There were a few people at Lincoln Park when Kamao and the senator arrived. The latter headed straight toward an imposing bronze statue that depicted a black woman holding something in her hand that Kamao couldn’t picture, and two children reaching to get it.

“This, my friend, is a statue that I find very inspirational.” Kamao looked down on the pedestal and read, MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE, 1875–1955. “People find it surprising when I tell them that one of my favorite historical figures is Mary McLeod Bethune, particularly people who call me racist,” the senator said. “I admire this woman because not only did she contribute greatly to this country, but she knew the right place to start her journey to the top. According to historians, she was the first person born free in her family and the first to get a formal education. She always knew her place. She focused on the limit of her reach and managed to develop her corner of the large garden that this country represents. She became popular among her people first and later to the eye of the nation because she focused on what she could manage and who she could have influence amongst. And as her preeminence grew, her fame reached a national scale, and her image is forever engraved in the nation’s memory. She became an important member of Roosevelt’s administration.” The senator spoke passionately about the woman that Kamao knew nothing about but whom he already intended to research.

“Why are you telling me all of this, Senator?” Kamao asked, resolved to stop wondering about the senator’s motives.

“What are your intentions regarding my daughter?” Mr. McAdams said, turning to his interlocutor.

Kamao was a bit perplexed but understood that the occasion was probably his only chance to convince the senator he was a good fit for his daughter.

“I love her. I love her very much. I see a future with her, and I want to be with her. I had hoped to have this moment with you, Senator. I have the intention to propose to her soon and was hoping that I would have your permission—”

“What are you bringing into this relationship?” the senator asked abruptly.

“She has my love and protection.”

“Your protection? From what? How will you protect her?”

“I won’t let anything happen to her. I am sure about that.”

The senator laughed, shaking his head as though he were thinking how funny Kamao’s baby talk was.

“Lindsey is the only person I have left in this world. After my wife and my son died, she became my world. Everything I do, I do for her. I worked hard to make sure she won’t need anything when I am gone. I work hard to make sure she is well taken care of when I am not around. You have no clue what it means to keep her safe.” Kamao began to sense a rage in thesenator’s voice and wondered if he should simply leave and avoid the drama that was likely to result from the encounter. He knew, however, that walking away would mean the end of his relationship with Lindsey—the only thing he was now sure the senator wanted. If he couldn’t fight off her father’s attacks, then he wasn’t worthy of Lindsey’s love, he thought.

“What do you expect from me, Senator? What can I do to prove to you that I am serious about your daughter and that she is and will be happy with me?” he asked, facing his girlfriend’s father.

“I can’t expect anything from you because you have nothing to offer her: no safety, no protection, only the pleasure of the moment. What do you bring into this relationship compared to what she already has?”

“If you worry that I am with your daughter for her money, you can ask her if I have ever taken a penny from her.”

“She’s already started wasting her time and assets traveling with you.”

“I paid for both our tickets for our trip to Ghana. I was taking her there, so I told her to let me pay for the trip. I can take good care of your daughter if only you stop seeing me as an opportunist.”

“Lindsey is a sweet girl—naïve and too trusting sometimes,” the senator said, with a calm voice, looking away. “My job is to protect her the best I can.”

“You don’t need to protect her from me. I’ve always had her best interests in mind and always will.” Kamao paused and sighed as the senator remained silent. “I wouldn’t mind signing a prenup if my taking advantage of your fortune is what you are worried about.”

“Ha ha! Lindsey would never agree to that,” the senator said, amused.

“You know that she loves me then, but you refused to accept that. Why? I have the feeling that money is not your only worry. What is it that makes me so unworthy of your daughter? Is it because I am an immigrant? An African?” Kamao was shocked by his own audacity, standing before a prominent United States senator and questioning him vehemently. It wasn’t something he would typically do, but his future with Lindsey was at stake, and he saw himself ready to brave the storm that was coming his way. McAdams’ two bodyguards were watching the two men from a distance, far enough to be strangers to the exchange but close enough to rescue the senator if there was a need to do so. The senator smiled.

“I like you, and I admire your tenacity. You care about Lindsey. I tried not to care about who she wanted to date. I wanted to be a liberal parent. But I figured that could not always work, especially considering the situation that we are in . . .”

“What situation—?”

“I will tell you what: You and I are going to have an agreement. If you slowly let things go with Lindsey, I will help you with a lot of things, starting with this.” The senator took a checkbook and a pen out of his jacket’s pocket, wrote a check and signed it. “This will only be a start; I will help you get whatever you need—job connections—you can start leaving your mark wherever you want. But of course, no one could know about this arrangement, especially Lindsey.” He handed the check to Kamao.

“You want to buy away my love for your daughter with thirty thousand dollars and some favors?” Kamao said, smiling and shaking his head. He folded the check and handed it back to the senator. “I don’t want to lose respect for you, Senator. So I will politely return this check to you, but please, don’t ever do this again. You clearly don’t understand that certain things are far beyond your control, no matter how powerful you are. I have one thing to ask of you: if you’re not going to give us your blessing, can you at least leave us alone?” Kamao left the senator in front of Bethune’s statue and called for a taxi.

“What about fifty thousand dollars?” the senator yelled, his voice echoing behind Kamao, who didn’t turn back.

***

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Excerpt from BLINDSPOT IN AMERICA published by Red Hen Press. Copyright © 2024 by Elom K. Akoto.