King of the Dancehall

by Nick Cannon

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Davidson. I’m not sure if I understand the riddle.”

  “Neither did the king’s daughter.”

  I waited for him to say more. He sat silent.

  I thought about the parts of the story I had managed to comprehend. My curiosity was piqued.

  “So, did Anansi become king or was he killed?”

  Pierce snapped his head in my direction. His face was stretched wide in a twisted sneer. He looked like a villain in a movie. Only this was real life. Or at least I thought it was. It was hard to tell what was real and what was imagined through the fog inside my head.

  “Find out the answer to that riddle, Tarzan. And you will find out the answer to your question.”

  I looked at Kaydeen, confused. She stared back at me and shrugged her shoulders. I figured she was as lost as I was.

  I cleared my throat. “Well, thank you for dinner and that interesting story, Mr. Davidson.” My mouth felt cottony, and dry. I licked my lips, which only made it worse.

  “All my pleasure, Mr. Brixton. I shall retire to my study now. I have a few business meetings in the morning. Good night, Kaydeen. Mr. Anansi.”

  I looked at him, and he gave me a wink. The smirk on his face was unsettling as he shook my hand and kissed his daughter good night. He left, and the staff immediately began clearing the table.

  I looked at Kaydeen.

  “Wow,” I said. “Your father is really an interesting man.”

  She nodded. “Yes. My father is a very wise man. I’ve learned a lot from him.” She stood up. “Come. I live here on the property as well. Let me show you where my villa is.”

  I managed to rise from the table, slowly. The effects of that wine had me a little wobbly. But, Kaydeen didn’t seem to notice. She looped her arm through mine and walked me outside. We strode together through a neat, manicured garden to a home in the middle of the Davidson estate and she ushered me inside. I looked around at the spacious house.

  “Is it cool for me to be in here with you so late?” My words were flowing easier now. I was relieved. “Maybe I should hop on my bike and head back to Kingston. I don’t need your father coming in here and hitting me with some more deadly riddles.”

  She laughed.

  “Settle down, Tarzan. You’re fine. He’s all the way up in the big house. He never comes down this way. Besides, I’m a grown woman.”

  “Oh, really?”

  She grinned, seductively. “Really. And I like to do grown woman tings.” She slipped her dress off, slowly. Now she stood before me wearing nothing but the bottom of her string bikini.

  The warrior between my legs saluted her incredible body. She stepped toward me, her eyes locked onto mine. I felt transported outside of myself. Like I was watching her move toward me in slow motion. She reached where I stood and kissed me, her hands roaming all over my body. The sensation of her lips against my skin felt prickly and strange. Then, without warning it felt sensual and erotic. My head was spinning again. I needed to sit down.

  Kaydeen sucked tenderly on my lower lip, her hands rubbing my chest, arms, head. I squeezed her breasts, toying with her until she moaned in pleasure. I looked at her face, and my mind began playing tricks on me. Suddenly, it wasn’t Kaydeen in my arms any longer. It was Maya.

  Maya stood with her cocoa-brown skin shining in the light. My queen. So beautiful and sweet. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted back, and her face twisted into the most erotic and sensual expression I had ever seen. She looked like she was about to come, her lips parted breathlessly. I put my hand inside of her panties and slid my finger inside of her tight, wet walls.

  “Maya,” I whispered.

  She tensed up. “Excuse me?”

  Her reaction stunned me. I looked at her, dazed. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision and make the room come into clearer focus somehow.

  “Maya,” I said again.

  “What about her?” Kaydeen stepped back, and pushed my hand away. She seemed angry.

  I could see a little clearer now. The fog in my mind slowly began to dissipate, and I realized where I was. I shouldn’t be here. I looked at Kaydeen standing practically naked before me, and knew I’d made a big mistake.

  “I love her,” I said. “I can’t do this.”

  Kaydeen stepped forward again. “Of course you can.” She attempted to kiss me again, and I pushed her away.

  “I can’t,” I said. “I need to go.” I stepped toward the door, but she blocked me.

