by Thandi Ryan
Amara turned to Michael and ran her hands through his hair and rested her hand on his face and her other hand on his lap. He placed his hand over hers and turned to face her.
‘It was draining. When I think of him, I realise that he is no longer here with us and the grief within me is so acute.’
‘I know.’
‘Garrick must be beside himself.’
‘He is and so is Ellora.’
‘I will never forget that day when I saw Garrick crying for his son and Ellora weeping for her lover. It will haunt me forever,’ Michael said sadly.
Amara put her arms around Michael’s neck and hugged him. He put his arms around her and kissed her on the lips and then kissed her on the forehead.
‘Have you seen Garrick today?’ she asked him.
‘No I have not. He stayed out of sight and away from Häkan and I. He could not face what was going on today.’
‘Nor could I,’ said Amara.
‘Who could ever have thought that we would outlive Kalon? Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus and I, never thought we would outlive any of the six of you. We hoped that the world would be a wonderful place for you all to be. We fought for peace and to secure your futures – we failed,’ he said miserably.
‘No Michael you did not,’ Amara said emphatically.
‘Look at the world Amara, look how it turned out. The complete opposite of what we hoped it would be.’
‘Through no fault of yours, or Garrick’s, Raynor’s, Thaddeus’ or Häkan’s. All of you and my father fought to change the world, to make it better for everyone and you succeeded. For the longest time there was peace, prosperity and happiness – you did that. It did not last but that is because of Rakan, Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz – not because of anything you did or did not do.’
‘I am not sure.’
‘I am,’ she said, cutting him off. ‘Salwar and his lackey Adriel are behind this; they are determined to bring us to our knees so that the gods will interfere. Nothing could have been done to prevent it, for we did not know.’
‘Now we do.’
‘Yes we do and now we will make another stand to turn the world back to what it once was.’
‘I wonder if the gods will interfere?’
‘So far they have not.’
‘I wonder why?’
‘Perhaps they do not know of Adriel’s antics.’
‘I think they must.’
‘Then perhaps faith is a two-way thing. We have faith in them; maybe they have faith in us. Faith that, whatever happens, whatever darkness and despair descends upon us we will not give up the fight. We will not give up our humanity and everything we hold dear and nor will we turn our backs on the one thing that binds us all together – love.’
Michael looked at Amara and he scooped her up so that she was lying on his lap and on the settee, he looked down at her and smiled a warm smile.
‘As long as there are people like you my love, then their faith is well placed.’
Amara sat up and put her arm around Michael’s neck. ‘And you,’ she said, before she leaned in and kissed him.
He returned her kiss and held on to her and at the same time he ran his fingers through her hair and when he reached the end of her mane, he held her hair gently in his hands. He loved her hair, it was so soft and silky and it shined in the light, like nothing he had ever seen before. Their kissing came to an end and Amara remained in Michael’s arms and the two of them sat together, happy and content to be where they were; alone and with each other.
The day of Kalon’s funeral finally arrived and everyone in Amalah awoke with a heavy heart. The guard donned their ceremonial dress and swords and the council dressed in their official dress. Garrick and Ellora, both wore black from head to toe. When they had awoken that day, they had wanted to remain in their beds and they had wanted the day to pass them by but they knew it could not. They knew that this was their chance to say goodbye and pay their last respects to Kalon and so they steeled themselves for what lay ahead and with all the energy they could muster, they got out of bed and began their day.
There was to be a service for Kalon at the palace in the gardens and when the time came, the guard filed into the garden and stood to attention. Those who had come to pay their respects, also stood behind the guard: they included the Zulus’ from the village where Kalon had survived the bite of the deadly mamba snake all of those years ago. They were all saddened by the little warrior’s death but they took small comfort in the knowledge that he had died like a true warrior – fighting to the end.
The council arrived and stood in front of the guard and then they were followed by Häkan, Thaddeus, Michael and Amara and then came Garrick and Ellora. They walked together hand in hand holding onto each other and they took one step at a time; to them, it seemed like an eternity as they walked down the aisle to reach the front row.
Ellora had never imagined walking towards Kalon at his funeral; she had only ever imagined their wedding and the thought of what could have been, caused her so much pain and she began to breathe heavily and falter in her step. Garrick squeezed her hand and she took another step forward and then after a few more agonising steps, they were at the front row and they took their seats and when they were seated, everyone else followed suit and sat down after them.
The celebrant stepped forward and began his service for Kalon. Garrick listened to the man talk about his son and his life and about the man he was; it was all so surreal to him, all he could think was: “this is not the way it was supposed to be.” He had pictured himself in the coffin, years from now, when he was old and grey; Kalon and Rakan would have been there too and although they would have been sad, they would still be living. They would be living fulfilling and happy lives and each of them would have a wife and children of their own. That’s how he imagined it, that’s how he wanted it to be and that was what he pictured in his head; over and over again as the celebrant talked.
Ellora did not hear much of what the celebrant said either, she listened to him at first but as he spoke she thought that there was so much more to be said, so much more to Kalon. Her mind flooded with memories of the times she had spent with him. They came flashing back to her and they were so clear and so vivid like a film playing in her mind; she thought of their first kiss, the first time they had made love and the times that they had said they loved each other.
