STILL THE BEST

A

t 8am, on December 25, I received a phone call from the United States, it was mama, and she had found me as she promised.

She got my number from her best friend and prison mate called Medley. who has been sentence to jail for multiple hacking of different bank accounts worldwide. Though stinking rich yet, she had to serve her terms in jail.

Mama’s voice sounded very well on phone. She had adapted to the situation very fast and from our conversation, it seems like she saw prison more as a way of ‘a black life’ than ‘a governmental punishment.’ She even had her own squad, which she stood as the leader and Boss. ‘Wow! I never knew my Taylor had so much thuggery in her.’

Mama wanted to know what’s up with me and how I was finding life in the new environment. She had confidence that I was going to be well taking care of by my dad.

‘So what’s up with England?’ she said.

‘I’m doing good, I’ll be off to college by next year.’ I replied.

Mama screamed at the top of her voice in excitement, from the phone.

Finally, the kind of life she had always dreamt and wanted for me, ‘get to college, get a good degree and then get a good job,’ as she would always quote, was surfacing.

I felt good hearing mama smiling again; after all, she had been through a lot for me, not letting go off a passion for paper works. Frankly I did sometimes ask myself am I truly happy making my mama happy or has Gregory made me understand that I just have to be my own woman? Whatever the case maybe, I had no interest in breaking my promise to mama or shattering her heart. That will be so....so.... ungrateful after everything she had done for me. I wasn’t interested in breaking mama’s heart, no matter the cost.

Mama and I spoke for quite some lengthy time until we then had to say the ‘B’ word, for quite some times it sounded like the most difficult thing in the world saying goodbye to the one you love....yeah, but we just had to say it.

Back home in the United States, mama and I never really did much of the church thing. Mama was quite a nice person, but she was never the religious type. She had a strong hatred for Christian churches and blamed all of them for so much hypocrisy and so she would rather stay at home, hoping God himself would call on her in person.

During her young and lonely dark days, a reverend father, raped her once and she escaped been sexually assaulted twice by the so-called clergies.

However, I had a different heart entirely. I loved religion and despite the fact that I never liked going to church due to the so much hypocrisy that I saw in Brooklyn. I loved the witnesses and their teachings but ever since mum banned them from ever stepping into her house, I spent most of my Sundays with a non governmental charity group called S.A.W.C.C.

Help Save the American Women and Children from Cancer and would willingly donate money, and help collect donations for the group both in person and on line. Therefore, since England was my new home, I hope to search for such organizations and assist them, every Sundays of the week, my way of giving back to God.

I could recall how I once helped in saving the life of a little boy by the name, Luke grey who was mothererless and his life threatened by a cancer of the brain, his father who also happens to be  a very busy politician, and a renouced lawyer was rarely around due to his kind of job. Money was raised for the little boy and he was  operated on, and saved

The year had run out so quick and a new year and a new season had just begun. It was time for me to become a college girl. The London Metropolitan University in England was just the place. It is a big school, bigger than any school I had ever attended. It was quite the time. for Melina Sparks to become a college girl.

I toured its sport halls, and other areas, but amongst all these, the one, which astonished me most, was the beautiful large hall, which is used for dramas. All kinds of Williams Shakespeare dramas took place there. I also had a thing for drama and really loved watching it especially when it had to do with the rich traditions of other peoples culture. Ballet was also been performed at that same hall

The London Metropolitan University was also a versatile creature in the sense that she absorbed so many students from different races, nationalities as well as backgrounds.

Amongst this was Evan Cole who was just recently rated by Trace Magazines and MTV Base as the best dancer in the U.K.

I was not the only one attending the London metropolitan University from Merton, Emerald and Emily were also attending, in fact they were one whole year ahead of me, presently running their second year programme at the school. Another guy, whom I also thought would never make it pass high school and was also admitted into the London metropolitan University was the Nigerian - Jamaican troublesome dude in London, Sholey.

The very moment I saw Sholey at my new school and he tried to come all over to me again, I felt liked doing to him what Bruce Wayne did to the joker at Gotham city. However, I also remembered he stocked his neck up for me, in one of my rivalries with The Red Queen Bee Sasha Love, so, I just had to let him in.

Sholey was quite an intelligent young man but like the former me in those days, he never really liked school, he just preferred it on the streets, and probably it’s just his way of doing his own thing.

But we both got along at the new school, and he just officially became accepted as my friend.The year kept looking good for everyone as Dad and his business partners had just become supporters of a major world dance competition and he wanted me to be amongst those battling for the ultimate price but I turned down the offer and definitely wasn’t interested in dancing.

It’s been three weeks since the first day at school and things have been moving just fine. All over the school, there were different posters regarding a dance competition, which started about three years ago.

