Katya and Zolokhan Chap 30: KB Counsels his sons. Written by Sher Trott-Bailey.
Year 2050. Mozambique.
Keilah & Sher
“Hey Mom, Do you remember the Cortazar-Martinez Family?” Keilah asked Sher.
” Of course I do, they are the best at creating any idea I have for an embellishment and they also have their own spectacular designs,” Sher answered.
” Well, they wrote to inform us that their kids are now taking over the embellishment part of their business,” Keilah informed her mother.
” Well, that’s lovely to hear. You have been running our Land Kingdoms since you were fourteen and have been in charge of expansion since eighteen. It’s good to see that others are trusting in their children more.” Sher commented absentmindedly while watching a baby video of Kaleeyon on Oasis.
” Juanita and Salvano Cortazar-Martinez really do remind me sometimes of You and Dad,” Keilah commented offhandedly.
” Mhmmm, how so my horsey?” Sher looked up smiling with an upturned brow.
” Full of love and unity for each other,” Keilah answered.
“You don’t have to look that far to be reminded of me and your dad, You just have to look at yourself and Rajah,” Sher said matter- of factly.
” I know Mom, but I just love seeing other people demonstrating their love. Now all my brothers and sisters are either married or soon to be married.” Keilah replied smiling.
” yep, all of you are grown up now,” Sher said sighing happily.
“I need another baby,” Sher said a few minutes later after a lull in the conversation.
” What?” Keilah asked surprised at her mom’s sudden outburst.
” I have been thinking about more kids,” Sher said seriously looking up from watching a scene of Kaleeyon calling some ducks.
” You know what Mom, we have so much life to live, and your no ordinary woman! you go for it! More brothers and sisters I say!… It’s not like Dad isn’t up to the task” Keilah said cheekily while getting excited.
This made Sher chuckle and shake her head. This was her Keilah, a tsunami of energy, excitement, quick-witted, and always seeing the upside of any situation.
” I love you so much, Mom,” Keilah said sincerely
” I love you too horsey,” Sher said lovingly, using Keilah’s childhood nicknames on account of her tall and graceful figure as a child growing up, which reminded Sher of a young colt.
Everyone in the family had gotten an animal nickname from their mother. KB was the gorilla, Keilah was the Horse, Kaleeyon was the bumblebee, Sher herself was the lioness, Kezideck was Aslan ” The lion” and so on and so on for the rest of the kids.
“Oh Kayonai and Nikovich will be here tomorrow.” Keilah casually mentioned.
“Mom, will you finally reveal the secret as to why you and Dad sometimes call each other Debbie and Frank? What’s the story behind it?” The investigative Keilah asked switching the topic rapidly.
” Maybe I will. This is an inside joke and memory between me and your Dad. We don’t have to tell you, kids, everything.” Sher said in mock exasperation.
” Yes, you do have to tell us World Ruler or I will nag your peaceful and quiet loving self with my constant chatter all over this estate; I will find you if you try to hide me,” Keilah said jokingly.
” You think I don’t have countermeasures for you. All I have to do is set Tingye and the twins on you and you won’t have any time for harassing me.” Sher countered.
” But Mom you know I love your stories about You and Dad and all you guys have been through when I was little,” Keilah said poutingly.
” That’s why you have all these videos of your childhood Keilah, just watch them,” Sher said.
” But the videos won’t tell me why you and Dad call each other Frank and Debbie,” Keilah stated exasperatedly.
” Ok, Ok, you walking embodiment of determination! I will tell you the story when all of your siblings are together.” Sher said finally giving in after all these years of Keilah asking.
” Good, I will message everyone and let them know that one of our family puzzles will finally be solved,” Keilah said with deep satisfaction. Unbeknownst to Sher, Keilah also messaged three of her brothers the following message-not wanting to disturb the newlywed Kaitou.
Her text said:
” I have finally won our bet, Mom is going to tell me the Frank and Debbie story, be ready with my reward.”
KB and His sons
KB was sitting with his sons, Kezideck, Kultan and Keslev down by their beach. It was very early in the morning, around 5 am and the sun was barely peaking through the horizon. He was enjoying their meet-up very much, especially since all his sons were now going into a new phase of their lives.
“So you have each met your match. Kaitou has married Zhannur.”
Kultan and Keslev as if on cue, both burst into clapping. They too had witnessed Kaitou’s patient pursuit of the approval of Zhannur’s Father.
“Count on Kaitou to fall in love with a woman from a remote tribe,” Keslev commented.
“That Khaman Daigon is a real selfish old man,” Kezideck commented lightly.
“It was important for Daigon to be so stubborn so that Zhannur could finally see him for what he was. His unreasonable demands on Kaitou and his treatment of Zhannur when she wanted to leave the tribe, all of it helped Zhannur to cut ties with all those foolish traditions of their tribe,” Kultan interjected.
