Kayin's Fire

by Alica Mckenna Johnson

  “I’ll be fine once I can move again. I’ve never sat still for so long.”

  Gavin snorted. “You call that sitting still? You were all over the place—facing me, facing the window, curling up, sitting cross legged, lying down in the chair, and even squatting at one point.”

  Kayin felt his cheeks flush with heat, grateful for his dark skin which hid his blush from Gavin.

  “I’m teasing. I don’t like to sit for long periods of time either.” The airplane door opened with a hiss. “Come on, let’s go.”

  The hallway swayed as they walked, and Kayin breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped into the airport terminal. There were so many people. He stayed close to Gavin as they walked through the crowd. People wearing different clothes, odd hair styles, shades of skin he’d never seen before, and all kinds of shapes and sizes. He’d seen people from all over the world at the lodge and in the books at school, but nothing prepared him for New York City, and this was just the airport. How could he get use to this? How could he live here?

  Blinking, he forced back tears. He wanted to go running barefoot through his village, chasing chickens with his little sisters or hunting with his baba and Mudiwa. The people blurred as tears filled his eyes. Blindly, he followed Gavin. Hands touched his shoulder and the back of his legs hit a chair. He sat.

  “Kayin?”

  “Sorry, I’ll be fine. It just ...” Kayin waved his hand at the crowd of people moving around them.

  “It’s a lot I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll get you out of here as quickly as I can. As soon as our luggage gets here, we’ll go home and hide out for as long as you want, okay?”

  Kayin nodded, taking a deep breath. He wiped at his eyes. “I’ll be fine.” An orange light flashed and a siren screeched. Kayin grabbed Gavin’s arm.

  “It’s okay, that’s where our luggage will come out. They are warning people to get off the carousel. Do you want to sit here or come with me to get our stuff?”

  “I’ll stay with you,” Kayin said.

  Gavin smiled. “Okay. Come on, let’s get a cart for all my extra stuff, and we can see if we remember what our new bags look like.”

  “They are dark red with black leather handles.”

  “Really? Great, this should be easy then.”

  Thirty minutes later they had all their bags and were following the crowd down a long hallway. It opened into a large room with multiple lines and people in uniforms looking through bags and asking questions. An officer with a dog walked passed them.

  “Now what?” Kayin asked.

  “Well, that,” said Gavin pointing the line closest to them. “That’s the line you will need to wait in. They will look over your papers and check through your luggage. Do you remember what to say?”

  Kayin nodded.

  “Great, once I’m through my line, I’ll come and wait for you at the end of yours.” Gavin looked at him for a moment his pale green eyes full of concern. “Will you be okay?”

  “I stand in the line right? I should be able to do that.” Kayin smiled, ignoring his nervousness.

  Gavin squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Kayin shuffled forward a few feet along with the crowd. The line wove back and forth like an accordion. More people kept coming, and the air filled with a constant drone of people talking in different languages. At first the different cadences, pitches, and sounds were interesting, but after what felt like an hour, Kayin twitched and wanted to run away. Now is the time, if I want to get away. There are police officers everywhere. I could tell them what happened and that my papers are fake and go home.

  Kayin jumped as a group laughed at something on their phones.

  I can’t do this. I want to go home. Tears filled his eyes and he blinked to keep them back.

  “Excuse me,” said a woman in Shona tapping him on the shoulder. “Could you help me?”

  Kayin rubbed his face trying to look like he wasn’t wiping away tears and turned to see an old woman. Her bright smile lit up her face. She wore a loose black dress with large red flowers and a red scarf around her head. Her dark brown skin was wrinkled and looked as if she had dusted her face with powder.

  “I’d be happy to help, if I can.”

  “You are a fine young man.” She smiled at him. “I saw you on the plane, and I knew right away you were the good sort. Do you think you could ask one of the men if I could have a chair? I didn’t expect to have to stand this long.”

  Kayin looked around and saw a guard with a sour expression on his face. “Of course, I’ll be right back.”

