by Natavia
He looks like a black Jesus, I thought.
“What was that?” I asked.
“A gift from the Gods,” he said. He sat down next to me and admired the scenery.
“Gods?” I asked.
“My ancestors are Gods. Their spirits live in the stars,” he replied.
“Are you a dragon?” I asked, and he chuckled.
“I’m a gargoyle. What you saw is what I inherited from my ancestors,” he replied.
Wait, so gargoyles really do look like a human mixed with a dragon? I thought.
“What an amazing gift,” I said.
“I went back to Vada to look for Midas, but I couldn’t find him. I don’t think I will ever give up looking for him. He was taken away after he was born, and taken away from me again after I returned home. All I want is a chance to be with him again,” Neoth said.
“Urane’s spirit is quiet,” I replied.
“She’s resting with the Gods. Her job is completed, but Urane is full of surprises. You will never know what she’s up to. I have to go to my post,” he said. He flew to the top of the tower, and his body turned to stone. I headed back to the tower, and Tundra was waiting for me.
“Hey, Tundra,” I said, and she nodded her head. She gave me a wooden cup filled with liquid that looked like swamp water.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Something to drank for the next seven days. Giving birth is very painful. This would numb the pain, but you have to drink a cup every day,” she said.
“I want to give birth on planet, Star,” I replied.
“Planet Star?” she asked.
“Brick named it, but it’s the place Urane gave birth to Brick,” I replied.
“That planet died a long time ago,” Tundra said.
“It’s not dead anymore,” I replied.
The drink didn’t taste as bad as it looked. It tasted like spinach, and milk. I went inside my resting room, and I caught Keeja snooping around.
“What are you doing in my damn room?” I asked her.
“This isn’t your room, and I came here to talk to you,” she lied.
“Talk to me? Bitch, you saw me when I walked past you minutes ago,” I said.
“Is bitch a threat?” she replied.
“Do you want it to be?” I asked. She walked over to me with a scowl on her face.
“We don’t want you here,” Keeja said.
“That’s not my problem because I’m going to be here until I give birth. What are you going to do about it?” I asked.
“Stay out of my way,” she gritted. I stepped into her space, and pointed my finger in her face.
“I will think about it. Get the hell out,” I said. I slammed the door behind her when she left out the room.
Six nights later…
I woke up to my stomach moving around. I was still spending all my time inside of the room. I didn’t leave out unless I had to go to the bathroom in the woods. I had to wipe myself with flowers. I probably had a yeast infection, or an allergic reaction because I was itching between my legs. I took baths inside of a stone tub in my room. The soap on the planet was made from the flowers and leaves. It smelled good, but it irritated my private areas. I was living like an inmate, but I didn’t complain because it was their way of life. I picked up two buckets in the corner of my room and filled up the small tub. I shivered when I stepped into the cold water. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes…
I walked through the forest, and I heard birds singing. A small fairy with glowing wings flew around my head. She wanted me to follow her. I followed her into the forest, and past a waterfall. I almost slipped on my gown when I stepped over a rock. She led me to the top of a hill. I gasped when I saw the back of him. His tattoo of his wings glowed, and his long locs hung to his waist. I sat down next to him, and he grabbed my hand. His glowing eyes looked into mine, and I wanted to stay with him forever.
“I should’ve told you I loved you anyway before I left for Vada, but you didn’t want me to,” Brick said.
“You sounded like you were telling me goodbye,” I replied.
“I let my hatred for that planet consume me. I’m sorry, beautiful,” Brick said.
“I miss you so much. I have to live for eternity thinking about you. This is torturing me, Brick. Our love was short-lived,” I replied.
“I will be with you in spirit. Our daughter will know of my existence in her heart,” he replied. He grabbed my face, and passionately kissed me. Tears fell from my eyes because I knew it was only a dream.
“I don’t want to wake up,” I said between our kiss.
“I don’t want you to, but she is ready to be born. Tell her I love her too,” he said. He disappeared…
I opened my eyes, and I was underneath the water. I sat up in the tub and gasped for air. I looked around, and I was still inside my room. My stomach moved again, and it moved like a wave. Flowers filled the tub, and I felt my head. I had a ring of flowers around my head. Birds flew around in the room, and their singing was therapeutic. I hummed to their song as I washed my body. While I was humming, I thought of a name for my daughter. I wanted to name her, Sumi.
********
Tundra waited for me outside the tower. It was time for me to go to planet, Star. Eagle wanted to come, but I told him to stay behind. Neoth was in Vada looking for Brick. I knew Brick was dead when I dreamt about him. It was almost as if his spirit was giving me a final goodbye. I climbed onto Tundra’s back, and the gargoyles waved at me. The females bowed their heads at me, and Keeja was mad at them. She was territorial when it came to outsiders, and I was an outsider. I had no plans on coming back to Lacas. Earth was my home, and it was also Sumi’s home. Brick didn’t have a last name, none of the gargoyles did. I gave Brick my last name, so I could tell Sumi he had one when she’s old enough to understand. Tundra flew me through the clouds as we headed to planet, Star.
