KEEPER OF THE DESERTED ISLAND

A TERRIBLE FAMILY

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Shirley was busy munching on snacks one afternoon in her room while also scanning through the images of the palace in the book she was reading, she was giggling on her bed while enjoying herself when the queen came in to disturb her peace

“You really know how to disrupt someone’s peace, you didn’t even knock” she remarked without lifting her head

“What to do when your childhood friend received a younger brother but you the friend haven’t heard about the news” the queen replied

She closed the book immediately to digest the news she just got from her mother

“did you just say Jerrick received a younger brother? How?” she said in surprise

“how? His father got someone pregnant and now they have given birth to a baby boy” the queen replied with a shrug

“a baby boy? Wow why do I feel like a drama will soon go down between the two of them” She remarked picking up a snack with an evil smile

“Why are you already thinking of that for a new born baby? But truly I also know there will be so much drama soon, the wife of the prime minister is so scary you know, I am curious about how they will sort out this story between her and the concubine” the queen supported and they both chuckled

“I should go visit Jerrick then, it’s been so long I went to their house” she said and jumped off the bed

“Are you visiting Jerrick or the new born baby? You should remember to take a gift along, don’t go empty handed” the queen said before heading out of the room leaving her to get dressed

She dressed up and her two attendants, Lady Carolyn and Debra followed her with a box of baby towels and a pot of plant as gifts. They got to the house and saw that there was no sign of celebration whatsoever which baffled her but she ignored it and went in to greet the family

“my princess, what is this sudden visit?” the prime minister remarked and spring up to honor her presence

“I heard that there was a joyful happening in your house so I came to visit, I should come congratulate you and Jerrick, my friend because that is proper etiquette” she replied with a smile as she settled on the chair in the room

“Thank you for your consideration, I am so glad that you came to congratulate me all the way to congratulate a lowly being like me” Avery replied with a small bow

“Come on don’t be like that, why will the whole prime minister of our kingdom be a lowly being? You are just being too humble” she remarked before motioning to the maids to bring the gifts closer

“Since it will be so rude of me to come here empty handed, I am bringing these gifts for the new born baby, I pray he will be always warm in these towels and blossom like this plant” she said pushing the gifts towards him

“This must be the reason why everyone loves you, you are always so thoughtful and nice. I really appreciate the gesture my Princess” he said with a small bow and smile

“I haven’t seen Jerrick around, did he go out?” she said looking around

“Jerrick went out on an errand, I will tell him to visit you at the palace when he comes” he replied and she stood up to take her leave

“I will wait for his presence then, do enjoy the presence of your new found joy” she stated and went out

She was going out of the compound when she heard the new born baby crying loudly by the side of the house, she was curious about what was happening and went to check it out

“why is she crying so hard like this? Where is his mother?” she asked with so much concern

“The mother has been sent out by the madam this morning when she cleaned up after birth, she said she will be the one to raise the child herself” the maid holding the baby explained

“She did what? She sent the mother of a new born baby out? She didn’t even let her feed her baby? Who does that?” she asked with her eyes as big as saucers

“I cannot answer that question ma’am, I have been assigned to take care of him instead” the maid replied innocently

“my princess, why are you acting like it’s news to you? The concubine cannot live in the same house with us just because she gave birth to my husband’s baby. The only person allowed in this house is the son and I have played my part in accepting the baby, he will grow even without the breast milk” Jerrick’s mother said and the princess was speechless

She wanted to talk but Lady Carolyn pulled her back slightly by her dress giving her the signal that it was not her place to interfere with whatever happened in their household so she held back and smiled instead

“Even though he will grow without breast milk, he should not be left hungry and uncared for like this, the little soul didn’t offend anyone, he was brought into all these against his will” she said trying to keep calm

“I will keep that in mind my princess” Jerrick’s mother said with a little bow

She left the place and went back to the palace where she kept thinking about the baby who was left hungry without his mother available to feed him since she chased out by Jerrick’s mom. She was still lost in thought when she got the announcement that Jerrick was in the palace to see her, she rushed outside her room immediately and ushered him into her room herself which was surprising to Jerrick who had never stepped into the room ever since they fought when they were small, she had always met him in other places in the palace but never her room

“You are ushering me into your room? Is something happening? This is strange” he remarked and she scoffed

“Nothing is strange or happening, you should get anything weird you are thinking out of your head” she snapped at him but he just smiled instead

“Why is the mother of the child sent out when her child is still so small? The baby was crying so hard back there with nothing to feed him with, are you trying to kill him?” she said immediately and Jerrick sighed

“Were you dragging me in just to tell me that? That is matter between women and it doesn’t concern me, they will do as they deem fit” he replied carelessly and that earned him a death glare from her

“Are you serious right now? You are talking this carelessly about your brother? Don’t you have some blood carrying feelings flowing through your vein?” she asked almost shouting

