THE TWO THIEVES

In a certain village, there were two friends well known by everyone even in the palace because of their smartness. They always find solutions to every problem that comes their way; this gives them access to the king’s chamber moving freely as though they have heritable rights, unknown to the king they are professional thieves.

The two men are married but based in different towns. They met in the village and became friends so they do not know where they live. Neither of them disclose it to each other because of lack of trust. All they know about each other is the fact that they are good at stealing and can work together to accomplish what brings them to that village which is to find fortune that can eradicate poverty in their lives.

One day Keli and Mudi in their search for what they can get in the palace bumped into the trash that’s in an apartment that looks so dusty and ancient. No one would think of anything valuable that could be found in such a place. Mudi suggests they check another place because there will be nothing here. Keli held his hand as he was trying to leave and said to him “when you want to find something in a man’s house you are to look where you are expected not to give attention to”. Keli was roaming about with his eyes to see where possibly there could be something. Mudi walked back and stood two steps ahead of him.

Keli saw a pile of rags in a corner, pointing in the direction… “Let’s clear that place”. Together they cleared the place and saw a wooden box that is locked; its two fits high from the floor and a fit wide. They turned and looked at each other with a smile. They quickly covered it back with the rags and hurriedly walked out carefully in order not to be seen by anyone. They went outside the palace and sat under a tree that is not so far from the area.

Mudi asked how they were going to take that out of the palace. “It’s not even the taking out that is the problem, it’s the keeping,” Keli uttered as if talking to himself. Mudi offered to go to his village with it because it’s not far from here. There was an objection by Keli that it shouldn’t be in any of their houses because there is a tendency for a search to be carried out if noticed it is being taken and their house might not be left out even though it is not in the village. Keli suggests it gets buried elsewhere and not in either of the villages. The idea sounds great and fair to Mudi so he succumbed to it.

The only day that isn’t busy in the palace is on Thursday. They both planned to execute it that day. From the time they discovered it to the time of execution is one week. They studied all the movements in the palace and the spacing in which they needed to move.

The best time was in the evening when everyone had started retiring to bed after dinner. They made sure that movement was much less before they made their move. They made it out by jumping the wall. The position where they used to jump the wall is covered by two huge thick trees. They looked for something to wedge and made their exit easier. They ran to their apartment in town and took Mudi’s bike. That night they passed two neighboring villages taking the risk of following the shortest route to where they intended to bury it. They dug a hole enough to bury it and covered it with some green leaves so that there won’t be any sign of something being there. The area is covered with green grass and lots of trees.

They headed back immediately and arrived at dawn. That time the palace wasn’t so busy. Only the workers are seen around putting everything in order. Mudi and Keli went in and freshened up. Much later they came out and joined some of the elders to take their breakfast.

Later in the day, they both stepped out to take a walk in town to celebrate their victory and farewell to poverty. As they sat down under a tree in a garden that is close to the town's square, eating and drinking, Mudi turned to Keli in a hurry and asked a rhetorical question? “But you know, we don’t even know the content of the box and here we are celebrating like heroes.” “Who cares?” says Keli“. All I know is that nothing in that box will be cheap considering the sound of the stuff in it and the weight. It’s worth it.” Hassan raised his drink and took a sip smiling mischievously. “You’re right,” says Mudi, raising his bottle of drink and having a gulp.

Later that evening they went back to the palace and found the environment not conducive. Everywhere was quiet and tense. They were ushered into the king’s presence. His eye says whoever is at fault should start begging for his life to be spared. They bowed before him and sat to his right a few steps away from him. He beckoned them with his right hand to come closer. They were a bit frightened because they had never seen him in this mood and knowing what they did - guilt was already feasting on their conscience deep within. They went close to the king still sitting on the floor. Everyone present, all the council elders, the servants, together with the security guards working within the palace were all quiet looking at each other. All the while he didn’t say anything, just gazing into space.

“I need you two to do something for me (Speaking to Mudi and Keli). There’s a room in this palace that is out of reach to everyone except those having access to this palace. Even the guards working outside do not know the corners within this palace and I have a reason for making it that way. I trust both of you to bring positive results out of this.” Raising his head to look at the rest of the people present “I have a price for anyone that gets back what has been taken in that room. You may all go and begin the search but, if this doesn’t come out in seven days you all within the palace are to be held responsible”. Everyone walked out with their face to the ground.

Outside the throne room, chatting began. They were all asking questions about the possibility of them figuring this thing out. Mudi and Keli went straight to their room and were silent for a minute looking at each other at intervals as Mudi paced restlessly. Keli layed in bed facing up sinking into deep thought of the situation. Mudi noticed Keli didn’t say anything “are you seriously going to just lie down and relax when we have an issue at hand?” Keli looked at him and sat up. “Mudi come and sit with me.” He reluctantly went and sat next to him. “First of all, no one knows where it is, no one knows who took it, and no one knows anything about it. So all we need to do now is to get back to it, change the content and return it without being noticed and it has to be in a different location…” They heard a knock on their door. Mudi looked at Keli with a fearful eye. Keli went to answer the door and saw a guard “Yes how may I be of help?”

