What's Your Name?

Chapter 10: Jollof

And there I was. Two years into college with about four left to go. I moved across the country to the good old sunshine state, California. Only thing was, I lived in northern Cali, but went to school in the south. Sure, it was a troubling drive every morning, but the good thing was: I didn't have to drive. Bernie did.

Bernie followed me out to California in order to, as he put it, "learn from the greats". Of course, I told him he needed to go down south for that, but all I got was a "Child please," in response.

We moved into an apartment together where rent alone was something close to $1000 a month, given we were in Cali, but Bernie begged me not to apply to live in a dormitory. I happily obliged, but he was gonna be my taxi to and from school. Conveniency stepped in when it came time for me to get back home, Bernie got a job not too far from the school, then afterward had an internship of sorts at a high scale restaurant on Hollywood boulevard. I don't know how he pulled it off, but I have reason to believe it had something to do with a straw.

I couldn't necessarily afford to go back home my first year of college, and neither could any of my close relatives, so I reached out to a couple of old teachers for help. I got fifty bucks here and there, but after a month of begging, working, and saving, I still happened to be about two hundred dollars short on the whole.

I didn't want to bother my family, so I started drawing up the procs and cons of not going home. Pros: I don't have to deal with my mom asking me if I have a boyfriend, or if I wasn't holding up my side of the rent with Bernie. I wouldn't have to see a bunch of people get mad at me for not being able to stay longer and hang out with them before returning to California. I would have my very first warm Christmas.

Then, as if I was in some stupid movie where everything went right in the end, I got a notification on Messenger. 

Rud Pimmit: How much do u still need?

I looked at the notification in my notifs bar and blinked. I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes.

"Stupid thirsty niggas." I clicked the notif to look at the man's profile pic, mumbling underneath my breath the whole time. "Maybe I should answer...shit...need me a suga daddy."

When I arrived at his page I saw that he lived in my home town, and even creepier, he worked at my high school. That was when it hit me. I clicked the profile picture and saw the beaming face of none other than Rudy Pimmit.

"Oh no. No. I can't let him pay that. I don't even know the man that well."

I text him back, taking my sweet time to figure out what I should say. 

"Should I say someone has already paid the rest? Maybe I should say that I'm not going anymore because something came up..." I hit myself in the head with my phone and saw I sent him a 'like'.

Fuck. Now I have to reply quickly.

Me: about $200...but I got it covered

I sent the message and shook my head in shame. A warm Christmas is looking better and better by the minute.

Rud Pimmit: You're a bad liar. Can I at least give $100 to your cause?

Below his text was the GoFundMe page I had created with family pictures of my siblings and I, along with my grad photo of me and my mom, and a one with a couple of hometown friends. It was a screenshot, but the time was nowhere near local time for me. Then I realized we were in different time zones.

Me: $50 will do just fine :)

Me: If you really need to donate