The Black Girl

seventy

On Christmas Eve, Alex shows up at seven in the morning to drive me to the airport.

I had spent the entire night before packing and tiding up the house, all I needed was another minute of sleep.

London is eight hours behind and I'm sure the time zone will either destroy my sleep pattern completely or give me eight extra hours to sleep.

I go downstairs fully dressed when I hear the doorbell. When I open the door, Alex stands there with a small square box in this hand that's been carefully and neatly wrapped to perfection.

"Oh no," I cover my face smiling, "Please don't tell me you got me anything, cause I didn't-" I start but he laughs, interrupting me.

"This isn't about me," He smiles, "Merry Christmas, Lola." He hands me the slightly heavy box.

I move to the side so he can come in, rather than standing outside in the cold with a winter coat and ear muffs.

"Are you going to open it?" He asks when I drop the box on the table.

I nod and take a seat, slowly unwrapping the gift, while he stands there waiting to see my reaction.

I finally open it up and inside the box is a snow globe. At the centre of the snow globe is an angel.

Not just a regular blonde angel, with blue eyes and a halo above his or her head.

This angel has very dark skin, and a black puffy afro that's been modelled from ceramics. She wears cute glasses and her hands are pressed together signifying prayer.

Behind her is a little town with a few houses and she also has a golden halo above her hair.

The sign on the stand on the globe reads Lola Williams.

I look up to thank Alex, but I notice him standing by the window staring at something, and my eyes follow his gaze.

"Lola, you should see this." He says, turning his eyes to me.

I quickly run to window, and almost trip over the small coffee but I quickly recover and pull the curtains, standing beside Alex.

In front of the Salleras residence, a cop car is parked and a cop is talking to Lane's mum, Pastor Salleras.

She seems very upset and a second cop is standing beside Lane. I try to add everything going on together but it doesn't make sense until the second cop pulls out a pair handcuffs.

Mrs Salleras yells and says something about a warrant, while Lane nonchalantly agrees to wearing the handcuffs and tucks his head into the police car.

"Did you call the cops?" I ask Alex, panicking a bit.

"No- what? No I didn't, I swear." He says raising his hands up and I apologise for sounding like a lunatic.

"Who called the cops?" I whisper to myself.

"I think he did." Alex says as the car drives away.

THE END.