Ambition

Episode 70

Akil let out a long sigh of relief as he eased his dusty, swollen feet into the flowing edge of the Nile River.

As the soothing waters of Egypt’s  life source refreshed both his feet and spirit, Akil gazed wishfully at Pharaoh’s magnificent palace in the far distance, the flaming Egyptian sunset framing it with a golden tint. 

Akil, relaxed, laid flat on his back, as was his evening ritual, letting his mind run in all directions as he imagined himself as a high official in the Pharaoh’s inner circle.

Closing his eyes, Akil whispered a prayer to Ra, god of sun and sky, asking for guidance and favor.

“Oh Ra, all powerful of Kings and the sky above me. Fill me with your life power. Grant me favor, wisdom, and prosperity for your honor and glory. So, may it be.”

Akil smiled as he finished his daily prayer, renewed in confidence that Ra was listening and would one day establish him in Pharaoh’s court.

The remaining warmth of the sun-beaten river rocks penetrated Akil’s throbbing back and legs, bringing welcomed reprieve from the demands of his work day as the overseer of building projects initiated by the palace hierarchy. 

His work was demanding, to the point of daily exhaustion, but Akil, unwavering, remained devoted to the execution of the tasks assigned to him by Pharaoh’s officials.

Stretching before he rose, Akil rehearsed for the hundredth time his strategy to make his burning ambition a tangible reality. 

His plan was simply, make it impossible for the Pharaoh and his court not to notice him. 

If he could capture the Pharaoh’s attention, become indispensable to him, Akil was certain promotion, honor, and reward would follow. 

Akil, driven to the core, beat and drove his workforce into submission or worse, into the afterlife. 

His disdain for the slave work force under his authority only heightened 

when work was done poorly or in a neglectful manner.

Alki would fly into a rage if ever a worker was disobedient to his commands. He viewed any recalcitrance as a direct insult not to him, but to the Pharaoh, even greater so, to Ra, himself. 

To show any sign of of rebellion or disrespect was an instant death sentence. And Akil had no qualms of carrying out the punishment. 

The pool of workers Akil had at his disposal was as vast as the grains of sands that crunched beneath his sandal-soled feet. 

Workers were as replaceable as a broken shovel or masonry trowel.

And there was a sea of sand to make burial quick and efficient for anyone who dared to rebel against Akil’s authority. 

Pharoah’s Palace was beginning to take notice of his achievements, along with Akil’s ability to manage projects with alacrity and cost-saving efficiency. 

Much to his delight, Akil received a

banquet invitation on the Pharaoh’s royal parchment sealed with Pharaoh’s gold signet ring.  

The banquet was all Akil dreamed it would be and more. Pharaoh’s chief advisor made it a point to introduce Akil to the banquet guests to extol 

his construction successes.              

Even the Pharaoh gave Akil a nod of approval when Akil looked his way. 

Akil was floating on air as he left the Palace that evening, content that his plan was falling into place just as he had envisioned. 

Ignited by his fortunate turn of events, Akil pursued his work with an even greater vigor.

He was on a clear path to Palace Officialdom and he was going to ride the backs of his work crews all the way to the Palace gate. 

Beating a slack worker with his thick, leather whip, Akil’s ambitious life came to a sudden end by a fierce blow to the back of his head.

The streets buzzed with the news of Akil’s death, quickly reaching the ears of the Pharaoh and his court. 

The Pharaoh, burning with rage, took swift action, decreeing to all Egyptians that the guilty fugitive be killed on sight. 

But the revenge sought by Egypt’s supreme ruler was thwarted as the fugitive, his adopted son, Moses,

escaped, safely crossing Egypt’s border to the land of Midian.