I am Reborn through Revenge

Apologies to Norman

I didn’t know exactly where to go when I left Brady. And it seemed like I had lied to myself that I had the situation under control. I was only very sure of one thing; what my head was saying.

“Anon Fred Daz, someone is after you. Anon, someone is after you.”

My head was filled with clusters of repetitive words like there was music playing inside it. I knew that someone was after me of course and I didn't need anyone to remind me of that. My head too was the last thing I had expected to be disturbing me about it—almost at the point of giving me a headache. Upon all the singing and pounding, Norman's picture suddenly pooped out from nowhere and flew inside my head.

I didn’t want to go back to my room because it was too early for it and I needed to apologize to Norman for his door that I broke down the other day. Going to visit him wasn’t a bad idea, after all, I thought. On my way to his house, many people didn't look at me like they did the other time when I came with Marie. I think my clothes had a role it played there. Unlike the last time, I wasn’t wearing anything that seemed Prince-like and I didn’t prepare to appear in this attire either. Necessity called for it. I had managed to go through the market side, possibly passing all the discerning eyes and now, I arrived at the mighty big brown bungalow. It was a wonder to me how Norman was able to keep the environment so clean at such an old age without getting help from people. At the far end of his sharp rooftop was a black crow croaking. The crow's conical beak seemed like it was cut into half. I ignored it and went for the door. On my first knock, it seemed like I heard Norman's voice saying “come on in.”

“Good. I won’t have to break the door down this time again” I mumbled to myself.

I pushed at the door and it swung open. In there, just opposite the entrance, was Norman standing with his back facing me. I couldn’t exactly see what he was doing but I guess he was preparing something—maybe one of his tunics.

“Hello,” I said, waving.

He turned and regarded me with a squinted eyes.. “Anon. Is that you? I wasn’t expecting you” he said. His voice was warm and he seemed to be in a happy mood. His winter white hair was adorable. I could swear on my grave that it could glisten in the dark, maybe enough to lighten a dark room.

“Yes, it’s me,” I told him, smiling. “I trust you are healthy?” I asked, approaching him.

“Yes, I am. You arrived just in time. There’s a tonic I am making here. I would love you to give me a hand.” He scratched on his grey-white goatee with his left hand and on his right hand, he was holding onto a bowel and I guess it was the tonic he was preparing that was inside.

“What if I said no sir?” I asked him, smiling.

He laughed, the corners of his small deep blue eyes became thinner. “You wouldn’t dare Anon,” he said. “Pass me over that mortar.”

Just under the table, he kept the bowl, there was a wooden mortar he kept there. I squatted and grabbed it. There were dried leaves inside it which I suspected might be one of his unique herbs.

“Just put it here,” he said and pointed at the position he wanted it to be. I did as he instructed.

“Yeah, that’s right. Now go get me that pestle.”

“Where?” I asked.

“Just beneath the table too. Not far from where you grabbed the mortar from.”

I looked beneath the table like he said and toggled out a few things from where they were. I saw the pestle seemingly covered by a piece of cloth. “This one?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Yes. Now, I need you to grind the leaves inside the mortar with it. I need to boil this tonic in the bowl. It is a sleeping tonic.”

“A sleeping tonic?”

“Yes, if you are suffering from lack of sleep, then I guess this is the right medicine for you,” he answered. Then he walked to another table where he had kept a small oven and poured the tonic inside a pot. He began to simmer it.

I would need to have a taste of this tonic, I thought. I haven’t been sleeping well and I assumed that it might be of help. Anyway, that could wait. It wasn’t the reason why I came to see him.

I began to turn the pestle in the mortar, crushing those dried leaves into the tiniest pieces. “I didn’t get to apologize for the door I broke down the other day. I am sorry about that, I didn’t intend to break it at all,” I said. I wasn’t looking at him and I wasn’t sure if he was looking at me either. I was just focused on doing what he asked me to do.

“Oh! You left thieves and thugs from the city to decide my fate Prince Anon?” he said and laughed. “You don’t need to worry about it, I called someone and he had it fixed.”

That was a relief, I mumbled to myself. “That’s nice,” I said softly.

“Yeah. That reminds me, how’s the girl?” he asked. His voice was a little louder. I guess it was because he was now facing me. I stopped, I turned and saw him already looking.

“I guess she’s in the palace now.”

“Your servant boy, he told me something about her going to the party. He got her a dress when you were gone and he said that the girl would wear it to the Queen’s party.”

“Yes, she now works in the palace. The Queen was running short of servants so she employed a few numbers of girls and she was among the ones luckily selected.” I turned and focused on crushing the dried leaves. It was as though it wasn’t a topic of concern.

“Lucky her!” he said.

I raised my head and jerked up my two shoulders, and said, “Lucky her indeed.”

When I think I was done crushing the leaves, I called him. He came and checked it and applauded me for a job well done. He wanted to eat and he asked me to join him. It was as if he knew I was starving.

“This food is delicious. I didn’t know you make fine foods too. I thought you were all about the tonics and herbs,” I said, then he laughed.

