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Friends Fall Apart, a Novella Story by Author Sam: Vol. I

Updated on March 31, 2018

Palm Tree Climbers....

A novella story of John and Bush
A novella story of John and Bush

The John and Bush Novella. The Background

This example story is titled: "Friends fall apart".

"Friends Fall apart" is a story about John and his Friend Bush, based on a true life story of two friends. They struggled together to survive, but so sooner, ended up bitterly apart in my countryside. But what caused it is the "cork and bull's story".

It had been more than five (5) years John and Bush became tight friends who viewed their love for each other as better than that of a woman. They were privileged to be among the few whose friendship were oiled by God, but they were also privileged to be friends whose end-afterward will serve as a lesson.

John is an illiterate but a bit knowledgeable, but Bush is an educated illiterate as it were, and both lived in a small town of a farm settlement in the Northern part of Nigeria #, are of the same language and are adults in their early 30's.

These two men will soon fulfill a proverb of a wise man who said; "the beauty of young men is their power". They have this power in abundant, for the matter of fact, they both have the same occupation as palm tree climbers and works hand in hand in striving to make ends-meet.

It takes a day for the tide to begin to turn, and that is exactly what now happened in the lives of John and Bush, because it was a little yeast that fermented their bread. However this story will show how the the "Cork and Bull's" story is the most divisive sword in a friendship as we will now see in the following dramatic story of John and Bush.

*Note: Extra dialogues, events and scene have been added to complete this story.

# the real life story of this story actually occurred in the Eastern Nigeria

This is John Bush's friend on a palm tree during the Saturday Bush didn't show up for work
This is John Bush's friend on a palm tree during the Saturday Bush didn't show up for work | Source

Chapter one: John and Bush In Chibok

It is Saturn-day (Saturday) morning in Chibok* and all the Palm Tree climbers are now gathered at there usual place, from where they will be refreshed before setting off to the Palm tree forest.

John is here already, but Bush is not, though he was aware of the meeting before work since it is the usual way of the Palm tree climbers. They always meet together and get refreshed before going into the day's work. Their work is to climb the Palm Tree with their locally weaved and specialized rope and harvest it fruits.

This rope is made from materials gotten from the leaves of the Palm trees. The same rope is used by Palm wine-tapers in Nigeria for extracting a kind of juice from palm trees called "palm wine" which is sugary in taste and pure white in color, it taste better than all chemically made drinks you ever had know and will be fermented if left for some days, at this stage it becomes intoxicating.

Thus John began reasoning within himself, and he said;

John: "What might have happened to Bush, this is unusual of him, well since its almost time for work to begin, when i return i will find out what went wrong".

It is now pass 5 o'clock pm and all Palm tree climbers have now returned to be refreshed the second and final time before getting their pay for job well done, after that John went home took his bath and head to Bush's home. But gaze what he saw Bush doing on getting to his place!

Bush like a raped dog, was just lying down sleeping....sleeping and sleeping!

" Bush What happened"? asked John. But there is no respond. Bush is very weak and had not eaten for past two days. He did no show up for the job because he was in the deep blue sea. Bush did not even have any din to feed himself, immediately John recalls the proverb that says; "has discouragement come? then your power will be scanty"! He know this is true of his Friend Bush.

* Chibok is a local government in northern Nigeria where about 200 school girls were adopted by the terrorist group known as Bokoharam, in my countryside.

PROF. WOLE SOYINKA
PROF. WOLE SOYINKA

Chapter Two scene 1: The Cork and Bull's Story

That faithful night, John had lend his friend Bush 800NG (not up to 5$) hoping to be refunded as soon as Bush work and get enough money, and from that day their friendship continued to flower without a bone to pick.

It is now the end of the 3rd months soon there will be new moon, since John lend his money to his dear friend Bush. They have continued to do work together, Bush is now with some cash, but has he refunded to his friend the money given to him in good faith?

It is twis'day (Tuesday) 14th April*, John and Bush were returning from work, marching together in one of the den dark forest of Sambisa forest, the now stronghold of the dreaded Islamist terrorist group. With giant trees ranging tall from the higher, lower canopy to the amazonic grasses of the rain forest.

A dialogue now ensue among two friends, it had been long John began requesting his money from Bush but always Bush will tell the "Cork and Bull's story". But today, this is what John says to let his friend know how unhappy he is for Bush not keeping their agreement.

JOHN: "Aha aah! George Bush (jokingly) you know it had been a long time I began requesting for that little cash,. just begging you as if..." Bush immediately stood still and buried John before his death.

