CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE CHIEF PRIEST
The chief priest was a man of great respect in the village. His transparency, honesty, and truthfulness had earned him the nickname "The Voice of the God." His age, as the eldest person in the village, and his wisdom, gained through years of experience, had made him a revered figure.
The villagers believed that if you listened to the chief priest's words, you would benefit greatly, but if you turned a deaf ear, you would face the consequences. His words were like prophecies, and many had learned to heed his warnings.
One sunny afternoon, the chief priest had called a young man to his chambers. The young man, a farmer, had been preparing for the harvest season, and the chief priest's words were unexpected.
"Don't go to your farm tomorrow," the chief priest had said, his eyes serious. "If you go, you will not return home."
The young man had laughed, thinking the chief priest was joking. "Baba, stop that," he had said. "This is the harvest time, and if I don't go, the thieves will come and harvest my lifetime labor."
The chief priest had looked at the young man with a stern expression. "A young man listens attentively. It is better to be obedient than to sacrifice and face the consequences. If you disobey, you will not have a story to tell, for death will be your fate."
The young man had listened, but his mind had been made up. He had thought the chief priest was just trying to scare him, and he had decided to ignore the warning.
That night, the young man had gone back to his house, recollecting the conversation with the chief priest. He had felt a shiver run down his spine, but as the night wore on, his fear had faded away.
"This old man is a scam," he had thought to himself. "Nothing will happen to me. I'll prove to him that he's just trying to control me."
The next morning, the young man had risen early, determined to go to his farm despite the chief priest's warning. As he walked towards his farm, he had met one of his friends, who had reminded him of the chief priest's words.
But the young man had been adamant. "The old man is a scam," he had said. "I need money to buy many things, and I must sell my crops tomorrow in the market. I'll prove to him that nothing will happen to me."
His friend had shaken his head, worried for the young man's safety. "Listen and save your life," he had said.
But the young man had refused to listen, and he had continued on his way to the farm, determined to prove the chief priest wrong.