Maybe I am ironic; if not, I am a poisonous creature!
All snakes dread me, even if I step on them or place my hands on them!" the woodman muttered.
The era of miracles still exists.
People are busy observing miracles all over the global village, and so, the expert woodman Mr. Ocheni!
Ocheni was born in the 90s, and he went to school at the age of 5 years.
At school, Ocheni's ambition was to be noticed by Mr. Naka, the school's director.
At 6 years old, he started debating, bringing victories to his side from time to time, thus becoming a lucky sprinkling.
He completed his primary education in 2004, obtaining a grade one after the results were released in January 2005.
He continued his secondary studies at Kiwoko SSS through hardship and finished at another school called ST. Mary's Voc, being the best student there!
School fees require a specific plan before a child's birth, but Ocheni failed to continue studying due to lack of funds, so he started working to fetch firewood.
While collecting firewood, he encountered many wild snakes from different angles, as described below:
1. One was in the panga's area; it was clever enough to surround him, tracing his movements, but luckily, he spotted it early and decided to leave for the day.
2. One was up his head; this snake had coiled itself in the branches of a large, short jackfruit tree, with the man's head at least 7-10 inches away! It was dull green with a black tail.
3. One was lying straight on the branches while Ocheni was harvesting wood; he quickly bowed like an arrow's bow!
4. One was between his legs; it was large and long, basking in the sunlight amid the wood fetchers' journey.
It scurried into nearby bushes, causing noise reminiscent of July's monsoon wind.
5. The last one he almost touched was near the water source for drinking; it moved slowly among the shrubs, and he couldn't see its head or tail. Seeing the fifth snake prompted Ocheni to visit the Wildlife Authority, where he met a ranger who advised him not to crush any snakes, as they are tourist attractions.
After taking a deep breath, he reflected on many who had been bitten by snakes—some died, others became lame.
He also thought about the taxes the government collects from zoos and game parks where snakes are kept.
His mind considered that snakes are peaceful, yet another part of his brain suggested they are not.
He nearly went crazy; he went into the bathroom for a bath, then returned to his hut, changing into a shiny shirt and matching trousers. Within 10 to 15 minutes, he ran a 1.5 km journey to see the religious priest.
"Ocheni (yearning for oxygen): Hello, hello there!"
The priest (opening the gate): "Ooo! Ocheni: Good morning."
Ocheni (laughing wildly): "Good morning to you, sir, but for me... not a good morning at all!
The priest (puzzled): "You're sweating! What's wrong with you?"
Ocheni (calmed): "I am a woodman or logger, cutting down trees for firewood despite reforesting, but I’ve faced many snakes at work...!!"
The priest (astonished): "SNAKES??!!!"
Ocheni: "Yes, but my question is this: are the snakes peaceful or NOT??"
The priest (drawing closer to Ocheni): "O my brother, snakes are never peaceful to any man, but the peace and love of the Almighty Creator controls their rage toward any living person.
However, for the dead, snakes are free to punish them!"
And finally, replace Male Musa's name with Ocheni, and be happy."
