The Journey to Freedom: Path to WW3

Chapter LXIX

Of course, laws will not eliminate prejudice from the hearts of human beings. But that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws - to perpetuate injustice through inaction.

Shirley Chisholm

I take out all the groceries from the bags while the girls go upstairs with Ruth. Eve puts all the things away and asks me where certain foods go. I just stay quiet. Eve asks me again where to put some of the food away and I tell her to leave the seven steaks outside so I can dice it for lunch and dinner. She asks me what was wrong and I tell her that I was still upset by the Spanish speaking guys at the grocery store. She tells me that maybe next time we'll just go to Walmart and not have to worry about them anymore. I tell her that it was a shame that my first real DC experience living here was the prejudice of my own people talking bad about me because I was married to a white woman. She tells me to let it go because we were already home and nothing happened. I tell her that my anger would go down eventually and that it would go down once I started cooking. She tells me that maybe it was better if she ordered something to deliver to the house. I finally just give in to my hate and instead of taking it out on Eve and anyone else in the house. I call my mom and tell her what happened. I start to cry and she tells me to remember that the life I chose with a white woman was going to be hard because people don't comprehend that love transcends color and races. I tell her that she was the wisest woman on the planet. She tells me that she loves me and that she hoped that one day I would go back to see her. I tell her that the wedding was going to be soon and that I was going to buy her tickets for her and my twin sisters to come over here. She tells me that she can't wait because its been a long time since she got on a plane. I tell her that it will be fun and she tells me to keep her updated. I tell her that I would and that I loved her and hang up.

Eve asks me if I was ok. I tell her that I have been attacked before for dating out of my race but that in my city I felt comfortable because I know what to do. But that now that I was in DC, I felt helpless because I didn't know the laws here and didn't know where to go or what to do.

"That's why I am so angry with myself. Because I have to hold back so much that I feel like it makes me weak." I tell Eve.

She tells me that it wasn't weak for someone to hold back and walk away from a fight. I tell her that in my life, it was always defending your honor, or else you look like someone will continue to step on you. She tells me that dealing with bullies is just by walking away from them and ignoring them. I ignore her advice and just keep to myself at that moment. She's never had to deal with bullies before. This woman was always shut inside. She barely survived the outdoors only because I helped her. And she thinks that avoiding and ignoring bullies is the way to handle things. I figured that I would let it go for now and when the time came, I would fix those pricks.

"Babe since you want to order and have food delivered, what do you recommend?" I ask Eve.

She starts to recommend pizza, hamburgers, chicken, and Chinese take out. I tell her that we have all those things back in Dallas also. So I tell her that I was going to cook guisado y Arroz. She says ok and asks if I was ok to cook and I tell her that I was fine because cooking was going to take the edge off. I ask her if she wanted to help me and she says that she doesn't know how to cook Guisado. I tell her to get me what I needed and she could watch me and she can learn the recipes. She says ok and I get up and Eve tells me that she was going to change. I say ok and tell her that I was going to check on the girls. She says ok and I go upstairs to the twin's room and see them coloring in their coloring books and Ruth was sitting on the bed with them watching them color. I tell Ruth that I was going to cook some food and if she could stay for lunch.