Thief oh!

His hobble was different today. Today was an exaggerated limp followed by a drag of his left leg slightly behind.

That was how he grabbed everyone’s attention, with his hair patched like grass in the savannah and bloodshot eye. He sang and danced, attracting huge crowds of people seeking entertainment. I did the rest, he said we were “balancing the scales of social justice”. A purse here, a wallet there. Elewon was the lure and I sprung the trap. Every trap fails though. I always tried to imagine how it would pan out; the day our ruse was unravelled by a vigilant civilian. I told Elewon my fears and he laughed “No be for this market them go catch us, no worry.” He told me to trust him and work on my sleight of hand “You just need sharp.”

He was right though, they never caught us.

“Olè!”

That afternoon, the crowd used me as a conduit for all their anger at the near-failed state we lived in. They spat in my eyes and cursed me. A rock opened a gash on my forehead. My neck bore the weight of the tyre. I screamed as the layers of my skin melted together, losing form. I begged and writhed in agony. The last thing I see before my eyes are consumed in the fire is Elewon. He is walking away, faster than I ever recall him moving.