CHAPTER TWO
1117 Words
Ferdiad was in his chamber when a guard entered.
"My Lord, young master wants to see you," the guard said.
"Let him in," Ferdiad said.
Henderson entered his father's chamber. His father laid weakly on his bed. Ferdiad looked so pale that he has lost his skin colour.
"Father, how do you feel?" Henderson asked sitting at the edge of the bed.
"I feel better," was Ferdiad's response.
"Has the maid attended to you? Did you use your drugs already?"
"Yes, I did. I don't want Gina to attend to me again. I'm tired of her scent."
"Okay. I will get another maid."
"Have you come to stay?" Ferdiad tried to sit up a bit.
"No, father," Henderson replied.
Ferdiad's expression changed. He looked at his son angrily.
"Why? Our last discussion was that you will stay once you come back home again. What changed?" he inquired.
"What I was after changed. I haven't achieved it," Henderson said.
"What is it that you want to achieve? You kept saying there is something you want to achieve? What is it? You won't tell anyone," Ferdiad flared up.
"Father, be calm. When it happens, you will be happy," he tried to convince him.
Ferdiad laughed. "Don't worry, the next call you will receive is to come and claim the throne as the heir of this clan," he said.
Henderson frowned hearing his father talk about death as if it is nothing.
"You will be fine. Nothing will happen to you," he said squeezing his father's hand gently.
"Those who died today made the same statement yesterday," Ferdiad said.
Seeing that his father will begin with his life philosophy lectures, Henderson decided to end the conversation about death.
"I will leave now," he said.
"Again? You haven't even spent an hour here and you are already leaving," Ferdiad nodded pitifully. "I prayed for a son who would take care of me when I'm old not a traveller," he complained.
Henderson sighed.
"I'm not leaving for the next three days. I just want to go see mother," he said.
"Okay. Come back soon. There is a lot we need to discuss," he said.
Henderson only nodded and went to his mother's house.
His mother was delighted to see him. She didn't question him as his father did. She just ushered him in.
"Prepare the best meal. My son has come home," she ordered maids.
The maids prepare the meal. They were all happy the heir is back. They will be able to catch glimpses of his handsome smiling face.
"I hope you are not leaving so soon again," May, Henderson's mother said as she kept on checking him out.
"Mother," Henderson touched her cheeks and smiled warmly at her, "I'm staying for three days. I miss your puddings."
"Don't worry. I will prepare the best meal for you while you are still around," she assured.
"I want to go freshen up. I just got back from father's chamber," he said.
May's expression changed to a sad one when her son mention his father. Henderson noticed the change.
"What happened? Did father hurt you?" he questioned.
"No. He just kept talking about death. He scares him," she replied.
"Don't be scared. He is just being pessimistic. I will see that his health gets better before I leave," he assured her.
"Okay. Go freshen up. Your meal will soon be ready," she urged.
Henderson kissed his mother's cheeks and left for his room.
His room was a large room with an armchair and a sofa bed aside from his kingsized bed. He walked into his room with his hand in his pocket. He stopped by the window and looked into the space. He recalled how he and his twin sister usually play in the space.
•••
Eight years old twins ran around in a space used as the playground. The male, Henderson has a bow and arrows which he made from sticks in his hand while the female, Allison has a bucket of flowers in her hand.
"I am the best archer in this world," Henderson boasted.
Allison laughed at him. "You are not," she stuck her tongue out at him.
Henderson felt his ego dampened. He frowned.
"No. I am the best archer. Look let me show you," he said.
He aimed his arrow at a bird seating on a tree and shot at it. The arrow looked as though it was going to hit the bird but it only passed above it. Allison burst into laughter.
"I told you, didn't I? You aren't the best archer," she taunted.
Henderson was closed to tears as he watched his twin sister make jest of him.
"Cry, baby. I will tell Yelena that you cry at the slightest provocation," Allison said.
At the mention of Yelena's name, Henderson wiped his tears and smiled at his sister.
"What do I need to do so that you can see me as the best archer?" he asked.
"I'm leaving now to tell Yelena about your archery skill," she said and made to leave but Henderson blocked her way.
"I want to leave. Why are staying on my way? Should I fly?" Allison questioned.
"Please Ally," Henderson flashed his teeth and made a puppy face at her.
"Okay," Allison grinned mischievously, "You will follow me to go pluck flowers tomorrow," she said.
Henderson looked questioning at her. They go to pluck flowers every day together.
"Ohhh? I will be clear. You will do the pluck while I just walk about telling you what to pluck and what not to pluck," Allison said.
"Okay. I will, just keep to your promise," Henderson agreed.
Henderson did what Allison instructed the following yet she told Yelena about his bad archery skills.
•••
Henderson smiled as he recalled this memory. He has missed his twin sister. He wondered if she wasn't around. He left his room and went to his mother's chamber.
"Where is Allison?" he inquired.
"She went to the river. She will be back soon," his mother replied, "Have you had your bath?" she questioned.
"No mom," he answered and left before his mother could start her rants on the importance of bathing early.
Henderson finished bathing and threw on a pair of trousers and a shirt. He stood by the window enjoying the view of the sunset when he caught a glimpse of something running in the woods.
It looked like someone who was running away from something or someone but he dismissed it thinking it was some animals.
"I heard some boy asked of me," Allison said to Henderson who had his back against the door as soon as she got to his room.
- Writer
