THE ONE KING

THE ONE KING

In a mud and wattle kitchen, five children sat huddled beside a cooking fire. Their skinny arms hugged their parched, dusty legs. Cob webs blackened with soot, dangled over their heads. The scent of lemon grass tea boiling over the fire aroused their hunger. Supper was some minutes away. The children passed the time by playing a game. Their sweet little voices were heard by the adults in the house a few metres away. Kiiso kya mbuzi… Kabaka, mbulira ensozi. Goat’s eye. Yes my King... tell me the lands. Whoever failed to name a place would miss a turn and wait for the next round.

This game played in central Uganda, East Africa was my favourite. However I couldn’t mention many lands because other than my ancestry home Olilim in northern Uganda, the only place I knew was my home in Kireka, the outskirts of Kampala, the capital city.

Since my goat mother didn’t nurse me, my human mothers fed me cow’s milk in a plastic bottle. When I was 4 months old, my mothers were told I ate something poisonous and that it was too late to help me. So I passed on in the night into this beautiful world. I fly free from world to world. I see what you don’t see, hear what you can’t hear and therefore feel what you don’t feel.

My name is Acel, meaning one.

A king summoned me from my current world because he wanted to know what was going on in his. He said, “You can see where we can’t, I want you to tell me what you see”.

You can imagine the joy I felt, let alone the honour of being trusted by a king with such an important task. For a minute I went back to my time on earth when humans played a game of mentioning places far away. Were the places mentioned peaceful? I had no way of knowing but this time I can not only mention places, I can clearly see what is happening; only it is not fun as the game in Uganda was, seeing what is going in the world is destroying my very soul.

The pain of passing into this world cannot be compared to the pain am feeling now. In my little world on earth, things seemed normal. I was drinking, eating and playing. Humans went about their business every day…

The mumblings of a goat!!! I asked you a question Acel. What do you see?

Pardon me oh king, I was briefly destructed. Let me look first at my homeland, Northern Uganda, as they say charity begins at home.

I see men and women walking with their wares to a new market being opened today. They walk with a slower step than they did before the rebel leader Kony and his army massacred hundreds of people. Their wares are lighter than the heavy memories they carry of their little children and grandchildren whose tiny bodies were pounded in wooden mortars at the order of Kony’s soldiers. Some carry the scars on their bodies, for the cruelty of humans left them hideous. Ears and lips are missing. They silently mourn the loss of their husbands, wives and children who were killed before their very eyes. They sit around a pot of beer to drown their sorrow, fighting a losing battle because they can’t escape the memories of their children, who were captured and ordered to kill, starting with their loved ones.

There is peace at last but the violence is still alive in their songs and performances that tell stories of war, guns, fear and despair. Their smiles hide wells of sadness. From what I see here, the genuine happy moments seem like a lifetime away.

Acel, what you are seeing is terrible. I don’t want to imagine such horror or else I lose trust in human kind.

Ooh.., I hear a sweet sound. It’s coming from 3 year olds playing and laughing together, oblivious of their skin differences. What pure love but with adults it’s a different story.

Why is that Acel?

Humans seem to think, physical appearance or racial differences make them inferior or superior. I wonder why, because from here I see abundant beauty, generously provided by nature or God if you will.

True! What else do you see?

I see factories of weapons, guns, nuclear bombs…

Good! We need to protect ourselves and what’s ours. You never know with terrorists and all.

Terrorists uuh?

Don’t ask questions Acel, just tell me what you see!

I see numerous places of worship.

Fantastic Acel! I love prayer, I myself pray sometimes, it makes me feel…

Hey look! People of different religions and sects are fighting. It’s not pretty at all. Blood is flowing!

Acel, Do you want me to have a heart attack?

Of course not, my lord.

Then don’t worry me with such talk!

I am only reporting what I see my king.

Then report something good for a change!

I see love in the world.

Finally something to calm my nerves, after along hard day, tell me more.

I see couples holding hands some have grown old together while others are getting married.

People are gathered to share the joy of newlyweds and wish them well. “Oh what lovely children they will have”, they say.

Isn’t that lovely?

Yes, it is but I see unloved and abandoned children, their parents bowed out of their responsibilities.

That’s absurd Acel!

Allow me to ask a question your Excellency.

Be quick Acel, I don’t have all day!

If an enemy were to attack the earth do you think humanity would unite to fight them?

Absolutely! Humans may seem divided but if ever something were to threaten their race and planet, I believe they will come together and fight to the death!

That is good to know!

Why do you ask?

I see trouble my king!

Trouble! Quickly, Acel tell me what you see?

They are coming!

Who are coming if I may ask?

I see the enemy coming.

An enemy! Where is the enemy coming from?

The enemy is coming from all directions, East, west, North and south.

Oh we must be surrounded! How do they look like?

From here I don’t see very well, I will wait till they get closer.

Acel! Focus! It’s an order. What do they look like?

Ooh! Like you.

Are you saying they look like humans?

That’s what it looks like.

The enemy is carrying a smell. An awful smell! It’s rising to the clouds, to the ozone layer and leaving a print. It’s surely going to destroy the earth.

Don’t ask me to look, I don’t want to see.

Hey! It’s not only you who is worried about the impending disaster. I am sure when the entire planet gets to know about it, you will have 7 billion people worry with you! So what is causing the smell?

Industries, factories, polluted waters, burning plastic, waste disposal, fossil fuels, fill in the gap.

Oh my God!! Are they armed?

Oh yes they are.

I see little children matching out of their homes with guns in their backpacks heading to school.

