Race Relations

Long lost cousins

Leila watched as Nathaniel left the apartment and her heart sunk. She could do this, she told herself, it only a week and a half. I mean, how it could be. She slept alone every night before Nathaniel, well not counting the times that Thomas slept over, but once he got in a relationship, that had ended also.  She stood in the empty apartment, the silence deafening. God needed his presence needed in this apartment. At this exact moment, her phone rang, thinking it was her boyfriend; she rushed to respond to it. Seeing the number, she felt slightly disappointed that it hadn’t been him. But relieved that it was her cousin. Aside from Thomas, Laura was her best female friend, not to mention they were cousins. Laura had big brown eyes, and the most beautiful ebony skin. Even. Her skin was very darken brown, but not dark. It was though it had been perfectly roasted to give the perfect complexion.

“My love!” Laura’s voice came at the end of the receiver.

“Bitch; now you remember I exist?” She yelled at the phone playfully.

“Look it here slut, you see that phone that you’re holding. That shit works both ways,” Laura answered back.  They’d always been comfortable with each other in that way. And it felt nice to hear her voice.

“Really Bitch, really? How many times I texted you?”

“Well...”

“What”

“Yeah but…”

“Yes bitch, stay on silent mode. That’s what I thought.”

“Man, Whatever, it’s not like you got time for people; with your man and all anyways.”

“No, I do. I go out with the girls, include Thomas please a lot and Nathaniel usually hangs with Mike and his new best buddy Marco”

“Oh yeah, Merlina was telling me about those three.”

“No Laura, it’s disgusting.  You don’t understand, it’s like they coordinate what each other say these days. Not to mention, now that they have a system, they support each other when I’m mad Nathaniel or Melina is mad at Marco and Mike serves as the instigator, to tell them not to fold. ”

“I’ve never met Mike. I’ve heard about him.”

“Mike, Mike’s a character. You’d like him though; as a person. Who doesn’t? He’s funny. But I don’t think I could be around him all day... He’s like a twenty four hour comic; he never takes shits seriously.” Leila told her cousin.

“Yeah, he does sound like a character. But anyways, I called you because I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out or something.  I’ve finally gotten some time off from work and I thought we could catch up”

“Good I need a distraction”

“Why?”

“Nate went to Europe on some business trip and he won’t be back for like a week and a half.”

“Oh... So then bitch, I’m your second option... Fuck you then”

“Look you piece of shit! You’re going to stop insulting me or its going to be world war three in that apartment when I get over.”

“I ain’t scared you... I got peoples.”

“I got machetes”

“Look, just I’m going to take a shower.  When I get back... You better be on your way over here. Ok.”

“Dale... I’ll call when I’m almost there” With that Leila hung up the phone and ran to the shower.

            As she dried herself, her phone began to ring again. Laura she thought; but received a greater surprise when she saw Nathaniel’s face and number on her screen. The minute she placed. “I miss you beautiful” his husky voice came at the other end.