by Snoe, Eboni
The sheik nodded his head in agreement, and Hambir summoned a runner to get the book, giving him the sacred key.
All the commotion had a positive effect on Na’im. He
was still not himself, but Felicia could tell he was becoming more aware of his surroundings. No longer did Na’im look at Waheedah with the eyes of a man who has spotted an oasis after countless days in the desert Instead, his golden gaze had come to rest on Felicia, confusion deep within its depths.
Their eyes locked. Gold and brown. Felicia’s breasts heaved incessantly as she willed him to recognize her.
Waheedah was totally infuriated by what she saw and stepped between them. “Just what do you think you are doing? Do you think that because you have allowed Na’im to use you at his convenience he belongs to you? That he actually wants you? You are a fool.”
“I don’t think so. It’s you that he doesn’t want or he would have claimed you before now. So you decide to force him to choose you, nearly drug him out of his mind so that he doesn’t know that he’s agreeing to marry you. But that doesn’t matter to you, does it? You’d get him any way you can.”
Loud shouts rose from the crowd announcing the return of the runner. Out of breath from his efforts, he passed the Book of the Ancients, wrapped in animal skin, to Hambir.
Time stood still as the councilman searched the book for the necessary passage. At last he found it and recited for all in Arabic and English.
“The Book of the Ancients says, ‘A foreigner is allowed to challenge Awya, but they must have a spiritual leader of Egyptian ancestry to open their way to the ancient rites’,” Hambir recited to the crowd. Closing ±e book he declared, ‘ ‘Felicia Sanders has fulfilled the requirement of the ancient ones. Her challenge of Waheedah Faruuk is accepted.”
The crowd roared with anticipation. The majority of the villagers had never seen a challenger of Awya. This one was being challenged not by an Egyptian, but a foreigner.
Felicia could feel the adrenalin pumping in her veins as she listened to Hambir’s declaration. Leaning over to Aisha, she told her she had an additional request.
“There are a group of Nubian musicians among the villagers that I would like to play for me. Would you tell that to Hambir?”
Without hesitation, Aisha imparted the request to Hambir and the others. ‘ ‘The challenger, Felicia, requests her own musicians from among the villagers of Karib. They are of Nubian descent. Their music she finds more to her taste.”
“This is an outrage!” Waheedah blurted out “If she cannot..”
Hambir silenced her by raising his hand. ‘ ‘The request is accepted.”
Aisha smiled. “It is now up to you, my child.”
The platform was literally divided in half by the bodies of four of the men who led Na’im’s procession. In a straight line, they stood with their hands on their hips and their feet spread apart
Felicia was instructed to take her position on the left side, while Waheedah stood waiting on the right.
Felicia looked out into the eager faces of the crowd. She had danced many times as a youngster before an audience, but it had been many years since she’d done so. None of the people behind her had ever thought of her as a dancer, only a scientist Yet Felicia knew in her heart her first love had always been to dance. She would not have been a scientist if she’d had her own way. Fate had stepped
in that summer before she could take advantage of a scholarship with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Her mother became very ill, and Felicia had to stay in Memphis to take care of her.
It was a slow recovery and Felicia began to pursue her second interest: science. She took classes at Memphis State University. As time passed, she became convinced, with the help of others, that she would make a good research scientist. Finances also played a heavy part in her decision.
Life could be strange. Now the career of a research scientist had led her back to where she always wanted to be-on stage as a dancer.
Felicia struck a pose reminiscent of the Egyptian dancers of old, elbows and wrists bent, flat palms extended upward. Dark brown flesh protruded through the shreds of gold as her knees flexed in readiness. Then the drums began. It was the kind of beat that struck a cord in Felicia’s heritage and spewed up natural rhythm within her.
Never moving her feet, she allowed her upper body to respond in a way that the crowd knew was only the beginning. The rhythm commenced within her head and worked its way down, as Felicia’s toned frame became the embodiment of the bongo beat. The beads of her top amplified her movements, while the strips of gold about her lower body became floating sparks of energy around her.
