22 - Partial confession

Chapter 22 (Partial confession)

 “I’m so sorry father. I-“

Thalko’s anger seemed to shrink the world around Tsote. The gaze they held was powerful and unavoidable. He was forced to start by apologizing before even Thalko could utter anything worse.

“How old are you today?”

“Fifteen…”

“What’s rule number one?” Thalko spoke again after a few seconds of silence. Thalko gave him just two rule saying his safety and life depended on them. He broke the very first and most important one!

“I must not leave Marakusha or cross beyond river Ulewo…”

Thalko was silent for a while before he spoke with such a deep tone. He wore a deep frown across his brow. Thalko is the last person Tsote wished to disappoint. Had everything gone as fast as usual? This moment would not have been.

“I am so disappointed in you!” He finally concluded with a sneer in his tone.

“I…”Tsote began with a stammer and swallowing a hard lump in his throat. The face Thalko wore, Tsote was seeing his very first time. He wished the ground would swallow him to save him from his shame and fear.

“You disrespected me…!”

“I did not intend to g so long … I-” Tsote dared to explain but Thalko interrupted him again. 

“Silence…!” Thalko burst at him. There was another moment of silence.  

“Tell me. Where have you been to this day?” Thalko continued.

“Ma-Mama Erusa said…” He began. He felt like saying the whole truth but he held back his words in hesitation. “I wanted to talk to the king. Father…”

Thalko squinted as though he understood Tsote was turning to lying to him.  

“Mama Erusa advised you to go up The Olko hill. You wanted to say. Continue from there… no foolery!”

“Mama Erusa said. She advised me to find and talk to my real father about who I am… she said there is much about me than you could ever tell me. And…”

“Insolence-” Came Thalko. “Erusa is my sister and I know her best.”

“But she…”

“Don’t you dare utter lies about a respectable woman before even three sunsets over her grave!”

“I’m sorry father…” Came Tsote.

“You did not intend to meet or talk to your father…” Thalko added in interruption. “Savimbu, captain of the King’s guards along The Olko hill reported you crossed the lines uphill. The enchantment exist. As real as the failure of your gifts. Now I need to know how in the name of Klode, you survived the guard….”

“She gave- …” Tsote began just to change his statement.  “-I mean, I never went up hill. I couldn’t breathe well.” He lied. At this moment, he felt Thalko knew he was lying. His gaze was intent and judgmental the whole time. Tsote swallowed again. He felt his chest. 

Thalko stood up and came closer to him.

“Repeat, she gave you-?” He said pausing a second. “-what?” 

“Mama Erusa.” He stammered. “She game me her word, she wouldn’t tell anyone… Not even-” 

“What did she give you…!” Thalko barked at Tsote who steps back worried.

“She gave me beads. My Mothers beads and… and she said they belonged to my mother.”

“You don’t know what you have you have done child.” Thalko began in a tone, which fell with every word. He drew nearer and touched his face making him look up at him. “All I ever wanted was to protect you and raise you like one of my sons.” Thalko spoke a lot more calmly.”

Tsote’s chest heaved up and down. Thalko took his hand back and held both behind his back. He straightened up looking down at him without bending his head. “-tell me more. What else did she say to you before and after giving you your mother’s beads?” He asked in such warmer and very friendly tone this time.

“-She only told me the beads will guide me to all the answers.”

Thalko remained silent for a few second never breaking his down cast gaze from Tsote.

“And where are the bead?”

“I lost them on my way back…”

Thalko was silent again. Tsote glanced half way up to the commander’s belt. The commander did not move or break his stare at the child. However, he seemingly knew the boy lied to his last question again. He did not push for more questions. He instead reached forward and took Tsote’s face into both his arms. He affectionately rubbed his thumbs against his lower eyelids, his face filled with worry and confusion about the matter. 

Finally, Thalko let go of his face and started past him toward the exit. At his second stepped he uttered to himself in a bitter whisper. “I warned her…!” Tsote heard him as his eyes fell on his sandals again. However, before he could exit, the commander in chief paused again. He glanced a side so slightly and said.

“You will come with me to meet your father. Now…”

*** 

His team would be in lack of one player. But this player possessed no Kurota and so was a hopeless team mate. There were five teams and each wore a different colored bark cloth band around their arm. Tsote’s team was always a losing team and most of the time they blamed Renso for having included Tsote on their team. Each of the five teams comprised of nine players each and M’boguku’s team was known for its mighty and aggressive character. His team was the assumed the best and most admirable. The Prince of Sambura, Mozia O’mondo was here too with his guards. His team came from Sambura.