  She looked furious. “So you g’wan turn all of this down?”

  She motioned toward her perfect body. I understood her disbelief. Any heterosexual man in his right mind would have been inside of her by now. But, I wasn’t in my right mind. I was in love with Maya. As crazy as that was, it stopped me from crossing that line. The old me would have dived right in. Especially with all the secrets and lies Maya had allowed to come between us. But, that old me was gone. Now, I wanted to get out of there and get back to Kingston.

  “Do you know how many men would die to be here with me right now?” Her voice was raised, and she was talking with her hands and twisting her neck in universal black girl fashion.

  I nodded. I’m sure there were many. “Maybe you should call one of them.” I stepped toward the door again, but she advanced on me. She moved closer and attempted to kiss me again. I resisted.

  “Come on, Kaydeen. This ain’t right.” I tried to step around her. She blocked my exit. “Step back! I’m not playing!” My voice was louder than I meant for it to be. But, I was getting frustrated. I knew now, more than ever, that I should not be there. Not on the grounds of the Davidson estate in Kaydeen’s personal living quarters. Not with Dada looking for me to settle countless scores.

  “Maybe you should just man up!” She yelled at me loudly. It seemed to snap her out of attack mode. At least a little. She moved toward me, slower this time. “I see the potential in you, Tarzan. Come on. You don’t have to front for me.” She gestured at the luxurious fruits of her father’s cruel labor. “Mi know ya rather live like this than to be stuck down there in the pit of Kingston with Maya and di bishop.”

  I shook my head. “I love her. That’s what you’re not understanding.”

  “Love?” She laughed. “That is child’s play. Mi nah juvenile like them other gals you’re used to dealing with. I don’t care who you love. I don’t care if you have other women. I just want you.”

  I stepped back, amazed by what I was hearing. She stepped forward, closing the distance between us.

  “Men will be men, Tarzan. That’s the way it is. So just be a man.”

  I thought I must be insane, turning her down. This gorgeous woman was giving me a free pass to sleep with her, and to continue sleeping with Maya and anyone else that I saw fit. It was all too good to be true. And that’s what I realized as I looked at her, and listened to the words she was uttering. It was the same feeling I had gotten since the first moment I laid eyes on her. Everything about Kaydeen Davidson—her beauty, her wealth, her power, and her promises—was just too good to be true.

  I pulled away from her one final time. I held my arms out in front of me defensively.

  “You’re right,” I said. “That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna be a man.” I walked toward the door.

  Kaydeen grabbed my shirt as I tried to leave. I yanked away, forcefully, trying to get free.

  “Get off of me!”

  The force of my movement sent her flying to the floor hard. I apologized right away for shoving her so hard. I hadn’t meant to hurt her. But, she wasn’t trying to hear me. I tried to help her to her feet and she stubbornly swatted my hand away. I realized that she was angrier about the fact that I was leaving than she was about the push.

  She glared at me. Her eyes, usually so alive and full of wonder, were now fiery darts aimed right in my direction. “No one tells me no!” She was yelling so loudly that her voice echoed in the room.

  I twisted my face up, disgusted. I hated wo
men who thought they were too good to hear that word. Flashbacks of Tameka made me shudder. “I just did.” I moved toward the door again. This time, she couldn’t stop me.

  “You’re going to regret this, Tarzan.” She was breathing so heavily that her chest was heaving.

  I rushed out the door and started walking across the grounds toward where my motorcycle was parked. I prayed I was going in the right direction. She had taken me on such a twisty path at a time I was under the spell of whatever wild concoction she and her father had given me. I quickened my pace, looking for signs I was heading the right way. I could sense that I needed to get out of there fast. My head still felt foggy, but the fresh air made me feel clearer now. Suddenly, I heard Kaydeen’s screaming behind me, her voice cutting through the peace and quiet on the large estate.

  “FATHER! FATHER! HELP ME! HE’S RAPED ME!”

