My dear Mary, you look so sad. What is the problem in this house that I can't get to my senses?
Come on. . . . I wonder why I am struggling in my dreams to get up from the bed. Tell me, what happened that I can't set my eyes on you, while the whole room is filled with gray, gray smoke with lightening fire.
The moon and the stars are sparkling towards the highest realm where humans dwells. And the dawn walked on the hills of our dreams. Again, the nature says farewell to the clocks at two.
Diana Lorborough appeared to Mary in her room as a middle-aged woman; wearing half dress with a sparking brassier; flowing her hair downward. And she called on Mary. "Mary!" Her tinny voice, stroke the air like thunder, and Mary could not heard what was going on in the room. Diana Lorborough stood at the edge of the bed and watched over her. Mary did not hear her voice; even when she called the second time.
Diana Lorborough tapped her shoulder, "Mary, get up."
Mary rose from the bed, and she cleared her throat. "Who are you? Tell me, your voice is strange to me."
Diana Lorborough whispered at Mary. "Mary Jackson, why do you sleep like a death woman? I am Diana Lorborough, the Queen mother of Janport Island." Her voice, cracked on the air like thunder, "Listen to the sound of my voice."
Mary could not recognize her voice, again and again and she replies to her. "But this is night time; I can't recognize your voice. Please, rest your voice up; your voice is cracking on the air. Can you tell m more about yourself? This is my second time of hearing such a name."
Diana Lorborough laughed as much as she could . . ., "I am Diana Lorborough, the 'Light Bearer' of Janport Island, the mother of all mothers who dwells in the secret Palace of the ancient gods. I am the one talking to you." Her voice was still cracking over the air.
"Why did you come to me by this darkest hour – when things are gone wrong with me?" Mary whispered, "Can the blind see? . . . It is impossible for me to recognize you. I have nothing to do with the Queen mother."
Diana Lorborough hit her hands on Mary's pillow. "Listen to my last words before I go home: I am here because of Jessica, my only daughter that you stole from me. I know this is your second time to hear my voice.
I am the only Diana Lorborough of Janport Island; the Queen mother; the mother of all mothers. I due solemnly declare myself to you this night, when the illumination of the moon is at the highest pick, who is in charge of fertility. With the sense of Pisces, travelling to see our great mother, Moon at the waxing crescent. I want to let you know that I was once a mother like you in this world of ours. But today, the gods of the Island had chosen me as one of the Queen mother in this generation, even the next generation to come. I am the one living in the secret Palace of our gods, which is a hidden place to all the natives of this Island. No one can see me, except I make a tripped into the city for a certain purpose.
My dwelling place is a hidden castle to non esthete born. Though the world is big, but you can only see the closest end that accumulates your physical view. But I know quite well that you are blind, but you can't know the secret things of our gods. A mother can have children as many as she wants. Among all of her children, she can decide whom to choose as the bread winner of a family. That is why someone has been chosen in this family. I will not leave Jessica alone, until she does the will of the gods. She is the first and the only daughter of the god's right from the ancient of days; I have to tell you the truth. . . . I have sent messengers to you several times and you refused to listen to them; claiming, Jessica to be your daughter, while am there alone.
I want to let you know, Jessica can never be yours." Diana Lorborough whispered, "Until you dedicate her to me and recognize me as the rightful mother before I handed her over to you as the earthly mother.
Did my words, sound clear to you?"
"I am hearing you!"
"Good! I can remember, you were once a slave to me, right from the beginning; suffering both day and night without rest. When I looked at how the European merchant slave soldiers tormented you to take you away from my country. And I said no to them! It is because my love for you was too much. I don't want you to be among the slaves, while am still alive.
The slave soldiers were servant to the European merchant, who arrived Janport Island to gather their slaves, bought by their masters in other to move them to Europe. I know this is your first time of hearing such information from me. Then I said no to them; enough is enough.
