While in Jamrock, Sheeba Hakim is convinced that she has it all when she is proposed to by the love of her life Dandy-lion Wakan and things are thriving for her and her small family. Soon however, life, work, and temptation are about to prove if she has truly found the one.
While in Jamrock, Sheeba Hakim is convinced that she has it all when she is proposed to by the love of her life Dandy-lion Wakan and things are thriving for her and her small family. Soon however, life, work, and temptation are about to prove if she has truly found the one.
"Sheeba?!! What a name!" Sheeba groaned. She studied the intro to her free dating website profile intensely which she'd been nervously saving as a draft for over three months. Her courser blinked in the foremost part of her profiles text. Mustering bravery, she continued typing.
"I know what you are thinking... It's almost like my parents birthed me and immediately destined me for failure in this world with that name! I assure you, however..." Sheeba lowered her face onto her keyboard feeling defeated.
"One awesome fact about me: I can make the best vegan lasagna from scratch you have ever tried!" She selected all the former text and hit delete.
``The Queen has decided to stay with the latter!" Sheeba spoke loudly to herself while sprawled out diagonally across her queen sized mattress. "I have got to get off of this island somehow!"
Her mind shifted as she finally hit post profile to public view. Sheeba dropped flat on her back and stared out of the upstairs balcony towards the ocean. That was it. The end of the previous chapter of her life with Dandy-lion, the whimsical stud whom she had dated through high school and roomed with for four years in college. Five months had gone by and not even a single message had come through anywhere. Sheeba had tried everything, and hoped for some response, but internally she suspected infidelity. Dandy Wakan was a magical and mysterious person being raised in both her Native American traditions and New Orleans, Louisiana's Voodoo culture. They started out as best friends growing up together and one night, at a sleepover, Sheeba had the irresistible urge to kiss Dandy. They had eventually decided in their high school years that they would never let each other go afterwards. Dandy had also been blessed with everything from family to famous journalism in-laws within WNBA and had decided to pursue a career in WNBA journalism after their graduations at college. In most other social circles, Sheeba had always felt insecure about dating and her own sexuality, but Dandy-lion had her right where she wanted her; eating out of the palm of her hand and dangerously in love to be married soon. So what happened? Dandy's decisions to take on more hours at work had led to her current situation and Sheeba winced at the thought of what she was now facing; Re-entering the dating pool as a bisexual. Or possible A-sexual, Sheeba pondered to herself, due to the horrible luck which she had in dating and couldn't imagine subjecting herself to, ever again! It was the night before Christmas and Sheeba couldn't hold back her emotions any longer as tears slid down the sides of her face. “At least my bed is comfortable!!” Sheeba told herself.
“Seven years down the drain!” Sheeba wiped her face reluctantly as more tears rebelliously replaced the last ones.
"Sheeba! It must mean bad luck in Sanskrit?"
She pondered aimlessly reaching for her online dictionary and almost typing her name into it before her brother Kaycee walked into her room halfway startling her. He was followed by his black cat poetically named Chariot.
"All I want for Christmas is you!" He flopped on the bed beside her tapping at her laptops monitor, not giving any acknowledgment to the activity which was previously on the screen before switching profiles to his personal account. "I'm going out tonight for spirits. I invited your ex-girlfriend!"
Sheeba knee-jerk reacted,"What?!!"
Kaycee maneuvered his arm around her body & extended his index finger to cover Sheebas' lips, shushing her before she could talk. "I knew you would agree... that you needed this...and it's Christmas vacay, so..."
Kaycee and Sheeba had had a long history together and tougher times than most brothers and sisters could admit between them. Turning slowly to her other side to face her brother, Sheeba felt weak and her throat passage suddenly became dry. It was Christmas Eve, and the entire day had been spent in medium heels while out at holiday gatherings and that in itself had wiped her out. She couldn't protest anymore and as she lie there stunned at what had just entered her life, she considered the option of closing her eyes and falling asleep as her next move in escaping this new found reality.
"Sister, I would never hurt you like that, it's okay! Therapy cat?"
He offered, lightly hovering Chariot's body over both of theirs with one of his massive arms. Kaycee was an ex-catalog model and had made himself famous as the doppelganger for an even more famous psychiatrist whom Kaycee and Sheeba both admired all across social media. They’d shared a rough past between them, and as maternal siblings who'd gone through foster care programs in their youth, Sheeba and “K” shared an inseparable bond and appreciation for each other.
"I was just finishing some of the vegan eggnog and decided to check in sis. Me and Troy are going to finish An African Safari before Christmas, if you want to join us we will be in the living room with the projector set up and I'll be borrowing my laptop."
He paused, then spoke in a concerned tone to his sister beside him.
"So, Are you okay? No sign of Dandy?"
Nineteen-thirties Nat King Cole holiday music blared from the next room as Sheeba patted Chariot who stuck his tail up straight in the air and caressed his head across Sheeba's abdomen.
"I still haven't spoken to her, and I was just actually finishing a dating service profile," she admitted with her eyes full of tears.
"I'm glad to hear it! You know things will improve sis!" Kaycee reassured her in an optimistic tone.
“And that she-devil, she never deserved you!” Spoke Kaycee standing up with the laptop. Kaycee pushed a button to lower the house speakers' music then turned to walk out of the bedroom door.
"Merry Christmas to all & to all a Goodnight!" Kaycee said as he pulled the door shut behind him.
"Goodnight!" Hollered Sheeba then afterward turning to kiss Chariot before beginning her night routine. It was 12 midnight and Sheeba reached under her bed to grab Dandys gift which she'd meant to gift her this year. Pushing the box back under her mattress, Sheeba made herself as comfortable as she could, then fell asleep as she listened t
o the rhythm of ocean waves crashing.
The King of Sheeba by Mariette Robertson tells the story of Sheeba, a confused bisexual in Jamaica who grapples with the decision of whether to continue with the fiancé who ghosted her or to pursue a new love affair with a mysterious British lord.
In Robertson’s novelette, the narrative explores a clever contemporary theme of colonialism and internalized homophobia versus self-determination. Sheeba’s conflict revolves around whether she will invite Lord Barnacus into her life and live a life of luxury in England passing as a straight woman, or remain in Jamaica to marry Dandy-lion, her indigenous stud fiancé, while supporting herself with her high tea shop. The prose is rich in colorful detail, painting a sensory picture of the setting and Sheeba’s full life, which immerses the reader in the story. It also describes a long list of treacly, sticky-sweet confections, which lend thematic support to Sheeba’s lifestyle both as her profession and in her sapphic relationship with Dandy. Robertson knows how to construct a striking image for the reader.
While the prose is vivid, the narrative peters out in the third act. Sheeba’s tale starts off strong with a looming menace over the first part; subtle red flags hint to the reader that All Is Not Well. However, the action goes from 0 to 60 so swiftly that the initial tension bursts instead of evolving into a heart-pounding end. The tone of the story also does a 180, going from a young woman who hasn’t quite learned to advocate for herself to a campy adventure melodrama. This sudden change feels jarring, as if several chapters—which would have introduced the buildup and tone shift—are missing, leaving the reader with a comedic farce instead of an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age tale.
The King of Sheeba features a vibrant world centered around a main character trying to figure out her life, even if the narrative flow ultimately lacks consistency. Readers who love whimsy and are ever on the lookout for books with representation may enjoy biting into Robertson’s novelette; however, readers looking for a more typical read may not appreciate the storyline.