BUSH: "As if what John? As if what, are you the first to lend money to someone? Are you the first person to be borrowed money? let alone, this little money you wouldn't give me space? As if you gave me half a million". (walking a way from John)

Gingered by Bush's reply, John who now looks a fool in the sight of Bush, limped before him, a jack on his thigh, a tight push like escaped goat, and a reply;

JOHN: "Today and Today, in fact right now you will refund my money..I need it now and right now".

Alas! the "Cork and Bull story" has brought in a sword of division.

*14th April is the same day the terrorist Bokoharam adopted about 230 school girls from Chibok

A SMACK DOWN
A SMACK DOWN

Chapter 3, Scene 2. A Fight And A Failed Reconciliation

George Bush is known as a prideful person who always like struggling with what does not belong to him (I wonder if all who bears George Bush are like this) but with this one, he did not escape accept through a six inches window-very narrow!

But Bush is not wiser than the wise man Solomon who said; "pride is before a crash and haughty spirit before stumbling". Now listen to Bush's command;

BUSH: "John remove your filthy hands off me this minute"

More fuel has been added to the wild fire, what do you expect?

Gingered the more, rolling his hands clockwise on a 360 circumference seven times, John struck Bush a 666 blow at a time on his nose! with one blow, seven boils!

Privileged with beauty power, a fight lasting an anonymous time ensued. Being alone in the forest, both fought tirelessly as they were stimulated by hard drugs of cocaine until both tired out.

At the end of this exchange of blows, John simply made Bush a victim of pains, wounds and blood, with broken nose and blood gushing as if a pump flowing with palm oil.
Both now resting on the ground like as poured out palm wine, resting with their faces turned away. Not long John raised up, walk to Bush just like when the Nigerian government tried to reconciled with the militant Bokoharam on a vainful sympathy.

JOHN: "Bush get up let's go, am very sorry I shouldn't have started this, please accept my plea and I beg your pardon". But a terrorist is a fool!

BUSH: "its Ok, I will want to rest a bit more, please go ahead I will catch up with you.

JOHN: "Alright...Bye" (looking back as he walk, and Bush still taking his rest)

How Bush gets home that day only him knows, but what happened next is not a surprise to anyone who knows what it means to have a terrorist as a friend.




Things fall apart

Do you think Bush Has Forgiven John or has things fallen apart?

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Chapter 4 scene 3. A Bokoharamic Attack By Bush

A week had passed since John and his friend Bush fought and none has seen the other since then.

Fortunately John is a married man with two female children, Prissy the eldest and Nafitsat the youngest, seven and five years old respectively. John had gone to another village far away from theirs for work the day after the fight with Bush, believing that Bush has forgiven and forgotten as he had pleaded with him. So living behind his children and wife he went for outside work, however, this time he did not let Bush know he’s going for an outside job which will keep him for some days before returning.

It is now exactly three days since John travelled out for work, his wife and children have been anticipating his return not knowing that Bush has planned a Bokoharamic attack against John.

It was on a faithful Saturn-day evening, around 8 o’clock that Bush ganged up with some good for nothing and despicable men with clubs and hunter’s guns, made advance to victimize John that night, what happened?

Someone watched out and look!-Each family in the village has turned on their kerosene lamps. A compact village separated by bushes and track roads adjoining each part of the village. Humming birds can be heard all round singing in their eloquence, like a glad tiding of the good news of God’s kingdom preached by Jehovah’s witnesses, and each family preparing their dinner as the aromatic smoke can be passive all around. In a full moon, the chanting and playing of the village children add to the memory of villages in my countryside-coming is Bush with mobs carrying clubs and gun.

The funny thing is that almost every matured man in this village has a gun, since most of them are hunters. When Bush’s men rushed into John’s house they lifted him! They carried him away, a man buying cigarette from Aisha, John’s wife thinking it is John, they even ran search all John’s home, with fear and amazement Aisha and her two children looks on confused without knowing what is going on, as if they are in a dream world.

Bush on his part was standing outside, seeing his thugs carrying a man, he was happy nodding his head in a smiling countenance. But quickly he recognizes he isn’t John. Listen as he speaks;

BUSH: “O my God! Put him down guys and let him go, he isn’t our victim….he is not the fool we are looking for guys. Where is that fool, look for him, search for him, don’t let him escape”. Putting him down they let him go.

On recognizing that John isn’t around, Bush ordered his men to grab hold of Aisha, saying;

MOB: “where is John? Where is that your nonsense husband? Speak woman! (Shouting)

AISHA: “John?...John, John traveled out some days ago”(shivering)

MOB: “To where? Speak!” (Shouting)

AISHA: “To..To…To the..”

