Deprive

Snatched

"Seems like you’re a movie person", I say picking through DVDs. He nods sauntering to the couch dropping onto it. "I really like your place its, really nice", my eyes scan over it for another good time. The couches and square chairs were exquisitely rich and vibrant in color.

Their walnut arms and backs gleaming with high polish set off by their gold detail. The moldings on the ceiling were illuminated by the glowing white globe of a chandelier. I inhaled the air, there was a mixture of vanilla and rose fragrances infusing every inch of the room. Man, was he neat and a bit vintage.

“Yeah I am. I love watching movies all types, and thank you my girlfriend designed this beautiful house”, he says.

"You have a girlfriend", I say so quickly as if I was jealous. "I had a girlfriend, she passed away a year ago", he sits. My lips press together then I bite my lip, "Sorry for your lost". Brian shook his head, "Don’t be sorry. I’m not…..I was so in love with that girl. Her name was Rebecca by the way. Man was she something…a distraction from life. God took her to help me snap my self into reality, well that’s what I believed.

I used to put her first before anything. Seems like the moment I took my mind off her, she was gone forever", his eyes traced the cracks of the wood floor. Softly and quietly I asked, "How’d she die?" He begins bluntly,"Suicide! She left me a note telling me she wanted to see her grandmother and that she was coming right back. I don’t even understand her to this day. Always talking to herself when I wasn’t around-".

I instantly dozed off from what he was taking about and thought of Chresanto. He did the same thing. What if he was to commit suicide. No my baby would never ! "….. but enough of me. Tell me about whats been on your mind lately, about you, what you like.", he gave me a small smile.

"Oh umm yeah well. I’m 20 years old, love dance and yoga. In looove with painting", I pause and sigh for a moment skipping to what he really wanted to hear. "I’m married to a complicated ass man. He’s very known in the business world, Chresanto August. Its been hell putting up with him. I- I think he’s gone crazy! His mother died a while ago and he use to take it out on me-". "He beats on you?"

"Used to! He doesn’t anymore. Last night, it was he wasnt himself. Talking to himself, breaking the bathroom mirror, then he-he agh aahh", I cried. "He shot at me! He looked so scared like he was shooting at something that scared him. He didn’t even look me in the eyes, he was still looking at the door when I was telling him to put the gun down…….he did and got up the next morning and didn’t remember a thing. He said hell stop drinking, but I don’t think that’s the problem…..maybe deeper than that. I want to take him to go see a doctor, to get professional help. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but I have a baby on the way. Brian I can’t have my child around him!"

There’s a knock at the door and he gets up, “That must be the Chinese food….. Tell you what, you remove all this stress and emotions from your mind and relax and feed that stomach. We're gonna have a good, fun and funny time, okay?" I nod.

The movie begins to play as he sits the food all out scattered on his coffee table. The delicious smell makes my stomach roar. I watched as Brian took out a pair of chopsticks from the bag and begin eating. What the hell? Hmm maybe I can do it too. Attempting to use the chopsticks by my small square box filled of rice, gravy dipped pieces of beef, and small vegetables. Studying Brian, I gave it my best attempt and I didn’t have much luck. The rice plopped right onto my lap.

He chuckled good naturedly and took them from my hand as I cleaned my lap. “Like this”, he instructed, arranging my fingers in the proper position. With his hand on mine, he worked the sticks, scooping up the rice and lifting it to my mouth. To tell the truth I was so pleasantly unnerved that I forgot to open my mouth. “Oh sorry, I say laughing nervously when I realized the food was hovering in front of me. “Mmm this is good”.

“Yeah it is, you should practice with the chop sticks though its really cool”, his drops his arms and hands me the sticks. “Yeah, maybe another time. I’m really hungry right now”, we both laugh. Enjoying my day with him, he did make me happy.

Meanwhile, Chresanto was waiting for his results. Sitting in the uncomfortable red chair tapping his right foot on the dirty white tiled floor. Nervousness flushed through his stomach. He was annoyed. A girl who looked no older than 18 sat by him with 3 kids, and she couldn't even handle one.

She sat next to her baby boy bouncing the him on her side whipping her breast out in front of the few people that were there. Chresanto’s jaw dropped as he watched as the infant sucking on its mother's brown nipple. The other two were running around the room chasing each other in circles. "Kayla and Jakah get your asses over here now", she yelled. 

She couldn't be the one about to get tested, she had to be waiting for someone or she probably doesn't know any better to not breastfeed her child if she may have a disease, Chres thought. Just then a dark skin man with a low fresh cut came out who looked about 35 by the look of his facial hairs the included a beard that ran up his sideburns.

"So what they say", she ask. His head dropped low and he gulped, "positive". Her eyebrows rose, "They told me I was negative, meaning we can't be together anymore. I can't be with someone who has HIV, sorry not sorry". With that she gets up, takes her kids, and leaves. Even though it was directed to him it smashed me in gut. What if it goes down like that if I tell Bri I am? That is if I am.

"August, Chr-", a lady calls out, but before she could answer he answers her quickly and ready to get everything over with.

"Yes, ma'am I'm Mr. August", he says.

They make their way to her office and they sit as she sits in front of a packet of papers. She holds up one file and gulps looking him directly in the eyes.

She sighs, "I'm so terribly sorry.....but your results came out  positive".

These words hurt! His heart was snatched out and slayed by a hateful demons from his pass, his stomach bounced off the walls being kicked back and forth. Hearing giggles, his mind went black, he couldn't cry. It felt as if thick blood poured harshly onto him and his bones weakened giving out on his body support and he fell to the floor.

"Mr. August..... Mr. August.... someone get help", she shouted.