#7
2083 Words
ANGELA AJAX
Both my grandmother and Getty were still shocked by Edward’s — I mean the prince’s visit to our home. I was scared too, not of the prince of course but, scared of the tension that is in the house right now. My grandmother even called me to the living room. My mother is not there so it is only the two of us. I sat down on the chair in front of her and I couldn’t even keep eye contact with her.
“Ma,”
“You know how your mother strongly feels about the Williams, yet you keep poking her. What is your problem?” She scoffs.
“Ma, I did nothing, I swear,” I defend myself.
“Then, what were you doing with the prince in the first place? Do you want your mother to give you another episode?”
“She is not my mother!” I scream at her, she gasps. That was so rude of me. “She is not my mother,” I calmly say.
“Either way, Angela! My old self can’t keep up with you and your mother always bickering day in and day out. I am tired of you two, damn it. I sometimes feel like dying to rest and have peace eternally with my soul,” Those words really hurt me. My tears as always find their way out of my eyes.
I can’t believe she just said that.
“Don’t talk like that, Ma; I need you. You are the only parent that I only experienced a mother’s love from. I am sorry, Ma,” She sighs.
“I am not trying to stop you from doing anything that makes you happy but, there is a limit to that. Don’t bring home what pushes your… what pushes Getty to the edge,”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” She gives me a stare.
“What are you doing with the prince?” I gasp.
“Nothing, I swear,”
“I hope so. Logan is a sweet boy and he loves you; I do not want you to ruin what you have with him over some lust. I hope you won’t do anything to hurt him with the prince. The prince is married and old for you,” How does my grandmother take me?
“Ma! I don’t even think of him like that,”
“I am just saying, I know how men are these days. They tempt you with money, gifts, food, and like how he has 'kindly' taken you to the doctor, and then, the next thing they want is to jump into your pants. Don’t fall for all of that, please. I still want to make you a big ceremony for your coming-of-age, don’t disappoint me, please,” I really want to have that ceremony. That is my biggest pride.
“I won’t, ma.”
***
Indeed, the prince has sent his men to come and fetch me in the morning. When the car stopped right outside the mansion in the palace, they opened the door for me, and they helped me off the car. I still feel pain but, better than yesterday.
As always, for security purposes, my ID is needed, I have to be searched in case I have firearms or some sort of any weapons but, I am clean. Logan is not on duty right now and I miss him so much. I really want to tell him about what happened. After that process, I was led to the house. We found the Queen setting up the table for breakfast in the dining room. She looks surprised to see me. I bowed down a little in respect.
“Your Majesty,” I greet her.
The guard turns to leave me and the queen.
“Angela, you don’t look well. It’s okay, you can get up,” She puts her hand on my shoulder, I flinch a little. “I'm sorry uh, please sit down and I will ask Mariah, our helper to add another plate on the table.” I kindly shake my head.
“No thank you, Your Majesty,” She gives me an impish look. “I mean, I would love that,” She smiles, very pleased with my answer.
“That’s my girl… Mariah, Mariah!” She shouts.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Mariah softly responds as she comes from behind.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there. Can you please add another plate to the table?”
“No problem,” She turns on her heels and disappears down to the corridor. The King walks down the stairs with his eyes focused on his tie around his neck whilst the other tie is hung on his arm.
“Mama, which color do you think goes best with my shi-” He stops and runs his eyes between the queen and me. “Morning. I didn’t know that we had a guest joining us for breakfast today,” I bow.
“Your Majesty,” I say.
“The black one, baba. It goes best with the red,” The Queen says to the King.
We gather around the breakfast set-up that I have never seen in my entire life. They have cooked the whole grocery of the whole month, I swear. Some of the things put on the table are new to me. I don’t even know what their names are.
“Edward, we are waiting on you!” The Queen enjoys shouting; something I learned about her.
“Jeez ma, you didn’t have to scream… I am here,” The prince says before he sits next to his mother and plants a kiss on her cheek. I am sitting opposite the Queen, next to the King who is sitting by the head of the table. “Mom, dad,”
“Good morning, Edward,” They both say, simultaneously.
“Young Lady,” He firmly says to me.
“Good morning, Prince Edward,” I look down at my plate, shyly.
