The World is Ours… a deleted chapter

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Kevin and Kenzi

When I started writing ‘The World Is Ours,’ I initially, started from the end and worked my way to the first chapter. However, it did not pan out as well as I hoped. I got stuck; it read like a stand-alone short story with no continuation, nothing to it…. so

I ditched it!

then I thought, why not just add it to the blog since the novel, now complete and set for release, is all done?

If you haven’t visited my website yet, to satisfy your curiosity about what this novel is yet, just follow this link

Now for the deleted chapter :

It was one of those Manhattan nights in 2015, city lights dotting the night sky for miles from the wide sliding windows of Kenzi’s luxurious condo.

It was beginning to snow again, lightly, as was told in the weather forecast. She had been excited about dinner and her flight. By 4pm, she was calling Kevin when she did not hear from him from the night of the party.

After the seventh ring, there was a clumsy clanging on the other side of the line as someone unsteadily picked up the phone. Kenzi flicked her wrist to check the time on her wristwatch; 4:45pm, the sun was beginning to set.

“Hey…” a husky tired voice drawled on the other end followed by a loud yawn.  Kenzi smiled, “Hey yourself,” She said then added casually, “You sound like you just got into bed.”

“Feels like…” the male voice on the other end chuckled and further in the background she could hear a female voice mumble something she did not catch.

“ This was  a rousing bachelor party; Bigz had a big send off. You can’t beat that, you know”

He chuckled again, “Hold up Kenz,” he added quickly and then seemed to say something to his female companion It was muffled by him probably covering the mouthpiece with his hand.

“Sorry about that,” He drawled sleepily into the mouthpiece.

“No worries, I bet it was!” Kenzi agreed grinning.  She could tell he had the phone poised between his shoulder blade and ear because of the muffled way his voice bounced off the speaker into her living room. “What’s up?”

Bigz was finally getting married and although the two men had hoped Ssaka would be there, Kevin had assured his friend they would have the rowdiest, most hedonistic bachelor affair, something Ssaka would have been proud of.

Kevin knew how to have a good time, he brought the fun to the party but left the soberest, she was not surprised he spearheaded the bachelor party singlehandedly with the groom’s permission of course. He gave new meaning to the hip-hop phrase ‘work hard, play hard,’ After Ssaka had disappeared Kevin had withdrawn for a few days, it felt like the loss of his mother all over again, when he resurfaced to the scene his new slogan was ‘Life is too short.’

 “You know what’s up… dinner at 7pm, I leave for Paris at 2am.” Kenzi reminded him like a mother gently nudging a child, reminding them they have homework.

“I didn’t forget, sleep ridden or not, I would make dinner,” Kevin chuckled, “were you worried?”

‘Nah, I wanted to wake you up. Can’t do late, the wedding is in 36 hours, no?”

“You sound worried to me Kenz,” he teased “and my best man swag is hanging in the closet, ready to go. Aunt Dina should hear you right now. Good Lord!”

Kenzi laughed, recalling how his mother hurried them to the car during school days so as not to annoy Taata Bob.

 “Who knew you would watch over me like this when we grew up, reminding me of my tardiness?” He drawled good-naturedly.

“I always did, hot head. Will you bring your companion to dinner, I can place another plate …”

Kevin had interrupted, “Nah. Dinner is our thing and it is a special occasion, celebrating your Paris breakthrough! You are far too kind, extending that invite beyond me but no, it is rescinded, I won’t have anyone else steal your limelight.”

“Are you trying to get onto my good side?” she beamed.

“ummm, a little … is it working though? I need to know?” He asked charmingly.

She guffawed suppressing a giggle, just like she did when she was a child when they sat together on the Bugolobi flats rooftop and dreamed of a better life.

“A bottle of dom Perignon might redeem you, as long as you bring it by 7pm.”

“Done! Infact I will be there at 6:30, just so to prove my act of contrition is true?” he was dramatic in his response. She shook her head, amused.

“Seeing is believing,” she smiled as she stared at the phone’s hands-free receiver.

“You should know by now you don’t dare Kev, you know that, don’t you?”

She grinned, “Iam waiting…”

“Alright, Princess,” He cleared his throat again and stifled a yawn.

