At the same time, in a courtyard near Old Man Basse's house, a group of middle-aged women was gathered to discuss.
"Lady Lydwa, don't you think we'll be overdoing it? I mean, this village still has rules, right? Why don't we just wait for the chief to handle everything? Besides, it's not even certain that there's actually a child in the old man's house," a younger woman within the group tried to suggest.
"Heeeeh, Esta, stop that nonsense. Are you now accusing Lady Lydwa of lying? Lady Lydwa is someone of status in this village; moreover, she's related to a high-ranking official. How can she stoop to lying against some unknown old fart? "
Before Old Man Basse's neighbor could even reply, another woman who was sitting close to her had already snapped at the younger lady.
"Wait a minute, Mata, let me explain to her. You see, my friend Mylo, the reason we have this little group of ours is to help protect ourselves when necessary against oppressions and injustice. Not to talk of whether or not it is true, even if it is a lie. As a leader, it is the village chief's responsibility to make sure that nothing so distasteful should ever happen in this village."
"So even if it's a lie, what is the big deal about ordering his house searched? Even if it is wrong, he'll just apologize to the old man."
Old Man Basse's neighbor tried to explain to the young woman. In actuality, she was just trying to make the others feel emotional and wronged by the village chief's attitude on the case. The young lady stood and was ready to go when she turned and looked at the group.
"Lydwa, I hope this is just about the old man and not about anything else."
"I've had it with this pretentious bitch. Who do you think you are?" Mata crashed out. "Do you think you're some sort of saint while we're all villains?""Just you wait, when that foolish chief is convicted for aiding and abetting, I dare you to come and defend them."
The woman continued to lash out. The other ladies just looked around like they heard nothing. They all knew that this woman was just trying to bootlick Lady Lydwa.
The young lady left, and the meeting continued.
While the meeting was going on... In Old Man Basse's compound, a sound of clapping was heard coming from the yard.
"Why is that little girl clapping?"
Old Man Basse, who's just returned from the Village Chief's house, muttered under his breath.
'Did that child do something?' he continued to wonder to himself. 'Come to think of it, this child is growing really fast. First, he doesn't cry, then he has teeth, then he grows really fast. Almost able to walk by himself. What kind of child is he, exactly? Normally, other kids would take a year to develop all these things. But he just took a month.'Old Man Basse was still lost in thought as he stepped into the house, to meet a big surprise that wasn't a surprise. Yes, the child was walking and also talking.
"Hey, you, are you Grandpa?" "Big sis, Shandha just told me about you.""She said you saved me from a stream. Is it true?"
"Can we go to the stream?"
Old Man Basse was instantly hit with a barrage of questions by a tiny voice. Old Man Basse was totally flabbergasted by this view.
"Kid, can you leave me a way out, please? You don't cry, you have teeth, you walk, you talk, you have green eyes, hair, and eyebrows. How am I supposed to make people believe you're not some monster, for crying out loud?" Old Man Basse held his temples with his palm.
"Grandpa, what is a monster?"The little guy didn't stop asking.
"Grandpa, why are you not happy? The little guy is now able to walk, which means he can now go out, and people will stop gossiping about us." Shandha looked at her grandpa, confused.
"Shandha, you don't understand. But it's ok." "Who cares about what they think? This baby is absolutely amazing."
"Grandpa, Big Sis Shandha has a name. What is my name?".....A week later. "Grandpa, when I was sleeping, I saw someone. How can I see people when I'm sleeping?"
Old Man Basse turned around to face a little boy wearing khaki shorts and a singlet who had just run out of the house."That's called a dream, little guy. What did you see?" He asked him.
"I saw a man. He's tall, and his skin is the color of mine. Grandpa, he said, My name is Good Ewan," the little guy replied.
"Good Ewan, as in good boy Ewan or what?" Old Man Basse looked at him weirdly.
"Good Ewan, as in Surnamed 'Good', grandpa," little Ewan added. "Oh, so Ewan Good." Old Man Basse looked at him again.
"No, Grandpa, he said to mention the Surname first. So it is, Good Ewan," said Ewan.
"Good Ewan, it is, then." Old Man Basse agreed.
"What are you guys talking about?" Shandha walked out of the house too, greeting the old man.
"Big Sis Shandha, I have a name now!"Little Ewan said excitedly to the young girl.
"Ohhhh, grandpa, you finally chose a name for him?" She looked at Old Man Basse, who shrugged a little and said,
"I didn't."
"Big Sis, I had a dream. In the dream, a man told me this." The little guy reiterated to the young girl what he saw in his dream.
"Big Sis, what is your Surname?, I have a surname, but you don't," he continued. Shandha looked at Old Man Basse, who nodded a little at her before she turned to the little guy and said, "My surname is Nakka, but you must not say it out anywhere, ok?" She held Ewan's head as she said to him.