Trim legs were raised high, forming angles and spear like lines, as she brought forth her dance training, jumping and spinning with the agility of a cat, yet harnessing the lightness of a bird in flight. Felicia quivered with the ending vibration of prolonged bongo beats and cymbals.
She was so dynamic, the crowds initial response was shocked silence, until Phillip hurled his compliment up toward the platform, clapping his hands high above his head,“Do it to‘em, Filly!”
The challenge had begun. Back and forth, Waheedah and Felicia danced, different in style but evenly matched in skill. Felicia, a fireball of gold and brown, her dance a mixture of modem jazz and African dance; Waheedah, a sea of blue, a belly dancer at her best.
Competition was at an all-time high. Felicia matched every exotic step executed by Waheedah with a blast of kicks, twists and twirls.
Na’im responded well to the additional time allotted him by Felicia’s challenge. He had completely recovered from ^e altered state the ‘ ‘drink of the one who waits’ ’ had brought upon him. Now his chiseled features were the epitome of attentiveness as he watched the two women perform.
As time passed, his jaw began to clench with impatience. Glancing at the merciless sun, Na’im knew the two women could not keep at it much longer. Already their bodies were drenched with perspiration.
Suddenly the crowd’s attention was no longer on the stage. Felicia stopped abruptly as some of the villagers ran, shouting and pointing toward the workers’ homes.
There was no way for her to see what they were pointing at from where she stood. But she didn’t need to see, for already a huge ball of black smoke was billowing upward into the sky.
“Smoke,” she shouted, turning toward Na’im, “and it’s coming from the direction of the schoolhouse and the lab.”
Felicia was off the platform in seconds, pushing her way through the crowd. Na’im was not far behind. His huge bulk enabled him to travel fast through the hordes of people.
Na’im instructed several men to transport water from the west wing of the house and from the well nearest to the lab. There was no running water inside the workers’ homes.
It took Felicia a couple of minutes to reach the lab site, her exhaustion forgotten in the excitement. Phillip and the others had already arrived, and they stood watching as the back end of the small building went up in flames.
Large mud bowls were being brought from the well by several workers, but no one knew where to throw the minute amounts of water.
William pointed to the fodder that had been on top of the building. “It must have caught fire first. It’s burned a hole completely through the roof. Our living quarters are just about gone.”
“What about the completed formula?” George asked in exasperation.
“It’s still in the file cabinet,” Felicia quickly answered.
“There’s a chance that we can get it out of there,” Phillip interjected, “the fire seems to still be contained in the living quarters.”
‘ ‘You’re right, Phillip, and I’m the only one who knows exactly where it is inside that cabinet,” Felicia said with finality.
Phillip remained unconvinced. “Now wait a minute, Filly. Maybe George and I can get in there and bring the whole file cabinet out.”
“By now the file cabinet is too hot to carry. And there’s too much smoke in ther
e for any of you to see what you’re doing. I know where it is, and we’re wasting time standing here discussing it”
Felicia ran to the smoke-filled lab door before anyone could stop her. She started to cough and gag immediately from the thick smoke that burned her eyes and shot up her nose. Closing her eyes and covering her nose and mouth, she grabbed for the lab coats that always hung near the door. She used one of them to shield her face as she progressed into the room.
Her barefoot rammed into an object on the floor, causing her to nearly fall. Coughing spasmodically, Felicia pressed her face into the bunched up garment. Her mind told her to hurry, but she also knew that many of the containers in the lab held highly flammable materials. If only one of them broke, exposing the contents to the extreme temperatures in the room, the entire lab would be blown to smithereens. So she progressed cautiously, but as rapidly as she could.
Na’im reached the scene moments after Felicia had gone into the lab. Wild-eyed with concern, he grabbed George by the shoulders and demanded to know where was Felicia.
“She ran into the lab before we could stop her, Na’im. Phillip and I tried to...”
