Copyright © 2018 by Matthew Williams
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2018
eBook ISBN 978-1-54394-574-4
Book Baby Publishing in conjunction with
www.LiveIndependentco.com
For the Culture
ALWAYS
LIVE INDEPENDENT
“Nature is not mute. It is man who is deaf.”
-Terence McKenna
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
Shout Outs
Chapter 1
Dancing shadows flickered from the candle on his desk as Akiiki stared out the window into the dark night. His mind wandered aimlessly from one thought to another as it searched for anything to distract him from the fears and doubts that hid in the darkness.
A faint voice echoed far off in the distance. Slowly it grew louder, calling his mind back from its brief journey.
“Akiiki, are you paying attention?” Kamau’s words sent his thoughts crashing in around him.
“Sorry,” Akiiki said with a grin as he looked up at his Kamau. Kamau reminded Akiiki of a great tree that had weathered the winds for generations. Though his body was old and frail, his mind was strong, the result of years and years of careful study and training. As a teacher Kamau was relentless, demanding concentration and effort on even the most mundane tasks
Kamau sighed, and the tension released from his face. “Try to pay attention. A king must never let his mind wander too far, for at any moment he may be called upon to make a decision that effects the entire kingdom.”
“I know,” Akiiki said quietly.
He grimaced at the thought of his future responsibilities, but he accepted his burden without complaint. Just as the sun rose every morning, so too did he know he was to be king.
“It’s just that we have been at this all day, it feels like my mind is full. If I study anymore I think my head will burst.”
Kamau smiled. “I suppose we have been at it for a while.” He looked through the papers on his desk. “We are ahead of schedule on your studies, and I surely do not wish for your head to burst on my account. That is enough for today. Make sure you are well rested and prepared for tomorrow’s lesson, we will review the history of the Unbuntu Forest.”
“Ok,” Akiiki nodded, relief in his voice. He stood and quickly made his way to the door.
Once outside, a wind blew down the corridors of the palace and sent a light chill down his spine as he made his way past the courtyard. When he finally reached his room, he pushed open the large doors and stepped inside.
A steady fire roared in the corner and filled the room with a comfortable warmth that wrapped him in a tender embrace as he closed the door. He lit a candle in the fireplace, placed it on his bedside table, and crawled into bed. He grabbed a book from the table and in the dim yellow light, began to read.
While the books Kamau made him read were long and boring, the histories of a time long ago, the books Akiiki borrowed from the library were full of exciting stories of bravery, danger, and intrigue.
As he read, a new world grew around him and he found himself in a lush green meadow, surrounded by large pine trees that seemed to reach into the sky for miles. There was a deep lake where large exotic fish swam in water as calm as glass, the sun shimmering off their red, green and gold scales. Around him, birds sang beautiful songs that carried for miles in the wind. His heart raced through moments of suspense and fluttered with excitement as the pages turned.
He read until his eyelids were heavy with sleep. When he could no longer focus, he folded the corner of the page and closed the book. When he finally blew out the candle and closed his eyes, sleep quickly carried him away in its gentle current.
He awoke to the faint glow of morning sunlight as it peeked through the large window that overlooked the ocean. A chill worked its way up his spine as he rolled out of bed and stood on the cold stone floor. He made his way over to the dresser on the other side of his room to change, when there was a knock at the door. He hurried into a long white robe decorated with golden thread, splashed some water on his face from a small bowl on top of his dresser, and made his way to the door. As soon as he pulled the door open, his sister rushed into the room.
“Wake up Aki!” she yelled in excitement as she ran past him and with one big leap, jumped onto his bed. Her small body disappeared in a sea of white sheets. Akiiki smiled.
“Esi what have I told you about jumping on the bed?” his mother asked as she stepped gracefully into the room. Akiiki closed the door and looked at her.
“Have you eaten anything?” she asked. “It is important that you keep up your strength. Your father will expect you to be well rested when you accompany him to his council meeting today.”
Akiiki shook his head and sighed at the thought of the meeting. His father’s council meetings were always full of strange men, men who spoke with words he struggled to understand about topics he understood even less.
“I know council meetings can be difficult,” his mother said as she put her hand on his shoulder. “But your father insists that you accompany him. He believes it will help teach you what it takes to rule.”
“I know,” Akiiki said.
His mother stepped back and reached her hand out.
“Come Esi, your brother needs time to prepare for his meeting.”
He heard his sister’s soft footsteps as she scurried across the floor and grabbed their mother’s hand.
“Aki, can you read me a story tonight? I want to hear about the man who sells his hats to the monkeys!” Esi asked.
“Again? I read that one to you last time.”
