The Legend of Tafari

Chapter 9. Audience

“Deola,” Tafari whispered as I opened my eyes to see her moonlit face as I smiled kissing her as her hands gripped the back of my neck. She pulled away gently as leaning her forehead against mine.
“I promised Nyack that he could have an audience with you today for serving me so well,” she said wrinkling her brow. My whole face changed as she uttered those words. I tried my best to hide my fear of what he might say.
“Deola, be sweet to Nyack, he has served my family for a good five years and not once has he requested anything until now. I feel he may be smitten with you,” she said as she looked at me trailing her fingers through my hair.
“I couldn’t blame the young man,” she chuckled as she laid on her back pulling me on top of her.
“I want you to have a good time Deola,” she smiled kissing me softly as I melted in her arms.

Later that morning I followed Yohance to the cleansing pool as I struggled to keep up with her fast pace.
“It’s amazing that Tafari has given you permission to be alone with one of her soldiers,” Yohance said as she removed my clothes and ushered me in the cleansing pool. As she scrubbed me down, I wonder what she meant. She dumped small vials of ointments on my hair as she massaged it through my hair as my hair curled up. Instead of brushing it straight she left it in its natural state.
She put me in capris the material baggy and breathable as the halter top covered me completely.
Yohance smiled as she looked at me. “Deola, you have changed my dearest friend in a way I am unsure of how you could.” She placed on my head a piece of head jewelry as she kissed both my cheeks.
“Now go have a wonderful afternoon Deola, and realize the privilege you have.” She said as I dwelled on what she said.
I walked towards the stables as where Nyack waited with Kairu and a brown mare.
“Lady Deola,” he uttered in almost a hypnotic tune his eyes showing a mysterious glow as he helped me on top of Kairu who neighed loudly.
“Where are we going?”
“It is a surprise my lady,” he smiled as I rolled my eyes in annoyance.  He lifted up his leg high mounting the mare in one smooth motion. Instead of marveling at his strength, I stared at Kairu’s mane as the sun glistened I loathed being surprised and not knowing where I was going. The gate watcher blew a light horn as Nyack and I rode out. Kairu stayed on the tail of the mare feeling his breath even and focused as I dove deep into the rhythm of how he ran with such ease.
The scenery became louder as we rode closer to the city of Libreville. The scents of ginger and the Cassava root filled the air. It reminded me of home, where Mama would make stew out of rice, Atanga, ginger, and Cassava root with a hint of mustard seeds.  That was the first meal I learned how to make. Papa would never say it wasn’t good, I just was not so skilled as Mama with making it. As we continued to ride I saw the misshaped homes on the outskirts of the city, where children played with old fruit and their joy like voices entered our atmosphere.
Nyack tapped his legs against the sides of the mare as she sped up and Kairu followed till we came to a stop. I pat the side of Kairu’s neck as I climbed down. Tying him to a wooden post. I felt someone grab my hand, as I looked to find Nyack’s face had a tint of red not releasing my hand though my eyes flared in alarm.
As I pulled my hand away I whispered, “We are friends Nyack, and we can go no further than that.” I refused to look him in his eyes. As I allowed him to lead to our destination. We traveled through the small streets of the high buildings as I saw clothing hanging up on lines. The sound of drums being played and music became louder as Nyack stopped in front of a wooden door that had natural holes in it from how it had been cut from a tree. He knocked on the door hard as a man larger than he was stepped out, his face looked rough. Across his face spread a smile that made his unwelcoming demeanor kind. His hair was twisted and course, while his skin was bronze and the smell of the hot sun and a lite musk mixed with the aromas from inside the little building.
“Nya it’s good to see you again, brother,” he said with a thick northern accent as he hugged him.
“Who is the pretty lady?” nodding his head in my direction as Nyack smiled.
“This is the lady Deola, a very good friend of mine,” he said his tone trying to hide his small disappointment.
“Nice to meet you little lady,” he said holding his hand out as I went to shake his, as he gripped it and brought it to his lips and kissed it softly. A smug grin spread across my face as he released my hand welcoming us inside. Nyack’s hand rested just above the small of my back as his stance almost seemed protective of me.
“This is my Uncle Reth, my father’s older brother,” he said as I looked between them both seeing no family resemblance. They both chuckled in the same tone and I brought my attention back to Nyack, as he whispered in my ear,
“Stay close to me within this place, I don’t want anyone to approach you in any offensive way.”
As his uncle led us inside, I realized that it was an underground club, where men and women came to dance, and drink the devil’s nectar as Papa would call it. It saturated the air as a mist of fog hung low within the room.  Nyack stayed extremely close to me his skin the only coolness I felt as his hand stayed on the small of my back.
“Here you go nephew,” Reth said holding out the last syllable of the word as he chuckled walking off. I sat down on the stool at the table. Nyack sat across from me his golden eyes having a certain intoxicated glare ad he bit on his lip in thought till he released a sigh.
“I have never met someone like you, sweet Deola,” he said his voice deep and masculine.
“I cannot seem to get you out my thoughts most days, and some days I simply want to just be in your presence for conversation.”
I tried my best to keep my composure as within I grew afraid, for he did not know of Tafari and I , and there was no way my queen would allow him to have so many audiences with me.
“I know your status in the palace, and so I try and keep my distance from you, but you are the type of woman, I want to keep close…” he left off turning as a woman began to sing walking around within the club. Her voice seeped into my thoughts as I played his words over and over again.
