A Hoe Novels & Stories

“This is yours. You’ve got an hour. Let’s see what you’re made of.” I stared at the hoe like it was a weapon. I had never held one before. My hands curled around the wooden handle, unsure. Of all things to expect, this I had never expected.

“Dig this entire area! Turn the soil! Make it soft! Do not stop until you are done! And do it with your own strength! No machines!” Hazel looked at the vast expanse of hard, rocky ground. It was huge. She picked up the hoe. It was so heavy her arms shook just holding it. She lifted it up and brought it down. Thud! Again and again. Her back was bending, her muscles screaming. She was sweating profusely under the burning sun. Her skin was turning red and hot. By noon, she had only finished a small part. She was so hungry. Her stomach was cramping. She hadn't eaten since yesterday.

'And you think a hoe will be good for it? 'Yeah, think of it, she asked us not to use spear or knife and what does those two have in common?'. She asked. 'Well, they're both harmful'. She hit her forehead with her hand. 'No, not that arrg'. 'They are both made with bronze in them'. 'Oh'. 'Yeah, so my guess it that bronze in some way harms the predators and makes the job easier for us and that's what she doesn't want. I think she didn't notice that these hoes too were made with bronze or she wouldn't have provided it'.

She yanked it from his hands, wound up, and cracked him in the head. The hoe, six feet long, was just what she needed. She swung it in a wide circle, knocking down anyone within range; within moments, she established a large perimeter around her. She saw a villager reach back with a large stone, gearing up to throw it at her, and she hurled the hoe right at him. It hit him in the hand and knocked the stone from it.

They sat still looking at the water for sometime, but then Hoor started straightening her legs, bringing them out of water .Arhaan could see her feet calloused , indicating that she had been dipping her feet from a long time now . Arhaan held her legs and changed her angle , Hoor was only able to gasp at his doings . He placed her legs on his thighs and started giving her foot massage softly . "Arhaan please .... " she said , her cheeks were tomato red .

"Please get me a hoe." Lion's decision to reach for the cell phone was aborted. He took a quick glance at Theo's halting steps. Then hurried to the shed near the kitchen without interrupting. "Here, sir." Lion handed over the hoe with many questions raging in his head. The entire surface of Theo's arm was covered in dried blood. Lion could not define what the face looked like. Theo's look was horrifying. "What are you going to do with the hoe, sir?" he asked, quite curious about the contents of the bag in Theo's grasp.