By Yasir Salih
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I thought of writing this story while i was reading a document about the history of the Maldives. The documentation explained how a judge (locally called Fandiyaaru) ordered punishment for a thief (a slave); his hand was cut off. But continued to commit crimes. And i though of writing a story keeping in my mind a character of a slave and an imaginary clan of criminals. Enjoy reading.
Long ago in Fuvahmulah, during the begging of Buddhist era, there was a small clan in Jaboorugeval, a small jungle located in Dhadimagu ward.
The inhabitants of this clan engaged in bad habits. Some of them were thieves, stealing goods from households at night. Spreading lies and mocking at people were their cravings that relieved their hearts.
One day an old man informed a very powerful Somalian slave named Kalho Hassanu, who had been living not far from this clan, about the trouble of the clan to find a solution with the help of the slave. The slave worked for households, carrying timber from place to place and collecting huge corals from the beach. The 13-feet slave was also suspected of committing crimes. But the old man who sought help from the slave had no knowledge of the allegations.
When the old man infomed Kalho Hassanu, the slave thought that he would not get opportunities to fulfill his desires if the clan was left unattended. So he thought it was a great opportunity to storm and destroy the people of the clan. Then he could live in the island with supremacy.
When darkness fell into the island, Kalho Hassanu went through the jungle and reached the area where the people of the clan were living. He entered the first household in the area and stole the valuables. Then he saw a woman sleeping on a bed inside etheregey, room inside the household. The slave abducted her and took her to the jungle. The woman was released at dawn.
The victim ran towards her household and informed her husband. The couple informed their neighbors in the clan. The clan was shocked. All of them prepared for the following night, men holding wooden slabs and knives.
During midnight, Kalho Hassanu walked along the beach and then moved into the thick jungle. Suddenly he saw five men and two woman holding weapons. He stormed them like a wild lion and thrashed them to the ground and took one woman with him and ran away. He abducted and released her. The woman ran towards the clan. When the people of the clan saw her, they asked her how the creature looked like.
“It is a human. He is very big. He is very tall. He is like a coconut tree.”
Shock and awe, in the third night, 20 men prepared their weapons and hid in a same place where Kalho Hassanu attacked the previous night. Fortunately they caught him after a painful battle. They took the slave to the judge’s house. The judge granted the verdict to cut his right hand and to release him after the sentence. His hand was cut off and then released.
But again the slave started to commit crimes. He abductes two women and stole the valuable of the household of the judge. He was again arrested. The judge ordered to cut his right feet. The sentence was executed and he was released over.
But all over again he started to committing crimes with the help of a walking stick that he held with his left hand. To take revenge of the punishment given to him, he killed the judge, three men and two women of the bad clan.
People of the island were stunned. The nobles of the island ordered all men in the island to gather at Rasgefannu beach. Hundred men were called in to arrest the slave. They collected all the lethal weapons they could obtain and started searching the island him.
The men searched the area where Kalho Hassanu had been living. But they could not find him. A group of women told the searchers that the slave might have fled to Dhiyarehefannu beach. So the men ran towards the area holding large knives and swords. They were holding lanterns to light the pathways they were heading. While they entered the area, the slave heard people coming towards him. And he called his father and two comrade who had been living in the area with them. All of them were strong and muscular. They were tall as the slave.
The slaves also gathered their weapons, holding big swords. The slaves roared and hit their drums. The sound was so loud that the 100 men were shocked. They didn’t know what was happening. The slaves came out of their shelter and confronted the fleet of men.
They were shocked to see the giant slaves. “What are are you up to,? the slave who had been teasing them asked.
“Aa. Hmm. Nothing,” They replied.
“No, you came to kill me. Now there is only one solution. Leave this island. If you don’t obey us, we will kill all of you. Our tribal people are here in the jungle. They outnumber you.” The salve threatened them, and persuaded them though only four of them were living in the island.
The 100 men ran away. They informed the nobles of the island. And the inhabitants of Fuvahmulah decided to leave the island. By dawn the inhabitants of the island fled to Addu atoll. Thereafter the four slaves lived in the island for a long time.