Chapter five

V
         At home, Sienna sat with the pets in the veranda. The three chicks were already shedding their colorful down and were beginning to look more like small chickens. She had bought them at a carnival, where the chicks were dyed with different colors. It was inhumane; most of the chicks died within a few days, but it had been nothing short of a miracle that the chicks survived beyond one week. Larry was pawing at the kitten basket, and the kittens inside were hissing.
         “Stop that, Larry.” Sienna pulled him away.
         I meant to be friendly. Larry tried reaching for the basket.
         “The kittens don’t like it.” Sienna said. Larry slumped to the floor. Looking at the sky she listened to the evening news. The volume was turned down low, not in the usual loud urgency as before. Papa was in front of the television, but he was reading the newspaper, not paying attention. Mama was walking back and forth, across the living room to the laundry room, and to their bedroom, carrying clothes and back. They were unusually busy and distracted today. Sienna felt a growing tension in her stomach and it was a tension that unfortunately turns out like a badly figured hunch. She looked at Larry, and Larry looked back at her.
         “I think we’re moving away, Larry.” Sienna whispered, “In a hurry.”
Larry licked his nose and followed Mama with his round eyes. Change is for the better.
         “What if where we move, we can’t take you with us? You’re as much a part of this family as I am.”
Larry put his head on Sienna’s leg. If that’s how life bids it. One cannot fight against the flow.
         “I’m afraid, Larry.” Sienna said, “Not of what’s coming. I’m afraid of leaving everything else behind.”
         In the living room, Papa turned up the volume. Something in the news had caught his attention, and he was listening to it raptly. Mama paused and sat by the armrest, putting the clothesbasket at her side. Curious, Sienna stood and walked up to the living room, with Larry in her arms.
         “They’re starting a rebellion? Now?” Papa said. On the television, people were pelting cans at the palace gates, by which they had stood side by side in their mourning, as if it had turned into a formidable enemy overnight.
         “A rebellion for what?” Sienna asked.
         “The people don’t like the idea of letting the king’s sons rule.” Papa still didn’t refer to the king as his father; he still called him the king, “They’re very unlike him. More tyrannical.”
         On the television, a mob screamed, united: “Smash the Monarchy! Let the People rule!”
         “Why can’t they establish a democracy instead?” Sienna asked.
         “The people aren’t ready to rule themselves,” Mama said, “the people need to be nurtured under one leader who knows their best intentions. And when they’re ready—”
         “That was what the king wanted.” Papa said.
         “The people still aren’t ready after four terms of monarchial government?” Sienna asked.
         “No. Not yet. The first three terms have devoted to reviving a dying nation.
         “And Grandpa revived it.”
         “Yes…but the people….still don’t have what it takes to govern themselves.”
George the vampire, the king’s first son, was on television, making a public announcement.
         “Hedonist.” Sienna muttered. Her parents were silent. After a few moments, Mama stood up and went on with her hustle and bustle. Papa grabbed his newspaper once again.
         “Papa.” Sienna asked, “What if they don’t find you?”
         “Unlikely.”
         “What if. If.”
         “Then…it’s better.” Papa sighed.
Sienna scratched Larry’s ear. “How long until…?”
         “Not long.” Papa said, “But it’s not the question on how long, but who will get to us first.”
         “It’s almost like we have no choice.” Sienna said, “Like you really have to take Grandpa’s place.”
         Papa nodded, rubbing his upper lip in deep thought. “Your grandmother, she always said whatever way you look at it, there’s always one more choice.”
         “What is that one other choice, Papa?”
         “This.” Papa pointed to a list of recluse apartments and boarding houses for rent.
         “Are we going out in hiding?”
         “Yes.”
         “Then…maybe there’s another choice, Papa. Besides hiding.”
         “I have yet to find it.”
         “Why hide?” Sienna asked.
         “Because I want you to be safe.”
Sienna put her arms around Papa. “You won’t have to worry. Okay?”
Papa kissed Sienna’s forehead and sighed. “Your grandfather gave me the greatest chance of a lifetime; to change the lives of many people, to give them a voice, to guide them. And to serve my country.”
         “Then take it. It’s yours.”
         “But I have to let go of a greater thing.”
         “What?”
         “This.” Papa looked up and around at the living room, but saw beyond the furniture and beyond the walls.
         “That’s hard.”
         “I know…” Papa said quietly. “…but if I take up where your grandfather left off, I can make several of people’s lives like this. Very much like this.”
         “You can, Papa.”
         “There’s more to it, Sienna. Nothing about this is easy.”
Sienna looked at Larry and thought Papa had been thinking of the same thing. That it was twice as hard leaving everything behind than moving forward into the unknown.