“But it’s my favorite,” Esi’s big brown eyes flickered in the sunlight.
“Ok, as long as you don’t fall asleep this time.”
“I won’t! I promise!” she squeezed their mother’s hand excitedly. “Did you hear that mommy? Aki’s going to read to me tonight,” she said with a smile.
“What do you say?”
“Thank you, Aki,” his sister said as she and their mother walked out of the room.
The door closed slowly behind them, leaving Akiiki alone in his room. He walked over and stood in front of the large mirror hanging on the wall near his dresser. His dark skin shone in the light like a jewel as he unraveled his hair from atop his head and let the long black curls fall over his face. He washed his hair in the bowl of water on his dresser, rinsing each coarse lock of hair with care. After he finished, he patted his head dry with a towel, and headed for the door.
Outside he was greeted with the sweet smell of ocean air as he made his way down the long corridor towards his father’s study.
He made his way past a small garden of colorful flowers, where a group of servants were busy cutting away dead leaves and flowers from the bushes with small scissors. They all looked at him and bowed. All but one.
Akiiki watched as she continued to tend to the flowers with a singular focus. She was the youngest of the group, no older than him, but in a strange way she seemed as if she had absorbed more from life in her short years than the adults around her. Her tightly braided black hair reminded Akiiki of ocean waves, and her dark skin caught the early morning sun in a way that only added to her beauty. One of the older women whispered something to her and she turned towards Akiiki and looked him in the eye. Her li
ght brown eyes threatened to drown him, and his breath caught in his chest as her stare worked its way deeper and deeper into his being. With a grin, she bowed before returning to her work. His heart beat nervously in his chest, and with heavy legs, he turned and stumbled away.
He arrived at his father’s study and knocked quietly on the door. As he waited for the door to open, he glanced back at the garden where a few of the older women looked at him with large smiles on their faces. Quickly he turned back to the door and knocked again.
The large wooden door opened slowly, and as he stepped into the room, he felt the pressure of expectation weighing down on him.
“Ah my son!” His father’s voice thundered through the silence of the room. His father stood up from a large round table in the middle of the room and walked towards Akiiki. As his father approached, Akiiki glanced towards the other men at the table and saw a few familiar smiles as well as the blank stares of foreign faces.
His father gave him a strong reassuring hug. “I was wondering when you might join us,” he said with a smile.
“Sorry I’m late. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Akiiki said, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
“Not at all, we were simply dealing with matters of personal importance. Come, now that you are here we will begin to discuss the matters of the kingdom.”
He rested his hand on Akiiki’s back and walked with him to the table. As they approached the table, the eyes of the men grew colder and more focused. A few of the men that he recognized, smiled and dropped their heads in respect. Akiiki returned their smiles, but their kindness did little to ease his nerves.
His father sat down in a large chair and Akiiki took his seat beside him.
“My friends, by now you are all aware of the events that have forced us to hold this meeting,” his father’s words were steady but Akiiki sensed worry in his voice.
“The northern tribes have yet to deliver their yearly ration of wheat and rice. They say the drought has made food scarce and that they have none to spare. As most of you know, two weeks ago, I sent some men to meet with their leaders to try and find a solution to our problem…. ” his voice trailed off into uncertainty.
“Of the seven women and men I sent, only two returned. The others were beaten and killed. According to the two whose lives were spared, the northern tribes have decided they will no longer contribute to the capital city.”
There was a momentary silence as the council members considered his father words. Then, a man dressed in a purple robe with gold stitching and a head scarf of the same fabric, broke the silence as he spoke in a quiet but firm voice. Akiiki recognized him immediately as Jahi, one of his father’s most trusted advisors.
“The drought has been hard on all within the empire my King. If we allow such an excuse, soon all the tribes, eastern, western and southern will claim the same hardship. The capital city must have those supplies, we cannot feed the city for long on the reserves we have stored. We have already placed limits on how much food each household is allowed. To impose more restrictions would certainly cause riots throughout the city.”
Suddenly, a loud voice crashed through the room.
“If they attacked members of a royal tribunal it is an open declaration of war!” A man yelled as he stood up from his chair. All heads turned towards the man who wore a simple black cloth wrapped around one shoulder. Akiiki had never seen him before and was instantly struck by a feeling of distrust.
“Calm yourself Sefu. I will do everything in my power to prevent bloodshed within my kingdom. This is why we are here, to find a resolution to this problem without the need for more violence. All of you are the finest minds that I could think to gather, surely there is another way to ensure that the northern tribes do their part in helping the capital city that can be accepted by all parties.” Though his father spoke calmly, frustration flashed through his eyes.
The tension in Sefu’s face melted away and his eyes softened as he sat down in his chair.
