Chapter 13: Chapter 13
CHAPTER TWELVE
Two nights later, four fully armed masked men invaded the house of Mr. Grant; it all went well because Grant’s wife was cooperative, but it became a bloody night as Mason ended up killing Mr. Grant who was trying to be smart and stubborn. They carted away large sums of money.
“Must you kill him?” Sanjala reproved when they got to their hideout. “We have shed enough human blood at Nunetiman already.”
“That fat guy wanted to get tough; he was trying to overpower me, didn’t you see him?”
“That is still not enough reason to kill him; we would have just knocked him out temporarily,” Sanjala argued heatedly, he was still panting heavily.
“Listen, I am the one in charge of this operation,” Abeonego declared as he stamped his foot hard on the ground. “Grant wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t proved stubborn. The harm has been done, let us forge ahead.” He turned to Banito who had the loot, “How much do we have there?”
Banito counted the money which was in bundles and told him the amount.
●●●
A week later, they went to the house of another wealthy family, immediately they entered the house, the father of the home had already prepared the money for them but when Abeonego saw the man, his countenance changed immediately. “Comrades, give the man back his money and let us get out of here at once!” he ordered in a muffled hoarse voice.
“What? We should return what!” Sanjala asked, bewildered, “Are you crazy? This is bullshit, what has gotten over you?”
Mason moved closer to Sanjala and whispered to him, “Come on, Pal, return the stuff if the officer in charge says so and let us get out of here!”
Sanjala grudgingly obeyed. Abeonego turned to the man who was lying flat on the floor in fright with his wife and three children. “Sorry for the intrusion.” He apologized as he went out to join the others and they left swiftly. Later at their hideout, Sanjala could not hide his anger, “Why did you give such an order? Have you suddenly developed cold feet?”
“Sanjala, I won’t have you talk to Captain Abeonego like that; he has not done anything that would make us question his leadership. Why don’t you put your anger in check and let him explain himself?” Banito cautioned sternly,
“I must say, that was a huge sum of money we lost at that place,” Mason observed,
“That man has been a blessing to me and us as a group because everything I benefited from him, I shared with you all.” Abeonego explained quietly, “If I should steal from him, I will never forgive myself again. At least, out of all the entire personality we have encountered in this community, he has been more humane than all of them.”
“Wait, was it that man you used to carry his goods and he pays you and even buys snacks for you?”
Abeonego nodded which left Sanjala confused, “Did you see now, Sanjala?” Mason asked, “Will it be proper to rob that kind of person?”
“I’m sorry; I was conscious of the time limit we set for ourselves that was why I reacted that way.”
“It is okay, we shall be leaving for Kuburin in two days, everything is almost ready; we are not going for operation again because the money we have is enough to take care of everything and also get us home comfortably,” Abeonego announced with a smile. They jumped for joy and started dancing.
The next day, they did not enter the market for the routine work but instead went to a five-star hotel to while away their time while Abeonego went to purchase a brand-new Lexus jeep LX470. They took off very early in the morning with Banito at the wheel. They did not anticipate any opposition as they were dressed in their spared military uniform with their identity cards which they had kept with their weapons all this while. They turned west on the highway, passed the surprisingly calm beach, and passed the major towns to the border and entered another country which they slowly passed too with their busy schools, markets slipping fast beside them. They stopped at a filling station to refuel and refreshed themselves after which Mason took the wheel; then they left the coastline and were soon passing through a security checkpoint near a lagoon. They passed through without stress. All in all, they spent two days before they reached Kubuma.
●●●
It was a fine, soft day of a kind peculiar to the island such as Kuburin; the sky was clear with cool and friendly weather. The dusty Lexus jeep headed to the palace with curious children thronging after it. Abeonego was surprised that there were more vehicles in the community even though they were mostly smaller vehicles unlike before when the people predominately used scooters, tricycles, and bicycles as their means of transportation. It was only in the palace one would see two or three vehicles, but things have changed, and modernization was setting in. Abeonego ’s heart was in his mouth as they alighted from the jeep and stretched their tired limbs. The chief priest and the elders in the palace came out to see the visitors and as realization dawn on them, cries of welcome rented the air.
“My Prince, you are still alive?” the chief priest who couldn’t believe his eyes exclaimed and turned to the elders, “I told you that the god of our land knows what they are doing; the fulfilment time of their prediction has come.” He went to hug Abeonego and the elders who were yet to overcome their shock at seeing the men also went to hug them after which they started discussing in hushed tones.
