MAIDENS

MAIDENS 11

Father knew that something had changed between the Wura that left in the morning and the one kneeling in front of him now. He had been killing two birds with one stone as usual by seating outside on his favourite rocking chair while also waiting for his daughter's late arrival to their planned meeting when she had come into his view but before he could say a word, she had knelt before him. Wisdom had taught him over the years, not to be fast in speech so he had waited until she had spoken.

He had seen so many versions of his own daughter in so short many days that he could no longer keep up. For one thing, he was happy she was finding her answers herself ...and early. How could he communicate himself to her to remove this load of guilt she must be feeling? When she had returned from school, unusually late for her, he had wondered if she was deliberately doing so as a form of rebellion so he had waited only to be shocked when she knelt in the brown dust, unconcerned about her precious white uniform. He had remained silent. Then she said, "Father I made a mistake. Please, forgive me."

He had asked for an explanation and she had gone into how she discovered that the king was not mean for asking the Chosen Maidens to do away with all garbage and come to him. She had just ended her story and was waiting for his response.

"Wura, I am not angry with you," he tried to express how he felt. "But I promised you some answers so I will give them to you now."

"You asked earlier in the morning if King Adélòwò thinks leaving all to serve him would be easy. The answer is No. He knows it won't be easy but that will not stop him from asking you to do the best thing that is good for you. It's just like your teacher, Alakola. He is the favourite teacher in all the school but does that stop him from making those that fail his tests repeat the classes?

"No." was his daughter's small reply.

"That is because if such a person goes out unlearned, he/she becomes a problem to not only the school and his co-stewards but even to himself."

"Yes."

"The best medicines are not always delicious. Are they, Wura?"

"No, Father." His daughter's lower lip had started to tremble but Father moved on.

"You asked why he does not take babies to be his Chosen Maidens so he can groom them when they are without emotional attachments? The king does not have an age limit to who he calls to be his Chosen Maidens for his son's Royal Procession as you may soon notice but he can only choose them from his vassals- those that have chosen to serve him like you. Wura, how old were you when you decided to join his service?"

"Twelve."

"Does a twelve-year-old not have emotional ties?"

"They do."

"Then whatever age they are at; it will always be a challenge to let go of the things that do not benefit their mission to focus on the king."

"True." A tear slipped from her eyes then and ran down her cheek but his daughter kept her face down.

"You asked what audacity he has to replace the maidens that refuse to do so. Wura, my daughter..."

"Yes, Father?"

"The Royal Procession is not a compulsory march for these maidens. They were chosen, they did not choose to be chosen. It is an honour sponsored entirely by the will of the King. He has every right to set the rules."

"Yes, Father."

"Also, the king gave a choice for these maidens to make. Their refusal to drop their garbage disguising as healthy relationships, childhood attachments, cultural traditions, parental wills and many others show that they do not esteem the king high enough to choose him and the king only accepts those who select him as number one in their hearts."

"Wura, your error was not only being ignorant but being prideful."

There was no reply this time around because his daughter was trying her hardest to swallow back her sobs. He tried again to help.

"Wura, the king is not angry at you." When she still did not look up, he continued. "The king expects that those who work for him will be able to ask hard questions instead of following blindly. You are not an animal in the least that cannot think."

She looked up at him then. Her face was blotchy and her eyes red. He felt compassion for her so he came close to her and whispered, "I asked worse questions than yours in my time." At her look of disbelief, he smiled. "Let me tell you something. To the king, the worst questioner and strongest unbelievers make the firmest believers."

Father felt rather than saw her pass his words through her mind. When it found a resting place, he smiled. His work was done. "Wura, wipe your face and stand up." She took a long time obeying but when she finally did it was with a sincere, "Thank you, Father."

It was only a few minutes after this, while he was giving Wura some instructions about the evening meal that a little boy of about nine ran in sweating. "Aunty Wura, my sister has run away! Help us! Your name is in her letter so my mother said I should give you this note and call you now-now."

Wura only scanned the note halfway while he watched her expression carefully. "Father!" His daughter turned to him immediately and he understood her desperation and plea for help more than she could have ever explained in words. The boy was Adelola's brother.