Udumi was born to a family of traders in a small village in the South of the country. Her childhood was very pleasant, playing with the other children in the village and tending to her families various farm animals. She had 12 brothers and sisters as in those days, they usually had large families.
But they always said, Udumi, you are the smart one; you must do something with your life.
As she grew older, she attended the local school in the village and took up an interest in playing the violin. Her tunes became very popular and she was often called to play during village weddings and other important events. Udumi’s violin soon became well known in the region and she was often called upon during special ceremonies at the state administrators’ home in the adjoining village.
One day they came to her father and told him that the head of the country, General Idi Didi was going to be visiting the State and they were having a grand party in his honor. They would like Udumi to play the welcome song as he walked in to the hall.
Udumi was elated, in her 18 years, this was the biggest ever opportunity to show her skills. Her mother dressed her up in yellow and silver and she also wore her grandmother’s valuable brooch which had been gifted to her by a visiting British missionary many years ago.
That evening, she was sitting on the promenade with little lights flickering around her and then they announced His Excellency General Idi Didi and that was her cue, she began and her violin sang like never before. The General stopped as he passed by
and stood there for two minutes hearing her play and smiled as he walked on.
That night she couldn’t sleep, she was so excited that he had stopped and listened to her.
A few weeks later, the village headman called her father and said that General Idi Didi had sent a message that he wanted to marry the sweet girl who played the violin.
When her father brought home the message, they were all very elated, Udumi would be Queen.
The next two weeks were a whirlwind of events, parties and shopping trips and finally they left in an entourage for the big city.
The Wedding was a gala affair; heads of States and Government were all invited. Udumi was his 13th wife and that was said to be a position of honor. She was then taken into the Palace and given the special rooms on the left wing on the 3rd Floor. General Idi came in that night and was very loving towards her and did things she had never experienced before but she thought, this must be what queens are supposed to do. General Idi left in the early morning hours and she did not see him for the next week.
Her life was pampered, bathing in milk and eating exotic fruits and vegetables. And the meats, she had never seen such a spread of delicacies. Every Sunday, there would be a market place organized in the palace grounds when all the Queens would come down. The grounds would be full of stalls from the town where the queens would pick whatever caught their fancy. Udumi selected some gowns and a strong axe which she asked to be sent to her parents back home. They also sent three bushels of grain and rice with the consignment.
Months passed by, and one morning she woke up feeling a bit unwell and the palace doctor was called. Congratulations Queen Udumi, you are with child. The palace was full of festivities as the General would be soon having another heir. A son was born to Udumi that winter, and they named him Idi after his father.
Queen Udumi was visited less and less in the months that followed and she wondered why that was so. They said that you do put on weight during childbirth and so her becoming twice in size should have not been the reason. General Idi now had his 20th Queen and during the Sunday marketplace Udumi would see how slim and pretty the new Queens were.
But as time passed and she never got any visits by the General anymore, she started to get angry. How dare he keep her closed up in the palace, never allowing her to wander out into the town, never visiting her in the night and soon also the gifts stopped. Her violin strings needed repair but no one bothered about that too. She was so angry that day when she could not take it any longer and against all rules, barged right into his private quarters to bring this up once and for all.
Fireworks went off that day and tales like this would be told to Queens in the future.
But as far as Udumi was concerned, she found out that ears do get cold in the freezer.
- The End -
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