Color Blind

Johnny

I was frozen for a moment, thinking that my eyes were playing tricks on me. I knew they were, how would he just show up here, like this. He was dirtied, dragging his left leg behind him as if it was broken. His dirtied blonde hair was reaching his shoulders, and he had a long beard, but I knew it was him.

"Johnny" I didn't trust my voice as I whispered his name. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"Vann......" He started, but his words were cut off as he fainted and fell to the ground. I picked up River and ran to him. River was pulling at my hair as I tried to wake Johnny. 

"Please wake up Johnny" I got up and held River close as I ran to the shack that Trey had left us. Chris was laying on his side sleeping. I kicked him off the bed making him up sit up with an angry expression.

"Da hell was dat fo Vannah" I placed River down on the bed as I tried to wipe my eyes from the tears steady falling.

"Johnny, he at da river, I needs ya help ta bring him hea'" My brother looked at me weirdly for a moment and frowned.

"Stay hea, ya hear me" I nodded my head as he left out. I held onto my baby boy, trying to put him to sleep as I waited what felt like days. There was a loud bang and a curse, before my door opened. Chris appeared with Johnnys' arm around his neck, and his arm around Johnny's waist.

"Move Vannah" I grabbed River and did as he said as he laid him on the bed. I put River in his little sleeping bed that  Mista had made for him. Then I grabbed my bowl and went to fill it with water to clean Johnny. When I came back Chris was sitting against the wall with a frown on his face.

"We gots ta tell Mista we find him Vannah" I nodded my head as I proceeded to clean Johnny. He had dirt stuck all over him, so much so, I had to change the water ten times before he was fully clean.  I was dead tired once I was done. I searched his now naked body for any wounds, but I found none. Going to my stash of food Journey recently snuck out to me. I grabbed a piece of bread and some gravy.

"Johnny, ya gots ta wake and eat" He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at me again.

"Am I dreamin of you again Vannah" I looked at Chris and frowned. I didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Dreamin, is ya lost it Johnny, dis ain't no dream, hea eat dis" He opened his mouth as I slowly fed him. When the bread was gone he sat up and pulled his arm around my waist. Placing his head against my stomach.

"Please don't let dis be anotha dream Vannah" I slowly rubbed Johnny head as I felt a wetness on my stomach. I looked down to see he had tears coming from his eyes.

"Johnny, ya okay" I heard the door open and saw Mista standing at the door with his eyes open wide.

"Johnny, Johnny, ya back son" He made a move to push me away but Johnny held me closer to me. Glaring at his father to not come any closer.

"I've dreamt of this day, you're not taking her away from me" Mista face fell as tears filled his eyes.

"Okay, son, she yours, ya came back Johnny, I thought ya was gone, but ya back" Mista left us taking Chris with him. Johnny moved me on the bed with him, but I had to force myself away as Riva started crying. 

"Ya, ya had a baby" I nodded my head as I picked him up and started hushing him. Giving him soft kisses along his face.

"Who his daddy" Riva decided to sit up and look at the stranger in the bed. he rubbed his eyes, and then laid on my chest as they both stared at each other.

"Vannah, please tell me he not Percys" I shook my head no and he sat up, pinched his arm and looked at us again.

"Can, can, I hold him" I sat next to him and put Riva in his lap. he laid his head on my his daddy's shoulder and Johnny kissed his forehead. 

"What ya name him"

"Riva, caus dat's whea we made im' " Johnny laughed and looked at me for a while before softly kissing my lips.

"Johnny, no" He gave me a confused look as I moved away from him. I was mad, but I still loved Trey, regardless of what Mista said, he was still my husband.

"No, why not" I frowned for a moment before standing up and kneeling next to him.

"I loved ya, fa a long time Johnny, Trey deen made me a honest woman, I's married ta him" He frowned for a moment and shook his head.

"Now, now I know I'm dreaming, ya married him Vannah, afta what we shared, afta him" He said pointing towards our son.

"I didn' think ya be back Johnny, dey said ya etha die, or ya go cum back wit some white woman, and do me like Mista do ma" he sat our son down and grabbed my arms pulling me up. 

" They tortured me, called me a nigga lova, did shit ta me ya wouldn't believe Vannah, you were what kept me going, ya where who I had ta git back too, I love ya Vannah" My heart started going into overtime. We couldn't be together like that, Mista would never allow it, and what about when Trey came back for me. 

"I's sorry, i's so sorry Johnny, I hurt so fo ya, I cried cause of ya, but I fell in love" 

"Where is he, whea he at Vannah, I tol him stay away from ya, ya have his babies too" For some reason tears started falling down my eyes as he started yelling at me. 

"Percy hurt me bad, ma baby died" His face turned red as he pulled me into him and hugged my body hard against his.

"He said ya was missin, so ya want im' to take care of me, he raped me, wit his bois, beat me, raped me again, and tol me he'd hurt Riva if I tol anyone, Trey mighta hurt him, is sorry Percy, but he mighta hurt him worse den he hurt me, he in a chair na, tongue cut out, and he ain't got his man part no mo" I thought I would look up to see tears in Johnnys face instead he was smiling.

"Means he can't hurt ya no mo Vannah, he had it comin, so whea he at" he asked as he looked down at my face and kissed my forehead.

"Trey, he uh, left, he uh, he got missus wit child, so he left me" Tears were running down my face again and Johnny frowned again.

"My mama, he got her wit child, whea she at" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Mista put ha out, now mama in da house wit a baby comin" I held Johnny, tighter, knowing he would still be upset wit me when he realized how much had changed.

"He left ya Vannah, and I'm not letting our son be without a father, ya gonna love me again" he gave me a kiss then and I felt tingles through each part of my body. He leaned down to kiss our son and left as quick as he had come.