Since then, I took you as a Queen's madden and you become part of me. In the respect of humanity, I shared my belongings to you in other to make you feels as if you belong to a royal family. Whenever I relaxed in my secret chamber , I make sure, you sit beside me. Wherever I go, I make sure, you go with me. As at then, I had a cool feeling on you, that I have someone like you as true loyalist. That was why I accepted you to be one of my hairs. But now, the greatest pains I discovered from you is that you hate me as if am your worst enemy.
I can remember that you always ate with me, day and night, in my golden dining room, where no slaves, ever steps in. But I did it to you. I gave you one of my expensive clothe, which I can't give such clothe to my aged mother who gave birth to me, but I did it to you. What do you expect me to do for you that I never deed? Now, you have rejected me, and take me as your worst enemy. What do you want me to do for you, which I never deed?
Whenever I went to the Royal conference, the entire royal council of Kings and the Queens' they would walked me out as if I am a slave to them. Because of you, I became a slave, while my seat became vacant. Have you seen what you have done to me?
There can't allow me to receive my entitlement in the Queen's Council. The Royal council of the Queens and Kings can't do without me. But for now, no one allows me to partake in the annual general conference. Since your criminal act took place.
The entire Royal council of Arctilumania, rejected me, and place, embargo on me because you have adopted my only daughter out of my sight without my consent. That is abomination before the royal council.
Are you aware that Jessica is the only Priestess of the ancient gods, who needed to carry on the rituals in the secret Palace?
Whenever I walked down to the inner Palace, there is no one to carry out the activities of the gods; even a single fly, can't be found in the palace. Since the history of this Island, such thing never happened. What have I done to you, that I deserved such wickedness? If your daughter would allowed the secret home of the gods boom with joy, then my heart would be fuel with excitement, too. If you allow my words to be empty to your ears – then my heart would be fainted with troubles and pains at all times. If my faith would lose out of you and your descendent; I will be glad to pull out every fissile that belong to you out of this land. And my heart, my joy will be glad, I see you no more.
Again, whenever the festival of the flames approached; there is no one that hits the secret fire to the ancient gods; no sheep nor goat in the secret place, because there is no Priestess in the house of the gods. What then should I do to you when the flaming fire of the ancient gods is not burning? Who would I choose to be the next Queen of Janport Island, if Jessica is no way to be found? I believed, there is no one; except Jessica Jackson.
Mary's heart was filled with heat under the pillow; looking for a way on how to escape, but she couldn't. The voice of Diana Lorborough rolled inside her stomach. "I sent messages to you for several times, time without number, but you ignore the words of the messengers.
As you continue to ignore my voice, I have removed the crown of a Priestess who suppose to be the next Queen out of your family. While the Royal House of Janport Island, remains the same. But your family cannot step into the throne of glory, until you obey me and keep my commandment. Then I, Diana Lorborough, the 'Light Bearer' and the only ancient mother of Janport Island, would restore your sight and returned the ancient staff of office back to Jackson Rowe's family, and the entire Island will know I am the first Queen mother of this Island.
If you refuse to obey my voice, I promised to frustrate the entire family and fuels hardship, and failure in the life of your generation, until you declare and dedicate Jessica as the only Priestess who would take over the throne as the next Queen, instead of a King. Because of your negligence, you have made my name forgotten in the entire Island. Also, you have faded the mind of the neighboring gods and Deities not to honor me as their first mother of this Island and the neighboring countries behind us. How then should I be happy with you? That can never be done."
Jackson was behind her, sleeping, but he couldn't raise his head up. While Mary was under the pillow begging, "I can't remember that I was once a slave . . . , but I didn't know you were one of my mistress." Mary flick her head on the pillow. "What should I do to serve my life and my generation out of troubles?"
"That is why am here!
Are you aware that poverty is raining in the entire Island? You are the curse of it. If you agreed to dedicate Jessica to be my Priestess and make the entire Island to recognize me as the only ancient mother, they I will pour my blessing; freedom from bondage and poverty and set the entire Janport Island free, including your immediate family. If you recognize me, I will recognize you too.
