KIAN'S ACT

Four

The dinner was going to be in an hour and a half, and I was already dressed. I stood in front of the mirror, looking myself over. My eyes flowed over the swing A-line yellow sunflower dress that I was wearing. It was an elegant, vintage dress that Shaka said gave off ‘Audrey Hepburn’ in the 50’s/60’s. It was a halter neck with a sweetheart neckline, and it was ruched by the chest with a bowknot between my breasts. It had a figure-flattering bodice and a flared out skirt, a criss-cross back and it ended below my knees. I wore it with a pair of simple black high heels and black stud earrings that I’d bought at Mr Price. 

My eyes then connected to my own downturned ebony eyes. I was always a bit different. My features were simply…alien as some would say. I had a diamond face, round lips and a funnel nose, a clear indication of me being black. I didn’t have strong bone features– instead, they were more subtle and soft on my bronze skin. I had a deep dimple in my left cheek that was almost always visible, even when I wasn’t smiling, and I preferred keeping my hair short. My signature hair style was a sunflower blonde pixie cut, and I had a pear body shape, all packed in a 4’11 body. 

I had the most unusual features all put together into one, and Shaka says it’s what he loves most about me. I never used to feel any sort of way about my features, even when my grandmother would refer to me as ‘the strange one’. My father was mostly my rock. He told me that I had the best parts of him, which were his nose and his downturned ebony eyes, and the best parts of my mother which were her round lips and the longer lower lashes than the top lashes that he found so unique. He told me that I was one in a million and to never be shy of that, so I never was. He was persuasive like that. So instead of hiding away from people, I kept my hair short, making sure that they all paid attention to me having the best of two people on my face. 

I fixed up the front of my pixie cut even though it was already perfect and then lifted the sunflower crown onto my head. I smiled widely, the deep dimple on my left cheek more pronounced as I took in my reflection, “Oh, I’m going to be the brightest one there,” I said with a laugh as I did a twirl in front of the mirror. 

I turned away from the mirror, “I’ll take pictures a bit later,” I said in thought as I looked at my empty glass of apple juice, thinking about video calling Shaka, and then decided that my need for something to drink was greater. I picked up the glass and walked towards the closed door of the private guest room that I’d be staying in for the rest of the weekend. I put my hand on the handle and turned it, opening the door to be met with the same man in the suit from the airport, who hadn’t left my side since I got her. “James, hey,” I said with a grin and he turned to me, his eyes widening a bit as he took me in. “Pretty, right?” I asked him as I stepped out and then did a little twirl for him to see everything. “It’s a bit bright, but the world has become a really dark place, so we do need some colour,” I explained with a grin as I faced him again. 

He gave me a small smile, “you really like sunflowers, don’t you?” he asked me, and I giggled, nodding my head enthusiastically. 

“More than life itself,” I responded honestly, before I waved my glass a bit for him to see the reason that I stepped out. Samantha told me that I wasn’t allowed to wander off without James by my side, and wherever I wanted to go, he had to go with me. I found it a bit strange, but figured that she didn’t want me to get lost or something. “I want a little more apple juice, and then I’ll drink water, I swear.” I quickly explained since this would be the fourth time that we were going out to get me apple juice and I was sure that he was tired of me at this point and worried for my health. Once I started drinking apple juice, I couldn’t stop. But surely if I drink one more glass of it, and then drink water, it’ll be balance right? Besides, apples are healthy, so…you know, no harm no foul.