Dancing With The Enemy: Black Power

By Dr. Sharon Campbell Phillips

About the book:
This is the story of Ms. Kevela Stephenson, a girl who was raised in the hardened streets of Cinder City dreams of becoming a top figurine dancer, the best in her class however she has caught herself between her career and her love for Mr. Marcus Fernandez, a notorious drug lord who was born and raised in the streets of rural Brazil, went through the hustle and grind of the streets to become the most feared man with one goal in mind and that’s to run the turfs of Zanzimala with an iron fist. Marcus never had one daydream of falling in love but after one encounter with a beautiful, young girl residing at the sweet island of Paradise Isle, he couldn’t help but wonder if this is love or just bare infatuation.
About the author:

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pencil
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9789354584312

Book preview

Dancing With The Enemy

The Strength of the Soul

BY

Dr. Sharon Campbell-Phillips

---

pencil-logo

ISBN 9789354584312

© Dr. Sharon Campbell-Phillips 2021

Published in India 2021 by Pencil

A brand of

One Point Six Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

123, Building J2, Shram Seva Premises,

Wadala Truck Terminal, Wadala (E)

Mumbai 400037, Maharashtra, INDIA

E [e-mail]

W www.thepencilapp.com

All rights reserved worldwide

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Any person who commits an unauthorized act in relation to this publication can be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. The opinions expressed in this book do not seek to reflect the views of the Publisher.

Author biography

My name is Dr. Sharon Campbell-Phillips. I am from Trinidad and Tobago. I am very enthusiastic about community work and the development of others. I am also very passionate about conducting research and writing as it allows me the opportunity to share my knowledge with others and educate them as well as enhance and develop myself.

I am currently employed with the local government of Trinidad and Tobago where I work at the Division of Community Development. This Division is dedicated to developing communities so that persons’ standard of living can be enhanced.

My writing career began when I was approached by a classmate from Bangladesh to collaborate and write professionally. I accepted the challenge and we began writing together. When I received my first publication, I was very excited and was motivated to continue writing, I am also a Doctor of Health Sciences.

Contents

Chapter 1 The Meeting Chapter 2 Kevela's Turning Point Chapter 3 The Obstacle Chapter 4 The Mountain Ahead Chapter 5 The Storm and the Sun Chapter 6 The Dangerous Book Chapter 7 The March Chapter 8 The Celebration Chapter 9 The Final Dance Chapter 10 The Snake in The Grass

Preface

This is the story of Ms. Kevela Stephenson, a girl who was raised in the hardened streets of Cinder City dreams of becoming a top figurine dancer, the best in her class however she has caught herself between her career and her love for Mr. Marcus Fernandez, a notorious drug lord who was born and raised in the streets of rural Brazil, went through the hustle and grind of the streets to become the most feared man with one goal in mind and that’s to run the turfs of Zanzimala with an iron fist. Marcus never had one day dream of falling in love but after one encounter with a beautiful, young girl residing at the sweet island of Paradise Isle, he couldn’t help but to wonder if this is love or just bare infatuation. 

Kevela had only met the man once and with that encounter she knew in her heart that she has to have him even if it means risking her life for just one touch, one kiss to the point of even dreaming of having his kids one day. Kevela doesn’t know why or how she could’ve fallen in love with such a man, what is it about him that had the dancer head over heels for him, is it his lifestyle, is it his street cred or is it something far more deeper than the material wealth that he owns, with twist and turns in every corner within the sweet island of  Paradise Isle, Kevela has escaped from the mean streets of the Diamond Island to reside in  Paradise Isle only to be caught in a tangled web of love, lust and betrayals within the highest of order.  This is her life and this is her story.

Chapter 1 The Meeting Chapter 2 Kevela's Turning Point Chapter 3 The Obstacle Chapter 4 The Mountain Ahead Chapter 5 The Storm and the Sun Chapter 6 The Dangerous Book Chapter 7 The March Chapter 8 The Celebration Chapter 9 The Final Dance Chapter 10 The Snake in The Grass

Chapter One

The Meeting

It was a bright and sunny day at the Greater Level Dance Academy in Cinder City and Kevela was practicing her dance as her long hair blew through the choreography, her face showed an amalgamation of emotions of sadness and happiness as her routine required for her not only to be focused but also having her to be poised and précised, the music was in sync with her movements as she stares in the mirror, the other students who were there had just sat back and watched the performance as it was enticing to the eyes, Kevela’s really into it. said Alia, One thing about her is that she gets the room into a certain atmosphere, it’s almost godlike. said Haley while they watched Kevela danced. The level ended the routine with a split and the crowd gave her lusty round applause for that performance.

