₦airaland Forum

Just like every freshman in an Ivory Tower or any stranger who is a first timer in a city with high towers: every soul you meet seems elevated beyond your rank; each passerby on whom confidence is evident appeared better placed; and your little courage shrinks at the sight of all who notice your missteps. Oh, I remember! My first visit to Brass, a coastal city in Treeland West and better developed than Cleote where I live. I needed a ride to the Seed Royal Mall. Having walked a few minutes through a narrow path from the terminus, I found myself standing by a road wider than any I'd ever seen in Cleote. All carriages (they call them automobiles here) were going in one direction- south of Brass. I didn't know the Royal Mall was situated north and I didn't ask. All I noticed was vehicular movement in one direction. The road being a hillside was guarded with rails on the other side. I had thought the rails were fences to the adjoining thick bushes. From after the bush, though I couldn't see through, I could hear some rustling winds like of speeding automobiles. I had spent about an hour hailing 'carriages' calling "Royal Mall!" but none stopped for me. Then a boy of about 10, very rude and crude, came to me. "Mister! Royal Mall is north." He pointed, "Cross to the other side, find a way down the hill and through the bush and hail vehicles going north." He concluded instructively and walked away. Poor me! I was seventeen then and never knew anything called a dual carriageway nor how to ask for direction - a lesson I learnt once and for all. Duke, my protege had earlier told me of what he believed he was made of- his nature- by baring his mind concerning his dreams, his goals and what he's capable of. He believed, among other things, that he's born to lead and put things in proper coordination. No sooner he matriculated at Mount Lilly than his Life's Task found him out: he was nominated as the prefect for the set and his nomination was unopposed. The following day he was inaugurated. In the evening, he came to me and gave me the news. He was afraid he would fail at this new responsibility. His fears had stemmed from the academic burdens he must bear as the Prefect. This is the precept at Mount Lilly: if an ordained prefect excels academically, he becomes a Demonstrator which is just a step below an Assistant Lecturer. "Welcome to your Dreamedland" I said. Duke's eyes glazed with confusion. I must allay his fears. "Do one thing, and if you do it so well you will succeed." His ears tingled and I counselled: "Absorb the knowledge of your predecessors: the good, the bad, the unspoken. By the virtue of your new duty you have privileges to access people and records, study them with diligence. Also be bold enough to walk with the Nobles and intellectuals and ask them questions when needs be; be humble enough to walk with your friends and equals and attend to their questions. Above all, always remember that there are greater heights ahead, therefore live today for tomorrow. Face life with confidence and boldness; don't be afraid. Live well, Rule well, End well!" *The Wonder's Heart*

Sometimes life presents us with second chances; some other times lost opportunities are never regained- I know this so well. I was strolling the market square with my man Friday- Clement when the waves of whispers crossed my hearings of strange happenings at the Palace of Cleote. The gossip was about the palace, and at the centre of it was Princely, the king's most trusted advisor. A charming young fellow, so deft in Treeland's culture, politics and history, but still a bachelor at thirty-seven. Five years ago he was sworn into the king's council, and he was so loved by many for his youth, bravery and zealousness. However, this same fervour coupled with some emotional granules had abruptly propelled him in his early days at the royal court to singlehandedly dismiss an instructive intelligence of a probable palace coup. A secret letter had arrived from the naval base at Joppah sent by Minth, an admirable admiral. He addressed the letter to king Edwin through Princely for two reasons: One, Princely had proven to be the most discreet of members of the king's council; Two, he was once the love of the Admiral's only daughter, Teresita before their love went south. (Whatever went wrong between Princely and Teresita was never known to Minth before now. But he still held Princely in high esteem, notwithstanding.)

