"Well, I haven't had this much time to smile in like twelve years or so, so..." I lock my gaze on him.
"I have to say you are such a cool person, despite the fact that you made me show up in a place like this in a pair of sneakers," he laughs, and every time he laughs, my mind wanders into dangerous places.
"I sincerely apologize," he says.
He checks his watch.
"It's almost nine," he says, his words laced with uncertainty as if he's about to say something I won't like.
He wipes his mouth with a napkin and sets it down.
"Can we do this tomorrow and the next day?" Donald asks me, his eyes pleading with me "I've forgotten how it feels to laugh, you know."
“I still wander how you find reasons to laugh, despite what you’ve been through” Donald says again.
“I am a victim of so many things, attempted rape being one of them. But I choose to laugh, and surround myself with a whole lot of positivity, so I guess the answer to your question is choice, despite what life throws at you, it is up to you to make something out of it” I say honestly.
“So I should just be around you all the time then,” he says.
“Anyways let’s get back home, and hope we don’t regret telling ourselves a lot of stories later on”
he calls on the waiter, and places the bill on the table, leaving a huge tip.
Immediately after we walk out we see that the whole restaurant is shut.
Donald pushes the door and mouths.
“The advantages of being the president’s son, and a regular customer”
**
We come to a complete stop at our destination, the car speeds away, and we walk ourselves up the stairs.
"I'll be leaving soon," he says. As we bask in the small space and walk up the stairs, I look at him and nod. It is only then that I realize he is still walking up the stairs as a result of me. I mean, he has an elevator that takes him to the top floor.
"I'm still surprised we talked today, and even ate together," he says sadly, putting his hands behind my back.
"I guess I've always wanted to talk to you, you know, strike up a friendship with someone who understands what it's like to be lonely."
“Okay. I suppose that's supposed to be a reason." I respond to his supposed compliment.
When we arrive at my apartment, this guy starts acting out a Telemundo scene. It's as if he doesn't want to leave.
I push him out and walk into my home, feeling happy with my little accomplishment, at least I made a new friend today.
I throw my bag on the cushion and lazily walk into my room, when I get to my room I throw my head on the bed and let sleep whisk me away.
**
I awaken in the early morning to a bright light shining down on my face and a loud knock, this knock seems too far to be a knock on my room.
"Who could be knocking on my door at this hour?" I mutter, when I realize it's not too early and I shouldn't be in bed by now, I close my mouth.
I rush to open the door to the apartment; I am about to push the door open when I recall my previous experiences. I peer through the peephole and see Miranda on the other side of the door. Her head moves from left to right, as if she's looking for something.
To see how bad my breath is supposed to be, I blow it into my curved hands. I cringe in response to the foul odor I detect as feedback. I look at the door and then at the door to my room; sensing that going into my room would be pointless, I immediately push open the door, inviting her in; she smiles and waves her hand, and I smile back, letting her know it is okay to come in; once she gets the memo, I leave her in the sitting room and run to brush my teeth.
When I return, I am astounded by what I see her doing.
"My mother and your mother have actually been friends for quite some time." Miranda says, "Did you know that?"
"What are you doing on my table arranging food?" Even though I came across as harsh, I can feel my stomach disgrace me.
Miranda says all of this while laughing.
"I just wanted to get you something," she explains modestly. "And then maybe apologize and become friends?" She inquires.
“I don’t know about that last part, but I have definitely forgiven you. I mean what’s the use of staying angry for a long period of time”.
I sit down to eat, but the stare she keeps giving me makes me so uncomfortable so I invite her to have a seat.
“Thank you, Katherine, and you are beautiful, even early in the morning”
“seriously” I laugh.
“You don’t have to try so hard. Miranda, I am okay” she looks down at her lap and lets tears flow. I walk over to her side of the cushion and begin wiping her face, what I did not see coming is the hug she gives me.
“I am so sorry. And I want you to know that I sincerely want to be friends with you, my mom too” she looks up at me. And although I am confused as to why people are realizing their mistakes now. I am happy.
“Okay I accept; you can be my loyal friend. I hope this helps, Miranda?”
I ask.
“Although I want to ask?, why now, why do you want to be my friend now?, what’s going to happen to your friendship with Nora especially” I ask, because this whole thing is very strange.
“I want to right my wrongs that’s what’s up, I do not want to keep betraying my conscience, and I do not want to keep bullying people, I just really want to be on the right, and in all honesty I want to say that I have always admired you, your boldness, your beauty and your strong will”
I nod my head hastily in response to her answer.
“So you cook huh?”
She smiles and proceeds to open the vegetables.
“But I hate vegetables though, as in the actual veggies”
“I will make sure to keep that in mind in case of next time” Miranda looks at me for a confirmation,
“Next time? Yeah next time is okay”
**
“I didn’t think you would make it today” Donald mentions for the third time.
I drop the bulb thingy I have been playing around with on the table and nod at him.
“So what now? Should I leave you be?” I try to joke around but he doesn’t look at me so I can tell he is not in the mood for jokes.
“So what is going on?” I ask a very busy-looking Donald.
“Your mom has decided to give us what she knows…” he stops what he is doing and with a pen in his mouth, he tells me. “I have to say, this changes a lot of things, only if we had a witness” when he mentions witness, I remember Miss Laurel.
“What about Miss Laurel?” I ask Donald.
“We’ve checked her house but she is nowhere to be found”
“did you check the places she frequented, like coffee shops, I mean she can’t be out of the country like we literally have a whole lot of barriers”.
“I know, it’s just we weren’t all that serious, we were looking for something bigger” he gets up.
“You know like a voice record, or a video, or even just something else that people can seriously take into context”
“What if she has a video record of whatever happened that night,” I ask him.
He nods his head and begins loosening his tie.
“I really have to get to work, it seems like we will be busier than we used to be”
He stands up.
"And i honestly need to make sure all is set before the date"
He says as he takes off his suit jacket from the chair, and walks out of his office, he comes back to his office and nods at me. “You can stay for as long as you want to. But just wait up for me if you can too” I think how unfair it is for a lawyer that is not being paid by his client.
I mean he is going through all this hassle for my sake.
I go on Google and check the birthday of Koura’s president's son; I mean it won’t hurt to just know.
“30th may,” I say out loud, like seriously?
YOU ARE READING
HIS BROWN SKIN GIRL| (EDITED VERSION)✔
Romance"His dislike became his obsession" Set in a time and place where being black became a stigma. Katherine Mendel found herself in a dead category of brown skinned. Katherine's father was said to have committed suicide. But a murder planned wrong broug...
