have a feeling we’re gonna need it.”
I waited until she left before peeling my shorts from my body and sunk myself in the tub. The sooner I calmed, the sooner she would. I thought about how our clan had struggled to make ends meet. How some of the things we needed had been neglected because of lack of money. And one of the reasons so many children were missing school, was because the mothers of our clan weren’t home anymore to see to it that they attended—because they were working. I slunk down further in the hot water and let the realization roll over me that my legacy, the only thing my father had left me—was broken and battered, much like my female when I’d found her. And now I had to rebuild it.
Like starting from scratch.
The bastard.
Hours later , she opened the door and put two towels on the chair next to the tub.
“You’ve got to be getting cold. Those are warm from the dryer. Hurry up.”
I dried off and wrapped the towel around my hips. I opened the door and I could feel her in my room, flipping channels. I chuckled , remembering what she’d said about not watching TV. I walked in and watched her, watching TV, for a few minutes. She was on her knees and with every change of channel she’d shove the remote in the direction of the screen as if the motion helped the TV change the channels. Her hair was so long, it brushed her toes, curled up underneath her.
What did I do before she came into my life?
I couldn’t even remember.
“This is absurd. Who watches this? There was this lady on there and she was pregnant and in jail and she was complaining because her twelve year old daughter was pregnant at the same time. They said it was reality television. But there’s no way that crap can be real. Where is that real? Wherever it is, we are not ever visiting.”
She turned her head and saw me laughing, which was obviously her plan, so she continued.
“And one channel had a little chubby girl who was a pageant queen or something and I swear, I couldn’t understand one word out of her mouth. And it’s not just me. There were freakin’ words on the bottom of the screen telling me what she was saying because apparently no one knows. And she had a pacifier in her mouth. She had to be at least nine years old. I’m kinda grateful no one ever let me watch TV.”
She went on and on and b y the time she finished, I was laughing so hard I had to lean against the door for fear of falling over.
“I didn’t know you were so funny, mate of mine.”
“I’m not funny. It’s these crazy people.”
“I’m not sure. That’ chili comment earlier today was hilarious.”
I grabbed a pair of boxers and some black pajama pants from the dresser and shut myself in the bathroom to change.
“Find anything decent,” I asked her, walking back into the bedroom.
“No, I found worse.”
She pointed to the TV and on it was a man and a woman naked, trying to start a fire.
“I hope that’s not the way you intend to teach Evan and Elliot to make a fire.”
“Ha ha ha.”
I took the remote from her and turned the TV off. I put it on the side table and turned around to see her watching me. I waggled my eyebrows, “Picking a spot?”
“Maybe.” She retorted.
“Make it good—i t’s forever.”
“I know. I can’t believe I get to keep you forever.”
I climbed into bed, refusing to play the movie reel in my head any longer. I’d grown tired of thinking about my own circumstances and wanted to solely focus on her.
“Come lay next to me.”
She pulled her hair over her right shoulder and laid on what was now her pillow, facing me. She fanned out the ends of that gorgeous hair, playing with the ends.
“What are you thinking,” she asked me, her hair forgotten in favor of running her hands through mine.
“I’m trying very hard not to think about anything but you.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And what do you think about me?”
“I think you’re brilliant. You’re sharp and funny.
I waited until she left before peeling my shorts from my body and sunk myself in the tub. The sooner I calmed, the sooner she would. I thought about how our clan had struggled to make ends meet. How some of the things we needed had been neglected because of lack of money. And one of the reasons so many children were missing school, was because the mothers of our clan weren’t home anymore to see to it that they attended—because they were working. I slunk down further in the hot water and let the realization roll over me that my legacy, the only thing my father had left me—was broken and battered, much like my female when I’d found her. And now I had to rebuild it.
Like starting from scratch.
The bastard.
Hours later , she opened the door and put two towels on the chair next to the tub.
“You’ve got to be getting cold. Those are warm from the dryer. Hurry up.”
I dried off and wrapped the towel around my hips. I opened the door and I could feel her in my room, flipping channels. I chuckled , remembering what she’d said about not watching TV. I walked in and watched her, watching TV, for a few minutes. She was on her knees and with every change of channel she’d shove the remote in the direction of the screen as if the motion helped the TV change the channels. Her hair was so long, it brushed her toes, curled up underneath her.
What did I do before she came into my life?
I couldn’t even remember.
“This is absurd. Who watches this? There was this lady on there and she was pregnant and in jail and she was complaining because her twelve year old daughter was pregnant at the same time. They said it was reality television. But there’s no way that crap can be real. Where is that real? Wherever it is, we are not ever visiting.”
She turned her head and saw me laughing, which was obviously her plan, so she continued.
“And one channel had a little chubby girl who was a pageant queen or something and I swear, I couldn’t understand one word out of her mouth. And it’s not just me. There were freakin’ words on the bottom of the screen telling me what she was saying because apparently no one knows. And she had a pacifier in her mouth. She had to be at least nine years old. I’m kinda grateful no one ever let me watch TV.”
She went on and on and b y the time she finished, I was laughing so hard I had to lean against the door for fear of falling over.
“I didn’t know you were so funny, mate of mine.”
“I’m not funny. It’s these crazy people.”
“I’m not sure. That’ chili comment earlier today was hilarious.”
I grabbed a pair of boxers and some black pajama pants from the dresser and shut myself in the bathroom to change.
“Find anything decent,” I asked her, walking back into the bedroom.
“No, I found worse.”
She pointed to the TV and on it was a man and a woman naked, trying to start a fire.
“I hope that’s not the way you intend to teach Evan and Elliot to make a fire.”
“Ha ha ha.”
I took the remote from her and turned the TV off. I put it on the side table and turned around to see her watching me. I waggled my eyebrows, “Picking a spot?”
“Maybe.” She retorted.
“Make it good—i t’s forever.”
“I know. I can’t believe I get to keep you forever.”
I climbed into bed, refusing to play the movie reel in my head any longer. I’d grown tired of thinking about my own circumstances and wanted to solely focus on her.
“Come lay next to me.”
She pulled her hair over her right shoulder and laid on what was now her pillow, facing me. She fanned out the ends of that gorgeous hair, playing with the ends.
“What are you thinking,” she asked me, her hair forgotten in favor of running her hands through mine.
“I’m trying very hard not to think about anything but you.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And what do you think about me?”
“I think you’re brilliant. You’re sharp and funny.
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