Whispers in the Breeze

By Maggie Bain

When ancient traditions are broken, spirits are called upon. The ancestors are furious as their deep slumber is disturbed. To their despair, chaos, mayhem and unjust, greets them on their resurrection. When the two rightful heirs mysteriously disappear, the scales of justice and order are off balance and unpredictable.

Wango and his son Zengie are of royal blood, destined to join the line of successors as their forefathers before them.

Wango and his wife Mallee were the protectors of Zengie and the Wangoorie tribe. Now, Mallee is alone, vulnerable and in danger. Will she find strength and gain her freedom from the manipulative clutches of the evil Zulu?

Follow this intriguing mystery as trust is shattered and lives are ruined. Survival is the key to unlocking the past and building a future, where the foundations of the Wangoorie tribe depend on the survival of humanity.

Will balance and stability return to reclaim peace and harmony of the Wangoorie people? Read on, and solve the mystery of the missing kings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9780228890195

Maggie Bain

Maggie Bain is married with four adult children and six grandchildren. She lives in the idyllic coastal city of Hervey Bay in Queensland, Australia. Maggie's hobbies are all types of craftwork and writing children's stories. Telling nighttime stories to her granddaughter was the beginning of writing her first novel, Eliza's Story, which was her first book to be published.Inspiration for writing about disabilities was a desire to reach out to younger children who found it hard to navigate the stigma of their condition, and a tool for able-bodied children to use to educate inclusiveness and acceptance of others. To me, each child is a gift. Maggie is a retired teacher's aide who worked in primary school, supporting students with all types of learning experiences.

Book preview

Whispers in the Breeze

Maggie Bain

Whispers in the Breeze

Copyright © 2023 by Maggie Bain

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-9018-8 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-9017-1 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-9019-5 (eBook)

Dedication

To my dear friend Anna who passed away suddenly, and to my family and friends for supporting my dream.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Part One: Zengie (The Brave Little Warrior)

Remember When!

As the Storm Raged

Believe One Another

A Winding Path to Somewhere

The Dawn of Something New

Kind Strangers

A Miracle of Sorts

Part Two: Shattered Trust

Wango’s Story

Tormented souls

In the Beginning

In Time

The Plot Thickens

One Foot in Front of the Other

Where There is Hope

Renewed Faith

Part Three: Lessons Learned

Familiar Territory

Nightmarish Visions

Penance Paid in Full

A Fresh Start

Busy Bees

Reap What You Sew

In Changing Times

About the Author

Prologue

Human nature can be complicated, or it can be easy going. Some people are given a small amount of power and humbly accept the responsibility. Some desire more power and become obsessed with greed. The cravings carve deep in a twisted knot of deception and hate.

A person becomes part of an uncontrollable cyclone of unpredictable spite and jealousy. To reach the top of society is all that matters to them. They take what is not theirs and step on anyone who questions their actions.

As in Mother Nature, when that balance of humanity is broken, we can expect wars and death. Our leaders must rule with justice and mercy to retain a peaceful and harmonious balance between right and wrong.

To govern successfully, one has to earn respect and honour. In return, their dedication and loyalty will be rewarded. Only a wise leader will guide their followers to peace as they lead them safely into the future. Their guidance and leadership will prosper future generations to follow.

Part One

Zengie (The Brave Little Warrior)

Within the depths of an ancient secluded African jungle, spindly saplings lay hidden beneath the sprawling canopy. A cobweb of vines covered them with each sapling stretched over the other, competing for any bit of sunlight. Amongst the foliage grew a small stubby banana tree protecting a little boy cowering in the musty soil. The banana tree wrapped its leaves snugly around his trembling body. With tightly curled hair framing his sun-drenched face, his brown eyes look almost owlish. His bony fingers shook as he tried to steady the leaf, peering out from under it.

His heart pounded against his bony ribs. Droplets of sweat were trickling down his face, dripping down onto his sweaty body. The stale body odour signaled the hungry mosquitoes to come for a salty feast. As Zengie lay hidden from the tall fit henchmen, thoughts raced through his mind. How did I get here? What did they want from me?