The egotistic Evan Cole showed absolutely no interest as regards the dance competition, but I noticed he and his crew were always on to Sholey for one thing or the order, and that had been going on for quite some time, Sholey who had now become my closest pal.

I never really liked Evan Cole and how I just wished our paths never get crossed or he was gonna get a feel of what Arlington is all about.

On one of the intermissions at school, Evan Cole grabbed a hold of Sholey’s shirt, pinning him to the wall, he said, ‘where the hell is my stuff?’ I knew they were talking about real dope, I mean snow dust, as I thought at first.

Sholey replied, ‘I’m gonna get it for you, please my man, just be patient.’

Evan threw a straight left punch at Sholey and it threw him off balance, which resulted to his falling down on his back. Evan’s boys ruthlessly grabbed a hold of him, raising him up, but as Evan tried hitting him with yet another punch, I interrupted his hand by holding it back.

‘What the hell is going on here?’ I said.

Evan looked at me with a very angry and furious frown and said, ‘Mind your damn business girl.’

‘Well, right here is my business, referring to my friend and wanting some answer, now what the hell is going on....Sholey?’ I said.

Evan walked up closer to my face and said ‘And what, on earth, are you gonna do, lady? What in the world are you gonna do about it?  Like you’ve got enough money up to a hundred pounds per saying that you would like to pay for him?’

‘A hundred pounds for what?’ I replied, ‘That kind of money is very huge,’ where on earth will one get that from?’ I said to myself in my heart.

‘A hundred pounds for my diamond pearled necklace which your friend Sholey stole from me. Got it?’ Evan said to me in response.

Now, I became confused and had absolutely no idea what this two pre-grown up guys were fighting about. However, to get Sholey, my friend, out of this mess, A hundred pound really did not mean much to Evan Cole, he was weigh hoxed up, he just wanted to make a fool of my friend and find a reason to keep bullying him in front of the whole school, more of a show off. Nevertheless, I knew one thing I could use against the proud Evan, a challenge in the face of his friends, dance crew and the entire school. The Egotistical Evan would do anything just to keep his name flying ‘A class.’

Therefore, I courageously said to Evan in front of the whole school ‘How about me and you, one on one on the dance floor. If I lose, you get a hundred pounds cash. But if you lose and I win, boy you gonna put on some pants and start acting like a real man because I don’t ever wonna see you harass my friend Sholey or anyone else in this school again, you are just as fake as your title, best dancer in UK my foot. You and those rock monsters behind you better start putting on some real pants.’

‘I am Melina Sparks, a member and co-leader of the Maximus Prime, Brooklyn, U.S.A and I am challenging your sorry ass to a one on one hardcore freestyle battle, everything goes.’

Evan tried turning it down, but the entire students wanted to see a dance battle between us as they have never witness anyone make such a challenge to the egocentric British boy.

Evan stared at the crowd indignantly and remorsefully accepted the challenge.

Just then, the soccer coach, Mr. Wilfred stepped in the crowd as everyone stayed silence wondering what he might have to say. After staring at the many faces of the students who were caught up in great suspense as they wondered what he had to say, finally he said, ‘If you are gonna be having such a great dance battle, then you’ll be needing not just any venue but a perfect venue for such a historic battle, and I have just the perfect place for you all.’ This excited the crowd of students and they cheered excitedly.

‘An old warehouse called the Ark few blocks just before my house would be re decorated and desighned for this show’ said Coach Wilfred.

‘We can all make history, by hosting one of the greatest dance battles in all of England. I will arrange with my home boys and all you gladiators have to do is to be there by 6:00pm in the evening, get ready for the battle of your lives.’ Concluded the coach.

Evan Cole used to be part of a dance crew called the Black Knights, but dissolved the dance crew after they failed to pick the golden trophy at the World Dance Championship, due to certain unexplained reasons and propaganda about them trying to cheat. But as soon as Evan got out of the mess and was crowned by the fashion and entertainment U.K. Magazine as the best dancer in the whole of UK, he decided to form another dance crew and this time he wanted a crew that will represent the modern culture of England, the Rock Boyz.

By 6:00pm, the large warehouse hall was already filled with so many boys, girls, and beautiful lights and well arranged with simple decorations for a dance battle.

As I stepped into the Ark, I could hear the crowd loud as they kept on chanting my name. I also learnt that sometimes ago, Mr. Wilfred used to host dance tournaments at the old warehouse, which he called the Ark, until he got frustrated out of business due to a lack of sponsorship and low turnout of spectators.

Mr. Wilfred, a slim tall dark skinned man made it clear to me that he used to be a break-dancer back in the days and had always wanted to promote dancing in Merton.

He also believed there lays a connection between soccer and dancing.

Now that was weird, but this could be clearly seen on the slogan on the Ark’s billboard, Dance, passion, play.

