Five rings - Short Story (Twisted Tuesdays)
As told to me in a campfire story.
DISCLAIMER: Don't read this if you are eating food.
Once there was a fat businessman who went to attend a Tshechu. He was a man who liked to show his wealth, everyone knew that. Therefore, it was no surprise to anyone when he attended the public gathering with five rings on each of the fingers of his right hand.
Unknown to him, there was a slick thief at the same venue. This thief was a poor commoner who didn't usually aim high at stealing. He stole a few trinkets here, a few coins there - nothing serious enough to land him in jail for more than a few weeks. Usually our thief would leave something like the fat businessman's rings alone.
But today was not a usual day.
One look at the rings and the thief knew he had to possess them - in his hands.
So, he made up a plan...
Four nights later, the thief found himself inside the businessman's bedroom, standing next to a drugged up, out-cold businessman. He searched for the rings in the drawers and in the closet. He only found Nu. 10,600 in cash; which he pocketed. There was an expensive looking dagger nearby, that the businessman probably kept for security. No – not security, maybe as a centrepiece.
It took him a good half hour to realise that the businessman slept with the rings on, that paranoid, greedy pig.
The ring owner was drugged. Ergo, he wasn't going to wake up soon. The thief tried to pull the rings off of the businessman's fingers. He tried to remove one of them, unsuccessful, he moved onto the next. All five were tightly wrapped around his fingers.
The thief heard a noise outside, and the businessman also stirred slightly. He panicked.
####
10 minutes later he jumped out off the stairs leading up to the businessman's bedroom - the sound of the gho (robe) he was wearing making a hilarious noise. Thubb! It was so funny, he almost laughed.
However, he was not in the clear yet. One look at the businessman's hand inside his bag shut up his laughter. He was serious. And he needed to get out of the property. He heard a dog barking in the distance.
####
Not even two days later, he was sitting in his bedroom, a newspaper opened to a page three article next to him.
'Man murdered in city: A 48 year old man was found dead in his house in (Undisclosed City). ... .The victim had apparently bled to death after his right hand was decapitated. ... . Police are conducting investigations. ... . The servants in the house are under... .
He didn't read the rest. He had mixed feelings.
On one hand he didn't want the businessman to die, on the other - there was a hand inside a plastic bag.
The hand.
He wasn't scared, but he hadn't gotten around to removing the rings either. After several hours of detachment, he knew that there would be a foul smell. But he was still disturbed by the thought that he'd have to remove the rings from the limb and dispose of the evidence. He couldn't even remember exactly why he had chosen to cut off the hand. He must have panicked. He was surprised at how he had managed to find a soft place in between two bones at the wrist to make a clean cut.
He steeled his nerves and prayed that - at least - he not vomit while removing the rings.
To his surprise, the rings came off easily this time. 'Had it been this easy, I'd have no need to chop off that fool's hand. He would still be alive.' thought the thief as he packed the slightly decaying appendage and thought of disposing it.
He looked out of his window and saw a wooden toilet. A restroom that he shared with the other tenants. This type of latrines does not have a toilet pot but is built directly above a pit in the ground.
A perfect place!
####
A few weeks later, he still had not sold off those rings. Those cursed rings! Who would even buy them? And weren't they considered evidence in a murder investigation?
He had gone for dinner with his thief friends earlier that evening. The curry rice was spicy and he was having stomach problems.
So, he went and got some water in a jerry can and went to the loo. He placed the water in one corner and closed the wooden door.
That was when he was pulled inside. "Help! Ah...!" He screamed as his shoulder was tugged by what he felt was another person. It was dark and he couldn't tell.
The shoulder tug made him lose his balance and his left leg fell straight into the hole. His right leg was outside, and his arms instinctively felt around the dirty floor for something to grab onto.
Flailing. Failing. Falling.
"Argh-naaaah!" He screamed again as he felt something push him down, from his head. Cold water (No. That wasn't water.) dripped down his hair as a tremendous force pushed him inside the hole. SNAP! His right leg must have broken, and he knew he would lose consciousness from the excruciating pain.
He was dragged into the depths.
####
The landlady found the body the next day. Investigators were called promptly.
The first responders took two bags – a body bag with him in it, and a dismembered hand which they were sure was related to the other investigation from about a month earlier. It took them eight hours to load the body and search the house.
####
Now this is where it gets confusing. Because I work in handling and recording evidence, I swear only two pieces of evidence ever reached me. One was the body bag with the poor thief inside. That poor soul! His limbs were horribly broken and maggots were living in all but one of his orifices.
The second piece of evidence was the five rings that the on-site people got from his house. I'm telling you, these two were the only packages I got. Man! I hate those on-site workers! I am sure they mixed up the bags.
I need to have a discussion with my superiors.
Yes. There was another empty, dirty polythene bag - laced with faeces. But my job is to handle real evidence. What am I supposed to do with an empty bag?
