Novel-You'll never know-Part 2
Posted: Friday, July 31, 2009
by Mulaykah
Andre sat on the beige carpeted floor positioning himself in front of the television and turned to me.
"What do you want to watch?
"Whatever.I shrugged "something good I guess.
He chuckled, "Hmm, that'll be... Nothingtoday's Saturday, nothing good comes on T.V. All the good cartoons went off, they only air in the morning.
Before I could answer he got up and started to plug his Nintendo wires to the back of the TV.
He fixed the controllers and threw one on the bed next to me, where I sat.
I smiled, anxious to play and then said sure, while picking up the controller.
We played for a few hours and then sat around drawing pictures while laughing at the sketches we drew of each other, until the sun started to descend.
I had to be home before dark.
Andre didn't have that rule, so he told his mother he would be walking me home, and that's just what he did.
The day I told Andre I was moving was a sad day, as sad as the day I moved.
Andre came to pick me up from my apartment.
No one was home except for me. My mother had just left for work and my father was at some unknown location and my older sister was at a friend's house.
"Wassup Mina? Andre asked in a concerning voice Sensing my mood.
"Nothin- hold on for a minute K? I just need to grab my Keys and I'll be out."
"Aight, I'll wait outside.
I let the door go softly so it wouldn't slam and remain cracked, while I went in the kitchen to grab my keys off the key rack.
"Hey I have to tell you something, I said while closing and locking the door behind me.
"What, is It? tell me!'
Andre said in anticipation.
"I'll tell you.. I just need to sit... You're going to need to sit, let's just get where we're going first Okay?
"Yeah, alright' he said sensing how important it was.
We began to walk towards the bay where we'd sit and talk to have one of our serious conversations at what we called our private place. When we arrived there I sighed with relief, my legs were in need of rest, I had walked them to quivers. The night before I ran for hours training for track and field until my legs wobbled as they became weak and sore.
Before plopping down I wiped the dirt from the cement platform and patted the area next to me inviting Andre to sit.
Okay, so what is it you need to tell me?
I gave off a deep sigh and began to give my bad news.
"My family is moving-we're moving Down South I said with my head held down, as if they were the saddest words that I ever said.
Andre looked at me, and passed the back of his hand softly on the side of my neck lifting my long Braid off my shoulder as it fell to my back, he touched my chin gently lifting it up to face him.
"Well, Mina...he stopped as to think of something to say, as to hear the words again in his head to see if I really did say them.
"Well well, ok your family is moving, but you don't have to go, you have some family here. You can stay with your aunt, can't you?
He said in a nervous tone.
I looked at him with sadness in my eyes and just shook my head no."
"Well, why you got to leave anyway"? He said in frustration.
"My dad has-he just got a new job, they pay more, and he said that this is not a place to raise children anyway. I asked them if we can stay or move someplace close but they said that they couldn't, and it had to be this way.
I talked fast only to pause to sigh and breathe.
"Andre, I even asked about my aunt, but you know she has six
k ids, my mom only has me and my sister,
She's not about to take another child in if she doesn't have to, even if I am family.
I then shrugged my shoulders, and sat quiet waiting for Andre to speak again.
It seemed that he sensed my need for comforting words to be spoken. He sat there for a moment with his eyes cast down while moving them steadily, seemingly trying to find the comforting words he could say to me and for him to hear himself..
"Don't worry he said, where ever you are, I'll visit...I'll find a way. "We can still see each other.
"Don't be sad alright? Mina it's not the end. " I'll find a way.
"Yeah, I'll find a way, Echoing back his words.
They were so comforting and courageous, but I wondered if he even believed the words he spoke. Or did he say them just for my benefit to ease my pain, the pain I know he was feeling too.
I had never had a friend like him before, and I didn't think I would find one ever again that was quite the same. He often times felt like family; I even envisioned him as my husband when we were all grown up.
We sat there in silence with nothing but the sound of the river crashing on the wall where our feet dangled as we sat on the platform.
After I moved, we found way's to visit each other for a few months and then the visits stopped, it was financially impossible, since I was the one doing the visiting, since I was the one with the family on his side of town.
We had one other option to stay in contact, and that was to write, so I wrote weekly and he wrote as often as the seasons changed. Which was a lot for Andre since he didn't like to write but for me he said he would?
We talked on the phone more then anything, reminiscing on old times, and updating each other now and then what was going on in each other lives.
It's been 8 years since the last visit, now on my 21st birthday I was going to see him again.
I wondered if he'd change knowing that he would, wondered if he still felt the same way about me, was I still his best and only girl -friend. I was anxious, as I sat at a Red Lobsters Restaurant in Atlanta . He was finally coming to see me; he was 23 now, owned a car and had a very good job, so I heard.
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