SAM Part 1

MISTAKEN

My real name is Eternity. I'll be nineteen this summer. I am diagnosed as Hyper everything. Hyper curious. Hyper sensitive. Hyper active. Hyper aggressive in some senses. Sometimes it gets me in loads of trouble!

That's what I'm doing here now! I've used up all my chances for a normal life where I was living so I hitched a ride with my father, my bio one, anyway, and I end up in Poland!

It's a little strange to me mostly because this is just the beginning of my new life in a new area of the world.

Poland seems a little out of the way? Let me tell you about the time I ended up in Ghana! 

Now, parents are a god send, bless their ignorant little hearts. But the parents take so long to catch up to their kids' knowledge of technology that by the time they even suspect something might be unusual going on via the internet, their kid could be gone! That's what happened to me!

On Facebook, yep, good ole Facebook, I was communicating with people all across the globe! It's exciting and almost other worldly!

"Hello? Are you American?" a text appeared in the left hand corner of my screen. It was vague and didn't take up much space, I assumed it was automatically cryptic that the one writing was introverted.

It caught my attention even more than the waves of huge letters flowing across the screen, HI! I INVITE YOU TO TAKE PART IN AN ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED MONEY MAKING VENTURE..."

My first impulse is to write, "I am a Christian." I am that but it's not spelled, P-E-R-F-E-C-T. 

A response came back, "I am Christian. I live in Kumasi."

"African," I thought, "Well? Elon Musk is African," I weighed that thought. African is not a color. African is which part of the world you hail from.

"Well, Elon has done all right for himself!" I smiled and turned pages of the internet when suddenly I see this perfect guy! Perfect in every way! I send an instant text, "I am Eternity!"

"What?" came back a response, "I never thought I'd see Eternity!" I could tell it was a joke.

"Are you Christian?" I texted.

"No. I am Sam." the response was serious. Oh my freaking gosh! I have to meet this guy! I thought to myself.

"I want to meet you," the text was echoing my thoughts! 

I almost pounded the keys, "Where are you?"

"I am at the airfield," his English was not traditional. I knew he was at the airport.

"I'm in Kumasi now but will fly out soon. I will keep in visuals on Facebook," he posted his pic and signed, SAM.

*

Okay, I know how to take care of myself in pretty much every way.

Dada knows I get bored a lot so I need money to shop to cure my boredom. He starts an account for me.

I have to contribute, though, because life is not as easy as it once was when Daddy made loads of money via his trips to countries all over the world.

I'm outside of the Frederick's boutique when my phone chirps. I know it's Daddy checking up on me so I turn it off and ignore it.

Dada's travelled to Panama or some little place and, okay, I'm a little jealous because I love to cruise the less traveled venues.

Chirp. Chirp. I roll my eyes and pull my cell from my bag to check the incoming.

It's Sam! I tap the voice key and sing an oblivious, "Hello?"

"Hi Doll," I have forgotten how sultry Sam sounds through the air waves. I respond, "Mmmm?"

"I'm back in Ghana and I want to see the most delicious dessert on the menu," Sam is so clever.

We agree to meet for fufu at a nearby roadside eatery called, naturally, FUFU.

It's been a while since Sam has been in my thoughts, of a serious nature, anyway. I'd already figured he was a passing ship in the night or whatever.

*

I walk everywhere over here as most people do. Walking by Fredericks again, I realize it is a front for housing not lingerie. What a disappointment. Africa is becoming less my cup of tea.

Sauntering, yes, sauntering up the opposite street is Sam. He has his Crystal Blue eyes locked on me and that smile melts the icy thoughts I'd been having on the way over.

Sam and I both walk up to the vendor's wagon at the same time. Sam puts his hand over his eyebrows to shade his eyes and, squinting, peers at the menu behind the row of lawn chairs lining the front of the wagon,

Sam pretends to not notice the large sign that says, FUFU,

"I'll order for the lady," he says, giving me a wink from the side of his vision, "She'll have...Fufu."

I put my hand on my hip in an impatient pose. Sam takes his time and slowly finishes the order, "I'm thinking I'll have....erm... Fufu."

I roll my eyes but can't resist a smile that lingers on my lips as we pull our glass bottles of beer from a large ice filled wooden barrel out front. Africa is so warm, these barrels are customarily placed throughout the populated areas to draw business to the vendors.

"FUFU!" we hear the vendor call out and Sam hands me his beer while he jogs over to grab our thin metal plates. Sam jogs back to me as I find a lawn chair partially in the shade of a sparsely located row of trees. These trees are not native to Africa but have thrived enough to give shade.

With his foot, Sam pushes another lawn chair close to the lawn chair I'm sitting, facing me, sits down and hands me a metal plate. It's warm from the pile of fufu and stew that's been cooked on a huge stone wok behind the wagon in an open area so everyone can watch their Native African foods being prepared. 

Tourists keep this small area of businesses afloat.

I have a strong feeling Sam wants to talk to me about a certain subject and I push my metal hand beaten fork through the mixture of goat meat, maybe small bits of cane rat and dip my fufu before pushing it into my mouth.

Sam grins as I try to gracefully catch the loose bits of food in my hands to shove back into my mouth. 

Sam is still holding his fufu, sliding it around the cane rat stew as he stares into my eyes searching for words I'll relate to.

"You know I am a traveler, " Sam begins and I feel anxiety start to creep in,

"My work, uhm, my job requires long periods of travel, right? Correct?" Sam looks into my eyes, questioning.

"Yes," I say affirming but not really.

"Eternity," Sam fidgets in his seat, "I am a transporter of much desired, uhm, necessities. My stays are quite long and very lonely. Will you accompany me? Just until you decide whether this lifestyle is for you?" Sam looks relieved he's finished his speech.

"I don't even know your last name!" I exclaim a little too loudly and put my hand over my mouth.

Sam reaches forward, gently taking my hand away from my mouth and clasping my hand in both of his,

"Eternity, you are all I think of. Travel with me for one year. I promise it will fly by," Sam chuckles at the American slang, 'fly by' and he looks into the sky as if looking for something flying.

I giggle self consciously. I look directly into Sam's beautiful eyes and without restraint I say, "Yes!"