Facilier Untold (English Version)

2. The adopted son

Days, weeks, months went by... Aisha really seemed to disappeared. She never returned to take Kiros back. Mama Odie, after a short time, had managed to find out what had happened to her, but decided not to say anything to Kiros for the moment and raised him as if he were her own child. As soon as he learned to walk, he didn't stay still for a moment, he was always hyperactive, he ran and ran without ever getting tired and sometimes he teased Juju for fun. Mama Odie sometimes struggled to keep him good, the only way was to sing and dance, or he would calm down or dance trying to imitate Mama Odie. He loved music and dancing to the rhythm of it. When he was six, Mama Odie first began to talk to him about the Bayou and all the creatures that lived there, then she told him about the city of New Orleans, its origins and what took place within it. As Kiros loved music, he told him that New Orleans was famous not only for good food, but also for jazz, born in this very city. "How nice!", Kiros said happily, "Will I be able to go to town one day to listen to it live?", "Of course, when you are older I will let you go around into the city and take a look at it", Mama Odie replied smiling, "Now listen to me", she continued, "for the moment you better stay here with me, I still have so much to teach you and you still have a lot to learn, from tomorrow I will start teaching you some basic things about Voodoo and little by little I will teach you everything else", "I can't wait!", Kiros answered, "I promise I'll listen to you about everything and do whatever you ask me to do!", "Good boy, I like you like that! Come on, now go to bed it's late, we'll start early tomorrow morning with the first lesson", "But I'm not sleepy yet! Can you sing me a song before bed? Then I promise you I'll sleep until tomorrow", "Okay, how can I tell you no? But only a song, then immediately to bed, understand?", "Yeah!". Mama Odie sang him a beautiful lullaby while dancing at the same time, and after a few laughs Kiros finally fell asleep. She approached him, gave him a caress and a kiss on the forehead and whispered in his ear: "You are really a good boy, I really hope the light inside you never goes out", immediately she went to sleep.

The next morning Kiros was already up before Mama Odie woke him up, he was really eager to learn anything, especially Voodoo which fascinated him a lot and he liked to see Mama Odie casting spells. "What you usually see me do, I'll teach you later", she explained to him, "First there is much more to learn, you always start from the basics", "Okay, but I would also like to learn very early on the magic you do", Kiros said. Mama Odie tapped him on the head with her cane and replied, "What did I tell you? It always starts from the basics! Would you ever build a house starting from the roof first?", "Ehm... no", "Of course not! We always start from the basics and advance one step at a time with a lot of commitment. Now let's get started".

Day after day, Mama Odie taught Kiros the story of Voodoo, the meaning of many items she kept in her house and much more. Kiros was increasingly fascinated, but also impatient, and Mama Odie repeated to him every day that in life he has to commit yourself, be patient and take everything one step at a time, life was difficult for everyone and never, ever seek an alternative way, easy roads do not exist and those who try to take this route always pay the consequences.

At the age of ten, Kiros asked Mama Odie to visit downtown New Orleans as a birthday present. "Okay, you deserve it. You've always behaved well up to now, so you can go, but please be very careful. Take the path I told you to get out of the Bayou if you don't want to be devoured by some hungry alligator. And when you're in town, don't talk to strangers, okay?", "Okay, Mama Odie", "And come back for the dinner time!", "Of course, thanks!", He started to leave, then came back, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek and said to her: "I love you", "Me too, my boy. Go now, enjoy your birthday downtown, then tell me how it went!", having said that, Kiros greeted her and ran out.