  My heart was pounding as I began to run toward my motorcycle. Kaydeen kept screaming, and I was sure someone heard her cries. I had to get the hell out of there fast. I heard voices and the sounds of someone running far behind me. I kept running, faster now, in disbelief that Kaydeen would take this shit so far. I jumped on my bike and sped away from the estate, aware that I was the most wanted man in Kingston.

  SANCTUARY

  I rode through the night, hiding out at odd spots along the roadside to rest from time to time. I managed to doze off a little, parking my bike behind tall bushes while I propped my back against the base of a palm tree and slept. My sleep was understandably fitful, though. I was paranoid that every snapping twig was the sound of my pursuers discovering me. I set out early in the morning and arrived at the bishop’s church just after sunrise. He was alone in his office, studying the Bible and preparing a sermon.

  He looked up as I stepped inside.

  “I figured I would hide out in the last place anyone would look for me.” I glanced around at the church sanctuary, bathed in fresh sunlight pouring in through the stained glass windows. Something about the place felt so comforting. I could almost hear my mother’s whispered prayers as I stood there. A warm spirit of peace surrounded me. Even I had to appreciate the irony. Godless Tarzan Brixton seeking asylum from a bishop in a Christian church.

  Bishop looked at me and offered a weak smile. With his hand, he waved me in. I stepped farther inside.

  “Mr. Brixton. What brings you here? Let me guess. More trouble?” His words had their usual bite, but his face seemed relaxed, maybe even welcoming.

  I stepped closer.

  “No, sir,” I answered, sarcastically. “Just thought I would come and check in with you,” I joked. “You and your righteous God. I’ve been calling Him lately, you know? Quite a few times, actually. But, He’s not picking up. So, here I am. Figured I’d stop by His house and see if He was home.”

  Bishop chuckled. It was one of the few times I’d seen him smile. “That’s a good one. But, something tells me that you are in no position to be joking right now.” He looked at me seriously. “I got a call about you late last night. Tarzan, I have told you this before. It’s not safe for you to be here.”

  I sat down. I was exhausted from running all night. My shoulders were slumped and I looked as defeated as I felt.

  “It’s never been safe for me to be anywhere, Bishop.”

  He stared at me. “There are serious allegations against you, Tarzan. The entire Kingston police force is searching for you. Kaydeen Davidson is saying that you raped her last night.”

  I closed my eyes as I heard those words. I wished I could go back and erase my actions over the past twenty-four hours. That evil, coldhearted bitch was lying on me. I shook my head in disbelief.

  Bishop’s expression told me that he believed what he’d heard.

  “When I got the call, the first thing I thought was that I should have left you in jail.” His expression was cold and emotionless now.

  I shook my head again.

  “Bishop, I know you don’t really care for me. I walk around here in my Timberland boots, my Yankees baseball cap, and my arrogance. No father would want that for his daughter. I’ve managed to get myself in my share of trouble lately. But, you have to know in your heart that I would never do something like this. I would never rape a woman. I am not this demon that you keep making me out to be.”

  “I’m not the one bringing these charges against you, young man. This trouble is of your own making.” He stared out the window for a moment. “I prayed about it,” he said. “And the Lord gave me this passage. Exodus 23:7. You know what it says?”

  I shook my head, unapologetically. “Nope.”

  “‘Keep far from a false matter and be very careful not to condemn to death the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the wicked.’”

  I let that settle in.

  “You were right, Tarzan. When you referred to church folk as hypocrites. Sometimes we can be.”

  I was shocked. I never expected the bishop to admit that.

  He sighed. He seemed as weary as I was at the moment.

  “My wife used to say that I was a stubborn old churchman who only sees things through the lens of the good book.” He held up his Bible for emphasis. “She accused me of only seeing life in black and white, never leaving room for any gray areas. When you stormed out of my car the other day, I told my daughter that I never wanted her to see you again. ‘The boy is lost,’ I said. I urged her to wash her hands of you. But, then I saw a sadness descend over her unlike anything I’d seen before. She sees something in you that I do not see. I have finally accepted that there may be a side of you that I haven’t given myself a chance to get to know.”

