STICK IN THE VINE

Chapter 2

Micheal shoots Shawty a glance and smirks . Christopher Stanhope talking in a low voice into his ears as they walk out of the room with Dean Rodriguez and two other staffs in suits trailing behind him.

I observed something, Dean Rodriguez winked at Nora. It was really brief,and she winked back with her mouth raised slightly in a leer. Raking back her curly hair. Is there something going on between them?

Alex Cornwell stretches his big pink hand to shake Shawty.

"it didn't go too bad for a first day, I guess" He says

"No it didn't, we need to meet sometime next week to prepare ourselves for the second proceeding. "

"That's right, I will get a message across to you to know when that'll be"

" Alright Miss Rawlings, have a great day".

He straightens himself, head elevates and shakes hands with Nora, Robert and tapping Brian on the shoulder before shaking hands with him.He clutches his hand tightly around his briefcase, as he heads for the door.

"See you tomorrow at the office" Shawty says, smiling at Robert who is stretching his arms as if punching up at the room and Brian whose eyes are fixed on the rug. Why did he come along anyway?

"Yes, tomorrow , Shawty." Robert trails with a yawn.

"Hey you, it's happened.Are you going to give in to it or walk out of it? This is not the time to be gloomy Brian, we didn't cheat or infringe or whatever, we paid for it with sweat and blood. They're getting nothing, nothing , alright?." Shawty says

Brian shrugs" yeah, sure,I will pick up some of my things at the office, see you tomorrow". He says and leaves with Robert.

Carl,Shawty's driver, helps Shawty and me of course with the door, Nora who has been on the phone since we belched out of the elevator goes through the second door, centre of the trio .Shawty 9laces her BWF on my laps, like the space in between she and Nora.It is 6:30pm ,peeping from Nora's wristwatch. The clouds are low, travelling in thick heavy masses , hiding orange sun. Shawty has been facing out of the tinted window, observing the the bevy of people on the side walks, as the car skims by. Nora gets off the call.

" good news, Rachael has just confirmed orders of the BWF in tune of a hundred and fifty million dollars from China, its great for the company since we just" Nora ranted on but stops when she observes Shawty isn't jolted by the news and she hasn't looked at her since we got into the car.

"Shawty?"

Shawty turns to look at Nora, her eyes glassy with tears, sniffing.

"We worked hard for it, we didn't cheat."

" We didn't copy anybody; we did it ourselves. They're not going to take it from us, they're not going to have a share of it, never."Shawty chokes, tears rolling down to fill the corners of her mouth. When I was with her, I mean, when I was alive, I gave her an embrace and cried with her. I failed to imagine how a woman so strong could shatter into pieces at the back of the room where she'd been hercules in her words. There was a time when she had to fire a staff for insubordination. He didn't change after several warnings. The day she handed over the letter to him, she came into the car just like this, and brokedown in tears. I found it hard to convince her that she did the right thing, that people like that were harmful to business

"Danielle?"She sobs

"Is he going to get another job soon? "

My voice shaking "he will"

"he will" I repeated to her. We got down from the car to meet meet a bunch of paparazzi and fans, and her voice was as clear as the radio, eyes white like it wasn't stained some moments before. She signed autographs and took pictures, going into the hall for the event.

"You don't cease to amaze me"

" " I don't know how I do it."She said with a smile covering the floor of her mouth.

Nora keeps Shawty into her embrace as she countinues to weep. Nora's shirt is wet and rumpled but she doesn't move but keeps patting Shawty in the back.

"It's okay, we worked for it and nobody is going to take it away from us, right?".Shawty nods in the nook of Nora's shoulders, lifts and dabs her eyes with an handkerchief from the glove compartment.Shawty looks out of the window, at the neon lights on office buildings.

I float out of the car, up above the sky so high,the stars sparsely dot round the crescent moon.The world below seems so small, above tall monoliths I soar, negotiating the turns as that of Shawty's black G-wagon.This is something cool I don't get to feel when I was alive, getting to see things from whatever dimension I choose, getting to see two teenagers huddling together on the alley and at the same time see the cops go after maybe a shoplifter.

So much drama to hold at once. I should pretend I'd catch a cold from gliding through this aerial cruise, I'd better go back to the into the cozy vehicle, butts padded in sophisticated upholstery. I bob into the car, more like the way you jump out of a corner to startle your friends, hands wide open like you're going to claw out the brains out of them. You see them freeze for a moment and you begin to laugh. They feel silly and chase you round the yard. What I see isn't something anyone would be interested in running after me, even if they can see me.

" are you okay ma'am?" Carl quizzes, trapping on the brakes.

"Shawty talk to me, where exactly?" Nora says.

