Chapter One

 

Journee Parrow and Deja Jenkins had a late breakfast together.  They’d slept in, exhausted from the multiple flights to Rambikku. 

Journee’s mother hadn’t had that luxury.  She’d left a note for them that Zurica was taking her to meet Queen Muunu. 

Journee could tell Deja was a little disheartened that she wasn’t taken with Mom to meet Queen Muunu.  However, Zurica had shown back up at the Ambassador’s Residence after leaving Journee’s mom with the Queen.  Zurica had informed Deja that Margot Parrow wasn’t given the choice to bring Deja.

Zurica told them that Journee’s mother was currently still waiting to be seen and probably would not be back until well after lunch.  Zurica said Ambassador Parrow would be well fed, well fed indeed, by Queen Muunu.

Zurica acted like that was some kind of joke.  It made Journee wonder if they were going to try to get her mom to eat fried grasshopper or chilled monkey brains or whatever passed for local cuisine.  Good luck with that, Mom!

Journee hoped there was some western food around Rambikku somewhere.  She didn’t even want to try to get used to whatever the local diet was.

Zurica had updated them on Margot Parrow and told them to eat breakfast and to then come to see her in the greeting room where she’d wait for them.  The greeting room was the first large room next to the entrance of the American Ambassador’s Residence.  The residences for all the ambassadors were built by the Rambikkuns and currently served as both living and working areas until and if each country decided to build its own embassies.  The greeting room was for having quick informal meetings with visitors.

The Ambassador’s Residence was only two stories tall but sprawled through four large interconnected buildings.  It was much too much space for the three of them.  Deja was staying there but had her own building connected by a sort of aboveground glassed tunnel hallway.  It looked like one of those gerbil tunnels.

It was already blazing hot out even inside the Ambassador’s Residence.  Rambikkun climate was not for the faint of heart.  Nineties were the usual, and temps over a hundred and ten were not uncommon, according to some weather research Journee and her mom did online during one of the flights coming over.  It was super hot, and it sure wasn’t a dry heat! 

The weather website they consulted said it rained nearly every day in Rambikku but that the sun shined almost every day also.  Just from casually walking around, clothes got wet from moisture and sweat.  Drinking fluids often was key to avoiding heat stroke.

Journee liked and appreciated the huge pool the four buildings curved around like a crescent, their backs facing the pool.  Every building had expansive decks, first and second story, and deck furniture woven out of small bendy branches.

Over breakfast, Journee and Deja talked about their travel the past two days to get to Rambikku and their first impressions now that they were here.  They hadn’t seen much of Rambikku yet, of course.  The airport, a night drive, and this fancy Ambassador’s Residence.

They pretty much both looked on the whole thing as a lark.  Deja said she was ready to help Journee’s mother in any way needed, but she really wondered how much there was to do.  To her, it was like a working vacation. 

For her part, Journee thought it was a good experience like her mom did, and a chance to see a part of the world she’d never otherwise see. 

They briefly wondered what Zurica wanted to talk with them about.

They finished breakfast and went to the greeting room.  Journee wasn’t looking forward to it.  She had a really bad impression of Zurica because last night Zurica demanded Journee and her mom kneel to her at the airport.  On the cement floor and in front of so many people!

Journee did not like the customs here.  Maybe that custom wasn’t Zurica’s fault, but Zurica sure had acted as if she endorsed it.  She was arrogant!

If Journee had to go around kneeling all the time, it would get real old, real quick.

When they walked into the greeting room, they were surprised that Zurica wasn’t alone.  Zurica seemed to have a thing for surprises.  The thing with the kneeling last night was one.  This morning, she’d walked in on Journee and Deja during breakfast.  The servants had let her in.  And now this.

Two skinny but muscular young women were with Zurica.  They had very dark skin, quite nearly truly black.  That was typical of the Rambikkuns, and Zurica had that same skin tone.

Zurica gestured at the two young women, “Journee Parrow, these two are your guides and friends.  Think of them as liaisons.  They will show you around and do everything with you.  They know the dangers of Rambikku.  Always do as they say.  They know the customs of Rambikku.  Always do as they say.  They know where you are and are not allowed to go.  Always—”

Journee finished for her in a quick mumble, “…do as they say?  Sure.  I will.  Unless I disagree.”

“You are a guest in this country!”

“Then maybe you should try treating us like guests.  How do you treat guests in your home?  Like this?  Ever thought of that?”

Zurica glared at her for a long moment.  Journee sensed Deja holding her breath.

Zurica said, “You will learn.  You will.  You can learn easy, or, as I now expect and hope, you can learn hard.”

Journee wondered what that meant.

Journee’s enthusiasm for getting to know Rambikku was quickly depleting.

Zurica put a smile on her face and gestured again at the two young black women, “Their names are Rhone and Pindpo.  You do not need to abase yourself to them as they will be your companions here in Rambikku.”

