New and Strange Book 2

Upset Mama, and You Upset the Kid

William walked down a street, needing to clear his head. It had been a busy day of learning law at his school. Every man in his family went into some form of law, whether they be policemen, lawyers, or even judges, it was part of the family tradition.

Not that William really wanted to go to law school, he'd just been doing what his family had wanted. He'd wanted to start his own business, a restaurant actually. Not only would it be a place to come when a hungry person needed good food to eat, but it would also be a place where you could hear people preform music and other entertainment. The real kicker about his dream establishment would be that anyone would be allowed to come inside, no matter then color of their skin.

Unfortunately...William didn't have the courage to tell his family what he truly wanted to do with his life. How would his parents react to hearing he wanted to open a place where black and white people alike would be treated as equal? Would his siblings even look at him if he were to give up his future as a lawyer to run a little restaurant that served cheap alcohol and food. If there was one thing Will feared above all else, it was the idea of his family looking at him with disappointment and shame.

Having gotten so lost in his thoughts, William didn't even notice that there had been a woman in front of him, buying a jar of honey from a vendor on the street, until he'd ran into her. Both hit the ground, the honey jar shattering on the concrete, the woman landing on her rear, and William on his knees. He immediately got up, not noticing how his hands were scraped and the knees of his pants were torn, but instead how the woman's skirt was torn and splashed with honey.

"Oh dear, I'm so-" William reached his hand down to help the woman up, only to be met with a thick draw and a hand knocking his away.

"Don't go pityin' me now, white boy! I ain't no charity case!" The woman's words made the honey vendor's eyes widen in shock as he looked between the two, sure William would grow angry at her rudeness.

William wasn't angry, but he was completely in shock, not by the woman's words, but by everything else. Her skin was like midnight, and her eyes like warm chocolate, bubbling with steely willpower and strength. Her thick, dark hair was pulled back in a bun, two short locked falling around by her ears. The woman had a round face and a lean build, yet she had the muscle definition of someone who'd worked a lot outside. Her dress had a rose red skirt with a white blouse, and she wore heeled boots made of brown leather. Just looking at her made William's face grow warm and his knees weak.

"Beautiful..." He said in a near whisper.

The woman looked completely thrown off guard by what he said, "I- what did ya say?" The woman got to her feet, looking William up and down as if he were an escaped lunatic from an asylum.

"I..." William looked at the shattered honey jar, "Oh jeeze- I'm so sorry about that, Ma'am."

"Ma'am?" Again, the woman looked totally unsure of how to respond to the simple politeness William was giving her.

"Here, let me buy another for you." William began reaching for his wallet, but stopped when the woman raised her hand at him again and shook her head.

"Boy, what did I just say? I ain't no charity case!" The woman huffed as she reached into her purse, pulling out the money she needed, "Ya can go give ya big bucks to some other dame ya knock ova like a bull in a china shop."

"It's not charity...It's my fault you dropped your honey. Everyone should take responsibility for their own actions."

Again, the woman seemed utterly taken aback by William's words, and the honey vendor's eyes just kept daring back and forth between the two, "...what's ya name, boy?"