Chapter 5: Memories

Talia smirked as she straightened her husband's tie. She could almost see the thoughts running through his head.

"Don't be nervous darling." Alberto was pulled out of his thoughts and smiled warmly at his wife.

"I can't help but be nervous oh dear wife of mine. This a huge announcement."

"It's been a long time coming." Eudora smiled as she walked over to her daughter and son-in-law.

"Lady Eudora." Alberto teasingly bowed which made Eudora giggle and Talia roll her eyes playfully.

"Oh stop all that foolishness." Eudora and Alberto shared a hug before Eudora hugged Talia. "I wish your father was here to see this day. He's been wanting change for South Genia ever since he became Prime Minister."

"He's here Mama, he's here in spirit."

"Your Excellencies," Georgina, Talia's valet said as she quickly walked over to them. "they are ready to start."

"Ready?" Alberto held out his hand for Talia who smiled in return.

"Ready."

"Presenting, Her Excellency, Former First Lady of Genia Eudora Jasmina Natalia Rosario Obeng." Eudora gracefully walked out and took her seat on the left hand of Alberto's throne.

"Presenting, Her Excellency, First Lady of Genia, Talia Esmeralda Hadassah Aminat Obeng Garibaldi." Talia imitated her mother's gracefulness, she smirked at the cheers when her name was announced and took her seat on the right hand of Alberto's throne.

"Now presenting the Prime Minister of North and South Genia Alberto Maleek Giovanni Renaldo Jesus Ramos Garibaldi." Alberto walked out kissed wife Talia on the cheek before taking the stand at the podium.

"Good afternoon Genia! I am here to proudly announce the end of the segregation going on in this great country. No more will there be a South Genia or North Genia!" The crowd roared excitedly "The wall separating the north from the south will be torn down TODAY! No more crimes, no more segregation, no more hate!" Alberto grinned when he heard the crowd's reaction. He reached out his hand for Talia to take she gladly did. She stood beside her husband and tears of joy were threatening to fall. Never in her life has she seen so much union. She remembered when she was younger there used to be a line of officers separating the residents of North and South Genia at events like this one. The segregation was even worse when her mother first became the first lady, the people of South Genia weren't even allowed at these events. To see such unity brings tears to their eyes.

"My wife and I are proof of Genia unity, my grandparents were Italian and North Genian and my wife's grandparents are both East African and South Genian. Only forty years ago the marriage law was abolished allowing anyone of Genia to marry whomever they please. I am so happy that law was broken because I would have never—" Several gunshots rang in the air. All Talia remembers is being tackled to the ground. She heard multiple screams and more gunshots. She scanned the huge balcony for her mother and let out a breath when she saw her mother being shield by a palace guard. Once the gunshots subsided she tried to get up but was held back her husband.

"Alberto, you can move now." Talia was met with silence. She used more strength to sit up. She gasped when she saw the lifeless body of her husband. His blank eyes staring into her soul. Whoever fired that gun aimed at his head. Her once now pure white gown was drenched in her husband's blood. The sight of her husband's body will forever be etched in her brain.

"Alberto, Alberto, baby wake up." Talia started to shake her husband's body. Her tears started to blur her vision.

"Alberto!"

"Your Excellency we must leave now."

"NO! I'm not leaving him! Alberto, you have to get up!"

"Your Excellency! I'm begging you."

"I'm not leaving his body, you have to carry him."

"Forgive me, Your Excellency." The palace guard finally succeeded in prying Talia off Alberto's body.

"Put me down at once!" She was carried into the palace. She started to look for Georgina and screamed when she saw she was too dead. Her body was lying in front of one of the windows and the multiple gunshots shattered the window.

"We think it was a stray bullet, Your Excellency. Please, go to the underground passage that leads to the safe house. Your children should be waiting there for you. We'll meet you there with your mother." Talia ran off, she barely heard what the guard said she just started running until her feet wouldn't let her. Once she saw her children she pulled them in one huge group hug, forgetting about the blood on her dress and started to cry.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Maleek asked

"Where's Papa?" Her daughter, Jamilla questioned

"Is that blood! Mama are you bleeding?!" Hakeem yelled

"We don't have time for questions. We're going to the safe house. We just have to wait for—" Talia was cut off by an explosion and the mansion's emergency beacon going off. Two guards ran up to them.

"We need to leave now! The rebels have stormed the palace."

"But what about my Mama!"

"We need to leave or we are ALL going to be killed by the Rebels." Talia protested her hardest but the guards dragged her down the secret passageway.

Talia woke up with a pounding headache, she tried to sit up but there was too much pain. She heard the door creak open and turned her head to the visitor. It was young dark skin woman with long beautiful hair. She was holding what Talia believed to be medicine and bandages.

"You are awake." Talia watched silently as the woman approached the bed. My name's Sandrine, I'm here to change your bandages and apply some more medicine to that gash on your head and stomach." Sandrine placed her items on the nightstand, pulled a stool over and took a seat. Sandrine started to carefully cut off Talia's old bandages.

