Ethiopian Werewolf in Toronto

I would die for you, I thought as I gently kissed Farizah Abdul-Majid's forehead. Gently I laid her on the bed, and tucked her in. For a long moment I stood there and looked at her, and smiled wistfully. How did a nitwit like me get so lucky? I don't know, but I'm definitely counting my blessings. Outside Farizah's bedroom window, the storm raged. Another late-summer storm in Ontario. When will they end? Though born in the tropics, I'm just about ready for fall and the inevitable winter I swear.

My name is Rahel Ashenafi, and I am a young woman of Ethiopian descent living in the City of Toronto, Ontario. I was born in Arba Minch, southern Ethiopia, and moved to Canada with my family in 2000. I'm studying civil engineering at the University of Toronto, and recently I came out as bisexual to my parents, Ibrahim and Bezawit Ashenafi. I swear they made a bigger deal out of that revelation than the time they discovered that I occasionally toke. My parents are conservative Ethiopian-Canadian immigrants and our community isn't known for its tolerance of LGBT issues. The fact that we're werewolves doesn't change a thing.

I've always believed in being honest with myself and those closest to me. I have to be me. I don't have the talent to put up a false front and keep it up throughout the day. It's not easy to be me, like the song says. I'm a five-foot-eleven, chubby and dark-skinned chick with dreadlocks and tattoos in a world that worships skinny blondes. Welcome to my life. My parents weren't the only people who weren't okay with my being bisexual. I fit the stereotype of what's called a butch woman in the LGBT community and apparently if you're butch, you're supposed to be one hundred percent lesbian, you're not allowed to be bisexual. I'm friends with several gay students at school and yeah, they were prejudiced against me too when I came out. No choice but to reveal what I am from the get-go, lest things get awkward down the line, you know? It's the twenty-first century, people should be more open-minded.

Anyhow, the life of a werewolf in modern times isn't the exciting and endless adventure that Twilight and Teen Wolf peddle to the masses. I swear, on most days, I'm bored out of my mind. I go to school, and also work as a security guard for extra cash. I go to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Saint Yohannes in the south end of Toronto, and I'm addicted to video games. The more violent the better. My pops works for the Toronto Police Service as a special constable and my mother teaches mathematics at a local Catholic school. My older brother Ammanuel is in the Canadian Armed Forces. He's currently at an army base in Alberta. We talk on Skype once a week. I love my big bro. In the whole family, he's my only unconditional supporter. See? Totally I lead a totally average life. At least, that's how my life used to be, then she came along. Farizah Abdul-Majid, the young Arab woman I first met in the tutoring center on campus.

Tall and sexy, with long curly black hair, light bronze skin and golden brown eyes, she was definitely easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, the gal was trouble with a capital T. Even though I'm fairly new to the supernatural world, having discovered my lupine heritage only a couple of years ago, I knew that Farizah Abdul-Majid was not quite human the moment I laid eyes on her. Our eyes met, and my suspicions were confirmed when the wolf-woman inside of me stirred, for it was more than a mere mortal who looked back at me through Farizah Abdul-Majid's lovely eyes. Hello my cute little fur ball, she said snidely. She knows what I am, I thought. With that she walked away, looking oh so good in the red tank top and blue shorts that she had on. I watched her ass sway from side to side and had to smile. I love a chick with a cute butt.

I went to class, trying to focus on academic matters but for the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about the hot Arab chick. Later, I ran into her at the food court and approached her. She was coy, but I could tell that she was feeling me. I'm Farizah, she said. I detected an accent in her voice and asked her where she was from. This lovely Arabian gal came from Baalbek, in the southern tier of Lebanon. I'm an international student, Farizah said with a grin, showing perfect white teeth. What are you? I asked her, smiling innocently. For a moment, Farizah seemed surprised. Then her eyes glowed with a most unnatural light. I'm a Djinn, she said evenly. Cool, I said, and shook her hand. Welcome to Toronto.

If this first official meeting surprises you, I should mention that there is much more to the world than what ordinary mortals know. I ought to know, I am one of those things most people refuse to believe in. Born into a family of werewolves, I didn't manifest any signs of being anything other than basic normalcy until my eighteenth birthday, two years ago. That's when everything changed. I learned that most of the stuff of myth was true. Dragons are real, they simply happen to be human-sized, human-shaped, and gifted with shape-shifting abilities. In their natural form they've got claws, fangs, green scales, bat-like wings and yes, they breathe fire. I had a crush on a dragon named Liam O'Leary a while back. A tall, cute guy with caramel skin, curly black hair and green eyes. Born in Belfast to an Irish-Canadian immigrant father and Cameroonian mother. We went out on a few dates, and he was okay with my being a tomboy with a penchant for women because he swung both ways too. Imagine that, a bisexual guy dating a bisexual chick! We got along wonderfully and I thought we were soul mates. Unfortunately, he left Toronto for Belfast, Ireland, due to "family issues". I miss Liam. He's the first and only guy I've ever had sex with.

