Brother's Keeper✔️

49. Black Boy Blues

Taj POV

He still had no idea what he was doing after graduation. The job prospects were bleak. That graduate school idea seemed like a good idea. He talked to Jossie about it one day when she took him out to lunch.

"A higher degree will always be better than one."

"I know but...does that guarantee I will get a nice paying job? And what about paying for graduate school? I barely can afford these four years. And what about-"

"Now you know I got you, lil big head boy. I take care of my people."

He grinned, liking the sound of that. "Can I still work here?"

"You know I already have a graduate assistant, but Taj, you can get any other GA position on campus. I will see what will be open for you next year. I think the Panhellenic will need a GA, or maybe Residence Assistance GA. Something that can work with your major."

The Panhel GA position would be perfect. Then he would still be at school and can spend time with Faye. Although he still was unsure about things with her. After her crack about his fraternity and Greek Life in general, he still felt some way about things.

They argue about it for a day, but then she apologized for being insensitive to something that he cared about. When people were not Greek, they would never understand the work fraternities and sororities put in. Never. They only knew from the outside looking in and that was not accurate.

Besides what Epsilon Upsilon did in Bloomington-Normal, he looked at what Black Greek organizations did worldwide. Bad talking what they did was downplaying the role of hundreds of prominent Black figures over the last hundred-plus years. Like those people were slackers or something. Maybe she only knew what they did on college campuses and did not see them as a worldwide entity for the progress they made over the years.

No, she was smarter than that.

"What else do you know about Faye? Like when you interviewed her, what was she like that made you want to offer her the position?"

"Boy, you're the one sleeping with her."

"I am not..." He smacked his forehead. "It is not like that. We're dating, but that's it. We're taking things slow."

"Oh, that's what you call it? Boy bye!"

"For real. We haven't...anyway, I asked a question."

Jossie took a moment while she dug into the chicken alfredo that sat in front of her, his chicken parmesan sat untouched.

"Faye had all the right answers, she said the right things, had great grades, and the fact that she was a single mother, I guess that's what tugged at my heart."

"So you gave her the position because she had a kid?"

"I'm not saying that. She's just a good person. And I know people."

Taj wondered if she knew how she felt about Greek Life. It was not his place to run his mouth about it to Jossie. Queen of Greek Life as far as he was concerned. Besides, he was still trying to get somewhere with Faye.

"You two good?" she asked him.

"Sure, we're fine."

"Eat up then boy, stop with the mopey face. "

Jossie just didn't get it. Maybe times changed a lot since twenty years ago when she was his age.

"I want to get married."

Jossie almost spit out her food, she gagged and couched. He jumped up and patted her back.

"You okay?"