She thought of the times that they had laughed and argued and when they had just held each other, saying nothing just being happy and content and together, and she thought of the times she had posed for him as he drew her, and how he had seen all of her, not just the contours of her body but also what was deep within in her soul and he had captured it all in the sketches he had made of her. Those thoughts, they made her happy and they stopped her from looking at Kalon in his glass coffin and so she kept them coming: the kissing, the laughing, hugging, the quiet time together while he was sketching her and their love making. As she thought of him, she looked down and made sure that she did not make eye contact with anyone and when the celebrant finished his service, Ellora was still thinking of Kalon and was locked in her own world until she became aware of Garrick talking to her.
‘Are you ready Ellora?’ he said, looking searchingly at her and then at the aisle.
She looked up at the celebrant who was leaving the Dais and then back at Garrick; she nodded a few times and then stood up. Garrick also stood up and the two of them left their seats and made their way to Garrick’s home, where the celebrant would hold the funeral. Kalon was to be buried next to Sarah, it was what Kalon and Sarah would have wanted and Garrick knew it.
The six waited at the front of the palace and two horse and carriages arrived. Garrick, Ellora, Amara and Michael got into one and Häkan and Thaddeus into another. The carriages turned and slowly made their way to Garrick’s house. Both carriages were silent as everyone remained lost in their own thoughts. Amara held Ellora’s hand and hugged her every now and then and Michael looked on his friend Garri
ck. Michael looked intently at Garrick and Garrick nodded a slow nod, acknowledging that he knew Michael was there for him if need be. Garrick looked at Michael for a few seconds longer and then turned to look out of the carriage window so that he could remain looking at no one or nothing in particular.
The carriage arrived and it drove them to the place where Kalon was to be buried and when the carriage came to a standstill, Michael got out first and he helped everyone else out after him. Häkan and Thaddeus stepped out of their carriage and they walked to where their friends were standing and joined them.
They walked in silence and after a while, they heard the sound of two more horse and carriages. They were carrying Kalon, the guard and the celebrant; the carriages rode at a slow pace until they arrived yards from Garrick and the others and once in position, they then came to a full stop.
The celebrant and the six guards got out of the carriage and joined Garrick and the others and when the celebrant gave the signal, he and the six went to the carriage that was holding Kalon’s coffin. Michael led Garrick and Ellora to the place where Kalon was to be buried and they gathered around the hole in the ground and waited.
The six men gently lifted Kalon’s coffin from the carriage and hoisted it onto their shoulders and walked towards Garrick and Ellora and the celebrant walked in front, leading them on to their place. The celebrant stopped at the foot of the hole and then walked around to the other side of the hole. The first two guardsmen walked to the edge of the hole and stood opposite the celebrant. Thaddeus moved away from Häkan and stood next to the celebrant. Thaddeus nodded to the two guardsmen and they moved their hands away from Kalon’s coffin and put them down by their sides; the other four followed suit by putting their hands down by their sides, until Kalon’s coffin was resting on their shoulders.
Thaddeus outstretched his arms and pointed them at the coffin and then raised them into the air and as his hands rose, so did the coffin. It levitated into the air and then he brought one hand towards him at the same time and as his hands moved, Kalon’s coffin came towards him. Thaddeus worked his magic until the coffin was directly above the hole in the ground where he let it hover from there.
The celebrant began to speak and after a few minutes, his sermon came to an end and he signalled to Thaddeus, who used his magic to slowly lower Kalon into the ground. Garrick and Ellora watched as Kalon was lowered and when the coffin entered the hole and Garrick saw his son, he cried out.
‘No Kalon, No!’ Garrick cried as he went forward to try and retrieve his son. ‘God please, do not do this to me, bring him back,’ Garrick begged, as he fell to the ground onto his knees. He began to frantically move the soil that was falling on Kalon’s coffin and then frantically claw his way through to the coffin. ‘Kalon, no – don’t leave me don’t go. To the gods I beg of you – no – bring him back,’ he cried desperately. ‘No, no, no.’
Michael and Häkan moved to Garrick’s side and they tried to pick him up from the floor but Garrick would not be moved. The two men knelt down besides Garrick and held on to him; Häkan knelt behind Garrick and put his arms across his chest so that he could hold him back.
‘Why Häkan – why?’ Garrick asked tearfully.
‘I do not know,’ said Häkan.
‘Why Michael?’ Garrick asked.
‘I know not either,’ Michael replied.
‘It should have been me; I should have gone instead of Kalon. I should never have sent him to Basimine – oh god forgive me,’ he wailed.
Garrick’s outburst was too much for Ellora and she too burst into tears. Amara and Thaddeus were at her side and they held onto her as she cried for Kalon, her lover and her soul mate and she cried for her pain and for Garrick’s pain, which as an empath, she felt first hand.