Princely disregarded the message. He wouldn't take any information from the admiral serious, obviously because he was yet to get over Teresita.
Now the coup had almost matured overtime and both the king and Princely knew nothing about it. So Admiral Minth came over to Cleote with a fury, not even for the reply he got from Princely (that was years back); but because he couldn't bear the thought of a noble king losing his crown when he could have saved him.
Arriving at the palace he headed for the council chamber; storming into the council session which the king was presiding over, he ordered everyone out, safe the king and Princely. By now Princely had forgotten about the admiral's letter and his own reply- it was four years ago. Both the king and Princely now watched the furious entrant in awe; he had in his hands a copy of the letter he sent to Princely on the left, and Princely's reply on the right. He handed the one on the left to the king. The king's eyes narrowed as he read it. Everything made perfect sense, he was suspicious of a conspiracy but he had been asking the wrong questions.

"Why did you keep this from me? He asked softly, trying to control his temper.

Princely was a bit lost.
Minth now gave the king Princely's reply. He was obviously bewildered by the content. His hand trembled as he stretched the piece to Princely.
"Did you write this?" He inquired.

Princely leaned forward and grabbed the letter, he had forgotten what reply he sent. The main content read:

"This claim of yours is outrageous. I consider it a mere figment of an idle imagination. Ships don't sail in Cleote. Princely."

"I ask you again, did you send this to the admiral?" The king inquired a second time.
Princely nodded remorsefully. King Edwin raised his hand. Minth interrupted,
"Your highness, may I speak to you alone?"
Princely exited shamefully.

At the outer chamber were the other council members- the actual traitors- waiting anxiously, and something else was waiting for Princely, too at this chamber. One of the admiral's men was bearing a letter for Princely. It was from Teresita. That was the last thing he would expect. Maybe it was time for her to gloat over him. He opened the letter curiously and read:

"To Princely, with Love.

Dear,
Greetings. Hope you are well?
I would have come on my father's entourage just to see you, but my father advised against it 'cause of the delicate state matter.
I know about the letters. My father didn't want to believe you wrote that reply but I assured him you did. I related to him all that you said and how you ended our affair because you mistook my cousin for another man in contention. I have since left that in the past.
Anyway, I did my best to appeal to my father that the king may not dismiss you from the royal service, but he never gave me his word.
I just want you to know that I still care about you, and I never loved any since you left.

With love from Teresita."

Princely walked with his tail between his legs out of the chambers. He did not know what his fate shall be. He broke up with Teresita almost five years ago. She was now thirty-two and still in her father's house.

The sun was setting, the night was drawing near. The meeting of the duo at the council chamber was taking too long. Princely went to his palace lodge preparing for the worst. That night a message arrived for him in form of poetry. We never knew who sent it. It read in part:

"...
If there is a playback, maybe a recap
If we were reminded of words we have spoken
The expressions which we gallantly made,
Daring whoever dared- owing no apology
Could we sit back now and attend to those lines without blinking an eye- I know better now!

"If there is a playback, the time's hands turned back
And we could see the words we penned, the messages we sent
The ones we swiftly and gladly posted
Convincing ourselves we've done the right and the best
Could we sit back now and believe our eyes- did I really send that?

"But then, nothing could be done about the days which are gone by
The reflections are sometimes like anchor weighing us down
Yet we need the caution to avoid another slip
If we'd applied them before we wouldn't' be awake
Even this night when others are asleep.

"Dear Princely, let your heart overrule your head. Swallow your pride. Reclaim your forsaken love, peradventure you may claim some other honour, too. I hope you wake up in the morning a wiser man."

Princely could hardly sleep through the night, he had penitence written all over him. Very early the following morning he sought the admiral's face, and asked for his forgiveness. It was so easy for Minth to forgive him; he had always regarded him as a son.
The council members that were listed in the coup had been dismissed and rounded up overnight. King Edwin retained only Princely.
Did you remember lord Edwin, the mayor that was booted out of office for alleged corruption before the advent of lord Grant? He was now the king of Cleote? How ironical!
Of a truth, sometimes life presents us with second chances; but some broken hearts will never mend.

*The Wonder's Heart*