Thank God for small favors!  Journee never wanted to kneel ever again.  Certainly not to African lesbians.  Maybe for a guy she liked a lot, a super handsome one. 

She’d never done that, performed oral while kneeling, but she’d recently seen it on a porn video, and it captured her fancy.  But she knew she had to be careful with that kind of position.  It was such a submissive position and might cause a guy to look down on her more than just literally.  She’d have to wait to do it until she was in a committed relationship and really trusted the guy she was with. 

Could Travis be that guy?  Maybe.  He was reliable and fun.  She did trust him, but she didn’t love him.  Not in that way.  He was okay.  Nothing wrong with him.  But was that the bar that she set for herself?  Settle for the first guy that had “nothing wrong with him?”

Zurica’s smile widened greatly, and this time the smile looked all too genuine, “No need to kneel to them.  However, I am a different case.  Kneel, guest of Rambikku.  Kneel, white savage.”

Jesus!  This again? 

Journee realized she was not off the kneeling hook after all.  And she just bet Zurica took extra delight in this.  How could she not?

Journee twisted her lips but only a little.  The key, she thought, was to act like it was no big deal.

She knelt while saying, “This is perfect timing.  I thought I dropped something.  Now I have a better chance of finding it.”

Yeah, sure, she’d dropped her self-respect.  She doubted she’d find it, though.

She knelt, but she did not bow her head to the floor.  She remembered that she only had to kneel and bow her head to the floor if it was for Queen Muunu.  It made her so very not at all eager to ever meet the Queen.  She wondered if her mom was kneeling and bowing to the Queen right then over at the palace.

She looked up at Zurica, and Zurica just looked at her and waited.

Everybody waited.

Tick-tock.

Journee knew she had to wait for Zurica to tell her to rise.  That’s how it worked at the airport.  Journee also knew this kneeling timespan was extra long in comparison to last night.  This bitch Zurica was getting her back for her attitude.

Zurica finally nodded and told her to rise.

Journee stood next to Deja.  Deja had that quick blinking expression, behind her thick large-lensed glasses, of surprised what-do-I-do on her face.

Journee was a little pissed that Deja didn’t have to kneel.  Sure, no one liked kneeling but they were guests in this little country, and they had to do things the Rambikkun way.  But Zurica made it clear yesterday that Deja did not have to bow or kneel or anything.  And why?  Because she had black skin!

Hello, racist anyone?

These Rambikkuns were racist!  Or at least Zurica was.

Zurica asked Deja, “Has she knelt before you yet today?”

Journee inwardly groaned.  She very nearly outwardly groaned.  She remembered Zurica telling them yesterday at the airport that she and her mom had to show respect to Deja by kneeling before her even though Deja was an American and lower ranking than Journee’s mom!

Deja stammered, “Um, well… I mean, no, I guess.”

“We will correct that oversight.  I will train you better today, but, for now, you American, kneel before your countrywoman whose skin color supersedes your own.”

Journee kept struggling to keep the frustrated groan of humiliation inside.  She barely continued to succeed.

Jesus.  How soon before Mom would let her go back to America?

Answer: Not soon enough.

Journee knelt again.  She looked up.  Deja looked incredibly uncomfortable.  Journee realized Deja might be more embarrassed than Journee.

Finally, the cascade of humiliation was over, and Zurica made a come hither gesture with her fingers to get Journee to stand again.

Zurica said, “Journee Parrow, you will go with Rhone and Pindpo.  Ask questions as needed.  Obey as required.”

Journee said nothing to that.  But she didn’t think much of it.  Was this normal?  If Mom were an ambassador to, let’s say, the Netherlands, would they show up and dictate her daughter’s activities the next day?  Probably not!

“I will relay to your mother that you are being acclimatized to Rambikku, both to the climate and in the society.  Deja Jenkins, you will come with me.  As indicated yesterday, you require training on certain matters.  I will do this training with you.”

Deja nodded meekly.  Journee thought she looked cowed by Zurica.

Journee realized her only protector here was her mom.  Here in Rambikku.  Not here here.  Not here in the Ambassador’s Residence right now.  Mom wasn’t even home.  Journee would have to protect herself as needed.

Protection from what?  Journee wasn’t sure why, but she felt vulnerable in this place.  Maybe it was the kneeling, or maybe it was Zurica’s arrogance.

Shouldn’t the Rambikkuns be rolling out the red carpet for them?  Her mom was an ambassador and not just any ambassador.  She was the emissary for the United States of America.  It just seemed like these people should be bending over backward for the American diplomatic team (and family member) instead of insisting that they bend a knee to the Rambikkuns.

Zurica said, “Come.”

Zurica spun on her heels and went out the door.  It was such a quick, confident command that Journee nearly followed her but pulled up realizing the order was for Deja.

Deja gave Journee a wan look and a weak wave goodbye as she followed Zurica.

Which left Journee all alone with Rhone and Pindpo.