Complementary Colors (Liam Payne)

Red & Green: 1

       It was fifty days after I began working at the New Orleans pizza parlor that the first African American woman stepped through the front door. The last of the Jim Crow laws had been overruled five years prior, but even so, blacks strayed away from showing their faces.

       Perhaps they were too frightened of the ridicule they might receive from the white waiter. Maybe they were too terrified of the mocking that would result when sitting in a table beside a W.A.S.P.

       This woman though- this woman wasn't afraid.

       I watched as she took delicate steps through the diner, the glint in her right eye so large that it almost looked animated.

       I remember the way she held up her head when a blonde man made sure to tell her, "You don't belong here, nigger."

       She was quite the sight to take in, with her pink cloche hat and her rickety sundress that was a bit too large. Her hair was composed of the curliest of curls, the length reaching way past her shoulders and the width puffing out at least ten inches from her face.

       She gently took a seat at a table set for two, placing both of her hands in her lap and staring straight ahead. Her expression was so empty, and I couldn't help but wonder if it reflected what she was feeling on the inside. My thoughts were quickly proven false though when a wide smile spread across her face (the prettiest smiles I'd ever seen), and she pressed both palms against her protruding stomach.

       She wasn't empty, she was pregnant.

       I found my feet making their way over to her, interrupting my task of wiping down the already clean countertop.

       "Hello ma'am, how are you doing this afternoon?"

       Her head jolted up at the sound of my voice, the corners of her rose-colored lips remaining upturned.

       "I'm doing absolutely lovely, thank you. How about yourself, sir?"

       I had to ponder this question for a few seconds, my eyes darting to the large window inside the restaurant building. The autumn leaves beyond the clear glass seemed to shrink into themselves as they were met with the air flowing through the South.

       "I'm doing well, thank you," I finally stated.

        I knew that I was very blessed to be able to say that, and I silently prayed for those who could not.

       "What can I get for you today?" I questioned, my pen hovering above the pad of paper in my grasp.

       A loud, joyous laugh followed my words, and it was plain to see that the woman before me hadn't felt happiness gurgle up her throat and spill out of her lips in quite some time.

       A lopsided grin took over my features at the sight, confusion flooding me as I wondered what was so funny about what I had said.

       "I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't expect you to-"

       "You didn't expect me to serve you."

       I finished the sentence, sadness consuming me as I shifted my gaze.

       She was so happy that I had given her the time of day.

       It was in that moment that I remember realizing how much of an impact segregation had on our nation. It broke my heart to know that the pregnant woman before me assumed that she wasn't going to get fed merely because of the color of her skin. She was just as important as the white lady getting her hair cut in the salon down the street, yet she wasn't treated as such.

       "What's your name sweetheart?" I asked her, admiring the way her long eyelashes curled up like a set of quotation marks.

       Not an ounce of makeup that woman wore, not an ounce. Still the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.

       "Hattie's my name sir."

       "Well miss Hattie, it'd be a pleasure to serve you anytime. You can call me Liam."

A big thank you to all the people who take the time to read this story. This chapter is dedicated to you, Rainy. I'm in love with your book "Heart," and you're such a wonderful person. :)