"I'm about to apply the medicine to your cuts, I'm not going to lie it's going to sting." Sandrine opened the container and grabbed a handful of the medicinal scrub and started to apply it to the gash on Talia's head first and she groaned in pain.

"I'm so sorry I know it hurts. I'm almost done with the one on her head." Once Sandrine was done Talia sighed heavily.

"I'll get you some water." Sandrine walked over to the vanity and poured Talia a glass of water. She walked back and held the glass to Talia's lips and Talia graciously drank more than half of the glass. Sandrine set the glass down and looked at Talia with sad eyes.

"This next scrub, I'm not going to lie it's going to hurt very badly. I'm so sorry in advance." Talia braced herself for the pain, as soon as Sandrine started to rub the medicine in she screamed out in pain.

"I'm sorry. This is the only way for it to heal." A few minutes later, Sandrine was done and Talia was panting heavily. Sandrine offered Talia some more water.

"Do you want to listen to the radio? I know it's lonely in here." Sandrine reached over and turned on the radio.

"Hello. I'm Charles Archer reporting from London and we're back with more news. The Genian revolt is still happening and the death toll has risen to the hundreds after a hotel was blown up in South Genia. The revolt started when the rebel leaders assassinated Prime Minister Alberto Garibaldi at a ceremony announcing the demolition of the Genia Wall, separating North and South Genia. The First Lady Talia Garibaldi was kidnapped by the rebels but the vehicle fell off a cliff and exploded, there were no survivors. The Rebels moved north and took siege of the Maldonian Palace. King Naveen is being held hostage and there is no word on Queen Tiana. I'm sorry, please hold on…I've just received word that the remains of Former First Lady Eudora Obeng were found in the Genia Town Center. The Rebel leader, Faciller had her body hung on a flagpole for all the citizens to see.

"That is such a same. I hope they can find Queen Tiana. It'll be a shame for her children to grow up without their mother." Talia didn't say anything she just stared out the window. I'll back with your lunch. You haven't eaten anything solid for a few days now. So, I'll start you off small." Sandrine gathered her supplies and was about to leave when Talia cleared her throat.

"My name is Talia Garibaldi, the First Lady of Genia."

"It is an honor to be caring for you." Sandrine gently closed the door and made her way to the kitchen of the small house she shared with her older sister and nephew. Sandrine and her sister Solane never knew their father. The only thing that their mom told them about their late father was that he died an honorable death. Then their mother died shortly after the wall between North and South Genia had been built. So, the two-bedroom shack now belonged to Solane.

"How's the First Lady?" Solane asked

"Fine." Solane noticed the look on her little sister's face and sighed

"Ottavio?"

"Yes, mother?"

"Go and wash up for lunch."

"Yes, ma'am." Solane waited until the door shut before she turned to her younger sister.

"How long have you known it was her?"

"I knew as soon as I saw her."

"It would've been nice to have known who she was before I gave her stitches."

"Its just stitches, isn't that why you're in school?"

"Yes, I'm still in school! I'm only studying to be a nurse, Solane, not a doctor and I'm not licensed! What if she comes to and sues me? I don't have the proper tools, I'm not even using real medicine. Everything I've used so far is herbs."

"But she's getting better!"

"As soon as she can walk, she needs to leave."

"What?"

"I don't know where you've been the past few weeks, but there are Northern Rebels all over the place! What if they search our house and find her here! You know what they did to her husband!"

"We can't put her out Sandrine, she has no family."

"What about your son! The Rebels will not hesitate to kill him, you heard what they did to Enni's little sister? She was caught without her pass and they gunned her down. What if they kill Ottavio?!"

"She's not leaving and that's final."

"So if the Rebels come and you have to choose between us and her, you're really telling me that you would consider picking her?"

"No—"

"Mother!" Ottavio ran into the kitchen

"Yes, baby."

"That lady is crying." Sandrine and Solane rushed to the bedroom and Talia was sobbing uncontrollably and thrashing on the bed.

"She's going to re-open her wound. We have to calm her down." Solane walked over to Talia and tried to grab her arms

"Please calm down First Lady." Solane's plea fell on deaf ears and Talia kept crying.

"She's too loud Solane, shut her up."

"I don't see you helping! Don't you have something to relax her?" Sandrine left the room, leaving Solane there by herself.

"You have to calm down, you'll reopen your wounds!"

"I can't! I can't! My husband and mother are dead!" Talia sobbed. Sandrine entered the room with a mixing bowl and various teas. She hastily poured the teas into the mixing bowl and stirred.

"This should make her fall asleep." Sandrine held the bowl to Talia's lips but Talia roughly turned her head, almost causing Sandrine to spill its contents.

"Talia! You have to drink this."

"No, no, no, no!" Solane held down Talia as gently as she could. Sandrine forced fed the drink to Talia and in seconds Talia started to calm down and sure enough, she was sleep again.

"When she heals, she's your responsibility." Sandrine stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut. Solane rolled her eyes at her sister and sat on the bed. She grabbed Talia's hand

"I'll be here for you Talia. There's a long journey ahead of you but I'll be there every step of the way."