by Antonio Napoli

In the sun-scorched land of Africa, where the sun fulfills its destiny of light without pause, the camel imprints its step on the burning sand, and every breath of man or beast seems an act of defiance against death, a commander was returning victorious from a battle. 

Along the road, despite his fatigue, he had detached himself from the group, driven by an impatient curiosity for something unexpected. Along a mysterious path, each step of the camel, on which the commander’s figure swayed, resonated in the eternal intertwining of invisible forces that pushed him forward.

Having crossed a narrow sandy gorge, he reached a height where the path bifurcated. The man stopped, gazing at the horizon. Being naturally doubtful, he decided to leave it to the camel to choose the best way.

The camel moved left, where the path, well-marked across the desert, ended in a dusty clearing, dominated by a stone fence and a mud house. At the door, a rugged and sincere old man greeted him. He sat on a log and said:
“Welcome, traveler, and welcome your soul, which, like all living things, is a fruit: within it are seeds of a destiny that only the heavens and the children of tomorrow can foresee. Those seeds are fragments of a future that do not belong to the season in which the soul’s fruit has ripened.”

The two spoke, and when the enchanter learned the reason for the visit, he said:
“Whoever desires to know their future must understand that they must abandon all hope of change.”
“Please, tear the veil of my future, for the uncertainty torments me.”
And so the man learned that he must be wary of a new camel that would bring him death. With a shadowed brow, the man bade farewell and resumed his journey home, but at the crossroads, he felt compelled to explore the other path.

He found the same landscape and a house similar to the first. Here, a young sorcerer welcomed him warmly and offered hospitality. When the man expressed his desire to glimpse his future, the young sorcerer responded:
“The future is like a river with waters that are now shallow, now deep: so shallow that a lamb can cross without fear, and so deep that an elephant can drown. I will tell you this: never lose hope, but always remain vigilant,” and he warned him once more to beware of a new camel.

The man thanked him, somewhat relieved, and hurried back to the kingdom from which he had departed for war. The king received him joyfully and ordered a grand banquet. The commander asked to see his son, and, together with his family, sat down to dine with the sovereign.

They spent a pleasant evening, and when the time for gifts came, the king decided to give his brave man the very camel he had received as a present.
“I part with it joyfully,” said the king. “I know you will take care of it.”
The man smiled, but a dark shadow of premonition clouded his face.

Several months passed in peace, and the man was sent on an embassy to enemy territory. Not wanting to ride the king’s camel, he entrusted it to his son. The boy became so attached to it that, a month after his father’s departure, he no longer wanted to part with it. The ambassadorial mission was fraught with danger, so much so that the man narrowly escaped death multiple times, as if his fate were bound to the shadow of death, always ready to claim him with every step, but always slipping away, leaving him to live another day and face the next challenge.

Upon his unexpected return, the commander, with the king’s consent, gave the camel he had received as a gift to his son, and with that act, it seemed he could live the future days with great relief.

A year passed, and the commander no longer thought of the enchanter’s and sorcerer’s warning. Meanwhile, the king, bored by the lack of novelty, proposed a tournament for the youth of the kingdom. The commander’s son eagerly participated.

The games went on with alternating outcomes, but the atmosphere was so festive that no one cared for victory or defeat. Goodwill reigned supreme. Evening arrived, and only the obstacle jump remained.

The king introduced this new game with the following words: “I have had these obstacles laid out not only for fun but also for a lesson. Obstacles are inventions of men, created to be overcome. They are very different from dangers. Who can boast of dodging every danger? No one knows what the day holds until it is over. Everything in life is a danger: it can be just as dangerous to sit at a table to eat and drink as it is to walk on a battlefield; leaving is as dangerous as returning. Obstacles can be overcome, but mortal dangers lying in wait along the way cannot be defeated. We must look at what is to come as if it has already happened.”

And with these words, he began the game. When it was the turn of the commander’s son, the camel jumped poorly, struck the obstacle, and fell to the ground, crushing the young man.

Immediately, the father and others rushed to help the boy, who, though battered, was still alive. But it was in that very moment that the camel, lying on the ground, its eye sparkling with the last ray of sunlight, its body trembling with pain, emitting a sound of profound sorrow, suddenly lashed out, striking the commander in the head. He died instantly.