[COMPLETE] African Pride

18. Starting Static

When Monday came the following week, I once again fell into the monotonous routine forced upon me. Although I was my usual, sarcastic self and I did what I was told, secretly I was trying to figure out how to get back to Kenya. After my talk with Busar, I knew that I couldn't afford to stay in Washington D.C. must longer, but how I was going to leave was going to be tricky.

After I had left for the day by myself, Anne didn't even let me cough without her being within an arm's reach. If it wasn't her, then it was Victoria or Albert. No way was I going to be able to run away under her hawk-like gaze. I was going to have to be smart.

One day, when I wasn't plotting my escape, I sat under one of the many oak trees at Golden Oaks. Before me was my laptop, several notebooks, and a school book. I was trying to finish this mathematics homework that was due the following day. Victoria was in class, and this provided me with a moment of solitude.

As I turned one of the pages in my schoolbook, a football came flying out of nowhere and landed on my lap. It was covered in mud, ruining both my pants and the notebook I had been writing in. High-pitched, bitter laughter filled the air, and I looked up to see Kayleigh doubled over, holding her side. Her usual circle of crows surrounded her, all following her lead as they laughed along with her.

"Oops!" Kayleigh giggled. "I'm so sorry Karasi, I didn't mean to do that..."

She was lying, the satisfied smirk on her lips told me so. Victoria wasn't lying when she said that Kayleigh wouldn't let my insult slide, and had proceeded to make my life living hell since then. If she wasn't spreading rumors about the 'savageness' of Africa, she was talking about my appearances such as my hair, my choice in clothing, and skin color. Most of the time I ignored her, as I had better things to do than be bothered by some rich girl. However, at times some of what she said got under my skin.

Without a word, I tossed the ball back to her before turning to my ruined pants and notebook. The pages were beyond repair, but I stood up and began to try to dust the mud off as best as I could.

Most of the other students still considered me the odd-girl-out here, the foreigner. I had a strange accent, customarily dressed all in black, and would kick someone's ass just for looking at me wrong. All of which was perfectly fine with me—as it was who I was—but at the same time, it didn't help me in making friends.

I got all the mud I could out of my pants, but before I could sit back down, I heard something. It was the chattering of squirrels, although it slowly changed into a language I could understand.

...She always seems so alone. The squirrels were saying. Poor dear, I feel sorry for the girl...

You don't have, to feel sorry for me, I said, lifting my head to look at them. I'm not one to be pitied.

All the squirrels jumped in surprise, one of them even falling from the branches above and dropping into my open palms.

Y...You can understand us? It asked.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Yes, I do. I can understand all of you.

How? The squirrel asked.

I lifted the necklace around my neck and held it up. Because of this, you don't know who I am?

The squirrels shook their head, and I explained that I was the Mlezi. The moment I said that however, their eyes widened.

We thought that the Mlezi was dead, the squirrel said. The last one, we knew of, was named Katherine Shujaa.

The smile dropped my face when I heard that, my fingers clenching around my necklace. My lower lip trembled as I fought against the urge to cry. That was my mother... she died when I was seven...