Zebrahead (interracial)

the cause and effect

The next following days were probably the most annoying, stressful days I have ever experienced in the entire sixteen years I spent on this earth.

A loud thud snatched me from my thoughts, bringing my attention back to the white trash who went by the name of Daniel.

I personally call him white trash, just in my head though.

"What?" I asked, my annoyance apparent in my voice.
"Look, I don't like this just as much as you do, but we have to do something because I don't have time for this or you."

I rolled my eyes.

"Were you raised by pigs? Because that's what you act like." I stated boldly.

"Oh yeah? What's your story? God almighty left you in the cooking pot too long I see."

His statement caught me off guard, nearly making me lose my breath. I scoffed and crossed my arms, turning away.

"If we are done here, I have a hot meal waiting for me at home if you don't mind." Daniel said sarcastically.

"Fine by me." I replied.

He stood first, not hesitant in his movements, seeming eager to go home.

"Let me ask you something." I said, shocked that I was about to truly speak my mind.

He turned around, raising his eyebrow, confirming that I had his attention.

"What have we ever done to you? I mean, all you white folks go prancing around here like you're all high and mighty when half of you are as dumb and broken as bells and you have the nerve to treat us like animals. All for, what?"

Daniel didn't have to speak for me to know that he was not only caught off guard by my question, but more dumbstruck than ever.

"Look I-"
He nervously rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, and looked down, as if his shoes has become the most interesting thing in the room suddenly.

"I don't like talking about this" Daniel said finally.

" Oh, right. I get it. You'd rather fit in. So you and your other trash friends parade around, terrifying, and doing the most vile and disrespectful things to US, calling us every name but a child of God... And it makes you uncomfortable to tell me why?" I said, my voice cracking as I thought about my father.

Not too long ago, his barber shop was burned to the ground because the word got around early that his eldest daughter was going to be one of the colored kids who desegregated a school here in our town.
Everything he worked so hard for, gone in one night.

No one deserves that.

Daniel pulled me from the memory by speaking with an even voice.
"Look Brenda, I'm going to give it to you like I know, and let that be the end of this conversation. You are only asking me this stuff because you think you want to know the answer. Stop asking questions you don't want the answer to, and stop assuming about things you don't understand. You coons are all exactly the same I swear!"

I smiled small to myself noticing how he went around saying "nigger" and chose a different word. Still offended, but not as much.

" What makes you think I don't want the answer? Stop assuming remember?" I said.

"Okay fine, you really want to know then?" Daniel scooted closer to me, not enough to where a normal person would notice, but I did. He leaned forward, elbows on knees and looked me square into my eyes.

I crossed my arms and nodded slowly. "I'm waiting." I said impatiently.

"You see.. You and me? God didn't make us to be equal. You really think if he intended for us to be equal like Martin Luther king and those others are rioting and protesting for? No. Because what would the world be without some sort of corruption? Now, you should consider yourself lucky because unlike my other 'white trash brethren'"

He used his fingers to quote that term, " I'm not as bad as them. If I was, I wouldn't be in this room trying to explain to you why you will never be enough, why none of you colored people matter, and why us whites go out of our way just to put you all in your place."

I stared and stared at Daniel until I began to laugh.

And boy, I have never laughed so much in my entire life. I laughed so hard, tears began to leak from the corners of both my eyes.

Looking up, it was apparent that Daniel was getting angry again. His face was blushing a slight tomato red. For a moment, I thought about how handsome he looked when he was angry, and I stopped laughing and pulled myself together.

"Care to let me in on the joke?" He asked

I looked around the room in search of a clock, and saw that it was nearly 5 o clock. I stood, grabbing my purse and my books.

"I can't let you in on the joke if you're the joke. It'd have to be an object or something." I said sarcastically

"Ha ha" he said dryly

The silence that followed was awkward and as dry as Daniel's laughter.

"Well, this was peachy keen and all, but I have to go home for supper." I said casually.

There he goes, wiping the back of his neck again.

"Yeah, me too." Daniel said in a low gruff voice.

We walked to the bus stop for our route in silence. When the bus pulled up to the curb Daniel rushed onto the front of the bus, slightly shoving me out the way. I frowned at him, and slid on the city bus behind him, paid my fare, and walked to the back of the bus.

The only seat that seemed to be open was next to some boy who looked friendly enough for me to sit next to. He smiled slightly, the gesture not really reaching his eyes.

"Hi." The boy said

"Good afternoon." I said politely, nodding.
He turned his gaze to Daniel.

"Yall together?"

My eyes nearly popped out my head. "What?! No, we- we just-"

I was never so lost for words in my entire life.

He simply nodded as if he already got it, and I nodded also, realizing how hard Id been shaking.