CHAPTER 7
Sara watched Chenille's face as her and Derek told her about their new engagement. Sara held out her hand and Chenille's hands touched the ring in what seemed to be astonishment. A smile formed on her face as she hopped up and screamed with joy, hugging both her best friend and her brother. With a sigh of relief, Sara hugged her back.
"I can't even believe this!" Chenille exclaimed, as Derek wore that huge grin across his face once more. "Who would'a thought. . .my brother and by best friend! This is gonna' be one hell of a family, won't it?" she added, with a laugh. With all the excitement and screaming, Christopher and woken up and was not the least bit happy. Chenille left the room to go and tend to him as "Mama Dean" entered the room, looking a little confused.
"What's going on?" She asked Derek in her quiet, soft-spoken way. Derek got up and with him, lifted Sara's hand. Mama Dean's eyes widened as she looked at the ring. . .the ring to Derek. . .then to Sara.
"We're engaged Mama," Derek pronounced, kissing the side of Sara's head playfully.
"Well I'll be John Brown," she exclaimed, laughing, "Welcome to the family darling," she added as she leaned in for a warm hug which was contently received by Sara. Now that all of Derek's closest relatives were informed about their new-found happiness, the happy couple decided to head over to Sara's house to inform Roy.
Walking up the narrow steps to Sara's home, it dawned upon Sara that her father may very well be at work. She decided to try home anyway, but her hunch had been right; Roy was at work.
"We could go to his work. . .I haven't seen him play in a while anyway," Sara suggested
"Yeah, that's cool," Derek replied, "If he wouldn't mind,"
"Well his daughter's going to be married soon. . .I'm sure he'd understand why we want to tell him now!" Sara commented, and with a snicker, the two headed on over to the Jazz Club in which Roy was playing.
As the couple walked in, hand in hand, they noticed a few people starting to stare. Sara glanced briefly at one woman. . .she looked very familiar. All of a sudden she started laughing to herself,
"Derek!" she whispered through muffled chuckles
"What?" he asked in confusion,
"That lady there," Sara started, motioning toward a woman talking on a pay phone, "that's the one that was freaking out that time on the bus!" Derek snorted out a gasp of laughter and, trying to control themselves, Derek and Sara walked past the woman. She continued to stare at the couple and put down the phone. Walking behind them, the woman followed them into the club where Sara could hear the recognizable sound of her father's trumpet being played. Derek and Sara sat down at a table, surrounded by a gray smoke coming from the pipe of a man sitting next to them. Derek looked around (since jazz music wasn't really his thing, he was trying to fix his mind on other things) and his eyes were drawn to an older couple staring at him. Quickly Derek looked away, but since they were within earshot, Derek continued listening to their conversation.
"Look at that," the man said, taking a sip of what appeared to be a beer, "I'll tell you, they're over-running the country." Derek wondered who "they" were, but his questions were unfortunately answered
"It's true. Just look at that! They're even taking our poor women. That poor child over there. . .She has no idea what she's getting into, I bet," the woman replied, taking a puff of her cigarette. Derek could feel his face starting to sweat with rage, but he continued to control himself and listen
"That's what's wrong with the world today. . ." the man continued, ". . .Damn niggers. . ." That was it. Derek just jumped out of his chair and walked out into the hall. Confused, Sara followed him, and Derek banged his head, in rage, against the wall.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked, confused and a little worried.
"Did you hear what they were sayin' in there?" He asked, tears of anger spilling down his cheek. Sara put her hand on his shoulder as he pulled out a chair in the hall and slammed himself into it
"Who?" Sara asked, kneeling down as she heard the controlled sobs coming from Derek. He took a deep breath and shook his head, looking Sara in the eyes
"There was this couple in there. . .I could here them talking about us. . .about, well. . .me,"
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, already knowing the answer deep inside her.
"They called me a fucking nigger!" Sara's heart sank, and she shook her head in disbelief.
"Baby. . ." she started, reaching in for a hug as he let his face fall into Sara's sweater, "We can get out of here if you want. . .I can tell my dad later tonight."
"Nah, it's okay I can just stay out here for a while. . ."
"No, we can go. C'mon," She replied, hugging him once again as he got up from the chair and the two left; tears and all.