Garrick was distraught and inconsolable and Häkan and Michael could do nothing for him except be there for him and to hold him. The soil now completely covered Kalon and his coffin and he was now out of sight to Garrick as he sunk lower and lower into the ground and all Garrick could do, was watch the soil crumble into the ground and rise up again until there was an even surface. He stared at the soil for an age; he stared hoping that he would be able to see through it and see where his son would eventually lay but he knew he would not be able to and so he stared and he wept and he grieved for his youngest son whom he had loved more than life itself.
Eventually Häkan and Michael were able to lift Garrick from the ground and when he was on his feet, they led him back to his house. They all entered and sat down in Garrick’s lounge. They sat and talked and comforted and consoled Garrick and Ellora. They talked of Kalon and their memories of him and all of them said kind and wonderful things about him.
As the day went on and evening came, it was time for Thaddeus and Häkan to leave first. They spoke with Garrick and promised him that if he needed anything, they would be there for him. Garrick thanked them and the two men left, but not before they offered their condolences to Ellora and extended their promises to her. Night time had arrived now and only Garrick, Ellora, Amara and Michael remained in the house. Michael rose to his feet and went to Garrick’s side.
‘My friend it is time for us to leave now; will you remain here or will you come back to the palace with us?’
‘I cannot remain here,’ Garrick replied. ‘The pain...’
‘I know my friend,’ Michael said, patting Garrick on the arm.
‘I will pack some things for you now if you would like, then you can remain at the palace for as long as you would like.’
Garrick nodded and then spoke: ‘Thank you.’
‘Wait here Garrick and I will fetch you when we are ready.’
Garrick nodded his head and Michael rose to his feet; he went to Garrick’s room and packed some of his things. When Michael was done he went to the horse and carriage and put Garrick’s things on it. He then returned to the house and nodded at Amara and she in turn, led Ellora to the carriage. Michael looked at his friend for a while, he was desperately sorry for him and he hoped that in his lifetime he never suffered the pain that Garrick was suffering now. He went to his friend’s side and touched him on the shoulder gently.
‘We are ready now Garrick.’
Garrick looked up at Michael and nodded. He slowly rose to his feet and when he did, he stood still; Michael took him by the arm and led him out of the house. Michael left Garrick at the front and returned to secure everything, when he had finished, he returned to Garrick and the two of them made their way to the carriage. When they climbed in and closed the door, the carriage driver began the journey back to the palace. When the four of them arrived back, it was late; they climbed out and Michael took hold of Garrick’s things and Garrick turned to Michael and took them.
‘Thank you,’ Garrick said simply. ‘But now I need time alone.’
‘I understand,’ Michael said, as he stepped forward and hugged him. ‘If you need anything.’
‘I know.’
Garrick turned to Amara and Ellora and embraced them both before he went into the palace and made his way to his room. Amara, Ellora and Michael walked into the palace together and when they reached the bottom of the steps, Ellora stopped and turned to Amara.
‘Like Garrick, I wish to be left alone.’
‘Ellora are you sure, I can stay with you,’ Amara said.
‘I am sure and I know you would stay with me, but I really need to be by myself. Thank you Amara, I could not have gotten through this day without you or the ones before it after Kalon died. Thank you too Michael.’
Ellora leaned forward and kissed her sister and then Michael and then made her way up the stairs to her room. Michael and Amara watched as she did so and when she was out of sight the two of them stood alone at the bottom of the stairs.
‘I don’t want to be alone tonight Michael,’ Amara said.
‘You won’t be,’ he said.
He took hold of her hand and held her gaze, and then he cupped her face in his hand and brought her closer to h
im. He kissed her on the forehead and then led her upstairs to her room. The two of them prepared for bed and when Michael climbed in next to her, she moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest and held onto him. She snuggled into his neck and he kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.
‘I feel so sad Michael.’
‘I know; I do too.’
‘When I am not sad I am scared and I wonder if this is the way things are going to be from now on.’
‘No they will not,’ he said vehemently. ‘We live in troubled times and there will be sadness but it will not always be. We will fight long and hard and we will be triumphant and our lives will return to what they once were.’
‘I hope so.’
‘I know so.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Because we faced this before and we won and we started again.’
‘I wonder what fates will befall us,’ she asked.
‘I do not know but whatever it is, I hope I am by your side.’
‘So do I,’ she said as she lifted her head up to kiss him.
He kissed her back and then she rested her head back on his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep and Michael held her as she slept. He wondered what fate would befall him and her; he had been in love with her for so long and now that he was able to start sharing his love and his life with her, he hoped that it would not be snatched away by a cruel twist of fate.
Michael lay in the dark thinking about her and the both of them together and then he thought of the world the way it was now and he wondered about the future. “It was all so fragile.” he thought to himself. He finally brought his thoughts back to the present and he was happy to live in the here and now, with Amara in his arms. He wanted to stay that way forever and when he closed his eyes, he thought of doing so until he drifted off to sleep.
The next day the palace was buzzing with activity; everyone knew that there was only three months before they would have to face Rakan, Waldon, Kenaz and Rufus and their army and they knew that they would need every single minute of every single day to prepare and to face them.