It has been two years since Davide and Page got married. Their marriage was a memorable one, the one between the white man and the black woman isn't common in Chicago. Dave opened the window and the sun shone in the room. He turned his back to look at his wife who was sleeping peacefully in bed. For some reason, she has been sleeping too much recently. It is 7:30 am and she is still sleeping. Dave thought of giving her a few minutes to rest before waking her up but finally decided to wake her up.
"Wake up sleep heady," Dave said as he continuously tapped his wife's shoulder. Dave is his pet name, by the way, Page prefers calling him that.
"Mm-mm what's it? I'm not done dreaming" Page said pouting.
"But I've to go to work! It's almost 7:30 am" he complained bitterly.
"Ok..." Page got up sitting on the bed holding her head, then her stomach.
"What's that smell" She required covering her mouth this time around.
" My perfume of course. Why what's wrong?" Dave asked combing his hair with this brush. He then attended to his beard.
"It stinks!" She complained rubbing her eyes. Her husband looked at her confused wondering what was wrong with her. He then turned to the dressing mirror to pick up the perfume when he heard Page running to the bathroom vomiting.
"Let me call Miles since he's the only doctor and friend I trust to examine you" Dave offered to pick up the telephone from the side of the bed.
"Sure?.. I don't want to go through any embarrassment. I can go to the black hospital " she said with a smile.
"No, I insist," he said touching her forehead.
" You feel warm too" he added.
"Am gonna call the school today and tell them you ain't feeling good today okay?" Dave assured her. He knows how much she loves the children and can't spend a day without seeing them.
"But honey.." she said getting up but feeling weak that she almost fell on the floor.
"Waw, easy there... you might be.." he said looking away while holding her arms firmly.
"I might be what?"...she asked curiously.
"Two." He answered.
"Two!" she exclaimed examing her body.
"There's nothing wrong with your body my darling. Relax." Dave assured her.
"Well, then I can't be two," she said smiling.
"Ok, ma'am " Dave replied sounding like one who has accepted defeat in an argument
"You are two "he whispered
"Excuse me?" Page inquired.
"Oh! nothing, I said nothing" he said smiling sheepily. Page slapped him on the shoulder and that got him laughing uncontrollably.
"Ouch, I'm just kidding ok," he said grabbing his suitcase and lunchbox.
Hissing, Page lay on the bed and closed her eyes to sleep
"Are you mad or something?" Dave asked sadly.
"Mm..no, come closer l, I mean bend down your head " Page instructed.
Dave did as he was instructed and got a kiss on his cheek from his wife.
"You know what? I'm calling aunty Mary to come and take care of you and the house chores" he said smiling and Page nodded.
"Goodbye honey," Dave said as he got out of the room.
"Goodbye!" Page shouted with all her strength causing Dave to chuckle
Page kept on turning in bed sweating, she felt restless. She turned for some seconds and finally as if she has found rest drifted off to sleep.
"Hey!" Stella exclaimed and turned Page to face her.
"Where's my lunch!" She added scaring little Page.
"I don't- have your lunch p-l-e-a-s-e" she stammered out of fear.
"Look at us when we're talking to you" Lina ordered.
Page rise her head shakily, looking at them.
"Where's our lunch?" The third one was requested This time around page didn't answer but stood there shaking. They took her lunch box from her and kicked it away.
"What do you guys want from me?" She asked after turning away from where her lunch box was kicked to. They all laughed heartedly and replied as if they have been rehearsing it.
"Go back to Africa, monkey". They said and left her gathering her lunch from the floor. As she was gathering her lunch, she saw a hand grabbing her spoon. She slowly lifted her head and found a man in a white robe with a piece of cloth on his shoulder.
"Thank you, sir," she said drying her tears with the back of her hand. She kept on looking at the cloth which caused the man to clear his throat.
"Ask and it shall be given to you..." he said but was interrupted by Page who seemed to know what he wanted to say.
"Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you".She said.
"Yes...but have you asked?" he asked her seriously.
"What sir?" Page inquired confusingly.
"The cloth you have been looking at" he answered.
"Sorry.."Page apologized looking shy.
"That's ok with me but do you wanna know?" he asked her.
"Yes sure" Page added this time around not feeling shy anymore.
"Well.. this is for a group of people I created," he said and they cherish it worn by kings and queens" he concluded.
"Kings and Queens? then, I can never wear one."Page said in deep thought.
"But your next generation will wear it"the man assured her pulling her cheek and lifting her. Page got the opportunity to touch it.
"waw, what's it called?" She asked shifting her gaze to look at the man but was stunned when she found him looking sad and disturbed.
"Listen carefully, the name of this cloth will help you a lot," he said smiling to the page's satisfaction. Unfortunately, Page's attention had shifted to the colors in the cloth on his shoulder."
Red, blue, green... rainbow colors" she said giggling putting her finger in her mouth and touching the man's face. She withdraws her hand quickly when she found out he felt too cold. Page told the man to put her down when she heard the bell rung. The man did what she asked and she turned to leave but suddenly stopped. She turned around and saw the man's feet were above the ground and as she rise her head, she saw he had wings.
"Kente, The name of the cloth is Ken..."
"Madam, madam, madam" Page heard someone calling and tapping her from afar. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Aunty Mary asked her. She was a middle age black woman.
"Oh God" Page said rolling her eyes. She couldn't get the name of the cloth right because Aunty Mary woke her up.
"I heard you muttering something in your sleep," She said.
" How long have you been here?"Page asked
"An hour ago, I think" she answered moving back from the side of the bed giving Page the space to get up. Her eyes followed her as she rushed to the bathroom to vomit.
"But ma'am are you alright?" She asked her again as get came out of the washroom.
"I'm fine thank you," Page told her. The maid only smile and turned to leave when her mistress called her back.
"Please Mary, can you tell me what I was saying in my sleep?" Page asked looking concerned."
Yeah sure.." she replied doubtfully.
"Ok" Page urged her to continue talking.
"I heard you saying konte"She replied.
"Kont?Page asked herself and then dismissed her. Page kept wondering about what the man said in her dream but she seemed not to remember or even get the correct word. She has been having the trauma of her childhood, she vividly remembers this particular one but doesn't understand why she saw a no gel. As a Christian, she knew that she saw an angel! She couldn't believe her but she knows her husband would believe her. Growing up, she had believed angels are white and are associated with the whites while satan and his demons are dark so they are associated with the blacks. Well, a white Sunday school teacher told her that. She decided to get ready and go to the hospital but as she was about to get up from the dressing mirror, she perceived the aroma of the food being cooked and that got her running to the bathroom again. She got to the hospital and all eyes were on her which got her worried. She started shaking and her palms began to sweat as she approached a nurse. One white little girl kicked her in the knee and run. Another white child started crying and pointing fingers at her, telling her mom she was scaring her. Her mother consoled her and later muttered some insults to her. Before she could utter a word, one of the nurse shoulder security! Security! creating a scene. Fortunately for her, Miles emerged from one of the rooms at her far end, wearing his lab coat. He pulled Page by the arm and to her to his office. The page could hear them still murmuring and some complaining and insulting her as she was being dragged into the office.
"Go to the monkeys' hospital bitch!" She could hear some exclaiming.