Click.

 Kenzi appraised herself in the huge glass mirror that stood on the wall, her eyes a rare shade of blue and green sometimes one color overpowered the other depending on her mood, stared back at her. It had been a long time before she accepted herself, a mishap of a trial that had handed her the fashion industry. There are many dark girls like you, Alek Wek, you name it…but there are few dark girls with eyes like yours. She recalled Sketch assure her when she panicked about being picked for the Paris deal. Best believe it, this is yours, baby. And he was right.

America had been good to her as it had been cruel. She had faced two extreme reactions to her appearance, obsessive admiration, and outright repulsion. Her search for identity as a black girl in a white neighborhood, as a black girl amongst other black people, as a black girl whose mother had not loved enough. It was the blessing and curse she had to live with. It was something she grappled with, but solace was in Kevin who ascertained she was who she was, beautiful and that’s all that mattered. Anything she wanted, she could have if her dreams depended on it.  “Whatever you want me to do to help you on this course,” He had told her, “I am here now, and just so you know… If they didn’t consider you, I would probably shut them down myself,”

She had rolled her eyes at his haughty remark and scoffed: “like hell you would.”

“You know I have connections Kenz, I can do anything I want. I own the world.” He arrogantly belted his conviction with stark charisma, it was no wonder the ladies drooled over him. Kenzi had made a face. 

They were seated on the rooftop patio of her house, the temperature had started to drop like the leaves and New York was generally cold much to Kevin’s chagrin.   “Urgh, I don’t think I can deal with these seasonal changes. Uganda will always have the best seasons! Why complicate it. It should be hot or wet, not very hot and humid, then really wet with a side of snowflakes? What the fuck!”
Kenzi had laughed at his frustration. He did not like the western world as he called it, a changeable superficial place, where nothing was grounded. Kenzi could understand why, life had been a series of multiple changes layered over each other.

It was harder to tell when something would happen; it all just flipped on them, right from block 4. He did not like to be nervous. She often told him, he would get the hang of it, “You are into business Kev, and you know how it is; unpredictable and risky,”

He shrugged, “fair enough, but I can also see where my money is and I know how it is coming,” He defended stubbornly.

“Well, we have accuweather now,” she nudged him with her shoulder coaxing him gently.

“Accuweather my ass,” he laughed, “what happened to you being my side kick?”

“I still am.” She had put a hand over his. He had patted it lightly then squeezed it in his other hand.  “We own the world, Kenz. We always said we would remember?” 

***

Kevin was at her door at 6:29pm knocking in his familiar way, three rhythmically spaced raps.

 “You kept your word,” she said with all the mock diplomacy she could master, “and you look good.” She added, her eyes took in his leather pants, purple fitting shirt and elbow patched jacket.  His one hand clasped around the neck of the Dom Perignon and a single black baccarat red rose.

“A black rose?” Kenzi grinned, “for me? aww you sure know how to pacify a girl,” She reached for him affectionately, “give us a hug!”

Kevin hugged her back, bottle and flower in tow, “for you my darling, anything!”

“I know” she kissed his cheek “I probably should demand for the rare breed of black roses from Turkey. The ultimate pacifier,” she winked

“Woman, I give you an inch you take a mile?’ Kevin made a face “sheesh! I spoil you too much, ‘ultimate pacifier?’” he mimicked her as he strolled into her luxurious living room splurged in warm gold and burgundy.

 Kenzi laughed, “You don’t spoil me enough,”

“aww,” he laughed, “you don’t say! However, you do look smashing, are you taking the plane in heels?” She twirled so he could fully appraise her.

“Why thank you, I need to make a grand entrance from the airport, love,”

He shook his head and sighed, “Who would have known, you would turn out this way…”

Kenzi made a face as she headed to the kitchen to put some water in a vase she had picked from the credenza in the living room, “Turn out like what?” Her soft voice floated back to him. He walked round to the couch and sat, stretching his long legs out as far as he could. The nagging fatigue of a sleep debt still had its grip on him, “Well you know…the way you are, could you bring me a glass of water while you are at it?”

“You did not answer my question Kev, like what?”