” Mhmmm,” all the men nodded in agreement to Kultan’s summation.
“It’s finally over, and now they can truly begin their own lives together without any hindrances. I am happy, truly happy for my son. I’m also happy for you three.” KB said smiling.
Just then Kezideck heard a message signal from his Maljas. In the year 2050, people communicated through their Maljas, something a little similar to what was once called smartphones. Maljas however could work anywhere on the earth, under the earth, in the air, or in the seas.
” Keilah is messaging me,” Kezideck announced.
” Mhmm, what is firstborn up to now?” KB asked.
” The octopus probably wants a family gathering.” Kultan teased.
” I’m sure that is what Horsey wants.” Kezideck said.
Everyone burst out laughing at Kezideck after the round of nicknames for Keilah. Keilah the octopus came about because of her love for snuggling up to everyone for her to fall asleep when she was a child. Her nickname of Horsey came from her long legs, elegant bearing, and boundless energy- like a prize horse. Her nickname of firstborn was of course because she was KB and Sher’s first child.
“Wow!, she says Mom is finally going to let out the secret of why Dad calls her Debbie and Mom calls Dad Frank,” Kezideck said amazed.
At that announcement, KB burst out laughing.
“You kids have been trying to get that story out of us for years,” K.B said
“We almost got it out of you once Dad, but Mom came by and gave you an earful about it being you guy’s private joke.” Kezideck reminded his father K.B.
“Oh no! now Keilah will want to collect on our bet.” Kultan suddenly remembered.
“After all these years, Does it still count?” Kezideck asked with a skeptical expression.
“Yep! We said we would continue to pry Mom for as long as it takes,” Keslev answered.
” But still it’s been years, we gave up when we were teenagers.” Kezideck returned.
” Keilah never gives up, she just changes tactics or goes into stealth waiting,” Kultan said knowingly
” That woman is impressive,” Keslev said matter of factly.
” Oh yeah, all of our sisters are this way.”Kezideck chipped in.
” With a Mom like ours, how could they not be amazing,” Kultan interjected.
At Kultan’s comment, everyone burst out laughing again. Who in the family didn’t thoroughly know about their mother’s indomitable energy and spirit?
At that moment everyone could recall their own memories of their mother in action and collectively they felt the love rush through their group.
” Damn, if Mom does tell us the story, it means all three of us are going to have to wear that stupid hairstyle for a year,” Keslev said remembering Keilah’s bet.
The men were referring to a memory from over a decade ago. Keilah had been so excited about giving her father a hairstyle. She had combed KB’s hair and had patiently twisted and corn-rowed it into a style. She had beaded the ends and only when she was finished did she allow her father to see the hairstyle. The boys remembered that their Dad had been a good sport about it and had proudly worn the hairstyle around for a week. However, the boys could not stop laughing. Their Dad looked like he had an octopus on his head.
“Keilah chased us around for days trying to beat us up,” Kezideck remembered.”
“But we couldn’t stop laughing, Dad was the problem too…he was so proud… even though he knew the hairstyle was unflattering…always flashing his hair, and the stupid beads making so much noise.” Keslev quipped rolling his eyes.
“This handsome face can carry off any hairstyle,” KB interjected.
“It was the sincerity of my firstborn that counted the most,” KB said.
“Now this bet is all new to me. You never told me there was a bet attached to you wanting to know the story of your mom and I calling each other Frank and Debbie.” KB stated curiously.
Keslev began to recall the events from years ago that led up to the bet,
” Well we all really wanted to know the story behind the Frank and Debbie nicknames and Mom kept keeping it a mystery, which made us want to know it even more. Then one day, after our family dinner…I think we were in Armenia at that time and You and Mom had just returned from your ‘time together without us kids’ trip, with lots of gifts.” Keslev paused and looked down to brush a spider off his folded legs,
“Kayonai was just a baby then and she had kept asking where Mommy and Daddy went. When you guys were gone, Keilah had been annoyingly bossy the whole three weeks that you were gone…horsey was annoying” Keslev said.
“So after you came back and we were at the dinner table, Mom called you Frank and Dad you called her Debbie, and of course, we were curious as to why you called each other by those names. Even Kayonai was running around the room, with her diaper in hand that she tore off of her little butt, saying “Deb, Deb, Deb.” Keslev continued saying.
“So after dinner, we all badgered you and Mom to tell us why you call each
other Debbie and Frank. But to no avail!” Keslev said even now feeling the
frustration.
