Jazmine had stopped by a Mexican restaurant to pick up her favorite dish, a baked taco casserole. It was so good with meat free substitute, pieces of flour tortillas, melted cheese on top, with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. A true comfort dish for a night like tonight. It was so weird being on her own even though it's been a few months. She and her friend, Cindy, both got accepted to a college in Texas so they got an apartment there to attend school. Even though they both had jobs and could afford it themselves, both of their parents took it upon themselves to split the bills between them and pay for everything. It was a tremendous burden off the girls' shoulders but she wished they would let her experience being an adult. Just had turned eighteen not too long ago, but to many people she will never stop being a child. Mr. Freeman next door would always see her as a cute little girl and his grandson, Riley, had started growing up and would taunt her as if she were a child as he loomed over her. Huey… was gone. He left a lot sooner than anyone expected. Graduated early at sixteen and went to Arizona to study political science. "To fight the oppression of our people, we need to work inside the courts to change it instead of fighting it on the outside," was something he always said when he was a teenager. Once he finally left, she never saw him again. Mr. Freeman would let some things slip when talking about his oldest grandson followed by a shake of the head. He missed that boy after raising him for years.
She unlocked the door and opened it to darkness. Cindy had left to go back to Woodcrest to spend Christmas break with her parents. Her own mom and dad begged her to come up and visit but she said she was pulling full shifts at the store so she couldn't. She actually put in for leave for a week so she could relax at home and have some privacy to herself. She had just finished her midterm exams and she got her paycheck before going on vacation. This was her week to do anything. She turned the TV on to watch her shows and ate her casserole while curled up in a blanket. It was a little quiet and she couldn't concentrate at all on the shows. Thinking of Huey got her mind walking down Memory Lane.
"Are you excited?" She asked as she sat on his bed and watched him pack.
He snorted and replied in that smart-ass way only he can do. "Excited about spending four to six years in an establishment that were supposedly built to further our comprehension of the world and better our education but in reality we just relearn what we had in high school and spend thousands of dollars to get those lessons? No. What I'm excited for is the prospect of change for the black community where we are no longer harassed by this so called justice system."
She rolled her eyes and picked up one of his hoodies to fold. "There was probably a shorter way to say all that."
He shook his head at her and grabbed his hoodie out of her hands. "Don't you still have kid work to do?"
"So you think you're better than me now that you're ahead of me academically?"
He paused and shook his head again, his abnormally large afro swaying. He continued to pack and she just watched and hugged her knees to her chest. "I wonder how different it'll be up there. I won't get to see you a lot anymore."
"I'll be too busy with my crushing debt that I'll amount so I can spend the rest of my life working to pay it all off."
She sighed and flopped on her back to stare at the ceiling. He was just impossible to talk to sometimes.
He had his stuff all packed, suitcases and bags ready to go. He was at least kind enough to walk her back to her house. It was sweltering outside and they were already sweating.
Before walking in her cool house she turned to Huey. "Make me a promise, ok?"
"Sure, whatever," he looked disinterested and annoyed.
"Promise me you'll say goodbye to me tomorrow. And promise me that you'll at least call sometimes."
He looked at her with surprise in those big eyes of his and thought for moment. Finally he nodded and walked back to his house.
He never said goodbye. She walked over to his house to find that his grandpa and brother had already taken him to the airport. The phone never rang for her either. Sometimes she would spend hours close to the phone in her room praying it would ring but it never did. He never came home on breaks or summers. It was almost as if he disappeared from her life.
Jazmine threw the remains of her dish in the trash can and got ready for bed. Even though it was winter she pulled on fleece sleeping shorts that just touched past her thighs and a tank top. The apartment was warm enough to sleep like this. After brushing her teeth she went about the hellish daily task of fixing her hair. She ran the pick through it before finally giving up and letting it hang free and wild. It had gotten longer in the past few years. A certain someone would approve of it.
Grabbing her phone, she crawled into bed and checked her messages. Some were from Cindy, she had a message from a college friend expressing relief about finished exams, and one from Riley.
Riley: Why aint u come back for yo break?
After thinking, she finally sent a text back.
Jazzy: Just needed some time to myself. And I have a job.
Riley: U aint neva thinkin about us.
Jazzy: I miss you guys. Tell granddad I said goodnight. And I'll send your gift in the mail.
She put the phone to her side and snuggled into the covers to fall asleep. She had a weird dream that night and it didn't make sense in the slightest. She was older with sleek, straight hair and she was successful. She married a wealthy doctor, had beautiful children, and had a prominent career. However, no matter where she went to or what she did, she always felt a pair of eyes on here. Constantly she felt watched and knew the person watching was filled with disappointment.
