PART THIRTY-ONE:
Rides, recollections & reschedules:
Miluh the mid-wife stared in disbelief at the man sitting in front of her. All that he had said so far, seemed nothing short of absurd. She was as dumbfounded, as she was somewhat distressed. It had to be impossible what she was hearing. She wiped her forehead with the back of her right hand and then proceeded to lean forward on her elbow. That action caused her to wince, because of the slight bruise she had acquired from their near disastrous carriage ride. They had decided to head back to her friend’s house instead. And then later, return for the evening festivities of the Festival/Fair. It was just as well and convenient, since her friend s husband had been pinning to talk with her. Hopefully, they would not miss her younger sister and her friend. Probably already at their usual meeting spot, in the Fair grounds.
The introductions were either too hastily done, or barely took place. They might have heard so much about each other, it all felt familiar. For as soon as they met, the husband jumped right into his tale. A situation that must have been a heavy load, waiting to roll off his shoulders. A burden he had obviously been carrying for years. Miluh blinked hard, to make sure that this was not a narration of some vivid imagination that he harbored. Or maybe something he conjured up as a child. Possibly in a sedated state of delirium.
“But how could you tell, that what the intruder was carrying was a child or a baby to be precise? Did it whimper or move so to speak? I mean, I know it was a very, very long time ago. Was there a sound that would have indicated such or any other clue of that sought?”
“Its not that I really heard a baby for sure.” The man stared at the opposite and blank wall as he spoke. But it was obvious he saw nothing there. His look was thoughtful and faraway. “However, the person I saw walked in with something held carefully to their chest. Then a few minutes later, came out cradling the same package gently. And don’t forget the fact, that I was just a boy.” Miluh nodded her agreement vigorously, at the last statement.
“So what made you suspect, that the strange visit might have been unauthorized? With the potential of posing as a problem at a much later time. It could have been scheduled previously by the palace.” The mid-wife was desperately seeking or hoping for an alternate ending, to this devastating story.
“It had never happened before. There were protocols to the system. Any scheduled visits could have gone through my father. And when it did, it would not have taken place at such an ungodly hour. Besides, I was with my father most of the time. And he had once explained to me, that the area had to be strictly sealed off. Except of course for a very few who had the authority or permission to visit. But none of them would do that creeping around at night now, would they?”
“Hmmm….” Was all Miluh could manage, as she shook her head.
“Then the next morning….” His wife, who had been sitting silently besides him the whole time. Started the reminder.
“Then the next morning,” he picked up seamlessly. “Everything fell apart. The kingdom was in an uproar about a dead baby and a missing one.” He paused and looked at his wife. Who quickly nodded her support for the continuation of the account.
“The trending speculations and mayhem, made it even more frightening for me to tell my father. What I had seen the previous night. Remember, I had wondered away out of curiosity and against his instructions.”
“The reasoning of a child, understandably.” Quipped Miluh.
“And the rest of what happened after that fateful day, is now history as we know it.” All three adults were silent for a moment. Allowing the said past event, to begin to permeate their individual thoughts.
After a few minutes, Miluh simply asked. “Did you know who occupied that section of the dungeon at the time?” The mid-wife asked, knowing the answer.
“It was the then banished queen. I only got to know this, many years later.” The man quickly supplied and continued speaking.
"Which brings me to our next dilemma,” he said. The mid-wife looked right at him, wondering what could be next. Yet giving him her full attention.
“As you very well know, we lost a son some time ago.” Miluh nodded in sad understanding. “What you do not know is that my wife had five other siblings. That lost their first sons also. It all happened through some strange illness, freak accident and/or unexplained circumstances.” The woman gasped in horror. “That many? So sorry to hear that. I never knew….” Her voice trailed off sympathetically.
“Of course, you did not. But the reason I mentioned or even brought it up. Was that while this awful tragedy was going on, my father-in-law. My wife’s father made a horrible confession.” He saw the mid-wife’s eyes widen in anticipatory and renewed terror. But felt he had to go ahead with the story, none the less.
“He was approached by a council member from the palace….” He paused and bent his head. Shaking it from side to side and letting out a deep sigh as he did. The magnanimity of the decades of charade was becoming a life sapping process. Lies yielded more lies to protect the previous one. While deceit multiplied diligently, like a cell reproducing itself. He wanted out. He could no longer afford to be a part of the endless scheme. His wife, seeing that he was struggling to continue, picked up the story.
“My father said he was approached by two men," the wife began. "One of which he recognized as a palace council member. They offered him a lot of money, to come before a panel and testify. Then he was duly provided with the words he was to testify. He did not remember the details. But it was as if he was in a trance, he would later explain. The story he had to tell was all about a relationship with a woman, with whom he eventually fathered a child. At the time he stood before the panel, he himself believed that his story was true. In fact, every information he was fed. And the speech in which he was coached. Became a strange reality to him."
“Was this woman a member of the royal family, a prominent person?” Miluh wanted to be clear, as to where her line of thought should be going. “I believe so,” her friend responded.
“You see it had to be someone important, of significance and in a prominent position to prompt such a devious and deliberate scheme.” The mid-wife continued to speak, while the attentive couple nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, there was a light tap on the door. And all three of them turned towards it. The man slowly rose up from the chair on which he had been sitting and walked over to the door.
“It is the carriage driver,” he announced while still holding the door. “He says he has fixed the wheel that got bent when the vehicle almost rammed into a herd.”
“What do you think?” Miluh turned to ask her friend. “Should we continue to the Festival, or make it in tomorrow instead?”
“Ooh….” Started her friend. "I feel so tired and emotionally spent right now. Between the bumpy ride and all that trip down a disturbing memory lane. I am ready to call it a day. We could still catch up, if we head in tomorrow morning.” The woman languidly stretched her hands upwards.
“Well then I guess he could take me home.” Miluh suggested. Feeling exhausted herself. “My only regret is that my sister and her friend would be disappointed, that we did not show up."
“Tomorrow is another day,” proclaimed her friend cheerily. “We can easily catch up then.”
“And how about you? Will you be attending the Festival/Fair?” She turned to ask her friends husband.
The two sides of a gift:
The two ethereal beings floated gracefully in the surrounding beam of rapidly shooting light. Descending lightly to the lower base and layer of encirclement, the lower ranking of the two spoke.
“Should we prevent or stop them from taking his gift? A precious item which he earned for his selflessness and service.”
“No, that would be routine, predictable and in most cases a commonly expected cause of action. Rather, let us do something that can only possibly come from our Lord. Something that He alone could accomplish.”
“Really, how is that?” Asked the lower ranking being.
“Let’s see,” said the higher ranking one. "It is much like the challenge of the two rods. One of light and the other of wizardry. Both became serpents when cast to the ground. And the two snakes, looked quite the same on the outside. As if they both were of the same source and power. However, that false perception lasted until the greater one of the two. Which was the one of light, swallowed up the other one of darkness. Now that is what you call an unprecedented action.” The higher ranking being finished with pleasure.
“Alright then. Sounds like fun.” The other being expressed joyfully.
“Let them steal the item." Stated the higher ranking being. "It will definitely come to nothing, in their defiled hands. What was valuable and precious, in the right hands. Becomes refuse and useless, in unworthy hands.”
“I understand. Yet the victim still experienced a huge loss.” The lower ranking being sympathized.
“We will replace it with the exact same one or an even better version." The higher ranking being, consoled and continued. "We are after all, in the business of reward and restoration. We always have been.” He said, finishing with a smile of triumph.
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