CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

 

About five years after the coronation of the new queen, the Kingdom was already shattering.  She hadn’t had any idea how to rule such a big land, yet she hadn’t let anyone give her the slightest bit of advice. So the kingdom was poor and breaking, because the queen had ruled greedily, selfishly and unfairly. No one would stand up to her, because they were too afraid. Her reign over terror ruled over everyone… except for one little group of outcasts.

 

*  *  *

The last rays of sunshine were hurrying  away from the town, leaving room for darkness. In the safety of the shade and the reddening sky, a cloaked figure was raceing through the town. It only stopped at an old wooden door, with a worn sign on top of it. The following letters were barely visible:

             

                               “Pick and Trefle’s Puppet Theater”

 

The theater was now worn out and shabby, because the queen had closed it after only a few short months of business. The cloaked figure knocked on the door three times, then ,unseen, stomped it’s foot under the cloak. A little wooden window slid open, revealing a pair of black eyes.

“Which one am I?” a voice said from behind the door.

“How can I tell without the dress?” the figure answered.

“Good point.”

The window closed and the door opened. The figure slid through and the door closed behind it. The dark eyes turned out to be Picka’s, and she greeted the figure. It lowered it’s hood, letting loose waves of long, brown, bushy hair and revealing a pair of dark brown eyes.

“Is James here?” Heara asked.

“Yes, he’s preparing the show for the kids with the others.” Picka answered.

“Okay, thanks.”

Heara took off her cloak, hanged it on a hook and headed for the stage. On the inside, the building looked a lot more clean and taken care of. It was dark, but it had a warm and homey feel to it. The stage, with it’s wooden flooring and red curtains, was nothing special, yet for some of the children who came here, it was the most beautiful place on earth,  their only free world.

As she got close to the stage, one of the children noticed her and squealed: “Heara!”

All of the kids turned around and jumped towards her for a big group hug. After the hug, all the kids started talking at the same time, trying to inform her of everything that had happened while she had been gone.

“Wow, wow, slow down, I can’t understand anything?” she laughed.

A little boy started reporting: ”Today we had to sing that stupid hymn for the Hearts Queen again, and I didn’t sing, and the teacher caught me, and she spanked me with a ruler over my knuckles, but I didn’t care, and I said: ‘I don’t care what they say, but the queen is a tyrant!’ And the teacher was speechless, and I got a double ration of spanking, but again I didn’t care.”

A little girl also said: “They put up a new poster of rules from the queen on the school, and I drew a moustache, and a hat, and a beard on her picture!”

As every little child said their reportings, Heara’s smile widened. She was so proud of these children, and of their parents for letting them. It showed there was still hope. All the little things these children did, all these were so heroic, huge signs of protest, especially compared to what other people did. Every single one of those little deeds counted for the resistance.

“Well then, looks like we have a lot of material for the rebellion, don’t we?”
James stood smiling at the end of the stage, leaning against it.

“James!” Heara said happily.

He waved at her and then said to the children: “You all deserve a reward for your work. Shall we, Heara?” he said, offering her his arm.

“We shall.” Heara blushed as she wrapped her arm around his. The kids exchanged meaningful looks.

Everyone took their places and the show began. Picka and Trefla stepped on the stage.

“Welcome, children. We know that you were expecting a puppet show tonight, but…”

“…because of the presence of a very special person, we will be doing…”

“… a live action show!”

“Enjoy!” they said at the same time.

 The children clapped and the lights started dimming. The curtains opened.

 The backdrop of the stage was a collage of a bunch of drawings that the children had secretly made in school. Together they resembled a green field. The children started to whisper, because each could recognize their drawing in the bunch.

 Joey stepped into the scene and sat in the middle. He was wearing a yellow wig, which made him look ridiculous. Let’s not even start on his dress. It was full of little bows and enormous at the bottom. And to top all of that, he wore a giant golden crown on his head.

 Jack, Heara, Picka and Trefla came to him in servants clothes, Heara holding a tray of tea. Joey looked down at it, made a snorting sound, then said in a high pitched voice:

“What is this?”

“Your tea, Your Majesty.” Heara said confused.

“My tea?! I want my tea with lemon, and lemon only, not orange!”

 Heara and James shrugged and brought Joey the new tea. After a few more posh orders, James barged heroically on the stage and swirled his wooden sword, making his towel cape swing.

“Get off the throne you don’t deserve!” he said.

“Ahh, someone give me a sword!” Joey said.

He got the sword and started duelling James. In the middle of the fight, Joey leaned back, so that his wig fell off. The actors broke into laughter, and after he shreaked: “My hair!”, the whole room started laughing. James fakely stabbed Joey and he fell dramatically on the stage. Everyone clapped.

From the stage, Heara looked down to the children. Their smiles, such a rare sight in those trying times, their eyes full of hope. It was the least they could do for the poor kids, who were forcefully taught in Caro’s ways. They had to stop her.

For them.