Nicole Henriquez
Loved
She loved my olive skin, but called me white
She loved my almond shaped eyes, but called me white
She loved my natural crimson highlights and copper undertones, but called me white
She called me “mi dushi” which means my darling, but called me white
She called me white to forget the man that loved her wrong
But she forgot to embrace the little brown girl she had in front of her
Who was not white
Who will never be white
So, I will do it.
I will love her
As the island goddess she is.
One Day
The dimes clink as they enter the pay phone.
The air becomes frigid as the wind picks up.
The receiver is cold on my ear.
Ah, that soft, sweet hello.
“It’s me,” I say
“Who are you?”
“It’s Daddy, how are you?”
The snot runs down my nose, and onto the phone
Her voice quivers, “what did you say?”
“It’s Daddy, why are you still up?”
No answer. “Is Mommy there? Can I say hello?”
The dial tone echoes in my ear.
I try again, the busy signal buzzes in my ear
I slam the receiver down and beg you
to pick up. There is a knock on the booth door, “Hello?
Excuse me? Can I use the phone?”
I shout, Hold up!
And try again. He bangs on the glass this time, “What did you say?”
Stepping out of the booth I say…
Pop! Pop! Pop! The pavement hits my ear
And time’s up.
Fuck you.
I crawl towards the phone
I reach for the receiver, I try to cry out, “Hello!
Hello!”
But instead, I can only say
nothing. Bloody spit bubbles spray out of mouth and onto the phone
Sirens ring in my ear
I can only think about you
A lifetime without me, all grown up
I try one more time, can’t give up
“Hello?
Is it really you?”
I say,
“Daddy.” I hear her whisper in my ear
I grasp tightly to the phone
Hold on they say
Paramedics remove the phone from my ear
And toss it inside the booth of the pay phone
Virginia Slims
Your hair has begun to etch lines on your pillowcase
Forming a map of what once was
Your sour scented skin hangs loosely on your bones
Vomit crusts your sweat soaked pajamas
A reflection of a ghost stares back at me.
The mother, the father, the provider
The monarch of the neighborhood
Feeding all the strays, neglected youth
My little steam engine
Always puffing away
Forty years of Virginia Slims
Each cigarette, one inhale closer
You
I love the way your lip curls when you lie.
I love the way you laugh through your deceit.
I love the way your sapphire eyes fool me with your betrayal.
But most of all I love the way your arrogance carries you on an untouchable cloud.
Floating through the world, slightly above us all.
Always out of reach.
Is the air beginning to thin as you ascend higher?
Does your breath wane with each inhale?
Can you feel your lungs contracting as you choke on your righteousness?
Because the view from here is beautiful.
The Resistance
A pungent odor filled their nostrils as they descended with haste. The glow from their torches kept the darkness at bay as the dampness engulfed them. The air was musty, still and silent except for the soft, rapid clicks of their boots on the stone steps. The guards and prisoners were heavily sedated from the poppy seeds that were slipped into the beef stew at dinner, except for three escapees waiting and ready. No one must know of this night like no one knew of its beginning, twelve years ago.
At the bottom of the stairs, three childhood friends threw back their velvet hoods and for a brief moment stood eight years old again, playing knights down in the dungeon. But tonight, was not a game, it was treason. Everyone knew what was at stake, treason meant death. Their heads would be on a spike before first light. The king would parade them in front of the entire kingdom before the beheading. Afterwards, their heads would decorate the front gates as a constant reminder to the people as to what happens to traitors, royal blood or not. Nevertheless, justice must prevail.
With their hearts pounding and adrenaline racing, they embarked on their most dangerous adventure yet. The trio were draped in long capes, the signature color, emerald green, of the extinct House Buchanan. They sprinted side by side down the corridor towards the last cell. Three prisoners, filthy with years of grime caked into every crevice, bound by burdensome restrains until their deaths, were on their feet at the first sound of footsteps. It is the moment they had prayed for, a plan they had worked on for years, freedom was inevitable. The long, forgotten Queens of Octavia and their prince huddled together bracing for their lives to begin anew.
With a steady breath and a firm hand, Princess Genevieve of House Ashbury, daughter to the monstrous King Everette, pulled three, rusted skeleton keys out of a secret pocket and handed them to her partners. She had sewn the small pouch into her grandfather’s doublet, a dark green and black plaid tartan broadcloth with gold stitching and a sigil of a gold bow and arrow embroidered on the chest.
Mother would have been pleased, Genevieve thought. A rush of sadness and guilt swept over her, knotting her stomach. She reluctantly suppressed that lump in the back of her throat and the emptiness in her heart as she thrusted the key into the cell lock.
Click! The latch echoed throughout the dungeon as the massive bronze door swung open.
The three rescuers began phase two of their mission. Montgomery Ellis, son of the King’s Captain of the Royal Guard, unbolted the shackles that were clasped around the ankles of the prisoners and attached to the floor by a short, bulky chain. The daughter of the Royal Master at Arms, Arlington Albright, unfastened their wrist cuffs as the princess unlocked each iron mask.
The six rebels wasted no time evacuating. Each knight took a frail, emaciated body under one arm, practically carrying them back through the dungeon and up the stairs, snuffing out their torches in a strategically placed water bucket to the left of the exit. Out into the darkness the resistance was born.
A saddled, royal war horse and an old merchant’s cart pulled by an aged mare waited outside for them. The three escapees climbed in the back of the wagon and the princess covered them with a wool tarp as the knights took the reins. Genevieve hoisted herself on the war horse and they headed out of the city and down to the sea.
Reaching the shoreline, all six dismounted when without warning the weakened prince knelt before Genevieve, bowed his head and said,
“I cannot go any further until I say this to you. Princess, I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. Since the night you found us, I would pray every night to the gods that you would come back to me. And you did, every three days for the last twelve years. You were my only light in that dark, cruel hell I was forced called home for so long. You saved all of us from death. You are a strong, kind woman with a beautiful heart as well as fierce and just when you need to be. Everything a queen should be. I promise from this day forward I will fight and die for you. I pledge my life, loyalty and love to you, my queen until my last breath.”
Immediately Montgomery, Arlington and the Queens, Cordelia and Vivienne took a knee, in unison they repeated: “From this day forward I pledge my life, loyalty and love to you, my queen until my last breath.”
Awestruck and overwhelmed, Genevieve didn't move for some time. She had never considered being queen before. Finally, she said “Please rise. I am no queen. I am just trying to save my friends and restore peace to the kingdom.”
“You must take down the king. You are the rightful, true heir and the only one that deserves that throne.” said Queen Cordelia as she struggled to get back onto her feet.
“You are one of the greatest swords people the kingdom has ever known.” added Arlington.
“I cannot declare war on my family with no army and no money.” confessed Princess Genevieve
“Don’t worry about that, my evening star.” Queen Vivienne said cupping the princess’ face in her hands.
Genevieve squeezed the queen’s hands before she broke away at the sound of something approaching. “Horses! You need to leave now. I will stall the guards as long as I can, but you must hurry. We will talk more about this later. Arlington and Montgomery will protect you. I trust them with my life, you will be safe.”
Without another word, Princess Genevieve leaped on her horse, kicked her heals into his side and galloped towards the enemy. Leaving her friends to sail off, disappearing into the fog.