“I don’t think you have the right to shout on me over this issue, I never asked anyone to give me a younger brother so don’t try to make me feel bad. Did you call me here just because of the baby?” he asked with his voice so cold

“Then did you think I called you here just to laugh and giggle with you?” she replied eyeing him

 “I’m afraid I have no say in this if this is what you called me for, I will take my leave now” he said with a little bow and left the room

“It’s been years and he hasn’t changed, such a cold blooded wolf” she growled as he disappeared with the closed doors

She decided to stop thinking about the baby by evening and continued her life until one afternoon when the news came to her that the Prime minister was carrying out a stripping ritual

“A stripping ritual you say? On who?” she asked pausing her arrow shooting

“the baby, the prime minister said he will not allow him to grow in power so he wants to strip off the power now” Debra explained

“What kind of clownery is this? Why is he so brutal? Does he want to kill the poor baby?” she yelled and ran out of the room to meet her father in his chambers

“Pardon my barging in father but this matter is so urgent that you must hear of this” she said panting

“What matter? Is it about the stripping ritual the prime minister is carrying out today?” her father asked looking away from the book in his hand

“You knew about it? Then why are you not doing anything about it? What if the poor baby die? Why is everyone being mean to a life who no one asked for his permission before bringing him to the world? Why is everyone so cruel?” she cried

“Shirley, it is not something that I have a say on, the father has the right to decide what is right for his household” the king said and her jaw dropped

“So you mean the baby can die off because of the greediness and carelessness of some adults?” she said with tears running down her cheeks

“you should stay out if this, if this decision is not made, the future repercussions might be deadlier and dangerous than this, have you not heard that the fight of two brothers can cause the downfall of a nation? Let’s not keep something that will stir up trouble in the nearest future” the king stated calmly and she just left his presence without saying anything because she was left speechless

She just went to cry herself to sleep after rejecting all the foods she was offered, the next morning, she went to train herself in archery till all her hands were filled with blisters and since then she had hated the prime minister and Jerrick the more.

After so much struggle, the mother of Hector came to pick him up so he could live with him and they have been trying their best to survive each day while selling things at the market when he turned ten but the wife of the prime minister which was Jerrick’s mother kept threatening her until she suddenly went missing and shortly Jerrick’s mother got sick and died. The prime minister had Hector brought in by force and started training him

“You will be the shield for your brother so you better get your head straight and train well with all your might” the prime minister would also tell him and assigned a guard to train him vigorously

He was betrothed to the daughter of another official who pledged alliance to the prime minister so he could benefit from his power and influence and he was to get married to her when he is twenty. He didn’t resist or protest since he had no choice and the father already told him that her family will be the one to strengthen him because he is just a son produced from a fling

The princess made sure to send things to him secretly especially home-made foods she prepared by herself without the knowledge of anyone

“I am sorry that the only thing I can give you is food but you know it’s me trying to tell you to stay alive right? You must live so you can overcome all these and be a free man” she would tell him and Hector would nod in happiness

All these were part of the reasons why she refused to get married to Jerrick because she was not ready to get married into a family filled with brutal people, it was irritating to her that Jerrick would always act kind and nice to her, he will bring her gifts on her birthdays and come to check up on her once or twice every week even though she made her hatred so obvious

“Of what use is a man who is brutal to the whole world but smiling at me? I don’t want someone like that” she said when Lady Carolyn tried talking to her about how she was being mean to Jerrick

“You should also try to understand his stance, he is in a place where he has no choice and where he can’t even decide for himself because his father makes all the decisions. The mother already died so the child will have it easy now, you should not allow him get in your way, it will be awesome if you can start opening your heart now so you can get to like him because there is no how you want to do it, he will be the one for you to marry” lady Carolyn advised but it all fell on deaf ears

“I will rather stay single till I die than get married to that terrible like theirs, I just cannot” she snapped and stormed out of the room

‘She is just too stubborn! I wonder what will change her heart” Lady Carolyn remarked with a sigh

Hector went out on that unfortunate day to get some things when the war happened, his father had moved to the palace but he was left at their former house to stay alone, he didn’t complain though because he considered it as a form of freedom. He was twenty by then and Gaia was eighteen when they met at the first time where she helped him off the planks and carried him home thanks to her power.

Aurelia suggested he starts schooling when they realized that he was not academically sound and he agreed readily. When the mother of Gaia, Shirley finally came to the island, he couldn’t recognize her because she looked nothing like the princess he had known all his life, her skin was rough and her hair was now tangled and rough, she was looking unkempt so he couldn’t even think that it was someone he knew

“so do you know your family? I mean who are your family?” she asked trying not to offend him

“my mother is not here right now but my father is the prime minister who has now become the king” he replied and the smile playing on her lips dropped immediately even though she tried so hard to keep her expression hidden from him

“You mean you are Jerrick’s half-brother?” she asked with surprise

“You know my older brother?” he asked looking at her but she was too stunned to speak

“Excuse me for a second” she said and hurried out of his presence making him confused.