Family Reunion (84 page)

"Stop right there! I did not choose him for you, after all I have done for you…how could you return and humiliate me this way!? I could not believe – my eyes – oh my God – no! Surely this cannot be!"

"Dauda please, you must listen to me-…"

A knock sounded within his chamber, "Shush! I will hear no more!
Take a seat my daughter, he is here, time to settle things once and for all."

He stepped to his chamber to see Austeao still there, "Why are you here?" He asked, surprised by her presence. She remained silent, staring up at him, not answering. Because he did not wish to deal with her and his daughter's mess as well, he dismissed his second wife from his mind, peering to see his sentry guard opening the door for Manny to enter. The moment Lena saw him she wanted to run to him, fling her arms around him and beg his forgiveness for getting him to bring her back, for bringing their children in the midst of it.

Nevertheless, she did not, she remained sitting where her father had ordered her to sit, her heart pounding to see her husband walking towards the balcony, unsure.

"Come Maynard Webster, it is a cool night. We will discuss this thing between us here on my balcony." He invited with the sweep of his hand, Manny walked past him to the balcony to see Lena kneeling on a cushion staring intently at him. Her eyes filled with sorrow, he wanted to go to her, wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be all right … problem being, he was as uncertain as she.

"Come Maynard, sit."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stand."

"It
is
all the same to me Maynard, we will stand. See – am I not accommodating? Here, wine – some food perhaps?"

"LuMaden, I am neither thirsty nor hungry. My need is in the return of my wife, you see this visit leaves much to be desired."

LuMaden reserved comment collecting his thoughts, trying to figure Manny out. "I have given you many treasures Maynard Webster, why can you not be content with that? Surely you do not expect to gain ruler ship of this kingdom? I can assure you, no white man will rule over my people!"

"LuMaden, I can assure
you
, I have no dream or wish to rule over this island or its people."

"Do you think it is possible for a fool to become King? It is the nature of your kind, to want all that you see! This island will go to my daughter's husband – I cannot allow that to be you."

"Dauda cannot Catamon take-…" Lena started and then stopped at the sharp look from her father. She bit into her tongue and lowered her eyes; any further interruption from her would have him send her from the room. On the island of Makia, her life belonged to her father first and then the man he deemed worthy to give it to.

Turning back to Manny, "Now, Maynard Webster, my suggestion is
that you take the treasures I have given you, one of my three daughters, or all three – either is fine, gather them, board your ship and leave. As for the children you have sired, they may stay here or they may go… they are free to decide."

"And my wife, your daughter?" Manny asked the question already knowing the answer.

"She will remain here with her people, where she belongs. I will notify Prince Bauok of her return. Once he sees her; he will want her once again. She is not beyond her years to bear him sons."

'No, no no no no! Please, help me out of this!'
Lena rocked and prayed fearfully.

Manny stood still; he could feel pure rage welling up within him. He had to stay quiet a moment and remind himself that the man before him was her father. Or else the first thing that came from his mouth might surely influence the outcome of it all. Calmly he took deep breaths, though his eyes stared at LuMaden's, full of fire, they seemed to darken to a hard green.

The look in his eyes gave LuMaden something to think on as he crossed his arms over his chest.
'He intends to defy me! Surely he can see there is no point in further discussion?'

"King LuMaden…" Manny started, then stopped, taking a deep breath, "…God knows that I am trying with all that I
have
… to understand. While I cannot deny understanding your reasons for feeling so fiercely what you do feel, we are at an impasse. As I stand here alone before you, know that of all men, I wish the damage that has been done between mankind did not exist. Because of it, you and I shall know no peace. King LuMaden… Ceś alena –
Webster -
is -
my
- wife." He paused again, his jaw tense. "My plans are to leave this island sir… when I do so, she will be leaving with me! If it is your wish to stop me from taking from here what is already rightfully mine-..."

"I did not give her to you! How can she be yours without my permission?! I am her father, I am the reason she lives! It is up to me to select the man who is to lord over her!" He broke in sharply, feeling his temper spark.

Manny shook his head continuing on as if uninterrupted, "...-then I would advise you to find a way to quickly do away with me LuMaden! For everyday that I breathe will be spent finding a way to take her away from here! No man! No man King LuMaden - will take my wife as his own! You see, that right is mine, and mine alone!"

"A right not given to you!!!" The king shouted.

"L
uMaden! Listen to me! I, yes - white man that I am – cannot live without - your daughter! Are you hearing me?! Are you listening!? Keep your treasures, keep your island, she is all that I desire! I swear to you, by God or by the devil himself, it will take my death for you to win this time!"

Both men were now breathing hard to hold on to what was left of their calm as they glared at each other. Lena sat by with her mouth covered, tears streaming, one hand on her stomach from building nausea as she struggled not to sob, rocking on her knees to remain quiet. She reached down to grip the cushion’s edge, pulling so tightly she ripped the piping from the seam.

LuMaden stood before Manny and he began to worry, he had not figured on Manny holding such value in his daughter. After all, wasn't it a fact that all the white men held material gain and prestige as their ultimate prize? Surely he could not be wrong about them? The entire time he had lived among them, servant to one of them, none showed heart, or feeling, or compassion, or care. They were all, back stabbing, greedy, power hungry, lascivious men. Spoiling, degrading any and all within their reach, he knew…he knew first hand. With little care and ruthlessness, all of their dealings were to gain power and dominance over other men. Surely Maynard Webster was the same, wanting his daughter to defile.

