Footsteps
rhythmically tapped on the dusty wooden floor, one set, soft
stepping, the other much heavier. Paper and cloth could be heard
rustling, it's harsh sound, loud in the darkened space, the room was
barely brightened by the light of the half moon through the several
small arched windows, evenly spaced out. A thin beam of light moved
around without a firm destination. Moments later, the beam of light
stood still, all noises quietened, as if frozen in time. Someone
hissed sharply between their teeth, breaking the solemn silence.
Another, spooked at the sudden noise behind them, caused the
flashlight to move haphazardly, illuminating it's surroundings in the
randomness of fright.
“Geez!!
What you trying to do?! Give me a heart attack?” Aluna whispered in
a waspish tone at her companion, her head turning to look at him.
Kemi, an average height but lanky male, of deepest mocha colouring,
his black tight curled hair was cropped close to his head, his left
ear lobe glowed minutely from it's small white bone earring, his
contrasting salmon-pink shirt and faded black denim jeans which
complimented his skin, tucked into leather biker styled boots.
His
deep, smoky, guttural voice replied, “No, of course not, mon amour,
but I didn't expect that we would ever find THAT in this Godforsaken
place! After many weeks searching across the world, looking through
family heirlooms in London, Algiers, Cape Town and Quebec before we
came here.” Dumbfounded, he looked around with slight suspicion,
black eyes boring into the shadows and crevices around them, sweat
breaking out along his high forehead.
She
turned her head, sleek black hair swishing across her green silk
covered shoulders, refocusing the ray of light back to it's previous
location, highlighting the oval shaped container of sandy-coloured
marble. It was surrounded by brittle pale straw that protected it
within a small wooden crate. Murmuring to Kemi, “Well, it seems
that we've finally found it!! Grandmére would be so pleased.”
Aluna's
toffee coloured hand with it's French manicured tips reached out,
almost reverently. And gently scooped up the music box then slowly
turned towards Kemi. She lifted her eyes the soft chocolaty brown
colour, gleaming in the semi-darkness. She looked at her husband and
grinned, feeling rather pleased with herself. She handed her
flashlight over to him, her free hand approached the top of the box,
taking a deep breath. She lightly blew across it causing the dust
motes flutter in the air. Her thumb pushed upwards, tenderly, under
the lip of the lid, a melancholic
tune escaped it's confines. She opened the lid further.
Buried within the pearlescent satiny folds, lied the obsidian body of
the Black Queen, the missing chess piece they had been seeking.
Reaching
behind her, she pulled forward a khaki-green padded canvas backpack.
Aluna unzipped the front flap and took some the bubblewrap, handing
it to Kemi. He then took the music box, closed the smooth lid,
securing the Black Queen within, wrapping the air-filled protection
around it before handing it back to Aluna so she could placed it
inside her bag.
Giving
her a hard kiss, then grabbing hold of Aluna's left hand, Kemi turned
towards the entrance with steely determination. His instincts
clamouring to increase his speed, fear nipping at the heels of his
boots as the flashlight illuminated a path across the floor. Finally
they burst free through the door, gulping in the fresh balmy night
air. Kemi heard soft laughter behind him, a frown etched on his face
as he turned, raising a forefinger at Aluna and muttered, “Don't...
please do not laugh... it's not funny!”
“Oh
but it is. Who would have thought that my stoic darling husband would
be frightened of dark places?” She said with a teasing lilt to her
voice, then seriously, she continued. “But you are right, it's not
truly funny. You came this far with me, thousands of miles from home,
to this dinky little place in the middle of Nowhere, Louisiana.”
Aluna smiled and stepped forward, hugging her husband tightly around
his waist before lifting her head and planting a firm kiss upon the
corner of his full lips before whispering, “Let's go back home to
rainy England, shall we?”
A
few days later, Aluna and Kemi, were walking rapidly down the long,
white, sterile hospital corridor, feeling nervous with excitement,
each of them clutching items in their hands; Aluna had wrapped a deep
purple velvet covering around the music box, tied with a black
ribbon. Kemi held a freshly cut bouquet of flowers, cut from their
own garden that very morning – Pale pink roses, green wisps of
baby's breath, tiny buds of white carnations and sprigs of long
stemmed mint, his fist almost snapping their fragile stems in two.
Approaching
the nurses station, they enquired as to where Grandmére's room was
and proceeded at a calmer pace, Aluna shook her head and clucked her
tongue reproachfully at Kemi when she saw the flowers looking a bit
unkempt and bedraggled.
