IT was one month since the close talk which brought King Maqwela peace.
The ruler had almost lost touch with reality before. For 15 years he’d been quite like a running machine, his whole system of nerves being alert every time of day.
The man’s heartbeat would wake his nerves like a working clock wakes the night. His pulses also were live beats that set his whole frame restless.
In 15 years, he’d chased nothing but peace.
Now since that day he turned his heart to Christ, he’d found a new reality like that of a baby.
He felt like a newly born in the way he slept and laughed. Everything was peace like that of a child.
So after about a month of basking in the wonder, Maqwela thought of Zadeque. He wanted to ask forgiveness.
He thought about calling Nile and Vickie over so they could pray for his brother. But first, he thought to beg for his forgiveness.
So the monarch went back to his secret place. Yet this time, it wasn’t to lurk somewhere near the man and cry.
No, it wasn’t even to bring in a private guest like Sand and Muse.
He was passing through to see his brother’s welfare. Still this wasn’t a crisis case.
So then, the ruler crossed to the other side of the hall. Then he bolted open a small gate covered in plants.
It was a synthetic mode of a climbing plant that was used to hide the gate.
The small gate creaked aloud as the 40-year-old opened and bowed low to pass through.
Then on the other side was a world that would surprise him more.
Maqwela stepped on the long lonely pass that the gate opened to. The pass was bounded by stone walls arched and straight.
The middle-aged got to the gate at the end of the pass. The gate opened to a walled land on which Zadeque’s place sat. The property was walled in stones mined from the sea.
Maqwela heard laughter where he stood at the gate. The laughter was light and fun and very merry.
And then again, it was two voices laughing.
The Cape Island leader froze there. He was quite sure about where the laughter was coming from.
Zadeque is the only one living in this place. And that woman Yalowe is the person I got as his caretaker.
Now if Zadeque is laughing here, then is Yalowe joining him to laugh? Is she that close with him now, that she’ll be laughing with him?
Wait, is she making fun of my brother now?
King Maqwela unlocked the gate at that end of the pass. He stepped into the lawn in front of the modest building.
He wanted to listen to confirm what was happening.
Now Zadeque’s place was such that the ruler could reach him through the passage.
The prince’s caregiver didn’t, however, need to use that pass. As there was a different route through the walled villa.
Then again, the lady didn’t need to pass through the main gate to leave the palace. She used a secret gate left unguarded for her job’s sake.
So there at the king’s gate where Maqwela stood now, he started to make sense of everything.
Yet he heard the words that knocked him out.
‘So you don’t know I can beat you again? Yalowe, chess is my game! Ask Maqwela how I beat him in those days. Ask him!’
‘I didn’t say you ain’t good, Darling. But you can’t beat Yalowe! I’m the younger one here, you should fear me! See, it just happened!’
‘What happened, my dear? You’re not saying you let me win, right?’
‘Aw, why will I let you win? I’m taking you on big time! You just wait till when I’m in good shape! Nine months’ time, if you want to guess!’
‘Wait a minute! Are you saying…? I mean are you pregn—?!’
Just then there was a knock on the door. But the two were in the start of a serious talk so they wouldn’t hear.
The king had knocked right then because he didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Especially when they were just dropping a secret.
Now Maqwela was let in on loads of surprises. He’d got many thoughts running through his head since the time he stood there.
Yes, he’d been wondering if Zadeque had become well. He’d asked himself how he got well if he really was. He’d wondered since when it was.
So, he was just wondering whether the prince’s nurse was turning herself to his mistress, when she hinted she was pregnant.
At that point he didn’t want to hear more. There were many surprises waiting for him.
But then Yalowe and Zadeque weren’t secret lovers. They were a newlywed spending two months in honeymoon.
They’d gone out of the villa one quiet weekday and registered their marriage in court.
They went using the lady’s exits out of the villa and the palace.
Meanwhile, Collins’s father, the former chief of palace security, had been Zadeque’s contact man.
He’d become the prince’s friend since the day of the accident which wrecked his life.
He’d also volunteered to be the one who oversaw the caregivers’ employment.
Then he was in support of the union. So he stood as the witness at their registry.
Now Zadeque’s new bride was expecting a baby. And this was Heaven restoring the times.
This was destiny being found again.
So now, Maqwela went in…
Then he met the man that didn’t stay down.
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