When I grew depressed over Liam moving, my parents sent me to a therapist, Dr. Roselyn Valentine, a forty-something Jamaican woman whose downtown office was filled with Afro-centric artwork. I learned in our first session that the good doctor was a vampire. Yes, vampires are real. No, they don't sparkle like the freaks in Twilight. They don't burst into flames when the sun comes up either. They look like normal people, but they're stronger and faster than normal humans. Oh, and they really do drink blood. By the way, no one can become a vampire. You have to be born into it. The same way no one can become a werewolf. If your parents aren't werewolves, you won't be one either. The rules of biology apply to the supernatural community as well. Sorry, my dear wannabes.

You can see why Farizah's revelation that she was a Djinn didn't surprise me. Lots of nonhumans walk the world of man and humans never suspect a damn thing. I wanted a piece of the sexy Lebanese gal and pursued her relentlessly. Let's do movies sometime, I asked her as we walked through the quads together. You never give up, Farizah said, grinning. I nodded, and she smiled. Alright, she relented. The following Tuesday, I took her to see Elysium. Neither of us wanted to see The Mortal Instruments because movies like that hit too close to home. I'm a big fan of Matt Damon, though like nerds everywhere I dread the idea of Ben Affleck as the next Batman. Can't Christian Bale just wear the mask and cowl one more time?

After the movie, I took Farizah to The Island Sun, a neat little Haitian restaurant located in the east end. We had a good time, and then went back to campus. Like the gentlewoman that I am, I walked her home. During the walk home, Farizah surprised me by linking her arm with mine. I was pleasantly surprised by that because every time we hung out, she'd been throwing off the "touch me not" vibe. I think I like you, Farizah said simply. I smiled and told her I liked her too. Then we kissed.

My first time kissing a gal, actually. I've known I was attracted to both guys and girls forever, but had never really acted on it. Farizah's lips felt soft and sweet against mine, and when we broke the kiss, she grinned at me naughtily and smacked my ass. That kind of surprised me. You're a fun one, she said, smiling as she walked up the steps. Once she got to the door, she turned around, winked and wished me goodnight. Call me, I said meekly, standing there like an ingénue. What the hell just happened? This chick is full of surprises but I like her style. I went home feeling quite giddy. This was a fun date!

That night, as I lay on my bed, I thought of Farizah. How I wish she was right there with me. I wished I could hold her in my arms and kiss her, feel her body against mine as I made love to her. How I'd love to feel her fingers in my pussy, and the taste of her womanhood on my mouth. I wonder if she's aggressive in the bedroom. I hope she is. I like a strong woman who can take me down. Dammit, I get flak from my parents and so-called friends for being a bisexual butch woman but I've never even been with a woman. I've only been with one person, a guy, and while I'll be the first to admit that I enjoyed the feel of Liam's dick inside my pussy, I don't think he's spending a lot of time thinking about me back in Ireland. I went to bed feeling both excited and frustrated, and I dreamt of Farizah.

The next morning, I caught myself humming at the dinner table and my mom asked me if I met someone new. Any cute new guy at school? she asked. No guys, I said quickly. Mom frowned. Rahel's got herself a hot chick pops said. I glared at my dad, who sat across from me laughing while eating his omelet. How did you know? I asked. Pops smirked and reminded me that he's on my Facebook. Dammit, people over fifty shouldn't be allowed to use social media! Mom shot Dad a look and told him to fess up, which he did, to my everlasting embarrassment. Our darling daughter has a new lady friend, Pops said. I shook my head, looked at my Blackberry and muttered something about having to get to class. We're finishing this conversation when you return, Mom warned.

Just what I needed, my parents dipping into my business like only Black parents can. Sheesh! I rushed to the bus stop but I was too late. That's Toronto's bus system for you, chronically unreliable. I thought about taking the train, but it would take too much time. I had a ten o'clock class, plus Farizah texted me that she wanted to meet with me around noon. It was nine twenty five. What's a gal to do? It's times like these that I'm thankful for the unique genetic twist which makes me what I am. Closing my eyes, I willed the Change to occur. Moments later, I sped through Toronto traffic at speeds exceeding that of a cheetah by a factor of three. To people watching, I was a blur. Now, technically I'm not supposed to do that. Being what I am means living a life of discretion. Sometimes, though, you got to say fuck it, you know? I covered five and a half kilometers in a couple of minutes, and got to school at nine twenty eight. Not bad, eh?