Sara watched Chenille's face as her and Derek told her about their new engagement. Sara held out her hand and Chenille's hands touched the ring in what seemed to be astonishment. A smile formed on her face as she hopped up and screamed with joy, hugging both her best friend and her brother. With a sigh of relief, Sara hugged her back.
"I can't even believe this!" Chenille exclaimed, as Derek wore that huge grin across his face once more. "Who would'a thought. . .my brother and by best friend! This is gonna' be one hell of a family, won't it?" she added, with a laugh. With all the excitement and screaming, Christopher and woken up and was not the least bit happy. Chenille left the room to go and tend to him as "Mama Dean" entered the room, looking a little confused.
"What's going on?" She asked Derek in her quiet, soft-spoken way. Derek got up and with him, lifted Sara's hand. Mama Dean's eyes widened as she looked at the ring. . .the ring to Derek. . .then to Sara.
"We're engaged Mama," Derek pronounced, kissing the side of Sara's head playfully.
"Well I'll be John Brown," she exclaimed, laughing, "Welcome to the family darling," she added as she leaned in for a warm hug which was contently received by Sara. Now that all of Derek's closest relatives were informed about their new-found happiness, the happy couple decided to head over to Sara's house to inform Roy.
Walking up the narrow steps to Sara's home, it dawned upon Sara that her father may very well be at work. She decided to try home anyway, but her hunch had been right; Roy was at work.
"We could go to his work. . .I haven't seen him play in a while anyway," Sara suggested
"Yeah, that's cool," Derek replied, "If he wouldn't mind,"
"Well his daughter's going to be married soon. . .I'm sure he'd understand why we want to tell him now!" Sara commented, and with a snicker, the two headed on over to the Jazz Club in which Roy was playing.
As the couple walked in, hand in hand, they noticed a few people starting to stare. Sara glanced briefly at one woman. . .she looked very familiar. All of a sudden she started laughing to herself,
"Derek!" she whispered through muffled chuckles
"What?" he asked in confusion,
"That lady there," Sara started, motioning toward a woman talking on a pay phone, "that's the one that was freaking out that time on the bus!" Derek snorted out a gasp of laughter and, trying to control themselves, Derek and Sara walked past the woman. She continued to stare at the couple and put down the phone. Walking behind them, the woman followed them into the club where Sara could hear the recognizable sound of her father's trumpet being played. Derek and Sara sat down at a table, surrounded by a gray smoke coming from the pipe of a man sitting next to them. Derek looked around (since jazz music wasn't really his thing, he was trying to fix his mind on other things) and his eyes were drawn to an older couple staring at him. Quickly Derek looked away, but since they were within earshot, Derek continued listening to their conversation.
"Look at that," the man said, taking a sip of what appeared to be a beer, "I'll tell you, they're over-running the country." Derek wondered who "they" were, but his questions were unfortunately answered
"It's true. Just look at that! They're even taking our poor women. That poor child over there. . .She has no idea what she's getting into, I bet," the woman replied, taking a puff of her cigarette. Derek could feel his face starting to sweat with rage, but he continued to control himself and listen
"That's what's wrong with the world today. . ." the man continued, ". . .Damn niggers. . ." That was it. Derek just jumped out of his chair and walked out into the hall. Confused, Sara followed him, and Derek banged his head, in rage, against the wall.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked, confused and a little worried.
"Did you hear what they were sayin' in there?" He asked, tears of anger spilling down his cheek. Sara put her hand on his shoulder as he pulled out a chair in the hall and slammed himself into it
"Who?" Sara asked, kneeling down as she heard the controlled sobs coming from Derek. He took a deep breath and shook his head, looking Sara in the eyes
"There was this couple in there. . .I could here them talking about us. . .about, well. . .me,"
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, already knowing the answer deep inside her.
"They called me a fucking nigger!" Sara's heart sank, and she shook her head in disbelief.
"Baby. . ." she started, reaching in for a hug as he let his face fall into Sara's sweater, "We can get out of here if you want. . .I can tell my dad later tonight."
"Nah, it's okay I can just stay out here for a while. . ."
"No, we can go. C'mon," She replied, hugging him once again as he got up from the chair and the two left; tears and all.