The Promise

In a town not too far from our time, there was once a wealthy merchant, who by the age of 70, had amassed a great fortune.

This old merchant was lying on a thin bed over the hard floor.

God had given him all the wealth one could hope for; well perhaps more for him but with all the gold, the softest of chinese silk and servants around him, the man was sad as he lay on his death bed.

It is not death or the afterlife he feared; it was the world of the living where his heart yet lingered. Not for himself, but rather for his son.

The old man had a son who was a spendthrift. It would ease him to an extent it was on himself but he spent most of his gold on his friends. Lavish feasts, gambling, tours and so on.

Right now, in his last moments, only his faithful butler Jafar stood beside him.

*cough* *cough*

"Jafar, where is my son? Why.....has he....not come to me yet?" asked the old merchant as he breathed heavily.

"Forgive me my master; I have sent for him hours ago. I'm sure he is on his way" replies Jafar as he bowed his head further down to not meet the gaze of his master.

You see, Jafar had no hope that the master's son would even care to come to the last moments of his father but this was something that he could not tell his master at this time.

As Jafar picked a glass with a narrow edge to help his master drink some water, he said "Master, please drink some water. it's brewed with saffron. This will give you strength and give you life."

The merchant gazed at his kind butler and said "Jafar... you have been... with me... for 40... years. Has there... ever been... lies... between us?"

Jafar raised his head and said, "Never master."

*cough* *cough*

"Then you know... that I will not live... to see the light of tomorrow." said the old merchant.

Jafar yet again lowered his head for he too knew his master would not live long to see the next day and so he just kept his silence.

Moments passed and Jafar heard a creak coming from a distance. He excused himself from his master and went to the main hall.

Even though he was just a butler to this family. What he saw broke his heart. The young master had come back in a half-drunk state as he was resting on a couch. Uncaring of what was happening.

"Young master! please come with me, your father does not have much longer to live." pleaded Jafar.

The young master groaned as he was annoyed and said "Fine fine fine. Can't even rest for goodness sake."

In the span of 7 breaths, they reached the master's room. "Master, your son is here to see you." said Jafar as he stood by the door.

The young master lazily pulled himself closer to his father as he lazily sat next to the bed as if he was about to douse.

The old merchant mustered all the strength within his body to advise his son. he said "Son, do you still not know that those people who you call friends... call you so because of your money?"

His son yet leaning towards him as before; eyes shut and silent.

The old merchant continued "Which one of these people who you call friend... will come to your aid when you need them? But of course, you do not understand my words... yet."

The merchant took out his hand from under the blanket and moved his hand towards his son. "Take this, my son."

The young master opened his eyes and opened his palm, thinking that his father is going to give him something of value but as his father opened his hand, he saw that it was a key.

"This key opens the door to the old cellar... In it, there is a rope noose... I want you to promise me... when you have lost everything... when you are broken... when you are alone... when you hunger... open the door to the cellar and hang yourself." said the old merchant to his son.

The boy was not moved. It could be due to his half-drunken state or so but being forced, he nodded his head.

As soon as he did so, the arm of the old merchant which was raised to give his son the key fell as he drew his last breath and passed away.

Funeral horns were played to signal his death as the many people who he helped mourned for him.

***

Two days passed by and the young master was dressed in lavish attire to get ready to meet his friends.

Jafar who now served the young master expressed lament and said "Young master, it has been just two days since the master passed away. I must advise against going out for spending time with friends and leisure instead of mourning our loss."

The young master who previously was in good spirits expressed his annoyance and said "It is true my father died, but I cannot make my friends suffer by barring myself from them. I cannot be so selfish."

Jafar who was revolted at this response did not change his expression and said "It is not selfish to keep time for family; even if it is, so let it be."

"Enough of this! I don't wish to have this discussion again. Tie my shoes. I'm running late." said the young master with an entitled expression.

Jafar looked at him and then at his shoes and slowly but reluctantly he knelt to tie his shoe.

The young master noticed his expression and as he looked down on him, he said "If you do not like the state of affairs you are always free to quit. If there is one thing a lot of in this world is servants."

Jafar was still kneeling as he heard this and he slowly got up and bowed his head towards the young master and said "Goodbye young master. I wish you happiness in life."

