- The Prouds 38
guardians. That thought was further confirmed when one of
the people approached him.
“Go away,” said Commander Reid firmly as he
grabbed the hilt of his sword.
The man was terrified and stopped.
The king said to the commander, “Leave him.”
The king asked, “What is it that you want?”
The man was in his thirties and obviously very
poor.
He said, “My Lord, may you live long. Please, My
Lord, reduce the taxes imposed on us. As we were already
poor, and when the guardianship council came, they levied
more taxes than ever, making us hit rock bottom. Please,
My Lord, you are the king, please show mercy.”
The king became angrier and his sense of guilt, and
helplessness deepened because he was unable to better the
lives of his people. Yet, he did not reply to the man and his
cortege moved on as he kept thinking of the poverty his
people were living in until he returned to his palace in the
evening. He kept thinking, sleeplessly, all night and for
days after until one day, in one of the guardianship
council’s meeting, something happened.
During that meeting, and as he was listening quietly
to their conversation and their monotonous, meaningless
voices as if he was listening to the sound of nonstop
waterfall, he shouted suddenly, “I want to abolish taxes.”
The sound of the waterfall stopped, and the three
men looked with amazement at the king who spoke for the
first time ever.