That Muse.. and Destiny

The Muse

Mosquitoes buzzed in a continuous rhythm; he was used to them already. On unfortunate nights like this, when he was out of bug spray, the best he could do was to cover himself tightly with a shawl, and simply condone their noise-making.

The barn he slept in was a neat one, but also quite ancient with gaps big enough for rats to crawl through. His makeshift bed was tucked into the upper loft, positioned perfectly beneath a broken window that invited in the cool night air of the Rift Valley. True, the rusty barn wasn't ideal for a bed-place, but he had grown used to it. The bed was comfortable and he loved the view of the vast Kenyan sky and the velvet horizon.

Even more, he loved the elderly couple that owned the place and had graciously housed him for the past few years. They'd grown so close that he called them family. Now nearly twenty-two 22, he was a tall, lean young man of the Nilotic people, possessing the proud stature of his ancestors. Though he worked hard, he was not yet fully independent; the couple still blessed him with warm meals almost every day.

It was several years ago that they'd entered into each other’s lives when one day at the market, Mrs Salama met him for the first time while he tried convincing her to buy his rabbit meat. She'd looked into his eyes and saw something she couldn't explain, bought all his meat, and invited him to her home. He was fifteen at the time, and he'd taken the Salama’s as his parents ever since.

Life hadn't been quite pleasant for them both; they'd lost their children to raider attacks and he'd lost his parents to a fire accident when he was just about 14 years of age. Finding each other was good fate and they’d become bound by a shared language of comfort.

He looked out the window at the starry sky. ‘Hope’, Mrs Salama had said. That's what she'd seen when she looked at him for the first time almost seven years ago. Hope was what he felt in his heart everyday, especially when he looked into the horizon. These days the feeling was more peculiar though, as if something was approaching. Something that always touched his heart whenever he looked in the distance; something that seemed to whisper ‘I'm coming.. I'm close..’.

He adjusted his shawl and smiled into the dark. Well, the years had taught him patience. Whatever or whoever it was, he would be waiting.

…

In southern China, thousands of miles away at Yueyang International University, Mei Li watched little birds in the school garden flitting over flowers, sucking nectar, and flying away into the distance.

‘Xiǎo niǎo’, her mum fondly called her. But what's a bird if it couldn't fly? If it didn't have the boundless freedom of the winds?

Whenever Mei looked out in the distance, she could see clear pictures in her mind of Africa. The dark lands, her father called it, yet it was the place she daydreamed about most of the time. The place she would instantly fly to visit if she had wings of her own.

Her mind raced back to a few months ago when her fascination had ignited during a geography class. She couldn’t help but be especially fascinated by the narrations of the expatriate from Africa. She remembered the woman vividly; Mrs. Abena Boateng, a brilliant and lovely complexioned Ghanian lady. After that day, Mei met with Mrs Boateng regularly during her stay at the college, spending time discussing about the history, cultures, and people of Africa.

She found it amazing that the second largest continent in the world was grossly unknown by the common Chinese person. It was simply acknowledged as a geographical zone on the map, but there was more. There were histories, people, vastlands, cultures more diverse than all other places she knew- and she did know her geography-, and treasures still being discovered. As a student of archeology, she had every academic reason to be curious about Africa and its nations.

But despite all of this, Mei knew that her desire to travel to Africa was more deep-rooted than just fascination and curiosity. Over the weeks something she couldn't explain whispered Africa to her. She had tried to shake it off. Oh, she really had. After all the world was full of beautiful and interesting places, more than enough to satisfy the most adventurous heart. Mei could pick and choose. But the longing in her heart was beginning to feel like a pull towards.. destiny? A muse that wasn’t just a muse anymore.

“Arrgghh!” She sighed. “Wèishénme?.. Why does my heart pant after what's f*******n of me?”

Her mind flashed back to her attempt to speak with her father two nights ago. She had approached him to talk about her muse and that she'd been thinking of leaving after she graduated from college. His face had turned from calm to subtly fierce in an instant.

