Miss Taken Part 2

Utterly taken aback by Sam's proposal, I instantly think of Fredericks and how purchasing real estate in Africa will not help me prepare for my wedding night.

Sam apparently discerns my gazing into the Open space before me as a girl or young woman dreaming of many things.

"Sarpong," Sam says abruptly, "My last name is Sarpong. It means 'great warrior' or 'supreme," he explains trying to appear humble. I laugh, not quite so ladylike,

"SUPREME?" I ask wide eyed. 

Sam shrugs nonchalantly, his long, sand and clay colored hair falling onto his broad shoulders, "I suppose you will have to wait to find out," he looked triumphant.

"Wait and see. It's wait and see," you big moosh," I say softly. Of course, Sam doesn't know it's a term of endearment.

Sam responds very seriously, "Eternity, in this culture, it is correct for the female to show her man much respect. Though I know we are friends, please make a habit of doing so properly."

This is the first of Sam's insinuations that he might consider our friendship to be something more. But he sounds so much like Elon Musk, I can't even find words to respond.

"I suppose you can not rush these things, you being an American," Sam walks slowly into the dirt street, beckoning me to follow.

I jump out of my chair and grab Sam's metal plate he'd left on the ground by his chair.

"This is Africa," Sam keeps walking as he speaks, "You do not partake in the business owners practices."  I dropped both plates right there and ran behind Sam.

"I have much to teach you, Yoruba," Sam reaches behind himself and barely touches my fingertips, "You are correct to walk behind me. There will be little, if any, touching in the sight of others."

I wonder what I've gotten myself into.

"Eternity Sarpong," I think aloud to myself. Sam drops my fingers and turns to face me,

"What did you say?" Sam directs his words toward me but his eyes are roving and scanning. I answer, "It's not important."

Sam acts as if I haven't even spoken, as if I'm not even there. His eyes lock onto the person he was apparently looking for. The person is a tall, black woman wearing a tribal headdress. She sees us, or she sees Sam, rather. She walks straight to the middle of the street to meet. Sam follows suite.

Sam nods toward the woman then toward me, "This is my American comrade, Eternity."

The tall woman speaks quickly, "There is no need for us to exchange courtesies nor identities. I have a lid of samples," and she motions for Sam and me to follow as she walks to a vendor with many chairs and not many customers. She pushes three chairs together around a table made of cane. We each lay our phones on the table in full view for the confidence of the other.

We all sit and the tall woman unfolds what resembles a pack of cigarettes inside a cloth of the same design as her headdress, "My tribe is anxiously awaiting word of our transaction approval. They are generously seeding the planters even as we speak now," she hands a thin white stick to Sam. 

Sam puts the stick to his mouth. It looks almost like a toothpick until he pulls a matchstick from his shirt pocket, strikes the sulfer against the edge of his thumbnail and lights the end of the stick. I smell a musky sweet scent I recognize. This must be the necessities he was referring to!

"It's called African Violet, a new chemically altered form of cannabis growing wild here in Ghana," the tall woman explains.

Sam's beautiful crystal Blue eyes turn a hazy grey, then solid black as his pupils enlarge, "This is excellent s**t," he glances around to make sure we have not drawn attention.

"S**t is correct," the tall woman says with a sideways grin, "We feed our antelope combinations of oyster mushrooms. They graze on the sweet grass among the cannabis but they do not eat cannabis. Their excrement fertilizes the cannabis and a new breed of the psychedelic weed is born!" she whispers excitedly.

I am becoming concerned about Sam. His eyes began flowing tears, he leans and tells me he is inside a wonderland of hallucinations,

"They are spreading and elongating, taking over the natural world. Soon we all will be slaves to these glorious creatures and they will eat us! We will be inside them and part of their magic forever!" Sam is hopelessly lost.

I jump close to the tall woman's face, "BRING HIM F*****G BACK!"

The tall woman gently but firmly takes my hand, "You will not stop his experience. People in your country will pay very much for these experiences. He will be fine in a few hours."

"HOURS!" I yell. 

Sam stumbles quirkily but has enough wherewithall to tell me to get the woman's phone number. The woman hears Sam and presses the keys of Sam's phone. She's in. She walks slowly to the heart of town and out of sight.

"Eternity, I'm quite sure you know about the effects of the chemicals I've ingested," Sam is growing consistently fidgety, starting to perspire a lot.