ANIMAL CITY
Rebone Makgato
SHORT FICTION
By Rebone Makgato
ANIMAL CITY
Short Fiction Story
By Rebone Makgato
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Rebone Makgato
Smashwords
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ANIMAL CITY
IT WAS SUNDAY morning and the residents of Terra Firma flocked to the Church of Life. Unlike many other Sundays, the large numbers indicated that something had stirred them. Terra Firma was an upmarket suburb of Animal City. There were times when the congregation swelled on Sundays that the sermon had to be moved outside in the meadows. The church bell chimed and chimed a lonely, monotonous howl at the hour, and the Bible figure supposed to be Moses, or perhaps Abraham, towered over the bell stand. The figure tirelessly showed his outstretched hand to the imaginary faithful through the church doors. However, fewer and fewer residents had attended church.
Unlike last year, things were changing now. Those who attended church last Sunday carried with them powerful memories. They had changed hearts. They urged their friends to attend and learn how the outside world had changed. Something was not right, they said. The Reverend Buffalo was a changed soul. The congregation had never seen him in that shaken mood since he was ordained as a minister five years ago. Everybody remembered it well. It was when a troop of Homo Sapiens terrorized their city at full force. There was a never-before seen battle. Lots of blood was shed. Friends and families succumbed to the Homo Sapiens' powerful booming sticks. Many residents were left disabled while many others where taken into captivity. The Reverend’s own brother, Dr Buffalo, a sound and intelligent man, was also taken into captivity.
The Reverend, those who were there remember – was a very soul shattered soul. He stood tall, fastened his collar gathered his Bibles closer. He adjusted his preaching gown, grabbed the edge of the pulpit with such intensity that his hooves turned white, and preached against the treatment the Homo Sapiens had meted on them. Everyone remembered how he assigned Mr. Elephant, the successful publisher, to publish new Bibles in every spoken animal language to distribute to all. The Reverend worked tirelessly day and night, preaching though radio and television, to deliver the message to the whole city. He was solely credited with introducing the concept of tele-evangelism in Animal City.
Now to-day the residents, as they sit in their homes, have the memories of that fateful week. Somehow they came to their senses. They felt they were not being faithful to their lost brothers and sisters. Although some of their relatives applied for employment at the Homo Sapiens’ companies, which was of course unavoidable, those who were against it felt that those who worked there betrayed their loyalty and prolonged pain in their hearts. And so as the congregation sat in church this Sunday, looking forward at the Reverend, slowly the message of the sermon dawned into the depths of their painful hearts. Surely and slowly, all their neglected suffering began to come to the surface. Some female residents of naturally week constitutions, who were the hardest hit by the Homo Sapiens invasion, held handkerchiefs to their eyes and dabbed at their tears.
Yes, the Reverend was a changed man. He was delivering a powerful sermon amid the frustration. He was unusually energetic. Everyone looked upon him to provide the answers, to lead the way. He walked down the steps and came to stand in front of his congregation. He was sweating; his handkerchief was dripping sweat. He was moving to and fro, the Bible clutched in his powerful hoof, his pen lodged in the book of Proverbs. His white collar was drenched. When he spoke, it was with such intensified oration of moving condemnation that the audience couldn’t help but be touched:
“And yet… and yet…” the Reverend Buffalo was saying. He was an elderly buffalo who had seen much in life. “And yet all the time do we have to come to our senses and ask what exactly are we living for? What is this life to us? Everyone of us was granted divine rights to life! Yet our enemy, the Homo nation deprives us of our golden right to live! What we see is not the way of God. And on the other hand, we are busy adopting the ways of the Homo Sapiens! Our way of life takes the wrong course, ladies and gentleanimals! We are like cyclists in a race making a wrong turn. Do you think we are going to be counted at the finish line! So is like us!”
The Reverend paused to see if the meaning of what he was saying reflected in the congregation’s eyes.
“We have taken to too much misappropriate conduct! Therefore we must go back! Yes, brothers and sisters, we must go back to our traditional, natural independent selves! We must go back to the time when life to us was golden fruits. When life for us was full of friendly relationship, trust and love.
“Where did all the love go? Did it vanish into thin air? I will tell you what! The problem is, and was always the very creature we share this land with, calling himself Man! They say they are better and more developed than us Animals. They claim to be superior to all creatures on mother Earth. And sure enough, does their Bible, as well as our own Good Book, not say that all are equal before the eyes of God? What makes the Homo Sapiens so proud, so selfish, so inconsiderate? What? Where are their feelings for other creatures they live with? Had they died? They say we animals are anti-liberals, enemies to one another! But God only knows that in this Animal City we do not know anything like enemy or hate among ourselves.