“Remember your dance routine is great, I’ll join you just trust what we have worked on” Kangwa whispered in Mulenga’s ear as the crowd watched in silence.
“Oh and try keep your fingers out of your mouth as we dance, you know balance and all” Kangwa joked eliciting an uneasy laugh from Mulenga who had her eyes closed trying to block the audience from her mind.Mulenga and Kangwa were placed in the middle of the auditorium with everyone else surrounding them as they were the only two who chose dance for their projects.
Mulenga’s heart was racing erratically, with her eyes closed she took a deep breath and Stood on her tip toes like an elite ballet dancer, in sneakers. Beethoven played over the speakers eliciting Mulenga’s hands to rise with her fingertips touching the top of her head.
Kangwa stood still behind Mulenga totally transfixed on her like the rest of the audience. Mulenga turned to pirouette thrice stopping to face Kangwa and placing her hand on his shoulder. The dance had began their eyes met and the audience melted around them. It was just the two of them, with Mulenga and Kangwa getting lost in each others eyes.
The beat dropped causing Kangwa to break the stare proceeding into a crumple style dance routine aggressively around Mulenga as she stood in place on her tip toes. Mulenga felt strange, her heart began to beat loudly she could have sworn she heard it thud in her ears. The longer the music played, the more she danced next to Kangwa, the stranger she felt. Mulenga’s head started to pound, she could hear a child crying loudly over the music, it messed with her head she forgot her routine and bumped into Kangwa before falling to the ground.
The crowd gasped in shock at the fall, most wondering if it was part of the routine as they waited silently. Kangwa bent over to help Mulenga to her feet which only caused Mulenga to panic noticing everyone staring at them for the first time since the dance started. Mulenga got to her feet pushed Kangwa aside and burst through the crowd towards the exit doors. Mulenga was running so hard, tears streaming down her face. She kept running even though she didn’t know why, she kept running to get away from the screaming baby and the prying eyes. She ran all the way back to her hallway and right as she got closer to her door she heard a noise coming from inside.
Taking a deep breath, Mulenga stormed through the open door to discover her bags where on the floor and the room resembled a crime scene with every article of clothing spread round the room. Books thrown all over and the person searching wasn’t even bothered to turn around.
“What do you want in my room?” Mulenga shouted towards the stranger causing chaos in her room. After the ordeal Mulenga had just gone through, she felt ready to engage in something more familiar, a fight.
Mulenga couldn’t see clearly before, but as the stranger started turning she noticed that this was not a boy her age. He had broad shoulders, with a perfectly toned body outlined through his immaculate suit. He stood in front of Mulenga towering over her with his height.
“What are your names?” the man calmly asked Mulenga, however his eyes radiated power like Mulenga has never known in another person. She felt her former courage at a fight shriek in the distance of her mind as she her mouth began to move before she had any idea what she wanted to say.
“My name is Mulenga Sitali” Mulenga rushed her hands to cover her mouth but it was too late, she had given up her identity.
“What have you done to me?” Mulenga asked with her voice hardly rising above a whisper.
“Nothing child, don’t feel bad about telling me your name. Much stronger people fail to defy me” the man spoke unfazed by Mulenga’s change in tone.
“Sorry about the mess, I didn’t think you’d find me here. Mwambwa looks down on me with fortune” the man continued to speak, twirling one of his locks with his right hand. Mulenga’s initial fear left, she felt calmer than her brain told her she should be feeling. She grabbed the only other study chair available to sit down on while maintaining the same distance on the other side of the room closet to the door.
The man said nothing seemingly content to just stare at Mulenga without a care in the world.
“I’ve told you who I am, it’s only fair I know who you are.” Mulenga spoke avoiding to ask it as a question for fear of the power she felt earlier, she anxiously began to bite her nail.
“Stop biting your nails and I’ll tell you my name” the man spoke without his demeanor changing but Mulenga had already dropped her hands to her side, then shuffling till she settled on holding her hands together over her navel. The man stood, pinning his jacket together and putting his phones away in his pockets without taking his eyes off Mulenga. Mulenga looked at his face not wanting to ever forget it from her mind when she noticed the man had the same earrings as she had on, pierced in the same manner as her also.
“My name is Shamende Sitali, I will be back for you child and when you see me, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” And Shamende was gone from her room leaving her with more questions than answers.
After a minute of confusion Mulenga decided to follow Shamende when Samm and Kezipe walked through the door. “Who was that man” the duo asked in unison
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