Black Love Short Stories

Uncover the Root

Hey y'all! I literally have been meaning to get this out for a while. But here I am. I hope you enjoy this one- enjoy the story.
                                      ****
        Yessiah Jenkins felt the warm rays of the sun hit his bare back. He groaned and his hands went to the other side of his bed. Yet, he didn't feel the softness and warmness of the person whom he'd held last night.
        He sat up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. He looked around his room and saw that her stuff was packed up.
His heart leaped, and he felt fear start to rise in him. Yessiah hoped that she was still there. Hurrying down the steps, he entered the kitchen rapidly.
        Camille jumped when she heard the heavy steps of Yessiah enter the kitchen. She turned away from her task and looked at him in confusion.
      His dark orbs settled on her and his breathing slowed.
        "Camille." He called her name as he looked at her.
        Camille sat the spatula down and walked over to him.
          "I'm here." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I just got up early because I wanted to make breakfast for you before I left for work."
          Yessiah looked down at the girl who stood in front of him. Her dark skin was flawless as she stood dressed in a business casual outfit, and her lips shining with what he knew was her favorite lipgloss.
       "Baby are you ok?" He heard her ask. He looked at her concerned face.
         "Yeah....Yeah, I'm good Cami." He called her by her nickname.
        Camille looked at him for a few seconds silently. She could tell something was bothering  him, yet she didn't want to press the issue.
        "Well, I made your favorite- sausage, egg, and cheese omelet." Camille said as she walked away from him. She grabbed the spatula and moved the omelet onto a plate for him.
      Sitting it down in front of a now seated Yessiah, she smiled watching him pray before digging into his food. His light caramel complexion was even glowing in the morning and the strength of hus muscled arms flexed with ease as he grabbed the cup of coffee she'd prepared for him.
      "Baby, you put your foot in this." Yessiah complemented her.
      "Aw, thank you baby." Camille smiled, showing her deep dimples.
      "I wish you didn't have to go to work." Yessiah said as he looked at her.
      Camille sighed. "Me either. But I have a merger that has to go through today. I prayed on it last night- so hopefully it'll work out." She said as she grabbed her briefcase. "I'll be by later though, to get my things from lastnight."
      As soon as those words left Camille's mouth, she saw a flash of hurt form in Yessiah's warm eyes. But as soon as it was there, it was gone.
      "And thank you, Yessiah." She said walking over to him. He licked his lips before speaking.
      "For what, Cami?"
      "For just holding me last night. It meant a lot."
      Yessiah stood and kissed her forehead. "Yeah well...I'm always gonna be in your corner. Remember that, ok?"
      Camille nodded her head before kissing his lips lightly. She grabbed her suitcase and headed out of the door, feeling warmness inside of her.

