Lester's Adventure

           There was a small village called Ridgestown. In this town was a small family who grew crops. They lived in a small hut. The man’s name was Richard Owens. The woman’s name was Angela Owens. They were a very happy couple! One day, Richard and Angela were looking at the crops. Just a safe distance away from the crops, there were little kids playing a game of tag. Then Richard said, ‘I wish I had a child too, one who could help me take out the crops, one who I could call son.’ Angela was quiet. She was hiding a secret that she had told to no one.

           When it was nighttime, Angela came to Richard and told him about the child they were going to have. Richard was shocked with delightfulness. He said, ‘We are actually going to have a child! I can’t believe it! But,’ he paused, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that before?’ Angela gulped, ‘Don’t you remember that a monk had given us a blessing that if you give birth to someone, he/ she will change our future? The monk didn’t even mention if the child was going to change our future in a good way or a bad way.’ She completed. Then Richard said, ‘So you think that the child will not be good for our future.’ Angela gave a “maybe” kind of reaction. Richard said, ‘Nothing like that will happen. He will be a boy, and his name will be - - - Lester.

           The next day, Richard and Angela woke up. They went outside and found out that it had rained the previous night and the crops were wet. Now it was a sunny, bright day. He saw Angela groan. He thought that the baby was doing something. He took her to the hospital. Richard took her to Dr. Norseman, the doctor, and he said that Angela had to stay here until the baby came out. But the baby was to come out tomorrow, which was August 15, 2008. They were very happy!

           The next day, at 4 am, Richard heard Angela scream very loudly. He was sleeping on the benches snoring very slowly. He opened his eyes and then ran to her room and spoke in a very alert voice, ‘What happened?’ She replied, ‘I, I---,’ But she did not get to complete the sentence because Richard cried, ‘Mr. Norseman, where are you?’ He came. He called all the nurses and started the operation.

After a few hours, Mr. Norseman allowed Richard to enter the operation room. He told him that it was a boy. Richard reached the room and looked around, there was his wife lying with her eyes barely open. He saw a small bed with a boy lying down. He laughed.

A few years later…..

So, Lester was 12 years old now. He had discovered a lot of friends. His best friend was a dude named Ryan. Lester was also very famous in the village. Ryan and Lester did pranks on their other friends. (I am not going to mention all the names because that would be a very long list. So don’t ask me to name all of them. Please, I beg of you!)

 Lester was so smart that people usually called him if they needed any help. He didn’t have any problem with that. His dream was just to visit the city. It was a very beautiful place and definitely where you would want to live. He usually helped his father with the crops and his mother with the house chores.

One day, he and his friends made a plan that four years later they will meet at this place and go to the city for a tour. But first, they had to finish their studies and only then could they do that. All of them were very clever and wanted to go to a good college. They were trying their best to get a scholarship for future studies. After a month, they left to dedicate their lives.

Four Years Later….

Lester and his friends met at an abandoned hut just at the near end of the village. The city was still very far. They went through a place which was known for its beautiful landscapes. They all looked happy and excited. ‘Well my friends,’ said Lester, ‘we will go to the city, explore its surrounding just for this day. Then we will come back, get our stuff, and head towards Cambridge University.’ They all had successfully gained a scholarship. Now, they could attend college for free.

They took their stuff, their money, and headed towards the city. The way, as it was mentioned before, had a waterfall. Lester had never seen a waterfall. He did not know if his friends had seen one either. They took pictures with their phones. Then, they moved on. They preferred walking. They were used to walking far distances. Then, they reached a forest. The forest was filled with trees. They then went inside it. (If I were them, I would go in a KIA Carnival to fit my friends. If they wanted to go to the city more comfortably, they would have booked Uber. I doubt any one of their families had a car. Plus, they don’t even have a driver’s license! Or at least I think so.)

 There were many trees. Like a lot! But there are usually a lot of trees in a forest so I don’t know why one of Lester’s friend, Rowdy, was surprised. ‘Dude, that is awesome.’ Rowdy said, ‘It looks like we have a protection shield on top of us.’ Rowdy liked to take photos, so he took out his phone and took them. Then, Ryan said, ‘When are we going to reach the city?’ Lester replied, ‘We are just about to reach dude, Chill Out!’ Soon enough, they came at the end of the forest. Then, they took a lunch break. They took out the snacks they had packed. They started eating. Lester finished his lunch in a swift 5 minutes. He started walking back and forth as if to be thinking about his mom’s food. He always made that type of reaction when he wanted to eat his mom’s hand-made food! Then, a bush rustled. Or was it their imagination! Silence fell between them.