  “Oh thank you.”

  Kayin slid through the crowd and stopped a few feet from the armed guard. “Excuse me sir, would it be possible for a grandmother to get a chair, please?”

  The guard stared. Kayin fought to stand still, then he looked over the crowd until he saw the old woman watching them. His lips pulled up into a smile, and he jerked his head towards the corner. “Sure, kid, you can take one of the folding chairs over there.”

  When Kayin turned, the guard waved at the old woman, his cousin’s mother-in-law. She came to see her daughter all the time, and could handle the lines. Every time she managed to find some poor, scared person and calm them.

  Kayin picked up the grandmother’s bags and put them on the stainless steel counter.

  She patted his cheek. “You’re such a good boy. I’m so glad I met you.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” Kayin said blushing.

  A few minutes later, Kayin placed his own bags on the counter. The officer gave him a small smile, looked over his paperwork, opened his bags and poked around in them, stamped his papers, and told him to have a nice visit.

  “That’s it?” Kayin asked as he took his bags.

  The officer nodded.

  “Kayin,” Gavin called. He was sitting against the wall past the guards. He stood smiling. “Ready?”

  “Yes, very.” He might not be ready for much but he was ready to get out of this place.

  “Come on, then.” Gavin picked up his bags. Kayin followed close behind, not wanting to get lost.

  “Mr. Marsh,” said a man in a black suit standing near the exit. “Allow me to help.”

  “Frank, thanks, did Preston call you?” Gavin asked.

  “Of course,” Frank said, his lips quirking into a small smile. He led them to a black SUV with tinted windows. Kayin climbed in hoping the drive wouldn’t take too long.

  Frank pulled away from the curb. Kayin’s jaw dropped. This couldn’t be real. He thought the hotel they stayed at in Harare was big, but these buildings of glass and stone towered over even that. He felt like an insignificant speck, a flea on the back of a lion. Old gray stone buildings with spires pointing to the heavens stood next to larger buildings made of dark glass which reflected the sunlight. And all the people . . . He thought the market got crowded, but this? Kayin didn’t have words for this.

  “I know New York can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry I live near the park so there will be some breathing space.” Gavin pointed out the front window. “There’s Central Park now.”

  A sliver of bright green shone between the buildings. Thick trees with dark green leaves, short grass, splashes of color Kayin assumed were flowers, and the blue sky eased some of Kayin’s panic.

  “Here we are,” Frank said then sighed as Gavin slammed the car door shut.

  Kayin laughed and got out of the car a bit slower.

  Gavin ran up a set of gray stone stairs, threw open a black metal gate and a large wooden door.

  Kayin looked up at the gray stone building. Gavin's home was in here? Curved windows, edged with thin columns, decorated all three stories. On the top floor a balcony with a stone railing overlooked the park.

  A man in a dark gray suit came walking towards him. “Mr. Mangwiro, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are inside saying hello.”

  “Oh, thank you. Should I help with the bags?” Kayin asked.

  “Fra
nk will get them all. I’m Preston. If you need anything please let me know. You should go inside and rest after your long journey.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Preston.” Kayin walked up the stairs, grateful he’d stayed at the fancy hotel in Harare so he wouldn’t make a fool of himself here. Looking up, Kayin smiled at the little rainbows from the sunlight hitting the crystal chandelier. Gavin stood on a curving staircase with his arms around a lovely woman.

  They must have missed each other a lot. Kayin looked at floor. Four different types of wood were cut into diamond shapes, creating a large star. It looked very different from the hard-packed dirt that made the floor of his hut. Then Preston’s shoes echoed as he walked across the floor and set two bags near the stairs. Gavin and Anali parted at the sound.

  “Kayin,” Anali said, a soft Indian accent in her warm voice. “It is so good to finally meet you.”

  “You, too. Gavin spoke of you frequently.”

  Anali smiled looking back at her husband before taking Kayin’s hand. “I have a room ready for you. Now that you’re here we can decorate the room in your favorite colors.”

