Chapter 3
Chapter 3
T he following Monday, ZsaZsa could not wait for the class she was in to wrap up. The rally was to start soon. James stated he would be there, and she really wanted to see him again. As soon as the professor ended the class she hurried to the nearest exit.
After meeting up with Phire, ZsaZsa was surprised at how energizing the political rally was for her. It gave her hope and dreams of how life could be in her country if they had something similar. But in her country, there was no option. They had the royal family and all dictates of life flowed through them. That is why it was important that she did all she could to ensure all of her countrymen and women had lives as rich as possible. It seemed Phire’s friend, LT Palmer had the same sentiments about the people in Richmond. And she could not believe James’ friend JC Harrison was able to galvanize all of those people at the rally the way he did. He actually had the people in a frenzy by the time he finished speaking, including her.
“That rally was off the chain.” Elliot boasted. “I can't believe JC jumped off of the stage.” he continued to laugh.
“He knew we were going to be there to catch him,” James stated as he walked with Elliot, Calvin, ZsaZsa, Angela, and Deirdre backstage to meet up with Phire and JC. “We would never let any one of us fall.”
“That is what one calls being a true friend, indeed.” ZsaZsa smiled up at James.
“Will you ever talk like a normal person?” Deirdre huffed. “They are called friends. They are homeboys, who are down with each other for life. You know like having each other's back no matter what. And that is pretty cool.”
“What you stated is no different than my words,” ZsaZsa shook her head. “I do not criticize your manner of speaking.”
“That is because I speak English,” Deirdre replied. “Most times I have no idea what you be saying.”
“That may be due to your lack of intelligence.”
“Are you calling me stupid?” Deirdre jumped in ZsaZsa's face.
“No one is calling anyone anything,” James interceded, then glanced at Elliott. He picked up the conversation.
“Did you see how quick Secret Service jumped in. I mean man… they cleared that space in one sweep and grabbed him right out of our hands.” Elliott beamed. “I’m going to be doing that one day.”
“Are you joining the Secret Service?” Deirdre asked.
“I’m joining the FBI right after college, then I’ll join the Service.” Elliott cleared his throat, “Hey, there’s JC and Phire.”
They followed Elliott until they reached Phire. She introduced them to LT Palmer, as they stood around talking.
James touched ZsaZsa on the shoulder. “It's still a little early. Would you like to go to the student center and grab something to eat?”
“I could stand to eat.” Deirdre smiled up at him.
“I think he was talking to ZsaZsa,” Phire stated.
“I don't think so. It sounded like an open invitation to me. Isn't that right James?” Deirdre smiled at him with her hand on her hip.
“It was not,” James stated, then added. “It’s an open food court. Anyone can go.”
“See, we should all go.” Deirdre beamed.
“No, we should not.” Phire turned on Deirdre. “I think he would like to spend some time with ZsaZsa.”
“Why?” Deirdre smirked. “She ain’t giving up nothing and he wouldn’t be able to understand half of what she says anyway.”
“Check yourself Deirdre and get in somebody's face that might want a piece of you. James Jr. is clearly interested in ZsaZsa. Live with it.” Phire replied.
“She doesn’t have nothing I don’t have, except the title of princess in front of her name.”
“Why are you so hot for James?” Elliott asked. “Is it because his last name is Brooks?”
“Whoa,” Calvin chimed in. “Are you one of those girls that is looking only to hook up with somebody with money?”
“No, that would be Angela,” Deirdre hissed.
“Why are you bringing me into this?” Angela frowned.
Elliott glanced over at James. “I got her. Go talk to your girl.”
“Run while you can,” JC joked. “We’ll catch up with you guys later.”
James escorted ZsaZsa out the door leaving the discussion going. “What is with her?”
“I believe she is interested in you, James. If you wish to be with her, I understand.” ZsaZsa stated as she looked back.
“I am with the person I want to be with,” James declared. “Besides, between your security detail and mine, we have enough chaperones and do not need Deirdre around,” James replied as they walked into the food court of the student center.
“Do you always have security around you?” ZsaZsa asked.
“Only when I’m out with JC,” James replied. “Or when there is a serious threat to the country. Then my entire family is covered.”
“My detail is very understanding,” ZsaZsa stated. “While I am on campus there is only one person covering me close up. The others keep their distance but are not far away.”
“I noticed that when we were walking on Saturday,” James nodded, hesitated, then spoke again. “I really enjoyed spending time with you the other night. I wanted to see you again.”
ZsaZsa smiled. “I was very excited to see you too.” Then she stopped walking and looked up at him. “I am not sexually active.”
James quickly glanced around to see if anyone heard her. When he was satisfied no one had, he stared at her somewhat confused. “Okay,” he said, then stepped closer to her. “Why are we talking about sex?”
“Well Deirdre is always implying that is what boys wish to do when they go out with girls. When I spoke on this topic with Phire this morning about you, I told her that I was not ready to be sexually active. I do not know if you are, however, she indicated it would be best for me to be open and tell you that I was not and I did not have any plans to be until I marry. Does that turn you off?”
