It's time for school. My internal alarm woke me before my actual alarm. I sat up in my bed looking around. Flowers filled my room, like real actual flowers. Ironically I am allergic to the pollen, but I love flowers.
My small feet touched the floor of my nice sized bed room. For a college student I have a nice sized dorm. My phone finally goes off at 7:30 a.m. My first class starts at 9:00 a.m. I take a long warm shower, then untwist my hair so it's big and curly, my curls stop at my shoulder blades. I dry off and get dressed. I put on a burgundy t-shirt dress, gold ankle gladiator sandals and a gold chain head band. I also put on my gold choker and gold studs. I always wear colors that complements my rich brown skin.
I look at the clock 8:25. I guess I have time to go and get breakfast. I open my door, seeing the other students walking and socializing. I really don't talk to anyone, I usually just stay to my self.
I walked down the hall and walked onto the quad in the direction of my favorite Cafè, they serve the best chocolate chip frappés and chocolate chip muffins. I attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm a sophomore, but I am rarely known and I try to keep it that way. I've only had one horrible thing that happened to me and that was freshman year but I don't wanna talk about it.
I walked it to The Cafè, my favorite place on campus other than the gardens. I stand in line, it isn't long before I'm at the register. "Ah, Zinnia right on cue." Ashton smiled. Ashton just works here but he's really nice he goes to college at Spelman. "The usual. Chocolate chip muffin and medium chocolate chip frappé." I smiled at him. "There's that beautiful smile. I've never seen a flower smile before." He announced. "Stop it people are staring." I covered my face. "Your order is coming up, Zinnia." Aston smiled.
Ashton is brownskin, kinda orange with brown eyes, he could pass for hispanic with his curly hair. He has a chiseled jawline and gorgeous smile with purple braces. He's one of my few friends.
"Zinnia?" The girl at the counter called out. She always says my name Zinia, apparently she didn't learn about flowers in school. I smiled at her and took my things. I looked at my watch 8:38a.m. I sat down and ate my muffin checking social media every once in awhile. I checked my watch again, 8:50. I got threw my trash away, waved bye to Ashton and walked to class drinking my frappé.
I arrived at class just as the bell rang. African American History read the sign. I love this class. I sat in my usual seat beside my friend Zharia. Zharia and I have been best friends since we were six years old. That's about fourteen years since I'm 21 and she's 20 about eight months younger than I.
I smiled at her and tugged at her curls. Professor Francis walked to the front and stopped any talking that was going on. "Good Morning class." He's deep loud voice filled the room along with his bright smile. He loves my class particularly, maybe because we are very diverse, not black diverse where there's Dominicans, Jamaicans and Cubans; but my class has the most Mexicans, Blacks, Middle Eastern and we even have a white girl in here. I like it, it lets me know that everyone is interested in my people.
"Zinnia!" Professor Francis broke my internal talk. "Remember I asked you why did you choose my class?" He asked me. "Yes, Professor Francis." I looked at him. "What was your response?" He asked holding a brown dry erase marker in his hand. "I said that I chose this class because I wanted to learn more than my knowledge has allowed me from high school, freshman and Black social media." I played with my pencil and notebook. He turned and wrote my answer on the board. "Now," he said finishing up. "What was your real answer?" He walked and leaned over Zharia and I.
I hesitated, Professor Francis is the only teacher that bothers me and tries to get me to participate other than when it's for a grade. I could feel people whispering and talking about me. "B-because I uh—I was tired of not being heard when I spoke about being black. Full black at that." I stuttered. He smiled at me,"Very good Zinnia." He walked away, I felt the earth, moon and sun lift off my shoulders. "Zinnia has taken a genealogy test and was informed that she is in fact full black. Full black enough to be full African." He spoke loudly and clearly. "Today's lesson is about the genealogy of Africa. Zinnia what did you find about yourself?" He smiled and put his hands in his pocket.
"I am," I slouched a little. "Stand up, be proud about yourself, flower." He motioned me. I stood up with my hands beside myself. "I am," my voice boomed. "I am Cameroonian, Egyptian, Nigerian, Ethiopian and Somalian ." I said proudly, I smiled as the class clapped. I turned red from excitement and nervousness. "Very good, Zinnia." He smiled as he wrote my genealogical existence on the board. The Middle Eastern girl, well one of them raised her hand. "Yes, Kelila?" He pointed to her. "How are you all of those races of African descent? Those countries aren't even close." She asked. My pride was crushed. "Travel Ms. Al-Balawi, Travel. Immigration, anything could've happen." He waved his hands in the air. "My grandmother is Somalian and Ethiopian, my grandfather is Egyptian, the dark Egyptian. She migrated to Egypt and met him there. My dad is their child he met my mom in Nigeria where she is from. She is Nigerian and Cameroonian. I was born in here in Atlanta. Even though I am all of these different types of Africans" I laughed at myself. "I have an Egyptian last name from my grandfather, Gahiji meaning Hunter." I nodded my head.
Professor Francis smiled and Kelila was satisfied. "Everyone must take a genealogy test." He announced. "They are one the back table and please take one. You will present them in class tomorrow." He said as the bell rang.
Zharia and I walked down the hall. I don't have another class for three hours, I have two classes a day except Friday I don't have any. "Where you going now?" Zharia asked me. "I don't have class til 3:00 so I'll just go to my dorm." I said quietly, she nodded.
We arrived at our dorm, but she had another class. She waved as she exited the hallway. I waved back. I looked down and there was a bouquet of flowers in front of the door. I looked around no one was there. "Another bouquet of zinnias." I whispered to myself.