He then left the manor and let the young master do as he pleased.

Time passed and slowly but surely the coffers were being emptied. Each day the young master went out, he spent a small fortune.

Life was everything that the young master wanted it to be. He enjoyed the company of his friends who respected him and were always there to make him smile and have a good time.

And so it came to past where our young lord was searching for coins all over the manor.

***

The manor was now a poor image of its past. Most of its furniture, paintings and anything of value was gone.

"Well then sir. here are the coins for the furniture's I selected. I noticed another cellar but it was locked. Is there nothing of value there?" said a man.

The young master who was gloomily looking at a corner of the wall came to himself and without moving the direction of his gaze said, "That room doesn't have anything of value."

"That may be but surely there must be more items in there than in this place. Hahahaha." responded the man.

***

Months later, an old and cheap dinner which served food for the labourers had a peculiar customer.

A man covered in torn and ragged clothes sat on one of the chairs of this diner. All the customers recognised this man as they looked at him with curiosity and pity. Everyone knew who this beggar-looking man was.

A waiter boy came to take orders as soon as he saw the man take his seat.

The man presented the boy with 1 copper coin, which was not enough for anything they sold even to labourers.

The boy looked at the man and as he did so he took a step back. The boy saw the face and eyes of a broken man. sorrow and hardship overtaking any noticeable feature he had.

The boy looked towards the distance where his boss stood.

The boss had noticed the man as he entered and saw the whole affair and how much he had paid. The boss nodded towards the boy and the boy accepted the coin and went away to bring his order.

In but a few minutes, the boy returned with a small sack. The man in tattered clothes opened the sack and saw in it lie 2 eggs and 2 flatbreads. He thanked the boy and got up and left as silence still lingered within the busy dinner.

As the tattered man left, the boss of the dinner had come out and saw the silhouette of the man disappear and said in a sorrowful tone "Young master. What has become of you?"

***

As the former young master went back to the deserted mansion, he kept the small lunch sack next to the empty Persian howz to get out of his attire.

Unfortunately for him, a crow saw flew down to the sack and lifted it into the air and took it with itself.

The former young master could not react in time and so his lunch flew and his hunger grew.

The former young master decided to pay a visit to his friends. Surely, they would be of help when they hear of his terrible fate or at least with the crow.

***

"AHAHAHAHAHA! It is true! It is true! The fool did try milking the bull."

"HEHEHEHE! A spectacle sure to behold indeed."

"KAKAKAKA! Come my friends come; let us feast."

"HOHO! Such a mouth-watering turkey. You've outdone yourself. KHAKHAKHAKHA!"

The former young master went into the divan and saw his 4 friends feasting on a giant turkey. He went up to them and said with an amiable smile "Good afternoon, my friends. It has been quite some time."

The 4 people paused and looked in the direction of the voice and saw an eye sour.

The four of them instinctively thought the same thing, 'blaa, why has he come, this company is no longer for him.'

The place fell into silence. non even wanted to look at this newcomer. All their joy had turned to ash by him just standing next to them.

"I see you guys are feasting. It has been a long since we were united like this. Haha" said the former young master.

"Indeed, it has. So, tell me, what has bought you here?" said one of the friends.

The former young master sat a little close to the table, too close for the friend's comfort and said "Actually, a strange thing happened to me before I came here. I was in the process of getting ready to eat my lunch when a crow flew to my lunch sack and took off with my meal."

The four friends looked at each other to make sure the others heard the same thing.

"Yes, so then I wondered to myself that you guys must be here so I might as well join my friends. Haha." said the former young master with an innocent laugh.

"AH, young master! If it is food you want, why don't you say so? why makeup such a lie? This is ridiculous." said one friend.

"Indeed. I don't think he was even trying. HEHEHEHE!" said another friend.

"But my friends. when have I ever lied to you? I speak the truth." said the former young master.

"Enough enough, just take a piece of meat and be done with it." responded the friend.

"Or rather, I think it is best you at least sing for us first. Surely the sound of music will give an ambient serenity to our feast." said another friend.

"But how can he sing on an empty stomach?" inquired a friend.

"Do you not know that best voices are produced with an empty stomach? Surely, he can wait a bit more before he eats. Come on, sing for us." said one of his friends.