Mr. Bǎolín Li was a business mogul, successfully handling the Li family legacy passed down generations. Her family name, was one of high influence in all of Southern China. Her father controlled their wealth in the billions, had stakes almost everywhere, and commanded that everyone under his household carried on in such a way that maintained the honour and prosperity of the family name. As such, he had fairly drawn out the direction of his children's lives at different stages. For Mei who was the firstborn and soon to be a college grad, he'd already been putting things in place for her career and future marriage. He hadn't communicated this with her, but she knew her father all too well. He wasn't cruel. No, he cared for his family, but his love was usually shown alongside a somewhat severe strictness.

He’d looked at her that night, quietly but with a steel gaze.

“Your mother has mentioned this newfound fascination of yours. I dismissed it because I know you to move from one thing to the next like a curious bird.” Mr Li said. “But it seems you have taken this to heart.”

“Yes.” Mei said, scrounging for the courage to look into his eyes.

“Mei..” He said with his usual calm authority. “You will drop this fantasy of yours, focus on graduating and prepare yourself for life after college.” He continued, “I've permitted your adventurous expeditions in the past and will not stop you as long as they're within the reasonable bounds of study and your career. As for this Africa fantasy, I will not allow it. You're my Zhǎngzǐ and you have your siblings to set a good example for.”

Mei's chest tightened. His voice was so full of authority and dismissal, but her determination to give this her best shot did not let her stay silent.

“Bāba, this is different.. Something wells up in my heart whenever I think of Africa! I've done thorough research and the more I see, the more I believe there's something special I must find there..”

“The only thing that should well up in your heart are my words to you, Mei, and they are final.” He cut in.

“Please bāba, I'm not a child anymore. All these years I've proven responsibility and that I can take care of myself! It'll simply be a visit and I'll surely be back!”

Mr Li held up a silencing hand. “Do not let this go on further than it already has. Now you may take your leave.”

Mei's heart was heavy and tears had started to cloud her eyes. She had hoped he'd hear her out and consider.

As she left his study, she could feel stern his gaze on her back. In the hallway, she had found her brother, Lian, leaning against the wall; he had heard everything.

Why had father been so forcefully dismissive that day? He knew his daughter and how spirited she was, yet he'd rarely stopped her from going on trips at school, with friends, or even by herself whenever she’d been invited for an art exhibition- although her mum always accompanied her on such trips. He was proud of her accomplishment as a young prodigy and allowed her the little fame that her works gained her. What made this any different?

“Wandering off as usual? I knew I’d find you here,” a cheerful voice and a casual arm across her shoulder broke Mei’s reverie.

Mei smiled, forcing her thoughts aside “Of course you would know. I've petted you here many times after you'd get your heart broken by some dumb boy!”

They both laughed.

“Don't say it like it's my fault.” Anxi said.

“It always was. If you had stayed away from love,’ Mei said with humour, ‘tears would have been evitable. But you, my dear friend, are unnecessarily lovey-dovey.”

“Says the one who's unnecessarily careful.” Anxi retorted with a smile.

“Careful is better, Anxi.” Mei responded. “When you're careful, you say yes to fate and not to emotional whims.”

They both stood quietly for a while.

Anxi interrupted the brief silence, “What's been keeping you so thoughtful these past weeks?” She asked seriously.

Mei said nothing.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“It's nothing. Nothing at all.” Mei looked into her eyes as she answered. She wouldn't be able to stand it if Anxi kept on bugging her about this.

He friend sighed, sensing the wall Mei had built. “Well, being here makes me sleepy. I came to invite you for a party tonight. If you wouldn't tell me what's going on, at least let's go to party together for a bit.”

Mei shook her head, mouthing a soft no.

“Okay.” Anxi tried to hide her disappointment as she spun round and walked off. “See you around, Mei.”

Mei almost rushed after her. She'd been so busy with research and worries that she hadn't even been seeing her friends much. She was losing her connection with those she cared about. This could be her chance to renew that connection and to have one night of normalcy.

“Anxi! Wait for me!” Mei went after her, and the smile on her friend’s face did wonders at lightening her heart.