  Kayin let her lead him up the stairs, her pale blue sari brushing against his legs. “Thank you for getting everything ready for me.”

  “Of course. Are you hungry? Breakfast should be ready soon.”

  Breakfast? Shouldn’t it be evening? “I'm hungry, yes. I didn’t realize it was morning.”

  Anali turned right at the top of the stairs where a large portrait of a young couple holding a fat little baby girl hung on the wall. “The time changes can be brutal. From my experience the best thing to do is get into the new routine as quickly as possible. Here you are.”

  Kayin gasped as he walked into the room. Huge windows looked out over the park. The window sill was deep and covered with a cushion so he could sit and stare at the park, which he suspected he’d do a lot. The walls were sky blue, and a dark blue duvet, like the color of the sky just after the sun sets, covered the huge bed.

  “You can hang your clothes in the closet.” Anali slid aside a mirror, revealing an empty space that looked big enough for Kayin to sleep in comfortably. “And this door leads to the bathroom.”

  Kayin ran his hand over the polished wooden desk and chair. “This is wonderful, thank you.”

  “You are very welcome. If you ever need Gavin or me, we are down the hall to the left of the stairs.”

  “Kayin, I have something for you,” Gavin said holding two boxes. “These are the contacts I told you about, the ones that will keep the fire in your eyes hidden. Please wear them every day.”

  “Okay, I will,” Kayin said.

  “I also have this for you,” Gavin held out a black velvet jewelry box.

  Kayin opened the box and found a necklace inside. A gold pendant, about the size of a quarter, lay in the box. In the center, flames of purple, blue and green were surrounded by flames of red, orange, and yellow. “It’s beautiful.”

  “The pendant was a gift from Shamash to one of his family. It was made in Akasha and will help you connect to the energy of Akasha and make it easier to control your gift.”

  “Thank you,” Kayin lifted the necklace out of the box and fastened the simple gold chain around his neck. He shivered, feeling a spark of warm energy pulse from the pendant. Oh, that was interesting.

  “Sir, your bags,” Preston said from the doorway. “Shall I unpack for you?”

  “No, no thank you. I’m fine.”

  “Very well. Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes.”

  “Thank you, Preston.” Anali turned to Kayin. “Go ahead and freshen up. There are clean towels hanging in the bathroom, plus shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and anything else you could possibly want. Come to our room when you’re done and I’ll show you the way to the dining room.”

  “Thank you, Anali.”

  “You’re welcome. I know how overwhelming this all can be. I moved here three years ago from India. If you need anything I'm here. Even if you want to complain about the new and crazy,” Anali said.

  “Do you need help with the contacts?” Gavin asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. One of my teachers wore them, and showed us one day how they work.”

  “Okay, see you in a bit and let us know if you need anything.” Gavin smiled, then shut the door.

  Kayin unpacked his clothes, filling a small corner of the closet and half a shelf. Grabbing an outfit, Kayin went to ‘freshen up’. Americans sure were addicted to showers.

  A frosted window let sunlight into the large bathroom. The walls and floor were tiled with small black and white tiles. He stepped into a large claw-foot tub with a shower head at each end. Why would you need two showers? Do people get that dirty here? How can they with concrete covering the earth?

  Chapter Four

  Kayin yawned, his stomach full from a breakfast of cheese omelet, fruit, and toast.

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “Not me; I’m stuffed. Breakfast was great, Maggie, thank you,” Gavin said. “Oh, Kayin, this is Maggie Preston, she’s Preston’s daughter. Maggie, this is Kayin. He’s going to be living here with us until we leave for San Francisco.”

  Kayin stood up and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Preston, and thank you for breakfast.”

  “Please call me Maggie. I’m glad to see he’s such a nice young man.”

  Gavin groaned. “Will I ever live that down? I was afraid for a year your dad would quit.”

  Maggie laughed. “As if dad would ever leave you after making sure you lived through your teen years.”

