Today marking the second of the month of march 2024, is supposed to be a memorable day, the president’s son is graduating today from the class of law students, after passing the bar exam, and as the billboard just in front of our school says, he has been awarded his own law firm courtesy of his dad. I am sitting with my mom, or at least we are sitting close to each other, and you won’t believe it when I tell you that my friend November June saw me and ignored me. I had to gulp down a whole glass of water as I saw that, the action although expected was not registered in my brain, even my mom stared at the back of her head in bewilderment. “Best friend gone wild,” she says as she replaces my empty glass of water with hers, and then brings out a full bottle of water from her handbag.
One other thing that caught mom’s attention is the fact that everyone avoided our table. I am used to that, but mom, she’s never really accompanied me to any social gathering hence it caught her unawares when one lady dragged her son as he attempted to seat at our table.
My mom was chilled to the bones; I could see the way her body visibly shook. It bothered me but at least now a little color is back to her face.
“I hope this whole thing dusts itself up so we can get out of here,” mom says.
“Ooooh someone is being impatient” that one earns me a smile, it’s nice at least to see her genuinely smile, forgetting the drastic moments we’ve had these past few days.
“So how are the sales going,” asks mom.
“Mr. Bowe says I should leave it to him ma” I sip from my glass and she nods her head in understanding. Ever since Alexander found out about my pen name he’s been helping me locate fine art curators, to at least earn me a little money and a fan base.
“He’s a nice young man…” she nods nervously. “But I just hope he isn’t after something else”. As I open my mouth to say something. We hear the popular microphone effect.
**
“I just want to say a very huge thank you to those who came from both far and near, just to witness this whole event” cheers and claps echo around the hall.
But immediately he mentions “Donald Russell” the whole crowd go wild, people jumping from their seats in some major delusion that perhaps will entail a kiss.
The victim of this course “Donald” walks up to the stage in their signature overall blue coat, with a signified no doubt national bar association badge on his collar.
“Now that’s your lawyer right there,” mom says. With a lot of determination, we get up from the midst of the crowd and begin making our way out. I say determination because we expect people to turn their heads, and a person turning means talking.
“Thank God for the fresh air” mom comments as she finds her small Honda amid different varieties of cars. As the car honks open we all enter, and it's oddly satisfying that I prefer my new accommodation to the old one.
As I begin to let the wind blow my stubborn hair I bask in its coldness, then a thought comes to my mind. I look down at my skin, not sure of how to react when I see my mom’s skin. The contrast is quite visible; I hurriedly look back outside the window before she catches me.
“You’re beautiful Katherine, don’t ever let the words of people make you doubt that… and I don’t mean the cliché inward beauty, I am talking about the physical".
Whoops, she did see me.
“Thank you mom”
**
Looking at the card in my hand my face goes blank; I am so sure of it. So Donald called late in the night telling me to come to his house. And as I did a little crosscheck I found out he has the upper building, yup the penthouse, room 290.
Just To be clear, I am supposed to be meeting him a few minutes before now, but anxiety and fear stop me, making it hard for me to make a move. In my jeans and long-sleeved chiffon top, I stare out the window, my head making concussions on what to say.
“Go already! You’ve been wearing that dress since 6 am!” yells mom from the kitchen.
“There is nothing that can move you more than a mother's shout” I say as I hang my bag on my shoulder and walk out of my room, waving my mom bye I make a beeline for the door.
So twenty-two genuine minutes later I am standing at the door to his penthouse, and from the way, it’s looking it seems to cover a whole of four flats at a stretch. I ring the doorbell, all the while making a prayer to God.
But nothing prepared me for that tone I detected in his voice.
“You’re thirty-seven minutes late,” he says as he pushes the door open without even looking my way. I begin contemplating my situation.
“Should I just walk away or…?” I think, unfortunately for me, my thought was on the broadcast.
“You choose. Before you do though, please shut my door. Not everyone knows I live here” I hurriedly shut the door and make my way over to the seat, he allocates to me.
He throws a file in front of me. Oh and before I continue, may I say he looks dashing in casual attire and his hair is not styled the way he used to style it at school. And his eyes, oh his eyes the more I stare at them it's like I am carried away, it’s like a deep coffee color, and the shade of his hair Makes it look more different. His chest looks nice too.
‘WHAM’ he hits the file on top of the center table, and he makes sure it drives me out of my daydream.
“Stop staring at me will you?” he asks and looks at me like he is already fed up with just sitting in front of me I nod, but smile though, to cover whatever scare he gave me.
“I need you to go through that and decide If we are going to push through with whatever I have in mind” he stands up from his very comfortable-looking sofa and proceeds to his kitchen, the more I stare at the paper the more my memory and brain get jumbled up. So in the end after all the stupid tactics I tried to apply I sign the document ‘hastily’ might I add.
“signed it’ I call out to him, and just like he’s been waiting for me he sits down opposite me and slaps down a bottle of some health drink.
“Wow, a small can” I comment.
He looks at me oddly and takes the document from me. “Drink up,” he says.
“We have a lot of stuff to go through."
“What do you know of your father’s alleged suicide Miss Mendes?” he drops the file on top of the table.
“Well, I know nothing. I was preparing his gift when I heard our housekeeper shout”
He nods gently and then says something that works its way up my spine.
“Let’s be clear Miss Mendes… Every attention I show to you is based on the fact that you are my ward. So it would do you good to avoid getting any bad Ideas”
“And by the way, I hate your skin color, and as you know I am engaged” he says then smiles down at me like he's expecting me to hide or something.
What a cold prick I think to myself.
“And who says there will be an attraction,” I ask.
He smiles cockily and then says. “I don’t have female friends for a reason”. Just as he says that the doorbell rings, and I practically jump like I have been caught doing something illegal.
Smiling Donald walks up to his door to answer it. As he looks through his cam he nods his head and then proceeds to unlock it.
“Wow,” I say unconsciously.
November June walks in a grocery bag in both hands. At least I know it is as I see celery threatening to pop out of it.
“Seriously what is she doing here,” November asks in her screeching voice.
I smile and wave at her. Then Donald comes to the rescue.
“She’s my ward” he says whilst looking from November to me.
“She’s my fiancée's friend” I nod a smile appearing on my face, but from what I can see my model ex-best friend also has the hots for Mr. Donald.
He turns his head toward me and then asks.
“I hear you are living just below me”.
YOU ARE READING
HIS BROWN SKIN GIRL| (EDITED VERSION)✔
Romance"His dislike became his obsession" Set in a time and place where being black became a stigma. Katherine Mendel found herself in a dead category of brown skinned. Katherine's father was said to have committed suicide. But a murder planned wrong broug...
