The Guard of the Baobab Tree

Previously, in a town called Mthunzi in South Africa, continued with a caring man named Thabo Mweli. He was a well-off landowner, and his estate was known as the Celebrated House. The house was perfect so much that no other in the area pondered. The space had everything, including a lake and a nursery. The residents regarded Thabo Babu and cherished him essentially. He was an uncommonly significant man, overseeing a little piece of his property and focusing on thought, habitually with the help of opium.

In the garden of Thabo Babu's mansion stood a majestic baobab tree. A guardian spirit, known as a Brahmadaitya, resided in this tree. The villagers knew of this spirit, who was benevolent and never harmed anyone. Only those who committed wrongdoings were gently reported to Thabo Babu by the spirit.

Thabo Babu had three sons: Langa, Jabulani, and Sipho. When his youngest son, Sipho, died prematurely, Thabo was heartbroken. His grief deepened when his wife also passed away. After about a year, he managed to overcome his sorrow somewhat by arranging marriages for Langa and Jabulani. Jabulani was virtuous, humble, and well-mannered, but Langa was hot-tempered and unruly. Thabo Babu constantly worried about Langa, who showed no respect for the guardian spirit of the baobab tree, dismissing it as mere superstition.

One evening, while Thabo Babu was in a trance from opium, he heard the distinct sound of wooden sandals. He knew the guardian spirit was approaching. Eager to hear what the spirit had to say, he waited with bated breath. Soon, the spirit’s voice echoed, "Thabo!"

Thabo Babu, with folded hands, responded, "Please, command me, Lord."

“Warn your eldest son. He is going astray,” the spirit advised.

"Forgive him, Lord. I will discipline him," Thabo Babu promised, and called for Langa.

Langa arrived, looking uneasy. "What have you done, you wretch?" Thabo Babu demanded.

Feigning ignorance, Langa replied, "What could I have done?"

"You must have committed some misdeed. Otherwise, why would the guardian spirit come to warn you? He never complains without reason."

Langa, angry, retorted, "What I've done or not done, your so-called spirit knows. I remember nothing. Besides, I don't believe in this spirit nonsense."

Thabo Babu, enraged, slapped Langa. "You mean to say you don't believe me?"

Langa, rubbing his cheek, replied, "Is that what I said?"

"Get out of my sight," Thabo Babu ordered, and Langa left.

Thabo Babu then called Mpho, an old servant. "Go find out what your elder master has done. It must be something bad."

Mpho returned after a while and reported, "A scandal, sir. The eldest master and his friends cooked chicken in the garden, and the feathers have soiled the baobab's base."

Thabo Babu leapt up, "What! Go, clean it immediately." He hurried to the baobab tree with Mpho.

They cleaned the area, purifying it with incense and holy water. Thabo Babu then prayed to the guardian spirit, knowing how displeased it would be if the spirit were angered.

One afternoon, Langa’s wife, Zola, went to the pond to bathe. Suddenly, she smelled a fragrant scent. As she climbed the stairs, someone said, "Wring out your clothes, dear, or you'll get wet."

Terrified, she looked up to see a divine figure descending the stairs with wooden sandals. Realizing it was the guardian spirit, she quickly wrung her clothes and stood still, trembling.

The spirit stopped and said, "Are you scared, dear? Don't be. You wished to see me, so I appeared in the afternoon to avoid scaring you in the evening. Now, go."

She was amazed at the spirit's ethereal beauty and stood speechless. Seeing her stare, the spirit advised, "Don't look too much, dear. If you turn around when I disappear, you'll be very scared."

She rushed home and told Langa, "You say the spirit doesn't exist, but I saw him today and even spoke with him."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm telling the truth."

Langa mocked, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll cut down that tree."

His wife pleaded, "No, don't do that. Please."

From that day, she worshipped the spirit devoutly, keeping everything clean and sometimes seeing the spirit again, either vanishing into the baobab or descending the stairs. At night, the sound of wooden sandals could be heard on the roof, like someone rolling a metal ball repeatedly.

One evening, as Thabo Babu was lost in his opium-induced haze, the spirit appeared. "Thabo!"

"Yes, Lord."

"Doesn't your second daughter-in-law have any sense? Look at how dirty she left the steps. I do my prayers there. Have someone clean it and tell the maid not to wash dirty dishes there."

The spirit left.

Thabo Babu immediately called for his second daughter-in-law, Jabulani's wife, Ayanda. She came and respectfully asked, "Did you call me, Father?"

"Yes, my dear. Are you having trouble living here?"

She stood silently, knowing she must have done something wrong.

"Answer me," Thabo Babu demanded.

Unable to speak, she felt her throat dry up. Thabo Babu could be very strict when angry. "Did you go to the pond?"

“Yes, Father.”

"I've told you to keep it clean. Go clean it now."

Fearful, she asked, "Can you send Mpho instead?"

"There's nothing to fear. Go."

Meanwhile, Zola had already gone to clean. As she did, the spirit appeared, walking down with wooden sandals.

Langa heard about this and angrily declared, "You're all fools, believing in these absurd tales! Father just doesn't like dirt, so he blames it on the spirit, and you all believe it."

His wife argued, "We believe because we've seen the spirit. You haven't, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Langa scoffed, "If the spirit is real, why hasn't he shown himself to me? I'll only believe when I see him."

Early the next morning, Langa decided to secretly cut down the baobab tree, ending the superstition. He took an axe and went to the garden. In the dim light, he reached the baobab and began chopping. Suddenly, a terrifying figure emerged from the tree, a monstrous, ever-changing form. Langa was paralyzed with fear, dropping his axe and collapsing to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

The spirit, however, did not harm him. Instead, he appeared to Thabo Babu and said, “I’m leaving, Thabo. Your son is lying near the baobab. I scared him. Go get him.”

Thabo Babu cried, "Forgive his offense, Lord. Why are you leaving? I’ve never disrespected you."

"You haven't, but your son has damaged the tree. I can't stay in a broken tree. Also, your time is near; you’ll leave on the next Maha Ashtami.” With that, the spirit vanished.

Thabo Babu rushed to the garden and found Langa unconscious. Gathering him up, he called for help and brought him inside. Langa regained consciousness after a long time, his arrogance shattered. He said, “I’ll believe now, Father.”

From that day, Langa changed, becoming humble and kind, and the guardian spirit, though unseen, continued to protect the family from afar.