It was a beautiful night at the Trebek household. The whole
family was having a delicious dinner prepared by Mark Trebek; Mark was an
excellent chef which was one of the reasons his wife Susan agreed to marry him.
Seated across the table from Mark was his son Lester; he regarded him thoughtfully
before delivering the news that unbeknownst to him would change the trajectory
of his son’s life forever.
“Les during the summer break I would love you to join me and
your mum to Africa”
“Are you being serious Dad” asked Les because, like any fourteen-year-old
boy, the most important things to him were video games, girls and fun; not some
Africa.
“Yes, I believe it would do you a world of good”
“I’m sorry dad but I have a lot of things planned out this summer
plus Jessica finally agreed to go out with me. I’m not blowing that up by
leaving this summer.”
“Jesse would always be around, I want you to go with us so
you can gain a better understanding of the world, you know gain some
perspective. Life is not always about what you see. Plus, I promise it would be
fun.
“Dad can I at least think about it” he sighed.
Les sat upstairs in his bedroom angry that his father will
suggest this. He couldn’t leave Jessica now no, she was his lifelong crush and
he wasn’t going to leave her not when he had just got her. He saw a shadow and
looked up, it was his mom. A slight woman with gray eyes and stunning facial
features all framed by rich, lustrous, auburn hair. He was very aware of how
beautiful his mum was he often caught men and boys alike, unfortunately
including his friends stop and stare. She stood by the doorway and asked; “Can
I come in?”
“Of course, mom”
She sat by the edge of his bed and took his hands.
“I would really love you to come with us to Africa, it would
mean a lot for your father and especially for me”
“But mom….”
“I promise it would be fun Les, you would see things you’ve
never seen before and might never see again. The people are amazing, and you
could learn a lot about their different cultures”
“But mom…...”
“Les look at me, I love you so much and I know this would be
good for you. You need to experience something different plus it would look
good on your college applications” she said with a smile.
This was the one person he would move mountains for, this
was the one person he could never tell no.
“Okay mum but I’m not happy about it”
“That’s fine Hun, you will be” and with that she pulled him
close and kissed his cheeks.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
They arrived at a beautiful land in Africa called Azure and
after spending two days indoors pouting and playing video games Les quickly got
bored and went outside. He was hoping to take a walk when he got stopped in his
tracks. Approaching him was a sight he had never seen before nor had he believed
he would ever see. This creature advancing toward him had gold skin, curvy full
legs and rich black hair that defied gravity. She had on two piece of clothing
one tied around her waist acting as a flimsy cover to hips that swayed while
she walked and stopping midway through her thighs. The other piece of clothing
covered her breasts although it was not doing a good job of it as they looked
like they were about to burst through and be set free. She had a smile
plastered on her face revealing a set of brilliant white teeth otherwise covered
by full pink lips. Blood rushed to his other brain and it told him to tear off
her clothes, he wasn’t going to do that. Something else however struck him as
he kept staring; she had blue eyes.
He was staring at her, but she still managed to startle him
when she spoke.
“Good afternoon my name is Chichi are you Mr. Marks’ son?”
“Uhm, hi, I’m Lester, yes”
“Is he around? I heard he came, and I want to greet him”
“Um yeah I will let him know, whats your name again?”,
“Eh?”
“What-is-your-name?”
“Chichi”
He came out with his father.
“Chichi!” Mark exclaimed and they hugged “Come on in Mama is
excited to see you”
“I’m so happy you are back I missed you, how is everybody in
America”,
“I’m sure everybody is fine” he chuckled
“Chichi” Susan exclaimed when she saw her and hugged her
affectionately
“Chichi this is my son Lester, Lester this is Chichi my
African baby” she said kissing her cheeks “I’ve missed you so much baby sit we
are about to have lunch”
“Thank you, Mama”
“You didn’t tell me you had and African baby mum” Les said
after they were settled
“I always try to tell you about our trips to Africa but you
always zone out” she replied with a smile; “Your father and I took a special
interest in Chichi during one of our trips after we noticed that her life might
be in danger shortly after she was born. You see she was born with blue eyes
which is extremely rare for black people, her people thought she was cursed and
wanted to banish her. Your father and I went through a lot of trouble
convincing them otherwise. At first look one would conclude she has Waardenburg
syndrome, but she is not affected by any of the other symptoms that follow it
which is really a blessing for her. After convincing them, we also had to put
measures in place to make sure she wasn’t hurt, and we’ve been coming back
every year since then to check on her”.
“wow”
“Chichi here is very special and highly intelligent, she has
always been our best student and her mastery of the English language is far
beyond her peers” interjected Mark
“We are very proud of her and we are blessed to have found
her”
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Trebek,” Chichi replied blushing.
“Maybe you can show Lester some fascinating things around
town if you don’t mind”
“I will Mama, tomorrow morning, because I have to go to
evening market with my mother today. We are making Ofe Ede, your favorite, I
will bring it with me when coming tomorrow”
“That sound marvelous, can’t wait” squealed Susan.
********************************************************************************************************
That night Lester could not sleep. He kept thinking about
this human he just met unlike any he had ever known. He knew he would not sleep
until he saw her again. He was the one who opened the door when she came back
at dawn. She was holding a beautiful earthen container and smiling her
beautiful smile. He let her in; “Good morning” he said with a smile.
“Good morning Lester, your mama usually opens the door for
me every morning, I was surprised to see you”;
“I think she’s still asleep, do you want to sit and wait for
her”
“What?”
“Do-you-want-to-sit-and-wait-for-her?”
“Yes, sorry, you talk too fast”
“I'll-try-to-talk-slower”
“You are funny” she chuckled.
