UNKNOWN FAMILIARS

*Warning, contains some profanity.*

             Ezra Farqua sat on the chaise in his bedroom watching Turnette Farqua, his wife of only 3 months get ready for her girls spa day with her best friends. He was so in love with her. He met her his senior year in college while studying abroad in the states. He was surprised that they were from the same country of Bermuda. She was a beauty and had brains. Her skin was a deep caramel, and she had the perfect dancer’s body as she was skilled in ballet and jazz dance. He loved how she was so comfortable in her skin and wore her thick coils buzzed low in a feminine fade. She must have felt him watching her and turned to smile at him while applying her lip gloss. She thought he was the most handsome fellow she had ever seen in that moment as he sat smiling at her. His rich cocoa skin glistened in the sun rays that beamed through the bay window that overlooked the bay. His dreads were pulled back tightly in a man bun.

              “What are you smiling at?” Turnette asked as she turned back to apply a bit of bronzer to her cheeks. “My lovely wife.” Ezra said playfully. He got up and walked over to the vanity and placed his arms around her.

“Babe, I am going to take the sailboat out while you and your girlfriends hang out. I just don’t want to be stuck in the house on this amazing morning. I will be back before sundown.” He kissed her right behind the ear.

“That’s fine baby. We can go grab some dinner later when you get back.”

“That sounds great as long as it involves shark meat,” he said.

Turnette made an ugly face as she hated shark. It just did not sit well with her. She had rather go get some red snapper or good old cod fish with rice and peas. But she loved her man and always compromised so she agreed to go to his favorite spot for their dinner date later. She finished getting ready and kissed her husband goodbye as her ride pulled up to whisk her off to a fun-filled spa day with her besties.

              Ezra grabbed his cooler and filled it with water and his favorite beer. He figured he would sail out to Rabbit Island and enjoy the scenery for a few hours and do a little mediating on the beach. It was the most peaceful spots that he adored to have a moment of spiritual healing and self-reflection. He walked down to the pier up to his sailboat he named Reigning Water. He got it as a wedding gift from his in-laws. This bad boy was a vintage Oday and was a sleek pearlescent white with a navy blue and red stripe down the middle. The sail was the image of the Bermuda flag, and he loved it just as much as a man loved his vintage luxury car. The weather was perfect. It was sunny and 75 degrees with a light breeze just enough to get the sailboat going max speed of around 6 knots. Ezra loaded up his cooler, digital camera, and his snacks and cranked up the engine to head on his journey.

              Once Ezra got on the open water, he raised his sail and let nature’s breeze get his boat going full force in the wind. He could see Rabbit Island in the distance.

“This is going to be a good day for myself,” he thought. He was in nautical bliss. He had been sailing since he was 7 years old with his old man. It was in his blood. He turned up his radio and was dancing to some Reggae when his boat hit a wave that almost knocked him overboard. Startled and armpits now itching, Ezra began tacking to regain control. The wind did pick up a bit, but he was only 12 miles out from land. He looked down at the water and it was churning like a whirlpool, but the boat was gliding over the swirls like the graceful leaps his wife performed on stage.

“What the hell,” he said in a slightly panicked whisper. Small glimmers of red-orange light dance under the swirls pulsating in rhythmic patterns. Then the lights were gone. He looked around over each side of the boat and the water was very calm, the only waves were from his vessel. He looked around and almost jumped out of his skin. He was heading back to Flatts Village. He checked his compass, he checked his phone, and sure enough he was turned in the opposite direction.

 “What in the actual fuck is happening?” Ezra said out loud. He figured he may have gotten turned around when he was in the strange whirlpool, but it just didn’t make sense. It seemed like he had only left half an hour ago, but the sun was now setting. He also knew he wasn’t drunk as he only had one beer. Baffled and suddenly extremely tired, he chopped his journey to Rabbit Island up as a loss for the day and sailed back up to the pier. At least the day wasn’t totally ruined. He had a hot dinner date with his lovely wife, Turnette.

              Ezra lowered his sail and costed back to the boating dock. He looked around feeling like the environment was a bit…off. Gathering his belongings off the boat, he saw two of his neighbors walking down the pier and he called out to them to say good evening.

“Timi, Jamon, good evening, guys!” Ezra shouted and waved.

“Hey brother!” they said in unison. As the men walked past Ezra, he heard them ask each other who he was. They glanced back at Ezra who was still looking at them. The men flashed awkward smiles and waves at Ezra as they disappeared down the pier. Ezra felt a little hurt and confused. How come they didn’t recognize him? He checked his surroundings still feeling as if he was out of place though nothing looked unfamiliar. Exhausted, he walked up the pier and headed to his home.

              As Ezra pulled out his house keys and unlocked the front door, he sees a child’s bike leaning against the wall on the porch. It looked a if it belonged to a little girl. Before he could call out to his wife the front door swung open and a little girl with two puffy pigtails ran up to him and jumped in his arms.

