African Sunset

Chapter Eleven

Sadiwe's POV

"Sadi!", Dentaa yelled from across the yard.

I stopped in my tracks in an attempt to sneak into the house.
"What are you up to this time, troublemaker?".

"Nothing", I raised my hands in protest.

She narrowed her eyes to slits and crossed her arms.

"Enter! Now!", she signaled to the door of my room.

I obeyed and entered my room and down in a cane chair.

"Tell me everything Sadi!", she smiled and said.

"I have nothing to tell, honestly", I bit her lip knowing that I had blatantly lied to my best friend.
Something huge had happened, he kissed me,...again.

"Well I do.", Dentaa said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Go ahead, I have nothing else to do than to listen to you babble on about your relationship with Litan.", I rolled my eyes, this won't end today.

"Oh it's not that!"

"Then what is it?"

"Your father decreed that all midwives and their families must stay in the palace until further notice.", she said, sitting on my bed.

"Um...so?", I raised an eyebrow.
What had that got to do with me?

"So, you pear head, my mother is a midwife."

I dawned on me.
"Oh! Dentaa that's great!", I said, throwing myself into her arms.

"You needed help with Fohia anyway", she frowned after saying the name.

I cringed in disgust.
That no good social climber finally got what she wanted.
I failed to see this false quality in her.
I did know she was greedy, but I didn't expect it to go that far.

Then I realized, my father had done the same thing when my mother was pregnant with Sowsa.
I stood up and paced about the room, rejecting my own assumption.

I stopped and turned to her and said,"What if Fohia is pregnant?"

"Oh don't be absurd Sadi.", she said, shaking her head.

"Do you remember when my mother was pregnant?, we used to gather herbs for the chief midwife?"

"You could be right.", she said, rubbing her chin.

I tried my best not to believe that Fohia was pregnant for the king.

I'm stepping out for some fresh air."
She followed.
We stood at the kitchen entrance.

"That bitch!", Dentaa cursed.

"Speak of the devil and he will come", I pointed to a crazed and dressed up woman shouting at everyone in sight. She walked right up to us.

"Bow down to me, pay your respects to your queen!", Fohia ordered us with a smug look on her face.

"I expected a good morning but I guess that's too much to ask from "Queen Fohia", Dentaa said, sticking out her tongue.
She had zero tolerance for such attitudes. If it was up to her, she probably would have banished Fohia.

"Well, I am the queen, I command you to bow down!", she yelled.

I was quite amused at Fohia's sheepish behavior and burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at? You think this is funny?", A vein was now in plain view on Fohia's forehead.

"Wasn't it you, the so called queen who was harvesting yams in the farm just two days ago? Think you're ready to show us you're queen?
There's ten of you.", I smirked.
"You cannot command me to do anything as long as my name is Sadiwe Mustafa. You've clawed your way into my father's loins, but do remember...",I sized her up, "Dearest Fohia, a decorated monkey will always be a monkey."

It was time to show her that power was nothing to me.
If I wanted, I could have her gone, removed permanently.

I walked away, with Dentaa right behind me.

The maids snickered at what I had said to Fohia and she was getting furious.

"Get out of my sight!", she yelled at the two young maids having a field day with her embarrassment.

Where did that come from?", Dentaa asked, impressed.

"I don't know, it just came out of my mouth.", I said.
"I think I went too far."

"Too far my black behind, you put her in her place, and I must say, I'm very proud.", she said, wiping a fake tear under her eyes.

Suddenly a huge truck pulled up at the palace gates and many people started alighting, unloading the contents of the truck and carrying them on their heads into the palace.

One of Keïta son's ran by us, but Dentaa stopped him.
" Hey, what's going on?"

"Oh, the rest of midwives and their families are here, I must go before my mother scolds me.", he answered and ran off.

Then I heard unmistakably captivating laugh that belonged to someone I knew.
I turned to the truck and saw Rubadiri, unloading a trunk from the truck and onto his shoulders.

"Oh no!", I groaned, and his my face in my palms.

Dentaa had already caught wind of what was happening and chuckled.
"Looks like lover boy and you are going to be under the same roof for a while."

I exhaled and groaned again.
Things were about to happen, that's for sure.