“This is beautiful,” Tundra said as she walked around the garden planet.
“I know,” I replied.
I walked past the hole me and Brick made from our wild sex.
“My nest can be here,” I said to Tundra.
“Okay, I have to prepare it for you,” Tundra replied.
I was twenty-three-years-old giving birth on a planet with a woman who turned into a dragon size bird. I would’ve made a fortune if I turned my life into a novel. She filled the hole with petals from the flowers, and water. I took off my gown and stepped inside the nest.
“The spa charges people hundreds of dollars for relaxations like this,” I said.
“Spa?” Tundra asked.
“A place humans go to get massages and to relax. All I’m missing is wine,” I said, and she smiled.
“Earth is fascinating,” she replied.
“Your planet is fascinating,” I said. She sat by the tree, and waited for Sumi. I was ready to close my eyes until fairies came around me. I jumped because I’ve only seen them in my dreams.
“Don’t be afraid. They sprinkle magic over you. They come when a descendant from the Gods and Goddesses are born. They are the messengers for the ancestors,” Tundra said. One of them landed on my chest and looked me in the face. She was so adorable I wanted to kiss her. Her wings buzzed in my ears, and the rest of them disappeared into my nest. I began to feel a slight discomfort in my pelvis.
“Ohhhhh, this hurts! I thought you said it wasn’t going to hurt!” I yelled out to Tundra. My stomach swelled, and I moaned in pain. There was pressure on my back. My pregnancy progressed so fast that I didn’t get a chance to take a Lamaze class. I pushed, but it wasn’t hard enough.
“Push,” Tundra said. I pushed harder, and I felt her head piercing through my opening. I was out of breath, and the fairies were getting mad at me because I was taking too long.
“Wait a minute! I’m not pushing out a damn bird egg. I’m pushing out a whole baby,” I yelled at them.
“Push one more time,” Tundra coached. I dug my nails into the
soil for comfort and pushed until a vein almost burst out my forehead. Sumi’s body burst out my vagina, and the pain immediately went away. The fairies got together and carried Sumi to me. They covered her body, and I wanted to know what they were doing.
“What is this?” I asked Tundra.
“They are praising her. They will leave when they finish,” Tundra said. Minutes later, the fairies disappeared. I held Sumi up in front of me, and I couldn’t believe how human she looked. She was a human baby with an immortal spirit. She looked like Brick and had pretty jet-black curls on her head. She sucked her thumb, and I held her against my body. I cradled her to my chest, and kissed her face. Tundra used something sharp to cut the umbilical cord.
“She looks like her father,” Tundra said.
“I know,” I replied.
“Nothing like you,” Tundra rubbed in.
“Are you teasing me?” I asked, and she smiled. Sumi opened her eyes, and they were gray like Brick’s. Her eyes glowed at me then went back to normal. I examined her back, and she had a marking. Sumi couldn’t go to daycare. I would have got locked up for child abuse because of her marking. She had a marking of wings, and a few other symbols.
“The fairies will report her symbols to the ancestors. She’s a beautiful offspring,” Tundra said. Sumi cried, so I placed my breast to her mouth, and she quickly latched on. I had to spend a few days on the planet before I could go back to Earth. Earth’s air would’ve suffocated her, as soon as she came out my womb. She needed the planet’s elements for her immune system. Sumi gave me back the strength I needed—she gave me life. I thought I was slowly dying because of Brick’s death, but she revived me. I kissed her forehead as she nursed on my breasts.
She’s beautiful, Brick. Maybe this is the love I wished for all along, and you gave it to me when we created her, I thought.
Epilogue
Nabila
Three months later…
I still wasn’t aware of Sumi’s growth spurt. I didn’t know whether or not she would be an adult in seven months, but at three months she was a normal size baby. The good part about everything is I didn’t need to take her to the doctors because she didn’t get sick; immortals didn’t get sick. Risha barged into my bedroom holding Sumi. Sumi didn’t sleep much, so Risha and Odega sat up to watch her while I slept. I was living in Brick’s house, with Risha and Odega. Risha moved in to help me with Sumi, but we all worked together in, Midas Construction. Odega did the work, but I hired a few human men to help because he wasn’t as strong as Brick yet. I drew the designs for the customers, and I didn’t think I had it in me until I tried it one day. I guess being on a different planet gave me a different visual. None of the costumers or vendors knew Brick was dead, they thought he worked behind the scenes instead of going out in the field. I didn’t know how long it was going to last, but nobody complained because the work was getting done.