“Daddy! Daddy! You came back from your trip fast!” she screamed in excitement.

“Whoaaaa! Little lady, I think you got me mixed up with someone else. I don’t have any kids.” Ezra stammered as he placed her back down.

“Daddy you are silly. You always play that game.”

“Little girl, I don’t know who you are. I am not your daddy.”

“Daaaaddddy stop it!” the little girl said giggling.

“Where are your parents? Do you have someone I can call? I can help you if you need help.”

“Daddy? Are you ok? You seem angry.” the little girl looked up at him with sad and confused eyes.

              Ezra did not respond and grabbed the child by her hand and hurried inside. 

“Turnette!, Turnette!” he screamed for his wife.

“MOOOMMMMY!” the little girl yelled at the top of her lungs. Ezra heard running down the steps and a voice say, “coming!”

Ezra walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. The little girl followed grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl. Turnette also entered the kitchen glaring at Ezra and looking confused.

“Ezra what are you doing here honey? You were supposed to be in the states visiting your brother. Isn’t he expecting you?” said Turnette.

Ezra looked at his wife, mouth wide opened. She had shoulder length hair, straightened, and cut into a bob that was died with flame red highlights, and she had a full face of makeup on. She was a bit heaver and less muscular than she was before she left this morning.

“Ezra, what is the matter with you? Why are you even home? Did you miss your flight or something?” Turnette asked.

“Mommy. Daddy is acting weird. He said he doesn’t have any kids.”

“Ezra baby, you need to say something. And please stop teasing our 6-year-old daughter.”

“All I did was take the boat out this morning while you went out with your girlfriends. We had no kids because we wanted to finish school and we wanted to enjoy a few years of our marriage before we had kids. My wife also had short natural hair, a dancer’s body, and wore very little makeup. I don’t know what the hell is going on right now, who’s kid this is, or why you look like a cheap ghetto prostitute. My Turnette would never walk around in blue jean panties and a halter top made up like a drag queen in front of a child that she doesn’t even know. Let alone play a sick joke on her husband of 3 months.” Ezra said, his voice cracking.

“EXCUSE ME! JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT AND IN FRONT OF OUR DAUGHTER, ISRAEL?” Turnette screamed and got right in his face. Israel started crying and holding her ears saying, “No fighting, No fighting. She climbed out of the chair and ran to the corner sliding down the wall to the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest and began to rock back and forth.

“Ezra, I do not understand why you say you are going to visit your brother in the states and show up later in the day acting like you don’t know anyone. You insult me, lie about owning a boat, and having a child. Then you say we have only been married 3 months when we got married 6 years ago when I fell pregnant with Israel. Now, I agree, it was not the best idea as we have ALWAYS had issues. I just don’t know how much more of the bullshit I can take from you.”

“Stop saying naughty words mommy! You both need a time out!” Israel shouted.

“Israel, go to your room!” Turnette said. Israel darted up the stairs.

Turnette turned back to face Ezra who had his face buried in his hands. He didn’t know what was happening and why it was happening to him. He just knew that this was not where he belonged, and he had to figure out something. What Turnette was saying did not make any sense. He even felt different like he walked right into a parallel world. He looked up at Turnette who was glaring daggers at him. She had her hands clenched in fists as if she was going to strike him. 

“Turnette, what is going on? Why do you look different? Who is this little girl named Israel? This situation just cannot be happening. It just cannot.” Ezra stammered.

His voice was a low mumble at this point, and he was pacing back and forth. Turnette just kept glaring at him. She was over it. Her husband was acting like a total jerk and had talked about her appearance like she was trash. But, for some reason she felt bad for him. He looked broken down and… out of place. She sighed and called his name again.

“Ezra. Something is off here. Something is terribly off. Why aren’t you at your brother’s house in the states?”

“Yes… I, I have been saying this. This whole vibe is off. I told you my brother is supposed to visit us next month. I already told you I took the boat out for a sail this morning while you were out with your girlfriends. I wanted to sail to Rabbit Island, but I got turned around. I lost track of time. I come home and now I am a father in an unstable marriage. This is some twilight zone type of shit and I want out.” Ezra stated.

Turnette began fuming with anger again. She knew the only way to prove to her husband that he was out of his damn mind was to call his brother and if that didn’t work… a shrink, priest, police, anyone that could snap him out of his ridiculous delirium. She took out her phone and called her brother-in-law, Sir Egypt Farqua.

“I just dialed your brother’s number and its on speaker phone.” She spoke. The phone rang a few times and Egypt answered over loud music.

“What up sis? Everything ok?”

“Egypt!, Your brother is here acting like he bumped his head. He is saying that you were supposed to come visit us next month and he was not supposed to come and visit you at all. He insulted me and…”

“Turnette stop talking for a minute. Stop. What do you mean Ezra is there. That is impossible. Ezra is sitting right here.”

Ezra and Turnette both looked at each other and their mouths dropped open in disbelief.