Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill. I don't own nothin.
Note: The words and phrases in this fic really are Swahili names and words. My mother, who is from Tanzania, co-authored this one. .
Chang Wufei sat at his table alone. Hot, black coffee sat between his hands perfuming the air around him with the savory smell of the freshly brewed drink. His cold hands rubbed the surface of the mug, searching for warmth, as he thawed himself out from the bitter cold outside. He sat against the expensive leather cushions, and glanced around the room. He was completely alone in here, except for the two young waiters, and an elderly couple off to the side, who whispered endearments in thickly accented Italian. The dark green carpeting muffled the sounds of footsteps, and the radiators at the sides of the lounge gently breathed hot air.
The tiny bells above the door to the lounge tinkled merrily, as a young woman bustled in. She was laughing lightly about something. Her voice had a deep, rich quality to it. One of the waiters went to her, and took her coat off, and hung it in a closet off to the side. She smiled at him. The room seemed to light up when she did.
"Thank-you much. Is very cold out."
Her low, African accent punctuated her broken English with an endearing, individual charm. Wufei watched her as she tapped her feet on the carpet to dislodge snow and ice. She was slender, with long legs that peeped from under her brown skirt in the form if small black boots. She was wearing a turquoise blue sweater that had sleeves pushed up to her elbows, revealing her arms. Her skin was darker than any Wufei had seen. It was truly black, with smooth, tan palms under her hands. She wore no jewelry at all, except for a small silver ring on her right index finger. Her hair was extremely long, in tiny braids that hung down her back, and ended in blue and silver beads that jingled lightly when she walked. Wufei looked down at his cup with exasperation at himself. Studying people was a pleasant pastime, but he had approved of everything he saw, and his heart was beating uncomfortably in his chest. Her graceful steps stopped in front of Wufei's table. He looked up into the woman's smiling face. Good grief, she was young. She couldn't be more than thirteen or fourteen years at the most. Her eyebrows creased slightly in concentration before she spoke in her African brogue.
"I sit with you, please?"
Wufei coldly regarded her, "Why?"
"It not good to sit alone. Friends are…what is word?...Things you give?"
"Gifts?"
She clapped her hands and grinned.
"Yes! Friends are gifts."
Wufei looked back down at his drink. "Well, you don't look like any friend of mine."
"I become one."
She sat down right next to him. The fragrance of roses and new fallen snow made his heart stutter.
"My…what is word for 'me'?"
"Name?"
"Yes, yes. My name be Fatima Unasmaje. But mostly I am called Tima. What is name for you?"
Wufei did not want to give her his name, but somehow it slipped out unattended.
"My name is Chang Wufei."
She puckered her lips in an effort to pronounce his name. Wufei had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at the facial expression she wore.
"Ch-Chang… Woo-fay. Chang Woo-fay. Chang Wufei!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Yes, that is my name."
She peered at him with large brown eyes that seemed to open his heart and lay bare the contents thereof. He shifted uncomfortably.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Chang Wufei. What does that mean?"
"Chang is my family's name. Like a last name, and Wufei is Mandarin Chinese for 'five'"
"Five?"
"Yes."
She looked at him again.
"Not good for you. Name should be Nguvu. In my language, means 'strong'"
"How can you know if I'm strong or not?"
"Can see it in eyes. Much sorrow. Much pain."
Wufei looked away, in case she was reading more than just that in his eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"What is that?"
Wufei looked back at her and sighed.
"Never mind."
She looked at him a time, but just then a waiter came by, and asked if he could get her anything. She pointed at what Wufei was holding in his hands.
"What that called? Hot Lockchate?"
Wufei stopped himself from smiling and coldly replyed,
"Hot Chocolate. And no, this is coffee."
Tima, however had stopped listening after 'hot chocolate'.
"Yes! Please, Hot Chocolate. And do you have borrys?"
The waiter did a double take, and leaned closer to her.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Borrys. Red, taste very sweet. Borrys!"
