Note: Some scenes may be disturbing to you, so please have an open mind. Thank you.
FEI AND I DECIDED NOT TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I mean, if it happens, it will happen. We don't have to plan it. You know, like, put it on a schedule.
Also, if it gets interrupted, well, I guess, it's not really meant to happen.
Now, we're on our way walking to Overture. We rode the subway train and dropped at Utica Avenue station at Fulton Street. From there, we marched and talked about the aforementioned topic.
When we arrived at Overture, it seems that the performances haven't started yet. I guess it's still a bit early. It's just 9:00 p.m.
Before going here, we had dinner in Canal Street in Chinatown, Downtown Manhattan. I've had the best hand-pulled noodles ever. Surprisingly, it's not that expensive. Fei introduced me to this family-owned restaurant. They have been friends with Mrs. Xing for quite some time. These mortals are aware of the Xing's powers.
Since we arrived early for tonight's show, we just ordered a drink at the bar. Fei selected Daiquiri for me and for him, guess what, a Manhattan.
"So, I presume it's a drag queen bar?" He pointed at a drag queen nearby.
"It is, and this is where my dear friend Ellis performs aside from his gigs in the other parts of New York," I replied.
"Oh, so we're gonna watch a drag performance. Interesting. May I ask, have you ever considered dressing up too?"
I shook my head. "I'm more like a spectator, to be honest. I'd rather help sew dresses than wear them."
"But you sing!" Fei insisted. "That's more than enough talent to be on stage."
"Like you, with your shyness, I can relate. I don't have that confidence to perform." I sipped on my daiquiri and I felt the drink is quenching my throat well.
"But have you tried dressing up? I mean, just for fun. Not for performing," Fei asked.
I thought of those limited times I did. I guess it was when Rhapsody and Savannah made me wear Destiny's Child-inspired drag, as they're missing a Beyoncé, which surprisingly, no one wanted in our family. Also, in the birds of prey couture category, where I had to wear an owl head dress and I was sneezing all night because of the dust in the feathers. That's when I discovered that I have allergies in it. Oh, and the last one, the Goddess Realness, which I had to wear the female version of Thor.
Why? It's because Ellis a.k.a. Miss Conflagration should be the third member of the trio. Unfortunately, she declined Mama Oleander's invitation to join the House of Sylvanie. She's a diva and she's independent enough to become a member of a family. However, she willingly participates in our family's group presentations.
"I did." That's my quick answer.
"I wish I could see you in drag. I mean, you look handsome now. I bet you look stunning in drag," Fei uttered.
I choked on my daiquiri. "What? Why would you want that?"
"I don't know. I think it's really cool. You see, I've been working with a lot of textiles in the last year I became CMO. I've been surrounded by fashion, dresses, performers, and the like. It's my first time to witness a drag show, so I'm really curious. Especially you, in a dress," Fei bit his lower lip, and that tells me he's really tempted to it.
I smiled wryly. "I'm not sure about that… I mean…" Until I thought of something. "Hey, is it your kink or something?"
Now, it's Fei who choked on his drink. "What? No!" He laughed so hard. "But now that you mentioned it, I think I wanna find out how hard I would be when you're in drag. I mean, I'm super hard already with this. What about when you're like that?" And he pointed to a drag queen who looked like Lady Gaga in Paparazzi and entered the door, yet his smile is slowly turning into a serious look.
"If it ain't Fei Xing…"
I looked at the person who Fei pointed at and to my surprise about how it's a small world…
"Rakisha! Oakley! Hi!" I greeted them, yet the question remains unanswered. How did Rakisha know Fei?
"Trick Sylvanie, what are you doing with this filthy… sorcerer?" Rakisha said, which was totally a shocker to me.
Fei stood up and clicked his fingers. All of a sudden, the loud music stopped playing… and so are the movements of all the people in Overture. It's as if the time ceased temporarily. Only the four of us are moving.
"What's happening here, boo? Trick, what's up?" Oakley got confused too.
"Not sure too, Oaks. I guess, let's have them talk…" I calmly stated. "Fei, what happened between you and Rakisha?"
