Dancing with Shadows

Eleven

      She had been feeling under the weather for two days now. It was strange the way she  felt these random waves of nausea. She had dizzy spells. She had never felt such a strange mix of symptoms, and didn't know what to do about it. She watched the kids kicking a ball between them in an unorganized game of football. The sun felt abnormally hot, and she used a hand sewn fan to try and bring relief to her flushed cheeks.

      "You will make a good mother," Thandwie said from just next to her.

      Jasmine was baffled. "Why would you say that?"

       Thandwie smiled a secret smile. "I know the signs," she said.

      Jasmine laughed with the seriousness in her tone. "I'm sorry to say that I'm not pregnant," she corrected. "I would have to be sexual-ly-" Jasmine's words dropped off as she thought back to the day she spent under Zeke's very meticulous attentions. She felt the color drain from her face. That was just over three months ago. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Her eyes became unfocused. Her mouth dried. "Oh, no."

      Thanwie knew about Derick, but Jasmine never felt the need to indulge the woman with that vigorous day at Zeke's house. Now she realized that no matter if she spoke on it or not, she was now reaping the seeds he sewed.

      "I need to make a call," Jasmine stood on unsteady feet. She moved across the uneven ground to the school room. In the corner was a satellite phone. She stared at it for a minute before going to her bags under her desk in the other corner. Tucked inside of an inner pocket of her bag was the business card for Zeke's AC. Jasmine ran the pad of her thumb over the raised inscription. She didn't know at the time why she felt the need to take it with her, but moved it from her purse at home into the teaching bag that she took with her to Africa anyway. She hadn't looked at it since tucking it unto its own pocket, but now she was thankful that she had it. She went back to the phone and with trembling fingers dialed the number on the bottom right corner.

      "Zeke's AC," Jasmine recognized Deborah's voice, and swallowed.

       "Hey," she answered on a sigh. "I need to speak to Zeke the junior."

      Deborah took on a new tone. "If you need to call him personally, call his phone. If he didn't give it to you his number, here's your sign." She didn't give Jasmine a chance to respond before disconnecting the call.

      Jasmine looked down at the lifeless phone. She knew she had to tell him. But from the way Deborah sounded she wondered if she was just another conquest of his. Would he deny his parentage? She steeled herself, and held more resolve when she dialed the number a second time.

      As soon as she heard the phone connect, Jasmine spoke. She didn't want to give Deborah the opportunity to hang up on her again. "Can you just tell Zeke to call me. You have my number, my name is Jasmine Sommers."

      A note of pity was clear even across the ocean. "Look, Jasmine, if he wanted to see you again, he would have already called. Do yourself a favor, and find someone else."

      "Deborah, please. Just tell him to call Jazzy. He'll know who I am. I've been out of the states, but my calls are being forwarded."

     "Jazzy?" Jasmine could hear the eye roll in the way she said his nickname for her. "Hey, stop,give-" Deborah was clearly fighting with someone in the room.

     There was static as someone fumbled with the phone. A pause. Then a voice, "Jazzy?" He sighed into the receiver. "Is that you?"

      Jasmine felt her heart pick up with the anxiety in his voice. "Hi, yeah, it is."

      "What's going on? I tried to go see you, but you aren't ever home."

      "No, I'm not. I'm in Africa." She bit her lip. She needed to tell him, but didn't know if it was a good idea being so far away. Maybe this was something she should tell him in person. After getting a doctor's confirmation. Although that really would be moot since now that she thought on it, she hadn't had a period since she'd been in Africa.

     "What's in Africa?"

     Jasmine sighed. "I teach kids. But I just, I wanted to call you to see if you would pick me up from the airport when I come back. We need to talk, and I don't really have a long time. Or a stable connection."

      "Yeah, of course. I'll give you my cell number. Do you have a pen?"

      Jasmine took down his number and promised to call him when she had all the information.

      Thanwie eyed her from the door where she leaned against the jamb. "Is that the father?"

      Jasmine nodded at her friend.

     "You didn't tell him," she accused.

      "No," she agreed. "I think that I should tell him in person. We were only together one day. I don't think that this is news he should hear while I'm so far away."

      To her relief, Thanwie didn't push the subject. Instead she reminded her that it was time to begin preparing dinner.