“Does it matter?” He asked

She was standing by the door of the kitchen tall glass of water with a few ice cubes and lemon slices in it, “Yes it does, as a matter of fact.”

He turned and looked at her then shrugged, “Alright then, come here and I tell you,” She shook her head: “Dinner is just about ready, I was warming it up before you got here, you should enlighten me over a glass of Dom.”

He shook his head, “The water will do,”

She chuckled nonetheless and sat by him on the couch, handing him the water. “It must have been a wild night; how many women – I know drinks are not your thing- so women did you consume?”

He groaned throwing his head back, “Oh sharks, Let’s start with the weed. That was good. The women?   well, not many, I swear but there was a lot to flirt with, I was spoilt for choice. Iam a one-man woman though.”

“That’s how you had only one in your bed, huh?” she grinned. “So you, Kev!”

“What?”

“One-man-woman, get the fuck out of here. Mr larger than life! Iam sure those ladies were lined for miles to be with you. You were always that way.”

He grinned devilishly and waved a hand over her like a wand, “And you were always this way. Beautiful, soft, gentle…my heart.” His hand rested on his chest. He looked at her searchingly, “You know that bullshit I keep saying. Been saying for forever? That the world is ours?”

Kenzi laughed, “Yeah some bullshit.”

“Well, I always believed it, especially when we were younger, When I was with you… seated on top of block 4 roof top on those hot evenings after the dust of the day had settled,”

She smiled, “Oh that dust,” She recalled it all in that moment, the mood she thought they had escaped returned sitting lightly between them, a cascading invisible projector of memories exploding in rapid motion. For a moment it felt like time had zapped them backwards.

“Yeah that dust…Does it ever settle?” He asked almost absently, still held by the invisible hands of time.

“You know, I don’t think it does, there is always a new day and new dust to kick,” She tried to lighten the mood, dispel ghosts of the past.

“When you got taken,” He paused and sipped some water, “It was hard. I realized I was someone else for a long while; driven and ruthless …especially with those who hurt me… mom… Part of me was afraid I would not see you again. The world couldn’t be mine alone if you were not there to share in that power with me,” He drawled on as if in a dream.

Kenzi sighed. It was still so fresh for her too. It had only been three years that passed by so fast since she met Kevin again. No matter how much they talked about the past and the same things over and over, it never seemed to eliminate the details of pain. How does anyone get over that? She wondered.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be redeemed but to be relived through these moments they spent together. One thing had not changed though, she still loved him and adored him as she always had.

“Kev…” she paused, “The world is still ours and we still have our dreams,”

As easily as he had slipped into that reverie, he drew back from it and frowned , “Of course. So when you return from Paris, you and I should go to Dubai, or somewhere warm…say Christmas in the Caribbean?’

“Hmm, I will have to think about that. Got a winter shoot for the holiday edition of New Mode when I return…but it’s only a day or two then I can take a break. Besides, it will be only a few days to Christmas, do you leave soon?’

He shrugged, “I can extend my stay, two weeks more. I would like to celebrate your 24^th birthday if you please?”

She squealed, “Awesome! So we can spend New Year’s together! Yes!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Kevin was laughing, “Easy girl,”

She was past listening; her blue green eyes sparkled with an unusual glimmer of excitement “This means planning! Things to do, where to go…ok, I need to get this dinner on the table.” she was up on her feet heading to the kitchen, her steps, frisky and alit with excitement.

“I hope it won’t involve skating or whatever you people do in the snow,” He smirked.

“It’s an acquired taste Kev, you will get used to it,” she teased.

Kevin let his eyes soak in her apartment and finally rested on the painting she had newly acquired that graced the wall in the dining room adjacent to the living room.  “I like that painting you have, is it new? Wasn’t here when I last saw you?” he called out to her.

“Yeah, because it came yesterday morning. Thanks. I like it too,” There was a pause, “Tell me about the bachelor party. You were out for the last twenty-four hours. I mean, I could hardly reach your cell, and I figured there is an awesome story to that.”

