Redemption

Encounter

"Mommy?"Zari's head shot up as she glanced over at her son.
"Yes baby," she questioned her six year old as they walked down the street together. It was their traditional Friday ritual to get a snack after school on the last Friday of the month. As it was getting hotter as summer approached Zari had let her soon choose an ice cream shop on the way back to their townhouse.

"Today Dion's dad brought food for the whole class for his birthday, why don't I have a dad?" The question was simple enough, but had a complicated answer.

How do you explain to your child that his father didn't know he existed, that her home country had shunned her when people found out she was pregnant. How does she explain that her son's grandfather paid for their city townhome and her to finish college, in exchange for her staying silent and away from his son.

Zari's thoughts were shattered as her son yanked on her hand again, "mommy where's my daddy?"

The young mother's heart broke. She's been able to avoid this questions for six years, and in six years time she had not been able to come up with a lie that would suit the questions she knew were to follow.

As he had grown Aiden had begun to look more and more like her which she was grateful for. But his face was still a mirror image of a young T'Challa. He had also inherited his father's knowledge and charm. His curiosity knew no bounds.

"Um, that's a long story baby. How about that be our bedtime story tonight ok?" Zari glanced at her son as he finished his ice cream. She squatted down and wiped his face clean before leading him to the trash can. After throwing away their trash they headed up to their condo.

Even though she had been forced from her home country in the night, her exile had been comfortable. The King T'Chaka purchased a three bedroom townhouse in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. The spacious townhome had a small backyard and plenty of room for the small family of two.

After she gave birth to her son checks started arriving regularly. At first Zari refused to cash them, until the king wrote her saying he wished to help his grandson live a royal life without the title. Biting back any snide remarks Zari cashed the checks and put them in a separate bank account for Aiden to go to college and have when he gets older.

After graduating Parsons School For Design in New York, Zari began working as a costume designer for major broadway shows. In her spare time she created her own fashion line and simply raided past shows wardrobes to dress herself without having to touch the King's money.

Her jobs on broadway paid well enough and she and Aiden enjoyed an average middle class life. The trees around them rustled as they walked in silence. As their townhome loomed over them, up the street a strange sensation set every hair on Zari's body on end.

Hurrying her son along Zari quickly walked up the steps and ushered him inside. "What's wrong Mama?" The little boy whimpered as his mother grabbed the key from its hiding place behind the doorbell and stared at the sky.

A blue light licked the tops of the clouds as Zari's suspicions were confirmed. "Nothing baby. I need you to listen to me very closely. I need you to go upstairs and sit on your bed until mama comes and gets you ok?" Aiden nodded as his mother rubbed his lapel. Zari kissed the kindergartener's cheek before sending him upstairs.

Once Aiden shut his door Zari quickly ran around and placed all family photos of her and Aiden away in drawers. "I thought he said they would never come for him," Zari mumbled fearing that her son's grandfather had changed his mind and had arrived to collect his grandson. As soon as the last photo was hidden, two knocks sounded at the front door.

Zari took a deep breath before walking over to the door. She opened the door and saluted the two women who walked in. "Prove who you are,"they watched expectedly as Zari displayed her inner pinky finger and the characters printed there lit up blue.