As they made their way towards the exit of the household shelters, the tams were bring led towards the main field. Thalko glanced towards Makita, his daughter. She was there watching them leave. She stood with Renso. She had found him to inquire what her father would do to punish her friend. She looked worried but Renso had nothing to do. It is obvious she tried to ask him if he could convince his father to hide Tsote from the King. Just before Renso responded to her.

“The King is his real father….”

“What-!” the rest, the look she wore explained it. She reached into her clothes and felt something. Immediately, she started in a hurry toward her father but the guards dared not let her through. Her father only chook his head at her twice to calm her. They held gazes with Tsote as Thalko led him and his guards out. She wanted to know if her father could allow her come along. Thalko father stopped her and with a head shake. She however needed to get to Tsote who she may never see again after here. She had watery eye when she got up to him and hugged him farewell.

As they made their way towards the road leading out of Marakusha, with tents erected on both sides and fires still blazing. The sun was already rising in the east and cast tent shadows across the street. Tsote followed Thalko. Renso beside him and as they exited Marakusha he saw his team mates making their way past glancing in his direction with faces seemingly saying they never needed him.

The king was in his royal tent. His Captain of royal guards just was exiting from reporting his complete failure to locate the boy when they made their way through. The guards bowed for him as he made his way towards the king’s tent. For a moment Tsote thought, they bowed for him. A few feet from the King’s tent, Thalko halted his guards and Renso. He asked the Halfling Tsote to hurry to his side. He took his hand and started towards the King’s tent. An alarm of his arrival sounded and the king moved back to his seat where he waited for them to enter.

“My King, the Halfling child. Tsote.” Thalko began with a simple bow.

There was a moment of total silence. As if, the king was still studying the boy with a keen eye.

“Bring him closer my friend…”

“Move closer…” Thalko instructed Tsote with a deep whisper to Tsote.

“Where are the beads child… show your king!” the king began.

“I, I have no beads My King… I…” Tsote stammered while saying. 

He gets up and comes slowly towards Tsote. For the first time he was seeing the king up closer than ever before. He felt a twinge of fear rise up his spine. The king looked damaged and faded every inch of him. He looked at Tsote with such a critical glare. It is as if a portion of his Kurota could not hide back under his skin so well leaving bit of his body as hairy and manifested minimally. 

“How dare you lie to your king…!”

Tsote shook and stepped back a bit. The king’s Kurota was taking control of him again. And he was cringing from the pain of it. He staggered, his claws protruding from his fingertips longer and sharper than the usual as well as his teeth. His men rushed forwards and held him but he arrogantly pushed them aside claiming he did not need their help. Thalko steps forwards and stands next to Tsote from behind.

“My king…?” Came Thalko with worry about the king’s behavior.

“You have done a great job but this will be a father and son moment Chief Thalko.” Came the king. 

Thalko nodded stepping once backwards and away from Tsote who felt cold and alone in a very small room that very moment.

“Tsote…” came the King.

“Yes my king…” He replied with his head bent down as signaled by Thalko.

“You will say the truth for every word that comes out from your hopeless mouth!” the king spoke without a sense of tolerance in his voice. “Because you know why you are here…!” 

“Yes my King.” Came Tsote.

“Today is the day of the Kurotandi games and you will be making fifteen years of age. The day you must be initiated into the warrior class.”

“Yes but…”

“But you have not trained hard enough to manifest your Kurota knowing very well the Warrior laws discriminates no one, whether royal blood runs through your veins or not- .” The king added quickly.

“I know but,” Came Tsote trying to explain for himself. “I only crossed the river to meet the man I should have grown up calling father but the guards wouldn’t let me…”

“To meet me under whose permission…?” Came the king.

“Mama Erusa told me…”  Tsote began.

“Erusa!” Came the king bitterly looking toward Tsote and then Thalko. “The story teller?”

“My sister…” Came Thalko “Yes, I received a report she unexpectedly returned to Marakusha the following morning after the I’nka day and...”

“She what!” came the King in total surprise. 

“We were at war against the new comers third invasion…”

“You failed to do away with your sister. Let her escape. I overlooked the idea that she was still alive out there and clearly warned you never to let her near this Halfling child. Ever!” The king went chaotic. He thrust a few things on his right forwards at Thalko’s feet. Thalko bowed down. He dared not turn his back on the king o draw out.