Continuing the story, Keslev narrated,
“When we were out in the gardens, Keilah then started to boast that she was sure she could get Mom to tell her eventually, and we said we could get the story before she did, and then Keilah said to us,
“Let’s make a competition out of it,”
“and of course, we weren’t going to back down” Kultan interjected strongly
“and so we bet that if we got the story first she would have to do what we said for a week and she said that if she won, well, we would have to wear your hairstyle Dad, the one that we laughed at her and you about, we had to wear it for a year too.”Keslev finished the story.
Sighing,
“After fifteen years that hairstyle is still stupid!” Kezideck commented.
” You looked like one of those old-time 15th-century English men that wore those ridiculous wigs, only it looked more octopus-like with a mix of African tribe with all the beads.”
” Well it certainly was a unique and creative look, I will give our sister that compliment.” Kultan smiled shaking his head.
” Mhmm, you can tell for all Dad’s complimenting Keilah, he didn’t truly love it because he never wore that hairstyle again.”
” Yeah and Mom had just smiled and complimented how fluffy Keilah had made Dad’s hair look without actually complimenting the hairstyle…so you know she didn’t like it,” Kezideck said, knowing his mother’s way of not wanting to hurt members of the family’s feelings, especially Keilah’s.
” Kultan is like Mom in that respect,” Keslev noted off-handedly.
” Mom appreciated the creativity, she loves nursing our creativity even if it is a big conundrum,” Kultan said.
” Oh look at Mr. big words, Conundrum..” Keslev teased.
” Another trait from Mom Kultan? a vast vocabulary.” Kezideck joined in the teasing.
Once again a feeling of love engulfed the group as they reminisced.
KB’s Counsel to his sons:
After a time KB said to his sons:
“ My sons, remember all the things I have taught you, all the things you have
seen growing up between your mother and me. You are all branching out now
and ready to start your own families. Love and honor your wives. Never fall for any other woman, don’t even give them the time of day. I have
shown you what those types of women bring, they are beautiful to look at but
they are poison. I did not raise fools. Remember you carry the Trott Bailey
name, you are men of excellence and power. Never be wasted by foolish
women. Remember your mother, who is the model of excellence for women.” KB said seriously.
“Remember also that your wife will go through seasons of her life, a time for
family and then a time for herself, whether she wants to create or rest or be
closer to her God. She is a human being with feelings and worth, never demean
her… only encourage and correct her where/when necessary. “ KB continued.
“My sons, you are the stronger of the two of you. You are physically stronger
than your wife, hence it’s your job to do most of the physical raising of the
children. She gets pregnant and births the children and naturally, she
breastfeeds them if she can. She shows them love and nurturing, but you
cannot expect that as the children grow bigger, heavier, and stronger that she
should be the one to be carrying them, playing with them all the time, bathing them and disciplining them, absorbing random kicks and elbows of energetic children in
her breasts and belly and random parts of her; and on top of that expect her to
be juicy at nights and ready to fuck. She would collapse! You are men, not
unreasonable beasts.” KB counseled.
Nodding their head, they answered “ Yes Father”
“ Your wife is the most valuable person in your life. If men put more care into
their wives and their wives’ mental well-being, then they will reap the rewards. A woman needs you to talk to her, to encourage her, to listen to her ideas and
her perspective. These things build unity and set your household in order and on solid footing.” KB said.
” İn return for you treating a quality woman well, she will bring you peace, honor, deep love, refreshing perspectives, a soothed mind, humour, care and appreciation, a grounded family, children you love and actually want and even more than i can explain.
Your mom has made my life a perpetual feast of excitement and exciting turns…you never know what Sher is going to come with next. You know me, İ love being around your mother and don’t want to be away from her for too long; İt’s the same feeling for her.” Their father said looking at them.
These were all lessons the Trott Bailey men had heard before, but today, given
the season of love going on in their household, KB felt a deep compulsion to
bring these subjects up again.
KB’s Counsel to his sons continue:
“ From my own example, you know for yourselves how I have treated my
children, my boys and my girls. I have loved each of you, for every day of your
precious lives. I have corrected you when necessary. Many times you have tired
out me and your mother, but we always went to bed so contented and happy
to be your parents.
Look at you now, Is there any prouder father under the sun than me? You all
glow with excellence and beauty. It can’t be hidden just how
exceptional each of you is, all of you are so capable in your own spheres of life,
excellent in your own chosen paths. I have never had to worry about any of you
boys hating each other or maliciously competing. Why? What for? We have
more than enough for all generations of Trott Bailey’s. More importantly,
wealth, prestige, honor from people and power are nothing to you….these
things come so easily to our family. We lose it… we gain it… who cares! What
has always stood the test of time and pressure? Only that we rely only on Jesus
and that we love each other very much. Your mother and I would give our lives for each other and for you too. I love you my sons. Finally, Love your wife and
children. This is what it means to be a whole and completed man.” With these final words, KB concluded speaking.
