Monifa, A Hand Maidens Tale

1972, Egypt, Valley of the Kings. 5:38 pm

Deep in the heart of the burial tomb in the Valley Of The Kings Professor Paul Galbraight and his team were digging relentlessly under the light of candles and kerosene lanterns to find anything that would answer why the sarcophagus of this woman was so important to be buried with her king. From the inscriptions carved into her coffin told the team she was a hand maid to Ramses II and did not deserve the special treatment of being buried along side her Pharaoh unless she was very special to him. There had to be more about her further into the tomb.

The air was stifling and thin that far down and breathing was difficult especially if you were smashing an axe into stone walls over a 1000 years old. It was hard unending work and Prof Galbraight knew he had to come up with some answers soon or the grant that he begged and pleaded for would run out and he would go home to England the laughing stock of his colleagues at his University where he lectured and be broke to boot.

“Excuse me Professor one of the men has broken into another chamber and I think you should see this sir...” said one of Prof Galbraight’s assistants in a hurried raspy voice.

“Certainly I’m right behind you...lead on there’s a good chap” and both men hurried to the side of the man responsible for the new find and they dropped to their knees with torches at the ready to examine what was uncovered.

The man responsible for the break through into the new chamber was moving to the side, coughing slightly and pointing to the new hole that he had made with pride. The dust around the hole was settling and Prof Galbraight shone his torch into the hole that was about 2 feet in diameter and instantly he drew breath in complete surprise at what he was seeing. Seeing for the first time since it was buried here around 1279 BC in all its original ancient glory and splendour.

“Make the hole bigger I MUST GO IN!!” yelled Prof Galbraight and at once his hired local help began swinging his axe at the hole making it bigger for the Professor to climb in and begin to search around inside.

Upon standing to his full height in the new chamber the Professor shone his torch around a huge room with ornate hieroglyphics on the walls depicting a young girl growing up and meeting Ramses II. There was furniture and statues in perfect condition placed all around the chamber all facing towards a door that had long rotted an decayed away leaving beautiful ornate wooden chest’s painted with gold leaf and locked with beautiful knots of papyrus with mud seals and hieroglyphics still intact and this meant that no one had robbed this tomb and Prof Galbraight was the first man to be here since the entrance was closed and shut over 1000 years ago.

The Professor moved slightly and called out to his team to come and see the wonders that he was gazing at. This was a true find that would put him on the map in the archeology field and now it was time to document and put each item into order and see what was inside the gold boxes. There were ten boxes in all and with a shaking hand holding his torch Prof Galbraight looked for a box that had a broken seal and found one. ever so gently he took the ancient papyrus away and pulled the lid to uncover the treasures within.

Once the lid was opened and the torches from 5 very anxious assistants shone onto the contents of the box their great dreams had came true. Sheets upon sheets of papyrus pilled on top of each other tied up in neat bundles with what looked like soft cotton sashes. All were in mint condition and ready to be translated and shared with the world. The Professor could not be happier. This was his dream and it was coming true right before his eyes. Nimble hands collected all the boxes contents and moved them gently outside the long narrow cave and into the settlement set up on the surface under the night sky and the clean air.

Editors note: What follows next is the translation of what was found on that special afternoon in the Valley of the Kings. Here is, for the first time, the memoirs of Monifa: The Hand Maid to Ramses II, unexpurgated and in its complete explicit original form. Randolph Fair-Weather. Editor in Chief. 1972.