MWIKALI AND THE FORBIDDEN MASK Mwikali scooped up the backpack resting at her feet I'll be right there she yelled before turning back to the mirror Scanning her reflection she smoothed down her school uniform for the umpteenth time The girl in the mirror looked as normal as could be She had the height of a normal twelve year old Wore a normal uniform white blouse red tie blue skirt with a matching sweater And even though her almond shaped eyes were larger than most they were perfectly suited to her deep brown face Mwikali grabbed a hair band and tied her thick jet black Afro into a ponytail making sure she rounded out and tucked in all the loose ends forming a tight bun on top of her head Her scalp ached in protest but Mwikali pushed through the discomfort As much as she loved her loose fluffy hair it had to remain hidden away The plan was to be as unnoticeable as possible She clenched and unclenched her hands worry clouding her face Everything about the girl in the mirror looked normal but deep down she knew that she wasn't normal at all I'm a freak A dangerous very not normal freak The memory of names others had called her brought a familiar tightness to Mwikali's chest She crumpled 10
THE FREAK CHAMELEON handfuls of skirt in her clammy hands as her heart began to thump Stop this she commanded herself She couldn't lose it Not today She wanted today to go well Needed it to go well Today was her first day at a new school It was a chance to start afresh A chance to leave behind all the horrible things that had happened at her last school For that to happen she needed to act normal Boring even She had to hide who she really was Haraka haraka Mwikali Mom called out more urgently than before Hurry up or you'll be late With one last glance at the mirror Mwikali exhaled sharply and then swung her bedroom door open Coming The sweet scent of freshly fried dough wafted out of the kitchen and into her nose as soon as she stepped outside Mandazis she cheered bounding down the stairs of the three bedroom townhouse she lived in with her mom and auntie Mandazis were Mwikali's favorite pastries in the whole world They were an extra special treat with a mouthwatering smell powerful enough to push out her worries and put a real smile on her face She loved mandazis even more than she loved donuts And that was 11
MWIKALI AND THE FORBIDDEN MASK no small deal Mom claimed that mandazis and donuts were more or less the same thing but Mwikali— a pastry fanatic- knew better Mandazis were shaped like triangles not circles they didn't have gaping holes in the middle and they always had a little bit of spice added to their sweetness They were both delicious but totally different At least to Mwikali First days of school didn't usually count as mandazi type days but then again this wasn't an ordinary first day of school Today was her first day at a new school in their new permanent home town For the first time ever Mwikali would be joining a school and staying there Thanks to Mom's job at an airline company they had never lived anywhere for longer than a couple of years Mom had scored a big promotion a few months earlier and had been offered the opportunity to move back to the city that she was raised in the city where Mwikali had been born Nairobi the capital city of Kenya The airline had moved them into their new home and even gotten Mwikali a spot at Savanna Academy one of the most prestigious schools in East Africa Now after a life spent bouncing around from country to country the United Kingdom United States United Arab Emirates China she was finally going to 12
THE FREAK CHAMELEON be able to settle in one place long enough to get used to it Morning Auntie said brightly once she reached the bottom of the stairs Morning Auntie Mwikali replied her wide grin taking up most of the space on her face Mom's making mandazis Auntie laughed and continued sweeping the carpet I knew that smell would bring you downstairs fasta fasta Mwikali giggled as she skipped through the living room and through to the kitchen Although Auntie had only been living with them for two months she already knew Mwikali better than most Auntie wasn't her real auntie That is she wasn't related to Mwikali by blood Auntie was what everyone called nannies in Kenya And even though it had taken Mwikali some time to get used to the idea of having a full time nanny she had come to love having Auntie around Unlike the babysitters she'd had in the past Auntie treated her more like a friend than just some kid she'd been hired to look after Morning Mwikali Mom trilled The air inside the kitchen was hot steamy and inviting Mwikali licked her lips as she eyed the big bowl of mandazis already sitting on the counter Mom I'm 13