James stared at her for a long moment. “May I hug you?”
He knew from the expression on her face that she had no idea why he had asked the question. Which he thought was perfect since he had no idea why she made the statement about sex.
“I think that would be acceptable.” ZsaZsa responded.
James gently gathered her in his arms and held her then began laughing. “I am not laughing at you. I simply love the way you just say what's on your mind.” He stepped back from her and took her hand in his. “Yes, I am sexually active. But that does not mean you have to be. If you don’t want to have sex with me or anyone else, don't. Sex is not the reason I like you.” He thought about what he said then explained, “There is something about you that intrigues me. I want to spend time with you to get to know you better. I'm a little older than you are, and I am finishing up my senior year in college, then I plan to go to law school. I'm sure that you have things you want to accomplish in your life as well. We can take our time getting to know each other. Then when both of us are ready we can discuss sex. How does that sound to you?”
“I think that is very reasonable as long as you are not having sex with Deirdre.”
“Trust me, I have no plans or desire to have sex with Deirdre.”
“James, I mean you no disrespect, however, I stopped trusting men when my brother used me.”
The statement took James by surprise. “Used you? How did LaVeré use you?”
“I do not speak of LaVeré. It is my brother Raheem I do not trust.” ZsaZsa explained.
Not sure in what direction the conversation was going, James found a table in the corner of the student center to sit. “Would you like something to eat?”
“I have become very fond of the french fries here,” ZsaZsa replied. “It will please me to have those.”
James could not help but smile. He loved the way she talked. “French fries it is. You have a seat, and I will be right back.”
While standing in line James decided to give his father a call. It wasn't often that he’d called his father while on a date but in this particular instance, he wanted to know more about ZsaZsa and her brother Raheem before he opened a topic that could be harmful to her.
“Hey, Dad,” James spoke when his father answered the phone. “In five minutes or less can you give me the rundown on what happened between ZsaZsa and her brother Raheem?” Due to the friendship between his father and LaVeré, if anyone could give him the scoop, it would be his dad.
“Hi, Son. Are you referring to LaVeré’s sister ZsaZsa?” His father asked.
“Yes I am.”
“That was a complicated situation. I’m not sure the full story can be told in five minutes,” his father replied. “Why are you asking?”
“I am here visiting with ZsaZsa. She made a statement about not trusting her brother Raheem. The last thing I want to do is open a conversation that would upset her.”
“You are in Richmond?”
“Yes. The guys and I came here to support Phire. She had a political rally for the guy who is running for mayor. I met ZsaZsa and now we're out having a bite to eat. When she made the statement about her brother, she seemed to withdraw a little. She said something about him using her. I didn't want to push it, but it made me a little curious.”
“You are out with ZsaZsa, who is LaVeré's younger sister, which makes her Princess ZsaZsa.”
He did not miss the censored tone of his father’s voice. “I think she is his only sister from what I know. Is there another?” James joked as he placed his food order.
“No, Son, there isn’t. However, I emphasize her position for you to act accordingly.”
“I am being a perfect gentleman, Dad. Now, back to my original question. Is there anything that you can tell me about the situation with her brother?”
“Without going into too many details, the situation involved three countries, Emure, Asmere, and the United States. Her brother Raheem had her kidnapped in order to prove a point to the newly appointed King Aswan, his older brother. A United States operative found her and returned her to her family. LaVeré brought her to the United States because he did not agree with the actions his brother Raheem took. He was also not convinced King Aswan would protect her from such things happening again.”
“Wow. How could he do that?” James questioned. “Remember when Jayda was missing? That entire event has impacted her life. The family made sure she received the help needed to deal with the trauma, but Dad, it was rough on her. I can only imagine how ZsaZsa felt knowing her brother, who should have protected her, was involved in that.”
“Their culture and beliefs are very different from here in the United States,” his father stated. “While we value the females in our lives, women are considered property in Emure. They are more like second class citizens or in some cases lower, even beneath servants there. It was one of the reasons LaVeré came to this country. He hoped to find a wife to help him change the mindset of their countrymen, especially the royal family.”
“No wonder the atmosphere changed,” James said. “Dad, thanks for the information.”
“Anytime,” his father replied then asked, “Son, what are you doing out with ZsaZsa?”
“There is something about her that I like,” James admitted. “I have to go Dad. Our food is here. I'll talk with you later.” He disconnected the call sensing his father had more to say on the subject. But he would deal with that later. For now, he wanted to spend time getting to know ZsaZsa.
He took the food back to the table. “I brought you a large order of fries, since you like them so much and added some chicken nuggets.”
She looked up at him with a smile that truly touched his heart. He liked that something so simple made her smile. “So, tell me. What is it like being a princess?”
“Not so different from you being a prince in the Brooks family here in the United States. However, in Emure it is one of the highest-ranking positions in the royal family. When my brother Aswan became King, my ranking became third in the kingdom, only after LaVeré.”
“What about your brother, Raheem?”
