At this very moment the mad man was praying. “Entangled, enta – enta…. Oh, my Holly God… of Heavens. If only that could keep – him down longer. Luck – could be on my … side,” the mad man said this as he ran. He looked like he was more evil spirit possessed than, Legion.

The mad man suddenly found a path that led to a nearby community. Perhaps the mad man didn’t know that the path led to a community. However, he thought that this could help him fly away from the trouble Mbila posed. He seemed to be bending forward, much like a cyclist going uphill.

When Mbila realized that the path led to a community, he felt a streak of happiness run down his veins. He was full of hope. Hope that the people of the community would at least help him regain his clothes. But he forgot the implications for a man running into a community in such dreadful nudity. He only seemed to be worried about how he could get to his family without a single cloth on his body.

Still clinging to the empty sack in his hand, Mbila continued the chase. The two exploded into the community. The mad man stretching himself like a cheetah fleeing from a lioness; Mbila looked swift and light-footed. He was coming so fast and was as determined as a dog in its best hunting days.

Both men were panting heavily, with mouths gapped and nostrils much bigger, to allow enough oxygen for the strenuous exercise.

The atmosphere got full of commotion when the ragged man and the nude man broke through a peacefully enjoying group of people, setting it apart. They shot past the group that was drinking home-brewed beer at one of the homesteads.

The two seemed to be bisecting the group into exactly semi circles, jumping over beer pots, gourds and calabashes, kick-smashing some.

Everyone was taken aback by the scene and they jumped and ran to different directions with some running indoors in absolute confusion. However, some courageous, quick-reacting young men, didn’t waste time. They quickly chased the couple that seemed not to have noticed this huge gathering of people. Soon everyone who had some energy took to their feet and joined the chase.

As they chased, they shouted, “Help! Help! Stop the mad man! Stop this evil omen before it spreads across the entire community!”

Shouting as they did, they were attracting more and more people to join the chaos. People came from all directions and soon Mbila found himself surrounded by a fierce crowd of shouting, laughing and mocking people.

Mbila was bound in strong ropes with hands tied at the back. Everyone was convinced that Mbila was insane, yet the real insane man went free.

“My… my… my clo… oh, please! Please!” But he could not spell out anything.

Maybe he needed time to calm down. Maybe he just needed to finish off what he had started… A race whose ending would possibly see him put on his stolen clothes again. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone and find his way home, to his dearly loved family.

But, would the crowd give him chance to gain composure at all? Would anyone dare to risk letting him free? Obviously, no! Not somebody so nude. Not somebody so mad.

All Mbila could do was sob and groan in acute mental and spiritual pain. The empty bag that he had in his hand all the way from the river had been cut open and wrapped around his lower half. The upper half was bare and showed fresh bruises from the jungle race.

***

Tell us what you think? What do you think the villagers will do to Mbila? Will the real mad man get away?