As they walked to the market square, Lester wondered about
the scorching sun and how the people were not melting. Chichi wanted to take him
to the market square first because they were a lot of beautiful things to see
there and she was right. When they got there, he could literally feel the eyes
of the people boring holes into his body
“Lekwa onye oyinbo (Look at this white person)” yelled a heavy-set
woman standing over a table of tomatoes.
“Ehe Chichi, onye bu onye nka (Chichi who is this)”
“Owu nwa Mr Mark ochori ma obodo anyi (He’s Mr. Mark’s son
he wants to take a look around)”
“Chai oma kwaranma oh, ochori zu akwa? (He’s handsome does
he want to buy a piece of cloth?)’’
“Owegi ego ta, anyi ga bia achi (He doesn’t have any money now,
but we will come back)”
And so, it went with Chichi showing him around the market and
people either staring, touching or running from him. It was exhausting but also
fascinating.
“You are tired, do you want to sit by the stream? It has
shade”
“That would be nice”
“This is our main source of water”
He never thought people drank water directly from a stream,
was it healthy, this people didn’t seem sick. “wow” he managed to mutter.
“Your mama said you were on holiday that’s how you managed
to come this time, I’m on holiday too we will resume next month”
“I bet you can’t wait you must have lots of friends” he said
considering how beautiful she was.
“No, I don’t, people call me mammy water”
“What is that?”
“She is the goddess of the river and she is wicked”
“You mean a mermaid, surely they know you are not some
goddess mermaid”
“You don’t understand, mammy water has children that come in
human form, they are usually very beautiful and fair skinned. If you are a very
fair woman and strange things happen around, you then people will call you her
child. I have blue eyes which the dibia has already said is cursed, he said I’m
one of the most powerful children of mammy water. Men fear me, women hate me.
He was speechless, in his country this girl would have run the
show everybody would have been flocking to have a piece f her.
“It’s whispered that I’m the most beautiful virgin in town
but will never get a husband as no man wants the curse of the mammy water in
their family. My mother was once the most beautiful virgin and she got married very
early to the bravest hunter, I’m not even betrothed yet but I do not care I always
have joy in my heart”
“That’s a shame, I think you are amazing, if I were a brave hunter,
I would marry you” and with that they laughed.
Time passed and they grew very fond of each other, spending
every waking moment together till it was time for Les to leave.
“I wish I would never leave, I promise I would come back
every year to see you”
“I promise to never forget you”
And they kissed. It was innocent and very sloppy, but it was
their first and they would never forget it.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
10 YEARS LATER….
“Dude enough with the African magazines, Stacey’s on her way
and did I tell you she’s expecting you to propose to her today?” said Thomas a boisterous
young lawyer who happened to be Lester’s best friend.
“What, why would she think that?” Lester retorted mildly
irritated.
“Err... because it’s your two-year anniversary and you are
inviting her for a double date with me and my sweet heart whom I just proposed
to”
“It doesn’t mean anything I just want us to have a good time
today”
“Well she keeps hounding Emily about it and Emily keeps
hounding me, put a ring on it if it means I can have peace”
“Ha ha very funny man”
Stacey was clearly angry and was doing a poor job of hiding
it after their date. When Lester leaned in to kiss her at their apartment, she
pushed him away. Stacey was a very attractive and intelligent blonde woman with
a fit body and long lean legs. She was already a lawyer at twenty-four and was
well aware that she was a great catch. She loved Les for his looks, the fact that
he was a lawyer too and came from wealth, she felt they would make a power couple
and even make it to the white house. She wandered what kept holding him back
and what kind of idiot would not want to keep her on lock down.
“Come on babe don’t be like that you looked stunning today,
easily the most beautiful woman in the room, I want you” he said as he pulled
her close and leaned in for a kiss again.
“No” she pushed him away
“Do you even love me Les or have you just been leading me on”
“What do you mean, you are the only woman in my life I’ve
been faithful and everything I do is to make you happy”
“It doesn’t matter we should be planning our big wedding by now”
“Babe, marriage doesn’t change anything plus we are in our
early twenties don’t you think we need more time on this”
“We are not kids we both have careers and money is not an
issue. I know what I want Lester Trebek and if you can’t give it to me, I will
find a grown man who will”.
********************************************************************************************************
“Dude are you ok?” Thomas said bursting into the apartment, “I
heard Stacey left you like a week ago why am I hearing this from Emily?”
“To be honest man I don’t even care, I keep waiting for the
soul crushing heartbreak, but I feel nothing”
“Maybe you are still in shock”
“Try relief”
“wow”
“I know it sounds terrible, I thought I loved her, but something
was always missing in our relationship…. I think I know what I need to do.”
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
“Lester?”
“Chichi” and they hugged and hugged and hugged.
Then she pushed him away smiling, “You never came back”
“I really couldn’t, my father had a stroke shortly after we
left and needed round the clock care, then I had to go to law school and life
just kept happening. I never forgot you”
“How’s your dad now”
“He’s doing much better even walking with a stick”
“And mum”
“She’s healthy and happy”
“So, you are a lawyer now, that’s impressive”
“Yeah, what have you been up to Chichi I want to hear everything”
“Well I got a scholarship to study in the UK after my
secondary education. I majored in English and now I’m back here to give back”.
“That’s very noble considering”
He stared at her brilliant blue eyes; “Chichi I’m very sorry
for time wasted, I fear to ask this question, but I have to, are you with anyone”
“Oooh Mr. Lester” she cooed and after what seemed like an
eternity “sadly it didn’t work out with anyone”
“Then please would you give me a chance, I can’t spend one
more day without you, my life was empty and sad without you”
She stared deeply into his eyes like she was searching his soul
and kissed him. It was passionate and intense, and they knew oh they knew that
they would never be apart again.
For Matthew.
