Afri…ah, ah Nikki are twins, they say. I must apologize for staring. Ah, Nikki,” Mimi looked at Afrika to confirm that she had chosen the right name, “told me about this wonderful person she had become friends with and had so much in common with. I just didn’t know how ‘in common.’”
“I’m a little darker than Asia, but our hair is about the same length and we wear it in a ponytail. We’re about the same height, and we both love pizza,” Afrika said all in one breath. “But, Mommy, you won’t believe this. We both had a sixth finger that was taken off.”
Mimi’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and refused to open.
“Mommy, what’s up with you? Did you hear what I just said?”
“Afr…Nikki, I heard you. I’m shocked; that’s all,” Mimi said, not venturing to look at Asia. She wanted to run as fast as her legs would take her. It was a mistake, coming back to Durham. Her husband had begged her to go to Germany with him, but it was Afrika’s desire to go a Historically Black College—North Carolina Central, to be exact. Mimi didn’t want to hear anything else—nothing about what Afrika and Asia had in common and in particular, who Asia’s parents were. She held her heart until she felt Afrika shaking her.
“Mommy, what’s wrong? You’re acting so strange. Should I call Daddy?”
“No,” Mimi said, catching her breath and really taking a good look at Asia this time. “Ladies, forgive me. I’m a little stressed out with all the moving. I’m going to make an appointment soon to make sure I’m all right.”
“I’m going to call Daddy,” Afrika said, full of concern.
“No, no, that won’t be necessary. All your father will do is worry.”
“My dad is in the Army,” Afrika explained to Asia. “It’s his last tour of duty, and he wanted Mommy to go with him. But you know how mothers are. Mine followed me to Durham so that I would have someone close by, if I needed anything.”
“Where did you come from?” Asia asked.
“Fort Riley, Kansas. My dad was stationed there, but I’m glad to be in a big city. We had to drive either to Topeka or Kansas City to experience the life of a big city.”
“My parents, my brother, and I have lived in Durham all of my life,” Asia explained. “But my grandfather was in the military, and he and my grandmother lived in Germany once.”
“So did my grandparents,” Afrika said. “Wow, another coincidence.”
“It’s a small world,” Mimi finally said.
“I stopped by so Asia could meet you, Mommy. I was hoping that you would be up to going out to lunch. I told Asia what a cool mom I had—that you were fun to hang out with, that you loved shopping, and that you were the life of a party and could sing your ass off. Oops…I mean, can sing your butt off.”
Mimi smiled.
“Yeah, you’re going to have to hang with us one Saturday, Mrs. Bailey,” Asia said. “Maybe do some karaoke. And I want you to meet my parents.”
Mimi fixed her face so the fear that seemed to encompass her body wouldn’t show. She didn’t know what it was, but it was more than a premonition. If anything, the cause of her fear was standing in front of her. No facts to prove anything, but it didn’t seem to be a case of mistaken identity.
With a smile on her face, Mimi patted the two girls on their backs. “I’d love to hang out with the two of you one Saturday. Just give Mommy some advance notice, ah, Nikki.”
“Great, Mommy.”
“And don’t forget; I want you to meet my parents,” Asia said again.
“Okay, okay,” Mimi said with less conviction as she wiped her brow with her fingers. “I’ll do that.”
She kissed Afrika and gave Asia a hug goodbye. If your parents are whom I think they are, Mimi thought to herself, I have no plans to ever meet them.
She watched as Afrika drove off. Then a terrible thought lit up her mind like an unexpected lightning bolt that splintered the sky. What if Asia took Afrika to meet her parents? Would the same thoughts cross their minds that had crossed hers when they saw Afrika?
“My God, I have to warn Afrika,” Mimi said out loud. But to warn her would require Mimi to give Afrika an explanation. What would she say?
The devil was definitely busy and conspiring to wreak havoc on her life; although she hadn’t been in