Soulmates

"Make a wish and blow out the candles Rosie," a voice said from behind a group of watery-eyed people who flocked around a small table. She gasped and scanned the crowd of familiar faces to spot the one person she's been dying to see all night. There he was behind a friend from church with an enormous grin. He made it! She desperately panted to catch her breath so that the intruding tears that stung the corners of her eyes would subside. Germaine made his way through the crowd until he reached the small plastic table with a pink table cloth. On it sat a delightfully looking ice-cream cake with psychedelic patterns and two purple candles that read 16. His heart was pounding as he got close to her. 

She felt as though time had frozen when he walked up to her and stood by her side. He was wearing his favorite white long-sleeved shirt and grey skinny jeans and smelled like wood shavings. His hair was freshly braided in some cornrows because he had done it just before he reached the party. "Why are you late?" She whispered to him trying her best to conceal her delight that he was there. "I was doing my hair" His voice did the trick for her and she wanted to jump in his arms right there but couldn't because her entire family was present. He just looked irritable at the table several feet away from her. Then it dawned on her that this was the first time they were all seeing him. She kept their teenage love affair a secret for the entire year they were involved. She knew her grandmother would hang her out to dry if she found out about their involvement. 

But she was in love. She never questioned being too young to fall in love because being with him made her chaotic world feel perfect. She leaned over and made a wish in her mind then blew out the candles. The entire bottom-house party erupted in applause that was sure to wake up the neighborhood in Guyhoc Park and alert them that there was a sweet sixteen party in that yard. But Rosie didn't care about anyone else but Germaine. She sulked all the way through the preparation of the party because she wasn't sure he was going to make it. He was indifferent about being around her family because of the tales she told about them. Her father never knew she existed and her mother had run off and had a new family leaving her with her grandparents and aunt who were immensely stern. 

Germaine wanted to be her protector on so many occasions when she called him upset about the mistreatment she received, but he was just a 16-year-old boy himself so there wasn't much he could do but be a listening ear for her to vent and cheer her up when he got the chance to see her. It was time to cut the cake and by default she chose Germaine. Her aunt Kezi picked up the knife and fork and started to cut from the other side of the table. The cake was beginning to melt so it was already soft like ice cream and cut like butter. Rosie took the fork from Kezi, scooped up the cake, and brought it up to Germaine's mouth. His lips were plump and pink and he hesitated before parting them and letting the cake on the fork disappear in his mouth. 

Rosie felt her pores raise after examining his pink lips. She reminisced about those very lips giving her the first kiss she'd ever had. She would never let herself forget the warmness in her cheeks on a chilly night under the stars at Marian Academy. It was August 1st, 2013 and she was at a relative's wedding reception. She snuck him in through the gate and they sat on a bench outside. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her that night because she looked stunning in her light blue dress that seemed to illuminate the dimly lit school's compound. Her hair was pulled away from her face revealing the round shape in all its glory. Despite the smudged makeup from sleeping through the wedding ceremony, she managed to make the flowers on the lawn beside the benches jealous of her beauty. She was rambling on about how boring the ceremony was and he stopped her mid-sentence and gently lifted her chin with his index finger. She paused with her lips slightly ajar and closed her eyes as he leaned in and kissed her softly on her lips. 

Germaine forced the fork of frigid ice cream cake in her mouth and snapped Rosie out of the reverie. She gagged and some pink liquid came spraying out of her mouth. The crowd erupted in laughter and she felt blood rushing to her cheeks. A yard filled with people but she only gazed upon one, no one else mattered. It was time for the kiss and Rosie scanned the audience for clues on whether she should kiss this stranger to everyone on the lips or skip the kiss altogether to not draw suspicions. Her aunt glared at her with raised eyebrows and arms folded so that hinted a negative response on a full mouth kiss. She looked at him and looked down at the table shyly. He was standing what felt like miles away from her because he knew the trouble he would put her through if they got close. Before she could come to a decision on what to do he took her right hand in his, brought it up to his face, and kissed it gently. 

