THE CROWN GIRL

 By Demetrius White

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FOOL BEFORE. While I don’t really remember how stupid I must have been, I have to remember that when people saw me walk with my bestie, “a nice couple you make. Good luck guys”. Often, they looked at me sympathetically. Peculiarly, I never saw them look at her. Their scary eyes pierced me to my bowels and caused me a burning sensation that later, I realized was a haze of inflammation by a sudden heartburn right under the hot scorching sun. We used to spend forever together except for the late nights and early mornings. Then, I would either be jotting a little of poetry about this or that or watching the latest DJ Afro movies- I love his sense of humor and pride in the movies. Moreover he really has mastered the art of speech and subtle ways of enhancing the taste of his movies.

Otherwise, I was reading a novel or online stories. And then there was THE BRITTED SOUL which took me to tears till I cry no more. Unlike my colleagues who spend their eternity in the pool, play station, or jobless corners where one did not much than waste their parents, hard earned money, I would take a walk to release my tension. Having this queen as my own was my ultimate goal. Now, my steps were clear, you could easily trace me; my room, my class, my office, the library, or in a teacher’s office challenging them about the previous lesson. I am a loner, who hated outdoors, I think, the reason why I abhorred the games and the pastime activities of my friends. I loved staying in my room writing or reading or having fun with friends. I can be too talkative too. It just depends where I am and who are around me.

Of course, I cherished the church too and never did I miss any appointments in the house of my father. Though I didn’t enjoy singing as most of my friends do. However, I rather marry a musician or just a person whose hobby includes singing. And she was exactly that. The few times I saw her stand in the podium, I saw an angel back her up and her face shone so brightly. When she looked at me and smiled, especially, took me to the third heavens.

I vividly recall that day when I hysterically murmured, ‘Wow! So great an angelic figure I have for a friend. Soon, she would be my girlfriend. Then, sooner or later, she would be my wife.’ The persons on my sides gave me a scorching glance as an electric current passed my blood vessels, leaving me as hot as the dessert sand. I could not be ashamed or feel guilt of my stupid and insane reaction to the singing damsel. She was my friend. They knew it. I didn’t care.as soon as she finished her singing, I clapped together with the few southerners who just can’t keep silent in the temple unless they are deeply touched and hurt by the preacher. I longed for the service to end so that I could hug her and as usual congratulate her singing, her voice that could not be lesser sweeter than a violin. Her shape which was so attractive that everywhere she went, everywhere she passed, men hissed and wondered after her. Indeed, she was specially created to seduce at first sight.

Even the great men of god could not help but admire her. I don’t want to mention that the high priest was busted staring at her through the window of his car. Or the other time when a group of preachers took a commercial break from their discussion just to have a better view of the fallen angel. I didn’t say that students walked out of a class after a teacher spent almost ten minutes teaching her alone. Yes, he taught looking at her all the while. Yes, I left the class first, but it’s because I was just bitter. So don’t accuse me of being the ring leader of the goons. After all, he was my best teacher, then. I no longer talk to him. I hated him henceforth.

After getting out of the class, I didn’t go too far. I sat outside the building leaning on his car parked outside the building. I had some ball gums and sweets in my pocket. I took them and filled my mouth with them. I was choked. I coughed and some of those who were easily influenced by peer pressure and followed me were already behind me. Watching me sympathetically, but one of them came to my aid. He slightly punched my back but another crook came and awarded me a free hefty kick just below the neck and the big ball of gum jumped out of my neck. It was a double pain. The other shouted at him but he just left and never said a word back. I counted the remaining classmates, and the number equaled a dozen less one. I counted the remaining sweets and divided to them. Then there was one more who came and our total number was ten and three more. I exclaimed. Like Jesus, one of my disciples left after hurting me. One Mathias was added after Judas left, just like one of my classmates joined us. He shouldn’t have left. In any case, it was his kick that helped me fulfill my quest of getting the ball out my air track.

I wished to taste the still waters of her sweat. I longed to let my tongue tour all the pores on her skin and clean the lipstick on her naturally pink lips, and my innocent fingers itched to caress her apparently smooth skin. I wondered when ever will she say yes to me and offload the excess weight on my shoulder thus crafting my dream to a reality. She had sexy eyes that gave me a piercing feeling as she looked at me before she spoke to me, or replied to me. She must have had a crush on me too. She stared at me: my lips, my chin which was decorated by black fibers, my eyes which was forever hidden under my eye glassed, or that occasional brief touch of my hair which were always kept kempt and never shaven in entirety. I had to cover my head in hairs considering the shape of it and the fact that I never had hats or caps on. Her pure snow white eyes were just amazing. Big enough and I guess that was another score to her unexplained beauty.  I loved her, a great deal. Undoubtedly, I would do nothing but imagine and build the castles in the air of how it would feel to have her as mine. I would be the most proud of men in the universe and would actually do all that is possible to keep her to myself. The fact that most men wanted her and would just make me hold stronger that a tick on its host.

