Mysterious Boy & Oldest Man in My Village

I was at my village, Kamakonie, in the Bombali District, over the weekend to grace the burial rite of an uncle, but the latest visit to my village ended in unearthing the mystery of a four-year old boy with extra-ordinary actions. I was also opportune to behold the oldest man in my village who is as strong as a youth.

This piece will serve as an opportunity to let you into some of the activities of this boy and man.

Patrick Samura, the four years old boy, commonly known as P.S, can eat more than anybody else in the village. Yes, he is the eating hero of my village.

In a bet display, P.S scoffed three (3) cups of cooked rice right in my presence to the surprise of many. This happened few hours (2pm) after he had eaten his lunch at 12pm.

Following his three cups rice eating competition, all attempts to restrain P.S from participating in another eating round proved unsuccessful. He actively ate from another bowl of rice with other boys.

I later learnt that P.S had earlier eaten a bowl of boiled cassava in the morning, prior to the rice he ate few minutes prior to the competition.

This is P.S’ usual eating rounds and nobody in the village has been able to unravel the mystery behind the boy’s eating spree, I learnt.

I need not comment on the looks of his stomach after consuming the three cups of rice, as the picture here speaks for itself.

The Mysterious PS after consuming three cups of rice

Pa Manso, 113 years old, is the oldest man in my village, and presumably the oldest in the country. He will attain age 114 this September 2011.

He is still physically fit with perfect eyesight. He has never in his entire life used glasses but can read comfortably.

He walks without being aided. Every morning, he walks three miles to work on his pepper farm.

Pa Manso visits the Wesleyan Hospital in Kamakwie every Wednesday for medical checkups and it would interest readers to know that the said hospital is eleven miles from his village; which means Pa Manso walks twenty two miles from and to his village every Wednesday.

His family members confirmed to me that Pa Manso has not complained illness for the past eight years.

The Author and Pa Manso

These are the mysterious events I unearthed in my village during my weekend visit. I was not told, I saw it myself.

By Aruna Turay