Blood Diamonds

Chapter 5

Leila

It was a strange world I had walked into; from the youthful attention-seekers plumped with the spoils of a charmed existence, to the more mature and glamorous ladies who commanded centre stage of this fancy life with no more than a well-manicured, jewel-glittered hand. And let us not forget the men! How they doted upon themselves just as much as the women with well-groomed bodies, impeccably styled hair and smart attire immaculately tailored for their specific sparkling personalities. Such opulence I had never experienced in my entire life and I had stepped into this wonderland of riches knowing that it was what I always envied. In my previous life before marrying Rodney, I had only seen just a glimpse of the spoils these people bathed in on television, in newspaper articles, in glossy magazines and, of course, by working at the brilliant light-filled carnival. Never did I ever picture myself one day swimming in this sweet sea. It was everything I ever dreamed of gaining, never to have the grubby hands of sleazy men grasping me for coin again. I belonged to only one man and he took care of my every need (and want). I don't think I loved him, but I loved his wealth.

I will admit, that although my heart lifted with warm elation from my sudden entrance into this rich world, it all overwhelmed me a little, almost to the point that I felt like I was drowning instead of swimming. It was everything that I aspired towards, and so much more. I experienced this first-hand at the charity ball while being pulled and grasped by the royal masses who demanded my attention, me being the story of captivating fascination; how they were enthralled by the idea of a poor working girl attracting the likes of the richest, most respected family to become a princess herself.

Part of me wondered how I managed to fool so many people at one go. After all, I was no aristocrat, and hardly refined enough to join their ranks. Those were my initial, insecure thoughts, until the evening of that great charity ball. I realised there that those people, in all their spoils, were infinitely bored. I was something new, a rose-gold painted piece of jewellery adding that extra bit of spice to their lives. They had everything, so much, that when something new and exciting waltzed by, they gawked in awe. I was this new and exciting thing. I wondered for how long. Who gave a damn, I had what I ultimately wanted—the affection of a wealthy man with one toe in the grave. I could live more than comfortably for the rest of my life.

I also realised that these people had personalities and agendas as multi-faceted as the diamonds they showed off. Among the throng of donors, politicians drawled on about the dull challenges they faced in parliament; beauticians squawked on the latest, illustrious trends exploding in the fashion arena; artists of many kinds fathomed sparkling works from their spoiled knowledge; and businessmen rubbed shoulders, trying to procure this lurid deal or that powerful partner—all of them socialites delighting in the company of each other's lives, and protecting their elite circle while at it. I was lucky to be welcomed into this circle at all. Still, I felt awkwardly out of place there. I was a crass creature cutting through the fine china of fake pleasantries, unaware of what I was really doing there. I did not belong. That was until I met Henry on the balcony. He was the first one who truly showed a genuine interest in my well-being. I was attracted to his awkward nature, not at all pompous like the rest of them. He was simultaneously refined and yet down to earth; charming, but well aware of his insecurities; and most of all he knew and understood the horrors facing those less privileged than he was. When I watched him campaign on television, vowing to change the world for the better, I always thought him to be just another lying politician cheating his way to gain popularity with the masses. Once I had gotten to know the man behind the image, I saw more clearly how much he ached for change. Maybe he felt so guilty that he had always had so much while millions of others survived on so little; maybe he just felt too much. Nevertheless, I found him an odd fit for dirty politics. That night of our first encounter I couldn't shake him from my mind. It was ridiculous how such a short, fleeting moment had such a huge impact on me.

I sat beside my aged husband as the evening wore on and the speeches rolled in the darkened ballroom. Henry sat with his own party of elites, looking bored. I blushed ever slightly at the mere thought of his gaze focused in my direction, catching a tiny glimpse of his charming, uninterested face whenever I could. Was he looking at me slyly as well? I couldn't tell for sure.

"Are you okay, hun?" Rodney kept asking concernedly throughout the sitting, noticing my distraction.

"I'm fine," I always reassured him with the sweetest smile that I could muster. My pretence seemed convincing enough because I always felt him gently squeezing my thigh in loving affection as we sat through those dull speeches that didn't seem to end. If this family was as dangerous as they say then I couldn't give any indication of what, or whom, nestled within my thoughts.

"And now, let us welcome our most honoured guest, a leader in humanitarian work and an inspiration to us all to reach that pinnacle of humane understanding we as philanthropists desperately strive for, Doctor Johannes Crowley!" The room erupted in applause as the frail host announced the next speaker with an enthusiastic clap of her bony hands, nodding gleefully.

Doctor Crowley, a tall, thin man with a pointed goatee who stood erect and stiff in his pristine tuxedo, looked more like the classic vision of the devil as imagined on a television series or classic literature. He took to the stage and began his speech about this and that humanitarian venture that he planned on executing with our help as "fortunate givers". He cleared his throat midway through his speech (or what I hoped was midway because I was totally disinterested) and a member of the stage personnel quickly appeared to offer him a small bottle of clear, spring water. "Thank you, young man," he said with appreciation before continuing to bore me with his long talk. "As I was saying, we as the leaders of this glorious city have the responsibility to not look down on our fellow peers living in misfortune or squalor but offer our services to those in desperate need. We as the forerunners of the city—" He stopped short of his speech midsentence and shook his head slightly, looking a little disoriented. He loudly cleared his throat. "Sorry, I don't know what's come over me," he apologised abashed. "We as the forerunners have—" Doctor Crowley stopped again, looking distinctly confused and frazzled. His eyes widened in worry and when he next opened his mouth to speak, a spurt of pink, blood-tinted spittle ejected from his mouth instead to splatter a few of the audience's shocked faces. The blood began pouring out of his mouth, gooey and globular, and he collapsed before the stunned crowd.

Some woman screamed in the background, initiating panicked murmurs from people watching in confusion. The lights switched on and more women screamed when they spotted the doctor fatally writhing in spasms in a mess of his blood and foaming spittle. Their high-pitched voices pierced my thoughts.

"Weshould go now, darling," Rodney whispered to me. We got up and followedthe panicking crowd out of the room, everyone with worried frowns, away fromthe grisly scene. It all passed by in a blur, I was completely numb, movingmechanically with the guidance of Rodney. Before we exited, I spotted a glimpseof the unfortunate victim, lying still on the polished stage with a pool ofglossy, red fluids swarming around his head. His eyes were wide open in fatalterror, staring blankly at me. No mercy had been afforded to Doctor Crowley.The poor man was dead. God, Ithought, is this the price of my life inluxurious splendour? A life of worry that the next breath I take may be mylast? Murderous assassination was a reality in this world, but was it worthit.