Part 8 (5)

The private lunch between His Majesty Batang V and the new Governor Babida ended and it was now time for the two most powerful men of the empire to part ways.
"Thank you, your Majesty, for your trust. You shall be assured that your humble servant right here shall always defend the land to the ultimate sacrifice." The lumberjack heartily said to the Emperor.
"I know, Governor. I know. You may return safely to Okunde. I have ordered that they set two horses and a carriage for you." replied His Majesty.
"You may also take this purse. It contains thrice the prize for killing the newborn Monster of the forbidden mountain, though this time you didn't bring to me its head on a silver platter because the beast was instead swallowed by the stomach of Okunde's river." The Ruler added.
"Thank you, your Majesty!" Babida took the gift and left the Emperor's private eating space.
Two imperial sentinels escorted him to his room where his henchman was waiting for him so they could go back to Okunde.
Babida arrived at the chamber and was pleased to find that his aide-de-camp had already packed all their belongings and they could leave the palace right away.
"My Commander...Sorry, His Highness, we may go now." said the youngster Baba to the new Governor.
"Yes, then let's depart!" Babida responded.
"However we may first stop by the young maiden Suzie's house." He then revealed to his aide-de-camp.
Baba carried the luggage and followed the Governor who had taken the lead.
They arrived downstairs and found a coach with two white horses in the best shape ever seen.
They hopped in and the henchman Baba took the commands. He smacked the horses' rears and they began to move forward.
The lumberjack guided him to the address of the young miss Suzie who lived in the north of the city.
As they were rolling on the streets of Ekule, villagers bid the new Governor farewell and wished him success in his function.
They implored the ancestors to accompany the lumberjack and guide him to the path of victory against the future enemies of the land.
Babida was flattered and in return, he pledged to the crowd that he would never let the empire down and would rather give his life.
The henchman Baba continued to follow the itinerary to the young maiden Suzie's place that His Highness Babida was giving to him till they finally reached a street with two identical chalets and stopped between the two houses.
They were getting down the coach when they heard someone shouting the name of the lumberjack.
"Babidaaaa!" The voice yelled.
The new Governor and his henchman Baba looked in front of them and saw the young maiden Suzie who was coming up to them while running as fast as she could.
The young maiden Suzie finally reached the position of the new Governor Babida accompanied by his aide-de-camp Baba.
She halted before the lumberjack. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red, for she was sobbing.
The young maiden wasn't in her usual glamourous shape. Her beauty was lessened by the abundant tears that wetted her face.
Babida held her by the shoulders and they fixed their gaze on each other.
The crying miss tried to say something to her companion but her tongue was heavy and words were choked in her mouth.
"Gra...Gra..." She was saying.
"Gra...what?" asked Babida but the young maiden Suzie was still incapable to articulate.
"Let's go to the house!" The newly nominated Governor Babida told her then grabbed her by the right hand and they began to walk to the chalet, trailed by the young henchman Baba.
As they stepped onto the property, Polo, the late Governor Kola 2's aide-de-camp came out of the chalet.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" He uttered to the woodsman.
"It's good that you came by, for we are in a terrible situation. The god of ruin has struck twice the heart of the young miss." He revealed to the logger who looked surprised and confused.
"What do you mean by that? Could you be clearer?" Babida asked the late Governor's henchman Polo.
"Well, Your Highness, when we came to the house with the corpse of Commander Bibi for his burial, we found that the matriarch, namely his mom or the young maiden's grandmom, was lying dead on the floor in the parlor." He disclosed the sad news to Babida who was in shock.
The lumberjack looked at the interim henchman Baba who was standing behind him and the young miss and the latter was neither grasping how the misfortune happened.
Governor Babida after the bombshell held tighter Suzie into his arms as she intensified the cries.
"Come, let's go inside!" The woodsman then told his crush.
The late Governor's aide-de-camp Polo let Babida and Suzie pass in front as he looked at the youngster behind them whom he recognized.
"Oh, it's you comrade Baba. You came with the superior Commander." Polo declared to the youngster.
"Yes, My Commander, in your absence the then Commander of the imperial forces and now Governor of Okunde, Babida, asked me to replace you until you come back to the administrative headquarters," Baba responded to him.
"Oh? Well, congratulations! Hopefully, you will be confirmed for the post because I am going to take a sabbatical year. I have been working with no rest all these past years. My health has thus deteriorated." Polo said to him.
"Come, let's go inside!." He then concluded the chat with the youngster.