Black is the Color of Beauty

Chapter 3

Bo's POV

Coco Tea

July 18, 2018

Downtown Shanghai

      " So, are you ready to go home? " I ask the brown skin beauty in front of me. NiNi's face scrunches up when she hears me state my question. Wait, was my question offensive.... I do not think so. Before, I can allow my mind to run rampant with my usual anxious NiNi answers my question. " Ummm," she chews on her bottom lip for a second thinking about how to respond " I miss my family and my own bed so I am ready to get back to that. But, for some strange reason I feel like I have not had the chance to explore Shanghai as much as my heart and body wants too. It is kinda hard to do since, the girls and I are not from here so we need someone to show us around.  And, I know it must be annoying and time consuming for you boys to accommodate us and stuff. Plus, I thought that everyone here speaks 100% Mandarin when in reality its more so Shanghainese .... which is a mesh of Mandarin and city slang... so its a bit confusing because I only understand about 50% of the stuff being said to me." She looks down at her piece of taro cake. Way to go Bo, no wonder she scrunched up my face at my question. She probably thinks that I am trying to get rid of her. Which I'm not? Or am I? But, can you really get rid of someone that you do not want? I mentally face palm myself as my thoughts were having an internal debate with itself. Across the table, NiNi starts picking at the piece of taro cake with her fork. 

  " Is that a habit of yours when you are nervous?" I pose to NiNi. " Huh?" she stutters out. " Is...that...a...habit...of...yours...when...you...are...nervous?" I say again, but this time much more slowly. Her milky brown eyes glance away from the cake on her plate and look up at me. Damn, her eyes remind me of the candy bar so many Americans like... what is it called again? Oh, yeah that's right a Hershey bar. " Is what a nervous habit?" NiNi questions in a confused tone. Although she is looking at me, her fork is still picking at the cake. Almost as if... " As if it haves a mind of its own." I finish up my train of thought out loud. I nod my head in the direction of her hand. This head nod forces NiNi's eyes to follow what I am staring at. "Me picking at the food? Yeah, I am sorry. I guess you can say I pick at things when I am nervous... plus, you haven't told me the flavor of this cake. I can't just eat anything." she finishes up weakly. " How about you take a small bite out of the cake first to see what it tastes like, then I will tell you the flavor of the cake. If you like it, then you have to tell me a personal thing about you. If you do not like it, then you have a pass to ask me one question of your choice. Deal?" I negotiate with her. She quickly agrees to my offer. It is kinda unfair, once I start to think about it because I know she will love it.

   NiNi picks up a forkful of the vibrant purple cake and brings it close to her face. She takes a quick sniff of it. " Come on, any day now." I huff out jokingly. " Fine". She eats the bite of cake. I watches as her face morph from skeptical to surprised. " Mmmmmm." NiNi moans, then she follows it up with a hum. Really, is it really necessary to moan. If anything its a bit unladylike to do those things at the table. A Chinese woman would never.... " Is the icing made of cream cheese?" Her inquiry breaks my train of though. "Yes, it is." She takes another bite of the cake. She savors this bite unlike the last one. " I know this might sounds crazy, but I love this cake because something about this cake taste so familiar... almost as if tied to some memories of mine. Yet, it taste different. I do not know if I am making sense, but yeah." She finishes up her statement. Should I tell her? But, what if it freaks her out? Well, I don't have to tell her everything or do I? " Well, the piece of cake you are eating is made up of taro. Taro is a tropical plant found in parts of Asian and the Pacific Island. Taro is often compare to a yam or sweet potato because it has a similar taste." There you gave her a brief synopsis of the plant. NiNi's face splits into wide grin, showcasing that distinctive gap of hers. Seeing her smile like that, I just couldn't help myself. " I notice on your Instagram around the American holiday season, you post a picture of something called a 'sweet potato pie'. "  Damn it Bo, too much information she's going to think that you are a creep. I reach for the back of neck and start to scratch it. NiNi softly giggles. " Well, at least you do your research." I check my watch and notice it is 7:45 p.m. We have to leave in a while, I promise to have her back at their Airbnb by 9:00 p.m. and it takes twenty minutes to get there. I want to make a first good impression by getting her back to their spot early. But first, time to collect my reward.

    " Hmmm, one thing personal about me. Well, I am 'gifted'.... nevermind." I am guessing NiNi notices my raised eyebrow when she said the word "gifted" in her statement. "No, please tell me. I am curious to know." I say in a reassuring tone. A small smile grace her face and she takes a deep breath. Good, I made her feel a bit comfortable. " As, I was saying I am 'gifted' in a sense. It was told to me that my great grandmother, who was a half indigenous and half black person, was a bit of a prophetess. She was blessed and cursed with seeing visions of the future." I cut her off, without even thinking. "What is an indigenous person?" My curiosity and anxiety gets the best of me because I need to know what it means.... NOW! "An indigenous person, is a person that is native to a land or area before immigrant occur. So, like the original people of the land. In books, these original people of the USA are commonly known as Native Americans.  My great grandmother's father was apart of the Black Foot tribe. But, back to what I was saying my great grandmother was a prophetess. It relates to myself because I inherited some traits of my great grandmother's. I often get premonitions when something serious is about to happen and some of the things I dream about come to life as deja vu moments." NiNi finishes up her story. I sit in my seat looking at her dumb founded. I wonder if NiNi dreamed of this moment? This moment of me sitting her dumbfounded as the her skin's coco hue being illuminated by the reddish orange colors of the setting sun.