                   *                                        *                                        *

         Sienna stayed up all night, watching the news. She watched it with her pets. It was late night news, consisting of investigation of the king’s personal life; his sons, his wives…if he had done well with the country, the host had said, he hadn’t done quite well with family life. The people where frightened of tyranny, and how it would bring death upon the nation again. If the king was for the people, his sons were for self-interest. What he had worked for will fall to ashes.
         Halfway through a commercial, Sheldon called.
         “Hello…?”
         “Um—hi.”
         “What’re you doing? You’re up kind of late.”
         “Watching the news.”
         “The People’s Watch?”
         “Yeah.”
         “I’m watching it too.”
         “What’s going on? It’s kind of noisy back there.”
         “Oh. The bar’s quite full.” Sheldon’s father owned a bar, “It’s been some sort of underground haven for rebels and radicals. From what I’m hearing, they’re planning an uprising. They’re already meeting up with radicals all over the country to elect representatives.”
         “Representatives? For what?”
         “A sort of board of political thinkers to replace the monarchy…or sort of like that.”
         “They should be strong enough to overthrow the monarchy.”
         “Of course. It’s some sort of revolution.”
         “Wow.” Sienna said.
         “I know.” Sheldon laughed, “So, my Dad was thinking your dad should attend one of the meetings. Your dad’s a writer, right? I’ve read him; he’s great.”
Sienna went silent for a while, getting Mudpie off the armrest lest he falls.
“Papa…hm…” She said. “Mama says the people aren’t ready to rule themselves. Papa thinks the same thing.”
“Well, it’s better if the people do something before the tyrants do. I mean, sure I know the people need some sort of leader to tell them what to do, and do things for them. It’s like…like raising a kid.”
“How so?”
“When we’re little, they teach us everything; they teach us how to do certain things the right way. With the right guidance we grow up kinda okay.
But when we reach our teens we rebel against them, because we want to do things our way. We get these ideas of knowing what we should do. But in the end, we get stumped, we get to dead ends, take wrong turns and reach wrong places, and it’s be entirely our fault. That’s why we have our old folks, right? To boss us around even if we don’t want to because they know what’s good for us. It feels like shit, I know, but when you turn out all right in the end, you say to yourself, ‘hey, they didn’t do so bad. I wouldn’t be here if I’d broken away from their bossiness.”
“What an analogy, Sheldon.” Sienna said, “You could rule the country someday.”
“But this….Sienna, the King’s sons are the worst parents this country could ever have. Imagine having to quit school because, for example, your Dad wanted to—let’s say, spend millions on natural resources to trade with other countries.”
“Which is why the children find the right parents.”
“Yes!”
         “You seem to be so into this revolution thing.”
         “I know.” Sheldon laughed, “So…will you ask your dad about it?”
         “I’ll ask him in the morning.” Sienna watched as the host brought up speculations of other heirs. Her thoughts rushed immediately to Papa.
         “Oh hell yeah, I bet he has lots of other heirs.” Sheldon laughed. “Sons of maids and stuff like that.”
         “Haha. Illegitimate children can’t move up to the title, right?”
         “Yeah.” Sheldon said. “This country is so finished. Again.”
         “But what if…” Sienna bit a finger softly, nervously, “…what if there was a legitimate heir the public didn’t know of?”
         “And…what if he’s a garbage collector who didn’t go through high school?”
         “We’re doomed. But what if…what if he was what this country was looking for?”
Silence on the other line.
         “Then that’s great.” Sheldon said, “But it’s probably one in a million chances—”
         “We can always consider that one percent.”
         “Highly unlikely.”
         “One percent. Sometimes we get lucky.”
         “There’s no such thing as luck.”
         “It’s still one percent, Sheldon.”
         “Sure, sure.”
         “So…” Sienna said, “…who are the political thinkers you’re going to be electing?”
         “Some good ones, I expect.” Sheldon shrugged, “Some are activists and stuff like that. But the radicals are beginning to like the idea of you dad being leader of the representatives, being a writer and all, with all those views.”
         “I suppose he is sort of intelligent.” Sienna said quietly.
         “Two activists from the southern part of the country knew your dad back in college. They like him. They’ve been saying he’s good and everybody wants to meet him.”
         “It’s like everybody’s going too fast.” Sienna said.
         “We really don’t have that much time.”
Silence.
         “So…what are you doing now?” Sheldon asked.
         “Still watching.”
         “Me too.”
Johnnie climbed up one of Sienna’s legs and clawed at the telephone cord. Sienna took the kitten in her hands and let her rest in the crook of her arms.
         “Hello? Still there?” Sheldon asked.
         “Yeah.”
         “Wanna know a secret?”
         “Sure.”
         “I’ve been wanting to leave the band for some time now.”
         “Really? Why? That’s new. I thought the band has always been your life.”
         “They’re always a part of it, I know. But all this excitement…I want to give something to my country other than music, other than art. There are artists who do great things for the country, but I’m not enough of an artist to be as great as they are. I’ve given her art, but I want to give her something else, Sienna.”
         “So….what are you going to do?”
         “Make use of my college degree.” Sheldon laughed. “It’s been gathering dust in some dark corner of this bar, whimpering, begging me to put it to some use.”
         “What college degree did you finish?”
         “Political Science.”
         “Gem said you had taken up Philosophy.”
         “I shifted after two years.”
         “Wow, Sheldon. Just wow.”
         “I haven’t told anyone else. Just you.”
         “Thanks for telling me.”
         “No problem.”
Sienna laughed, hearing a commotion on the other line. “Looks like you’re having a party back there, maybe you should hang up and join in.”
         “I’m having a blast as it is.” Sheldon said.
         “How juvenile.”
         “I like talking to you, that’s just it.”
Sienna yawned. “Sheldon?”
         “Yes?”
         “I’m getting sleepy.”
         “Oh, so you’re hanging up then?”
         “Yeah. Good night Sheldon.”
         “Sienna?”
         “Hm?”
         “I—” Sheldon cut off, “uh—yeah, sleep well.”
         “Party well Sheldon.” Sienna laughed and hung up. She wasn’t really sleepy.


