Squint at The Miser

“Alao is stingy”
“I bet he won't spare a dime if his child is dying”

The whispers were loud. Loud enough for the subject to hear.
Of course, Alao was not deaf to the gossip about him in the village; but he just does not care about it.

Just two days ago, there was a loud ruckus coming from his compound as a result of his wife's shout.
She was clearly frustrated; what's the point of being married to a rich man if he's always hesitating and uncomfortable to give out from his pocket.
Upon demanding money to feed the family; he scowled and gave out a single cowry while grumbling but his wife had flared up. What would a cowry do for a family of four.
Alao is rich but he wouldn't buy foodstuffs, he wouldn't buy goats, he wouldn't buy enough clothes and he wouldn't cater enough for his children and wife.
Only medicine for his ever-aching body.
What's the point?

A shameless miser through and through.

This afternoon Bade sat before him with a roasted corn he'd shared with his friend.
“Believe me. This business I tell you about would give me triple the capital.”

Alao only nodded.

“But I have no capital at the moment. Please just lend me ten cowries. In half a moon, I'd return the money with interest. Help me with my life.

But there's already a tiny scowl on his face.
“Oh. You came at the wrong time”
The statement from Alao already left a sour look on Bade’s face.

“I don't have ten cowries to spare for you at the moment. Not even a cowry. Apologies”

At this, Bade flared.
“I should have expected nothing from you! You despicable miser! I thought perhaps today would be different. I'm not asking you to give me. Just borrow me and I'll return it!!”

All he said pulled no hair strand from his skin as he sneered at his Bade.
Was he thinking he'd give out his money because he brought over some badly roasted corn?

“I'll show you what I'm made of”
Bade threatened as he stormed off.

Alao didn't think much of the threat, but Bade meant it.
He'd already been suspecting this friend of his. Alao has no job he does or is proud of but he gets richer everyday. Isn't that strange and suspicious. Shady.
He'd expose him. Perhaps he's a robber or slave trader or something else.

---

Of course, Alao was shady.
At wee hours, he did the unexpected. Caring less about the eery sounds coming from the animals and creatures, he trudged painfully through the forest towards the stream.
The night was dark enough but it was nothing to Alao as he was used to coming over countless times..

Upon reaching the bank of the stream, he stripped naked, went on his knees and raised his hands to the air as he began his chant in a strange language.

This sight caused goosebumps on Bade's skin as his skin crawled. Yes. He quietly followed his friend who snuck into the forest.
With what it's looking like, Alao was summoning some spirit; true to his guess, he watched as strange looking creatures came out from nowhere with canes and almost immediately delivered strokes after strokes on Alao who did nothing but wailed.

It was gory and frightening. They were merciless. He watched as they flogged his friend for a few minutes before stopping and dropping bags of cowries on him.

Ritualist. Alao was a ritualist.
He'd suffer from the genome looking beings and they would pay him for leasing his body. Little wonder he was stingy. He only stacked up the money.
Even he wouldn't go through that much pain at nights only to be cheerfully flaunting the money around during the day.
But the whole village must know of this!
Bade turned around to leave but he came face to face with a creature looking like one from over there, flogging Alao.
His scream of fright and pain ran through the forest but till today, no one knows what had happened to him or his whereabouts.
He was never to be seen.

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