MOBS: “I say talk woman!!! Or do you want me cut your head off” (trusting a sharp machetes on her throat)

BUSH: “Is she still not talking? Talk!!!!!! (Giving her a dirty slap)

AISHA: “No sir! He, He..He went for outside work in New York village some days ago and he is yet to return” (shaking and shivering)

BUSH: “I thought as much. That fool begged me of forgiveness but didn’t inform me there is an available job in New York village. By the time am done with him, he will beg for death, that is if I spare him at all..Indiana Johns, (Joking name he used to call him) you are a coward!” (Shouting on top of his voice)

As all this were going on however, there happened to be a man Netayahu who is a foreigner in that community whose house is next to John’s. He has been listening and observing what had been going on and he is a friend to John because they have been good neighbors. The mobs continued…

MOBS: “For that you are going with us to UMUOMA village..Your husband should come and look for you if he is a man, then we will get him, fool!” (Talking to Aisha)

UMUOMA village is about 2 miles away, and separated by bushes, forest and hills which you must cross over about 4 streams of water to get there.

The woman is frightened and shivering, Prissy and Nefitsa clinging all around her in fear.

AISHA: “OK..OK, I will go, please don’t hurt me. Let me hand my children over to our neighbor here” referring to Mr. Netayahu and family.

The mobs drag her over with her children to the man’s compound, hoping she hand over her children and go with them.

But Netayahu who for a time now have been listening and watching with interest what had been happening, takes a breath in as he heard they are coming to his home, he began to soliloquize;

NETAYAHU: “hmmm.. God! Should I allow these people go with this woman? What might they do to her on the way? This is serious, what do I do”?

Netayahu decided to seek her wife’s opinion, whose children were seating all around her.

NETAYAHU: “What do you thing we do” (asking his wife Florida)

FLORIDA: “it is not wise to let them go with her like that. I mean am also a woman, let us try what we can to prevent this, maybe if we cannot do it alone we can raise alarm”. “That is a good idea, we must try” says the husband.

NETAYAHU: “I mean, it almost 9 o’clock now, indeed it seems these people have an evil intentions, they may rape this woman to death on the way. Hmmm..Over my dead body will I let them go with her, never!”

By now the mob arrive with Aisha and children now listen as Aisha speaks;

AISHA: “good day Netayahu..Good day Florida..Let me please lodge my children here tonight and go to UMUOMA’s village with these people”.

NETAYAHU: “why? What is the problem madam John? Who are all these people with clubs, machetes and guns? Come..Come..Come inside”. (Pushing her and her children inside, he bolt the iron door behind, with his own children already in)

Wondering amazingly, the mob began to mutter;

MOB: “what does this man think he’s doing? What is he trying to do? Should we be fooled by a woman? Open that door this minute or we get rid of you this minute, will you purchase a matter that does not concern you man?”

All the while Netayahu whom Bush also is familiar with has not known that Bush is the person behind the evil. But as the mob were attempting to break the door, Bush now stepped forward and stop them. At the same time the villagers have began to gather to inquire about the uproar. Seeing Bush Netayahu called out to him;

NETAYAHU: “Mr. Bush! Is this you? What is all this against your friend John? Is this the right way Bush?

BUSH: “this is none of your business man, this is not your business Netayahu, however, I will give you this respect, please come close” (taking him aside)

BUSH: “Netayahu, you well know what had happened few days ago between I and that fool call my friend, I mean John. For the matter of fact, I have come to show him that a man is a man and a monkey is a monkey. It turns out he isn’t at home, and as such am going with his wife and if he is a man when he returns then let him come to me and get her”.

NETAYAHU: “There is a proverb that says; ‘someone will not be home while his goat gives birth tied on a rope’, for that reason Bush, it will not be right for an elderly person like me to let you do away with an innocent woman who knows nothing about what happened between you and John. Anyone who is inside a stream yet soap's lather enters his eyes, is that person not foolish? No Bush, you know I can’t support you on this. If you must retaliate on your friend, why don’t you wait and meet him man to man and not like a man to monkey?”

For some minutes, Bush aimed at buying Netayahu over but to no avail. And after all effort to go with John’s wife failed, as by now the villagers have clouded the thugs with their own guns and machetes. Seeing them Bush has no option.

BUSH: “guys let’s leave here..Guys I said move on!! We will surely come back for that fool call John”. (they chanted as they disperse)

Just the next day, in the morning, John returned, and now the story is not going to be the same as it has been!*

*The story continues in VOLUME TWO


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