2. Dinner

Greens, Cornbread, Fried chicken, Yams, Dressing, A large pitcher of cold iced tea and a pecan pie.. momma really outdid herself with this one.

Some of these foods we ain't had since we started moving around, and daddy sho wasn't pleased cause momma spent ha' whole check on buying these groceries, and he definitely felt worse because it was all in efforts to help him get a job.

"Terry I told you don't worry about it. I saved up a couple dollars for the rent, we just won't be able to buy Troy no new school clothes this year.. again." Momma buttoned up daddy's good shirt as they stood in the middle of our home, which is standing in the living room and the kitchen and our bedrooms, the only thang separating our sleeping space is a curtain and door frame.

"I don't like it Charlotte." Daddy sighed.

Momma stood back, dusting off his shoulders and smiling before pecking his cheek with a wet one. "I know baby.. but it's gonna be ok. You're gonna get this job and we're gonna be back on our feet like once before!" She spoke courage into em, always tryna be positive, but it's like daddy couldn't see it no mo, he only nodded to keep her pleased, but anybody could see it.

The light and flicker of hope in his eyes been gone for a long time nie.

"Troy." Momma called me, and I looked to her, smiling and doing a little shimmy in my all cleaned up yella' dress. "Let's be on our best behavior ya hear?" She questioned and i nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Gone on and get the table set". She instructed and as soon as I went towards the cabinets to grab the few good plates we had left, there was a hard knock at the door, momma taking one last moment to make sure the house looked as tidy as it could and daddy going to answer it as I stopped my actions, waiting to see if he would be here as well!

Daddy opened the door, he and Mr Green and momma exchanging greetings while I continued to look, starting to fiddle with my fingers out of nervousness until I seen em.

I felt starstrucken.

He came up in dea with his curls braided back and lil hat tilted to the side looking like his daddy... a nice lil dress shirt on. It sure beat my worn out Sunday church clothes.

"Good evening Ms Troy." Mr Green bowed his head in speaking to me like I was a princess assum, and I nodded, doing a lil dip and holding the sides of my dress causing momma and daddy to smile.

"My son.. do you have something for the lady?" Mr Green stepped to the side, allowing the boy to step up to me, holding the most beautiful flowers I'd ever seen in ma' whole life!

Tulips, and they was yella'.

"Troy.. this is my son, Jerome."

Jerome...

The way it sounded made me feel like I was gone melt right then.

He extended the flowers out to me, a smile on his face, those dazzling teeth.. he can't be real.

His chocolate hand brushed against mine as I took the flowers, smelling em like momma used to do when daddy a' buy ha' some roses.

"Lovely." I told em, but then I remembered, and when I did, I quickly placed the flowers down on the wooden table, my bare feet that momma had told me to cover with my scratched up leather flats rushed across the floorboards, pushing the curtain aside revealing our sleeping space.

"Troy!" Momma gasped and daddy held her arm to keep her from lashing out on my improper manners.

I then hurried back into the same area as them, my worn scratch pad from last school year and a broken crayon in my hand, I flipped to the nearest clean page, seeing a dark and dried spill on it, but I paid it no mind, handing it to em, as I then repeated myself.

"Lovely... the flowers is lovely. Thank you." I smiled and mommas hand fell from her chest as her facial expression softened and the mood in the entire room had changed.

After a couple scribbles, some surprisingly neat hand writing was revealed to me.

"Glad you like them."

I smiled big, and he did the same as momma then removed daddy's hand from her arm. "How about you get a nice vase for them out the closet Troy.. and I'll finish setting the table." She recommended and I nodded, looking back to Jerome. "Help me?" My head tilted, and he nodded.

After I'd grabbed the vase and placed my beautiful flowers at the center of the table, we dined, and we ate, and they talked, and I talked.. and he wrote.

By the end of that night, daddy had a job, and I had a new friend.

"How bout a couple of beers honey?" Daddy asked momma as I finished scrubbing the last dish out the sink, and Jerome dried it for me, placing it in the cabinet, standing on one of our chairs since we didn't have no mo step stools.

"Yes dear." Momma stood, having already sliced daddy and Mr Green several slices of that good ole pecan pie she make, they was definitely ready to start drinking now.

Over their conversations, momma and daddy has learned that Jerome ain't got no momma at home.. that's why ain't no lady come with Mr Green.

She left em, in hard times like momma and daddy is having, and unlike for me, being a young lady, momma and daddy didn't want me joining the work force, they wanted me to stay in school.

But Jerome being a young man.. it was an option on the table in they hard times for him to start working, but ain't nobody wanna hire no mute boy.

I guess eventually Mrs Green got fed up with the cards she was dealt, and she couldn't play ha' hand no mo.

She walked right on out on Mr Green and Jerome.. and they ain't seen ha' since.

But, Mr Green wasn't down for too much longer. His daddy had passed, and they was from old money, and Mr Green got it all.

He opened his wood cutting business, started his lumber yard and now he's helping my daddy out.. glad that my momma was strong enough to stand up for her family when we needed ha' the most.

We're blessed to have ha'.

"You like chocolate?" I asked, looking down at what seemed to be a tired Jerome.

I can tell at home he don't do too many chores if washing dishes done worn em out.

He nodded his head, and I smiled. "Follow me." I whispered, jumping down from my step stool, as he carefully climbed down from the chair, following me as I creeped past the adults who were now having a lively talk, going into the sleeping space and opening momma and daddy's drawer.

"My daddy always gives me a special chocolate on my birthdays." I told him, moving daddy's shirts out the way and revealing the stash that was down to very few little small chocolate balls rolled in golden plastic paper.

The finest from the market.

"They're the best." I told him. "Daddy say they only fa' special casions''. I informed and Jerome nodded. "I think this one." I shrugged, reaching in the drawer and grabbing one candy.

Watching me as I struggled to tear the plastic, Jerome steadied my hand, taking the chocolate from me, and gently ripping the plastic, revealing the candy before looking back up into my brown eyes with his own.

After only a second, he then picked up the chocolate and bit it. The thang ain't too big, so it was almost gone, and I could see by the bliss in his eyes and the way he chewed that he was enjoying it, so I quickly took the other piece from his hand and ate it, the both of us smiling big as the smooth milk chocolate coated our teeth.

"Good?" I nodded while chewing, and he nodded as well.

"Troy!" I heard momma yell, and Jerome stuffed the wrapper in his pocket, licking the chocolate off his teeth as I then closed the drawer, and we both rushed back into the area they were in.

With her hands on her hips, mommas eyes squinted as she looked between the both of us. "Y'all betta be behaving." She pointed and we nodded, a smirk on our faces as she continued to speak.

"I hope y'all getting on well.. y'all gone be seeing a lot mo of one anotha." She smiled and I tilted my head in question.

She then came and started smoothing out my dress, touching on my kinky curls as she continued to smile. "Mr Green has offered to pay for you to attend the same school as Jerome.." she revealed and to me it just meant another school switch but it was something bigger to momma and daddy.

Ian never been to no elite school. We could never afford it.

and some years I had to be homeschooled.

But not this upcoming year, nor the years after. Mr Green found a friend in my momma and daddy and he felt like his son had found a friend in me.

Jerome usually being the only colored child at his school, his father felt he could use some more relatable company.

Along with some otha' stuff bout seeing potential in me.. whatever that means.

As said, before this didn't matter to me much, but when I looked at the boy to the right of me, this news felt life changing.

and it sho' was.

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Thoughts?