Kevin got up from the plush burgundy seats and walked toward the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room and living room “the usual, drink up, strip tease, rowdy fun with the boys, telling jokes I could not let you hear,” he grinned at her as he said that “and to top it all off…I am still so sleep deprived Kenz, it’s crazy, I can’t even relate the evening to you as well as I often do because I am so tired…” then he lifted his face and sniffed, emitting  a small groan of delight, “But that smells good!” 

“Prepare your palette,” she announced as she laid out the table with food and silverware one by one, a feast fit for a king. She recalled Kevin telling her on the roof of the flat once, that they would never starve. Her eyes welled up, and her thoughts trailed from his hedonistic night of adventure.

“You okay?” Kevin had been talking and stopped, watching her, frowning.

 Kenzi started, her eyes fell on to the table and she motioned for him to sit, “Nothing really… you said we would never starve….”

Kevin watched her lower lip pout slightly, “You are not going to cry, are you?” He sat across from her at the four-seater.

“Oh silly of course not, I am just grateful for what I have and that you are here, I can’t help thanking God every day for that. We are so lucky Kev,”

“Hell with luck, Kenz, we were meant to have this and more. We only just started,”

She shrugged, “Well…”

“You kept me sane through it all too.  All I had to do was think of you …look at that photo and tell myself… it was all for you, I had to find you. I couldn’t do it alone.”

“Aww you make me blush,” she teased

He laughed, “Damn! if people out there knew what you brought out of me, I probably would not get the business deals I get,”

She laughed, “You are still that fearless boy I knew on Block 4 who teased me and gave me food and did homework with me and…”

“Beat your mother’s boyfriend’s away,” He said hesitantly, “I don’t want to talk about her if you never want to,”

“It’s alright,” Kenzi smiled, “How is she by the way.”

Kevin sighed, “Last I saw her…well, the same,”

Kenzi nodded and focused on the food on her plate.

“When do you want to come visit,” He finally asked

Kenzi helped herself to more matooke, “I don’t know,” she said, avoiding his gaze.

He could understand why and she probably would never want to, that was her choice, he could accept that. It was a nightmare growing up the way she did. “I have plans to look at the oil plants in Hoima.”

“Getting into oil, are we?” she brightened up on that note

“Yeah, it’s the next big thing,”

“Big as gold?”

“Gold is gold, some things are constant, but oil is the big thing in Uganda now and getting a share of that black gold is going to take blood, not with how it is being autonomously governed like it’s state property,”

“Be careful, I have heard stories,” Kenzi warned seriously.

“I am fine Kenz, if I could survive the DRC, I can survive anything. Our plan is full proof, it might be slowly coming together but…” Kenzi sat up right looking at her best friend with a glint of admiration in her eyes.

“What’s the plan with all this money; early retirement?”

He grinned digging his fork into the chapatti slices on the serving plate, “A man needs to do some travelling with his money and his adorably beautiful friend. I bet everyone will be asking for a piece of you,” He slapped his thigh as he said that, “Speaking of which, you still don’t want me to go to Paris with you?”

“It’s rather too late to, don’t you think? You have Bigz wedding day after tomorrow, And we had this discussion already, I shall be fine,” She rolled her eyes, “Besides, I don’t get down like that, you know,”

“Yeah we did, Kenz… and then on a lighter note…do you ever get down?” He laughed; he stressed the ‘down’ for effect.

“Really?” she shot him a warning glance, “Not like you, I don’t. I hope you play it safe,”

He leaned back into his seat, “Of course I do, you worry about me too much,”

“I just think you are way too adventurous braving too close to the cliff of life… I want to make sure you don’t fall over it,”

“Isn’t that sweet? That’s why I have you, no?”

She shrugged, “Maybe,”

“What’s that to mean?”  He picked up the saltshaker

“I could be married soon, babies, I won’t have time to watch your back,” She made a face at him.

“Oh?” Kevin watched her, “Are you not telling me something?”

“Maybe,”

“When did we ever have secrets?”

“It’s not a secret, you know my life isn’t a secret, the whole world pretty much seems to know about me most of the time.” She laughed, “even before I do.”