The curious children who did not know the visitors got a clue from the elders and circulated it far and wide. The palace had become a small carnival as people rushed to see the returned soldiers; drummers appeared from nowhere and started displaying as the joyful ones danced. As Abeonego made to enter the palace, two guards came to block the entrance. “What is the problem?” the chief priest asked in bewilderment.
“The king said he is not receiving any visitor!” one of the guards retorted barricading the entrance to the palace hall.
“What do you mean by that?” the chief priest asked, “This is his stepbrother for crying out loud.”
“It is the order from his royal majesty.” The guard snapped, “Please, leave the premises immediately,”
“We were with his majesty some seconds ago.” One of the elders said, “Help us inform him, the hero of the moment wants to see him?”
The guards shrugged his shoulders and maintained a none compromising attitude. “What is going on here?” Prince Abeonego asked as he moved closer to them.
“The king didn’t want to see you,” Elder Obsem said worriedly and before he could go further, Abeonego signalled to Mason, Sanjala, and Banito and before the elders could realize what was happening, they have dislodged the guards and would have beaten them mercilessly but for the pleading of the elders. “Elders, we respect you a lot that is why we are releasing them. Is this the kind of reception the so-called king supposed to accord us after all these years?”
“Please, pardon them; let us go in...” the chief priest pleaded, and they all trooped in to behold Queen Celandine and Prince Amadeus, the queen was uttering incomprehensible words, “It cannot be him; he is dead!” immediately she sighted Abeonego, she became hysterical and started beating imaginary air, “Eeeewwo! You are a ghost! We killed you already! O yes, I went to my parents to complain that my late husband had a bastard who was threatening my son’s inheritance, they took me to an herbalist in Kambam who gave me some concoction to put inside palm wine and make sure he drinks it to make him becomes irresponsible and unfit to rule Kuburin. I gave my son, Prince Amadeus with strict instruction on how to go about it. Prince Amadeus visited Abeonego when his wife gave birth and make sure he drank the poisoned palm wine. That was why Abeonego had a problem with his wife and appeared irresponsible to the people.”
The elders opened their mouths wide in bewilderment,
"I am not done, after he refused to die, I went back to the herbalist who said I should look for a way to send him out of the kingdom. He assured me that he would be killed once outside the shores of Kuburin.”
"Mother, what is wrong with you?” Prince Amadeus asked worriedly, he was embarrassed by his mother’s utterances, “Why are you talking like this?” he ordered the guards to take his mother to her room to prevent her from revealing more but she would not allow them, and the guards were reluctantly being afraid of the elders and Abeoengo.
“Based on our agreements, Prince Dathan arranged with the commander of the special force to make sure you never returned to Kuburin because you were considered a threat. Dathan had a certain percentage he collects from the revenue accrued to the royal purse. He became angry when you and your friends protested when we increased taxes because of that and being that we did not want you to ascend the throne because of the circumstances surrounding your birth. We arranged to enlist you into the special force with the belief that you can never return alive, that was why your promotion in the special force was rapid.”
“Where is the so-called Prince Dathan?” Prince Abeonego asked no one in particular. “I have some questions for the traitor.”
“He has been sick for the past two years and undergone all kinds of treatments with no cure. They took him from one hospital to another with no solution. Nobody knows how he is faring because he had been incommunicado.” Elder Obsem explained sadly, “The gods are cleansing the land.”
The chief priest turned to Prince Abeonego and patting him lovingly asked, “Has your body touched the seawater lately?”
Prince Abeonego nodded his head in affirmation, “Why do you ask that question, chief priest?” Elder Obsem asked,
“The antidote to that concoction which Prince Amadeus gave him to drink is for Prince Abeonego to bathe in the seawater; that is when he will become responsible again.” The chief priest explained, “If you have not, I have some seawater at home, I can prepare it for you to take your bath.”
“I am hale and hearty now, my elders,” Prince Abeonego replied flatly,
The chief priest faced Queen Celandine and blurted out angrily, “That is where you got it wrong because the way of the gods is different from the way of mortals.” He shrugged his shoulders before he continued, “Prince Abeonego is a man of destiny and there is no amount of conspiracy that can disrupt his destiny from coming to fulfilment...”
“Your wife is in the palace cell and your son is living with my brother in Kambam...” she ignored the chief priest and continued her confession after which she burst into tears.
“Why? What was Adalia’s offence? Why would you involve her in this?” Abeonego asked worriedly,
“Adalia was supposed to be my wife, if not for your intrusion, she would have been happily married to me and I would have become the king of Kuburin kingdom by now!” Prince Amadeus retorted, “Let me make it known to you that you can never rule this kingdom, not while I am alive!”