“I never ever did my king.” Came Thalko. “I tried the best I could through Renso. And I trusted him but…”

“She was your only weakness that I know now. Your little sister. A filthy liar surrounded by Shorango charms and magic!” The king barked in conclusion turning to the boy.

“What did she tell you boy!” Came the king turning to Tsote sharply. At this point Thalko hoped the boy would not utter a thing. This is where he too would lose his position as chief in command of the king’s warriors or worse his life!

“Due to my position and roles, I delegated my niece to look after the boy when I was away. And he can testify Mama Erusa has not talked to the boy for the times she appeared in need of seeing me.”

“Seeing you for what purpose…?” Came the King critically walking closer towards him. Seemingly forgetting Tsote for a while.

“She was my only relative alive. All my brothers lost their live serving you in the army and how in the world would I deny myself of any contact with that only person I have left? She missed me. And I hadn’t seen her in years.” 

“You could have met her elsewhere.” Came the King adding. “My dominion touches the edges of the seas… but you chose to…!”

“I did not. She begged I let her come home at least once at the end of every season just to breathe a homely scent. Sit where she used to sit while a child to watch the starry night sky… she lost her sight, she almost lost her life for what she has inside her that she did not chose to keep. I couldn’t deny her the rights.”

“Because she was your secret weakness Thalko, and you failed me…” came the king.

“Only once my king. My apologies…”

“You knew very well what your sister was. What more she had become during the twenty five years from when you first lost sight of her!” The king spoke

“It did not wipe away the fact that she was my only sister… and I, all she had left.”

“-and you do not realize why the child’s gifts have delayed…?”

“How is this to do with her appearance once every season? Watching the star every last night of the full moon through the top of my shelter and leaving the next morning.”

“Watching what exactly though her blinded eyes?” came the king. 

“She always did when she was a child and…” Thalko spoke with a stammer.

“You don’t know why or what she knew! And why exactly the last day of every full moon?” the king asked. Thalko did not respond. He was never around always. And Renso never took notice of these occasional visits. The next thing, Tsote heard was;

“Guards…?”

“I gave him rules to follow... and we have talked again and again but just like all children…I beg you spare him this only once.”

“Nonsense!” the king barked as the guards rushed in.

“You now know why the boy’s Kurota delayed to manifest; Shorango magic. Wherever it is, the Unko gift suffers hardships manifesting. And the Kurota doesn’t manifest where the Unko isn’t fully achieved.” The king spoke to Thalko who bent his head down again.

“My sister was simply a dream chaser and…”

“Why and how is she able to track dreamers?”

“Could be Shorango magic but she is blind and they have not come into contact even once…”

“How do you know?” Came the king.

“Renso can testify...” Thalko replied at once. 

“Renso has his problems as a man. And mine are beyond usual you know this.” Came the King. “I’ve suffered daily waiting for the day the Halfling’s Kurota will manifest above his mother’s gift. Then you reveal your sister in possession of Olko magic was with him this whole time?”

“My King?” came Tsote.

“The King gave him a rough gaze but before he could shut him up, he went on to say.

“I’m your son my King and you can neither undo the fact. And it hurts to come to understand you wish I was never born...” Tsote interrupted again almost at once! The king listened.

“True… because you got no idea what my reign could have been without you…”

“Tsote was silent for a few second. His eyes grew teary. The King’s statement pinches deeply. He found the courage to add. “Well then, I don’t think there is anyone here to blame but you…”

“How dare you…! Guards?”

“I beg you let him speak my king…”

“He would judge his king?” came the king with a bitter sway of hands. “Insolence-!” he added as the guards walked in. They formed a ring around the boy with their spears in aim. They already heard he wasn’t an easy child to compare with what he looked like! Taking hold of him. They however heard their commander’s plea to the king.

“You think this wise of him saying to my face… seize him too. “ Thalko hit his spear hard on the ground. The guards approaching hesitated for a second.

“The boy is your son and I your most trustworthy friend!” He told the king while lifting his head. “I have seen him grow up into what he is and I must say within his physical weakness and lack, his senses supersede any other child. Even my very own children’s. Having grown up discriminated, despised and bullied by his peers in possession of their Kurotas, he has developed questions. The difference over weighs on him. He suffers internally as much as you do. In addition to that, my lips are bound not to utter a word by vow. You alone had the answers. Why then don’t you give him a chance to know who he is?”

“In my courts, a child without his Kurota has no right to speak…”

“He isn’t any common child my king…”

The king became calm for a second. He looked at his friend Thalko with such tolerant gaze before he nodded to the child to speak.