Father, before I go, can I have your blessing?’ Sicamor asked. Of course, he knew he didn’t actually need to ask for their blessing to leave. At 25 years old, he could just leave, but he never went anywhere without his mother’s and his father’s blessing; well, maybe a couple of times, when he was in too much of a hurry and didn’t ask. But this time, it was very special, and he wouldn’t move without their blessing.
#Faith
Sicamor was raised in a stable, solid, and love-abundant home. Basically a protected child, he was playful and affectionate during his childhood, gradually growing into an amicable and easy-going teenager, although rebellious at times, like any teenager, and finally shaping later into a restless, but thoughtful man. The changes happening in his town during his last teenage years, and early twenties, made him reserved and observant; while, at the same time, intuitive.
His parents taught him all their values and virtues they possessed, because they wanted Sicamor to become a wise man, one day. These values and virtues had also been passed onto them, from their parents, and grand-parents, and likewise from all their past generations before them. But more importantly, they instilled in him the faith in God.
# Heaven’s branch
Sicamor was born in Araguata, a town located in the far south of the Kingdom of Altamira, where King Bartolo had his domains. The Kingdom of Altamira was a vast kingdom, about 1000 km wide and 700 km long, and was populated by quite a few inhabitants, distributed across the kingdom in large and small towns. Although Araguata was not a big town by the kingdom’s standards, its strategic location helped the town to be rich and prosperous. Such a location was perfect for the trading business, serving towns to the north, and to the neighbouring Kingdom of Carraplana to the south. The trading between Carraplana and Araguata was a good source of revenue for the town, but it was not the only source of revenue. Araguata’s rich soil produced several crops, some of them harvested twice a year; the surrounding forest was full of trees that produced enough wood; and the mines near the mountains provided vast quantities of gold, silver, and diamonds. That was not even counting the iron ore and bauxite deposits at the foothills of the mountain.
Araguata was also a weekend destination for tourists from nearby towns. Araguata offered a magnificent view of two chains of mountains, and the gentle river that crossed the town offered its waters for cool relief on a hot day. Besides, the town itself provided a vibrant atmosphere, with its many shops and restaurants. All for the delight of residents and visitors alike.
Araguata was, indeed, a perfect town to live in; so much so, that it was dubbed as the “Heaven’s branch”. All this paradise existed during Sicamor’s childhood and his teenage years, but not anymore. The neighbouring Kingdom of Carraplana went through changes, which had adversely affected the trade business. The town ruler tried to improve the situation, unsuccessfully, despite long and numerous visits to the Kingdom of Carraplana to meet their king, Lucanor.
The discontent among the people started to become obvious. Eventually, that discontent, and frustration, caused the fall of the town ruler, and the rise of a new leader, Malo, who, after a local election, became the Araguata town ruler. It was a practice established in Altamira that people could elect their own town ruler. Because of the vast land, King Bartolo had to allow for the self-determination within each community, village, and town, so the people could choose their own rulers. The king would intervene only in chaotic or tragic situations; so deep were the king’s democratic principles.
# Deceit, a wrongdoing
Malo reached out to the people by looking solemn and mournful, but his ambiguous and devious messages misled them to believe in the resurgence of their trading activities, that the town’s rich resources were going to be distributed equally among all, and that Araguata was going to be the most prosperous and progressive town of the whole Altamira. In a few words, that everybody would enjoy a good quality of life, better than ever before.
Malo also surrounded himself by a band of mobsters and evil people with the main purpose of keeping him in power. By the time people came to realize that these well-planned tricks, deceitful messages, and disguised terror had that exact intention, it was already late to do anything.
In less than five years, the residents saw how Araguata had become a ruined and oppressed town, plagued by crime and injustices, scarcity of food and medicines, and with a growing population of poor and ignorant people; where the thriving underworld and shady deals were the only way to prosper, or even survive.
Sadly, the nearby villages, who knew about the mobsters in Araguata, its evil ruler and the tyranny in his ruling, and the miserable life of all its residents, kept quiet because they were benefitting, in a way, from this situation, when all the skilled youngsters of Araguata migrated to their villages, contributing positively to their own progress and well-being.
King Bartolo himself was made to believe that Araguata, despite complaints here and there, was going in the right direction. Very little did King Bartolo know that all the influential people in Araguata: the Senior Judge, the Town Royal Guard commander, and the treasurer, were all corrupted by Malo. These people, together with a few others who had sold their conscience, had always conveyed “good” news to the king.
Bartolo, being the king of a very large kingdom, had a lot to worry about and to take care of. Anyway, he knew Araguata was a rich region with plenty of natural resources, and a beautiful landscape; in addition to a long history of brave, courageous, and fair men. The few complaints and bad stories he had heard could not be that bad. Perhaps exaggerations, I also hear wonderful things.
