"You have to kill one of your parents or you all will die together here. The decision of the your life and the life of your parents rests upon your hands."
"What kind of bullshit order is this! Kill your parents with your own hands. How can a person become such an ungrateful towards his own parents? No matter how you think about it, it is absolutely impossible to do something like this."
I rose up my gaze from the floor. The moment I looked at The Ruler my eyes were fixed on his face. I would say that my eyes did not fix on his face rather than his expression. That expression that I could never forget even if I lost life. His expression was fearful. He was satisfied and was anxious to see what would going to be happen next. I had no idea what to do. The fate of my father and my parents on the line. My mind was blank. Darkness had covered mu eyes. I had no idea what to do.
"Hey, why are you taking too much time to do a simple work? Can't you just do your task and finish the matter? I want to finish the work and go and rest in my room."
I was mad. My ear was ringing with his vicious statements. But I was powerless. I was not powerless rather than I had no courage to go against The Ruler and bring misfortunes on my parents.
The Ruler again began to use his cruel method.
"Oh! I know why you can't do anything now. I get it, I get it. It is too had for you to do it no. What do you say?"
In that though situation I had a small glimpse of hope. But that hope did not last for a long period of time. The Ruler called one of his servant and handed him the box of axe. The servant slowly approached me as the servant of hell with a grin on his face.
"Hey! take this axe and do what The Ruler has told you to do. You must hurry, we have not the whole day to continue the court."
After the servant handed over the axe The Ruler again began his announcement.
"You were worried how to kill your parents without any weapon, weren't you? Now I have given you the opportunity. Now you can do your job properly, can't you. I am waiting for the results."
"Is he insane or does not he has a heart? Giving weapons to someone to kill their own parents. How ruthless he can be?"
My mind was blank. I could never kill my parents; no one can even if in their wildest dream. No human with their sane mind can do anything like this. I also could not muster the courage to kill myself. I still had to find about my wife.
"Hurry up! Hurry up! Hurry up!"
The whole court began to shout. The court was began to become restless.
The situation turned into a pit of despair. The hall of the justice and law turned into a hell. The grin of The Ruler was so infuriating but the hopelessness and helplessness was real for me. My heart was clenched as it was going to stop at any moment.
In that type of situation, a small sound broke my anguish. 'Son, kill your mother with that axe'.
The hall fell into silence at that moment. Everyone was dumbfounded wondering what the hell did that old man said just now.
'Father what did you just tell me to do? Did I listen something wrong?' I was just recovered from the moment of despair. But I was shocked.
'Son you have heard right. I want you to kill your mother and save me and yourself.'
After the confirmation everyone were shocked wondering how was the situation was taking turn. But a strong and loud laughter broke the silence of the hall. The Ruler was cackling loudly.
'Finally, the old man gone mad. Ha ha ha ah. Yeah, that should do it. Kill your mother right here and right now, even your father and her husband had also given you the permission.'
My desperation was going out of my hand. The anguish of my heart could be seen by everyone at that moment.
'Father, what are you telling me to do? How can I kill my own mother? I can not do it.'
'Son, do what I have told you to do. Do not question about the decision this old man had made. Do not disobey the order of this old man.'
My heart began to stop beating. My father, who never do any evil or injustice told me to kill my mother. My father can not order such an inhuman thing to do. My heart started to ache. My throat felt like as something had blocked it.
'Son!'.
A gentle voice reached me. Under the heaven there was only one kind voice existed that I can distinguish even between the hell and heaven. In the depth of hell, where my own father had abandoned me only one a soft voice could sooth me, had reached my ear.
'Mother!'. My voice was chocked. I felt suffocated in that dare situation.
'Listen to your father son. He never do anything bad. Do as he says.' I could not believe that my own mother was telling me to do as my father told. She was directly telling me to kill her and become a murderer of his own mother.
'Mother what are you talking about. How can you tell your own son to kill yourself? What do you take me for. Don't you take me as your son.' I was burdened in suffocation. I could not understand why my own father and mother were telling me to do such inhuman thing.
'Hey, you brat. Are you not giving me a face here? Are you not taking your time too leisurely? Do you think I am an easy person that can wait for too long? Take care of the task that has given you or I will order my men to do the task for you.' The Ruler screeched in annoyance.