A
few steps before the door to the room, Kemi pulled up and tugged
lightly on Aluna's arm. He gave her a smile of wondrous appreciation
as he surveyed her outfit, an ivory coloured cashmere sleeveless
dress, cream coloured peep-toed sandals and matching cream shoulder
bag, looking stunning against the background of her dark skin. A soft
pinky hue stained her cheeks as she blushed, her white teeth flashed
when she smiled, looking at him in return, admiring his physique in
black fitted trousers, dress shoes and a crisp white shirt that stood
out starkly against the almost blackness of his flesh.
“Hey,
you two!! Stop faffing out there and get in here now!” commanded a
strong voice from within the room. Aluna and Kemi smiled with
exasperation, rolling their eyes in jest before pulling their
shoulders back, straightening their faces into easy going smiles,
took the remaining few steps into the room.
“Good
morning Grandmére, you are looking well,” said Aluna. Kemi nodded
his greeting and reached across, giving Grandmére a peck on her
cool, thin, papery cheek and awkwardly handed her the bouquet. Aluna
openly appraised her Grandmére, looking from the top of her neat
silvery-white cornrowed head, her milky chocolate coloured face
framing her small beady clear dark eyes which missed nothing, button
nose, firm mouth that presently had a serene smile of thanks towards
Kemi, her barely-there chin resting on top of heavy bosomed chest.
Wires threaded themselves from beneath her hospital gown's short
sleeve, linked up to the heart monitor to her right, making steady
reassuring muted beeps.
“Well
Grandmére, we have a gift for you. We searched the addresses you
gave us and found this,” Aluna said, handing over the packaged gift
and watching with interest as Grandmére tugged off the ribbon,
folded it neatly then placed on her bedside table and peeled back the
velvet covering. Grandmére gasped in astonishment as she recognised
the pale wheaten coloured music box. She hesitantly pulled open the
lid and a smile lit upon her lips as the soft music began to play.
Grandmére's eyes narrowed, becoming slightly fearful as she pushed
open the lid further, barely a millimetre at a time, her movement
matching her heart beat that emitted from the monitor, and with a
great whoosh of harsh escaped breath, she sighed shakily, spying the
obsidian Black Queen nestled within. “Yes, this is the missing
piece, the one my father lost 37years ago. Well done for finding it.
It will rejoin the rest of the board when I leave the hospital!”
Without
warning, a shrill sound blared from the heart monitor, the little
black screen showing a single long green line across the middle,
Grandmére dropped the music box off the side of the bed, smashing a
corner as it hit the floor, the Black Queen rolled out of it's
protective confines, rattling along the polished white floor.
“Grandmére!!! HELP!!” cried out Aluna, panicking. Kemi reacted
and slammed the red emergency button, setting off a klaxon that
brought doctors and nurses running, one of which pulled along a
crash cart.
Kemi
took hold of Aluna's shoulders, and pulled her backwards as the
doctors and nurses furiously worked on Grandmére, attempting to
restart her heart. After twenty-five minutes, the lead doctor shook
his head negatively, looked at Aluna and Kemi, defeat written across
his face as he quietly uttered, “I'm so sorry, she's gone.”
“NOOOOOO!!!
She can't be!! Grandmére!!,” sobbed Aluna, clutching savagely at
Kemi's shirt. “She can't be dead, tell me it's not true! Please!!!”
Her body shook violently in her grief, Kemi tightened his arms around
her, shock marred his face as he attempt to ease his wife's pain.
A
slender looking doctor lifted up the bedsheet, covering Grandmére's
ashen face while a petite nurse walked over to the dropped box, which
had been kicked out of the way in the commotion. She gathered the
broken corner piece, the box itself and lastly picked up the Black
Queen before carrying them across the room to Kemi. He reached out a
quivering hand, putting the crushed corner and the Black Queen inside
the music box, it's mournful tune floated around the room, matching
the disheartened mood and the brokenhearted cries from Aluna.
Back
home, several hours later, while Aluna was upstairs in their bedroom,
Kemi took out the pieces from within the sandy box. He laid them on
the kitchen table, muting it's music under a towel as not to disturb
Aluna. He then turned the box on to it's side, examining the damage
with a small torch and magnifying glass. He whistled as he realised
it's probable expense to repair it professionally. Flashing the small
beam of light inside, he saw something rolled up along the back wall.
He pushed in his pinky finger and tried to fish it out but to no
avail.
He
sneaked up the stairs to the bathroom, opened the mirrored cabinet
and took out his wife's make-up bag where the eyebrow tweezers were
found. Rushing back downstairs to the kitchen, he snatched up the
box, held the torch in his mouth and used the tweezers, attempting to
pull out the paper and at last, he succeeded. He placed the box on
the table as he unrolled the paper, confusion overcame him as he
stared at an old D series British 10 pound note which was dated 1979
and wondered at its significance at being buried so deeply within the
box.