If you click or tap this green coloured Peaceful Sparta you will go back to the first page of the blog.
DISCLAIMER: Don't read this if you are eating food.
Unknown to him, there was a slick thief at the same venue. This thief was a poor commoner who didn't usually aim high at stealing. He stole a few trinkets here, a few coins there - nothing serious enough to land him in jail for more than a few weeks. Usually our thief would leave something like the fat businessman's rings alone.
But today was not a usual day.
One look at the rings and the thief knew he had to possess them - in his hands.
So, he made up a plan...
Four nights later, the thief found himself inside the businessman's bedroom, standing next to a drugged up, out-cold businessman. He searched for the rings in the drawers and in the closet. He only found Nu. 10,600 in cash; which he pocketed. There was an expensive looking dagger nearby, that the businessman probably kept for security. No – not security, maybe as a centrepiece.
It took him a good half hour to realise that the businessman slept with the rings on, that paranoid, greedy pig.
The ring owner was drugged. Ergo, he wasn't going to wake up soon. The thief tried to pull the rings off of the businessman's fingers. He tried to remove one of them, unsuccessful, he moved onto the next. All five were tightly wrapped around his fingers.
The thief heard a noise outside, and the businessman also stirred slightly. He panicked.
####
10 minutes later he jumped out off the stairs leading up to the businessman's bedroom - the sound of the gho (robe) he was wearing making a hilarious noise. Thubb! It was so funny, he almost laughed.
However, he was not in the clear yet. One look at the businessman's hand inside his bag shut up his laughter. He was serious. And he needed to get out of the property. He heard a dog barking in the distance.
####
Not even two days later, he was sitting in his bedroom, a newspaper opened to a page three article next to him.
'Man murdered in city: A 48 year old man was found dead in his house in (Undisclosed City). ... .The victim had apparently bled to death after his right hand was decapitated. ... . Police are conducting investigations. ... . The servants in the house are under... .
He didn't read the rest. He had mixed feelings.
On one hand he didn't want the businessman to die, on the other - there was a hand inside a plastic bag.
The hand.
He wasn't scared, but he hadn't gotten around to removing the rings either. After several hours of detachment, he knew that there would be a foul smell. But he was still disturbed by the thought that he'd have to remove the rings from the limb and dispose of the evidence. He couldn't even remember exactly why he had chosen to cut off the hand. He must have panicked. He was surprised at how he had managed to find a soft place in between two bones at the wrist to make a clean cut.
He steeled his nerves and prayed that - at least - he not vomit while removing the rings.
To his surprise, the rings came off easily this time. 'Had it been this easy, I'd have no need to chop off that fool's hand. He would still be alive.' thought the thief as he packed the slightly decaying appendage and thought of disposing it.
He looked out of his window and saw a wooden toilet. A restroom that he shared with the other tenants. This type of latrines does not have a toilet pot but is built directly above a pit in the ground.
A perfect place!
####
A few weeks later, he still had not sold off those rings. Those cursed rings! Who would even buy them? And weren't they considered evidence in a murder investigation?
He had gone for dinner with his thief friends earlier that evening. The curry rice was spicy and he was having stomach problems.
So, he went and got some water in a jerry can and went to the loo. He placed the water in one corner and closed the wooden door.
That was when he was pulled inside. "Help! Ah...!" He screamed as his shoulder was tugged by what he felt was another person. It was dark and he couldn't tell.
The shoulder tug made him lose his balance and his left leg fell straight into the hole. His right leg was outside, and his arms instinctively felt around the dirty floor for something to grab onto.
Flailing. Failing. Falling.
"Argh-naaaah!" He screamed again as he felt something push him down, from his head. Cold water (No. That wasn't water.) dripped down his hair as a tremendous force pushed him inside the hole. SNAP! His right leg must have broken, and he knew he would lose consciousness from the excruciating pain.
He was dragged into the depths.
####
The landlady found the body the next day. Investigators were called promptly.
The first responders took two bags – a body bag with him in it, and a dismembered hand which they were sure was related to the other investigation from about a month earlier. It took them eight hours to load the body and search the house.
####
Now this is where it gets confusing. Because I work in handling and recording evidence, I swear only two pieces of evidence ever reached me. One was the body bag with the poor thief inside. That poor soul! His limbs were horribly broken and maggots were living in all but one of his orifices.
The second piece of evidence was the five rings that the on-site people got from his house. I'm telling you, these two were the only packages I got. Man! I hate those on-site workers! I am sure they mixed up the bags.
I need to have a discussion with my superiors.
Yes. There was another empty, dirty polythene bag - laced with faeces. But my job is to handle real evidence. What am I supposed to do with an empty bag?
If you click or tap this green coloured Peaceful Sparta you will go back to the first page of the blog.
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