𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

001.

chapter one

Amari tapped the highlighter against her lips, an irked grimace on her face. She was reading documents for a new study abroad program for the children of the outreach centre in Wakanda but she felt something was missing.

She was getting more agitated as the time ticked on because she wanted the program to be perfect before she presents it to Erik so he could approve it.

A knock at the door eased her mind momentarily.

"Come in," Amari called out.

"Hello? Amari?" Rayvn dubbed, poking her head into the ajar door of Amari's office. "Hey, girl, can you do me a favor?" She asked as Amari looked up from the documents on her desk.

Amari's shoulders slumped with annoyance. Rayvn may have been her friend and co-worker here at the Wakandan International Outreach Centre but she got on Amari's nerves by constantly asking for favors relating to her work.

"What is it?" Amari asked with enough positivity that Rayvn wouldn't have caught her reaction.

Rayvn smiled but did not enter the office completely. The door was hiding her lower body. Rayvn smiled as she held on to the door's frame.

"Thank you, so, I got the responsibility of watching these adorable little girls but there's an emergency with the caterers across town so I need you to watch them for me," Rayvn said with her famous puppy dog eyes.

Amari sighed.

"Can we go in now or will you keep us out here?" A voice asked.

"Nazeli!" Another voice said.

"Let them in," Amari said.

Swiping a braid behind her shoulder, her lips curved up into a sweet smile as she opened the door wider to let the little girls in. "Thank you so much, Amari," Rayvn said, once again.

The girls walked in with the oldest girl carrying the youngest girl on her hip.

"I'm M'Bali, and these are my sisters: Nazeli, Safiya, Truveya, and Ulani," M'Bali said, introducing herself and her younger sisters like her father taught her.

Amari smiled.

"You're welcome, Rayvn," Amari said as she walked around her desk to greet the five young girls. "It's nice to meet you all, I'm Amari," Amari told the girls.

Amari hugged each girl and picked up the youngest one into her arms. The youngest one gripped Amari's silk top and Amari accepted that she wouldn't let go of her anytime soon.

Rayvn smiled at the sight of Amari surrounded by the girls before dashing away so Amari wouldn't change her mind.

"Nne," Ulani said, as she tilted her head back to look up at Amari.

"Nne? Oh no, onye ta, I'm not your mother," Amari affectionately told Ulani.

"We don't have a mother," Nazeli told Amari.

Amari was confused.

"Did something happen to your mother?" Amari asked.

"She died after Ulani was born," M'Bali answered.

"I'm sorry for your loss, you know I lost my mother too when I was about your age, M'Bali," Amari told M'Bali.

"Really?" M'Bali asked.

"Sorry for your loss," Safiya said.

"Yes, I remember I had to become more responsible for looking after my younger siblings and making sure I made everything easy for my papa," Amari said.

"I'm doing that too," M'Bali said.

"I know, but remember you're just a child, M'Bali, you don't need to be so mature," Amari said.

"But I have to be," M'Bali said.

"I can tell at such a young age, you are full of wisdom, kindness, compassion, and courage. But you need to experience being a child before you end up like me," Amari told M'Bali.

"What's wrong with you?" Truveya asked.

"Everything," Amari answered.

Translations
Nne: Mother
Onye ta: Little one