Japh

The new Queen rubbed her temples for the tenth time today as she felt a headache coming on, right now she sat with the wisemen and women of Jamaica and so far no one could agree on anything.

"Those pale faces keep coming back and taking away what is rightfully ours!"

"We need to fight back!"

"No, we need protection."

"Here we go again! We cannot rely on others to help us with our problems! We look weak when we do."

"That's exactly what King Badrick said before, and God forgive me for speaking about a dead man, but that's why we had the massacre in Kingston, because of him. He refused to rely on anyone for years and then when it got tough, he relied on those backstabbing British people and our people died by the thousands. We cannot afford to make that mistake again."

"Queen Asora, what do you think?" A wisemen asked, but the Queen, however, said nothing.

The Queen's uncle rolled his eyes as he watched his niece continue to rubber her temples with her eyes closed, completely ignoring what everyone had said. So he slammed his hand on the table, and immediately the Queen jumped.

"I do not know what you want me to say," The Queen rambled out in frustration. "As we all know we are in a bad position. The previous king was quite honestly a fool. He squandered so much money that it would take several tax jumps to make our country economically salvageable. And I refuse to make the people of Jamaica pay for the late king's faults."

"So what do we do?" Her uncle asked.

She looked to the man who looked most vexed in the room. "Wisemen Judias, while I agree with you that relying on other countries and people can make us seem weak." The Queen said. "We Jamaicans are not weak. And anyone who wishes to challenge that will see once and for all who we are and what we stand for. With that being said, we are going to have to find some type of Allyship with another country, we need more funds and protection until we can stand fully by ourselves."

Wisemen Judias sighed, but he also nodded his head in understanding, "I just cannot stand owing others."

"Well let's not think from that perspective, what do we have that could make us equal to our future ally? What are we abundant with?"

Everyone thought for several seconds before the Queen turned to the white female sitting at the opposite end of the table. "Wisewomen Lydia, seeing as you are head over the food of our people. I have a question, a couple of years ago when the British took much of our food, you decreed under our past King that we had enough food to last for the rest of that year, because our harvesting went so well. And last year, Wisemen Hugh said that the harvesting doubled in quantity. What about this year? Are we still doing well?

Lydia couldn't help but grin widely with pride. Her Queen was truly informed, "Well, it is the seventh month of the year and I am proud to say we have already harvested three times the food needed for our entire country. And we believe we can get another round of harvesting in as well before it gets cooler."

"So in other words, we can barter with our extra supplies of food right?"

Lydia nodded her head in agreement, "Correct."

"And didn't someone say after the last storm we had enough timber for two years?" The Queen asked.

An Asian man sitting a few seats from her raised his hand, "Yes, that was me."

Queen Asora smiled, "What is your name? I don't think I've been formally introduced."

The Asian man blushed, "Sorry, my name is Taejong, but you may call me Jong for short. I am new to this position, and hope I do not become a stumbling block."

"And so am I," The Queen chuckled. "So if I step out of line, or you don't agree with something let me know. I appreciate criticism, of course, I hope we'll all be respectful of each other as well."

Everyone in the room nodded their head in agreement, and so did their hearts.

"So Wisemen Taejong do you think we could barter with that as well?"

The Wisemen smiled at how the Queen used his full name, "From what I have gathered and also reviewing myself. I think we have plenty to barter with."

"Okay," Queen Asora said. "So we have food, lumber and what else do we have that we could barter with but won't affect our people?"

"How about labor? We are hard-working people." The Queen turned to the man who said that.

"And what is your name?"

"Armon."

"Wisemen Armon," The Queen said softly. "While I do agree with you that our people are hardworking, we will work only for our people, families, and friends. We will not work for others like slaves the way the British have treated our fellow African brothers and sisters and even us at times."

"My apologies," Armon said rather embarrassed.

But the Queen shook her head, "Do not apologize. For what you said is not wrong, it's just sadly we live in a time where people take advantage of each other in broad daylight. However, you did leave me with a rather humorous idea. We do work hard and we cook even better. So what if we are able to find people willing to cook, but for a living?"

Everyone smiled at this, "That's not a bad idea." Her uncle smiled and everyone agreed.

"I think we should also give them a wage," The Queen added. "Some of them may have families who may need extra help, and if it's not possible I can personally give the wages that I have from the past several years."

Everyone raised their voices in disagreement, "You will do no such thing." Lydia argued.

"Exactly, we can make a way to do so." Armon said in agreement.

The Queen's face scrunched together in awkwardness, "I understand if you think I am too young for this position. Or maybe some of you do not like that I am a woman in this role. But you don't have to butter me up."

Again the room went into an uproar, "How could you say such a thing?" Judias said.

"Exactly my thought," Lydia added. "I am here because I trust you, and because you make me proud to be a woman."

"If I am being honest, you have brought more light than the last king before you, even my grandparents agree." Taejong said. "And they are not originally from here."

However, one man a couple of seats away from Armon began to move his fingers, Queen Asora's eyes opened wide, and she turned to her uncle before looking at the dark-skinned man. "He's deaf uncle! How rude of us to not even get someone to translate or write down what we are saying."

But the man grinned, and like a puppy Queen Asora turned her head to the side in confusion. "So you can hear me?"

He nodded his head, the Queen tilted slightly towards her uncle, "Uncle Hugh I don't want to say anything rude so please explain."

Wisemen Hugh laughed and the man did too but it sounded more like a cough. "His vocal cords were damaged so he is mute." Her uncle informed.

"I probably sound like an ass, but I thought people like you didn't exist," Queen Asora said to the man. "We weren't really taught much about those who are mute in school or by my family" The Queen said sheepishly as her cheeks dusted with red.

Again the man began to move his fingers, the Queen turned to her Uncle who smiled, "He said you are one the few that haven't treated him like he has the plague. He also says that he trusts you as his leader because he sees your heart is pure despite the blood that is on your hands."

Queen Asora slightly frowned but at the same time nodded her head, "I didn't want to fight, but I felt like the men who wanted to rule, would lead our country into madness and disunity. Now I am not saying that I have all the answers or solutions, but I do promise to let the people speak for themselves and try my best fair and open-minded too."

The man moved his hands again, "He says as long as you keep that promise he will stick by you."

The Queen smiled with appreciation to him and to all those in the room. "And what is your name again? I want to know how you say it with your hands?"

Wisemen Hugh elbowed the Queen, "You mean sign?"

The Queen blushed, "Sorry I mean sign."

He moved his pinky down and to the left a little bit before going up, "J." Her uncle said.

The man then put his hand in a fist, "A."

He then put his index and middle fingers sticking out like an inverted letter 'V', while his thumb is tucked in between the two extended fingers. "P."

He then put his index finger and middle finger together before putting them sideways, "H."

"Jaff." Queen Asora pronounced.

The man again made a cough-like laugh and so did everyone else. Queen Asora froze for a second before scorning, "You all know how to sign?"

Everyone nodded their heads, "Well, I swear to learn how to sign by the end of this year. And we need to make sure everyone including the children are taught to sign," The Queen said with much resolve. "Now can someone tell me how to pronounce his name properly."

Again laughter rang through the room, "His name is pronounced like 'Jah-ph.'" Lydia commented.

"Ok, well Jah-ph, from today on you are to give me lessons." The Queen said. "Well, that's if you're okay with that?"

Japh smiled and put both his thumbs up. "Well at least I know that means good." Queen Asora chuckled while everyone laughed. "Man, I'm not even a few months into this and my butt is getting beat."

Her uncle could only shake his head with a smile, "It will only get worst my dear, it will only get worst."