I looked towards The Ruler. His annoyed face was appearing clearly.
'Son, do as your father said. He have given you a chance to do something in this despair situation. So don't let him down. Kill me with your own hands. I would gladly die by your hands, it is better to die in your arms than dying by these despicable men'
My father was silent about this matter. I glanced at my father but there were no change in his facial expression. I was holding the axe in my right hand and could not comprehend the depth of the situation. Finally I stood up my position and stood before my mother. My mind was lost. My body was moving on my own as it had been possessed by a ghost. All the members of the hall became silent in an instant.
I looked at my mother's face. Her complexion was gone bad. Her pale skin and dried lips were looking gloom. Her dry and soulless eyes were piercing my heart. But even in that type of situation the eyes of my mother was bright. There was not a single bit of resentment or any type of grievance on her face.
I rose my hands while holding the axe. My mother rose her head and looked at my face.
'Let me take a look for the last time at my beloving son for the last time. Always remember that your mother loves you the most. Sorry for letting you do such a thing.'
She took off her eyes from me and looked at my father. 'Husband, sorry for not staying with you till the end. You have given me everything but I was incompetent. If there were a next life, I would be like to your wife for the second time. Thanks for taking care of me for the whole time.'
For the whole time the expression of my father was not even budged at all. But at that moment the face that my father shown was a face in full of misery. Tears were dripping down from his eyes rolling through his chin.
'I think the same. I will be waiting for you.' The words that my father spoke was full of suffocation.
My mother looked back at me and closed her eyes. As soon as she closed her eyes I swung the axe and stroke her at her neck. I did not want my mother to die a painful and suffering death. So I swung it with my full power. As soon as the axe touched my mother's head, the head was separated from the body and started rolling on the ground.
It took me no less than two breaths of time. But when I was swinging the axe at my mother, the face of the blacksmith and his last dying moment came into my mind.
'Because of the kingdom, I am dying right now. Because of people like you, who have power but did not do anything to change the situation or the system of the kingdom, innocent people are getting suffered or killed. You are here for the axe, aren't you. May this axe will be the weapon that will become the doomsday for this shithole kingdom.'
As I stroke my mother, I came back to my sense. I looked at my mother's head on the ground rolling under my feet. Bloods of my owns mother were stained my body. The scene was screaming that I am the killer.
I killed my own mother. Even though I was pressurised by the ruler and told by my father, I did a matricide. Tears were rolling down from my eyes. I dropped down on my knees and picked the head of my mother. My body, mind and soul were screaming in pain. I wanted to scream but my throat was blocked by air. I could not even breath in that situation. I was just thinking, what the hell I did to my own mother; what had I done to get this type of punishment.
'Ha ha ha ha ah ahha.' A loud laughter broke the silent the hall.
You took a while, but you did well. This lord is pleased. You can take your life and your father back. Also take the dead body of your mother with you.'
He was grinning with pleasure. He was satisfied with the pain and suffering of our family. He got up from his seat and declared the hall to be disbanded. He walked away from the hall crossing me with a smug on his face while looking at me and my father.
He stopped after going a little bit far away from us. He looked back and approached us again.
'Listen you asshole, I am the Lord of this region. I have power, men and authority to do anything to anyone in this region. You have paid for your crime for offending me. As for your family ask your father and drown in despair. You can't do anything against me.'
His cruel voice tore my mind and soul into thousand pieces. He was grinning with a poisonous face as telling me to suffer for all my life to give him pleasure.
'And yes, you have brought that axe to present me, doesn't you. I gave this back to you. Take it with you to your home as it will remind you how it felt when you killed your mother and what will happen when you offend someone like me. It will be a good lesson for you. Now scram off from my face.'
I had lost my mind. I wanted to kill that bastard in front of me at that moment. I wanted to tear his limbs apart from his body and tore his head and represent his head at my mother's grave as an offering. I was shaking in anger. I reached out my hand towards the axe. I held the axe with my right hand and picked it up.
I wanted to swing that axe and kill that bastard Ruler at that moment. But suddenly a hand patted on my right shoulder. I looked towards my back. I saw a soulless person behind me. He had not any worldly expression on his face. It was my father who had put his hand on my back and stopped me from killing The Ruler in front of me.