“She’s in there?” Accusing eyes turned to Phillip. “Why didn’t you go in after her? Give me your shirts!” Na’im demanded.
Without hesitation, they did as he asked, while Na’im removed his shirt as well. He hollered to a man carrying a large earthen jar filled with water. Snatching the two shirts from George and Phillip, Na’im met the man and submerged both shirts into the water. Hurriedly, he covered his body as best he could with Phillip’s shirt. Running toward the lab, he removed the water from the second one and placed it up to his face.
“Felicia!” he called, as he entered the smoke-infested room. He could hear her coughing as he entered.
Felicia was surprised to hear Na’im calling her from inside the building. Pulling her face slightly away from the lab coat, she mumbled, ‘ ‘I’m over here.’ ’
Na’im went in the direction of Felicia’s voice. The room was not a large one, so he was able to follow the sound of the metal drawer scraping as Felicia attempted to pull it open.
The file cabinet drawer was so hot, Felicia couldn’t stand to touch it. Using the dangling end of the coat, she managed to pull it open slightly. By then, Na’im was at her side. Deep coughs began to wrack Felicia’s body as it rejected the unwanted smoke.
‘ ‘Get back outside!” Na’im ordered her.
“But the files,” she responded between coughs and sputters.
“I’ll bring them. Now go!”
Felicia shuffled her way back to the lab door. Choking and overcome by heat, she stumbled across the threshold. William and George dragged her away from the building, while one of the women wiped her face with a cloth soaked in water from the well.
The workers had made a line where a continuous flow of jars filled with water traveled, but they did little to extinguish the fire.
The fodder was being removed from the roof of the schoolhouse, and water was being poured on the side nearest to the lab. They did not want it to go up in flames too.
By this time, the fire had spread to the interior of the lab. Na’im yanked the file drawer open the remainder of the way. Thrusting his hand inside, he snatched up the few files he found and placed them under the shirt he wore. Swiftly, he turned toward the door, knocking over several glass beakers in his wake.
As Na’im approached the doorway, the building exploded. His body was hurled out of the building by the impact. The gold material from the pants of the ceremonial galabia ignited like paper, engulfing his legs in flames. A cry like a wild animal in extreme pain broke from Na’im’s lips.
Felicia watched as the building exploded in fire and Na’im’s body was thrown through the air. Screaming insanely, with flailing arms she pushed away from Phillip and the others as she rushed toward Na’im.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Several workers had already reached Na’im. Removing their own galabias, they covered Na’im’s blazing legs and smothered the flames.
“Na’im! My God! Na’im!,” Felicia wailed over and over. Crying uncontrollably, she knelt down beside him and pulled his head onto her lap.
His face was covered in black soot from the smoke, and his long brown eyelashes were singed. He did not respond to Felicia’s lamentations. The pain from his burning legs was so acute it had rendered him unconscious.
Aisha, Fatimah and Kareem emerged from the crowd that had gathered.
Distraught over Na’im’s condition, Fatimah asked, ‘ ‘How did this happen?’ ’
“It is my fault. He came in after me. Into the lab, when I was trying to save the formula. This never would have happened if it hadn’t been for me.” Felicia’s shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrollably.
‘ ‘It is too late for that, my child,’ ’ Aisha told her. ‘ ‘We must remove these clothes from his legs. They will blister and we do not want the cloth to stick to his skin. It will be difficult to remove if we wait any longer.”
Gingerly, Aisha peeled the pants of the galabia away from Na’im’s legs. Felicia was not prepared for what she saw. She did not know much about bums, but there was no doubt that Na’im’s bums were very severe.
For a moment, deep concern crossed Aisha’s usually calm features. “We must get him back to the house. We cannot let these bums get infected.”
Felicia looked up at George.
George responded immediately. ‘ ‘I will bring the truck around. And we’ll need some blankets to put in the back so he can lie back there. Kareem, go and tell the sheik and Yasmin what has happened so they will have someone waiting to take him into the house.”
