𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

15. | W A I T I N G R O O M

C H A P T E R | FIFTEEN
WAITING ROOM

𝙲 𝙰 𝚁 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝙼 𝙴 𝙺 𝙷 𝙸

"TELL me something that you've always wanted to do but neva' done," Carter asked as Stoni's eyes focused on the passing of people, their cold wintry breaths in the air, and the warmth of his hand as it enveloped hers, "It could be anything," he added, "No matta' how small or big."

"I don't know," Stoni said in a low squeaky voice as she and Carter walked the length of Central Park. It was freezing outside but luckily their heavy coats warmed them and fought off the deathly cold, "I never thought about it before, Papi," she shrugged her shoulders meekly. Really, no one had ever asked her something like that before. "How do you think of questions like that?" She was curious - - no one she knew ever thought about things like that, "Why do you think of things like that," she giggled and looked up at him as he stared ahead with his dark green eyes that she loved because they reminded her of a forest of trees - - a rainforest, something tropical.

Stoni watched in admiration as the wrinkles in his forehead creased when he laughed and the slight dimple that arose in his cheek when he licked his lips. She looked up to his tall height that soared high above hers and awaited his answer. It was delayed but it came, "Things like what, baby doll?" Said Carter, "I didn't think it was a weird question."

"It wasn't - - I mean it's not - - it's just - -I never had anyone care so much to ask me that," he looked down when she said that, still getting used to this whole notion of being the first person who ever really gave a damn about her and her desires, "That's kind of like those questions - - those what's one thing you wanna do before you die questions, you know?" She giggled to mask her embarrassed feelings, "I don't know."

"Makes you think, huh?" He smiled, allowing an elderly woman to pass him before he passed, "I feel like they're the most important questions though."

"Why?" She asked, "Aren't there plenty other more important things than that?"

"Because, Stoni," he said, his tone changing to a more serious one, "You never know when your life will be snatched away from you - -," Stoni could see his tone had changed completely and saw there was something in his eyes - - disdain maybe, "This - - all this shit," he pointed around him to the people, businesses, and cars, "It's all temporary. We're all just waitin' you know? Life is the waitin' room."

"The waiting room?" Her doll like features looked deeply to him for clarification, "What are we waiting for?"

"The next part," Carter said calmly, "The after life. It's sorta like - - like limbo," now she understood what he meant, "This life is just where we wait for the next one. It's the next one that matters in my opinion - - this don't mean shit. People are crooked, the world's wicked - - all fucked up - - and some of us get to wait here longer than others but eventually, we all go...every last one of us."

"Where do we go?" She was asking simplistic questions like a child, "Where?"

"Well," he laughed a little and finally looked down at her again, bearing his green eyes to her innocence, "That depends, baby doll," he paused long enough to hear her ask another question - - on, what - - "Depends on what you believe in and who you believe in - - on who's your God or if you even have one. I can't answer that for you."