The next morning while everyone was still in bed, I waited for Sekai by the elevator in a plain white t-shirt and black gym shorts as instructed. Apparently, she was going to take me to see the friends she hung out with whenever she snuck out the palace.
Admittingly I was nervous. I never interacted with anyone of similar age that was not family or connected to the governing body in anyway.
"You ready?" Some deep voiced short dude approached me from the women's bedrooms, in baggy and worn-out gym clothes. He had half of his face covered, with a faded green bandana over his mouth and a plain faded red hat. The eyes reminded me of…
"Sekai?" she nodded her head in greeting and approached with a gait far removed from her strict upbringing. "What in the world are you wearing?" The features that identified her as a girl was completely hidden.
She never had the biggest chest, but they would still be noticed even with baggy clothes. She already had a low buzz cut but with the hat, her girly designs and clearly moisturized hair was long gone now.
She could tell I was confused, so she lifted her shirt to show where she taped down her chest and put a skin-tight compression undershirt over it. She started explaining in her normal voice.
"Males can move easier around here. Being a woman if you are not dressed a certain way can draw eyes. You can dress how you want but there are still judging eyes. A lot of women dress like this here just to go about their business as they want."
I nodded in understanding; there are many religions that expect women to dress a certain way that would not be advantageous of moving around or blending in. "Also, address me as cousin or Kai, it may be normal to dress as a man but that doesn't mean I want anyone to know who I am either."
"Fair enough." I stepped aside so she could lead the way downstairs. Before we could call the elevator there was a cough that made us turn around.
"Can I join you?" Zalika called out to us, in her usual workout get up looking ready to go out as well. I looked towards Sekai, I wasn't the one in charge here. Sekai looked at her up and even circled her to get a better look at her.
"Why do you want to hang with us?" Fair question, Zalika seemed to me liked she only enjoyed training and thought everything else was a waste of time. Zalika averted her gaze and spoke quietly.
"I just wanted to experience something new." Sekai and I both looked at each other at the same time smiled and shrugged our shoulders.
"Fine with me, but you are going to have to put on baggy shorts over your tights. You may be ripped but your hips are wide and your butt is too nicely shaped for a man. Find a way to cover your mouth as well.
"Your face is too cute and as smooth as a babies bottom. Your hair may be short but it's still a woman's style, i got another hat in the room." Zalika nodded in agreement and turned to go change but paused for a second.
"Do you have any more tape to put over my chest? I imagine that would give me away as well?" Sekai's smile started to grow mockingly.
"Naw your tots are so small they'll just mistake you for our little brother out there. There's no need just keep on your tank top." Zalika returned a really scary smile as her cheeks started to flush that they gave me the chills. She turned back to the rooms to change and responded in a chilling voice.
"I'll remember that." Sekai did not seem worried and waved back.
"We'll see you down in the lobby in 5, little bro." Zalika just returned the finger as she disappeared back into the room.
We followed Sekai as we navigated the backstreets of Addis Ababa. The sun had just risen but the city was just getting busy.
"Are you all hungry?" she had to yell over the now crowded streets. She was weaving in between people, cars, stalls, and buildings. I did not even have time to observe my surroundings. If I looked away, I was positive I would lose her. I definitely didn't know how to get back to our building.
"Can you slow down? I can barely keep up!" Zalika looked uncomfortable with her makeshift mask and shades.
I should have thought about shades, the sun was maddening and I tried to shield my eyes. Regardless, I followed Sekai further down the streets. Zalika made a point to be stuck to my hip. I was much taller than her and losing me was akin to losing her sense of direction.
We finally muscled our way across the street and out in front of a gated field. Sekai was standing in front of a red food stand looking energetic and giddy.
"Hey Papo! Let me get some chips!" the smell from the stand was immaculate, he had fresh chips and ertib.
"Ah! If it isn't my favorite customer, Kai! Haven't seen you around lately! Where you've been?" Papo, I'm guessing the owner of the stand, was a heavy-set man wearing an oversized green shirt with grease stains and large black chef pants. He looked to be in his late 20s but his thick beard betrayed him and a sprinkle of grey told another story.
"Been having some trouble at home, so I've been busy. Let me get three orders of the usual." Papo looked at her in confusion.
"Three?" He then turned his head to look at us, and frowned.
"Papo, it's cool they're with me. Families in town." His frown disappeared and he turned back to his food.
"Fine with me, any family of Kai's are friends to me! Three orders coming up!" Sekai leaned closer to whisper in our ears.
"We're not very trusting of people we don't know. It's going to be like this all day so get used to it now." I just nodded my head and took my ertib from Papo. Taking a bite felt like pure joy.
The spiciness of the sandwich hit the spot. My cousin felt the same way as I looked over, she was already finished and licking her fingers. Zalika was still examining it hesitantly.
"You should eat it while its hot, you won't regret it." She looked back at me with a look of doubt.
"I've never had anything this greasy, I think I'll regret it in the morning." Her upbringing must have been strict.
"You don't seem like the type to get out much and you said you wanted to experience something new. Don't contradict your words. Besides Ms. Macho, one meal won't break you."
Sekai didn't hold back but it got the job done. Embarrassed for being called out, Zalika took a bite and showed a smile I didn't know she was capable of.
"See? Papo's cooking is unmatched!"
As Zalika ate happily, Sekai and I shifted our attentions to the field on the other side of the gate. People around our age started filing in dribbling footballs and joking with each other. It's been a while since I played with my family and I've never played with this many people around the same age.
"Alright guys this is what we're here for. We're getting in on this game to blow off some steam. Something tells me we're not going to get the chance to do this often while we're still apart of this… hmmm, what's the word I'm looking for." Zalika finally finished her final bite happily and looked up at the sky.
"Circus, charade, reality show, play date. Take your pick." I looked up in the same direction Zalika was looking and noticed a slight glimmer.
The light seemed refract a bit in the sky. A tell-tale sign of camouflage. Seriously? Even monitoring us with a drone. What do they mean to learn from going this far? "You're a lot more observant than I thought Kai, when did you notice the drone?"
"Drone? Where?" Sekai was frantically looking around trying to find the drone. "I don't see any drone, I just have the feeling that we're being watched, I thought if we left early enough, we would be able to avoid eyes, but I guess not. Hopefully, my morning walks aren't blown with my mother."
"It seems like you come out here often, I can't imagine my parents letting me leave the palace whenever I wanted." I started to wonder what I was missing back in Freetown. The palace was so detached from the city that it would be difficult to even successfully sneak out.
"I do but I can't say it's something my mother allows. She always tells me not to leave the palace walls, but I do it anyway.
I'm an only child I can't just speak to the tutors all day. Having the palace in the center of the city helps, also with mother being as busy as she is gives me the leeway to disappear for a while." She paused as she thought deeper about something.
"Honestly after her showing yesterday, and the feeling of being watched as I do now and every time I come here. I think she knows what I've been up to." I think that's a fair assessment it would be foolish to assume someone with honest to God superpowers had no idea what her daughter was getting into.
"HEY KAI! Is that you? Where have you been?!" A boy as tall as me but slimer called out to her. Sekai popped up to get a good look at who called and deepened her voice.