“What are you trying to say Nyack?”
His eyes landed on me and the look Tafari gave every time I would eat her chatte, and connect my lips with her lips right after, or after we had made love in such a deep way, showed all over his face. I looked at him and pitied how he cared for a girl who was so in love with someone else, that I couldn’t dream of wanting him in that way. He was attractive and strong and I was drawn to who he was, but it was impossible to have the love he sought.
Before I knew it, he leaned over and kissed me. I did not pull away nor did I participate in the kiss. But his lips did not feel like Tafari’s soft and succulent. But his breath was sweet and his hand upon my face felt just as natural as with Tafari. He sat back down in his chair, and his face showed his questions of why I held back my responses.
“Nyack, please be wise in your actions from this point. I am the handmaiden of the queen of our great country and I don’t want your life in danger, because of your feelings for me.” His eyes grew sad as he heard my tone and my walls grew high. Then I saw his optimistic cheer as he stood and held his hand out as the band began to play an up-tempo song.
“Well why don’t you dance with me, and spare my heart tonight,” he said with that beautiful smile. I smiled and grabbed his hand standing as he pulled me close to him as our hips moved to the beat that caused the fog within the room to lift as our skin grazed across the droplets of sweat that we released. It was an amazing feeling being lost in the beat of the drum and horns dancing with him.
I couldn’t bear to break his heart more than I already had. As we enjoyed the dance, someone tapped me on my shoulder I turned to see a man whose eyes seemed black and his hair was matted and old and his stench was so potent, I had to hold Nyack so I wouldn’t faint.
“Plu’ese, may a humble man have a dance with a lovely lady,” he said his words slurred and slow tone. Nyack’s face tensed up and I felt his hands pull me closer.
I looked at the old man, and smiled and said sure, asking Nyack to wait for me as the old man grabbed my hands with his sweaty palms but was respectful with the dance. He wore a hat, which was worn down and had a couple holes in it. But from his face he seemed to have been handsome once. After spinning too many times, he said whoa, and grabbed my hands for balance. As he grabbed his hat and held it to his chest.
“Thanks you for the lovely dance. I have not danced since I lost my wife a few years ago to the red spotted death,” he said his face coming to life as he mentioned his wife.  He smiled looking at me with a glow I did not understand as he began walking away. I looked around for Nyack and found him sitting drinking a small glass of a golden bronze drink. He looked at me his composure gone as he showed his frustration on his face.
“So Deola am I not attractive to you?” He asked an almost fury in his tone. I felt the atmosphere change and then I felt his fury become my own.
“No Nyack, you are very attractive, but what you do not understand is who you serve. You have been serving them longer than I, but from the outskirts you have served them. I serve them up close and personal. How is anything ever going to be with us when it comes to that?”
He looked at me dumbfounded and speechless as there was a grand silence even with the music playing.
“Well let me take you back before they send all the scouts out after me,” he chuckled slamming the glass on the wooden table. I grew irritated with his tone as I followed him out the door. His gait shuffling from one foot to the other as we made it to the horses. Kairu greeted me with a neigh as I petted his neck. Nyack huffed and puffed tightening the riding seat. I left Kairu’s side coming next to him.
“Look at me Nyack,” I said as he yelled saying what! I grabbed him by his shirt pulling him down to me as I kissed him pouring all I could into it. His hands never grabbed me but from how his lips moved, I knew he felt what I transferred as I pulled away looking into those golden eyes once more, before I climbed on top of Kairu and we rode back to the palace. The gate keeper opened the gate as we headed to the stables. Tedos and his grandson waited and took the horse as Nyack and I strolled through the stables into the empty courtyard. We were both silent and I dreaded to hear him say anything.
Yohance appeared in the courtyard and smiled, as she let us say good bye.
“Good evening sweet Deola,” Nyack whispered as he kissed my cheek and hand as he turned walking away. I sighed in great agitation once he was out of sight and walked towards Yohance whose eyes betrayed her silence.
“Well Deola, did you have a good time?”
“It was decent, “I answered too engulfed in thought to care about her engaging questions.
“Well Tafari is waiting for you in the library,” she said as we walked towards the building. I walked into the room smelling of old stale paper. Tafari sat at a table with a lit candle where she read and was attuned to what she was comprehending. I walked up to the table and sat down as she did not look up at me.
“Hello Deola. How was the audience with Nyack?” she said still reading as I mumbled my response.
“Speak up girl,” she said looking up at me as I gazed at her.
“It was an okay time.  It was what I expected it to be.” I said louder.
“And what did you expect?” she continued as I rolled my eyes answering.
“I expected him to tell me how he felt for me, and he did.” When I answered with this she became silent. And to my surprise a smile spread across her face.
“Deola, my girl, you do understand I am the oracle and I usually see what is going to happen weeks before it actually does.” Her eyebrow was raised in a sarcastic humor.
“How was your kiss?” she asked as I looked at her startled and confused at how she knew though I knew.
I grimaced slightly, “It was nothing like yours Tafari,” I whispered in such an intimate way she was taken back and from her face I knew she had no response.
I smiled as she went back to her reading.
“Deola would you do anything for me?” she questioned.
“You know the answer to be yes, my queen,” I said as she smiled a cruel smile as she stood grabbing my hand as we left the library and I feared what her request would be.