Keithalmanbi is Far

Keithalmanbi is far
And I am son of God
Cboy is my name
Grace me
I am the harbinger of the revolution
in this quite night
this village
slaphappy in slumber spell
knows not
the dawn will be new
and sun thus will never set again
…………………………………………………..
The revolution is ripe
And the sons of Panthoibi'
Will rain wrath on you
You sinners
Barak flows fast
Will sweep your bodies
Into the depth of Bengal sea
The revolution is ripe
……………………………………….
He spoke in contagious trance
Naked
Entombed in thick of rapacious mosquitoes
Dauntless of sore stings
…………………………………………………..
an abstract alien
none knew him
he himself was stranger to self
I am Cboy
The son of God
……………………………………………………
rained on him
Slaps
punches
kicks
…………………………………………………………..
It was a long journey
Three days of perambulation
Through bamboo maze of Langka
The brief was crisp
“Death breaths in every step”
The Naga Warriors of STC battalion
Lay ambushes at every road bend
the Kuki National Front
Will slaughter your corpses
take chances
lose your life
………………………………………………………..
“Cowards die many times before their death”
“….. Have faith
But lock your car”.
………………………………………………………………
The chamber were loaded
grenade primed
the course was set
and marched twelve into incertitude
on a spring morning
when rhododendrons bloomed
………………………………………………………….
point men were rotated every hour
the loads redistributed
progress was slow
steady
tiring
at night fall
under the open sky
each one was wide awake
villages were avoided
tactically
and path carved out of thicket
along nalas
into reentrants
across unchartered territory
for three days
and two nights
twelve men marched
on determination
“ tracks are laced with improvised explosives
Avoid them”
Each one knew
Everyone is tired
But togetherness carried them far.
……………………………………………………………
It was a stern climb
On the windward slope
“You can’t bivouac on a place that lacks domination”
So climb till you reach the top
Out of nowhere came a hamlet
Smoke rising from every hut
Children playing singing dancing
“ we have old maps you see , 1960 vintage. Expect the unexpected”.
Some child saw men in camouflage
Shouted and ran amok
Shattered the calm into commotion
Women and children ran
And locked the doors
Men drew their flintlocks and machetes
And lined the parameter wall

The section was deployed
LMG to sweep the wider axis
Sniper ready for kill
but sanity ruled
few men approached unarmed
and when they saw the faces
they were dismayed
Naga NO…
Who?
ARMY
but army never comes here
Welcome to our village
…………………………………………………
Their story was short but sad
Distrust on others
Hope of change
And Faith in God
………………………………………………….
Cboy
he came from the main track to village
well dressed
clean shaven
with combed hair
brimming with bizarre confidence

No one in the village knew him
Asssssss He Naga
Come to find out
His likes will follow
Said the GB
No Meitei
Timber smuggler
Said the Pastor
Sir never came before
You came
He came
Danger sir, said Teacher
…………………………………
He was tied to a goal post
The GB shouted wrath at him
He spitted upon him
You Fool I am C boy
The Son of God
Blasphemy was committed
And it rained
rained on him
Slaps
punches
kicks
……………………………….
The sky was clear
Sentries kept watch
On every possible approach
…………………………………………….
The night was tense
Cboy sat on ground
Still tied to goal post
He was rescued with great efforts
I sat with him
Who are you?
Cboy
Where are you from?
Keitalmambi is far
What bring you here?
Belief
Who is your father?
God
Why did you spit on GB?
He sinned
Who is a sinner?
Everyone
Who are you?
Son of God
That all he had to say
And he started sobbing
Are you Son of God?
I am
You believe in forgiveness?
I Do
Then forgive them for thy do not know what they are doing
Amen
…………………………………………………
Where was I
If I believe the Villagers Naga attack was inevitable
We have been sent by God for their protection
If I believe C boy
And set him free
I invite the wrath of the villagers
………………………………………………………………………
The long tense night
Metamorphosed into a bright morning
C boy as bartered
Against the ration, medicine and some cash we had
We walked to Ketalmanbi
Ketalmanbi was far
…………………………………………..
God Bless You
Said the old women
Thank god
I saw him again
He left home
Three days ago
Annoyed
For being beaten by Police
………………………………………….

Yester day
I met Cboy again
In my dream
He smiled
In his peculiar way
Then spoke
Did I tell you my complete name?
C boy
Stands for Crazy Boy
……………………………………..