                   *                                        *                                        *

         
         When Sienna woke up, Papa was sitting by her feet, watching the morning news. Mama passed by with the two kittens in her arms.
         “You fell asleep on the couch darling.” She said, “And left the television on.”
         “Good thing the circuits didn’t overheat.” Papa muttered.
         “I wanted to finish The People’s Watch.” Sienna said, “They were saying they had some leads to Grandpa having other sons. Other probable rulers.”
         Papa laughed. “Ironic, how this could be so funny.”
         Sienna sat up. “Meaning?”
         “Funny, knowing you know the real thing.” Papa said, looking for a better channel, “Your grandfather…he liked playing tricks. Even in death, he plays the most difficult tricks to those close to him.”
         “Maybe he didn’t want his sons to take over.” Sienna said.
         “Of course.” Papa said.
         “So how would they know it’s you who’s supposed to take over?”
         “Your grandfather’s last will and testament. He didn’t put it anywhere in the palace.”
         “Where is it.?”
         “The bank.”
         “The Central bank?”
         “Goodness no. That would be too easy; an insult to his intelligence. He left it in the Landmark Bank.”
         “That small god-forsaken excuse for a bank? He could have lost it, Papa.”
         “I had to make sure it didn’t. I withdrew it the day we went to the city.”
Sienna recalled having cried herself to sleep in the back of the car on that day. “Oh. What was written in there?”
         “That he entrusts the title to his first legitimate son; the rest of the property enlisted to my name shall be received by him and his family, et cetera.” Papa said, “And along with other documents.”          
         “What other documents?”
         “To prove the legitimacy of his previous marriage, the legitimacy of my birth.” Papa said, “Every legal loophole that thoroughly explains my claims to his position, his written statements, letters, and signatures. Everything.”
         “Where is it now?”
         “Can’t tell you.”
         “I won’t burn them.”
         “That’s an idea.” Papa said thoughtfully.
Sienna laughed. “All right, it’s okay if you don’t say anything.”
On the television, the weather report brought cartoon rainclouds over the capital.
         “So how are they going to find who you are and where you are?” Sienna asked.
         “I don’t know. Your grandfather told me, and it’s all I could make out, is that he had formulated a sort of little treasure hunt for the investigators.”
         “Why did he have to make everything so complicated?”
         “So we wouldn’t fall into any harm.” Papa said. “If he had given such information away so easily, his sons would have us terminated with such ease. Almost like giving away our home address.”
         “So the investigators and the royal family are running neck to neck in the hunt.”
         “Yes.”
         “What if the investigators are in league with the royal family?”
         “Your grandfather wouldn’t be so stupid as to entrust the information to people in league with the people he doesn’t want ruling his country. “Papa frowned and shook his head at a commercial, “From what he’s told me, he’s established a liking to a group of detectives working for the police. They’re probably on the hunt now.”
         “Wow.” Sienna said, laughing, “It all sounds like some action slash mystery movie.”
         “I know.” Papa said, “Isn’t it wonderful, Sienney? We’re all a part of  an exciting plot.”
         “Exciting.” Sienna muttered. But frightening, she thought. She looked at Papa, staring right through the television; she knew the creative gears of imagination were whirring wildly in his head the way writers’ minds usually did in a sudden large bout of inspiration.          
         “Papa.” Sienna said.
         “Hm?”
         “Sheldon says the rebels are planning an uprising.” Sienna said slowly, “they’re gathering radicals from all over the country. They’re planning to bring down the monarchy.”
         “Hm.”
         “And…Papa, the rebels want you with them.”
Papa scowled, his voice shaking and gaining an ominous air. “This boy, Sheldon. Have you told him anything…?”
         “Of course not.” Sienna said, “He said there were radicals who knew you in school and they want you to lead them. His dad knows you’re a writer and he thinks you’re up for the job. They want you with them, Papa, they want you to lead.”
         “We’ll see if they’ll think the same way in a few weeks’ time.” Papa said.
         “Of course they would.”
         “Ah, so we live on sweet, sweet assumptions.” Papa said.
Larry barked at the kittens from the veranda. The chicken was jumping around and clucking, the chicks scattered. Sienna looked at Papa for one moment before attending to her pets.