Bab 26: Memory lane 5...!
"What do you mean...?" But before she could finish sleeping his question, the Queen said;
"What do you mean, what do I mean...?" The Queen replied with her own question.
"This is exactly what Andrew was talking about...!" The Queen said suddenly as she turned her attention back to Andrew.
Turning his eyes to look at Andrew, and the back at the Queen, the King asked;
"What do you mean, that's what Andrew was talking about...?"
"What was he talking about...? Was he talking about me?" The King asked several questions at once.
The Queen only looked up at him slowly, but didn't respond.
When the King saw this, he slowly turned all his attention to Andrew, his face solid.
"Andrew..." He called.
"What did you say about me?" He asked, his tone soft.
Andrew, that had been sobbing silently, with his eyes closed, now opened them and looked at his Father, then he looked at his Mother.
His Mother only smiled at him.
Getting up from his mother's laps where he lied, he began walking towards where his Father stood, and that was down the steps; atop was where the bed that his Mother sat and cuddled him.
When he was on the third step, he stopped, and then bowed slowly but carefully, deeply but gently at the King, his Father.
Raising up his head, he found his father to be looking at him with a hard face but tender eyes.
Then he felt something warm down the side of nose.
Raising his finger to clear it off, he discovered that it was a tear...
Then he felt it at the other side of his nose...
Using both hands, he wiped off the tear and then cleared his nose as he drew it in...
The King didn't wait for Andrew to start talking, he himself (the King), initiated the conversation...
"Andrew...!" The King called his name.
Swallowing the knot in his throat as his father called his me and as he stood before him, Andrew answered;
"Father...!"
"What were you saying to your mother about me...?" The King asked.
"I wasn't saying anything...!" But Andrew was cut short.
"Don't lie to me Andrew, you know how much I hate lies...!" The King cut him off.
Andrew swallowed deeply...
'How am I supposed to know you hate lies...?' Andrew asked himself in his head.
'I'm not even close to you as your wife...!' Andrew thought again.
"What are you thinking about Andrew?" The King's voice echoed in his head.
When he raised his eyes to look at his Father, he locked eyes with his Father as he snapped back to reality and asked his Father what he is not supposed to;
"We're you talking to me Father?"
The King paused...
He could tell that his son's mind was not there, so he repeated the question;
"What were you thinking about?"
"Fa...Father?" Andrew asked.
The King didn't respond.
"You heard me...!" The King responded gently; almost silently...
Andrew turned back to look at his Mother, who urged him on...
Scratching his head and slowly turning back to look at his Father, Andrew gulped. Then he took a deep breath and then, after letting it out, he slowly said;
"What I was thinking...!"
But he was cut short.
"Andrew...!" The King called his name.
Andrew sighed as his shoulders slumped and then replied his Father;
"Father...!"
Pausing for a while, the King, as if hesitating to say something, but later on, he said it.
But, initially, his mouth opened as he wanted to stay something, but the words could not form.
Opening his mouth and then closing it one more time, the King finally said;
"Be free...!"
Andrew frowned as he asked;
"F...Fa...Father...?" Andrew called as he looked at his Father.
"Are you Okay...?"
Once little Andrew asked that question, the King realized something...
And what Andrew said later on, confirmed his realization...
"Yes I'm Okay...!" The King replied.
"What I was trying to say was...!" The King paused again as he sighed and shook his head.
"Be free...!" The King said again.
"Be...free?" Little Andrew asked.
The King nodded.
"Yes Andrew, be free...!" The King repeated.
"What do you mean I should be free?" Andrew asked.
"Free from what?" Andrew asked again.
The King paused again before saying;
"I want you to be free with me...relate your problems to me...talk to me, discuss with me...okay?" The King explained with tenderness in his voice.
Andrew felt emotional, but he was in front of his Father, so he had to blink multiple times before the tears dried off.
Moving his eyes away firm looking at his Father, Andrew gulped and then said;
"Father, you're not...!" He paused a looked as he tried his best not to cry.
"We're not close...!" Andrew finally said.
Then he paused and watched his Father's expression.
The King's face held no expression as his face was straight, emotionless.
Seeing that his Father was not talking, he continued;
"We're not as close as we supposed to be, as in, we don't have this Father and Son bonding that others have..." Andrew said.
Then Andrew lowered his head and then as the King opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by little Andrew as he slowly raised his head up and continued, saying;
"Whenever I play with other children, I see their parents, especially their Fathers, especially if they're boys, they relate with their Fathers and...well...!" Andrew's stopped as he began to sob again.
The King's heart softened when he heard what his son told him...
It was true...
He was a King and had a Kingdom to rule over...
And so therefore, he didn't quite have time for family, talk much less of having time for himself...
He was so restless these days that, the little time that he had to himself this time, her thought of having some time with his family...
(His wife to be precise)...
But now that his son brought this up, he reasoned it in a second and it made so much sense as it was true...
There were times when he would have some time to himself, but the way he would spend the time wass so bad...
Thinking about it right now, he felt terrible for the way he treated his son...
There was this one time when he was off the throne and was headed towards the exit of the throne room when Andrew, came running towards him with something in his hand...
He frowned as he stopped.
"Andrew, what have I told you about having to come into the throne room...?" The King asked sternly.
Andrew stopped dead in his tracks as he pursed his lips with a sad look on his face.
Lowering his tiny head down, little Andrew said nothing as he just stared at the floor with a little package in his hand.
This some how infuriated the King as he waited for his son's answer but was left in suspense...
So, asking him again, the King repeated;
"Andrew...?" He called.
Raising his head up a bit, Andrew answered;
"Y...Y...Y...Yes Father...?"
Looking down at him, the King asked, tone cold;
"How many times have I told you about coming into the throne room unannounced?" The King asked straight-forwardly.
No response.
"Andrew!" The King called.
"Yes Father...?" Andrew answered.
"What have I said about coming into the throneroom...un...announced...?" The King seemed to draw every word as he addressed Andrew.
Fidgeting as his whole body began to vibrate, Andrew stuttered;
"I...I...I'm s...s...sorry Father, I...I...I wanted to give this to you...!" He stuttered as he held up his hand to reveal to is Father the little package.
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