Zara Palmer is a passionate, hardworking and optimistic waitress, living in New York with her two best friends. Her life changes when she meets Alexander, an attractive and humble prince from the UK with a passion for Human Rights.
Zara can't seem t...
I slept in the next day because we got home super late. I felt Alexander get in my bed. Due to 'royal rules' an unmarried couple was not allowed to sleep in the same room in order to avoid children out of wedlock but sometimes we would break it just to cuddle.
"So I know you're probably tired but I'm going on a six-day trip" he whispered
"Where?" I asked half asleep
"To Mozambique"
"Mozambique? Can I come?" I asked
He chuckled "You sure you're not sleep talking?"
"No, I want to come," I said as I turned to face him, showing him that I fully awake.
"Ok then pack a suitcase"
I jumped out of bed and began to toss anything in my suitcase.
****
Next, we arrived at the airport. There was a jet waiting. I felt like Olivia Pope in this piece.
15 HOURS LATER, we arrived in Maputo, Mozambique. The air was hot and humid. It was my first time in Africa. My mother was always hesitant about coming back to Africa because of the horrid things she was exposed to but she never lets me forget how important my roots are.
We were sighting for most of day then went to have dinner with the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi and his wife. They were discussing how Mozambique is one of the worlds poorest nations and how millions of adults and children are infected with HIV/AIDS.
"Can we create more clinics or housing for people who have HIV? The main thing is that people don't know the symptoms of this disease or how to prevent it especially young people. We need orphanages, or sexual abuse shelters that offer free HIV testing, or prevention classes and some type of treatment" I said
"Yes but some people live in the village and do not have accessibility to the nations capital to receive this information" President Nyusi stated
"We can make them closer in the village"
"We will also need medical instruments, certified doctors and nurses and many other things that the villages might not be able to have for lack of electricity and clean water"
"Well that's why we're here to help," I said
"You are a very determined young woman, you should keep her," President Nyusi said as he lightly chuckled. I'm very passionate about Africa. It was apart of me and even though I've never been here I still felt like I had to protect it. It's home to Black kings and queens and home to my ancestors. Its an honor being African.
"I already am" he smiled as he glanced at me
****
The next day, we got to work. We went to an orphanage called 'Casa Para Crianças' which means Home for kids in Portuguese.
We met Etta who was the director of the orphanage. I was in my element. I enjoyed talking to the children and cradling the babies. It made me think of the kids back in New York. A baby girl immediately caught my attention because she reached out for me as if she knew me. I picked her up and held her. "You've met Nasma" Etta said.
"She's so beautiful. How old is she?"
"A year"
"A year? She can't be older then 9 months, she is so small"
"Yes, we actually took her in a week ago. A neighbor found her in her dead mother's arms. Nasma was so malnourished but she's getting better"
"How'd her mother die?"
"AIDS"
"Does she have AIDS too?" I asked
"Her test results just came back and she is clear"
I shakily exhaled then looked at Nasma, this innocent baby girl, who has experienced so much in her young life. I held her close to me
"Hey Zara, come look at this" Alexander said eagerly
"We're thinking about building a playground right there," he said as he pointed to the empty lot
"Nice. The kids will love it"
"Yeah, they've already got the blueprint and are starting immediately...Whose this?" he asked
"This is Nasma" I smiled as she rested her head on my chest
"You're cute aren't you," he said as he caressed her cheek.
****
After working hard in the orphanage. We went to back to the hotel, showered, changed then went to dinner on the beach with the sunset right behind it.
Alexander sighed then showed me a magazine
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"Jesus...a drug dealer?" I asked scanning the magazine
"I'm going to try to enroll him into rehab," Alexander said solemnly "You can't even leave the country without him messing something up"
"Did you ever ask him why he does these things?"
"He won't tell me, He won't tell Lorraine, he won't tell anyone"
"What has your father said?"
"He's too busy running the country"
"Well, you can't keep your father out of the loop. He obviously knows Louis is having problems"
"But my father doesn't do anything. Louis is getting more aggressive and he doesn't need to be on the front page of every trashy magazine every single week...he's hopeless"
"Don't say that he's your brother and your father needs to know"
Alexander sighed then looked out into the ocean.
"Don't stress" I said as caressed his hand.
"I'm trying not too but I think Lorraine might doing it for me"
"Oh God bless her heart," I said and Alexander chuckled.