The man looked at Wufei who looked back at him with a half sneer, half questioning look on his face. Wufei turned to Tima.
"What do you want?"
"Borrys. Maybe I say wrong." She began to look very distressed. "I speak terrible! I not know how to say Borrys."
Wufei suddenly had a brainstorm. He handed her a pen and a napkin.
"Draw it."
She took the pen and drew a triangular shaped fruit, with a short stalk with tiny leaves on top, and dots decorating the surface. She pointed.
"See? Borrys?"
Wufei suddenly understood.
"Oh, strawberries is what she's trying to say."
The waiter looking much relieved, assured her they had many, and he would bring some to her. He left, and Tima beamed at Wufei.
"Asanti san. Thank you! How you say word again?"
Wufei to his annoyance found himself over pronouncing the word, and smiling as he did so.
"Ssstttraaaawwww-beeeerrrrriiiiessss."
"Strawsberries."
"No, not-oh, never mind. Yes. Strawsberries."
Tima tipped her head back and laughed. Wufei simply sat back in his chair and wondered how he ever let her sit with him. She looked at him. Before sitting back in her chair.
"You not seem very happy, Nguvu Wufei."
"What?"
"Not very happy. Old African proverb: 'He who laugh little, live little'"
"What did you call me?"
She blinked at him innocently.
"I no understand."
"You called me Enguru Wufei, or something like that."
"Nguvu."
"Enguvu."
"No. No make sound like 'en' make sound like 'nn'"
She got up close to him and pointed at her mouth.
"You watch my lips? Nnnnguuuuvvvuuu. Nguvu."
Wufei was finding that it was immensely hard to concentrate on what she was saying. He was busy trying not to tug her into his arms, and kiss her silly, mispronouncing mouth. He backed away, and squeezed the edge of the table. What was he thinking? Women were weak, and stupid, and did not interest him in the least. He folded his arms across his chest. Tima looked upset.
"I have angered you, Nguvu Wufei."
"Will you stop-" He took a deep breath in, and counted to ten. "No. I am not angry with you, I am angry with myself."
Why had he just said that? Why the hell was he confiding in her like this? What was wrong with him?
"Nguvu Wufei, the past can hurt very much." She put a hand over her heart. "Especially here. But there are two things you can do. You can either reject it as waste, or embrace and learn from it, as it is part of you."
She leaned closer to Wufei, and looked deeply into his eyes.
"Your wife would not have wanted you to suffer so. Nor the rest of your family."
Wufei was shocked.
"How did you-!"
Tima softy looked down at her hands.
"I too, am sometimes angry with myself. I, what is word?...Regret. Regret things I have done. And not done. But regret cannot change things. Only I can." She looked at him with a little smile on her face. "Only you can."
She placed her hands on his shoulders, kissed him on each cheek, and then pressed her forehead softly against his, as she looked at him with her pretty brown eyes.
"Anger and regret bad for the soul, Nguvu Wufei."
She stood, and walked to the door, grinning at the Italian couple, who in turn smiled, and gave her a little wave. With her beads tinkling, she walked towards the door, as Wufei sat there in shock. She turned around with her coat in hand, and grinned at him.
"Nguvu Wufei! Do I look like friend of you?"
Wufei could feel the corners of his mouth lift up of their own accord.
"Yes, I suppose so."
She laughed, and shrugging her coat on, trudged out the door. A waiter came by to his table a few moments later.
"Uh, sir? The woman who just left here, has paid your bill, and asked me to give this to you."
He handed Wufei a small yellow card with the name 'Tima' written in red, swirling letters. On the back was a tiny note.
'We are friends now, Nguvu Wufei. I will find you again someday. Never regret. Each day is a…can't remember word…I'm sorry.
Love, Tima'
Wufei tucked the note in his pocket as he watched the snow fall down outside. Gift. The word she couldn't remember.