Belle's Need Love Too

Chapter 11

   Splosh. Squish.Splosh. That was the pattern of sounds Boatman, err excuse me, Piao's shoes made across the small parking lot consisting of cars belonging to the forty total faculty members. All of the modest, American made cars were being decently showered by the Autumn rain which now made my lavender dress feel like a tight, draggy second skin. My hair was as curly and as much of a hassle as the first day we met. I blushed at the thought of how shocked I was when I heard his black boy, country drawl. As I further recalled the situation, my cheeks nearly caught fire, and I almost swore that I saw the water droplets evaporating from my cheeks. He looked, at first glance like we were from two different planets.

   I nearly asked if we were,I remebered smiling to no one in particular as I felt the water pelt down harder from the sky.

    As the water rained with increased intensity,Piao ran with the same making my head bounce up and down on his back inducing motion sickness in my throat. A silver shock lightning made itself known in thegrey sky the second we did reach a black truck in the back corner of the lot under a pecan tree. Its followup act, thunder made me jump up in the same fashion of a fright night cat, only to have me nervously giggle.

" Some great parking spot you chose," I remarked when I pried myself from Piao's back using the  assistance of my right hand alone.Through what slim water blurred vision I had available to me, I made out pecan after pecan. I was quite amused at the sight of pecan decor in the bed and on the of Piao'struck. He however was not.

Swearing he responded,"I'll clean it off later, but now I've gotta get you to your house before they think I'm a mass rapist," he said opening the passenger door of his Ford, ushering me in.

Do whatever you want, I'm sure no one you raped would call it that, I thought shocking myself.

 Did I really just think that about someone who was a step away from white? I surely have lost more blood than I really thought to be thinking that. Maybe all the light ones ain't rotten after all. What the hell does it matter to me? He's old as hell, right? Well, not really, he's probablyfresh out of college at max age twenty-five. Anyways, If he looked like Lancaster or remotely resembled him I wouldn't even be entertaining myself with such insanities.

  Instead of having an internal battle worthy of a psych ward patient, I decided to interrogate the man who was few shades less than a stranger who currently held me hostage for all of my awarenesswas worth.

"Mr.Piao, do you know where Foxfire Lane is?" I asked laziy, hoping this conversation would go my way.

"Yes Miss Svana I do," he answered,"And didn't I tell you no calling me Mister. Your making me feel old,"

"You are old," I retorted satisfied with his response," Here, not allof us are used to casually adressing adults."

  "Neither are people where I'm from,but I'm only twenty one that is hardly an adult. I know people my age who's only comparisson of a three year old's maturity is the fact that they're allowed to drink hard liquor. Besides, I'm not uptight and sure don't expect much out of life," he claimed as I detected some twinges of bitterness from the man at the wheel.

   I made the decision to keep quiet and end the conversation on the awkward  note it reached, sensing that he wasn't in the mood to talk about it anyway. He sighed as his hands gripped the black steering wheel tighter  as the truck turned down my street. I sighed in relief as then long grass and large plantation sized estates came into sight. My shoulders felt as though the world's weight had been pulled from their weak bones as we slowly toured the long expanse of darkly paved road. The cheery colored wooden houses seemed to smile at me as I leaned my wet head out the window trying to forget that I couldn't love this kind stranger because, our hypothetical love had millions of  strikes against its existance.

  "That's it," I sighed as Mawmaw's three story home appeared at the very end of the road which Piao's truck cruised.

    As Piao drove up  the grand tree scpaed driveway leading up to the white picturesque plantion mansion a certain green, raggedy automobile  caught my eye making me even further exasperated.  I sighed knowing that I could only fight one battle at a time , wondering why God chose today to let my mother show up. The though of Piao seeing that drunken, stupid whore made my stomach do a zydeco two-step.

"Thank you so much for everything Piao," I quickly stated,"But I must be going, so if you could just help me put my things on my back,I'll just get going."

"Absolutely not!" He protested

"But of course not,"I grumbled to my self as Piao ran to the bed of his truck to put my bags on his back and escort me out of the truck and into the house.