“No one knew about the photographer … what’s his name? the one you dated when you started out….” He snapped his fingers rapidly

“Shawn…that was so long ago” she said dispassionately

“Yeah him. But its Devon I could have killed…” He said a steely growl to his words

“Well, it’s over.” She quickly glossed over it, not wanting to return to that time. Kevin noticed her tone and let it go. “I am talking to someone but it’s not official, I think my no ‘dating break’ is done with,” She blurted out, “a couple of messages.  Chit-chat but we haven’t even gone out to dinner,”

Kevin watched her, “Another tanned Brazilian model? You like him?”

She laughed and shrugged, ‘Not a model this time, Jiao was  gay really, No, he is an artist. I donno, we will see,” she didn’t seem enthusiastic and changed the subject, “Remember the time I was scared to go home because Uncle Mulenzi was there,”

“The sodding pedophile, you mean,” Kevin spat out with disgust.

Kenzi nodded: “And you sneaked me into your room, I had never felt safer,” her eyes sought his. He was staring back at her.

“You remember what I asked you?” She said almost timidly

He looked away briefly, “I don’t forget a lot, you know, yeah I remember,” He nodded. His eyes locked with hers again. That old familiar feeling of wholeness crept up on him. It was strange that after all these years, seeing her again made him feel that way… complete.

She did not know why she brought that night up, in her childish crush on him she had asked him if he would marry her when they grew up so that he could always protect her from Uncle Mulenzi and the so many other uncles she had known.  He had agreed and even proposed they get married there and then and under the sheets of his bed with a little torch turned on, they made paper rings and got married. Then he held her till morning before the first light and woke her up so he could stealthily take her back to her apartment before her mother realized she was not in her bed. 

“We got married Kenzi,” He laughed, “and now you are cheating on me,” He grinned.

“You have been away for almost twelve years. What do you expect?” she playfully retorted.

“Ouch! Nelson Mandela would be turning in his grave now!”

She laughed.

They passed the next hour over dessert , coffee and wine, recounting their lives like they did, listening to music that Kevin picked out regarding himself a master of African music and in a bid to keep Kenzi up to breast with the newest East African music she hardly had a chance to really listen to, locked up in her cosmopolitan world swirling with American and Euro influences.

At 10pm, He drove her to the airport, stopping on the way to get her favourite ice cream, chocolate chip and coffee cream and made it in time through the snow that had gathered momentum and was falling still softly but determinedly higher. The weather cast on the radio warned for everyone to drive carefully and there was prediction of almost twelve inches of snow in the next few days, “Damn this weather! Are you sure I will be safe?” He asked stealing a side long glance at her, her face shadowed by her hair falling thickly over her face close enough to her left eye.  “You will hate it but you will survive.”

 “I donno how you all do this, year in year out,” he was shaking his head.

She laughed and scooped more spoonfuls of ice cream. Kevin’s rental car pulled up to the airport departure section at JFK at 11 pm where he helped her with her bags into the ticketing and flight waiting area. The VIP section was a breeze to check in another five minutes her bags were checked in and they were heading down the long corridor of busy airline booths and food stalls, the lull of humans and computerized calling voices on the loudspeakers carried on with footsteps on the clear marble floors.

Kenzi was on the phone for a few minutes finalizing her schedule with Sketch, he had gone ahead of her to prepare.

“Sketch says hi, “ she told Kevin when she got off the phone, “Well, I shall call you when I get to the other side.” they approached the check in terminal, she shouldered her Lancôme tote bag and reached for him, “Be safe, don’t be too naughty,”

Kevin grinned a naughty glint crossing his finely chiseled  features, “You honestly can’t ask that of me, love.” He drawled.

“Dinner was awesome, made me homesick. I might have to go back to Uganda and return when you are back in New York,” He teased.

 “Don’t you dare!” she jabbed a finger into his rib.

“Aww! My oh my, it bites,” He chuckled, “No I won’t, I will be waiting for you with breakfast at Ellen’s?”

She smiled: “Alright then, and we can start planning, yay! Be good at least…”

“Sure, we will, and I will try; no promises. You take care of yourself,” He told her firmly. 

“I am a good girl, Kev.” she whispered close to his ear, “My best wishes to Bigz and make sure they receive my gift,” she turned to the terminal, looking back once to wave and blow him a kiss and she was gone, swallowed in the sea of travelers.