  “Please sit down, tell us what happened,” Anali said, leaning her elbows on the table.

  Pulling out a chair Maggie sat. “Well, you have to realize that Gavin was still just a baby, only twenty-two years old.”

  “You’re only a year older than me,” Gavin muttered.

  “So Gavin has this party with some of his college friends, and this one guy. . .”

  “Shawn,” Gavin, said in a hard voice.

  Maggie waved her hand as if his name didn’t matter. “Anyway, I was bringing up some food for the buffet and he was interested in. . ." she paused and looked at Kayin “spending some time alone with me. I said no and he didn’t feel like he had to respect that.”

  Kayin clenched his jaw. That kind of stuff had happened at the lodge before. His father always stepped in and protected people when he could. He’d taught Kayin that you can measure the true worth of a person by how they treat those they see as below them and powerless.

  “What a terrible man,” Anali said. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t have time to do anything. Before I knew it he was screaming. Gavin had grabbed him by the hair and was dragging him out of the house. I’ll tell you the creative threats he used later. I don’t want to corrupt Kayin.” Maggie giggled. “I will say that they were vicious enough that when he goes to anyone’s house in New York, the staff makes sure he overhears them taking about how they will be having lunch with me in the next few days and that I’m still working for Gavin.”

  Gavin blushed. “He shouldn’t have acted like that, he had no right.”

  “My hero,” Anali hugged him.

  Maggie smiled. “I thought so, too. Although I was looking forward to kicking his ass myself. I better get back to work, my boss is a slave driver.”

  “Is it nap time now?” Gavin asked his cheeks still pink.

  “Sorry, gentleman.” Anali stood. “But the best thing for jet lag is to get into a normal routine, so let’s go for a walk in the park before it gets too hot.”

  Gavin groaned and pushed back his chair. “All right.”

  Kayin stood and followed the couple.

  “Do you want a hat?” Gavin offered.

  “Sure.” Kayin put on a blue baseball cap and followed them out the door. Sticky—the air outside of the house felt sticky with moisture. Was it going to rain? Kayin looked up. Three fluffy clouds floated in t
he blue sky. It didn’t look like rain, but he could only see a small section of the sky. Maybe a storm was building along the horizon.

  “See that building?” Anali said, pointing to a large, light gray stone building with columns—at least they looked like columns to Kayin from this distance. “That is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We’ll go there once you’re feeling better.”

  Kayin’s school had a photograph book from the Met; they used it to study art. He and his friends had talked about what it would be like to go there and see all of the ancient weapons. The girls in class wanted to see the paintings and the dresses. His friends were back home with no idea where he was, and in a few days he would walk into that building and live a childhood fantasy.

  Gavin and Anali walked arm in arm along the path. Kayin stayed behind them as crowds of people flowed around them. People ran, biked, roller skated, and a few danced. It made Kayin feel a bit dizzy, as he watched each one pass him. So many people of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Wearing all sorts of clothes, and some very little. Kayin turned away from the four girls playing Frisbee in bikini tops and very short shorts.

  “Gavin, Anali, come and play,” a girl called.

  “Kayin, do you play soccer?” Gavin asked.

  “Football,” Anali corrected.

  “Yes.” Kayin looked at the group of kids picking teams.

  “Great, come on.”

  “Do you play, Anali?” Kayin asked.

  “Not in a sari and sandals. Don’t worry about me, I’ll go sit with the parents. Have fun.”

  “Guys, this is Kayin. He’s staying with me and Anali. Kayin, these are students of mine.”

  “You’re a teacher?” Kayin asked.

  “Yes, at the New York Center for the Circus Arts. I teach conditioning classes and beginning trampoline, hand balancing, and children's acrobatics with Anali.”

  “You’re both about the same height, so we’re going to split you up,” said a boy looking them over.

  “Okay, sounds fair,” Kayin said. “Where do you want me?”

  “My team,” said a girl with black pigtails and copper skin.