The explosion had ended the workers’ efforts to save the lab. It was completely engulfed in flames and still burning profusely. All attention was now given to the schoolhouse, which was repeatedly doused with water.
George arrived with the truck and Fatimah covered its bed with blankets from the worker’s homes. Carefully, Phillip, William and George placed Na’im upon the blankets and in the arms of a waiting Felicia.
Minutes later, they arrived at the front of the mansion. Na’im’s parents were waiting anxiously, along with Waheedah. Four male servants were there to carry Na’im into the house on a sheet that was used as a stretcher. They were instructed by the sheik to place him in the first bedroom in the west wing. It was the closest to the entrance.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Felicia simply watched as the group followed Na’im’s progress into the house. She felt depleted of energy, her mind tortured with the pain of Na’im’s situation. She wished with all her heart that she could undo what had just been done, if only it was in her power.
“Now look what you have done,” Waheedah’s accusing voice interrupted Felicia’s thoughts. “This would never have happened, if not for you. You, your lab and your formula. A woman should bring a man pleasure, not pain and destruction as you have. I am sure once Na’im regains consciousness and has time to think, he will realize he does not need a woman like you in his life. I believe he cares for you, but his duty to his people is most important.
^Your chemicals and solutions help to destroy and will do more harm than good. Our people are better off without your kind.’ ’ Then she left behind the others.
Felicia had no response to Waheedah’s accusations. Maybe she believed they were true. She did not care. She only wanted Na’im to be well again. The thought of his beautiful golden body marred with scars so deep, or that he may never walk again, overwhelmed her. She’d take all the guilt and blame in the world if it would help him.
A ceaseless flow of tears dropped onto the folders Felicia held in her lap, the formula now only a reminder of Na’im’s terrifying situation.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sheik Rahman sat beside his son’s bed. He and his wife had held a vigil there for several hours. He had ordered everyone out of the room except Sahim (Sah- heem), the village doctor.
His mind told
him that Aisha would be the one who could help Na’im, but his emotions spoke against it. She had been brought here by the woman, Felicia, and it was because of her that his son lay unconscious with his legs brutally burned.
He had spoken harshly to Fatimah and George after the accident, refusing to give his permission for George to marry her. He, too, was being punished for his heritage.
Yasmin had remained quiet while Sahim applied a liniment to Na’im’s third degree bums. She did not agree with her husband, but his grief was so powerful she decided to wait and see if Sahim’s medicine would help. Yasmin knew her husband’s negative attitude toward Aisha had been fueled by Waheedah. She’d made it clear that none of this would have happened if the foreigners had never come, and a man in power like the sheik did not need such evil in his own home.
Waheedah’s voiced concern over Na’im’s welfare was weakened in Yasmin’s eyes when she showed no affection toward her son, only concern for herself.
“Please excuse me now while I bathe and change my clothes into something more comfortable,” she had said.
‘ ‘All that dancing has made me sticky, and the air is stifling in here. I will return later, after Na’im is cleaned up. I cannot stand this sort of thing.”
For Yasmin, Waheedah had proven she did not love her son.
Fever had begun to set in as Na’im squirmed with discomfort, rubbing his badly burned legs against the sheets of the bed. Before long he began talking out of his head, and the name he called over and over was Felicia’s.
Na’im’s parents listened as a semi-conscious Na’im tried to explain and justify things in his life to the images in his feverish mind. He talked of his father’s illness, his obligation to his people and his love for Felicia.
Then he went into the past, and it was a tearful Na’im who recounted the first love in his life, Tahillah, Kareem’s mother. Out of respect for his father and his people, he had never told anyone how he felt about her. Even she never really knew. But Tahillah’s mother had known, and she had expected Na’im and Tahillah to build a life together, a better life for her daughter. That is why he felt responsible for Kareem. Because he was the future leader of Karib, he felt his first obligation was to his people and not to his heart.