When Jazmine finally woke up, it was still early but she got up anyway. She had a few errands to run before officially getting started on her vacation of doing nothing at the apartment. She made her bed and looked in the closet for something to wear outside. A pair of black leggings with a long sleeved dark green dress that fell off her shoulders. It hugged her curves and made her green eyes even brighter. She used a black head band to keep her hair out of her face and put on a little bit of makeup. She didn't even need to use foundation because her skin was evenly toned and for the most part clear. After brushing on some mascara and covering her lips with gloss, she pulled on a pair of flats, grabbed her bag and was out the door.
Luckily she didn't live far from the main part of town. She could drop off Riley's and Granddad's gift before going grocery shopping. She bought Riley the new Grand Theft Auto game and Granddad got an old school record of some R&B classic hits. Hopefully they'll love their gifts.
The store didn't have a whole lot to offer when she went shopping but that was to be expected. It was a small mom and pop store and Jazmine worked returns and customer service there. She greeted some coworkers and they made jokes at how she couldn't stay away even on vacation. She was popular with her coworkers who loved her for her cheery attitude and positive views. Even some customers liked her so much that they refused to speak with anyone else except her.
The apartment had food but she just needed a few things to get through the week. Mostly milk and cheese and fruits/vegetables. Maybe she'll make eggplant parmesan for herself tonight. Walking throughout the store to see if she needed anything else she picked up a box of oatmeal. That would be good in the mornings. She looked for her favorite variety pack but it seemed like the last one left was on the top shelf and shoved to the back. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she set down her basket and climbed on the lower shelf. As she got higher she saw the box. Almost there, she thought, as she stretched as far as her fingertips could go. Finally! The box was in her grasp and as she was about to jump down she happened to look over the top and see a familiar looking afro.
Hopping down, she threw the box in the basked before picking it up again. I must be tired, she thought, and shook her head to get her thoughts straight again. Again she looked around the aisles to see what looked good. She knew she shouldn't but she picked up some of her favorite chocolate. It was a square bar of milk chocolate that had whole hazelnuts in it and was one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted. She got some vegetarian lunch meals since it was so much easier to pick them up then cook it herself. Next was her milk, a few cups of yogurt, and egg white substitute. When she got to the produce she picked up her eggplant, a few crowns of broccoli, carrots, bagged lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and black grapes. This should last her more than a week but it'll be ok.
She had a nice conversation with a nice couple who were regulars in the store when she saw the afro bobbing around. Get a hold of yourself, Jazzy, he's not the only black person to ever have an afro. She finished up her conversation and proceeded to checkout, putting all of her groceries in reusable bags.
The temperature warmed up a little and she had a nice walk back home. A few acquaintances from college were out and they stopped and talked about exams. She could take her time out because it was still cold out and her dairy wouldn't spoil. They laughed and she had a good time talking to them. It was so nice to get out and socialize. She knew more people here then she did back in Illinois.
Finally, she was home. It was quiet and peaceful and she had enough good food for the next couple of days. She unloaded her groceries but kept her chocolate out so she could munch on it later. Checking her phone she had a few missed calls from her mom. A pang of guilt overwhelmed her at the thought of not coming home for Christmas. She owes them at least that. She called her and the phone was answered almost immediately. They talked for a while about their jobs, her school, what was going on in the neighborhood, how many people said they missed Jazmine, and trivial things that her mother enjoyed. This is what Jazmine loved about her mom, she was so easy to get along with and was so supportive. The phone was passed on to her dad where the same conversations took place. She loved talking to her dad as well. He was loving, caring, and worked hard to provide for his girls.
"You know there was something I was supposed to tell you but I completely forgot! I know it was important too," Jazmine could see her mom make a pouting face as she tried to remember what was so important. It'll come to her eventually though.
They eventually got off the phone and Jazmine realized how late it was getting.
She was pretty much out of clean pajamas so she would have to wash them soon. For now she would wear a nightgown. It was an emerald color and made of thin fabric with lace around the hem. It stopped above her knees and was loose around her shoulders so it would always slip off. Taking the headband out, she tried brushing her hair again.
She wasn't that hungry nor in the mood to cook so she grabbed her chocolate and nibbled at it as she watched her shows. The Big Bang Theory was on and she loved that show. Wrapped in a blanket with her chocolate and watching the best show ever, she couldn't be happier. Sheldon's rants made her think of that certain someone.
Near the end of the show, someone was knocking on the door. Maybe it was Justin, her friend from school, or Caitlynn, one of Cindy's club friends. Opening the door revealed the last person she expected to see.