Pour

Chapter 2

Immediately when I got to my parents' home, I placed Jade's phone in a bag of rice. Hours later, I came to find that the trick had failed and quickly attempted another. Should I be the reason the young woman fails, I couldn't live with myself. Time and luck were not on my side. I had tried everything the internet suggested, even my father had taken the mobile device apart, dried, and reconstructed it. Evidently, it had to be taken in to a tech repair shop. Fortunately, by Saturday afternoon they had it working again. However, it's fate now was to forever run slowly and freeze often. 

I was expecting her address to be an apartment or a small home when she responded to my email, but I came to learn that she lived in a large two story house in a lavish neighborhood. Because of the number of cars in the driveway, I figured she didn't live alone. The Audi, Land Rover, and Corvette made my dad's farm truck, which I was driving, feel out of place. I parked behind the Land Rover and made my way to the front door. A shirtless young man came to answer me shortly after I rung the bell. Because he looked confused to see me, I thought that I might have made a mistake. "I'm sorry", I began, "I must have the wrong address, my GPS led me here". He pulled up his pants a little, for they seemed to be falling. "Are you the guy Jade is expecting?" he asked. I nodded my head, "Yes, I'm returning her phone". I reached for my back pocket, "Could you remember to give it to her?"

"Lee", a voice called. I looked up from where I was on the door step and saw Jade in a balcony. I gave a small wave before she said, "I'll be right down". The college aged boy led me inside to the living room, where I waited no more than two minutes before she came to meet me. She was wearing a black and white graphic t-shirt, red shorts, and wore her braids up in a bun. Barefooted, she made her way to where I was sitting on the couch. "You kept your promise", she said, "You had it fixed 'Saturday at the latest'". I took her phone out of my back pocket and extended it out to her. "Of course, I gave you my word. Once again, I'm so very sorry for what happened", I said as she took her phone out of my hand. "Is this a new phone?" she noticed it instantly. "Yes, it's the latest Galaxy", I answered, "But everything from your old phone has been transferred into it". I watched as she went through the new device, checking to see if it were true. "The old one got fixed, but it ran slower and froze sometimes. I caused it, so the least I could do was replace your phone all together". 

She had a Galaxy 5, now she has a Galaxy 6. "Thank you", she simply said. The smallest of smiles came onto her face. "I still might be able to study enough for my exam", she expressed as she flipped through her phone notes. "This is a really nice house", I made mention as I scanned, "Do you and your boyfriend live in it alone?" Jade looked up from her phone for a moment, "Oh no, Jonathan isn't my boyfriend. He's my cousin's friend. This is their house and they share it with one other friend. They're professional skaterboarders". Now the lavishness was making sense. "My home is back in little ole Kerrville about 5 hours away. I'm only here for school and because I'm family, my cousin is obligated to give me housing", she laughed. I found myself chuckling lightly before responding, "Blood is thicker than water". Jade nodded and finally looked up at me, putting her phone into her back pocket. "I'm guessing you have family here too?" she assumed, "I wouldn't expect an actor like yourself in Texas, talkless of Houston". Leaving space between her and I, she joined me on the couch. "Yeah, I do. I grew up here actually", I answered. She looked a bit surprised, but nodded her head, "That's cool. Encouraging to know that real talent can come out of Texas". I turned towards her a bit more, "Texas is great. If I weren't an actor, I'd never leave it". That small smile of hers appeared again, "I actually can't wait to leave. I want something bigger than Texas". "Honey, everything is bigger in Texas. I think you're out of luck", I said as I jokingly furrowed my brow. "I don't mean physically!" Jade exclaimed. She cocked her head back, her full lips grinning. "Adventure, excitement, experience", she began, "Purpose, opportunity---I desire those things". I didn't quite understand what exactly she wanted, but I knew she had an itch to be elsewhere other than Texas. "Well there are 49 other states. Good luck", I said.

"Thank you so much for replacing my phone", she eventually said, "I better start studying what's on it". Knowing that it was my queue to leave, I stood up. "What's your major?" I asked. She remained on the couch as she answered me, "I'm going for my Master's in Architecture and Interior Design". Learning that she already had a degree under her belt impressed me, "A Master's Degree, huh?" She nodded before I continued, "You're a bright, young thing. Well, keep it up". Pointing left, I asked, "It's this way to the door?" She stood from the couch and for the first time, we were both standing. A little more than a foot shorter than me, she said she'd show me out.