QUEEN UGONMA

THE SEARCH

One morning Queen Peace , Princess Ugonmas mother, woke from a life-like dream and she narrated her dream to Prince Kingsly.  In her dream  she saw UGONMA being thrown into a well by a mob. Some she could identify while others she had never seen them before.  Ugonma was crying for help but none came  to her rescue. " She just be in great danger" Kingsly said " I don't believe that cockroach and bull story that witch told us" he concluded.  " Even if she ran away, at least she would have called or even pick her calls. Before we left I lodged a complaint at the police station for a missing person,  I am going to call the commissioner of police to send out a search party nationwide." The Queen said and then  asked, " Have you spoken to the lawyer recently?" "Oh yes mum, I was with him on the phone and he told me he is seriously suspecting Queen Beatrice of murdering dad and kidnapping Ugonma. But  now you have mentioned the dream,  I will call him to investigate and let us know" Kingsly said. " Please do" the Queen said. 

Quickly Kingsly called the lawyer and after exchanging pleasantries, Kingsly asked if he has heard any news about Ugonma.  He said no and Kingsly urged him to do something and that he will be adequately compensated. " I just remembered that your father owed his friend King Eric some money and since your fathers death I expected him to say something even on the burial day" the lawyer said. "That is unusual " said Kingsly. "Well keep me posted" . It was later in the day, that Kingsly saw the mum reading her bible in the poŕtio . " Hello mum, do you know a certain King Eric?" The mum looked up and sighed " Yes, Eric is an old friend of your father,  why do you ask? " The lawyer said that dad borrowed a huge sum of money from him and that he expected him to come for it but is surprised that he hasn't. " Kingsly finished.  " I know about the money and when he came for the burial, I equally expected him to say something.  Instead there was this look in his eyes of guilt, maybe it's my imagination " the Queen said and as she sighed.

The Queen called the commissioner of police and the advertised Princess Ugonmas picture on television, newspapers,internate and billboards. There was a two million naira reward for any one with any information regarding the whereabouts of the  missing princess. That first evening,  Queen Beatrice saw it on the television and she panicked for the first time in her life. She quickly called her henchmen to ascertain that they will not betray her especially with the reward money attached to the missing princess. They assured her of their loyalty and she quickly called King Eric. The king confirmed he just saw it now and he angrily asked " I was about to call you. what is the meaning of this? You told me, the whole family agreed for me to marry her in exchange for the money that your husband owed me." "Eh eh eh" Beatrice stammered and the king road " Do you know the implications of what you have done , I will be seen as..."   "Fool?" Beatrice interjected . "Well, let me tell you , if she is found with you  I will deny you because there are no witnesses and I will simply say you kidnapped her" " So that's your true colour, but you are forgetting something"  the king said  " What is that" Beatrice asked. " Ugonma herself knows all you did " and with that he hang up the phone.

The King felt humiliated, insulted and above all ashamed of himself. Now looking back he regretted how he has treated Ugonma like a slave knowing fully well who she was. The daughter of his own friend. Now look at how she looks recently. What am I going to do? Should I kill her, no I can not shed blood. Should I report everything to the police, what of the public humiliation, I will be imprisoned.  What will my lovely wife and children say. How did I get myself into this mess. All through the night, he drank whisky and paced up and down till it was morning. Meanwhile, Prince George came back late at night from USA am went straight to his room with a promise that he will see his father whom he has planned to surprise with his arrival.  It was very early in the morning, he woke up with a rumbling stomach and decided to go to the kitchen to get some quick breakfast and then go see the king. In his pyjamas he walk into the kitchen and was shocked at what he saw. He saw a very fragile looking girl with a leg cuff mopping the floor. Without even thinking,  he rushed to her took the mop from her and realizing that the chain on her legs where locked, he screamed for the guards to come and promptly they came and at his command, opened the chain.  "Who did this " he asked anger flashing through him as he spoke " Your father" came the softest voice he has ever heard in his life.  " My father?, Why, who are you?"  before Ugonma could reply he rushed of towards the kings chamber. 

   "What a handsome man" Ugonma muttered under her breath and to think that it was this monster of a long was his father . Ugonma shuddered with disgust. It was on one of those occasions that the king summoned her to inquire if she is now ready to accept him that she has seen his picture in the main sitting room where the king always sat for the few times she has been upstairs . Under normal circumstances she really would love to be cuddled and how she would have loved to be kissed by him, at that she scolded herself. "Have you looked in the mirror lately,  he will never look your way not with you looking like a slave. She sighed as she looked herself all over.  He just have so many girls after all he is a Prince.  She rebuked herself and reminded herself of her predicament. She offered a silent prayer asking God to use this Prince to grant her freedom. She quietly finished her mopping and washed the dishes. She ate the little breakfast given to her and with nothing else to do headed straight to her room.