REUNITED ~ STEVE ROGERS [4]

Chapter Twenty-Six

Our cousin, Eric, died that day on the great mound.

The last image burned into his mind was that of the Wakanden sunset, a sight so calm and beautiful that as I myself watched it I hoped he finally found peace in his broken heart.

In a way, we had failed him. Or maybe it was just my father that had failed him. Either way, I felt that tight knot of guilt in my stomach when T'Challa carried his body from the mine, and again when we burned it on the ocean, sending his ashes into the depths at sunrise.

I called Steve, told him what happened. He cried with me. He promised he would see me again soon. I prayed he was right.

Natasha called me this time. She was with some old friends. Old family. I wished her luck.

I hadn't seen much of T'Challa. Eric's death had affected him more than he let on, I was sure of that. It wasn't in his nature to kill, as it was mine. But I waited for him to talk to me on his own.

***

"Ouch," I hissed as Shuri rubbed my scarred arm, putting a healing balm across my skin to help fade the scars.

"Don't be a baby," She scolded me with a grin. As her dark hand patted my skin I couldn't help but think of what Eric had said to me in the garden.

"So, you do have a bit of our blood in you after all."

"How long do you think it will be before they accept me?" I mumbled, wiping my sweaty left hand on my jeans. I still wasn't used to the heat yet.

"Before who will accept you?" Shuri asked, wrapping a light bandage around my arm and narrowing her eyes.

"The city. The people." I pulled my arm away from her as soon as she was done, looking her in the eyes.

"Is this about you being white?" Shuri said boldly. We had never really openly said it before but in a nutshell there it was. Somehow, it all came down to skin colour.

"Well, lets be honest Shuri, white people have never really done that much good in the world. All the invasion, and colonization. We've progressed but the systematic racism in America is appalling. I can't help but feel that somewhere along the way, I did something horribly wrong."

And there it was. The guilt was there, and I had shoved it down after I left but coming back brought it all with me. Deep down I knew that I, personally, had never done those bad things. But my ancestors did, and wasn't that the same thing?

"Sister, we may be different colours, but our hearts are Wakanden. Your spirit and mine belong here. It doesn't matter what anyone of the people say, your life began here just the same as mine, the same as T'Challa's. Don't feel guilty about what your ancestors have done. What matters is what you do, here and now."

Shuri looked at me with such wisdom and grace that I almost burst into tears. So young and yet she seemed to know more of the world than I did. She definitely had more faith in the world than me.

"How did you grow up to be so beautiful, and strong?" I said in awe. Shuri laughed, throwing her head back.

"I think you were Mama and Baba's test run. When it was my turn, they knew exactly what not to do."

"Oh, don't be a smart-ass." I swatted her arm and laughed too.

"What is so funny you two?" I spun around and saw T'Challa descending on the lab ramp, dressed in a form fitting an glittering royal robe.

"Khethwie's white person guilt," Shuri said with a snicker, standing to greet him.

"The only thing you need to be guilty about, sister, are the obscene jokes I heard you telling Shuri the other day." T'Challa tried to sound mad but his eyes still smiled. I waved a hand dismissively.