In a small village such as mine, rumors spread faster than a wildfire. I am from Lilelive, a tight-knit community where lovely creatures, both humans, plants and other animals flourish, describing how beautiful the architecture of my city looks. I have lived within this city all my life, and very close to three decades of existence on Earth, not once have I stepped out of the shadows of Lilelive, not even for a holiday elsewhere. This has made me a well known figure in my city since I have watched kids birth and grow, and then come to me to seek advice about life.
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One faithful festive period called Ijele, I got myself entangled in a web of suspicion and disbelief in Lilelive, which was so popular that I feared if there existed another Hamez in the City that could be this mischievous. It all started when my closest friend Livinus, had the audacity to suggest that I of all people participated in an illegal act that I knew nothing about.
I got the glimpse on one cold evening when I and Livinus were taking a walk along the Market Square road blessed with the surrounding of the amber hues of fallen leaves. We decided to take the road because the fallen leaves from the tree and the air within that environment give a beautiful aroma of a pumpkin spice. Admiring and enjoying nature in this beautiful friendly walk, little did I know that my friendship with Livinus would be put to an ultimate test.
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As we passed the popular supermarket in the village, Livinus turned to me with an uneasy expression on his face.
"Have you heard the latest gossip?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I shook my head, genuinely oblivious of the brewing storm. "What's going on?" I asked in response
He came close and brought his mouth to my ears, lowered his voice as though he was sharing a forbidden secret, as a matter of fact, I could hear his breathe louder than his voice. "Rumors have it that you were involved in that warehouse break-in last week. They said that you made away with a fortune stolen of goods".
My heart skipped and I couldn't conceal the shock. "What?? That's absurd! No one in this city would even believe that, or don't you know what I can or cannot do?" I asked in eagerness, expecting Livinus to affirm a trust in me.
Livinus never answered the question, he only raised his eyebrows with a smirk playing on his lips, then he responded, "you know how rumors go. But the whole town seems to believe it, you might have to be watching your back henceforth"
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That sounded more like a threat to me rather than a warning. As days passed, the unfounded allegation folded on my head like a cloud. Whispers followed me wherever I went and judgmental glances from neighbors were fuelled by the flames of suspicion. The only thing that kept me away from a verbal confrontation was the fact that I still have a little bit of reputation since none of such acts have been entangled with all my life in Lilelive.
Determining to clear my name, I embarked on the quest to uncover the truth behind this malicious gossip. The neighborhood security was still investigating but then I thought their investigation wasn't fast enough. Paste my step to the alleged night of the robbery, questioning witnesses and piercing together alibis. Yet the more I investigate the more elusive the truth becomes.
In the midst of my turmoil, I stumbled upon an old acquaintance, Sarah, who claimed to have overheard a conversation at the local diner. A group of shady characters had been discussing their exploits, and my name was mentioned as a supposed accomplice in the warehouse heist. It was a revelation that both startled and intrigued me.
The newfound information served like a new arm added to my bricks for the war and with it, I confronted Livinus, demanding an explanation for his baseless accusation. He evaded eye contact, a guilty look betraying him. "Look, I heard it from a reliable source," he stammered, clearly uncomfortable.
Frustration surged within me as I pressed for details about this mysterious source. Reluctantly, Livinus divulged that he had overheard snippets of the conversation at the diner but couldn't vouch for the credibility of his informant. It was a house of cards built on hearsay and half-truths.
Determined to clear my tarnished reputation, I sought out the diner's patrons and discovered a man named Ojo-Alade, who had been present during the incriminating conversation. With a mix of skepticism and desperation, I implored Ojo to come forward with the truth.
After much persuasion, Ojo confessed that Livinus suggested that perhaps how quiet and fond I have been to people in the society would make me exempt from suspicion in every big crime in the society, but perhaps I could be at the herm of it all. That I seem the most stayed young adult in the village so I could provide an explanation for every deed and don't in Lilelive. Ojo said they believed Livinus because he is my friend and if anyone of such could make such a bold claim, it was needless to doubt him because he knows my in and out. Hence they made the generalization that I could be among those who undertook the recent robbery.
"The nerve! The nerve!! The nerve!!!" I fumed, hit the table twice before Ojo begged that I come down. "How can someone I call a friend make a very logically coherent claim about me yet very unfounded?" I asked Ojo.
"The nerve that you used to choose a friend is the nerve that they will use to stay with you" Ojo replied with a beautiful but sarcastic smile.
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Here I couldn't describe exactly what I felt. I was both nervous and still thinking of the nerve which prompted Livinus to this act of gossip. The feeling of the truth made me feel good but the knowledge that my best friend started the rumor made me feel worse. But since I know the whole truth now, I confronted the town with the truth. The web of deception slowly unraveled, and the community grappled with the consequences of their hasty judgments. Lilelive, once divided by suspicion, now faced the challenging task of rebuilding trust in me again.
As for Livinus our friendship strained under the weight of his ill-founded accusation. The scars of betrayal lingered, a constant reminder of the fragility of bonds once thought unbreakable. In the end, Lilelive learned a valuable lesson about the destructive power of rumors and the importance of seeking the truth before casting judgment.