Kevela looked behind her and she gave them a bow and she blew a kiss pretending to be on stage but within her mind, the people that were applauding her were not her friends’ just admirers and with that Mrs. Giovanni broke up the crowd and had advised them to start practice on the recital coming up, As for you Kevela, keep focus, great things are in store for you. said Mrs. Giovanni, I am just doing this because my parents forced me to do it. said Kevela.

Mrs. Giovanni looked in Kevela’s eyes and she could see a broken soul that wants to be loved, not admired, not applauded, not revered but loved, Your parents only mean well, they just want to ensure that you come out as something. said Mrs. Giovanni and with that Kevela only understand based on her parents’ perspective of what a successful person looks like but also deep down within the confines of Kevela’s mind, one thing that she wants in this world and that is love, something to fight for, something to cherish, the feeling that would have her fight against the universe just to have that moment of love which surpass all human feelings and emotional intelligence. She went in her bag and took out a pamphlet containing the island of  Paradise Isle as a tourist destination, she was a bit adamant about it as she has never ventured outside of Cinder City before but as she seems to grow into a beautiful, young woman, she couldn’t help but be curious of the country.

She browsed through the pamphlet detailing the sites of the La Brea Pitch Lake, the Night Owl City Boardwalk, the Leotown Waterfall, the Delsborough Fort, and the Silverwood Waterwheel. Kevela was intrigued of also the events such as the Carnival Celebrations, the Paradise Isle Heritage Festival as well as the Blue Food Festival, What you looking at Kevela? asked Haley Jackson, Kevela’s best friend, I am looking at this pamphlet about Paradise Isle, it’s a tourist destination. Kevela replied,  Paradise Isle,  you’re talking about the land of steelpan and calypso, the home of Calypso Rose and the Mighty Sparrow, the home of the greatest show on earth the Carnival. asked Haley, It seems you know a lot about the country. said Kevela, Nope, I just  know about the basics, Google is not there for style. Haley exclaimed, so Haley asked Kevela as to why she had a pamphlet of the country in her bag pack.

Kevela made Haley know that she had always had a love for the country especially ever since her dad had taken to see Carnival every year, Funny, so why are you freezing and shivering here in Cinder City? asked Haley, Long story short, he made some mistakes that he rather not tell me and ever since we haven’t even stepped foot in that country ever since. said Kevela, Wow, not even for a Jouvert Celebration? asked Haley, Not even for a roti and a red solo Haley, the most faithful duo of delicacies in the country. said Kevela, No, that’s a luxury level meal, for the common folk, it’s rice and corned beef and a tall glass of mauby, to quench it down. said Haley as she rubbed her belly, Eww,  who drinks mauby, that does taste like Buckley’s Kevela exclaimed in disgust.

Haley laughed as Kevela talked about her utter disgust for mauby meanwhile in Zanzimala, there is a drug lord by the name of Marcus   Fernandez, he was ordained in the family business as through the drug trade he was able to own five housing complexes, eight underground factories that are scattered within the country and he also has nine boats, eight cars, and five maxi taxis at the age of twenty-four, he smiles at his success as he commanded the drug trafficking trade with an iron fist, his name whispered through the streets of Zanzimala as the Zanzimalan Scarface but he was simple as his father always thought him the goal to become rich, is to feel rich and not to look rich so Marcus dressed as simple as possible as his wardrobe was filled with just jeans, jerseys and slippers.

Although Marcus had the money, the cars, and the women, something was missing and that was a queen to rule by his side, he pours a glass of Jose Cuervo and gaze at the sunset of his mansion and his sister and second in command Ms. Zonnique Fernandez came by to see how he was doing, What’s on your mind Marcus? asked Zonnique, I have cars, I have boats, factories all over this country that make a shipment of drugs by the crate every day but one thing is missing and that is a queen to rule by my side. said Marcus, Marcus, these women once they know who you are, they will only be around for the money, for the benefits and they will leech off of you, don’t worry you will get someone to love you. said Zonnique, And when that will be, I am tired of these whores that you send to me, they have no substance, no ambition, no zeal for life, they only focus on the bed works and that’s it. said Marcus.

