Kofi

It's official. I hate red sand. I wiped my shoes with a handkerchief as I contemplated suicide. Where will I find a petrol station in the middle of freaking nowhere?! That's not all I'm peeved about. The car is covered roof to tire in red dust. Its unrecognizable as the brand new, ice WHITE, Mercedes it is. My tailored white lace trouser and top set is dirty as well. I don't look like someone who's been in an air-condition car for this journey! Perhaps I should call my brother? He's probably on his way if not there already. But if Kwame could see me now, he'd laugh his head off and then take pictures for future reference.

As the saying goes, speak of the devil...

Kwame's KIA pick up pulls up beside me. As if to mock me, he takes his sweet time to roll down the window. He has not gotten a speck of dust on him.

Of course.

He smirked and shook his head. "I told you elder brother not to take that car! It sucks fuel like the leach it is. And why are you dressed like that? It's only our parents we're visiting you know " he said by way of greeting.

I glared at him. "Good morning to you too brother! " I snap, already losing my temper.

He rested his hand on the window. "If you ask nicely, I might be inclined to, maybe, give you a lift the rest of the way ". That stupid grin is still on his face as he waits for my reaction.

I am about to tell him to take his ride and shove it, but then the helplessness of my situation stares me in the eye. I need to be in the palace before noon. The sun rose an hour ago and I still have about four more hours of traveling left. I swallowed a huge lump of pride down my guts.

"Hello brother! Good I have seen you here today. Have I ever told you that you are my favorite brother? Give me a lift to the palace would you? "I finished with the friendliest smile I could conjure at the moment.

I probably look constipated right now.

Kwame started laughing. He is laughing at me! I kept the sick smile on my face.

"I'm your only brother, brother! ... And you should see your face right now, so funny! "

Yeah, Lol, I thought dryly. I can feel my smile turning into a grimace. He gave up after a minute. "Fine I give up. Get in let's go. Come for your car later. You should probably cover it so people are not blinded by your flashy car when they pass by! "

Kwame started laughing, again, harder this time. I ignore him as I lock the car, cover it with tarpaulin (Without his help!), picked up my bag and got in the car. He is still finding it hard to stop laughing! "Let's go!" I growl at him.

***

About 2 hours into the journey, the sky darkened. Soon, it is raining cats, dogs and he-goats! Kwame kept on taking and talking and talking...

"...I tell you Kofi, the ladies can dance! Herh!...Even the boys we used to play football with are all married. I was shocked when I found out Abi had gotten married. She was such a Tom boy! The best tree climber I have ever seen. I hear she wears the trousers in her household. Poor Badu! He thought he could tame her, haha ..."

He continued in this fashion for two hours straight! My poor eardrums! He is deliberately ignoring the fact that I am ignoring him.

I know what he's playing at. My family has been on my case to find a wife since last year. My father, the king would be retiring soon and I need to be married before then. Apparently, being a married man would make me a better ruler. Go figure.

Kwame was talking so much he didn't notice the person on the road. I know because he's not slowing down. "Eyes on the road idiot! " I exclaimed. The car stopped with a screech, well, as much of a screech as can be done in mud.

*****

The window on Kwame's side rolled down. "Young lady, what are you doing standing in the mud?" he asked. I wish I can smack him on the back of his head like I could ten years ago. What kind of idiot question is that?! I could not hear the woman's reply but she walked out of the puddle to firmer ground, on my side of the car. I pressed the auto open button on the console.

She is quite drenched, wide eyed and shivering slightly. But, her beauty is like a candle in a dark room. She is younger than I thought. Tall, cocoa skin, her wet dress clinging to her wet skin which emphasized her tiny waist and the flare of her hips. Carrying those books on her head, corn rolls, she looks like a model at a photo shoot or something! Picture perfect.

Kwame clearing his throat brought me out my trance. "Are you alright?" I managed to say.

She shivered under my gaze. I felt my pulse start to race. Those dark, lucid eyes. Those knowing eyes... The slight crease on her forehead. Can she read my every thought?

She nodded as her lips started to move... those lips...

"I... I'm going n...now...w...I'm l...late..." she croaked and started to walk away. I frowned at the wet books on her head, wondering how she'd replace them.

Kwame cleared his throat again. I looked forward and rolled the window back up. "Let's go." I said. He laughed and started moving. Soon he was talking my ear off all over again. The rain eventually turned to drizzling. "We should have given her some money, to replace her wet books." I thought aloud.

Kwame looked at me. "She would not have accepted it. It is against custom, and common sense, to accept money from total strangers in big flashy cars. A sorry would have sufficed. We didn't even do that did we? " he said. I shook my head. He sighed. "She's fine, forget her. Where was I? Yes, the change of the palace guards uniforms..."

I shook my head and started to wonder what the girl would be doing at the moment...

****

The two princes are on their way to the palace. What happens when they get there?
😊😊