‘It made absolutely no sense to me at all such slogans, probably no wonder he had no sponsors,’ I said to myself.

dj Ice Touch, the turntable killer was set to go. Evan and the Rock Boyz had also arrived and was set for the show, a white lady, with a long blond hair, called Frost, also a dancer, grabbed the microphone, she was the official MC for the evening. After welcoming the crowd, Frost the MC, took her time to introduce both competitors ‘on the left corner is Evan Cole representing the Rock Boiz, still presently standing as the best dancer in the UK.’

The crowd did cheer a lot for Evan Cole, but as soon as it got to my turn, I noticed the crowd cheered even a whole lot more, as she said sentimentally, we have Melina Sparks on the right corner a former member of the no longer existing Brooklyn group the Maximus Prime. At once, my heart pounded heavily as the chanting of the crowd gradually reduced but the DJ wasted no time as he set the competition ablaze with mad jams.

The fiery and vigorous dance battle had lasted more than forty minutes and Evan Cole tried out dancing with a great pace by constantly dropping mad dance skills on the floor. The dance battle was quite a difficult one since I had never had to compete in a dance battle all alone except with my crew,and they always had my back.

The only advantage I had was the crowd who never stopped chanting for me, and so here’s the deal in every dance competition the team which had the highest chants and more supports from the crowd were most time automatically made winners. Therefore, I had to come up with skills and dance moves that will make the crowd chant louder for me, especially since they never really liked the Egotistical Evan they just needed something extra from me. Nevertheless, Evan was damn too good, he was better than I was actually. But that never mattered in dancing, winning was what mattered most since the crowd were the judges.

I finally got the sense of the slogan, as my eyes came across it again, dance, passion and play.

I might love to dance fine, but now I have to see it as a passion to play with, I’ve just got to have fun and at the same time entertain the crowd and not get too serious.

Meanwhile, back home, Mr. Gregory was already back from work and was bothered about his three daughters not been back from school, so he picked his Honda Accord and went off in search of them in the city and also made a phone call to the nearest police station  as they also joined in the search for the three girls.

I recalled a dance move we once used in defeating a rival dance crew at the lighthouse, ‘copy cat sucido’ that was all what I needed. This had to do with you carefully copying the moves of your opponent making your opponents get frustrated and at the same time, you entertain the crowd.

After twenty-three minutes of entertaining the crowd and making fun of all his dance moves, by not exactly imitating them but making fun out of them and a little extra, the crowd loved the ridicule I was making of the proud Evan and kept chanting for me loudly. Evan started losing focus, highly frustraited not with me but with the crowd. He walked up to me and said “you bloody cheat” as he pushed me to the floor and walked out of the dance arena with his crew the Rock Boiz.

I was immediately declared the winner, hugged and then lifted high by the crowd, my twin sisters, Emily and Emerald, including my dearest friend, Sholey also came to celebrate with me. But all those while I never knew there was someone else watching me from the crowd, she and her crew hated the entire show and did not like the way the crowd kept chanting my name.

While the crowd kept tossing me up and down into the air, she and her crew walked closer and said, ‘let her down,’ and immediately the crowd dropped me down and all kept quiet. I could see her face, the queen was back, the Queen Red Bee.

The Queen Red Bee who was already jealous of my new fame said, ‘You are not a good dancer, you only won because of the crowd’s chant.’

‘Yeah,’ I replied, ‘well why don’t you and me make it a double edge show for tonight? What do you say people?’ directing my attention to the crowd.

‘You and me, Queen Merton for the new Dancehall Queen of London.’

The queen agreed and the stage was set. DJ Snow Touch was back on deck as the second show for the night kicked off. Although I was initially tired yet the very moment I knew it was Queen Red Bee, I just felt an energy pumping inside of me and wanting me to put an end to her reign finally.

The show was set and The Queen Red Bee also did put up a good fight by carrying out some beautiful dance moves, but each of mine superseded hers. After more than thirty minutes of dancing, I dominated all her moves for some extra six minutes just having fun and then ended with one of my best finishing moves of all times the Aeonflux Drop. For the first time in London, this thrilled the crowd so much as I was not only declared winner by the crowd, but also the New Dancehall Queen of London.

The Jamaican crew never really liked it and wanted to start a fight, but then came Mr. Gregory and the police who quickly interceeded by bringing peace to the dance floor, which was already becoming rowdy.

I had now become the newly crowned Queen of Merton and the new Dancehall Queen of London. The second queen in London after Queen Elizabeth the second, but the white folks just called me the ‘Brooklyn bad girl.’ My half sisters, Emerald and Emily gave me the biggest hugs of my life and damn it, I did not know she could talk so much, I meant the same so quiet Emily who suddenly was all fired up.