[Flash 1988 A father and his son “the boots ]
“Cloud, promise me something son”
“Baba (yes father)”
“Promise me that after I am gone you will carry yourself as a king, not because you are better than the people around you but because you carry my last name, my blood and that’s like your crown and throne, it is who you are meant to be and what you will grow to become. It was given to me by my father and I shall give it to you and you will give to your son one day. The ancestors… you carry us all in your veins, and should you stray from the path of a king, look up and always return to true north and start walking toward it again, true north is constant it will guide you to your kingship”
“Where are you going father, can I come with you please? I don’t know how to walk as a king yet, I am still learning how to ride my bike and I don’t know where true north is?”
“No… Son no , not this time you cannot go where I am going, and don’t make those eyes at me it won’t work this time … if I could take you with me I would but where I am going I need to walk alone but I will be fine the ancestors will be waiting for me when I get there and I will get plenty of rest , we don’t have much time but I can show you where true north is and where it is not, as long as you know where it is and possess the knowledge you can stumble your way toward it from almost anywhere especially when your lost ”
“Umm …Dad if one day I can walk as a king does that make me…. a prince?”
(laughing) “Of course it does”
“Dad if you need to teach me how to get to true north where am I now right now?
(Laughing) “ You’re on the way to true north son, the journey there has many twists and turns and in some places you have to take a detour because bridges have been burnt or swept away by time, true north is never a straight line the secret is to never stop walking and keep your eye on it, to become a man you must arrive at true north ”
(the simplicity of child) “Umm Dad if true north is so true and it so constant why isn’t there a straight line to it? I am just saying, I have to take a detour ? What is that, is it like a giant bird or dinosaur I can jump on top of and ride all the way to true north like in the books you read to me?”
“Umm what is a detour? … well sometimes a detour can be a monster or the school master life teaching you something, and you definitely have to ride it (laughing nostalgically) umm remember when we came back from Kariba and the rain had washed away the bridge so we could not go home the same way we came , we had to keep driving until we found another bridge that could take us back to the main road so we could get home, that’s a detour”
“Í remember that Dad, it was pretty fun we saw different things along the way but it took longer to get home and I got confused I didn’t know where we were and I got tired, but I got to see different things”
“That’s a detour for you son, the walk of king has a few of them”
“Okay Dad show where true north is (excited) and when you come back from the Ancestors land will you bring me a gift as you always do, my hero one, I want to be a super hero just like you … one last question dad how do I become a hero like you?”
(Long silence) when the time comes (sad eyes) you will meet the ancestors until then don’t worry about them too much you carry them in your veins, when you look in the mirror they are also looking back at you… (Hesitation) I am not super as you think I am … but to be super hero son it’s all in the boots, Superman boots, Batman Boots, Super fly boots, Jimmy Hendrix boots, Bob Marley boots, Shaft the boooots.”
(In awe) The boots … silly me all this time I thought it was in the cape and wearing your undies outside kind of silly, now I can look cool like you”
“No son it’s all in the boots and a good leather jacket helps, it’s like your cap”
“oh … boots, leather jacket got it …. Dad can you put me on your shoulders so I can practice flying”
“(laughing) sure son anything you want, accept coming with me to visit the ancestors”
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