𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

003.

Chapter Three

"Hasina," M'Baku said.

"M'Baku," Hasina said.

"Baba, is she one of your exes?" Nazeli asked her father.

"Eww," Hasina said pretending to throw up.

Erik chuckled.

"No, she is Amari's little sister," M'Baku answered.

Hasina had finally arrived in Oakland. She immediately came to the outreach centre to surprise Amari but instead, she ran into M'Baku and his daughters. M'Baku introduced Hasina to Erik and they were waiting for Amari to arrive from her meeting with the mayor and T'Challa.

"You look well," M'Baku told Hasina.

Hasina flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Of course, I do," She said before she looked him up and down. "You look...Well, like you," She commented.

M'Baku shook his head and chuckled.

"I see you still don't like me," M'Baku said.

Hasina shrugged.

"Well, you did the one thing that you promised you wouldn't do, so of course, I don't like you," She said.

Hasina had always been hesitant about M'Baku's relationship with her older sister, so she had a conversation with him and made him promise not to hurt Amari, but of course, he couldn't keep a promise like that and nearly destroyed her sister when he chose Inira over Amari. Hasina wanted to kill him but she didn't.

"Nwanne nna," M'Bali said.

Hasina looked surprised.

"Who is your nwanne nna?" Hasina asked her with an eyebrow raised at the little girl.

"You are Nne's nwanne nwanyị so that makes you... Our nwanne nna," M'Bali explained.

Hasina looked at M'Baku.

"What is she talking about?" Hasina asked him.

M'Baku signed and explained how the girls had taken to Amari and had been referring to her as their mother since they met her.

"Oh okay," Hasina said, making a mental reminder to have a conversation with Amari about this.

"Nwanne nna, what do you do?" M'Bali said.

Hasina smiled.

"I'm a War Dog," Hasina answered.

Nazeli's eyes lit up.

"That's so cool, I want to be a War Dog," Nazeli said.

Hasina smiled.

"Do you?" Hasina asked Nazeli.

Nazeli nods.

"Yes, I do," Nazeli answered.

"Maybe, I can show you some of War Dog's duties and see if you like it," Hasina suggested to Nazeli.

Nazeli squealed.

"I would like that," Nazeli said.

"A War Dog, huh, you think she's like Nakia?" Erik asked M'Baku.

M'Baku shook his head.

"She's worse," M'Baku answered.

"Perfect," Erik said.

Amari and T'Challa walked in and Hasina jumped into her sister's arms, catching her by surprise.

"Hasina!" Amari said with a groan.

"Hi, Amari," Hasina said as she hugged her sister.

"Hi, Hasina," Amari said as she placed her back on her feet. "You nearly caused me to have a heart attack," Amari told her.

Hasina playfully rolled her eyes.

"Not the best female warrior of the Jabari tribe having an attack heart, Hanuman forbid," Hasina said.

Amari smiled.

"I haven't been the best in years, Hasina," Amari reminded her younger sister.

"No one has ever been able to take that title from you, Amari," M'Baku said.

"Many have tried but failed," Hasina said.

"Oh," Amari said.

"Nne, are you truly the best female warrior of our tribe?" Safiya asked Amari.

"The best! She's even better than your father. I remember she used to turn him every which way but loose! He would yield to her every time, everyone did," Hasina explained to Safiya.

The girls stared at Amari in awe.

"Wow," T'Challa said.

"And the fool let her go," Erik muttered.

Amari and Hasina went to her office after that to catch up.

"Why didn't you call me?" Amari asked Hasina as she lifted a brow at the sight of the small brown to-go container with a clear cup filled with pink liquid that was sealed with a straw on her desk.

"I wanted to surprise you," Hasina answered.

Amari picked up the blue sticky note was placed on it that read, 'Nne, we brought you lunch. Baba paid for it. Eat it!' The girls signed their names on it.

Amari shook her head with a chuckle.

"What's funny?" Hasina asked Amari.

"Nothing," Amari replied before placing the sticky note down.

"So, when did M'Baku's daughters start calling you their mother?" Hasina asked.

Amari explained how she met the girls and why they called her mother. She also told her about how M'Baku seemed okay with it and how they were always running into each other.

"Looks like he still wants you," Hasina said.

Hasina flashed a grin and even laughed when Amari sucked her teeth at her.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hasina," Amari said.

"Ah, Amari, I'm telling you right now by the end of his trip, M'Baku will be asking you to come to Wakanda with him, he wants you so badly," Hasina said.

Amari wouldn't reveal this to Hasina but her chest tightened at the thought.

"Shut up and help me eat this," Amari said, changing the topic.

Hasina rubbed her hands together.

"Pass me a fork," Hasina said, smiling.

Translation
Nwanne nna: aunt
Nwanne nwanyị: sister