I thought I was her favorite guy. Do two walk together without an agreement? I comforted and raised my spirits high. I am not so handsome to admired by the bevy around the corridors of the university, but the few who had the opportunity to interact with me without the public eyes or in social events really named me funny or humorous- though I don’t see that myself. But I believed them because they kept on laughing throughout my conversation with them. They smile when they see me and for those who have the strength run to hug me, or even peck my cheek. I burn. When they have nothing to do, and eventfully Nicole is not with, other damsels would make do with the opportunity to get entertained by my flirty poems and or talks. Some would sing me a song and ask me to sing along, I hated singing, but at least I murmured a little here and there as the laugh and enjoy our times together. The disappointed drawn on our faces when it was time to part expressed the deeper heartfelt longing for a longer date, but time waits for no king to rise up. We had other things to do. And I was a well-known steward of time. None of my friends would have me vexed merely because of an extended date. There is always a next time. 

But me, she had this other guy that they would spend together eternity when she voluntarily cut our conversation short and raced to him. They hanged out too. I envied but was not so bitter anyway. I ever enquired from her of him, and she said he’s just a friend and I needed not to worry. It wasn’t a concern. She looked shocked and I knew that indeed, there was something fishy here. I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you how happy I was when she finally acknowledged me as her boyfriend. Owing to our strong religious foundations, we determined to ourselves that we shall have no sex before marriage; the robust foundation of all trouble.

I looked at her. For fear of breaking the relationship before it really stared, I decided to keep my mouth shut and take her word- there was no cause of alarm. Who doesn’t get perplexed when they are asked such a question by their partners? Shortly thereafter, she left and went to sleep; as she said. Though I heard there was yet another man that spent time with her. One of my friends said that to me and I ignored because I thought he was just an admirer who would take the slightest opportunity to snatch her if ever fell into the trap and I leave her.

When the second person asked me about my relationship status with my angel and I answered were doing well, he laughed and went his way. It pained me, but I could do nothing about it. I wouldn’t let any idiot come between us. I resolved. But I had to ask my girl about it again. This time round, she got furious and stared at me for quite some time. I stood and left the room. Later, I would come with an apple from a nearby fruit vendor and we could eat it amidst the heat that hit us hard. That day, I never got any answers for my question and we never talked for the next couple of days.
Taking advantage of the cold war, my other female friends stormed my house. They would see the stress boogying in my eyes and I told my best two that I was going through a lot of pain, and that I was in the dark concerning the new mannerism of my dream girl. She kissed me and I felt guilty, but gave in to it. She was a master of the game. In the times of my sorrows, she stayed with me daily and covered my pain in a concentrated and acidic concoction of tender words, care and love that made me almost completely forget about Nicole.

And on the third day, jack came to make clean breasts of all that was happening. Jack is one of my closest friends who would not take it kindly if you ever annoy me. He came and placed his phone on the table and took mine, allegedly, to text a friend. Almost immediately, there was a text in his phone, and being those friends who would hide nothing to each other, he asked me to check the message and reply on his behalf. Should I say I was perplexed or flabbergasted? His wallpaper was the picture of my dream girl and ta third man who happened to be one of my friends; to be precise, the guy who kicked my back when I was choked. “a hoe” I shouted attracting the attention of Amelia; the girl who’s been with me during this hard tempting times. The news had broken. I needed to mend them. I believed that the girl was mine and mine alone. I recalled the laughs, the sarcastic looks and you’re good together comments. The smiles, the mutterings and the laughs men awarded me as I passed the streets. Poor me had had a full dose of the unexpected.

I went out and found myself at her door. She opened the door to my disbelief. There she was in her transparent night dress. You would see nothing but the grace of Yahweh. The forbidden fruit clearly hidden under her chocolate skin. Her smooth skin. I forgot meself and smiled at her. I wanted to get in but she resisted. ‘remember our agreement? No sex before marriage.’ She said it so sternly that I reluxed and turned. I wanted to go back home but there was a force greater than gravity holding me back. I remembered what had brought me here and pushed my way in. lo! And  behold, there was a man. A very different man from the one I saw and from the one I was questioned about. There he was, sweating and naked. The odour in the room confirmed it all. I held my breath and sighed. I opened the gallery to confirm what I had seen in my room. There was brian kissing her, kevin holding her half naked in his bed, there was one Amon again in bed with her and then there is this ugly looking man enough to be her father who works in a cyber in town. Ten there is me. I just looked at her and walked out.