Then a man came out of a bush. He was a small, pudgy man. Lester didn’t know why, but he found the man very familiar. He had curly hair, long tattered shirt. He wore a long, black pant. He was about 5 feet and 2 inches. He then spoke in a very funny voice, ‘I am the king of this jungle, you puny kids are not supposed to be here.’ Lester laughed, ‘You call us puny, look at yourself. You are shorter than us. And we aren’t even kid’s bro, we are teens.’ They all laughed except the man. Then the man spoke in a deep voice. That did not sound like his. ‘You can only escape if you answer the 3 riddles that I will present to you. If,’ he paused, ‘if you get one of them wrong, then,’ he again paused with satisfaction on his face, ‘one of your friends will be my servant forever.’ The boys gasped.

 Then Lester replied after taking a deep breath, ‘you think you can stop us you puny pest?’ The boys scattered, they tried to pass the man. But he had really fast reflexes. (I am not really telling you to stop because I can’t do that. But all I can say that is don’t judge people by their appearances. It won’t help you destroy some low-street thugs if you ever encounter any of them. Just saying!!)

Yeah, so where were we? Oh right! The boys were trying to escape the forest. So let’s get back on to that topic.

He had really fast reflexes! Wait, did I mention that already? Well, if I didn’t, I just said it now! He tripped 1/3 of the boys. Another 1/3 was pushed flat on the ground. (These boys are so bad at protecting themselves that my 7 year old brother could do better. I think...) then Ryan and Lester teamed up on him but were only able to scratch him. (Now do you understand why he is the king of this jungle? I do. Let’s hope you understand as well.)He held them together with his hands. His hands were rough and scathed. Lester’s and Ryan’s feet touched the ground. But they still couldn’t escape from his grip. ‘So, are you still going to try to escape or accept my challenge?’ ‘Urgh,’ Lester struggled, ‘I think we have no choice. We accept your challenge.’

Lester’s words’ rang in his friends ears’. The man laughed. ‘So, who will go first to sacrifice his lives?’ Rowdy stepped up, ‘I will.’ ‘So the first riddle is, ‘What has always been in front of you, but, you can’t see it?’ Everyone was silent. Then Ryan thought, ‘I know this one, my mom usually told me this one.’ Then he said, ‘I shall answer this one.’ Then the man said, ‘Go ahead.’ Ryan gulped, ‘the thing that has always been in front of you, but you can’t see it - - - is the future itself!’ Everyone paused. Then, the man said, ‘Well said. Now, for the next riddle, present your next sacrifice.

 A boy named Leo stepped up, ‘This time, I will go!’ ‘So, the next riddle is what runs around a whole yard but never moves?’ ‘This is easy,’ said Cade, one of Lester’s friends. ‘Then answer it,’ said the man. ‘Ok, so an equipment that runs around a whole yard but never moves- - - is a fence!’ Then the man grunted, ‘How are they answering my riddles so easily.’ Cade answered, ‘What kind of riddles are you giving? They are too easy!’ ‘Fine,’ said the man, ‘present your next and final sacrifice.’

‘Guys,’ spoke Lester in a confident voice, ‘this is our final riddle, if we get this one right, we can enter the city. So I will go this time.’ The man said, ‘Step up, this will be your final riddle, if you get this one right, you guys can leave the forest.’ He paused. Lester stepped up. The man resumed, ‘so, the last riddle is, what belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?’Then, Leo, one of Lester’s friend, said, ‘Bro this is hard, and I am hungry.’ The boys chuckled.

