Will it be ok?

~Afro~

We decided to stay there for the rest of the day, not really understanding why we needed to go to school at this point.

We got all cuddled up on her queen-sized bed. All her stuffed animals made it more comfortable. She barely said anything about the scars. Instead, she drew circles around them and kissed my forehead whenever I felt uncomfortable.

Every touch
                 Felt
                   Like
                     Clouds

It was like her touch fixed all my problems. Really, I was ignoring them. At least she isn't grossed out. That would ruin me. Her mom came home eventually. Opened Penelope's door with a neutral expression. Her face turned into a happy face when she saw me.

"Hazel, dear, how have you been? Wow, you're all grown up." Her moms hair was an afro style, and around it was an African pattern headband. This family really liked headbands, didn't they? It still looked amazing and matched her skin perfectly. "Are you both hungry? Did you eat anything?" She led me to the kitchen to see her Husbend cooking something. Mrs Park gave me a reassuring smile and walked over to her husband.

"Hazel, I'll leave you two for your afternoon. Remember, dinner will be ready in a couple of hours if you're hungry," she said with a reassuring smile before I headed back to Penelope's room. She was already waiting for me by the door. She smiled. I followed her all the way back to the dining table that was being done already. We sat down next to each other, and eventually, her dad brought out the food he had prepared. It was a traditional food called 'Jollof Rice' that Penelope has told me a lot about. My eyes became more and more curious. This looked really delicious. Soon, Mister and Miss Park sat down and decided to dig in.

"So I heard something from the news today, Apparently Queer rights have officially been banned in a few states, specifically in America. How disgusting is that? Why does it matter if someone likes who they like?" Mrs park stated at the table before eating a mouth full of the Jollof Rice. "Yeah.." her husband spiked up. "I'm sorry to bud in, but I wanted to ask where you got that headband from? If you don't mind me asking." My curiosities came over me. "Oh, this, I just got it from my father while he stayed in the more western part of Africa, I could introduce you to a few cultures that I've learned while he was there?" She happily said. "Oh, no, that's fine. I was just wondering.." She still held her smile and ate more from her food. The sudden gate alarm made me jump, Was that my mother?

"Yes, who is it?"

"Hazel's mother."                                                                                                                                                                      I was correct

I sighed and stood up from the dinner table to get my school bag. "Thank you for joining us for dinner, We are more than happy to see you here again." Mrs Park greeted me while giving me a hug. My mothers face explained exactly what kind of conversation we were about to have as I climbed into the car. "What were you thinking about leaving school without telling anyone!? You are about to have a grounding of a lifetime, young missy!" She stepped on the pedal, and we started to move.

Can I have one day without her nagging.

《Please》

 ~Penelope~

When Mom returned to the dining table, Hazel was nowhere to be seen. It struck me then that Mom never told me about Grandpa. Why was she so open about it with my friend but not with me? I needed to know.

"Mom, what happened to Grandpa?" My voice came out smooth, trying to hide my curiosity.

"My father? Well, during apartheid, my parents couldn't be together because of their race. My mother stayed in Namibia, but your father had to go back to Mali as a fisherman because of his heritage and because he wanted a better life for him and me." Mom explained, her voice carrying a mix of nostalgia and sadness. She stood up with her empty plate and vanished into the kitchen, returning shortly to collect ours.

I was still digesting her words.

"Is Mali the only place he's been to?"

"No, he travelled all over," Mom replied as she stacked plates. "That's why his name is Jabari Keter. He had a knack for storytelling and shared amazing tales from his journeys."

It was a rare glimpse into my mother's past, and I found it strangely comforting to learn something new about her. Tiredness caught up with me, and I let out a tired yawn. "I think it's time for bed. Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad," I said, receiving gentle kisses on my forehead from both of them before retreating to my room. As I lay in bed, thoughts of Hazel weighed on my mind. I hoped she felt better after today. Tomorrow, I was determined to confront Mathew, no matter what.

《 No. Matter. what.》