Not long, a parrot. The secretary’s son perched on the balcony while the king and the prince were sitting. The parrot was happy to see The king and his son return from the battle. He praised their spiritual helper for the victory. He needed to ask about his father The secretary , but his jaws were heavy to be lifted. The king understood and gave him the answers he craved to hear.
The beautiful bird was excited. He flew home as fast as it could. The king didn’t even fit the chance to ask him about the queen. Even as he was shouting to get his attention but it was late. The bird lost into the woods.
The parrot returned to the king’s chamber according to the agreement. He doesn’t look bright as expected. No one can hide such feelings after all that has happened unless if something else happened along the way, or it maybe the rest of his family members were unfortunate.
“Don’t you feel better?” the king asked his secretary who was gawking at him inquisitively.
“About what your highness?”
“Don’t you see your son?”
“supposing I saw him will I wait for you to ask?”
“He came here. More than quarter an hour ago, I told him you went home, immediately he flew away not waiting for me to ask him about my wife”
“Are you serious? But I should have met him if you if it’s up to an quarter an hour ago”
“Are you saying that I am lying?”
“Not at all. You know I would never say such your highness just……”
“Please I need to rest. There’s too many things in my head and it heavy” The gorilla went into his tree house leaving him there. The parrot pondered about what the king told him just for a short while he decided to go and confirm. As he turned towards the gate he saw. He saw their relatives that were missing. The queen was there, giraffe’s wife, zebra’s wife and elephant’s wife. But couldn’t see his own family. Could it be that they went home straight away? No, it can’t be. They can’t go home while the others were coming together to the palace. Don’t they have homes too?
“Your highness, out queen is back. Her Royal majesty have returned with some families”
Hearing the parrot from inside he barged out of his chamber and raced down the stairs like a child to his wife and wrapped her in his arms warmly. They were many that returned. More than half of those they left while going for the battle returned. How come there were still many alive when they hurried what seemed the entire community yesterday?
“Did you return with my son?” the queen asked.
“Yes I brought him back”
“Is he alright? Where’s he? I want to see him”
“He went out to look for you”
“Why? You shouldn’t have let him. Not after the stress he’s been through”
“We were worried. We needed to find you”
Returnees were asking about their relatives that went for the battle.
“Where’s my husband?” zebra’s wife asked the parrot who was standing alone with a welcome smile that did not reach his heart, since his family was not in their midst. But he was going to ask one of them about his family.
“I have a good news for him”
“What news?”
“The news is for my husband not you”
“Sorry, your husband didn’t return” the parrot said with a sad tone.
“Tell me it’s a joke”
“It’s not. We couldn’t even find his body”
“Tell me it’s a joke. Tell me it’s not true” zebra’s wife wailed loudly. The closest females rushed to hold her.
“It’s a pity her husband did not live to see his long waited child” one of the females said.
Now the parrot knew about the news she was talking about. She was pregnant. It was painful anyway. The child was to compensate him but it shouldn’t be at his absence. There’s no joy in it. He was still thinking when the queen showed up.
“What are you still doing here?”
“Your majesty you never told me I’m forbidden from coming to the palace”
“I never did for I never intended to. Actually, I was wondering why you haven’t gone home since then”
“What will I do when I get home? I prefer what I am seeing now. If I am alone there will be a greater chance to harbor much in my head”
“Why will you be alone? How will there be a chance to harbor…. I don’t understand. Are you fighting with your family?”
“Fighting? With my family I haven’t seen? How possible is that and why should we?”
“I don’t believe you”
“I don’t understand you either”
“I am trying to say that you should be at home with your family. Haven’t you missed them enough?”
“Are you saying they went home?”
“Are you serious about not having seen them?”
“What then will I be doing here if I have?”
“They went home. It was your son that reported to us about your arrival.
The parrot did not wait to hear more. He flew home at once.
Greenwoods became a place where two opposite things happens at a time. Some families celebrate while some mourn their freedom and lost respectively. No doubt the queen was the most excited creature among all, the reason was that she was not going to miss the young female gorilla as a daughter in-law. And when they ascend the throne she will become a respected queen mother. She will have less work. She will have time for her self, friends and social life. She was happy her friends will continue showing her the respect she deserves as a superior.