I sat in class, and the lecture went on and on. I didn't really listen. I was thinking about Farizah. As soon as class ended I rushed to the university center's food court to meet her. I found my shorty waiting for me, decked to the nines in a knee-length white skirt and sleeveless black shirt. Looking good mamas, I said with a smirk. Come here babe, Farizah said, and then she kissed me in front of everybody. I pulled her close, and tenderly held her in my arms. You're too much, I said with a happy smile. Once more Farizah grabbed my ass and gave it a squeeze. We got to talk, she said. We grabbed some pizza and two cans of Pepsi and then, hand in hand we went to sit at a corner near the window.

I really like you but there's stuff about me you need to know, Farizah said. Babe you can tell me anything, I said, gently squeezing her hand. My father's the Devil, Farizah said in a calm, even tone, as if discussing the weather. Come again? I said, nearly spitting out the Pepsi I just swallowed. Farizah looked at me with a sad look upon her face, and then she let me know whassup, as they say. My sweet girlfriend-to-be told me the truth about herself and her origins, and as much as I command her for her honesty, a part of me wished she hadn't told me jack. I mean, there are certain things you're just not ready to hear at the start of a relationship, even if you are what I am.

Farizah Abdul-Majid sat me down and talked to me, and brought my hopes and dreams crashing down. I hadn't given too much thought about what it would mean, a bisexual female werewolf like myself dating a female Djinn, one of the oldest breeds of nonhumans out there. I mean, the various species of supernatural entities are politely distant in their dealings with one another, though we've had wars in the past, especially between werewolves and vampires, and, I'm told, dragons and Giants. Given what I know of the world I live in, I should have been more thorough ( and asked more questions ) in my dealings with Farizah but we were both so new to the game.

Farizah told me about her father, the fallen Archangel Lucifer, known in Judaism and Christianity as the malevolent force that opposes the One True God. In Islam the dark one is known as Iblis the Djinn, she told me. Whatever his true name, Farizah's progenitor has been around since the dawn of time and wanders the earth in various disguises ( he's a prolific shape-shifter ) and siring half-human, half-demonic offspring known as the Daimon. According to legend, one of them will rise to the heights of political and financial power on Earth and bring about the end of humanity by triggering a war from which mankind will never recover.

What does that have to do with you? I asked Farizah, crossing my arms. All around us the ordinary mortals went about their business. Guys and gals living their lives, blissfully unaware of the world hidden beneath the one they know. Just like always. I am a part of his plan but I don't want to be, Farizah said. I looked into her beautiful face and saw such sadness there. You don't have to be his pawn, I said, for I believed everyone gets to make their own destiny. Farizah shook her head, and suddenly got up. You can't help me, she said. And just like that, she vanished in a cloud of smoke. In the middle of the busy U of T cafeteria!

I just sat there, and even after everything I'd seen and done, I was shocked. It took me a moment to realize that I was the only one who saw Farizah doing her thing. Magic, I guess. I went looking for her, what else I could do? I scoured all over Toronto like only a lovesick wolf-woman can, and finally I caught up with her in one of those seedy bars who open up awfully early in the day. I found her at the bar, drinking herself under, or trying to. The other patrons watched her as she downed one pint after another. Being a nonhuman, her body chemistry was different. We don't get sick, or fall prey to a multitude of human frailties. It's just not how we're made.

Hello Farizah, I said somberly. She looked up from her bottle, and something ethereal flashed in those eyes of hers. For a moment I hesitated. After what I'd seen her do I knew I had to be careful around her, lest she vanish again. You found me, she said, disbelief showing in her face. I walked up to her and held out my hand. Let's get you home, I said. Why do you want me even after all I told you? Farizah asked. I smiled. It's because I like you mamas, I said cockily. Farizah smiled and stepped toward me, her arms outstretched as if to hug me. Then she fell. I caught her just in time. Sighing, I looked at the bartender. One too many, I said.

I brought Farizah back to her dorm, don't ask me how. Got her home safe and sound and tucked her in. Heaven help me, I think I might be falling in love with this young woman. And she might be a reluctant cog in a machinery of destruction that her father intends to unleash upon the world. Yeah, and all this she dropped on me right after our first date. And you thought your girlfriend was complicated. Yup, I'm in love with the Devil's daughter. Pray for me, y'all!