"Our families had a rough past… Gramms defeated her grandfather in a Pertasurm," Fei confessed.
"And she didn't kill Babu. She just turned her powerless, which is an insult to our family. She took my Babu's powers," Rakisha was trembling in anger as she delivers that line.
Fei sighed. "You know the reason…"
Rakisha strongly opposed. "No! You think she didn't kill him because she pities my mom? That's BS, Fei! You know that. Your grandmother wanted to learn about our voodoo powers and to become the most powerful."
"That's a lie," Fei whispered. "You know your history very well, Rakisha. Don't turn the tables against us."
"Wait," Oakley interrupted. "Baby, what's happening here?"
"Baby, I'm so sorry for not telling you… I'm an African witch," Rakisha confessed. "And their family… His grandmother vanquished my grandfather by not killing him in a Pertasurm."
"What's a Pertasurm?" Oakley asked.
"A fight to the death, baby," Rakisha replied to Oakley. "However, the explanation your grandmother gave is not valid. She should have killed him instead! It brought disgrace to our family, that he remained alive and powerless, than dead and still bringing honor to us. Imagine how embarrassing it was for our family to carry that for decades."
"Your grandfather had seven daughters, and one of them is your mom. Did you know that?" Fei questioned Rakisha.
"Lies! My Babu has only one child and that is my mother," Rakisha stated.
Fei disclosed a very sensitive story. "Historically, witches and warlocks in your old country practice child sacrifices in order to attain supernatural power. Your grandfather killed and ate six of his children upon childbirth. Your grandmother, unaware that she could still be carrying, got pregnant and hid it from your grandfather. She couldn't bear the terrifying tradition that your culture had anymore. She didn't want to hear that your grandfather will tell your mother, 'I'll eat you up.' So… She traveled far, away from your grandfather, telling him that she has to work in a field for a year or two, but the truth is, she gave your mother to her sister who lives far away from your home, and pretended that all she earned was robbed on her way back to Uganda."
Rakisha's tears were incessantly flowing from her eyes. "Are you fooling me?"
"I'm not," Fei continued the story. "So, the Pertasurm happened after killing his own children. Gramms knew about it as your Babu proudly stated that during the fight. As his punishment, Gramms didn't kill him and make him live without any power to pay for his sins. He never dared to challenge Gramms ever again."
Rakisha, still quivering, tried to fix herself. "Well… That's how we do it there. We may have different beliefs, but—"
Fei cut in. "Exactly, we may have different beliefs, but a fight is a fight. That is already settled between the two of them, and us, as their grandchildren, we have fights of our own. Our grandparents may have taken things in a manner we might not understand, but I, as a Xing of this generation, only wanted peace. I apologize if you still feel terrible about it, Rakisha."
"If you're lying…" Rakisha heaved a sigh. "I'm gonna get your ass in the WOCOSO Battle."
"You're invited too?" Fei's face lightened after hearing that.
"And I won't hesitate to kill any of the Xing when it comes to that," Rakisha proudly said.
"Looking forward to it," Fei took his drink and raised it. "I assume you're performing tonight?"
"Something I don't need my voodoo magic to burn this place to the ground, if you know what I mean," Rakisha clicked his fingers and everything moved again. It got rowdy again in the club. "I can do that too." Then she walked towards the stage area.
"See ya later, Trick, Fei," Oakley bade goodbye and followed Rakisha.
I faced my drink and just said, "Wow."
Fei finished his drink already and ordered another one. "Really wow."
"So… Is it true? Your story?" Not that I'm siding with Rakisha, but I just wanna know.
"It is. I heard Gramms talking to Gramps about it. I'm not sure, though, if Gramms knew I was listening," Fei truthfully said.
"You have a habit of eavesdropping, you know that?" I said.
Fei scratched his head. "I guess I find observing things entertaining?"
I just shook my head, smiling. "So… Are you really joining the tournament?"
"We are joining the tournament," Fei nonchalantly uttered.
Wait. What? Did I hear it right?
[We?]