126 Cleopatra

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She was born on a farm at Istanha just West of Banha, North of Cairo, on the banks of the Nile Delta.  It was four in the morning her mother was laid out on straw, and the night sky sparkled through the cracks in the barn roof.  She heaved profusely, she was sweating cold, then hot.  She pushed and pushed, until finally her waters broke and the baby came rushing through.  Sweltering from the womb.  Heart beating.  Head ajar.  Clear crys.  Swollen pride.

The little one would be named Cleopatra, Ebe, Femi, Bolaffi.  And she was ready to be born into her queendom.  Under the star. In a barn, it was almost like the coming of the second messiah.  She lay forlorn on the straw before her mother Renée could pick her up for the first time.  Renée was Spanish born in Equatorial Guinea to a French mother.  'Mi hija, Ah! Mi hija eres tan hermosa!'

Cleopatra grew up quickly on the farm, learning all the names of the animals in her native tongue: sheep; kharoof, cow; ba'ara, horse; Husaan, and farm; mazraAa, (H = a sound as if breathing on glasses to clean them/ A = a sound similar to the exclamation ah!).  Her father, Aswad (black) Astennu (God of the moon) Bolaffi, inherited the farm from a series of three generations of farmers, so they were always successful because the necessary skills had been passed down from generation to generation.  Whilst farming is a poor man's job the Bolaffi's were really middle class for the amount of land they owned and wealth they had.

Cleopatra had her own horse on the farm, named Femi, meaning Love, and she really did love her.  She was allowed to take her to the village to buy groceries with her mum,  Renée.  Renée rode Geb, meaning Mythical Earth God.  They rode every weekend and it was a great form of exercise for Cleopatra as she was growing up.

Aswad was wealthy enough to send his daughter abroad at a young age, so she moved to England when she was just 16 to go to college.  She attended Chelsea college for girls and certainly found her freedom there.  She already knew English so there was no language barrier but some cultural shock!  Cleopatra was brought up in a strict muslim culture and so followed the ideals of a devout muslim.  She prayed five times a day and fasted for Ramadan.  However whilst at Chelsea she could go without and this brought her into a new light.     

Cleopatra had always wanted to be an architect; miAmaari within the world of architecture; il-  miAmaar.  Egypt suffered greatly from bad architecture because of the climate, dusty and dry.  Where as London opened her eyes up to the world of buildings and their design.  She was studying  Maths and Art already she just had to change to Italian from French in order to get onto the trip to Rome.  Renée believed she was still studying French, but as so many girls Cleopatra let go of her inhibitions and took her life into her own hands.

Cleopatra moved to Westminster to study Architecture.  However she was still the party girl from her Chelsea days.  She began drinking and smoking and even ended up at a strip club on one occasion.  Saskia her best friend suggested she try stripping, so while caught in the all male stripping bar, an idea sparked 'this is how I could pay off my university debt'.  This was not a good idea, as she would end up in the most uncompromising situations which was very much against her strict muslim up-bringing. 

She had been caught out.  Renée was coming to visit now she had done so well in her A-levels and made it into Architecture school.  She would have to hide the new career as a stripper.  'Mum let's go out for a meal tonight? Yes?', 'Of course Cleo. I want to hear all about it!'.  Renée and Cleo stayed up until the late hours discussing the intracices of putting on a presentation at University and avoided her new method of earning money.

One night whilst stripping Cleopatra met a man.  His name was Eric.  He was Jamaican and had a heart full of love, for women and his family.  But took too much notice of his friends.  They had persuaded him to go to the strip club Cleopatra was working at.  They had a great night, so great that sparks hit off between Cleopatra and Eric.  They got it on in the backrooms of the nightclub.  'Oooh' said Cleo this isn't right?! . . . And from that day on she became pregnant.  Eric took custody of the baby and Cleo was stuck childless without a degree because of the pregnancy and desperate to meet her little man!

Eric fled the country to Jamaica, out of shame, and took their son with him.  Soon he, little Solomon, named by Cleopatra, would be growing up in the sunny climes of the Caribbean.  Cleo was so fed up of her life as a full time stripper, that she decided to save, to visit Solomon.  She found a team of men to take her.

Oceans blue like thunder hold droplets of ice above the merry waves of an icy oceanic blaze of light.  The boat sinks and swells through the storm as many men hold on to their lives.  The boat sinks one way and another, until finally rest and calm.  The hull is worn from salt.

I hear an army charging upon the land.  Miles from home.  The lords stay well and enter the seas from afar.  Spirits quell as Jesu unlocks the door.  The lady awakes.  A dond'esta es mi hijo del amour? The generals return to the deck.  The compass spins incessantly as the rains bring gifts of joy.  The clouds move over and the boats head West now that the lords have found him.  A stillness sparkles and the journeymen continue their quest to get candanga home.  Through slavery she came, promises abound and now all she has is a map.  The islands are wide and various so it will be some effort to find him.  As long as the men stay in stealth all nations will not blame her, but soon a fate will unravel.

By dawn they have arrived; a small white sand beach above the sea bed.  They come in triumph.  You heard our call!  She leaves the boat to find the father and son exhausted with doubt.  'My heart' she exclaims - 'have you no wisdom thus to despair?'.  

I know he says.  'My love, my love, my love - why did you leave me alone?'.  'Well there's a story to this'.

He takes her in his arms and settles her nerves.  A long time ago I found this.  'Que?',  'A dream written on a scroll'. Inside it said: . . . . 'Everything you read is what you were meant to read . . look for the clues.'

'Why haven't you been dreaming?'

'Because I couldn't reach my child. . . .

'Why?'

'This slavery has taken my fate . . . so the journeymen brought me here.'

'Well, well, well' . . . .