Defeat ordered her steps then as she moved to a bench, smoothed her gown beneath her and sat. She refused to look Raj’s way when he joined her. He reached for her hand, but she refused to be held and tried to retract both her hands into the gown’s chic, overlong sleeves.
“I’m not on Eka’s side in this,” Faraji said.
“So you’ll help me convince Papa, then? Talk him into letting me go back to New York and finish my visit with Aunty Char?”
“Jer...Mamae’s already put her foot down about that-”
“Only because she disagrees with how Aunty raises Ashira and Chazria,” Imani said of her mother’s sister Charifa and her two daughters. “She actually gives them freedom to live their lives,” Imani tacked on solemnly.
“You can’t escape this, Jer.”
“So you keep telling me. Does that help you handle that you’re next Raj?”
Faraji Kamande half turned on the bench. His strong, carved features presented a stunned countenance. “You think I enjoy seeing you go through this?”
“I don’t know, Raj. Perhaps,” Imani refused to soften. “I’m only a girl. I’m meant to be poised and pretty and sit quietly while others decide which monster to give me to.”
“Jer,” Faraji whispered savagely, covering both his sisters hands with one of his. “You’re being unfair now-”
“Unlike most of our family, who act like our attendants are just employees, I actually get to know them,” she said. “Kapango Nassor has quite the reputation. Ruthless in business and, if the rumors are true, sometimes lethal. I won’t go into what they say about his manner toward women.”
Faraji laughed, but sobered quickly at the look Imani daggered his way.
“Jer...listen to yourself, now. If the rumors are true? Since when do you barter in gossip?”
“These things are proven Raj,” Imani spoke with a calm she was proud of. “Why don’t you ask our brother? Our cousins? Mzuzi and Sefu know and Eka?” She coughed out a harsh laugh at the mention of her brother’s name. “He and Nassor have been friends forever. Eka knows this. He’ll gladly ignore it if it means getting his hands on the Nassor mines in Tete Province.”
Faraji observed his younger sister with a mix of exasperation and wonder. “If what you say is true, how could Papa allow it? Alright, maybe some do treat the attendants like employees, but not Papa. He knows them and their families back to the eldest of the lines. His family comes before everything, including wealth.”
“Yes, yes and it would seem Nassor has been a perfect gentleman these last two years. Saying and doing all the right things-hasn’t been seen with a woman at all.”
“Well then-”
“No Raj, this has Eka’s doing all over it. He knows Papa would never bind me to an unworthy male.”
Raj’s laughter echoed around the balcony. “Do you really think Kapango Nassor and Eka have devised some elaborate scheme to turn him into husband material? Good God, Jer, why?”
“Raj, our father is the wealthiest man in Mozambique, one of the wealthiest in East Africa. A son in law would do well in such a family regardless of whatever personal assets he brings with him.”
Raj looked horrified. “Are you really only seventeen-”
“Soon to be eighteen,” she reminded him.
“The way your mind works- you can be scary brilliant, you know?”
“Actually, I simply pay attention. You should try it sometime.”
Before Faraji could retort, Imani’s name rang out as if it carried over a growl. Eka Kamande, first born son of Chief Hilar Kamande and his only wife Isis Djao Kamande, stormed onto the balcony with all the calm of a raging bull.
“Papa is on his way down,” the growl still prevailed in Eka’s voice. “Get your behind back inside now!”
Fear didn’t make so much as a cameo appearance on Imani’s face. Faraji, on the other hand, looked frightened enough for everyone. There were few who squared off with Eka Kamande and lived to tell the tale.
“I’ll be back when the Chief arrives,” Imani said.
“You’ll be back now.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Imani made a show of faking surprise, “you must be under the mistaken impression that you’re my father. Thank God, some things have worked in my favor-”
“Imani!” Faraji cried.
Eka aimed a finger at his youngest sibling. “You will get back to the table Imani, or-”
“What?” She turned on the bench to lay into her brother with accusing eyes. “How could you bring him here?”
Discovery gleamed in Eka’s exotically slanted stare. The smile made him even more impossibly handsome...and smug.
“Oh I’m sorry, baby sis,” he cooed, “Were you under the mistaken impression that Kap was going to announce his plans in a signed, sealed letter? One you could intercept during your daily run to the front desk? Yes, I know all about that. This was too important to leave to the mail service, so we handled it all by phone.”
Eka moved around behind the bench then. “Your intended had such a long, lovely chat with Papa. Tomorrow night, my beautiful sister, you will arrive here on time and stunning to receive a formal introduction to your future husband.”
“I won’t!”
“You will! Now you can either let us escort you back inside for dinner with our father or I can carry you in kicking and screaming over my shoulder. I’ll dump you at the table where you can explain to Papa why you look like a frazzled cat-!”
“Excuse me?”
In unison, the siblings looked to the stranger who had invited himself into their argument. Eka straightened from the bench where he’d roared at his sister. Faraji bolted to his feet. Imani remained seated, but her expression carried the same amount of surprise and suspicion.
