THE argument started like every other one that night. The argument about freedom between two brothers.
It was 3 years after Chaka-Hulu died and Maqwela became king. So the new king had been visiting Zadeque at night to hear him out.
But this night didn’t go down like other times. It went on and on and never dawned…
It was a painful evening that rolled on for 15 years.
Prince Zadeque pleaded, as he’d always done, for the newly crowned one to set him free. But Maqwela stood his ground, so the brothers wrestled with words.
Zadeque saw that his brother wouldn’t yield, so he chose to throw words in his face. Words that could hurt his pride and make him bend.
‘Are you this scared about me? Someone who wasn’t raised with privileges like you?
‘Look, no man wants your throne – it’s just you! So why should I stay here to make you feel capable? Why?!
‘Come, if you’re so weak to hold your place then leave it out to regents! Go on, abolish monarchy in Cape Islands… who cares?
‘But you can’t hold me here and tell me you’re sane! No you’re not!’
Those were the killer stones that Zadeque threw at his brother. So they hit him just where it hurt and wrecked his pride and honour.
The king had walked into the prince’s court that night alone. It was the same place where he’d kept him shut.
He’d made his servants wait outside already. He wanted a walk with the man round the house.
Now the place was a large house with a big yard. So Maqwela scrambled for stones at this point.
He was in a daze of temper when he found the stones. So he began to throw them at him. Like it wasn’t words his brother threw.
Zadeque was met unprepared. He didn’t think that his angry words would get him this physical.
He found the reaction quite a rude joke. So he snickered and dodged once and again.
But Maqwela wasn’t kidding, and Zadeque saw the look. So he picked up and rushed to the gate.
He raced like he could force the locked gates open. Or climb the barbed wired fence.
So when he got there and banged the gate, Maqwela aimed a big stone near his head. He meant it to only fly past, hitting the gate.
Zadeque turned at the sweeping force of the fierce stone.
Then as he turned and staggered out of balance, the thing smashed the right side of his head…
So he came down in a pool of blood.
Maqwela rushed to his brother, brushing his eyes clear several times. It all looked like a dream, but it was not.
So he cried that night and never stopped.
Yet this was a lesser bit of his moving story. And it wasn’t this bit that the monarch shared with his guests.
For there was something else he told the friends. There was something else that shook them.
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