In the distance, he heard spears slashing and slicing their way through the thick undergrowth. It must be the henchmen, thought Zengie. The men were calling and yelling loudly, trying to flush the little boy out of his hiding spot. The henchmen were angry at each other for not paying attention. The boy had escaped. They didn’t expect him to slip away unnoticed as they were resting. The men were fearful, as the wrath from their Chieftain Zulu, with his venomous temper, was more than they could handle. The henchmen hoped their explanation satisfied his depraved mind.

His mother had named him Zengie, but to Zulu, he was Ufiti, the Voodoo child.

Zengie’s mind was confused. He didn’t know why they had taken him away from his mother. His father had left them to search for food. They believed he would return, but there was no sign of him returning as the season passed. A shortage of food became serious as their crops were stripped and shredded by an unusual plague of grasshoppers. They ruined the ripe husks of corn, and the remains of their stems were left to perish. When the grasshoppers finished eating their food supply, the pests moved on to devouring most of the leaves from the jungle trees.

The yaks didn’t produce any milk and were hungry; the poor chickens couldn’t lay eggs. But somehow, Zulu blamed all the bad luck on Zengie. It was believed that a mischievous spirit called Ufiti had taken over his body.

As Zengie pulled the banana leaf closer to his face, he heard the pounding footsteps of the henchmen getting closer and closer. Zengie closed his eyes and silently prayed he wouldn’t be seen. He really didn’t like the idea of being taken away and fed to the lions.

Why did they want him gone? He thought. What have I done wrong? Why are they doing this to me? It’s not my fault that my father never came home and things went wrong. Zengie felt all alone.

He could smell the musty, decaying earth beneath him. The sensation of sweat trickling down his face from the humidity weighed down upon him with its stuffy purpose of squeezing all the air out of his lungs. With eyes closed, his mind wanted to scream loudly. Goosebumps sprang upon his trembling body as the impending doom came closer. Zengie felt trapped by the damp ground and was too scared to move. As he lay still, the only sound he heard was pesky mosquitos buzzing around his ears and his heart thumping in rhythm with each breath. He wasn’t sure if it was him dreaming, but he could no longer hear spears slashing the vines and no more sounds of thudding footsteps from the henchmen. Why is it so quiet?

His sensors were now focused and alert. Zengie gingerly gazed out from under the leaf to make sure it was safe to come out. Zengie slowly got up from the ground and cautiously straightened his gangly limbs.

Surveying his surroundings, he slowly watched and listened for any sign of the henchmen. The forest became spookier as the sun slowly disappeared out of sight. The sweet smell of rain began to filter through the forest. The impending rain would soon be near. What am I going to do? Zengie thought as a surge of adrenaline boiled over into an anxious burst of emotion.

Zengie suddenly realised that he was all alone. He had never been by himself before. Fear of the unknown and the eerie jungle sounds was overwhelming. His parents were always near him, and the security of their home brought great serenity. Their hut was on the outer edge of the village, which was protected by the Wangoorie villagers. Thoughts of his mother brought great sadness. He wished she could be here, protecting him from all the dangers in the jungle. Zengie had visions of her kneeling down beside him, her long dark, braided hair gently falling over her slender shoulders. The smell of her spicy fragrance of mixed herbs and oils wafted into his airways as she held him tightly. Her smooth voice and compassionate smile would always pacify his worries away. His yearning heart ached for the comfort of his mother’s presence. It seemed like a long time had passed since he had been taken from her.

His mother, Mallee, was a renowned healer and medicine woman born into a strong bloodline of Shaman. It was well-known that she could see into the future. Her youth and beauty were the envy of many, and her presence was almost angel-like. The sound of her humming contently while caring for her son Zengie and her husband Wango would filter throughout the village. Her dedication and love for her family were admired. Mallees’ calm, demure and kindness radiated an aura of energy, igniting her spiritual soul. Her brightly coloured chakras illuminated through anyone’s sadness.

Her world revolved around Wango and Zengie. Mallee always made sure they had plenty of food and a dry bed to sleep in. Some days she became hungry and tired as the food became scarce. She would do without so her son wouldn’t go hungry. Her bright optimism helped her in times of need, but she was content with what she had in life.

Her days were filled with chores, cooking and foraging for food. Zengie’s job required him to make sure they had enough drinking water for themselves and the chickens. Every morning, Zengie fetched water from the stream in big brown