Norman had served me with a mixture of carrots, well-garnished goat meat, cooked eggs, and some fruits. His apartment was large enough to contain a separate dining room where we seated, eating.

“Thank you. How’s the King doing?”

“The King?” I asked, arching my brows.

He regarded with his little eyes as though I had said something I wasn’t supposed to say. I could relate, I knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Of course, your father; Arthur Dracula Daz.”

I knew it. There was a reason why he called my father’s full name. Maybe he thinks that I was in full custody of the knowledge of my father’s whereabouts. How do I even start explaining to him that I haven’t seen my father for a very long time?

“I heard that he is still breathing.”

He had been eating slowly, but now he abruptly stopped. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked. He scratched off some little pieces of carrots hanging on his gray-white goatee.

“You know he is sick, right?” I asked.

“Yes, I do. It’s no longer a rumour. But you don’t seem like you eh. . .I don’t know.”

“I haven’t seen my father since I came back.” My throat began to hurt me.

“What? You have not seen Arthur? Why?” he asked. He looked me up and down.

“The guards, they wouldn’t allow me to see him. I think the Queen had given them instructions not to allow me to see him. I already gave up trying.”

I could see the frown on his face. He froze for a moment where he was sitting. The only thing that moved on his body was his jaw, which he tightened even more. I could tell he was already angry. Norman was among the few people I could vouch for—those that still cared for my existence and even happiness in Zahrin.

“You are under an avalanche of snow. If it cracks Anon, if it cracks, you will get swallowed” he told me. I perfectly understood his analogy without any further explanation but my hands were tied, at least for the moment.

“I know that.”

“I didn’t know it had gotten to this level,” he said.

I laughed.

Many people don’t understand that Queen Veronica was an evil genius. “Anon!” he called me. There was this smooth, soothing, and calmness in his voice. I really liked it and I knew he wanted to say something.

“Yes sir!” I replied.

“I fear for your life young Prince. Listen to me, any day your father dies, believe me, that’s when your count down begins.” He looked at me with a frowned face, his eyes were a bit closed. His breathing pattern changed—he inhaled a deep breath but exhaled less.

It had never occurred to me that my life was in a timeline until he said this. I have never seen it from the angle that Norman saw it from. Maybe the reason why Queen Veronica was still playing hide and seek game with me was that the king was still alive, I thought. I had never bothered much about my father and I didn’t care about his health either but now that Norman had said what he said, I stopped whatever bad thing I wished for my father. But on second thought, I think it was a useless idea anyway. Veronica could still kill the King if she finds out that he is becoming a barrier to her.

“I know that,” I told him. I couldn’t eat again. I think I had already lost my appetite. But I was lucky I had already eaten much of the food.

“Do you have any plans on how you are going to take the crown back from her son?” he asked me. “From Prince Nightwinder.” He had already stopped eating, I believe he lost his appetite too.

“Uh—m.” I didn’t know what to tell him. Should I tell him that I had met with General Uzbek, one of the greatest General of our time when I was banished? The General that Queen Veronica wanted to execute because of his undeniable loyalty to our kingdom and what was right? I don’t think so. It wasn’t yet time, I thought.

“No plans at the moment," I said. He looked seemingly disappointed.

“You must be insane. Can’t you see the handwriting boldly written on the wall for you? Audible to the deaf and visible to the blind? If you continue to turn blind eyes to all these superfluous absurdities from the Queen then you are in a straight way to hell.” His eyes blazed at me.

I couldn’t take much of what he was saying anymore. The reason was that I know he was telling me the truth and not like I didn’t like it but I know he was expecting me to tell him my plans which I didn’t want to say. I couldn’t afford to have him force me into revealing the little plans I have kept in place.

“Norman” I called him. “I will take things step by step. I’m just being careful for now. But when the moment comes, I believe things will sort out itself.”

“Goodness! Anon!” he gave me a scary look. “Don’t make me start nursing feelings that you are lame and stupid as well. I know you as a smart kid but this…what have you become?” he asked. His voice had changed from the friendly Norman I used to know to something I couldn’t immediately interpret.

“What do you suggest I do Norman? I should go straight and kill the Queen or what?”

“That’s not what I mean. Anon, you have to have a solid plan put in place. You can’t defeat the Queen without having a solid plan. And the way I see it, you have none.”

“I have to go now. I will see you later,” I told him. I stood up. “Thanks for the food.”

“Anon wait! Please, don’t misunderstand me on this. My intentions are pure. I only want what is best for you,” he said and he stood up too. “I will be willing to help you anytime you need me.”

That voice again—calm, soothing, gentle. He spoke to me in the language I understood. Norman was a good man, I did not doubt that but sometimes you need to be very careful and comprehensive when revealing your inner secrets no matter who the person is. I will still need Norman's help but it wasn’t yet time.

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you so much, sir. I do appreciate that you are willing to help me” I told him. “It means a lot to me.”

He nodded. He didn’t utter any more words. So what’s next?

Valerie!