“Information came from the king that is to be passed across to anyone staying within the palace, NO ONE IS TO STEP OUT OF THE PALACE UNTIL AFTER A WEEK.” Keli thanked him for the information and closed the door behind him as he walked back in. “What did he say?” Mudi asked impatiently. “No one is to step out of the palace until the one-week grace given elapses which means things are difficult at the moment if not even impossible! If I get it right, the king has placed it in our hands to find it, which means we have the permission to… no way, we still can’t get out.” Mudi fell backwards in bed, drew a pillow to his chest, and held it tight in sorrow of what might befall them if being caught. Both sat in silence thinking of a way out. Keli suggests they sneak out. It’s a good one but risky so Mudi didn’t agree with it. Keli insisted because that’s the only way out but Mudi was still fighting him on that. Keli decided to go alone after three days, by then the tension of being so strict had mostly subsided. On the third day, he successfully went out leaving Mudi behind. He journeyed through the night and got to the place. What he discovered shocked him to his bone marrow. He was alert and extra careful on his way back. That night he made it early around three in the morning. He met Mudi sleeping so he cleaned up and joined him.

Early in the morning by six Mudi was up already. He waited for Keli as he sat on a chair by the window facing one of the palace mini gates. Keli was up and saw Mudi taking tea. They exchanged greetings and Mudi asked him how the journey was. There was not much response from Keli, he only said “it wasn’t as I expected it to be but everything will fall in place sooner or later.” Mudi looked at him, took his cup of tea, and left the room. Keli sat on the chair and was looking at the fields beyond the palace. He saw Mudi walking at the back and later sat under a guava tree. It’s a small garden with other trees and flowers. Keli went and joined him. Both sat quietly with their cup of tea-sipping at intervals. Later Keli asked, “is there anything you’re not telling me?” Mudi was silent for a few seconds “what are you insinuating?” Keli stood up and left, not saying anything further.

Later in the day, the king summoned everyone within the palace. He asked for an update most especially from Mudi and Keli. Mudi said to the king that they would like to commence a search in every part of the palace and if possible they would like to take the search out. The king asked Keli his opinion. Keli was cold and as he was about to talk, Mudi kept fixed eyes on him. “My own opinion regarding this search is for everyone to be restricted to this palace and let a search begin on an individual. Let everything and everywhere including whomever that might have visited this palace be searched.” The king was pleased with the idea so he gave an order and four guards were assigned from outside to search. Mudi wanted to suggest to the king that the search be done with them but Keli declined.

The search went on for two days but nothing was found. The king called for his elders including Mudi and Keli. They all sat in the garden discussing. The men were carried away with various discussions that came to their minds as they ate. Later the king started talking about what he ordered everyone to search for. He talked about how he found the box, how he gathered all that is in it and how he decided to hide it in that room. They began to ask the king some questions as to why he didn’t keep it in his room if all that is in it is valuable. Being with the king, Mudi decided to answer on behalf of the king for a moment “maybe it’s because the king doesn’t want a common wooden box in his bedroom that looks ugly.” They all laughed. Keli looked at Mudi and immediately brought up another topic. They talked for a while and all left the garden later that evening. When they got to their room Keli asked Mudi what he was thinking when he spoke like that in their presence; Mudi didn’t even take note of what he did. Keli asked him again “is there anything you’re not telling me?” Mudi became a bit furious and said “are you suggesting I stole it?” Keli looked at him for a while and walked out of the room. Mudi sat in the chair facing the garden where they sat. He saw Keli going back. A minute later the king joined him. “Guess you are yet to have enough of what the garden offers," the king said to Keli. Nature is good.” The king noticed Keli’s countenance… “You know, this world is full of mirages. Many get destroyed by trying to live in its way. Best way is to live simply and chase not the world”. The two discussed and laughed.

Mudi didn’t excuse himself from that window wondering what they could be talking about until the time they left. Mudi went out and blocked Keli on his way to their room. He took him out to the open and started questioning him about what they discussed with the king. Keli looked Mudi straight in the eye and said “you know I thought we could work together and achieve what we came here for but I was so foolish thinking I could trust you for a moment enough to run a successful operation. But know this, when you’re going down, try not to drag me with you because you can’t even do that.” He walked away and ordered for a drink to be brought to his room. He went inside and sat on the chair that is by the window. His drink was brought to him immediately, he was pondering on what the king said to him as he gracefully took his drink. Mudi couldn’t get back to the room that night on time.

The last day came and not everyone was summoned, only the elders, Mudi and Keli. The king addressed them and gave a chance for whoever is responsible to report himself and seek forgiveness so that his judgment will be tempered with mercy. Everyone was quiet and looking at each other. The king called out for those who wanted to say a thing, giving them the last chance - still, everyone was quiet. Keli was sitting with confidence and much ease which made Mudi wonder what was coming. They sat opposite each other. Mudi was looking at him trying to figure out what might be going on. The king called out to him. “Mudi, can you tell everyone why you stole what belongs to me?” Mudi’s heartbeat changed and his eyeballs were wide open with shock of his name being called not with Keli. He thought maybe Keli snitched on him so he asked the king why he was the only suspect. The king said because you are the only one that made me know you are the thief. Mudi was lost on how he did that, he turned and looked at Keli thinking maybe Keli gave him up. The king explained to him in all the discussions they had the other day he didn’t make mention of what was lost to be a wooden box nor the quality or how it looked. There and then Mudi’s level of understanding elevated and he also figured out why Keli had been asking him if there was anything he was not telling him. He now knew that Keli was just playing all along. Mudi was arrested as he revealed that the box was in his wife’s possession. He managed to get it to her so she could keep it safe till he returned.

After Mudi was imprisoned, Keli left the village and went back to his family to make an honorable living. His wife and two kids were so happy to have him back because he has been away for so long. His wife was in tears as she held him tight in joy at his return. He felt so heartbroken and disappointed in himself, that he promised never to leave home again.