In the royal palace of Ashanti Kingdom, the ruling monarchy, an old man in his early seventies was drooling in self pity. He feels there is no hope for him anymore. His authority spanned over the Mediterranean and he ruled over many countries.
His eldest son was lying on his dying bed. He seemed to have lost every sense of fighting for his life. For the past ten years of his life, he'd come down with a stroke and had been bed ridden. Despite the efforts and experts all over the world, he couldn't get back to normal again.
And the past two years, his health deteriorated. He was no longer able to raise himself. He couldn't even speak properly anymore and it's just a matter of time before he joined his royal ancestor. And this has brought sadness to his royal Highness.
He has only two sons. His eldest son is dying and has only one daughter. His second son has a daughter as well and they couldn't bear anymore. If he dies without an heir, the throne falls off his hand and his distant cousin's son takes over the throne. For six centuries, the throne was his fathers.
In his pitiable state, her majesty arrives. An old woman who has her head covered with grey hairs all over. Her wrinkled hand was placed on her husband's shoulders. She sighed softly and said “My husband, why do you worry so much?” She asked, seeing how helpless he looked.
Seeing her husband was quiet, obviously worn out and unable to give a response, she continued “I went to see the seer again, and he assured me that you have an heir. He was so confident about it that I began to wonder if Clifford and Charlotte would have another baby at this age…” her majesty informed.
His Highness chuckled. Why does his wife still believe in the seer after so many years of giving a fake prophecy? He'd told them that their second son would give birth to a son who would inherit the throne of the Ashanti Kingdom.
But where is that son? He'd got only daughters and no son. The only one that would have been his grandson had died immediately he was born. What else was there to believe in his prophecy? No, only Farah can be deceived so easily.
“I don't want to get my hopes on nothingness. I am an old man without an heir. My eldest son is dying and my youngest son has only a daughter who gets sick too often. I don't have any hope anywhere. So I don't want to hear anything about the Seer’s prophecy” his highness discarded.
“Have faith, my husband. Everything will be fine” Her Majesty Farah coaxed before stepping out. She doesn't know why, but she felt happy and relieved at the prophecy. A flood of excitement descended on her.
She'd gone there because of her son's illness but she came back excited. The seer told her that Jamal will remain in pain and would slowly rot away and not see death except he spills the beans. She doesn't know what beans he was to spill, but she will take the message to him.
As her majesty stood before the door to Jamal's castle, her page went further and stood “Her Majesty, queen Farah Kamal’s arrival” she said and all the guards stepped aside and Jamal's wife stepped forward and bowed herself and welcomed her majesty.
“Thank you princess Diamond” Queen Farah replied as her page stepped aside to allow the princess to stand before the Queen and her majesty stepped in. The smell coming from the castle was suffocating. She was offered a face mask before she got into her son's room.
On the bed lay the crown prince Jamal Kamal of the Ashanti Kingdom. Farah's eyes welled up with tears. With the face mask, she could still perceive the oozing smell coming from his putrefying body. He looked dark and his eyes were deeply socketed.
His body was almost becoming a skeleton and his bony phalanges were stretched out to reach out to his mother. His hair was scanty and seemed to have all fallen off and he was not better than a decaying living being.
“Queen mother” He said in a fainting whisper. He felt moved by his mother's presence. She could still come around to check on him despite the obnoxious odour that emanates from him? Even his wife Diamond and daughter don't come to see him again and it's been months since they stopped checking on him.
He knows they are waiting for the news of his death. They no longer needed him, he'd become useless to them. All the medication was not working on him and it seemed to worsen his condition, so all the doctors gave up. The medical experts invited from other countries said his entire system had shut down.
He doesn't know why he was still living. He himself was tired of being kept this way. He was waiting to die but death had turned its back against him. Seeing his mother now, he wanted to smile, to thank her for coming to see him, but he couldn't talk properly.
“Prince Jamal. How are you doing?” Her majesty asked. But of course, he isn't doing well. Why did she ask him such a question? She definitely knows that he is not feeling well at all and dying was better than living this way.
“I'm fine, mother,” he replied. He just lied. How can he be in this state and still claim to be fine? He was far from being fine. Her majesty glared at him. How can he answer her that way? How fine was he?
But she nodded and took his bony hand. It seemed his flesh had melted away but she still held his hand. He is her son after all. How can a mother forget the child she'd given birth to or feel irritated by him?
“The seer sent me to you. He said until you spill the beans, you'll slowly rot away and not see death. You will pray for death, but it will hide itself away from you…” she informed him. What is going on, why is the Almighty making them go through hard trials and tests?
Seeing her son's shocked look, she continued “If you know what to do to relieve yourself of this suffering, please do it. Just take a look at yourself, you're rotting away already. Imagine what it will be like, to get worse. Please my son do the needful” she coaxed and stood up.
She was going to leave. There's no use waiting any longer. She cannot withstand any of the odour coming from him. But just before leaving, her son called her back.
“Mother, I'm ready to speak, I'll tell the royal house everything” he declared.