“Amadeus, you don’t know me, because if you do, you will know I am not the enemy,” Prince Abeonego said slowly and faced him, “If I have a choice to choose where I should be born, I won’t have chosen King Liam because he deceived my innocent mother, but I have no choice. I am not dragging the throne with you, so I will give you two minutes to order your men to release my wife now.”
“If I do not release her, what will you do? You will beat me the way you beat my guards?”
“Prince Amadeus, why don’t you take a path of honour? King Liam had declared your elder brother as the heir to the throne before his demise. Do the honourable thing now, reconcile with your stepbrother while you still have the chance, release his wife and step aside.” Elder Obsem advised,
“Listen and listen good, I will do no such thing, I will fight for what is rightfully mine; this throne belongs to me, Abeonego is a bastard and Adalia will be locked up in that cell until she agrees to be my...”
Prince Abeonego did not allow Prince Amadeus to complete his statement as he rushed and punched him in the forehead. Prince Amadeus tilted to the left and went down in a frightening collapse. Elder Obsem ordered the guards to go and lock him in one of the palace cells, “This is the result of obedience, evil, and being power drunk.” The chief priest declared piteously, “Prince Amadeus and his mother will be tried in line with our customs and tradition but that will be after the coronation of our new king.”
Prince Abeonego turned to one of the guards and ordered them to take him to the cell where Adalia was being held. The guards bowed and muttered, “With all pleasure, your majesty,”
Elder Obsem ordered the maids to prepare a sumptuous meal for Prince Abeonego and his friends and invited them into the royal chambers where they were to be hosted. Some minutes later, a woman rushed into the chambers. The guards had been trying unsuccessfully to prevent her from entering. “My elders, where is my husband?” she cried bitterly as she searched but could not see him, she fainted. Tears seeped from Sanjala, Mason, and Banito’s eyes as they recognized her. Her husband had died in the plane crash. The guards helped her out quietly as another woman breezed in and rushed into Mason’s hands with tears of joy. Prince Abeonego emerged with a joyful Adalia some minutes later; she had grown lean though still very beautiful. Sanjala, Mason and Banito, and the elders gave her a standing ovation with clapping of their hands.
“Stop crying, my princess, your tale of woes is now over,” one of the elders spoke with empathy, “You have defeated the enemy, Princess Adalia,”
“Prince Amadeus punished me,” Adalia cried, “Day and night, he kept pestering me to marry him, telling me that you are dead and not coming again. I have made up my mind not to marry again even if you don’t come back, I told him I am okay with Aenas, I pleaded with him to release me and my son to go in peace, but he refused.”
“I’m sorry, Adalia, I promise not to leave you and Aenas again.” Prince Abeonego promised solemnly, “Thank you for believing in me,”
Her tearful eyes beamed as she looked up to him; he hugged her affectionately for the umpteenth time, “I will always believe in you my husband, I knew the turbulence times will not be forever...” she intoned joyfully,
“The queen and Prince Amadeus didn’t allow us to have access to her,” The chief priest said sadly, “I want you to thank the guards also, Amadeus would have forced himself on her but for the guard who overheard when he was threatening her that if she didn’t give in to his request, he would be left with no option but to do the inevitable. The guard rushed to my house and told me, so I went to Amadeus and warned him sternly that if he dares attempt it, he was inviting curses upon the royal household. I told him to remember what his father did and the repercussion, he suffered for what his father did, this one he was about to do would be instant judgement. I told him, Kuburin was a kingdom where the saying, curses are like chicken, they come home to roost work larger than life.”
“Thank you very much...”
“I did not do it for only you; I did it to safe the royal household and the kingdom from another doom.” The chief priest said,
“The guards also used to complain that the prince doesn’t feed her, at times for two days.” Elder Obsem explained, “I spoke to him about it, but he warned me not to intrude.”
“All those are past now...” the chief priest consoled, “It’s all well that ends well.”
They all laughed heartily before Prince Abeonego turned to her and whispered, “Let me go and bring Aenas.”
“I will go with you,” Adalia insisted, alarmed that he was about to leave her again, but Abeonego insisted he must go alone, “Please, don’t leave me alone,”
“Adalia, let him go and bring your son to you,” the chief priest advised, “while he does that, join us at the chambers for the reception and I’m sure he will meet us before it’s over,”
She nodded her acceptance of the priest’s verdict, “Please, be fast about it,” she whispered,
Elder Obsem ordered one of the maids to take Adalia to the queen’s room and let her freshen up with a change of dress befitting a princess after which he ordered two guards to go to Kurinma and bring Prince Abeonego’s mother, Cynthia immediately. Meanwhile, at the reception, the visitors were treated to different types of assorted food and drinks. It was during the meal that Banito and Sanjala’s wives joined them.