Leaving the Bayou, he arrived in the city and was immediately impressed. It was very pretty New Orleans, there was no doubt. Almost in all the streets there were mini orchestras where they played jazz music, and he could not resist approaching and dancing in front of one of them. Dancing he attracted some people who stopped to see him dance happily, and as soon as he finished his dance everyone cheered him, including the musicians. Kiros really felt full of life. Walking further, further on he noticed some little boys who were surrounding a little boy of his own age, they making fun of him and some of them beating him. He was crying and didn't know how to defend himself. Kiros couldn't bear such a thing, if there was one thing he hated it was bullies, he ran to the boy's rescue and shouted: "Hey, leave him alone!". They turned to him, laughed and one of them said, "Ah, look boys! There is another one! Come here and we batter you too!". Hearing these words, Kiros was even more furious. How were they allow to behave like this? Bullys and cowards, this was too much. He tried to punch the closest one, but the other was stronger, he took his arm, punched him in the face and knocked him to the ground. Kiros was thin and frail and couldn't face even one of them, let alone all of them together. By now he was into this fight with that poor boy, the bullies began to beat both of them, insulting them heavily. Kiros noticed a few people passing by on the street and no one stopping to help them, they were totally indifferent as if it were normal this thing for people. Only one approached to stop them, but while Kiros was thinking 'Thank goodness, someone who intervened to help us', he said to the bullies: "Forget it, guys! Don't stay here getting your hands dirty with these two, it's not worth it!". After these words, Kiros was petrified. Mama Odie had taught him that there is so much evil in the world, but she couldn't imagine such a thing. Too much malice in a few minutes, insults and blows, but why? He turned to the other boy and said: "Are you okay?". He looked at him with shining eyes, smiled at him and said, "Yes, thank you. You were kind enough to come and help me, but I advise you not to do it again, otherwise they will target you too", "But that's not fair! Why are they doing this? And why did that gentleman defend them and not us?", "It has always happened, unfortunately, and no one does anything to prevent it. Those who are rich, like those there, think they can behave as they want and those like us are worth nothing to them", "Well, that's not okay with me!", Kiros shouted angrily, "Rich or poor, if there is one thing I just can't stand, it's lack of respect! If I were in charge of the city, I would change that right away this thing, and bullies like those guys from before will get beaten up!", "It would be really nice", the other boy replied, "Anyway, I'm James, and you? What's your name?", "I'm Kiros, nice to meet you", he shook his hand, "Are you new to here?", James asked him, "I was actually born here, but I've always lived in the Bayou", "Wow! What is it like to live in the middle of the swamp?", "It's not bad, after a while you get used to it. Today is my birthday and I decided to come here downtown for a ride, bullies aside, it's a really nice place", "Yes, it's true. Good food and good music. Listen, now I have to go, in the next few days if you want we can meet again, so I'll show you the rest of the city", "Yeah, very gladly", Kiros answered him, "Now I'm going too, I have to go back before dinner. I'll be back in the next few days, bye!", "See you soon!". After the regards, Kiros headed home.

As soon as he got back, Mama Odie told him: "You went out to town for the first time and you've already gotten into trouble, I see", "I just wanted...", Kiros tried to explain, but Mama Odie cut him off: "No excuses! I understand your good intentions, but acting impulsively does not lead to anything good, anger blinds you and does not make you think clearly!", "I'm sorry...", "But at least you also had some good experiences, the important thing is that you enjoyed yourself. Now come here and I medicate your wounds". While Mama Odie was medicating Kiros, he told her about his new friend and that he would like to see him again. "Of course, just promise me to stay out of trouble, okay? Never do something like this like again!", "I promise you, I'll be much more careful. The only thing that matters to me now is playing and joking with James", "Very good, Kiros. Now we eat and then run to sleep. Too many emotions in one day, and tomorrow morning I have new things to teach you", "I can't wait!".

Once in bed, Kiros fell asleep almost immediately, then dreamed of the bullies who had beaten him and James, and even in his dream they kept beating him and there was nothing he could do to stop them. Kiros hated injustices and disrespect, and this first experience of his with such a thing marked him deeply in his heart, he would never forget that experience again, and in the meantime a huge resentment began to grow slowly inside him. In time, this anger would ruin him, but he still didn't know...

[to be continued]...