“Can we please join our hands, close our eyes and bless the food before we eat?” The Queen kindly orders us. I join my hands with the King and the prince, so does the Queen. While the Queen is giving grace, I am forced to open my eyes because the prince is doing things on my hand with his. I raise my head up at him only to find him staring at me, blankly. His father and mother have their eyes closed. This is rude. I swallow my saliva because this staring and what he is doing on my hand is starting to get uncomfortable.
“Amen.” The Queen ends the prayer. I quickly yank my hand off the prince.
“Amen.” We say. The Prince smirks.
“So, Angela. You still haven’t told me what brought you here. If this is about the p*****t for Saturday’s work my darling, you will have to wait for month-end so that you can get paid with every employee,” The Queen says. I glance at the prince then back at the Queen.
“Not at all, her majesty. Uhm, I-”
The prince interrupts me.
“I called her here, ma. I saw her on Saturday, and I liked how active and tolerant she was and I thought we should hire her,” The Queen and the King look at each other, then look at the prince.
“Edward, you should have talked to us about this first,” The Queen softly says.
“I am doing so now, aren’t I?”
“Nkosinathi, be warned,” The King warns. I realized that the prince is quite cheeky. I wonder where his wife is.
“Apologies, dad but, she is good, and she needs this job. Plus, since I am back, I need someone trustworthy to take care of my bedroom and I think I can trust her… we can trust her,” The Queen nods with Edward’s suggestion.
“I think that’s okay with me. I liked her from the get-go… baba?” The Queen holds the King’s hand. Why is Edward deciding things without even talking to me first? They are all even discussing it as if I am not present to have a say.
“Yes, mama?”
“You don’t have a problem, right?” The King sighs and looks at me, I look down on my empty plate. The King is handsomely scary… do you get me?
“Young lady, are you not supposed to be doing something useful with your life right now? Why are you not in school or something better than settling for this?” I take a deep breath.
“I couldn’t leave my grandmother alone at home to go to the city,” I say.
“So, do you only live with your grandmother? Where is your extended family, your mother, and your father?” I gasp. Why is the King asking me all these uncomfortable questions?
“Well, my mother is there but, my father is… I don’t know who my father is,” I steal glances at the prince for him to bail me out but, he took his phone out and got busy with it like he is not even with us.
“If your…”
“Ethan, enough. Can we please have this breakfast peacefully, and then after, you can continue with your Q and A session,” The Queen starts dishing up a little of each meal set on the table. I have always seen this on TV, never thought I would once be part of it. “Phones off the table, Edward.”
“Sorry, mom,” Aaaww, he can be such a baby.
After everyone's plate was full, they all started eating except for me. The prince looked at me.
“Are you okay?” He asks. I swallow, nervously and nod. “But you are not eating, what is it? Do you need water to drink?” I look down. I'd rather speak up than have myself humiliated.
“May I please have a spoon to eat?” I ask. I don’t think I can do this fork and knife thing.
“Oh, of course, my darling. Mariah! Bring a tablespoon along with, please,” The Queen again, shouts.
“Okay, your majesty!” Mariah shouts back from wherever in the house she is.
***
KING ETHAN WILLIAMS
After breakfast, I decided to go to the seer in her hut just across our house but, in the same yard. It is a three-minute distance to her hut. I want to consult with her about this Angela girl. There is just something about her that I can’t put my finger on. I can’t shake the feeling that she is on to something, or she came here about something. I don’t want surprises tomorrow that might hurt my wife because I am not cut up for that. I love my wife too much to break her.
“Your Highness,” Aradia welcomes me into her hut. I take off my shoes and put them aside before sitting down on the grass mat.
“Aradia,”
“Your soul is troubled. What is the problem?” She asks.
“There is a girl in my house. I don’t know her but, I feel that there is something about her, but I don’t know what it is. Can you help me know her intentions in this family?” She nods.
“It is okay, my King,” She takes the animal skinned bag and asks me to blow in it before she starts praying and then chants to the Williams ancestors. “What’s her name and surname?”
“Angela Ajax,” She chants to the Ajax ancestors and groans, throwing the bones to the mat. She uses a short wooden stick with a horsetail at the bottom and tries to point it out but, shakes her head.
“No, it can’t be.” She speaks.
“What is the problem?” I curiously ask.
“No, it can’t be … it is impossible!” Her body trembles and she continues to shake her head vigorously.
“What is it? Talk to me? What do you see?” Aradia burps. “Hail!” I shout. We have to shout ‘hail’ when the seer burps to show some respect.
“I do not accept this! this has never happened before,”
- Writer