Shawty clamps on her stomach, wriggling her hands against her blouse. Her Chignon's falls off, matting her face. I sit, Nora trying her best to pat her, arranging her fallen hair to the back of her ear. Carl opens the door from Shawty side.All these are memories long forgotten, maybe not forgotten, just reiterating my why, the reason why I am here.

It was during the holidays, fifteen years ago, when I was twelve, Shawty , nine. Shawty's mum wanted us to spend the holidays with our origin. It sounded strange, no way in hell and I going with my mum to Birmingham, not to mention My friend's mum.Shawty objected, we'd decided when we were really young, more like the pinky promise , we'd have nothing do with Birmingham, given that we found ourselves in almost the same circumstances that now made Los Angeles home. We voiced out our disapproval at this, stumping and kicking hand and foot against the bed. Shawty's mum stood mute , head against the door, leg crossed, waited until we'd gassed out of energy. She came closer, sat on the bed with us,folded us under arms,

" I wouldn't hurt you my dear, I didn't mean Birmingham, I meant Africa". Our eyes raised from her arms into her face, holding her smile. We set out for Nigeria, joined celebrations of the Osun festival,in Osun state. Women in white wrappers, hairstyles decorated in cowries, hands and legs adorned in cowrie bangles. They danced, to the beat of some native drums, with calabashs on their heads to be offered to the gods, heralded down to the Osun river.Shawty's mum was a photographer, that day, I saw fumes at the edge of her camera. Almost every event was held captive on the device.

After the celebrations, we were directed to some fortuneteller ,harbinger or psychic as I knew them to be. It was dark, the full moon directly above us, stars, which I thought was as a result of an angel washing his clothe, flicked it so it'd dry quickly .The water drizzle mixed with detergent that flunk out , tarried down to earth , but got caught up mid air to shine every night,splayed across the sky.That was what I imagined as we were led into the house.

A short wooden door with rails stood at the entrance. It was dark, we negotiated right to climb the stairs, I heard the thud of my boots, the stairs were also made of wood. Even the ground of the first floor was made of wood. The man leading us made some speil, Shawty's mum held both shawty and I by the wrists, the door creaked open by itself, the man bowed and showed us inside and he stood by the entrance.

We walked in, I could feel my legs shaking, from the little reflection from the lantern on a low table, I saw some writings I couldn't read, drawings that looked like deers , gourds hanging from the ceiling. We got to the table,

"Welcome"

I got startled by the voice, I didn't know or never saw an image behind the lantern as we were coming in. The woman drew closer to the lantern from the darkness she'd been staying or hiding. Her hairs were in thick lumps of unkempt dreadlocks, two of her upper incisors were missing as she grinned at us, through the lantern. She brought forth a white bowl, which on previous instructions from man that led us meant money.

Shawty's mum stashed some notes into it, she withdrew the bowl and brought fort another bowl containing white cowries and asked us to hold one on each hand. The woman took what was left of the cowries from the bowl, jotted some silent murmuring into it.In a diluted form of English, intonation covered by dialect, she said to Shawty's mum she had a fate tied to one of these girls, to Shawty , she would find love where she least expected, that her womb was going to be blessed and all she-the woman- had said would last forever. The woman looked down at her table, raised her head and looked at me , and said, I was going stick around to tell her story, pointing at Shawty. The woman gave out a shrill laugh

"You can go"She said at last.

I felt awkward , tried deciphering what the woman had said. We got back to LA and I lost everything to lollipop and McDonald's. I didn't remember anything until I died and didn't transcend into heaven or hell , which ever one I'm meant to be, but stuck around Shawty, telling her story. I do know whose fate Shawty's mum is tied with, but I'm dead and she's alive , it seems more than likely, it's tied to her daughter's.

" ahnnnnnnn"Shawty groans, her head on her arm, which inturn is on Carl's headrest.Her free hand traces for her BWF which was between my thighs , before Nora placed it on the floor to attend to her. Nora catches Shawty's fingers, graping eagerly in the direction of the bag. Nora raises it up to Her. Shawty points her forefinger at the bag, and it parts open. The inner slits separate as her fingers approach, closing back as they retract. Shawty comes out with a white plastic bottle with an inscription on its cap,Heliverdizine.

Nora passes her a bottle of water, while carl ,eyes bulging out, brows raised in terror, torso bent towards Shawty keeps repeating if she was okay, like he is on blindfolds and can't see she isn't okay. Shawty lifts are blouse,palpating her stomach. Nora peeps out of the car, tilts her head at Carl. He jerks upright, back to his place behind the wheels. Shawty rests are head against her head board, sighs softly,pains ebbing out slowly.

A jeep screeches down to a halt beside Shwaty's, I glim at the window, Nora literally sticks her head into mine to have a look at the arrival.

"Excuse me, can't you see you're taking my space?" I blurt out. Lol, I can't believe I just said that to her.I press forward to give myself the freedom I deserve.

