The tempo of the choir song begins to change. They are upbeat, lively. It is no longer mournful but celebratory. The choir sings, "There is power in the blood! Power in the blood!" and "What a friend we have in Jesus!" Pastor Donald is singing and dancing. The throb of the music forces me to my feet, and I start clapping my hands. Alaya stands and starts jumping around. I look at her and see Bobby's face when she smiles and the memories return...
*******
Bobby left for University. In the first year, I heard from Bobby regularly. He would return home at every opportunity and we spent quality time together. That first summer of his return, he got his old job back at Mr. Jones Hardware. The Ferocious Five group would hang out at our favorite spot by Spirit Creek. Bobby and I hid away at our favorite place by Jenna's guest house on the less savory side of town. I wasn't sure if it was because Bobby no longer lived-in town, but during our time together we often made one glorious flame, so much so that Bobby did not want to go back to school. He talked about quitting, but I persuaded him otherwise. He only had three more years.
On Bobby's return to Atlanta, he called a few times then none at all by the end of Fall. His parents had the same issue, asking if I had heard from him. "No." I had told them. We were all convinced something was seriously wrong. This was so unlike Bobby. I had missed my period and did not want to discuss those things in a text message. I wanted to speak to him directly, but when I finally spoke to Bobby, he gave me the shock of my life. He wanted out of the relationship. "A break" he had said. Back then, I was sure I was talking to an alien. This was not Bobby. He was hijacked. I begged and pleaded, even cried but Bobby must have changed his number as I never heard from him again. And. I was pregnant.
No one heard from him. I went kind of crazy and started hanging out at a rowdy pub for drifters on that awful part of town. Lots of visitors from out of town would stay at Jenna's guest house and hang out at the pub. To rid my nostrils of the awful stench Bobby left behind, I turned into a loose cannon. I was at the pub, practically every weekend. Sometimes I would coax a friend to go along with me. I rarely drunk any liquor. One night, I got a strange text from a strange number that said, "Val, I heard you've been hanging out at the bar on weekends. Please stop doing this. It's dangerous. I love you." I immediately knew who it was. I answered the text in big bold capitals, "F--- off!"
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A Dark Sun
RomanceValerie loved Bobby. Bobby loved Valerie. Everyone in the community knew it, though the two tried to keep their relations secret. They were childhood friends who grew to be lovers. But they were black. And black people can find themselves in the...
