Family Reunion (82 page)

Manny stood startled to have her taken from them so abruptly, he realized that his hands were tied; he fought with every fiber of his being to stay calm.

"Wait! Where are they taking my mother!?" Hope cried out.

LuMaden looked from
her to Manny with a cunning smile, ignoring her question; he called out, "Keiva! Pancie! Chia!" They came running, "We have guests, see to their every comfort… give them what they ask for." He instructed, turning, as he strode away from Manny heading for the palace door, Manny felt panic rush through him and shouted, "LuMaden!!"

LuMaden turned in the entrance of his grand palace with a look of indignation that he should dare bellow his name; after all, he was the king.

"When I leave this Island, my wife will be by my side! I mean what I say!"

LuMaden eyed him from head to foot and back, with a sardonic smile and a lift of an eyebrow, he turned and walked away. Manny stood staring at the empty doorway leading within the palace, his stomach knotted in fear.
'Don't let us come this far only for him to take my Lena from me! Please!'
Hope took her father's hand, understanding, without a word his turmoil, his fears, they all stood feeling the same. "You think he will try to keep our mother from us?" Rory asked worriedly. Mike swallowed and stared ahead, "My God... all he need do is hide her away; we would never find her in this place!"

"Come, LuMaden he has spok'un." Keiva spoke to get Manny’s attention, touching his arm, as Pancie and Chia urged the others to follow. Manny's mind spun in a whirlwind of worry. Having little choice, they did as they were told, entering the enormous hallway where everything around them sparkled luxuriously, each one walking and wondering about the fate of the one who made their family a whole.

* * *

LuMaden sat the highest in his temple hall, comfortable in the center of his three tier platform. Well stuffed silk pillows and cushions placed around him for his seating as well as his guests and family; to the left of him, sat Manny and to the kings right, his son Catamon.

Mike, Rory and Joe sat on the next level down before Manny, as Catamon's four older sons occupied the area in front of him. On the lowest tier on Manny's side, sat Hope, Maria and Sandra with Mike's children clustered around them. The same applied for Catamon's wife and children, while between them, comfortably seated, was Austeao, with an empty cushion before her, awaiting the arrival of their Princess.

On the floor, away from the platform, servants stood with giant palm fronds fanning the king and his guests. Stretched out before them all was a long, wide temple hall open to a balcony, with stairs filled with people from the village, eagerly awaiting the start of the celebration. Surrounding the temple were tall pillars that held up the ceiling, between them stood five and a half foot tall slender columns with flat tops, where strong herbs and incense burned in gold pots to ward off mosquitoes.

Manny and his family sat as if in a dream. Never had any of them experienced such opulence. Before them, dancing to the beat of many drums, were young men and women, original natives of the island. Their features a mix of what looked to be Indian, African and maybe Spanish, many with straight, jet black, silky hair while others had tight curly hair. No one could tell where one race began and the other ended. What was startlingly clear was that the majority were dark in skin tone except for the occasional lighter shade here and there such as in the case of Austeao and a few from LuMaden's brood. Tropical flowers and feathers were worn by the dancers with their private body parts covered, leaving bare limbs and stomachs, their bodies moving in rhythm to the rapid beating of the drums. LuMaden glanced on and off towards Manny, watching and gauging his expression.

LuMaden wanted him to see the world from which his daughter had come, the world where she belonged.

He wanted him to feel unworthy of her; his intent was to do
all that he could to make sure
that
feeling grew within him. LuMaden sat looking every part the king in his silken black breeches to his knees with shimmering threads of gold streaming throughout them. Fitting his muscular torso was a gold, sleeveless tunic with his sash across it bearing his colors. Around his neck was a wide gold disk like necklace with an amber stone embedded in its center. Around the bicep of one arm, he wore a gold band encasing diamonds and other precious stones, while the other arm sported a gold lizard, clinging and wrapping around with the tail trailing almost to his elbow. Spread out for them to enjoy was a banquet aptly fitting for a king and his honored guests, roasting young pig, prepared pheasant, steamed monkey and various sea foods. Having had enough, LuMaden came to his feet; he grew bored quickly with such shows, but did so to impress what was needed upon the man who had claimed his daughter. At LuMaden’s signal, the dancers immediately stopped before him, bowing. With a wave of his hand, they scattered.

All was silent as LuMaden's eyes passed over those in attendance, deliberately pausing for effect, "This night, all will mark and remember as the night King LuMaden's most precious treasure - was returned to her people. Tenizay!! Bring forth for my people to see, their Princess
Ceś a
lena!!" He boomed for all to pay special attention.

From the far end of the hall, opposite to the platform where LuMaden and Manny sat, Tenizay entered the hall and with the assistance of two boys, rolled out a red carpet. "Our king…" She turned, stepping back, clearing the way, "…your daughter, our Princess…
Ceś
alena!"

Tossing white flower petals at her feet, the small boys led the way as Lena emerged in shimmering gossamer, gold threaded silk. The fabric was used as the half wrapped pagri for her head, covering just the upper portion of her forehead where a topaz jewel lay nestled and sparkling for all to see, it had also been used to wrap about her body, coming forward from her back around her shoulders, crossing over her chest to conceal her breasts, wrapped around her waist for three winds back to the front, crossed to go down over her pubic area, between her thighs to be pulled up and through the wrapped fabric above her buttocks, spread wide there to fall free and trail behind her, leaving her wide hips and the cheeks of her buttocks bared with each slow step she took. From below her knees the same rich fabric wrapped around her calves and looped into the gold sandals adorning her feet. The lids of her eyes were dusted with sparkling gold, dangling from her ears were teardrop like flat disks of gold, in her hair, that hung long and free behind her, were sparkles of gold dust.