This is the voice of the 'Light Bearer', the Queen mother, and the mother of all mothers, who dwells in the circle of light to bring favor to Janport Island. It is better for you to accept Jessica to serve me. Else, you and your entire family, your next generation, yet unborn, will continue to face difficulties on my hands. That is my last word to you."
As a little shadow flicks inside the room, a mighty wind stroke and shake the whole room, and she fleet behind the next door. While she watched over Jackson, lying down on the bed.
When Mary arose from the bed, she couldn't understand, if it was a dream.
Jackson stood up beside her, he heard a striking sound of the wind. The whole room was filled with smoke and he couldn't know exactly what happened. And he struggles to opened his eyes. But yet, he couldn't see, until Diana Lorborough left the room without a trace.
In a little while, Jackson's eyes, flicks on and he saw his wife, Mary, sitting beside the bed, she looks so sad. And he was so mindful to asked her what was going on. "What happened? You are looking so sad. There is something that happened in this room.
Tell me, what is the problem that I can't gets back to my senses again? There is something wrong. I wonder why I am struggling in my dreams, to get up from the bed.
Can you tell me, exactly what happened in this room that I can't set my eyes on you; while the entire room is filled with smoke, and some lightening of fire, sparking over my head?
Dear, things are getting strange to me. Am I right?"
Mary nodded her head several times. She knew not what to say. In a very little beat of her heart, she replies, "Dear, this is unbelievable: I didn't understand what is going on in this room.
But I can remember, someone mentioned her real name to me. I can't forget what she said. . . ."
"Then what happen?"
"The Queen mother appears to me at night. She spoke to me face to face. And I wonder why she still looked like a young girl," Mary commented.
"But what I really heard before I got up from the bed – was the striking sound of thunder. What does she said to you?"
"That is the handwork of Diana Lorborough. I think she is trying to tell me, who she is." Mary slammed her walking stick on the chair. "I can't agree for such dedication of my only child to serve her, unless she made me whole, once again."
"How can you make such statement to me?" Jackson whined, "That means we would continue to face hardship, more and more, in our daily life in the hands of Diana Lorborough. Our ancestors used to say, 'A fly that doesn't listen to an advice, is always follow the corpse to the grave.'
Do you want the Queen mother to kill us? Just tell me your mind, in other for us to correct the wrong from the past. There is no good time, there is no bad time, but this can be the right time."
Life does not stop at a point; it goes on and on, if you determine to go on. If not, it would kick you off the ground.
Diana Lorborough, who used to visit Jackson's home at bedtime, monitored Jessica's life. But the parents could not detect the problem in time. It was so difficult for them to solve the problem.
On a delightful day, Jessica spoke with her father one on one. "Dad, the story you were telling me some time ago was true. I can remember when I was a kid, I normally dreamed of one old woman, who used to visit me at night time; telling me, she is my rightful mother before I came into this very family. She always warned me not to disclose this information to any of you, that I should keep it secret. If not, she will turned me to a dwarf and dumb." Jessica gets down on her knees, closed to Jackson. "Dad, when I heard such statement from her, I stumble my heart not to tell you what was going on, neither my mum. I was thinking whether she would come back and take me to the secret Palace where she leaves.
Whenever she comes to me at bedtime, she always encouraged me to follow her and I would tell her no. . . . My parents would beat me to hell, and she would reply me, 'No, there wouldn't beat me.'
Some time she would bring some delicious food for me to eat and I would tell her no. I can't eat such food. And she would reply to me that if I should not follow her, she would take my life to the darkest side of life or set confusion over my life.
Dad, I could not understand her statement. But the funniest thing is that she refused to tell me her name, whenever she comes. And I told her, it is good to know her name, but she ignore my words."
"Oh, it is an endless story to tell. Diana Lorborough sent messages to us through someone she knew. Whenever your mum went to the market for shopping, the messenger could not let her gets into the market. But he always stops her by the side of the market square: that was when your mum went to the market to gather some foodstuffs.
In the entire city, nobody knows her real name, neither her nickname. It was when she appears to us in the dream; that was when we knew our name. If not, we shouldn't have known her name.
My dear, that was how we knew her native names," Jackson replied.