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
MWIKALI AND THE FORBIDDEN MASK going to eat like ten of those she warned Mom chuckled as she took the last batch out of the fryer Kenyan pop music was playing from a Bluetooth speaker in the corner and Mom was wiggling her hips to the beats like she always did She was listening to her favorite music group Sauti Sol She loved them almost as much as Mwikali loved mandazis It had been a long time since Mwikali had seen her mother looking so happy Mom had always talked about having a forever home in her birth country someday And now that she had completed her management training and they were finally there she couldn't wait to introduce Mwikali to every single aspect of Kenyan life loud Sauti Sol music included Being home and knowing that Mwikali would grow up around Kenyan family and traditions made her happier than ever Since the move Mwikali had already met a bunch of cousins she didn't even know existed They had all been really friendly and had tried to make Mwikali feel like she belonged But Mwikali had never really felt like she belonged anywhere For as long as she could remember she had always been different She had always been the new kid The outsider And at her last school she had even gotten a new title the freak Things would be different here though She was 14
THE FREAK CHAMELEON going to make sure of it Her plan was already in place avoid attention blend into the background disappear Just like a chameleon Ayyyyeeeee Mom hollered waving her hands around in the air She was really going at it with the dancing even doing that cringey dance move adults love to do where they pucker their lips and twirl their butts all the way down to the floor Oh my gosh Mom stopppp Mwikali moaned slapping her hand over her eyes She didn't need to see that Nobody did Mom threw her head back and laughed before standing back up and serving her a plate of piping hot mandazis Happy first day of school she sang Sorry I have to leave for this work trip I can't believe I'll miss your first few days Ohhh you're feeling guilty about abandoning me on my first week of school That's why you're making mandazis Mwikali said with a cheeky smile No that isn't true although I am sorry about that Mom said poking her daughter's nose It's because today marks a new beginning for you You'll be a lot happier here I just know it A new beginning for you You'll be a lot happier here Mwikali's stomach did a flip She knew exactly what her 15
