Manzy dressed as a hunter and packed his bow and arrow.

“Darling, no one has ever come alive from Chimalawanthu Forest,” his wife said.

“Sweetheart, be proud of your husband,” he replied. I’m the only hunter who is afraid of nothing, I’m so strong.”

“Listen to me, darling… The forest is believed to have ferocious beasts, do not go, please.”

“I’m also a ferocious beast! Never let people know where I’m going,” he kissed her.

The man was driven by determination, he believed those who went missing were feeble minded.

The forest was very far from his village and he had never been there before. He passed several mountains to reach the forest.

Back home his wife Vitima was afraid, she couldn’t eat as her husband had been out for three solid days. She prayed fervently for his safe return. People asked where Manzy was and she kept telling a lie that Manzy went early in the morning to hunt. But everyone knew that Manzy would celebrate his success every time he came back from the hunt. Everyone knew when he arrived from the forest and people enjoyed the meat that he brought.

So when they didn’t see him for three days, people started suspecting Vitima to have killed their hunter.

The only sound heard was a heavy roar voice coming from the unknown. It echoed repeatedly.

Manzy was in the middle of swamps and had no way back. He realised that he was in the middle of the Chimalawanthu Forest where you can’t trace way back.

He remained vigilant and walked so slowly but became so tired. But he had a positive fervor about his mission. He dreamt of owning two big factories that produce well designed bows and arrows, with more recent technology. He felt fervid.

He was woken up by a cold air in the forest. Manzy’s eyes saw things that he never wished to have seen in his life. He lost hope. The sound was heard everywhere, the sound of people laughing at him but there was no person. He removed his bow and inserted an arrow to it.

Back home people were mourning Manzy’s death and Vitima was given three more days to tell the truth.

“I know nothing of his missing,” she said. “What I recall is Manzy telling me in the morning that he has gone hunting,”

But no one believed her story.

***

Tell us: Do you think Manzy will find the diamond?