Arribada by Samantha Kochharr | Prologue

PROLOGUE

He was a storyteller like no other, and this was a story like no other.
It all started four years ago, with his evening storytelling at the annual village fair. To his surprise, it became a highlight and both locals and tourists from far and wide flocked to listen to him every year, and the numbers kept growing. This year, he had been assigned a larger space. It was time. He had to get to the stage now. As he stood on the podium, the buzz of the audience subsided. He put on his collar mike, tied back his salt and pepper hair, rolled up his sleeves, took a few sips of water and smiled at his audience. There were children, young people and adults there.
The stage was set for our storyteller.
‘I am sorry to have kept you waiting. The story I am going to tell over the next few evenings is a special one. I hope you will be here for a couple of evenings, because
stories take time to unfold,’ he said.
He paused to take a look at the audience—some of them were smiling, while some shook their heads in agreement. Soon, they all settled down. It was as if they knew that they were all in for a treat for the next couple of hours. The room fell silent and he knew it was time to begin. He smiled and sent up a small prayer of gratitude. This was a special story and he hoped to do it justice.
‘Before I start, I’ll lay down some rules. As I narrate this story, I will keep moving in and out of the story. I will interrupt the story to share my thoughts and comments. Occasionally, I will reflect on the story as well. I talk, you listen. I may even address you directly. If you want to leave early, please do so quietly. May I start now?’ he asked.
‘Yes, please!’ they replied in unison.

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