      The phone rang and Camille's heart leapt. "Camille Livingston speaking." She answered politely.
      "Hi, Miss. Livingston- it's Samuel Rogers from Nivea's team. She asked me to call you about the merger?"
      Camille had been waiting on the call all day long. She fought the urge to inhale sharply as she put her hand over the mouth of the phone and silently prayed. God please let this thing go through, she prayed.
      "Ok, I'm listening." Camille spoke.
      "Well, we have decided to go ahead and accept the proposition." She heard Samuel say. Unable to contain her excitement, she squealed but quickly calmed down when she heard Samuel laughing.
      "I'm so sorry." She said into the phone, still smliling.
      "No, it's completely ok. Look- I'll email you the details of our acceptance and we can go from there."
      They said their goodbyes and Camille hung up the phone. She immediately pulled out her cellphone and dialed Yessiah's number.
      "Hey baby." His deep voice answered the phone."
      "Hey." She spoke excitedly. "Guess what?!"
      "The merger went through." She heard him say.
      "How did you know?" She leaned back in her chair.
      "Because," He laughed. "You didn't stop talking about it lastnight and this morning. And I told you God was gonna see you through."
      Camille smiled at the familiarity of his words. "You did, huh?"
      "Mhm...now what should we do to celebrate?"
      Camille shrugged her shoulders as if he could see her. "Baby, I really don't know. Do you have anything in mind?"
      "How about I cook for you?"
      Camille bit her lip. "That sounds like a plan. Do I need to buy anything?"
      "Nah, baby. Just show up at seven."
      "Ok, Ok. I can do that." Camille smiled.
      The pair hung up the phone and Camille smiled widely, excited about the events of the night.
      She looked at the clock and saw that it was only a little after ‪2 PM‬. Altough she wanted to speed up time, she knew that she had work to do before she could rest.
      And so Camille got to work sending emails and reading them; taking calls; and giving her paperwork to her boss. Bt the time she was done with everything, she was tired and only wanted to go home to go to sleep.
      Standing up from her desk, she straightened out her skirt and walked out of her office.
She quickly checked the time on her arm watch and saw that she only had an hour before meeting Yessiah.
She quickly walked out of her office and got into her car. As she drove, she hummed a hymn that has been stuck in her head since Sunday.
Fifteen minutes later, she was infront of Yessiah's home. After stepping out of her car, she walked to the door and knocked.
She waited a few seconds before Yessiah opened the door. He smiled at her as he allowed her to step inside.
The smell of steaks immediately hit Camille's nose and her stomach growled, causing Yessiah to laugh as her face grew warm in embarrassment.
"Don't be shy, Cami." He told her as he grabbed her hand. "Now let me feed my baby." He led her into the kitchen.
Camille's mouth dropped open when she saw all the food he'd prepared. Steaks, shrimp, and potatoes with red wine were all prepared nicely on the table.
"Baby....you didn't have to cook all this food. It's just us." Camille looked at Yessiah.
"I know." He bought her close to himself. "But I wanted to spoil you."
     Camille kissed Yessiah and let go of him. The pair sat down and Yessiah said grace. When he was done, they began eating and Camille began to talk.
"So- what did you do today? Other than cook?" She asked as she cut her steak.
"I wrote today." Yessiah said taking a sip of his wine. "
Camille smiled widely. "Really? It's been a minute since you've written anything. What is this story about?"
"It's about a middle school boy, who is trying to find his identity. But he's struggling with moving forward with something from his past." Yessiah said. He sighed and put his knife and fork down.
Camille watched his actions and knew that something was going on. She silently put her utensils down and grabbed his hand from across the table. His dark eyes looked at her and she gave him a slight smile.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
He nodded. "I know, baby. I just....I'm nervous about telling you something."
"Why? We've been together for a year. You've become my best friend next to Jesus and my mom."
Yessiah laughed at her seriousness. "I know."
"Well if you know, then I want you to trust that I'm here. Like I told you this morning, baby, I'm here."
Yessiah looked at her and saw her warm eyes filling him up. He knew that she was sincere.
"Well um, you remember how I told you that I had went through something when I was younger?"
Camille nodded her head and Yessiah took that as his cue to continue.
"Well um, when I was seven years old- my mom left. It was in the middle of December. I waited and waited for her to come home. I had been in the cold apartment for days when my neighbor found me. I was hungry, baby." Yesssiah looked down. He felt his face flush and his pool with water.
"This morning when I come running down the stairs- I had that same feeling. Like you were gonna leave me. And I know I'm 23 now and that happened a long time ago...but baby, I just get so scared sometimes." He confessed allowing his tears to fall.
Camille stood and walked over to him, sitting down on his lap.
"Yessiah, I'm so sorry to hear that. But guess what? I'm not your mom. I'm Camille Ryan Livingston, your girlfriend. And I don't plan on going no where." She wiped his tears with her thumb.
"I know that. But, baby, I get so scared sometimes. I just feel like one day I'll wake up and you're gonna be gone." He said.
"Aw baby." She hugged him and he hugged her back, closing his eyes as more tears fell.
Camille allowed Yessiah to cry. She softly rubbed his back and felt her blazer get wet- but she didn't care. She was gonna be there for her man regardless.
When Yessiah felt like he could talk, he looked at Camille's warm face. "Thank you. I ain't never really cried infront of a female before."
Camille smiled. "There's a first time for everything." She rubbed his face. "I'm not judging you. You know that right?"
Yessiah nodded his head yes. "I know. And I thank you."
"Can I ask you something?" She asked him.
Yessiah nodded his head yes.
"Did you ever get into contact with your mom?"
"Nope. I was adopted, as you know, by my parents. I know her name, though. Shareece Jenkins."
"Call me crazy, but I think you need closure."
Yessiah looked at Camille. "I know I do. And lately I've been praying to God about it. And I feel him telling me to speak to my mother. But I don't know....what if I'm not ready?"
"You'll never be ready." Camille shook her head. "Not in your own strength anyway. But as you told me about the merger- just trust in God. He'll make a way."
He smiled hearing her words. "Thank you, baby."
Camille kissed his forehead. "Of course. But I know what else can make you feel better."
"What?"
"Praying. Gimmie your hands, and close your eyes."
And it was then that Camille prayed for Yessiah. He was moved hearing her pray for him, and when she was done, he could only hold her close.