"Why? Why my daughter Maynard Webster? Surely dying would end your rampage to seek, conquer and destroy? Ah, I see, it is because I have refused her you – no man likes to be told there is something he cannot have, it makes the wanting for it all that much more desperate."

"You couldn't be more wrong LuMaden. Not all white men are the same, just as not all black men are the same. She is my wife, the mother of my children, she belongs with me and I love her!"

"She is a princess! To be married to a king or dignitary! Love!? Love is as foreign to you and your race as water is to a bird, or the sky to a fish."

LuMaden turned, walking away from him, "But I will say this, my eyes do not deceive me – you are not of the aristocrats. Your skin is tanned from the sun, your body is swollen from heavy labor, and no doubt your hands are calloused from work. These are not the traits of a blueblood. Tell me what title would be yours from the land where you live?"

"As I’ve stated, no titles for me LuMaden, I am nothing more than spit in the wind to many of those bluebloods of which you speak. Everything that I have, that I own, I worked to gain."

"I see… how then did you come by my daughter, Maynard Webster? How is it that you procured her?"

Manny hesitated a moment
, feeling his gut tighten with fear, but pushed ahead anyway. "I - I came by your daughter, because – she was ... won by, my father in a - a poker game."

"A poker game, hmm? No doubt a game for the white man to gain more riches! I sense deception here, who is your father that puts him in position to play a game and obtain slaves?"

Manny's heart was pumping rapidly; Lena had to hold herself so as not to jump in his defense. Her father was unnerving him and she hated his cunning.

"Well? Is there a problem with the question? You claim to be spit in the wind to bluebloods and yet, my daughter came to you through a poker game that your father played? Answer the question."

"LuMaden, my father was the owner of a plantation, where much man power is needed to run it. My father had an ability of … obtaining this manpower by his means of playing and winning in poker. Your daughter came to me because of one particular game, which he won."

"I see, she came to him in what sense…what package was she part of?"

Manny's jaw clenched tight, he swallowed then answered, "Slaves."

"Slaves!" LuMaden repeated nodding, with a half smirking smile. "My daughter, Princess Ceś alena herded in with others and delivered – to be your slave. She is not your wife at all is she?!"

"She is my wife! We are married!"

"
She is your slave!!”
He raged at Manny
.
“How dare you expect me to just hand her back over to you! To be your slave! You?! The common son of a gambler, a cheapskate and an impostor of the aristocracy! Too cheap or with no means to buy his slaves, so he must gamble for them. And you, his son, claim to love her? What man who truly understands love would even consider taking her from all of
this
! Where she is loved, worshipped and adored by all!"

"No! You are wrong! And what you say is not true!" Lena spoke up, unable to sit idly by and watch her father pick her husband to bits.

LuMaden turned to her with wide eyes, clearly stunned at her outburst. He was appalled that she would dare again to interrupt what was a confrontation between men. She knew well a woman had no right to speak in the business of men, regardless of whether or not it concerned her.

"Have you lost all sense? This does not concern you! Because you have shown yourself and proven to be a woman without good judgment, without self-control, you will return to your rooms until we have reached a conclusion, one way - or the other!"

He reprimanded, pointing for her to
leave.

Lena swallowed and sat there trembling, not wanting to leave as she looked from Manny to her father, praying for the nerve to defy him. Her stalling gave LuMaden reason to glare at her heatedly, approaching her with his fist balled by his sides he stood over her. Manny didn't like the way he approached her and slowly eased himself nearer.

"Dauda please, I-…"

"I have spoken! You will obey me! And now!" He bit out.

Lena's heart was pounding as she came slowly to her feet, looking like a child being disciplined by her parent.

"I - I don't ... want to leave, father." She said softly.

"Have I
asked you
what you wanted!!?"

She slowly shook her head, "No…my father...you never have." A tear dropped from her eye then, like hot wax to Manny's heart.

"Leave her alone LuMaden!" He warned in low tone.

"This – is not your concern!" He snapped at Manny and then turned back to his daughter. "Is this what living in that world has taught you? To defy your father!? To rebel against my word! I say that you leave in silence and I mean that you do -
now!
"

Lena glanced at Manny and saw the tick in his jaw and knew his temper was near the point of explosion. Afraid for him, she quickly moved before him, blocking him from her father in hopes that he would come to grips with his temper before it erupted.

"Father please, all I ask is that this once you hear-…"

"Ceś alena! You are testing me beyond what I will allow!" He warned. Lena looked up at him and felt a spark of anger surge suddenly forward as he would not let her get a word in edge wise.

"Why do you refuse to hear-… nooo!" Lena screeched in fear, throwing her arms up protectively as LuMaden swung high in blazing anger to strike her, "You dare speak to me in such a tone!!" Immediately Manny snatched her aside before her father's hand made contact, placing her out of his reach. "God help us LuMaden! Lay one hand on my wife and I promise you, true hell will be this Island tonight!"

Chapter Eighteen