“Wake up! I heard you moaning in here,” Risha said.
“Fuck up a wet dream, why don’t you?” I asked.
“Was it your baby daddy again? What he do this time?” Risha asked.
“Things that make human men seem worthless. I keep dreaming about him because I can’t let him go,” I said.
“It’s still fresh,” Risha said. She gave Sumi to me, so I could breast feed her. I was ready to lift up my pajama shirt, but Odega came into the room. He grabbed Risha’s behind and squeezed it.
“Y’all are gross,” I said. They were cute together. Risha stopped dating other men, to focus on Odega. Well, she didn’t have a choice because the last incident turned out ugly. The guy she went on a date with followed her to our home, and Odega was jealous. He picked up the guy’s car, and hurled it into a tree while the guy was still in it. The guy had a concussion and didn’t remember what happened, or how he got to our house. Odega was still a virgin, and Risha was patiently waiting. They pleased each other orally because Odega was nervous about hurting Risha.
“Let us be gross,” Risha said.
“Baby, I’m hungry,” Odega said to Risha.
“Okay, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Risha spat.
“Hurry up because I can’t work on an empty stomach,” Odega replied as he walked out the room.
“He’s lucky he’s fine with his chocolate ass. I should ask him about the number I found in his work pants,” Risha said.
“Seriously?” I asked.
“Yes, I am. I don’t think his dumb-ass understands the concept of belonging to one damn woman,” Risha said.
“Odega barely knows how to work his cell phone. I doubt if he’s talking to other women,” I replied.
“We will see,” Risha said.
“Stop treating him like a baby, Risha,” I replied.
“I can’t help it. You know I’m not use to dating a young person who is attractive,” Risha replied.
“You are only twenty-two, Risha. You need to stop acting like this,” I said.
“You don’t understand me. How did we become friends again?” she joked.
“We clicked the first day you came to Mr. Epstein’s office. We are wayyyy different from each other, but I understand you,” I replied.
“See that’s why I love you. Holla if you need me. I’m ready to cook us something to eat,” Risha said.
I placed Sumi inside her rocker after I finished feeding her. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and shower. I styled my freshly new twist into an updo when I stepped out. It was fall time, and the leaves covered the ground. It was something about fall I loved. I thought it was the prettiest season. I dressed Sumi in a pink Adidas sweat suit with the matching shoes. I wore a pair of stretch jeans, a brown tunic top with a cardigan. I went inside the closet to get my riding boots, and I came across one of Brick’s jackets. I was thinking about donating his things, but I couldn’t. I picked up Sumi and walked down the stairs. We were heading out to do a little grocery, and clothes shopping.
********
Sumi cooed in her carrier as I pushed her in the grocery cart. Someone called my name, and I didn’t want to turn around. I continued looking at the steaks in the meat department.
“Nabila, is that you?” the voice asked.
“It looks like me doesn’t it, Shawn?” I replied.
“No bad blood here. Gorgeous baby! Are you babysitting on this beautiful Saturday?” Shawn asked.
“She’s my daughter,” I replied, and he almost dropped his basket of food. I couldn’t deny my baby if I had to.
“When did this happen? You weren’t pregnant when I met you, and you said you didn’t have any kids,” Shawn said.
“I was six months and didn’t know. Women’s bodies have a mind of its own,” I replied, and he nodded his head.
“I see you have a ring on your finger. Are you married too?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m married to Midas. Have a nice day, Shawn,” I said. I grabbed the rest of the food on my list, and headed to the line. Shawn got behind me in line, and tried to make small talk. He ended up following me outside to my truck. Shawn placed my bags inside my trunk while I strapped Sumi’s carrier down in the back seat.
“Thanks, Shawn.”
“Anytime, can I take you out for a friendly dinner tonight? I want to apologize for being a real jerk to you a few months ago,” he replied.
“My husband won’t like that. It was nice seeing you, and have a great day,” I said. I got inside the truck, and waited for him to walk off before I backed up. Shawn was too desperate for love, and I was glad I dodged that bullet. Just because it looks good, and seems perfect doesn’t mean it is. Shawn was in a relationship with a married woman before, so me being married with a child didn’t faze him. I stopped at a few more stores before we headed home.
A few hours later…
“Nice seeing the two of you,” I said to Neoth and Tundra when I opened the door. I was in Brick’s work shop when I heard a loud noise in front the house. I opened the door, and it was them. I looked at the ground in front of the house, and
it looked like it was bombed.
Oh, great! Now I have to cover it up, I thought.
Neoth took Sumi from me and held her. Tundra tickled her cheek, and Sumi smiled.
“Where is Eagle?” I asked Neoth.
