The Come Up

Chapter 17 - Move In Day

The ride to Albany was at least 5 hours long. Mom and Trisha helped me move into my medium sized dorm room with cream colored walls, a twin sized bed, 2 dressers and a matching wooden desk. A small TV sat on the dresser in front of my bed. As soon as I was all settled in, with my decorations up on my wall, pictures of all my friends and my brown bed spread, Trisha had tears at the tips of her eyes. I heard sniffles before turning around to see her all flustered.

"You type dramatic." I say, pulling her into a hug.

"Don't think I love you or nothin. This Harvington dust getting to a sista eye." Trisha wraps her arms around me and sniffles a few more times, her tears wetting my shirt. Her hug felt nice. Something about it was very childlike, it took me back to the old days in the hood when we were around 10 years old, just running around on the street playing with our dolls and being teased by the boys. I would often be the one that needed a hug, as Trisha was always my rock. Now things have changed. Or maybe it was just in this instant that she seemed so sad and vulnerable.

"You know you can come visit me anytime." I say looking into her eyes.

"You ain't gotta tell me twice boo. You know ima be up here at these wild ass Harvington parties. Y'all smart asses know how to party." Trisha jokes as she grabs her bag from my small bed.

Mom came back to my dorm with a case of water, set it down in my mini-fridge and looked around the room to see if everything was set. She had bought me a few snacks and easy to make food in case I hated the free food in the dining halls.

"Come here." She says pulling me into a tight hug of her own. I saw no tears but I knew she would cry when she was back home in the house by herself. 

"You come back to me on the holidays and whenever you get a few days off, you hear me? I'm going to miss you baby."

"I'll miss you too Ma. Don't worry, i'll be home before you even realize i'm gone. I'll call everyday.." I promise, kissing her on the cheek.

Before Mom leaves, she spends another half hour dusting off the desk and wiping my floors. Trisha really had to pull her out of my dorm room. I don't cry or even feel the need to...

Until the door slams shut behind them and I am in these four walls by myself. Is this how Trevon feels? 

Of course not. 

He doesn't have a soft bed with brown and cream decorations, or purple lights pinned to the wall, or a lava lamp from Flex. The lava lamp was a bit pointless. It's as if Flex walked into Walmart and saw the first slightly appropriate thing, then gift wrapped it. I smile, thinking about how he gave it to me. 

"Uhm, I don't know what people need in college but I found this here jelly lamp lookin thing. You like purple right?The jelly things, they purple and they surrounded by liquid. You plug it in. Boom. Lights up the whole room." 

I remember laughing at how clueless he is, watching him smile that big smile I love. Almost fatherly. 

No tears are present in my eyes but a baggage of emotions temporarily wash over me. I sit on my bed and stare at the empty bed and desk across from me. School didn't start for the next 3 days so I guess whoever my roommate is doesn't plan on showing up until necessary. 

I think about what Trevon and Pookie would say if they were the ones moving me in. They would probably make all the food Mom bought me, and eat it before they leave. Trev would probably plop down on my bed and mess up the neatness, Pookie would probably go look at college girls and get Trisha mad. You can't bring hood boys to nice places.