Black to the Past

Chapter 12

Needing to pass history, Meredith started her research right away. There were all manners of things about MLK Jr. online. Using her MacBook to study she sat on her black wooden daybed that was piled high with plush comforters and pillows. The colors surrounding her were muted versions of purple, brown, and blue. Meredith liked having many colors around her. Meredith's bedroom was her one sanctuary in the house. Her mother kept every other room in conditions as pristine as a magazine with the exception of Meredith's sitting room where she was allowed to entertain her company.

Meredith was surfing through reputable sites especially those containing the url .edu. She found those to be the most truthful websites online. There were a few foundations dedicated to the civil rights movement, NAACP, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Meredith was trying to go back further than just MLK Jr. though. Something triggered a response in him, she felt. Researching his father brought her a great deal of information but then she felt more research was needed and looked into why his father had become a minister. After two hours had passed Meredith sent a text to her mother to see if she'd be home for dinner.

-Not tonight, surgery- mom

-Always - Meredith

-I'm off for a week after this one, promise! I love you. -Don't Wait up. - mom

-I won't. Just gonna order dinner.- Meredith

Although Meredith was used to having dinner alone she was tired of it. Her mother was a neurosurgeon and she worked on-call along with having scheduled surgeries during the week. At least if she wasn't an only child she'd have a sibling to complain with her. And her father was not worth calling on a good day, let alone a bad one when she was lonely. Meredith thought of going across the street. Over the years she'd eaten dinner with the Blackmon family multiple days a week. At one point her mother even paid Halle's stepmom to babysit her.

Once her mom felt she was old enough to stay home alone though, the babysitting payments stopped but Meredith still ran across the street for dinner or to spend the night when her mother wasn't home by bedtime. Just for tonight, she didn't feel like eating alone.

Checking the clock on her phone, she saw that it was five thirty. Dinner would be in half an hour so if she left now, she could hang with Halle for a bit then she'd be automatically included for dinner. Even when they weren't as close as they had been, Halle still included her.

Changing from her school clothes into a pair of maroon joggers with a loose t-shirt in white, she slid into a pair of Nike slides, grabbed a jacket, locked up the house and headed across the street. She rang the side door bell. It took three rings before Halle was at the door.

"Ugh, thank god you're here!" Halle said pulling Meredith in by her jean jacket sleeve.

"The kids are driving me nuts! Mom left hours ago and my dad has no plans of coming home anytime soon, he said," Halle was truly distraught. She'd piled her weave on top of her head and she too was wearing joggers and a t-shirt. She hadn't bothered with socks and her toenails were perfectly manicured in a neon green color.

"Where's your mom?"

"She said she had a doctor's appointment then bailed on me. She even left the baby!"

Halle led Meredith into the rec room in the lower level of their home. Fully baby and toddler proofed, Meredith jumped over the baby gate that was at the bottom of the stairs like Halle did. The baby was on a blanket on the floor under one of those floor gyms that people used to entertain babies while they're lying down on the floor. Meredith always envied Halle her siblings. Seth was playing some musical toy that he had along with beating on a pair of drums. He was making his very own parade. Maya was holding her favorite baby doll from one of those expensive stores that sold dolls that looked just like you, except hers was the baby and it was her same complexion. It was dressed in a cute romper similar to her little brother Stephon's.