Her eyes that were bright a second ago dimmed. “He is now King of Asmere. I am not aware of all the details. However, I do know he was awarded a kingdom for the actions he took against me. It is yet another grievance for the women of my country. It is why I must return there upon the completion of my education here. It is my responsibility to create a plan to free the women of Emure from such injustice.”
“Will you tell me what your brother did?”
She stared at him for a long moment. “I do not trust easily, James. What took place exposed a great weakness for my country.”
James nodded as he reached over then took her hand in his. “I understand you do not know me well. Trust is something I take seriously. Whatever you tell me, you have my word I will not share it with anyone.”
She exhaled then gave him a slight curve up of her lips. “My brother had me taken from my bed in the middle of the night. I was away from the security of my home with ruthless people for three nights and four days. I was held in a small room behind a wall. A woman by the name of Akande cared for me. She was also being held as a captive. It was an American named Joshua, a friend of LaVeré’s, who came for me. He brought me safely home to my family, then left for the United States with Akande. It is said he fell in love with her and she with him. However, they were separated, because of the unrest in the countries of Emure and Asmere. Raheem had hired rebels, who had taken over the kingdom of Asmere to assist him with my kidnapping. They called themselves King Tarik and Queen Sermyera. They had reigned over Asmere for as long as I can remember. As it turned out, they were not the rightful heirs to the throne. It was discovered the rightful heir to the throne was Princess Sofia Abdulrazaaq, who was proven to be Akande. Her true identity was “Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, the true Queen of Asmere. To bring peace between our two countries, a marriage was arranged between Raheem and Akande. That made Raheem a king.”
“Your brother was never held accountable for his actions?” James asked.
“There are pieces of the story I am not privy to, however, while the United States was willing to hold Raheem accountable, according to the laws of my country a crime had not been committed. You see, women in my country are property to be used to acquire power or more land. What my brother did was only punishable by my family. They did not choose to act against him. However, to appease those in the United States and my brother LaVeré, Raheem was ordered to marry Akande, and I was allowed to come to the United States to be educated.”
James listened to the hurt in ZsaZsa's voice as she spoke of her ordeal. Yet, she had this desire to go back to her country to help other women gain freedom from an unjust society. That was a lot to carry for someone so young, he thought. “I believe you have won when it comes to carrying the burdens of children born to prominent families. I’m not sure if I were in your shoes I would go back to Emure.”
“Oh, but I must. While I have no desire to live there permanently, I cannot leave the women there to continue to live in those conditions. It is my duty as a member of the royal family to ensure all of Emure’s citizens are granted the best quality of life possible.” She sat up. “It is not just the women who need me. There is also an issue of class among the citizens of Emure. All are not considered equal.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” James sat closer listening.
“You see, those who serve the royal family are treated as royalty amongst the common man. They live in homes built from stone, rather than wood. They are given land closer to the castle, which is rich in soil and grassland. The merchants and craftsmen live in huts. While we do not have bad winters, the storms can be rough. Many times, homes are destroyed, and families displaced until more huts can be built. There is no planning of communities, as they have here in the United States. The common man must fend for himself. For a country as rich as Emure, that should not be the case.”
“There are communities that live in that manner here as well,” James stated. “They are not in huts, but their homes are not well built, or maintained. Some communities do not have clean water to drink. Children do not have access to food, or medical supplies. That should not be happening in this country, but it does.”
“I cannot say I have seen it here. Our home here is grand. Not like the castle, however, it is very comfortable. I believe everyone should have access to a decent home.”
James was amazed at the depth of her passion for people. She was only nineteen years old, yet she had a deep understanding of her purpose in life. As he watched her eat her fries and talk, he found himself lacking compared to her.
“You humble me with your clear purpose. You know what you must do for your country. Figuring out how to go about accomplishing your goal is where your education will help. I have so many doors of opportunity open to me yet, I have no idea what direction I should take.”
“Explain further.”
“Well,” he smiled. “My father is in politics, my grandfather is into civil rights, one uncle is in criminal defense, and the other owns a sports agency. And my aunt is into providing homes for the very wealthy. I find myself interested in all those areas. But…”
“You are not passionate about any,” ZsaZsa completed. “You do not speak of this with your heart. What makes your heart sing when you think of your future? What do you see?”
James took a moment. “I want to make people's lives better. You talk of doing the same for your countrymen. While you have a picture in mind of how you want to change things in Emure, me, well I can see it, however, I have no idea how to go about making it happen. The problem seems to be so monumental here. I mean, our government is set up for certain communities to fail. I believe that is an injustice that will take centuries to repair. But there is something in me that says it can be done.”
“Oh, James, you are destined for greater things than you could ever imagine. I can see it in your eyes.”
As he looked into her eyes, he could begin to see it too. He also could visualize them making a difference together. “How would you like to go out with me Friday night?”
“You mean like on a date?” ZsaZsa beamed. “It would be a dream come true.”
James laughed. “Don’t expect that much. But I’ll do the best I can.”