Zonnique explained to Marcus that there was a lot of work that needed to be done before the thought of even settling down becomes a mere reality, You feel I don’t want a family of my own as well, to have kids, to see them go to school or their first prom, to have someone to grow old and die with but no one wants to marry into our family not when they know what we can do. said Zonnique, Our father didn’t have to choose this life for us. said Marcus, I know but he didn’t have a choice, remember we were all on the streets at one point in time but our father toiled endlessly, doing things that he would never dream of doing to get us at this point so the least we could do is to pay him back with our loyalty to him and this business. said Zonnique.

Marcus poured a glass of Jose Cuervo and he shook his head watching the glass, Zonnique, my second in command, I rule the trade with an iron fist through the sweat of my father but how do you get your life back when you’re at the top? asked Marcus, It’s a life that you can never get back, our family has come way too far to just turn back from this moment. said Zonnique, You remember the days of us playing at the Sao Paulo Park, our mother used to buy ourselves snow cone after we play our hearts out and she would tell us of our trials in Castanya while our father had to beg on the streets from sunrise to sunset for us to get a hot meal. said Marcus, I remember fondly of those times, we had nothing but each other at the time, when our mother died from starvation, my father hustled the streets to ensure that we were not met with the same fate and that drive created the empire that you now command. said Zonnique.

Marcus looked at Zonnique telling her that their father would be exceptionally proud of the progress that they have made, Proud, he would be so elated and heartened to know that two immigrant children from Castanya were able to run a trillion-dollar enterprise within a matter of three years, so I will take this toast to you for greatness from humble beginnings to exceptional blessings. said Zonnique and with that both Zonnique and Marcus toast towards a job well done.

Kevela came home to her house  and kissed both of her parents on the cheeks, It seems that you had a good day. said Mrs. Stephenson, Mommy, the school was awesome. said Kevela, What happened at school? asked Mr. Stephenson, Daddy, the school is going to participate in a dancing competition and it’s being held in  Paradise Isle. said Kevela, Paradise Isle, are you serious? asked Mrs. Stephenson, The competition is taking place in  Paradise Isle, where? asked Mr. Stephenson, At the White Hall Park Cultural Complex that’s in Paradise Isle, the theme is Emancipation. Kevela exclaimed, They changed the theme this year, this is a first. said Mr. Stephenson, This competition is the drive that I need to get that scholarship. said Kevela.

Kevela, Sian, Rachel, Daria, and Tamara went by the old bus station to practice their moves, Kevela had made her friends know that the competition’s theme was Emancipation, the girls danced and danced and danced until their legs were swollen, Let’s take a break, this is harder than it looks. said Kevela. Tamara took out bottles of Gatorade and gave them to her friends, This is bogus, how are we going to incorporate Emancipation into our dance routine, pop and bepop, is the only two dances that we know so far. said Daria in frustration , We have to think less bop and more dances that connected to the African culture. said Rachel, What you mean like dance the Bele and the Shango? asked Sian, No, Sian she meant the tribal dances which signify a story to captivate the Emancipation theme. said Kevela.

Kevela told her friends that they have to align themselves with the African dances of the old century and with that Kevela and her friends had decided to research through the slave trade in the Mystic Isles as well as the dances that were used within the days of the slave plantation, Do we have to go to the library? asked Tamara, Tamara, yes, we do every Saturday and I am serious, promise me ladies. asked Kevela, Alright, alright fine what type of books we have to read? asked Tamara, Mystic Isles History in regards to Dance. Kevela replied, Okay, well we got ourselves a study group. said Daria, I love you guys. said Kevela, We love you more. Rachel said excitingly and with that, they gave a group hug however they had to carry each other home as they were sore from practicing too hard.