"He is here"

"Who?"

"Bill Goldberg".

Bill Goldberg? That name strikes familiar.I pin at the vehicle. It's a black G-wagon, Same as Shawty's.Shawty clips her hair into a ponytail, tucks in her blouse and winds down. Bill winds down, peering out, he is wearing a white shirt with bow tie. One hand cuffs on the steering wheel,showing the wristwatch that shimmers in low light . One side of his mouth lifts in a crook smile.

"Hey ladies"

Shawty crosses her legs, bends out towards Bill, waving her hand at him.

"Hi Bill"

"Hi, Shawty, went to make final preparations for my new Mustang and Lamboghini , need some expansion at my garage and stuff, Ehh, your i********: post was cool you know, the BWF and all, y planning on buying shares from y'all. What's up, why grinding here?"He says, punctuating each word with his hands.

"Yeah, that's great and nice of you. Sorting out logistics with my assistant.Wrapping up in a bit".

"Okay, yeah, I got some VIP tickets to Linkin Park's show tonight .I know it's kinda not proper but, will you like to come?"

" Ooh, that's nice of you, I'd love to, but I've got a business to handle"

" Yeah, can we hang out sometime later ?"

"Of course, next time".

"Yeah, next time, bye"

He winks at Shawty, rolls up his window and zooms off, his taillight disappears at the distant.Nora winds up the window, Shawty drops her head back against the headboard.Carl starts the car to motion.

"I will book an appointment with Dr Campbell , you should see him."

"No, not Dr Campbell. Book me instead with Dr Taylor".

"The Hollywood doctor?" Nora quizzes, with a jumbled expression of both surprise and questions on her face.

"Yes, met him at the Oscars.I want to have a change of hands"

"Okay, I will contact him tonight and I'll let you know when we're to see him ".

Nora gets off , bids Shawty and Carl bye and walked to where her car's parked.

" "Carl? Can you play me I see fire"

"Yes ma'am"

Edsheeraan perks up from the player, I float mid air outside the car, lock eyes into Shawty's.She purses her lips , tears bead in her eyes.The whole world outside invade those blue pupils of hers, blurred by the tears on them. Is it back? No, not possible.

Shawty holds her handkerchief to her nose,the muscles of her face crease together, stifling the sound ,hold not the river Shawty, let it flow.

We get to Shawty's house, the security personnel checks her in. It's dark but I can still make out the swings behind the flower edges. It was solemn sitting on one of those with Shawty and watch the sunrise , sunset and most times at night, the Orion belt and sword.We rock fort and back with our legs on stones,ankle deep in the gentle moving water current that flows from the an artificial water fall somewhere behind the house, channeled to flow round the hedges.Shawty gets off the car, Carl zooms to park the garage.Her high heels knock on the steps into the mansion.She peeps through the glass wall into her sitting room, walks towards the door still looking the sitting room. She opens the door. Flora stands behind one of the circularly arranged sofas, tucks her tail between her legs , her hair raises and she begins to growl and bark.Can she see me? Times I've walked in Africa, the dogs bark, they see ghosts.

"Flora why are you barking at me?"Shawty says. We both move towards the Flora, but she backs away.

"Danielle?" Mrs Rawlings voices from the sofa.

"No mum, it's Shawty"

I'm close to tears,if could cry and cause a heavy pour. I sit beside Shawty's mum, she said my name, if she could just say it one more time.I palm her growing grey hairs backwards. The veins in her hands like the road map of a city, her face wrinkling but still as beautiful as I remember.

"don't tell me what to say , you're twenty- six, Danielle, and still my baby". She said it again, my mouth is heavy,like I'm short of words , I have nothing I can do except drawing closer to hug her as she stares at Shawty.

"Mum" Shawty stairs towards her mum, knots her hands in hers, smiles at her.

" Mum, Danielle is gone".

Oh God, am I? I'm sitting right here, holding hands with you all.

" No she isn't, anyway, my chest hurts, like it's squeezing out like a sponge"She says, drooping her head a little. Shawty picks up a Lisinoprile and Zebeta tablets from the table.

"Alice?"

"Yes Miss Shawty?" Alice comes out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a napkin.

" Have you given mum her meds?"

"Yes I have,miss"

" And you checked her blood Pressure?"

"Yes , miss, a little above 180 but has dropped to 160 the last time I checked about ten minutes ago"

"Okay, thanks"

Shawty holds her mum in her smile

"Mum, you'll be fine". She kisses her mum by the cheek and makes way for the stairs. I stay back, looking at the photographs in the room. The pictures of African antelopes, elephants and lions decorated the space above the flat HD television .

I walk towards a large mable picture of Shawty.She sits upright, leg crossed on one of those studio chairs, rests her purse on her ash pencil skirt , a red ribbon laps over her white shirt, and her blonde pixie cut hangs above the determined blue eye look at the camera.

