Voodoo

Olubunmi

It would be another two days before I would see N'zanzi again. We ran into each other at Bo-lo's late one evening, it was after I'd realized - only after the fact - that the bulb he mistakenly sold me that fateful evening was one of those red bulbs he has at the front door of his shop. While it pleasantly surprised me, it couldn't work for what I needed the bulb for.

**Walking up the little red painted steps of the shop**

I came up to the door to hear her playfully disagreeing with Bo-lo' that "she fine man".

With a soft whisper, I startled her slightly "is that a bad thing?"

A small black spaghetti strap top, no bra, a long flowing light beige skirt, no makeup and a taste to her supple skin telling me she's fresh out the shower; seeing her gorgeous tone bathe in the warmth of the evening sun left me speechless.

Yet, we eventually stole each other's attention once more, as naturally as your following heartbeat. She had collected enough items from the shelves to fill a small bag.

"Oh dam!" N'zanzi exclaimed.

A random remark remind her that she only intended for a quick run out to the shop, she would've started dinner already by this time. Of course! I invited my taste buds to her pot; in a serious-not-serious way to her playful acquiescence.

I sweetened the deal by carrying her paper grocery bag for her; a small bottle of cooking oil, tomatoes, two onions, a pound of salt fish and scallions and thyme. Of course she knew I was only looking for a reason to find out where she lived.

N'zanzi live with her mother in an aged two storied house with a big front yard; the house was actually previously only sparcely occupied by her mother who would shuffle between here and Portland - according to Bo-lo. The yard had random trees dotted across it but I noticed no fruit trees but a rusted out red pick-up truck wasting away in the driveway.

"You have enough ackee? Me eat nuff too you know" I charmingly enquired.

**N'zanzi laughed heartily**

""Wat yu sayin to me? I eat too much for you to eat of my pot. Yuh have to come feed me yuh kno" she replied.

"You no fraid me tye yuh woman? If I eva get fi feed yuh yuh see" I sweetly jested.

**Clutching her sides, N'zanzi laughed even more heartily**

"Tye?! Mi?! Olubunmi Ayoola N'zanzi?" She firmly enquired with a cheeky smile.

We laughed some more, throwing clever sexual innuendos at each other. Before...

"Zanzi! Yuh find man!" was sharply interjected from across the yard, out one of the front windows. Her mother - who had always remained an elusive figure to me - started calling out for her, questioning...

"...child, is you say you cooking, so come nuh" assertively.

I never came to learn her name until much further along, but Nzanzi's mother always cuts a mysterious - and at times ominous - figure. She was clearly an older version of her daughter; no taller, no bigger, no less distinguished from N'zanzi except for the rich field of greys locked in dreads as long as N'zanzi.

Mama Gbemisola - or Sola for short - perched her head from window insisting her daughter leave "di people dem child alone".

"Oh well, some other time me tye yuh" I sweetly remarked, to which was met with an even sweater smile..

"Make sure me nuh get a-weh, eh?" N'zanzi softly whispered.

**Smiling as we parted ways***