Kevela and her friends went their separate ways and when she came home, her mother was in the kitchen making dinner while her father was in the garage fixing his truck as the alternator needed to change, Hey, mom where’s dad? asked Kevela, Kevela, your father is in the garage fixing that old truck, I don’t why he doesn’t sell that sorry excuse  of a truck and get a new one. said Mrs. Stephenson, Mom, are you serious, he had that truck since I was in high school and it’s still parked up? asked Kevela, The truck is of sentimental value to him, that was his first truck that he got from winning one of the slots at the Los Bambinos Casino. said Mrs. Stephenson and Kevela shook her head in amazement as she heard the background story of the truck, I heard you ladies dissing my truck, this truck has retired all other trucks like Mike Tyson in his prime. said Mr. Stephenson, Honey, that truck’s already retired, it’s what you called past its prime. said Mrs. Stephenson and Kevela giggled as she laughed at her mother’s joke.

Mr. Stephenson shook his head and made his wife know that the truck will be coming back as he got new parts for it, When you install the new parts in the truck to get it driving, please sell the truck. said Mrs. Stephenson, The devil is a lying transvestite, the hell I won’t and there is nothing that you could do to convince me otherwise. said Mr. Stephenson, Ok, if you won’t sell it then I will. said Mrs. Stephenson and with that, she whispered something in Mr. Stephenson’s ear and his eyes light up with fright and Kevela was curious as to what her mother could possibly say that would convince him to sell the truck.

Mr. Stephenson had a shocked look in his face and was working on the truck even faster than ever, Mom, what did you tell him? asked Kevela, I just told him that if he doesn’t sell the truck then he will get no homemade lasagna for four months. said Mrs. Stephenson, Mom, that’s cold, that’s below the belt, you put the lasagna on the table, you know dad likes his lasagna. said Kevela. Mrs. Stephenson made Kevela know that her father is hooked on her homemade lasagna and her barbeque chicken, Ouch, that is beyond lethal, you put the barbeque chicken in the deal too? asked Kevela, How you think your father and I got married, the key to a man’s heart is his stomach and once you could be able to master the kitchen, you can have the heart of a man. Mrs. Stephenson replied, Is that why you keep enrolling me to all these culinary camps and lessons when I was in high school? asked Kevela, Hey, it work, didn’t it and you were able to cook and bake with which these fast lane hoochie-coochie mama can’t be able to do. said Mrs. Stephenson, Hoochie coochie, mom, nobody doesn’t describe them like that anymore. said Kevela, And how are they described, please enlighten me. said Mrs. Stephenson, Well mother dearest if you must know, they are described as thots, floozies and the modern-day term as sluts. said Kevela, Wow, look at how the time has passed. said Mrs. Stephenson.

Kevela hugged her mother thanking her for raising her right and with that, she had a heart to heart talk with her in regards to the dance competition, Mom, can I ask you something, when you hear the term Emancipation what’s the first word that you think of? asked Kevela, Freedom, no doubt, in a heartbeat. Mrs. Stephenson, Why freedom? asked Kevela, Because Kevela our ancestors had suffered immensely from the Europeans trader, as well as the rest of the world from being enslaved  and Emancipation, is termed as the dawn of freedom from bondage, from slavery, from oppression. said Mrs. Stephenson. Kevela shook her head in agreement to her mother’s words, Why the sudden interest? asked Mrs. Stephenson, Well, the girls and I have to come up with a dance routine that signifies Emancipation, it has to embody a story of where we came from as a people. said Kevela.

Mrs. Stephenson showed Kevela some books relating to the African dances of the 19th Century as well as she had taken some books based on Emancipation and for that Kevela took a read and with that, she had an interest in culture through the art of dance and with that she went into her bedroom and did her own practice as she was listening to African music and with that, she started to slow wine to the music, it wasn’t sexual but signifies the African concept of dance, she was shocked at the progress so with that she incorporated a little bit of salsa and bepop, the routine was well orchestrated and well-executed as Kevela wanted the routine to tell a story to have the audience envision the art form with regards to Emancipation.

Kevela had a golden plan that she had wanted to connect the history of Paradise Isle with her dance routine from the sugar cane industry, to independence to even commemorating the Paradise Isle Heritage Festival. Kevela was determined to draft out a dance routine that commemorates the country’s culture, so she had started listening old-time calypsonians like the Late Singing Sandra, the Late Winston Bailey aka The Mighty Shadow as well as the Late Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener so she incorporated some of their messages into her dance to not only signify their contribution but also to give the audience a time machine