“The males among us did not only protect us, they fought the Invaders and got all of them killed sparing two who will receive the greatest torture in their life. They are bounded. He’s with the men now. But remained hiding in case another group came for us” the queen narrated their ordeals likewise every family. After those left at home narrate theirs those from the battle carried on. It was turn by turn. Story time.
They narrated every bit of how the battle was fought and the prince, about how he got to Skull-land. He said the aircraft they created by him, the chimpanzee and some friends was control by the wind. The greater and longer the wind blows the farther it goes. The aircraft took him Northwest and there’s no wind there the aircraft brought him down not knowing that hunters from Skull-land were hiding somewhere waiting for him to land. As soon as he reached the ground they picked him and headed back to Skull-land as if he was the reason they came to Greenwoods.
“Chief priest was amazing in the battle field” the king added to his unfinished story. It’s normal to remember somethings when it seem the story’s ended. “In fact, if not him we wouldn’t have returned let alone with the prince. Though he did not kill anyone but he caused the death of many” the king explained further how everything went.
The elephant likewise every other bulls were out of control, they smashed everything they came across with their weights. The chimpanzee brought best ideas and strategies, the secretary likewise the other birds distracts enemies by every means they could and report information. Giraffe, zebra and the rest of the animals without a means of attack and protection were like baits luring enemies to their death. The squirrel defended himself by blowing poison into the eyes of whoever attacks him. He also attended to the injured. The porcupines offer their spine to serve as weapon, arrows precisely. When out of arrows they volunteer. The monkeys were experts on trees. They aim targets from trees, they pushed down animals that followed them up to the trees. They use nets to capture enemies. They had more strategies of fighting. Apes on the other hand handled weapons, and were the toughest. Rodents sneak into holes to steal treasures, do some certain disconnections, spoilage and eavesdrop conversations had in secret. Everyone had a very unique and important role to play in the field.
Some families refused to go home. They remained in the palace. No one knows how long they intend to stay. Not even them themselves knows. As discussions continued, they heard voices like a group of animals chatting, whistling, calling name, laughing etc. But they were not in sight though they were close but the vegetation hide them.
“Another survivors?” the king asked.
“It can’t be. Survivors would be so happy. Maybe the same Invaders” the queen answered. The rest succumbed.
“Maybe they think we are all dead and they want to come and take over the land. Let’s hide”
they made haste to hide behind whatever they thought could cover them. They waited there till they showed up. They were heading straight to the palace as their voices announced them. Coming an open place, they recognized them to be their members they left in the Skull-land. They were over thirty something, carrying the injured that were still alive on crossed bamboo sticks, some strange and beautiful fruits, treasures, bones, pheasants and peacocks.
Their eyes could not behold the sight of the chimpanzee and the zebra among them. Many of those crying found their husbands, sons and fathers among them. But those who didn’t see their felt worse. As for the happy ones, the zebra was the happiest when he met his wife and heard the good news she couldn’t wait to disclose.
“I went into the cave to help you but I lost my way for there were many paths inside. While trying to find my way out, I discovered the lion’s hid their cubs in a home and left a rope for them which they can use to pull out. Without the rope there will be no way out. So I removed the rope and left them there”
“You left them alive?”
“Yes, but they won’t come out, the hole is too deep for them”
“What if they are rescued?’
“No one will hear them even if they shout. The hideout is very secret”
“I ensure they all died. I rolled rocks into the hole” a bison said.
“When?” the chimp asked looking surprise.
“As you left”
“Better” the king concluded. “We should be proud for at least we are the reason for the reduction and extinction of most animals today”
There was going to be a party, to celebrate their freedom. Though Greenwoods lost many heroes but there were still reasons for the celebration. The queen planned that her son’s lover and the prince will be united during that period as she could not stop talking to friends about it. All the marriages and parties that were abandoned due to the calamities will hold again. It was going to be the biggest party in the history. For many things will be done. It will take days therefore they have to take time to plan it well. Yet, nothing will make Greenwoods to be as happy as it was initially, absolutely nothing.