The Princess Was Fleeing. (Completed)

°Five - Her New Tomorrow

Jola was dragged out like the previous day and the chiefs were already waiting. Without delay, immediately after the greetings, the two representatives were called upon. The one who wanted her dead on the right and the one who wanted her alive on the left of the chiefs.

“Huh?”

The crowd started murmuring. Some were brushing their eyes, some shut theirs and re-opened them. Jola wondered what the fuss was about. She raised her head up and there stood Baoku on the left of the chiefs.

She was confused. Did he really hate her that much? Did he want her to live to suffer for the rest of her life? What was he thinking?

“The one on the left first,” the head chief announced.

There was a grave silence as Baoku cleared his voice. “At the meeting we had, it ended up that only three of us want her alive. Yesterday, I was among those who want her dead. But between then and now, I realised one thing. That no time has has the power that tomorrow has.”

“Huh?”

“But today is the time to make tomorrow aright. I lost my family in one day but today which is the tomorrow of that day, I am here with her fate in my hands.” He sighed. “One thing I want us all to remember is that, her death won’t correct the wrongs; none of our deceased loved ones will return to us, just as none of her deceased loved ones will return to her. Remembering the heartbreaking moments I had after my parents died, I want you to know that she will feel all of those only if she is alive.”

Some murmur.

“I’m not asking that she should be released and neither am I asking that she should be left alive so as to be punished. She was rude, she was all, but I realised why. Why? Because none of her parents was good. She felt all she was doing was right. Now, I have nothing against her. The ones who watched my loved ones die, are dead. She is not the one and I won’t punish her for that. Doing so is the same as being her father who would punish an innocent child for her father’s misdeed.” He turned to the chiefs. “I want her alive but I am neither saying that she should be punished nor otherwise.”

The chiefs and few others sighed.

“Now, the next representative,”

The burly, dark man remained quiet for a while. The awkward silence seemed lasting than expected. He sighed. “I do not think that she should be killed.” Some murmured.

“But whether she should be punished or not is left to the rest,” he quickly added.

The head chief sighed. “If you want her released, raise your hands.”

At first, only few hands were up, but in the next minute, all hands were up.

“Put your hands down,” the chief said and the people did as he commanded. “If you want her punished, raise your hands.”

No hands were up; just curious faces looking at one another.

“We have finally concluded that she should be released?” The chiefs asked.

“Yes,” the people chorused.

The chiefs conversed with one another for a while before the head chief turned back to the gathering.

“We have decided to do as you want. We are relieved to see that you have all realised that her death won’t make wrongs right but we’ll all just be bitter avengers, and heartless like her father. The gods may equally be angry, what more do we want? When he died without carrying out such threats. What if he did not die? Will we be here?” He sighed. “Let us all learn from Jolaade’s story. Her parents were enjoying their today, forgetting that there is a time called tomorrow. Now look at how helpless their daughter is. Where is the prince that was to marry her? Which king will want his son to marry her? Let us all think twice before living like there is no tomorrow. Tomorrow exists, it may seem never arriving. But really, it will always arrive. Today is the tomorrow of Jolaade’s parents. Let’s learn from theirs.”

The inhabitants of the kingdom clapped their hands together with enthusiasm.

“Jolaade, you are released and forgiven your awful pasts. We just hope that you make things right. Till the gods announce who the next king will be, you are to live in the palace as one of the maids. But remember, anything can happen tomorrow. Live today well.”

“Release her!” One of the other chiefs instructed.

All the while, Jolaade was gazing at the ground. Even when she was freed, she was too ashamed to look at their faces.

* * *

Jolaade thought of poisoning herself but decided against it. She lived in the palace amid all the shame. She was insulted and mocked. She took it all. She expected more but she got only a few. Over time, it dwindled down to nothing.

Her new tomorrow arrived when it was announced that the gods had chosen her as the next queen. She was relieved.

In the end, it was worth the struggle to live. Despite how much she longed and wanted to die, she endured and at the end of the dark tunnel was a very bright light.

Just as all had hoped, she was crowned the queen, the day following the day she got married to Baoku. They sailed through the bad times together. They started to mould their tomorrow the way they wanted it to be, if luck shines on them; if their plans do not go awry.

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