  He nodded. “After Maya followed you, that day, I remembered that I am a man of God. I am called to redeem the lost, not to condemn. I was wrong. I may have judged you and I apologize for that.”

  I nodded. “It’s all good, Bishop.” I laughed, uneasily. This wasn’t going to be easy to admit. “Listen … If Maya were my daughter I wouldn’t want her to be with a man like me, either. I’m a trouble magnet, always knee-deep in some nonsense. The minute I get myself out of one disaster, I find myself right in the next one. I see why you would want to protect your daughter from me. I’m no saint. But, I’m not the monster they’re trying to make me out to be. I never raped anybody in my life. I have to clear my name.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think clearing your name is what you should be worried about. The Davidsons are a very ruthless and powerful family. They have decided that you are no longer welcome here. It’s time for you to leave Jamaica, Tarzan. You have to get out as soon as possible.”

  I knew that what he was saying made sense. Jamaica wasn’t big enough for me and Dada. Not right now. I had made a total mess of everything since landing here. But, now I was at the point of no return.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Bishop. I came here to Kingston to start over. I’m not going back to New York leaving all this stuff unresolved. I’m innocent. Your Bible has to say something about that, right? As an innocent man, I’m not running. I’m staying right here and I’m gonna clear my name. You don’t have to worry about me. I might not be the righteous man you always talked about. But, there’s always been some force out there watching over me. Guiding me. I’m gonna trust that same force to guide me now.”

  Bishop watched me for a moment, as if he was thinking about the whole thing. He nodded after a couple of minutes.

  “God has a plan for everyone. Even when it doesn’t seem like there’s a plan, we are constantly being placed where we need to be at exactly the time we need to be there. There is no such thing as coincidence. Nothing is ever left to chance. And if you take heed you will see that your path is before you. God has already laid out a way of escape. Righteousness will always find its way.”

  I laughed. “Some path I’m on. Out on bail and on the run for rape. Doesn’t really sound too righteous.”

  He nodded. “A real righteous man must live his life without reproach. He must face his pr
oblems with the faith that God will see him through. No matter what storms may come.”

  I laughed. “We keep talking about righteousness, Bishop. But, I’m starting to think that philosophy doesn’t apply to me. Even when I try to do the right thing, I get punished for it. Kaydeen was the aggressive one, throwing herself all over me, and I made her stop because I’m in love with your daughter. That’s the type of thing a righteous man might do. Now look where that got me.”

  Bishop thought about it for a while. He looked at me, intently.

  “In the Bible, Joseph was falsely accused of raping Potiphar’s wife. Joseph had already been through more than his share of hardships in his life up to that point. His brothers had betrayed him. He had been thrown in a pit and left for dead. And eventually, he had been sold into slavery. Joseph was not living what you would consider a charmed life.”

  I was paying close attention to this story. This Joseph guy sounded like he had the same kind of luck I had.

  “Joseph was accused of raping Potiphar’s wife, even though he had never even touched the woman. She threw herself at him, the way you describe Kaydeen doing with you. But, Joseph resisted and was falsely accused. He was thrown in prison where everything seemed hopeless. But, God remembered Joseph and blessed him. Even down in the deep vestiges of that prison, God remembered him and gave him the power to understand dreams and visions. Turns out that the pharaoh was being tormented by some dreams that he kept having. Complicated dreams that he couldn’t grasp the meaning of. Word got back to the pharaoh that there was a man in his prison that could help him out. Joseph was able to interpret the pharaoh’s dreams. Through those interpretations, Joseph became the king’s trusted advisor and he eventually became the ruler of Egypt.”

  Bishop leaned in toward me. “My point is this, Tarzan. You have seen your share of trouble. Trouble that landed you in prison. Not just the kind with bars and gates.” He gestured toward his temple. “The prison of your mind. But, you already have the tools you need to get out. God has already provided you with the skills necessary for you to open the gates of your prison. Use it to claim your throne.”