# Evilness
Sicamor always obeyed and listened to his parents; all their teaching and modelling, contributed greatly to his personal growth, but the oppressed environment, in which he was being submerged, limited severely such growth. Sicamor, indeed remembered those days of his childhood and adolescence when Araguata was a prosperous, stable, safe, and orderly town, only to see its dramatic collapse. Now, after several years of struggling -despite hard work; of scarcity of food -despite the fertile soil; of oppression -despite people’s desire for freedom; and of corrupted rulers -despite the great history of honest men who had been raised from that land, Sicamor started to feel like a lion in a cage.
‘Father, mother, there is no future in Araguata. I see you working very hard, just to bring barely enough bread for the day; all the struggling to find food… and all the uncertainty around! Malo controls all of the supplies, making people waste their time by searching, and now by begging, for those supplies. Haven’t they realized that they became dependent? I, myself, have realized, long time ago, that Malo created all of this chaos to keep us busy, so we don’t think too much, or do anything! The sad part is that we are getting used to this dire situation.’
‘We are being brainwashed by listening and learning what Malo wants us to hear and learn. And don’t dare to speak against him; we can be kidnapped, to appear later brutally beaten, and so scared that no one will say anything anymore. It happened to my friend Inigo. It is pure terror!’
# Tyranny, a wrongdoing
‘Malo is a not a bad ruler but an evil ruler,’ the father would say among close friends. ‘He is a master of deception, misleading, cheating and trickery, and ultimately evilness. Evilness with power only results in tyranny… and tyranny is only sustained by ignorant or scared people, being easy to manipulate. Those youngsters who are not ignorant, the bright ones, and from wealthy families, are leaving for other towns.’
‘This is happening in many families,’ Sicamor’s mother would add. ‘To our relatives, to our friends, to everybody. Their sons and daughters are leaving Araguata, Only the poor people and the old ones, like us, stay… not much choice.’
# Keep growing
‘Son, there will be better times soon… do not cultivate anger and hatred in your heart. “No evil lasts 100 years” … all this will pass,’ his father would say to calm him down, but also to console himself.
‘Father, you have taught me what is right and what is wrong, and that has helped me become a more responsible person. There is no need to worry’. His father couldn’t agree more. He saw Sicamor studying, working, helping with the house chores, and caring for him and his mother; fulfilling all his responsibilities.
‘I see all the wrong and injustice happening around. It is just immoral! If I stay any longer, I will be consumed by all this mess… becoming part of all this, making me feel an accomplice to the destruction of Araguata. I need to keep learning and growing, but not in this environment. And I’ll do so, but by going straight in one direction: to Altagracia. King Bartolo also has to know about Araguata’s evil ruler, so he can do something. I have to tell him.’
# Wisdom
His parents saw their son’s absolute determination, and understood it was impossible to hold him back anymore. They were sad to let him go, but pleased to see their son transformed into a thoughtful, disciplined, and righteous man. They knew Altagracia was far, but didn’t doubt Sicamor would reach it, and in that journey, he would grow and become wiser. They also knew that King Bartolo would listen to a wise man.
# The blessing
Both parents were now ready to see him go. Nobody moves without taking the first step. Sicamor was about to take his first step; and his father knew very well that he should be the one encouraging him to take that first stride forward, like he did when Sicamor was about one year old. His father’s mind travelled back to that time.
‘Father, mother, I am asking for your blessing, before I leave,’ Sicamor asked once again that day, helping his father come out of his deep thoughts; his mother just watching him, with tears in her eyes.
‘My son, beyond the pain I feel in seeing you go, I trust in God that this is for your own good, and for the good of all of us. I am confident in you, go and reach Altagracia. God bless you always.’
The blessing was for his internal protection; the protection he would need throughout his growth journey. God’s blessing would protect him against any obstacle, danger, stumble, or setback. And it was indeed really necessary, because an enemy would always be around, stalking him… the devil striking each time it could, in different forms, with the resolute purpose to demoralize him, and stop him from reaching his goal.
# Determination
Sicamor, thus left for Altagracia, the kingdom’s capital, with his leather bag well packed and riding his black horse Ebony. A “growth journey” that would take him to villages and towns throughout the Kingdom of Altamira, although sadly crushed by leaving his parents, siblings, and friends. But his determination to leave now was unbreakable, fed by the hope – or knowledge- of coming back one day, to see a free and prosperous Araguata, again. Internally, deep inside, he felt both prepared to face any challenge arising and confident to come out of it victoriously.
And indeed, soon enough, he would face his first challenge, in Oricao.