Fear of going into the wood

I heard a lot of stories about thick bushes, which are made of scary creatures and wild animals that can hurt someone if they meet you in the wrong lane, like when I was a kid, I always hear old men talking about the lion's giving birth to her young ones on the back of an iroko tree in the forest, when the sun is high and the rain falls at exactly the same time, so if you go into the forest when the Lion is giving birth, it means you would not get out of the woods alive, it's more of an old adage, but the fear in me still remains, that's why I never enter Wood's without someone accompanying me.

Two years ago, I went with my neighbor to his village, when we arrived there, he told me to accompany him to the woods near his house, according to him, he said, there is a fruit that tastes so good that I need to eat, to have a great memory of having come to his village, which I am going to like, but I was scared and didn't want to go, there was this little brother of his who said that I'm not man enough, "why should I be afraid to go into the bush, so i pretend to be brave and joined him, it was just what he said, when we got there, he climbed the tree and plugged the natural fruit, it tasted good.
The fruit is called African mango, the fruit has a kind of flavor that you will hardly forget.

Along our way to his house, he asked me the story behind why I didn't want to accompany him into the woods to the point where his brother had to notice, but I didn't want to say anything, I just wanted to keep it a secret but he wouldn't let me be, he asked me more than I could bear and that's when I reveal the reason, that I'm afraid to go into the wood.

He said no, I shouldn't be afraid anymore, those words, I heard back then, they just told me as a preventive method for me as a child, not like the elders really meant what they said, but they said it so that, as we were young back then, we wouldn't go into a bush and stay inside then forget how to get out. I said "thank you" because he hit me where i didn't expect and I know he was right.

We got home and his mom made a delicious ekpang nkukwo, menh! It's been a long time since I ate that, I smile and take off my shirt, my neighbor understands me a lot, he needs to take our share out of the dining room and we ate in a cool and quiet place, where we can gist and eat without disturbing anyone.

I learn great lessons while going with him to his village, he helped him overcome fear, even though the road leading to his village was full of gallops and white sands that can easily make a motorcycle to fall, it was a good experience I had staying with them for two days, he even took me to where I see people playing with snake and monkey, to me, I do not think going near scary animals is a nice thing to do, especially the snake, but I see there that even the children can play with these animals, the snake is very tame, that's what they said and even if you touch it, it would only scare you but it wouldn't do anything to you.

Right now, I can walk into Wood's on my own without thinking that something inside the wood is going to hurt me.

Image by k_r_craft at pixabay