I move to red brick wall coax with Shawty's childhood photos, green icing to mould the five. Oh! these memories. I go round the circular room, past the different paintings and murals hanging and sitting against the walls, then finally go upstairs to join Shawty.

I walk on the rug, a lamp is lit beside her bed. She's having a bath, I can hear water rippling to the floor of the bathroom. Wires , switches, buttons and pieces of fabrics and a laptop on a table, mounted by two big lamps.

The water stops, She steps out in a towel,water dripping from her fallen hair. She picks a remote and her phone from the work table, helps herself to the hammock positioned at the centre of the room. She presses the remote at the ceiling and the ceiling rolls out to open up to the sky. She drops the remote and phone on the stool beside the hammock, climbs on the hammock and begins to swing gently. Stops, picks up a book-like a diary and pen from the glass stool and wrote

"What's the colour of the sky at night?" She places the pen below her chin and continues.

" In how many ways can you get the colour white?"

Then she finally writes.

"Compatz isn't going to get a dime from where she didn't sow."

The sky I find difficult to describe. Sometimes it looks like a skin with shinning goosebumps. Sometimes the moon looks choked , stranggly and no more than a packet of crescent dust just to show its fading existence. Sometimes, the moon stands at the centre, a clear zone of inhibition between it and the millions of stars on both left and right , like it's a man standing in the middle to orchestrate two parts of the same world.

This night, the sky carries a faint shade of the blue moon, dotted with stars- some cluster, some sparse, some not too shy to be seen, some far away but simmer at a distant ;glimming at you when you strain your eyes, like they're saying hello. Nights like these hypnotised me, spoke to me as the breeze raised and dropped my hair in a bow.

I surveyed the sky to see which was bright enough to hold my gaze, hold my imagination. I couldn't find one based on brightness, all unique in varying intensities.Except in alignment, my heart fell for the Orion belt and sword. The three Sisters, far apart but appear close on accident of perspective. Just like how I am with Shawty, far but close.

Shawty stares on at the sky, I sit on her bed watching as a thousand thoughts stream in and out of her head. What is going to happen if the doctor confirms it's back? Will...

Shawty's phone beeps.

"Hello Nora?"

" One is okay, We'd have round off at the office, yeah, tell him we'll see him by One.. okay, bye". The phone disconnects.

By one, tomorrow , She's going to see the doctor. Shawty presses the remote and the ceiling rolls back to place. She changes to a night robe , reads Golden Rule Of Success by Napoleon Hill for thirty minutes with the lamp by her bed and zones off with the book wide open in the crook of her fingers. I move closer to switch off the lamp and cover her they don't grip, I can't hold anything or influence anything.

The door gently creaks open, the lamp reflection makes the figure's shadow elongate and melt with the wall, nudging slowly towards the Shawty. The figure appears into the light, Mrs Rawlings closes the book and placed it on the stool beside the lamp, cull the bed spread up to shawty's neck, tucks her hands in and beside her her, separating the facial hair. A smile leaps to her lips, she kissed Shawty on the forehead. Shawty adjusts in her sleep and turns away. Mrs Rawlings switched off the lamp and trails out of sight into darkness, out of the room.

While everyone is sleeping, I'll swing on the hammock and recall my dreams, the ones I had the last moments I spent alive, on earth.In the dream, I was before a bridge that was made of wood. The bridge went from the edge of the cliff I was standing on, going up into a door -wide open,that was at the edge of another cliff about hundred metres away. The cliff was really high, about three times the height of that I was standing on.

The bridge I was upon was very narrow and couldn't take both legs at the same time. It had to be placed one after the other. I brought fort my feet to test how solid the bridge was. On placing my leg, the whole bridge shook like it was made of feathers. I saw from my edge that the door on the other cliff had started closing. I was taking a deep draught of air when I heard foots bushwacking aft me. I looked back and I saw a long line of people, hands knotted together, Shawty and a dark man in the middle, all echoing "Don't go""Don't go". I turn to look at the other cliff, the door was way from closing shut. I was cut between staying back and going forward.

" you don't want to go, I know you want to stay"Shawty screamed. I looked at the door once again and I made a decision. I ran on the bridge, knocking straight for the door. As I step on each stair, the plank support holding the bridge began to give way. The bridge started falling like a pack of domino. I pushed harder, Shawty yelling "No !"behind me. I intensified my speed, ticks before getting to the door, it screeched and jammed shut. The bridge fell completely and I stood, floated mid air. I looked back, I saw everyone, except Shawty, seemed like she cried off. I floated back to them, this time seemed like there were waves and energies between us, that I couldn't feel or touch them.They couldn't see me. That was all I saw before waking up.