Around her neck was a thick gold twisted snake holding within its mouth another topaz jewel. Another layer of gold silk gossamer lay draped across her arms like a shawl, flowing behind her dragging upon the floor. She was a vision of sparkling gold, enhancing her rich brown skin tone, bringing out the hypnotic gold of her eyes. While around her, were heard gasps and cries of her name, within the mind of Lena was a cry for help. She hated her father’s opulent displays of wealth, power and position and his excessive need to flaunt all that he held as valuable, even her. In his doing that, in the past and then, it was the cause of much bitter jealousy and animosity from her half brothers and sisters. She also resented being forced to wear her pagri, covering only a portion of her head, meaning that she was free of headship. Everything within her, screamed out against her father, once again taking over her life and controlling her.

Only Catamon truly knew her, and understood the way she felt. As she walked regally forward to the soft drumming, announcing her progress, she could see the sympathy in her brother's eyes. Yet, it was not in her to shame her father and so holding her head high she paraded herself before 'her' people that she may be gawked at like some rare bird in a cage.

Austeao sat waiting for the Princess to reach her. She sat in full knowledge as a witness to Lena's tears and protests against being displayed as she was. But LuMaden had demanded it. Austeao for once could see her stepdaughter for the person she really was. The pomp and ceremony meant nothing to her, it never had and it never would. Not as much as it had meant to Ashtaphere, who was vain and self-seeking in all that was showy, highly sought after and desired. No one could see it then but oh how she had begged and pleaded for help to get out of her situation. Going so far as to denounce her position as a Princess, the only title she wanted attached to her was Mrs. Maynard Webster. That's all she wanted, not what had been forced upon her since the day she was born.

No matter how much she loved her father, with the knowledge of how he truly loved her, she could not just accept what he offered. Once again she found herself being trapped and drowning in a way of life that was not of her choosing. Horribly ashamed, Lena could not bring herself to look at her husband. She wondered,
'Dose he understand the significance of my pagri? Does he know I have betrayed him and weakened before my people? That I have once again allowed myself to be snatched in under my father's will?'
She could not think on it any more, for fear of bringing tears to her eyes.

Manny sat staring with wide eyes at the person who walked towards them, he did not know her. She was something ethereal, exquisite, gold and unreal.

She looked like something out of a fairytale
with her wild mane of hair free behind her. Just the jewels adorning her person would purchase his ship, the flamingo.
'My God, what am I doing here? What am I doing with you?'
Watching her, Manny began doubting himself, doubting what they were to each other. He stared, praying that she give him just a glance, after all they had gone through together she could at least spare him that.
'Is she ashamed of me? Is that why she does not look my way?'
His face burned with humiliation, yet he sat straighter, fighting his insecurities.

LuMaden smiled,
'It is working. Be smart white man, take the treasures and your children and be away from my kingdom…leave my daughter… where she belongs.'
He wanted Manny to see how out of place he was there, how unwelcome he was as her so called lord, he wanted him to understand how beneath her he was, to see what he had taken upon himself when he had taken his daughter.

'Maynard Webster, look at her people call her name, see their reaction to her.'

LuMaden saw it working; soon he would finish it and send Maynard Webster back to his mighty ships and on his way.

Joseph glanced back at Manny, watching him; he could see what was happening, willing to bet that LuMaden did what he did specifically because of Manny; otherwise he was certain he wouldn't have gone all out the way that he had. Leaning back he captured Manny's attention, whispering to him, "You must show yourself worthy of her, before all, or you will lose. Have faith in her, be her strength, not her weakness."

Manny closed his eyes,
'My God he's right…he's right.'

Lena reached the platform and walked up to stand beside her father who took her hand and proclaimed. "My people, tonight I declare this night, one of blessings and good cheer, once again, our kingdom …has its Princess!"

All cheered for her as she turned to them at her father's right side. Her presence meant another generation that would be blessed with the wealth of LuMaden's descendents. All were aware of the arrangements in presenting her to the Prince of their neighboring Island. In order to make that happen, their King, so it appeared, had invalidated her marriage to her white lord.

Turning his daughter's hand loose, LuMaden waved a hand toward Manny, "My people, show our gratitude to the man, Maynard Webster for returning our precious Princess, bring forth all that is now his!"

Eight men, four to each chest, came forward, struggling under the weight of them, to place two open trunks before Manny and his family. Following behind them, four men brought before him two cabinets, one filled with gold vases, fragrance pots with their stands, amphora's, teapots,

bejeweled chalices, trenchers and expensive china
along with rare teas, spices and incense. The second held rolled up rugs, fabrics and costly garments. When they backed away, what was left, Manny figured would buy all the ships he owned, his businesses, both of his homes and all the slaves on Webster Fields. LuMaden smiled, proud of himself, of course it was not all the treasure of the Island but enough to ignite the greed of any man, especially a white man. He figured white men were the greediest of all men.

"All of this, I lay at your feet in gratitude for the return of my daughter…" He looked out at three of the girls that were dancing, all were daughters of his from his concubines, and they were breathtaking, "You, you and you…come." They ran forward bowing before LuMaden, one of them with his coloring, thus…close in resemblance to Lena. Turning back to Manny, "They are yours as well, are they not pretty?" he asked.

Lena stood staring straight out at the jungle beyond the temple columns, trying to hold back her tears, fighting the tightening within her stomach as she stood beside her father while he gave her husband three of her younger sisters, not yet Hope's age. They were now his, to use as he desired, and standing before her father and people, she was not allowed to say a word.

Hope sat stunned, staring up at her mother, shocked that she was allowing it to happen.
'Mother say something! Say something please! Stand up for what you know is right! Please!'
She thought, biting into her lip. Mike, at first sat enthralled by the glamour of his mother, but he knew her, knew that life was not what she had wanted; he began racking his brain for a plan to get her away from there.