His eyes are moist … As today’s new leaders hound his beautiful, loving son. He cries out aloud – “Don’t target my child, target me !”. He remembers those days when he was the Queen’s trusted lieutenant, managing the Royal coffers.
When his son was born, he rejoiced, gave a grand party in his ancestral home… The teak from Burma shone like gold as they had aged gracefully and were polished with care. His wife, an accomplished lawyer, beamed. He himself was so well educated and such a loyal servant of the royal family. The royal family was careful to keep up the modern pretence of a democratic country by conducting elections in their Kingdom and by having a constitution. All the ministers were carefully chosen for just one quality – sycophancy. There were private, closed door tests held to see who could lick the Queen’s boots fastest, and who could shine the dumb prince’s shoes with the sweat on their noses.
This father was so educated that he was made the finance minister and he had a special way of taxing the salaried slaves that endeared him to the business tycoons. He taught his son early on, never to earn a salary. He kept reminding him that a salary was earned by slaves and they could never live lavishly. The son absorbed all the knowledge like a sponge, never moving an inch away from his father’s illustrious little finger. When he became a young adult man, he had gained enough knowledge to be on his own and earn by himself. Anyway daddy dearest was right behind him to help when things got too messy.
The son bought properties all over the world, managed to get paid millions in commissions and saved through tax omissions and just when daddy was about to retire, a double tragedy struck. The Queen lost an election and a tea seller became the Prime Minister – how could he ??? Daddy was furious and couldn’t understand how all his attempts to finish off this tea seller didn’t work. He had changed the truth several times to help create a wrong image in the minds of the trusting citizens of the Kingdom. He even consulted the Queen and she was as shocked. Not only did the tea seller overthrow their empire, he was very popular all over the world. Oh no, they were onto his son’s glorious past too.
While daddy was finance minister and the Queen was ruling, there was a dream that daddy dared to dream … One day, maybe he would be the Prime Minister. He had won every contest to emerge as the greatest sycophant who could even deceive the trusting citizens of the Kingdom that he was upright and had not a single character flaw. All came to nought :(.
Daddy’s eyes are moist, his son achieved so much, siphoned off so much wealth right under the Queen’s nose and this tea seller became his nemesis !!! How will a single man ever understand what a father’s pride is ? Or how it hurts to see your child being hurt.. Daddy stopped having tea long back, he loves coffee, but now even the coffee tastes bland, even the most expensive Kopi Luwak. Daddy is going underground on his sprawling coffee estates, to find those civet like creatures and test their droppings …. Because they smell different and the Queen isn’t helping either. She has her hands full with her baby dumb prince, who looks adorable when he doesn’t open his mouth and shames an idiot when he utters any word.
A father’s pride went for the wrong ride and derailed daddy’s retirement… It happens when you manufacture truth and sign off. Lies don’t stay buried and truth doesn’t stay hidden, always.
Another short story that will have a long end.