shoot the animal because of his beliefs. should he shout for help? should he just run and leave his father behind? his thoughts twisted and twisted untill he screamed out loud attracting the animals attention.
This time he stood boldly and firm as his father taught him too. And with his arrow on his bowstring aimed at the lion now approaching him head on, he took a deep breath and then released the arrow.....that was it, the moment Samuel became a hunter.
The hunters and villagers arrived late to the scene to find Samuel and his father severely wounded. But the lion was dead with arrow through it's skull. They rushed Samuel and his father for treatment immediately. But ever since, the community, the villagers and the town never forgot the day Samuel and his father saved them from a raging lion.