Oh no! We have to stop this!

As you deal with that, to the west of my homeland, there is a beautiful land endowed with all the beauty of the earth but what is disturbing is the chaos I see. Women, men and children living in fear! I see lots of soldiers or rebels. It’s quite unclear who is there to rape, kill, steal the riches of the land or protect its inhabitants!

I see a girl, her dirty, torn, clothing is barely enough to cover her grey, distended stomach.

“I want to go home mama, why can’t we go home?” She asks.

“It’s not safe there,” replies the mother.

“I am hungry mama, and it’s cold out here. The bushes are pricking my skin!”

“Shhh.. be quiet. They could be close by”.

All is quiet but for the girls growling stomach. The girl inches closer to her mother for warmth, she feels a sharp blade through the brightly coloured wrap her mother is wearing.

“What’s this mama?” whispers the girl.

It’s for fighting the bad men. They do bad things to women and girls. I won’t let them touch you! “Can I have one? I want to protect you too Mama”, she says, her big, brown eyes filled with fear.

Just like many women in the region, the Congolese woman carries a machete along with the few belongings she is able to carry, as she runs through the dense forest, away from her family and her home land.

That is so sad Acel. Is it the enemy causing all this?

True my lord.

Do you see any one coming to fight the enemy?

I see two soldiers going to war. Both are saying goodbyes to their loved ones.

One soldier’s wife is with child. She can’t bear to see him leave. “Stay until the baby is born”, she pleads, “shouldn’t you be here to welcome our daughter into the world?”

“Honey, there are lives out there that need to be saved” he replies, “but I will be home soon, you will see”.

He drives away with his heart dying inside. He wishes he didn’t have to take a life, because soon, he will be bringing one into the world.

The second soldier seems to be much stronger. “I am doing this for God” he tells himself “and for mankind”.

His father is beside himself. “Don’t go my son, who will care for your family?”

“Don’t worry father, how do you know, I may have been born for such a time as this, God will provide.”

As he disappears into the night, he asks of God, “take care of them for me”. Because deep inside, he knows he will see them again but only in the next life.

Acel, this news is going to be the death of me. What else do you see?

Somewhere in the middle, there is a woman who appears to be hugging her son, only she is shielding him from the bullets raining down. She is holding him tight, looking around her for shelter but there is none. She looks above, for help from her maker but sees only war planes.

“Everything will be alright”, she soothes the terrified boy. Sadly, a bullet has struck, the boy is bleeding.

“Look sweetie, the border must be close now, hold on, I got you”.

Oh no! She doesn’t. The boy goes limp. His soul has left his body, to fly with the rest of the little boys and girls gone due to human violence. He is looking from above like me now. He sees his mother’s pain. He hears her cry. It seems louder than the deafening bomb sounds, filled with anguish as it pierces through the mountains in the East.

“Why...” she cries, as the never ending tears flow from the fountains of her soul.

Why my lord? Why are humans cruel to each other?

May be we think we are more different than similar. Wait a minute! Do you mean to say humans are the enemy you are seeing and they are enemies to themselves?

What do you think?

The love of religion, causes, ideology and wealth seem more important than humans! They keep manufacturing dangerous chemicals that go into their food and in their bodies. Millions of people wallow in poverty. People are forced to leave their homes into refugee camps. Children are taken into slavery while others are turned into soldiers.

Race is against race, humans fighting for land, for existence, continuously welding weapons to destroy fellow humans. Nature is continuously destroyed to bring brief comfort to humans. They sit in meetings and plan the future. Consciously or unconsciously planning to destroy the very place their children’s children are meant to live. The desire for much comfort and power will be the ruin of humans and planet earth.

God help us!

What God do you have in mind your Excellency?

What kind of a question is that? There is one God!

Not according to the many human religions.

How does that matter Acel? God created and is guardian of the universe, he will surely save us!

That sounds presumptuous I must say! Humans are killing humans because of God. Humans are destroying the very earth that they say he created. Must God be happy about that? Hilarious! You might be on your own, think of saving yourselves and your planet!

You are not here to give your opinion Acel!

You are right, am here to serve 7 billon kings and if I may, speak freely to all of them.

Are you nuts? What do you mean everyone is king? I am the one king in this land.

I can’t argue with you there. You are the king of your land which is your mind. As a king rules over a kingdom, humans rule over their thoughts. As humans firmly grow into their role as masters of their minds, they find themselves confronted with thoughts of goodness and evil. When the time comes to choose which thoughts to turn into action, how do they rule?

Simply by being a just king of your mind, you can make the world a better place.

You are the one king and the world is waiting for your cry for fairness, when met with injustice. Your smile of love and encouragement, when met with hopelessness. A step in the right direction, when met with crossroads. Your vow every day, to make this world a better place.

My part ends now but yours begins my lord.

Think carefully of every action you are about to take, then rule if it’s humane or not and how it will affect mother earth. Look closely, around you and a far. What will your role be in making life better for humanity and other inhabitants of the earth?

Humans can benefit from the health that comes from a proper relationship with mother earth. There is plenty for everyone and humans just need to learn to use it wisely and share it lovingly with others.

Humanity in its simple form undressed of prejudice, hate, selfishness, is very able to choose goodness and reign with it forever. I hope when the time comes for you to join this beautiful world, you will be able to see the goodness you planted natured on earth and told in stories by firesides.

For seven billion kings, you can feel and manifest as one, it’s just a matter of choice.

I therefore pray your majesty, that you wear your crown and rule for love, peace, for earth, for humanity.