"Yes, I agree, sing." said all his friends.

The young master who once thought to have led this bunch of friends was now seated on the ground as his right hand slipped into the pocket of his robe and looked as if he was stunned.

He pondered and pondered hard at the past and soon he reached the point where he made a promise to his father. he took out his hand from his robe and within his palm, he held something that was his last possession.

"Oh, what's that? It looks like a... key?" said a friend closest to him.

The young master got up from his seat. No longer minding these lot and made his way towards his manor.

"What's this now? Didn't you want to eat?"

"Here you not hungry? Where are you going?"

***

*Creak*

The door of a cellar opened and within its very centre was the very noose his father mentioned.

Without hesitation, the young master stepped on a chair and place his head within the noose and kicked the chair away...

*Boom*

***

"Young master? Where are you young master?" said a familiar voice. Needless to say, the voice belonged to non-other than Jafar.

Jafar searched every room in the manor until he got to the cellar. As he entered, he saw the young master amongst what looked like rubble.

"Young master! what has happened?" asked Jafar

The young master in our story... well....he....he was alive. But kept his silence.

Jafar raised his head and placed his young master's head on his chest as he embraced him with tears and said "Thank the all mighty! Thank the all mighty your alive sir. I saw you at the diner and I thought to visit you..."

As Jafar was talking, he tried to move a few of the rubbles away from his young master.

That's when he noticed.

*CLINK* *CLINK*

Jafar came to himself and noticed sack after sack of coins and gems all around his young master.

Jafar then looked at his young master and within his eyes, he noticed change; he noticed resolution.

***

"Thank you, my friends, for coming to his feast! Thank you for coming and gracing me with your presence." said the young master who was now full of his previous vigour to his friends.

"But of course, after all, what are friends for then? HAHAHAHA!" said one of the friends.

"Indeed. I personally wanted to visit you a multitude of times but I thought that you might be quite busy hence I did not disturb you." said another friend.

The young master nodded and said "Indeed it had certain issues in my way but nothing I did not overcome. It matters not. Let us now enjoy the feast have prepared for you all!"

He then turned towards the door and said "Jafar. hurry up and make ready the meal. Our guests are waiting."

The four friends were now salivating with the thought of such a lavish feast.

"My friends, I wanted to confess something strange that I witnessed the other day while I was walking past the field. I saw a crow fly down to a herd of sheep and picked a sheep with its talons and flew again into the air. Is that not strange?" said the young master.

The four friends looked at each other and one of them said "No I don't think it's strange at all. There are a lot of stranger things that happen in this world so something like this is bound to happen and is normal."

"Yes, that's true. Things like these happen all over the world, yes. KAKAKA." said another friend.

"Agreed."

"Indeed."

The bright smile upon the young master's face suddenly turned cold and he said "So you say this can happen, yes? Interesting, yet the time I said that a crow took a small sack of food you all called me a liar but now you believe a crow could take off with a sheep?"

The four friends were caught off guard by such a response. They all looked at their plates, not daring to look at the young master.

The young master then continued "It matters not. I did not bring you here for a lecture of the past. I've invited you here to give you all a food meal that you all deserve."

The young master then turned towards the door and said "Jafar! Bring the food for our guests!"

The foolish friends who still thought they were going to receive the feast they were promised suddenly turned pale as they tried to dash towards the exits of the room.

Such a strong reaction was probably not because they suddenly lost their appetite but rather, they saw around six angry-looking men coming into the hall with giant beating sticks.

The young master now sat at the table with Jafar standing next to him and said "As promised, I will give you a feast worthy of my dear friends. Eat up. I want you all to remember this day whenever you hear the word 'feast'."

***

Moments passed and it was just the young master with Jafar in the room and as the Jafar loyally served his father, the young master turned to Jafar who stud behind him and said "Jafar, thank you for helping me. I am nothing like my father, but a man of my own, flawed and scared, but I promise this, I will strive to be a better man and it would mean the world to me to have you by my side again."

Jafar heard all that his young master had to say and at the end, he knelt on the ground on one leg and said "Young master, through war and hell, I promise I shall always stay by your side."

And so, our story ends with a certain young master who changed and made amends and of course to his friend's misfortune was about to commence