 Then Leo thought. He muttered the question a few times. He looked at his friends faces and found their clueless faces staring at him. It was up to him now. ‘What belongs to me, but other people use it more than me? My soap,’ he thought. ‘No, no, that hasn’t got to be what he is asking.’ ‘Come on Leo. We can’t think of anything, it is up to you now,’ said Lester. Lester’s words sailed through his mind more clearly than a voice recorder. ‘Wait,’ he thought, ‘Leo, that is my name! Everyone use it. They use it more than me. That’s it!!’ ‘If you guys don’t have the answer then I shall take your friend Lester with me,’ said the man. ‘No,’ Leo said, ‘I have found the answer. It is - - - a name!’ Then Lester said, ‘Of course, why didn’t I think of that. Leo, you are a genius.’ ‘No, no, no,’ the man cried, ‘how did you answer all of my questions so, so…’ He did not even complete his sentence. He was too depressed. Then it started raining.

Lester helped him get back on his feet. ‘Dude, you are such a cry baby. You did do a bad deed by trying to make us your servant. But, how about, instead of making people your servant, why don’t you make them your friend?’ Yes, I think I will make friends with whoever comes by the forest. Thank you so much! Would you like to stay at my place for this night? I mean, it is not safe at night.’ Then Lester replied, ‘Of course, we would be delightful.’ They went inside a small and cozy hut. There was stew being prepared in a small hut. They ate and went to bed.

The next day they went to the city. The city was beautiful and enormous. They first went to Cambridge University. They met their principal and told them that they had achieved a scholarship. The principal told them that College will start after a fortnight. So they took their books. Explored the city, and headed home. They took the same path from which they had come from. They went home and told their parents that they had been granted with a scholarship at Cambridge University! Their parents were very happy.

After a period of a fortnight, they went in a small taxi, to Cambridge University. They were to follow their own ways. They were to become self-responsible as to overcome their tests, challenges. (But the biggest challenge a human can ever face is life! Isn’t that right!) So, they bravely went to face college. Lester slowly made new friends but still remained in contact with his old friends. He was so smart and so well identified by his teachers in class, that he taught the people in his cabin. He helped them get revved up for the next day. He was basically their power. He, by majority, taught them history. That was the subject he was best at. He was having the time of his life.

He was nearing the end of his year. Now he had to take his engineering test. He wanted to become an engineer.

A day before the test…

Everyone was nervous. Half of the students had to take a medical test. The other had to take the engineering test. Lester was nervous. His cabin mates were shivering. They were sitting on their desks and revising every bit of information they could fit in their mind. Lester walked back and forth. He sat on his bed after that. It was midnight. He then closed his eyes, remembering everything he had learned in life. He remembered his parents. How they would be thinking about him right now. The thought seemed to calm his mind. He then opened his eyes and said, ‘Everyone, all of you, listen. You guys don’t stress out about tests. You guys will have harder tests in the future. Choosing the right decisions will be your toughest test.

You guys have to chill out. Look, calm down! Close your eyes think about your parents and that will calm you guys down. Just try it.’ They all closed their eyes and thought about their parents. Then, they fell asleep. Lester shut down the light. And fell asleep as well. Ready for tomorrow. Hopefully!

The next day, he woke up at 6 am. Trying not to panic, he focused on his notes. He wished he could just take a photo of it in his mind and copy it down in his test paper. He saw the other people wake up get dressed, and do a quick revision. He then headed towards the classroom and started his test with sweat forming on his forehead. He had to think clearly. He wrote down whatever he could think of and wrote that down. He completed his test, turned it in, and left the room.

 The next week, the results came. Everyone saw the leader board. They saw a name on the top of the list. And it was yours truly! The name that was on the top of the list was Lester. He was delighted. He had never been that happy. He left for home.

He went home and saw his mom and dad. He showed them the results. They were very happy! His mom said, ‘I knew you would make us proud.’

College was over. He had gained a unified dignity and self-respect. The next day in the newspaper, Lester’s picture came in the front page. It said that ‘Lester Owens, a student who studied in the Cambridge University, has scored top marks. He is the first student that has scored top marks and been born in a village. He shall be awarded money for his effort in cash.’ He was giddy. He earned the money in his bank account. He was a successful model. He had developed a great personality. He could be a great role model for kids. He had changed his parents’ future. He had made them as happy as a human could get.

A few years later,

Lester lived in the city. He had a very big home and had been very successful. He had a wife and a son. His son was 6 years old. Lester usually had parties with his friends. Then, his son asked him a question, ‘Did you ever have any problem in your life? (That sounded like a dumb question but the dude was small, so it is reasonable for him.)Rishab replied, ‘Yes I did, and you will have problems as well. I promise you...’