Ngozi

I helped her change her family home into something more comfortable for her without losing the character of her parents. She became my new project and I suppose I became hers.

Ngozi and I didn’t talk about her declaration to me before her father’s death. We simply fell into a deeper, more comfortable relationship with each other. I saw the effect my blood had on her. She was a bit stronger and quicker than the average woman her age and size and her ability to concentrate was extraordinary. If she was aware of this she didn’t acknowledge it and I felt enough guilt not to broach the subject.

She spent her days at the general hospital in Port of Spain and her evenings teaching me about the emerging culture of her people. I answered her questions about my history and things that I experienced before, and after, becoming what Trinidadians call a soucouyant.

My kind stay unchanged physically for so long that I am fascinated by the normal changes that come with being truly alive. I had seen Ngozi change for a precocious little girl to a beautiful, confident woman and it almost felt like she had become someone else. But whenever I looked into her eyes I could still see that little girl and the remains of innocence. I envied this in her and her ability to feel so much, to see the good in others…to find something that redeemable in a creature like me.

I was careful not to go to all the places she wanted to take me, especially not in the daytime. This beautiful island built on the sweat and sacrifice of African slaves, East Indian indentured laborers and the Chinese seeking opportunities was becoming a beautiful melting pot of people, culture and food. She reintroduced me to the music of the island and described the taste of her favorite foods so that I had an understanding of taste to accompany the wonderful sights and smells. My love for her and this island deepened.

I tell myself that with my extraordinary abilities and my extensive experience I should never be surprised by anything that humans do. Maybe if I was more observant of those who were paying attention to the young doctor I would have been able to prevent the tragic events that were yet to occur. But alas, fate was not finished with either one of us…