“It’s Devin,” my dad reminded me while my sister begged in a loud whisper:
“No, I want Devina with me. We’re shielded off from the masses, so she’ll be safer in the VIP area.”
“Except everyone will be talking about who the boy is and you can’t be seen whispering to a young male as if you’re best friends. Think about it; if Devina’s identity is a troubled boy, that would look suspicious.”
With a pout, Wilma gave in and squeezed Devina’s hands. “I’ll see you later then.”
“Okay.” Devina looked to me for instruction and I assured her that we would meet up with the others later.
As the others walked ahead, I threw a nod. “Come on. Let’s find some seats up back.”
I stopped talking when we were swept up into a large group of Nmen all trying to get as close to the fight as possible. Devina looked small but kept her head down just like we had instructed her. With the hoodie covering parts of her face, no one would get a clear look. I thought I saw her pinch her nose and I didn’t blame her. The reek of unwashed bodies was overpowering until we got up to the back row of the bleachers.
Devina sat down next to me and muttered a question, “Is hygiene not a thing here?”
We were at a distance from other spectators, but I still leaned forward and kept my head straight ahead, speaking almost without moving my lips. “Most of these men are camping in tents. You saw the large areas when we flew in.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Most of them arrived on Wednesday and they’ve filled their days watching fights and drinking beer. There’s a lake about ten minutes from here where people go to bathe, but some don’t bother and with the heat wave we’ve had, it makes little difference since we’re all sweating like pigs anyway.
“You don’t smell bad.”
That comment made me turn my head and look at her. “You think I smell good?”
“Compared to this bunch, you smell lovely.”
It was hard to keep a disinterested façade. “That’s a first.”
“What is?”
“No one has ever used the word lovely while describing anything related to me.”
She was quiet for a few minutes as more people filled up the rows in front of us.
Using a deep voice to imitate a boy, Devina whispered, “I didn’t realize that you’d have to give up good seats in order for me to come. I’m sorry about that.”
I shrugged because I couldn’t tell her that I was excited to be alone with her.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No. I’m doing this for my sister. It’s not your fault.”
When the two fighters entered the ring, they made a spectacle out of flexing their muscles and scowling at each other. This part was for the audience and I’d always felt stupid for doing it when I’d fought.
“What are they doing?”
“Pumping up the audience and trying to intimidate their opponent.”
Devina’s eyes widened. “Did he really just smack his chest like a caveman?”
“Wayne is a show-man, but he’s got the skills to back it up. He’s a great fighter and one of Wilma’s favorites because he’s only twenty-eight and charming.”
She crossed her arms. “But look at the way he prances around.”
I had seen more than thirty fights these past few days and even though this was one of the finals and I had bet money on Wayne, I was more focused on Devina’s reaction to the fight than the actual fight itself.
When the two men began throwing punches through the air, the audience cheered, while she squeezed her eyes closed. It didn’t take long before she was pushing herself back against the barrier behind us as if it could swallow her whole and take her away from the violence in front of her. Both her hands were formed into fists and pressed against the lower part of her face.