*******
        Camille listened to the hum of the motor as she drove. She slowed the car, looking for the number that yessiah had told her.
        "Baby, stop." Yessiah said suddenly. "121 Ferry Lane. That's it." He said pointing to the house.
        Camille looked at it, admiring how neat the hedges were trimmed. The late September wind blew, causing a few leaves to fall on the freshly manicured lawn.
        Camille pulled to the curb and cut off the engine. Yessiah rapped his foot as he stared at the house. His heart beat fast and he exhaled loudly.
        "Cami, I don't think I can't do this." He said as he looked at her.
        "Hey," Camille grabbed his hands. "Baby you got this. We've spent the last week praying over this day. God is with you baby."
        He leaned over and gently kissed her lips before leaving the car. Camille prayed that this would go well as she watched him walk up the brick steps.
        Yessiah knocked on the door and stuffed his shaking hands into his windbreaker.
        After a few minutes, the door opened and he felt the air leave his body as he stood looking at the woman he once called mommy.
        She had the same caramel colored skin as him and he knew immediately where he got his upturned nose from. 
         "Can I help you?" The older lady asked.
        Yessiah cleared his throat before speaking. "Um, yes. Are you Shareece Jenkins?"
       "Yes." The lady nodded her head.
        It's now or never, he told himself as he prepared to speak. "I'm your son. Yessiah Jenkins."
        He watched as his mother put a hand over her mouth before quickly looking around and shutting her front door.
        The two stood in silence for a few seconds. His mother looking over his now muscular frame and him observing the gray in her hair.
        "Yessiah, you've gotten so big." His mother said. "The last time I saw you...." she trailed off.
        "The last time you saw me I was seven." He finished for her causing her to look at him. "And you left me alone. In the cold. But I just want you to know that today is the day I forgive you.
        "It hurt me when you left. And for sixteen years I carried that with me. But today that stops. I forgive you, for not being there when I got my first pimple, when I graduated college and high school, or when I went to prom. I forgive you."
        He watched as his mother wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She cried. "I know leaving you was wrong. But Yessiah, I couldn't take care of you. I wasn't fit to raise you."
          "It's ok." He nodded. "Like I said, I forgive you. And I wish you the best."
         He turned to leave but stopped when he felt her grab his arm softly. "Will I see you again?"
        Yessiah looked at her tear stained face. "If it's God's will."
       He walked back and entered the car. Camille looked at him and he looked at her.
        "You ok?" Camille searched his eyes.
        Yessiah grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Yeah. All is well."
        Camille smiled hearing those words. She crunk up the car and pulled out into the street.
         As Camille drove and Yessiah sat in the passenger side at peace, he grabbed her hand and intertwined them with his own.
        Lord thank you, Yessiah prayed. He knew that this was the start of something new.

                               *******

Sometimes black love comes in the form of healing. Heal yourself of the things that hurt you.

Also, I've been thinking of doing a Q&A with you guys. You could be able to ask what you want- but nothing too crazy lol!

Would you like that? Let me know if y'all are interested.

With love,

Malaysia ❤️💫