She smiled as she saw me leave the house. I really don’t know how I felt or whtat happened to them thereafter. I detest her a lot. I also feel pity for her.out there, Amelia was there waiting for me. ‘Ill sleep here today.’ Amelia said with such seriousness inher face. I don't want to say that I refused. I'll be lying. I won't say that I didn't want her to. It's insincere. I accepted. We prepared our dinner, ate together telling stories. She is such an amazing lady. We got to bed. Kissing, cuddling and playing bed games. We got tired and slept.

One night, when it was dawning, she called me. It was about ten thirty in the night. It was drizzling and the rains would pour anytime then.

Amelia is a beauty all and Sundry of men of ability who required a strong pillar dreamt of. I mean, dreamt of having her as their partner in the stroll to the boardrooms. A not so short, but a height that is favorable to grasp the blessings from above. A skin tone radiant enough to keep newborns smiling. Eyes large enough to see the future and bright enough to illuminate the future too. Her smile is that as the morning sunshine, and a voice that the morning birds singing fell just a little shorter of grace. They had to do more practice. Her nose pointed and rightly placed on the center top of her mouth just made her a perfect being. The dark angel she is. She isn't so fat as pigs or so slender as a crack on the wall. Her body is just as shapeful as needed. She had enough of everything. Breasts that stood erect on her chest, a flat tummy, hips just broadened just enough to make her a lady of figure eight, the straight legs that made artful strides perfectly shaking her hips this way and that way. Her ears, fitting on the sides not too dump to hear my silence and a brain intelligent  enough to read my moods with her eyes closed.

We had met. We had talked. We were now friends. Good friends, and sooner or later best friends. Perhaps, if we still had the gift of life and none of us is too mentally challenged to be sensitive to feelings. I liked her. I must admit. She liked me. She confessed. But not erotically. She would add.

I didn't want to annoy her or break the good friendly relationship just because I loved her so much. How will I convince her of my love when she knows that I have been flirting with everyone else? Of course I was single. Was just a reason enough to flirt mindlessly? Or it's just a lame excuse from a lustful soul? She was in a relationship, then. Now, the lucky man who had had the privilege of dating her for the last three years was stupid enough to let her go for some aged city swindler; Ataambia nini watu huyu mwanaume?

At her house, I sat at the table and she served me. My best meal. How did she know? I am a fan of chapatis. She's a cook. Well fried green grams soothed my appetite. I could resist anything but leaving the food. I  had already eaten, of course. But did I say that was four hours ago?

We chatted and the smile she offered sunk deep into my heart. As usual, my lower head begun to take control. I hated it. "Why must you do this to me? This is my friend and not my lover." I tried to warn it but that could only make it firmer and rock hard. Could I be battling the devil in his own homeland? Amelia is irresistible. I wont rape her. I can't tell her of my treasured rod. I stood hugged her tight and as Joseph with the Egyptian woman, fled to my house. It was safer.

When I woke up the next morning, I had forgotten that I had slept with Amelia. I stretched myself and my hands landed on a big caky mass of warm substance. Naturally, I was shocked and turned immediately; landing my eyes directly in her face. The smiling machine was there. I had never spent a night with anyone but my parents when I was a baby. Waking up to a bright smile made me feel so high. She gently pulled me closer to her and my lips touched hers. She held me tightly on her breasts and rolled to my belly. I was already in love. ‘Was she doing this to heal my wound forever or she was just an opportunist who wanted to hurt me the most?’ I wondered.

“Amelia, I love you so much.” Appealingly, I muttered, being a person who expressed my thoughts without any fear except for the fear of the unknown possible outcome, I held her waist, looked in to her eyes, and smiled at her. She put her left hand on my forehead blindfolding me slowly. Her right hand on my cheek, slowly drifting it southward to my neck, she pecked my lower lip. “If I didn’t love you from the first day I set my eyes on you, then why am I here?” was the bewitching brittle reply she had to offer.

She later disclosed to me how she was afraid that I would commit suicide; a fact that made her sit up the whole night just looking at me sleep like a baby. She didn't want to lose me. This day was the genesis of our love life. Happy moments, Amelia and I share every day. Nicole has now been reduced to a shameful crack on the wall after Jack decided to do the least expected – he posted her pics with all her men in all groups around the university. She has no friend. She isn’t seen out when going to class (where she has shifted from the proud noisy frontier to a dumb backbencher.) I have now forgotten about Nicole. My Queen's Crown will be on Amelia's head on our wedding day (because wedding crowns are for those brides who have never known the groom.)

I long for that wedding day when I’ll put a ring on Amelia’s finger and mine the valuable golden hidden treasure she’ll gift me in Thailand – where our honeymoon will be.