The world stopped. Time froze. All of a sudden everyone around them transformed into faceless nobodys and all She could see was him. He let go of her arm and it dropped to her side. She grinned ear to ear and her cheeks were getting as red as a tomato. "Awwwww," Her friends from school and church said in a chorus. Then they all dispersed and went to take pictures and eat the pastries laid out. Germaine gestured to Rosie to follow him and as she was about to she heard a voice in a stern tone call out to her. "Rosie I want talk to you," her grandmother said. "Coming" She replied swallowing a lump in her throat. She knew trouble was amiss. She walked over to her grandmother and aunt who were standing lightly tapping their feet with their arms folded.

"Who is duh boy you stick cake with" Kezi asked as though she already knew the answer. 

"Muh friend" Rosie muttered becoming annoyed with the questioning. 

"I can't rememba you talking bout he. Friend from where?" Grandmother Lili chimed in

Rosie opened her mouth to speak but closed it suddenly. She couldn't answer that because the circumstances under which they met would make her family forbid her from ever seeing him again. 

"Well?" Kezie spat accusingly. "He's a school friend or church friend?" They glared at her waiting for an answer. 

"Church" She lied. "We met at church camp" She hated lying but it was her birthday and she didn't want a confrontation at her party. 

"Oh" Kez and lili replied in unison. "Ok well look your friend waiting for you" Kez stomped away. She was slightly displeased that Rosie didn't get into trouble because she knew something was up. 

Rosie walked away almost tripping over her white sandals from the knocked knees that she had. She approached Germaine who was chowing down on a chicken patty from the table of goodies. There were so many sweet treats and pastries accompanied by the pink and purple themed party. Germaine saw her approach him with a worried look on her face and motioned for her to follow him out of the gate. The parted the low hanging balloons and streamers and stepped out onto the asphalt road. The moon gleamed down on them as if there were no street lights and the stars seemed so close like you could tiptoe and reach them. It was a gorgeous night sky with a total absence of clouds. He inspected their surroundings for anyone that might see them and when the coast was clear he took her hands in his and studied her face until she met his gaze. She was much more alluring than the night sky with her purple mermaid styled dress. Her dark brown skin glowed like diamonds under the moonlight and he felt so lucky even be in her presence. 

"Wuhs the problem babes?" He asked as she looked up at him. 

"I frighten these people find out about we and we gon can't be togetha anymore" She said tearfully.

"Why we don't just tell them and done?" She was taken aback by his suggestion. "I tired sneaking around man. Just tell them and you could finally be fully mine"

"You stupidy boy? yuh pagaly or something?" She pulled away her hands from his and stepped back realizing they can be caught that very moment. "If you confirm anything with them people you will never see me again. They might ship me to Timbuktu or some shit. You know how my family stay boy." 

They bowed their heads in anguish realizing there was no easy way out of this. "Ok" He finally spoke up. "We will continue sneaking around I guess. But incase of anything remember I love you"

She grinned like a Cheshire cat when he said he loves her. It had been a few months since he first did and she didn't think she would ever get used to it. She looked up at him standing at 5'8", his light brown skin like caramel under the night sky and she just wanted to take him into her arms and never let go. But she knew she couldn't. 

"Yuh hair look sweet though" She said playing it cool but revealing how she truly feel by drawing in the sand next to the asphalt road with her feet. 

"Rosie!" Someone called from the party. "Rosie we got a next game fo play!" 

She gestured to him that she has to go and ran inside. Soft soca music was bumping in the background. There he stood watching her disappear behind the balloons and streamers. He knew he couldn't let anything come between them because he felt that she was purposely sculpted just for him. His other half. The ying to his yang. His soulmate. He knew that he promised her not to talk to her folks but in his heart, he felt it was the right thing to do and would eventually pay off. Unfortunately, acting on this feeling would prove to be a grave mistake for both of them. 

TO BE CONTINUED...