As calmly as I could, I placed drinks in front of Connie and me. The men noticed the action but did not ask for drinks themselves. After taking a sip, I set the cup down and prepared to speak. "What do you want?" I asked. I made no attempt to hide the hostility in my voice. They either ignored it or it just didn't register with them. After about a minute had passed, the tallest one stood up and removed his shades. "Prince, we have finally found you after all these years," he said and proceeded to cry as he lunged forward and hugged me. He squeezed me so tight I had trouble breathing. The man didn't let me go until one of his comrades told him my face was turning blue. "What are you talking about?" Connie asked, speaking up for the first time since the men had sat down. I was wondering the same thing but couldn't ask because the air had been forced out of my lungs. "This man here," said the tallest one, pointing at me, "is the prince of a tribe of the Blackfoot Indians. We have searched for him since his mother took him when he was six years old. Now that we have found him, we have come to take him to rule the tribe." "Who are you?" I asked now that I finally regained my breath. This guy was giving me the creeps and I had no idea what this was doing to Connie. I glanced over at her just then and saw that she was hanging on to the man's every word. The man seemed shocked for a minute, but then answered in a somewhat surprised voice. "Do you not remember me, Prince? I am your old friend, Jared." I thought back into my past, but as usual drew a blank. I've never been able to remember the first ten years of my life but I never understood why. I didn't believe him. It sounded like it was a fairy tale from Aesop's Fables. Still, I had more questions for Jared. "Who are those two?" I asked him. This time he didn't seem as shocked as before but Jared was still a little shaken. "The one on my left is your second cousin, Jamar, and the other one is your half brother, Xaviar. They are both bodyguards, like I am." Jared gave me a curious glance as he leaned back and told my "half-brother" and my "second cousin" something in another language. "My mother did not brainwash me and I'd appreciate it if ya said whatever ya had to say about me family face-to-face instead of beh'nd me back." My accent was coming out like it always did I when start to get really mad. "You must think I am pretty stupid if you think I'm not going to understand Trinbago. I was speaking that language for as long as I remember." Jared and the other two looked shocked that I was able to understand them and for a moment didn't do anything but stand there. "My prince, forgive us," Jared said as he bowed his head to me. The other two followed suit, although Xaviar seemed a bit reluctant. I can't stand people treating me like I'm special. It just bugs the hell out of me. "Get up. I don't want you to bow to me. I'm nobody special." I turned my back on him and motioned to Connie to start packing up. I didn't want to hear any more of his lies. This was probably a prank some kids from school were pulling on me. I helped Connie fold up the towel, being very careful to keep the knife I had hidden from view. No sense in taking useless risks. The three bodyguards didn't say a word the whole time we were cleaning up. As soon as we finished, though, they grabbed our stuff and walked away. Connie started to shout, but I touched her on the arm and told her to be quiet. I had a suspicion where they were going and I didn't like it. We followed them to the parking lot and it wasn't until Connie saw them standing by my car, she understood. These guys had taken the time to find out which car I was driving, they knew where we were that day, and there were probably a myriad of other tiny details they knew about me. Who knows what they knew about Connie and my family? That also meant they probably knew where I lived. This was starting to get serious. "Who are you guys?" I asked again as we got near. Connie muttered a half-hearted thank you, never forgetting her manners. "And don't tell me some bullshit story about how you're bodyguards searching for me to give me the throne of some Indian tribe." I paused to catch my breath and noticed an uneasy look pass between Jamar and Xaviar. "Also, why are you coming after me? Isn't there someone from the tribe who can lead?" Jared stared at me for minute or so. He seemed to be locked in some internal battle about what he could and couldn't tell me. Finally he heaved a big sigh and said, "All will be revealed on your eighteenth birthday. Until then, I can tell you no more." He turned around and the three of them, walked away. Before they were out of sight, Xaviar called over his shoulder. "If you want proof that what we say is true, ask your mother." I stood there watching them leave. There was nothing else I could do.
Go to Chapter 3.
Return to main menu.