“I am sorry my king. I meant no disrespect, but the northern tribes have been fighting back for years now. I believe it is because they have forgotten the strength of the kingdom. This is an opportunity to show other tribes the punishment for doubting our strength,” where Sefu’s voice had once been strong and bold, it was now timid and forgiving.
“I am aware of your desire to showcase our strength Sefu, but sometimes the most strength one can show comes not from force but from understanding. If this council decides war is the only solution, so be it. But not until every other option is weighed will I wage war against my own people.”
“My King, we could lower the amount of wheat and rice that all tribes must pay until the rains come back,” said another man from across the table. “It is true that we do not have large enough reserves to keep the city fed for long, by our last estimations we have only enough food for a few months, but perhaps that is long enough for the rains to come back.”
Akiiki felt a subtle shift in his father’s body, as if a tall proud statue had decided to finally give in to the weight of inevitability. His shoulders dropped, and he let out a soft sigh.
“And if the rains do not come? What then? I cannot risk the lives of the people in the city on simply the hope of rain. There is truth in Sefu’s words. We have lost some of our influence over the northern tribes and they have resorted to governing themselves without respect for the kingdom. I am tolerant of strong tribes who require a certain level of independence, but murdering officials of my elect cannot go unpunished.”
“My King, I too have a distain for war in my heart. I have taken up the shield and spear in honor of the kingdom and have seen the toll war places on the hearts of men.” Tarek spoke calmly but assertively. As the general of his father’s army, he was one of the most respected men on the council.
“I believe only those who took part in the killings should be held responsible. Allow me to march some of my men north and bring back the dissenters so they can meet justice. Once they see that swift punishment awaits anyone who sheds the blood of an official member of the kingdom, they will think much harder about opposing us in the future.”
After a moment of consideration his father nodded. “Thank you, Tarek You have been a great general for many years and I see why. You possess the gift of compromise and I could not be more thankful to have you at this table. Are there anymore of you who wish to speak?”
Nervous eyes glanced back and forth from face to face as the men at the table looked for someone else to speak. It did not surprise Akiiki when it was Sefu’s voice he heard next.
“I believe this is a mistake, Ade. If we punish five tribal leaders from the north, ten more will take their place and continue their strife against the kingdom. The only way to ensure they do not rise up again is a show of force that frightens their leaders, their women, and their children, so that for generations they will remember what happens to those who rise against the crown.”
His father paused and looked at Sefu. “Do not forget your place Sefu, within these walls you will address me as your King. Your objection is noted, but this is my decision. Do any others wish to voice their objections?”
The room fell silent and Akiiki looked at Sefu who dropped his eyes to the table in front of him.
“Then it is settled. Tarek, you are to take as many men as you need and head north. Bring back those responsible for the murders and they will face whatever punishment I see fit. Thank you, my friends, I always value the opinions of this council, especially on such important matters as this. Let us hope our efforts are not in vain.”
The table seemed to rise as one as all the men stood in unison. Akiiki’s father watched as the men bowed and left the room. Once they had all left, Akiiki’s father sighed and sat back in his chair.
An unnerving silence crept over the empty room as if it had been hiding, biding its time while the room was abuzz with the energy of the council.
Akiiki’s father tu
rned and looked at him. “Tell me my son, what do you make of what you heard?”
Akiiki thought for a moment. “I think you made the right decision father.”
His father smiled and placed his hand on Akiiki’s shoulder. “Always remember my son, we are not blessed with the circumstances to make right or wrong decisions. A farmer who plants his seed at the correct time of the year so that he can feed his family through the winter has made a right decision, just as a farmer who plants at the wrong time of year and watches his family go hungry has made a wrong decision. For a king it is not as simple. The decisions we must make are filled with both right and wrong. All decisions made as king come at a price, and eventually we must pay for our decisions. The debt may be paid quickly and easily, or it may linger for years before sprouting back up, but at some point, the repercussions of your decisions will greet you and when they do it is best that they greet you as old friends rather than enemies.”
Akiiki nodded. “If your decisions are filled with both right and wrong, how can you know which one to choose?”
His father smiled. “A wise question indeed. In truth, there is no way to explain it. It comes from experience and an ability to follow your heart. If the northern tribes do not pay their ration, people in the capital city will starve, and people will die. If I send an army to destroy the northern tribes, people will die. All I can do is hope that my decision works for the best, that the perpetrators are punished, and no more loss of life comes to my kingdom. That and rain, I also hope for rain.”
Akiiki smiled. “Who was the man you called Sefu? I haven’t seen him before.”
“Sefu? He is one of my most trusted advisors and a close friend. I often meet with him only in private. Why do you ask?”
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