Dylan's POV
"And I also do some voodoo if you are wondering, I don't need a gun to murder you," he says leaving the porch and going back inside.
What the hell is voodoo and why does he have a gun?
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Marven leaves and I stand there dumbfounded at what just happened. The door opens again and I turn around hopping it's not him again.
"Hey," Marie-Anne says giving me a hug, "you okay? I didn't see you inside."
"Yeah, I'm fine just enjoying the fresh breeze," I lie.
"Mhmm, I saw that you were talking to my brother," she says looking into my plain light brown eyes.
"Yeah," I said, "you seem really happy to see your mom," I say changing the subject.
"Yeah, I missed her," she says with a smile. I sigh and stare into the blank space.
"Dyl, are you okay? You seem really distracted," she asks again.
"I'm fine, I'm just a little tired that's all," I lie again. First off, I don't know what's wrong with her brother, he's crazy. Talking about voodoo, which I don't even know what that is, and showing me a gun.
Marie-Anne leans closer to me and tippy toes to kiss me. I kiss her back and the door opens again. Who is it this time? I say sarcastically in my mind.
"Marie," her mom says in French, she turns around and looks at her mom awkwardly. "I didn't send you out here to kiss your boyfriend," she says closing the door.
"She sent you out here?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says looking at me, "she told me to tell you dinner's ready," she whispers in my ear seductively. I chuckle at her tone and she pulls me inside.
"Sorry ma," she says as she walk to the dining room holding my hands. Everyone was already sitting and waiting on us. Marie-Anne goes on sitting next to her sister and I sit next to her. I was sitting in between Marie-Anne and her brother, Marven.
"Who wants to say grace?" Her mom asks, "Dylan do you want to say grace?" She asks me and I gulp. Marie-Anne probably should have told them that I don't know how to pray.
"I'll do it," Marie-Anne says when she sees my discomfort.
"Okay," her mom says giving me the eye. Awkward, your girlfriend's mother who is super religious just found out you can not even say a fucking grace. Nice going, Dylan, nice going.
"Thank you Lord for providing us with this food on this fine day. God today is the last day of a beautiful year, thank you for protecting us all during this year. And thank you for my mom who was able to make this food, Amen."
"Amen," everyone else says in unison.
"Let's dig in," Mrs. Jean says starting to pass around the food.
Everyone finishes making their plate and they start eating. I take a bite of a meat, that Marie-Anne told me was griot, and immediately make a moaning sound. That thing is so good. Marie-Anne looks at me and chuckles.
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"You want me to help with the dishes, ma?" Marie-Anne asks her mom once everyone was done eating.
"No, the dishes are Emanuel's and Eman's job to do," she says. And the two younger boys frown; but without saying a word they get up and start taking the dishes towards the sink.
"Okay, then can you excuse us please?" She asks her mom.
"Yeah, go head," her mom replies. Marie-Anne smiles and tells me let's go. Thank goodness because Marven has been giving me death glares all throughout the diner and sitting next to him didn't help either.
We reach upstairs and Marie-Anne closes her old room door. "How old is your brother?" I ask sitting next to her on the bed.
"Which one?" She asks looking me like I was crazy. I probably should have said the name, she has like five brothers.
"Marven," I reply.
"He's seventeen," she says. Okay, that means he is not old enough to legally have a gun so why the heck does he have one? "Why?" Marie-Anne asks.
"No reason," I lie.
"Just tell me," she says.
"I was just wondering why he has a gun if he is not legally able to have one," I ask and Marie-Anne looks at me like I'm stupid.
"Dyl, most people who have guns are not legally able to have one. And I'm sorry if my brother scared you or something, I'll talk to him," she says laying down and staring at the ceiling.
"So, it doesn't surprise you? And who the fuck gives a teenager a gun?"
"Um... no because I already knew he had one and his boss did," she replies like it is the simplest thing in the world.
"Wait, you knew? Does your mother know?"
"No, only me and Jane knows, we tell each other everything," she says.
"Oh, I heard," I say remembering when Marven told me that. "Where does he work?" I ask trying to get everything straight.
"He has a part time job at the mall," she says.
"So, his boss at the mall gave it to him?" I ask still not understanding what's going on. I've never really had a job, maybe that's how they operate in the real world.
"No silly," she laughs, "his other boss," she says laughing and getting up.
"What's his other job?"
"Um... he kind of...um...he distributes stuff," she says.
"You mean like drugs?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says. WTF... His brother is a drug dealer, wow, okay I need to get out of here.
"Marie-Anne!" I yell, "you let your brother do that?"
"Yeah, it's not that big of a deal," she says. It's not a big deal? That's like saying murdering someone is not that big of a deal.
"Yes it is!" I yell again.
"Dylan, I don't expect you to understand," she says.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this isn't your world, you probably will never understand," she says. Wow, I cannot believe she said that. I would expect that from anyone else but her, this isn't my world?
"Yeah, you're right this isn't my word; but I do know that what he is doing is illegal and dangerous. He could get himself killed for god's sake!" I say starting to pace around the room.
"Don't you think I know that Dylan?! He's my brother, I know the risks but I can't do anything about it," she says tears falling from her eyes.
"Why don't you just tell him to stop?" I ask.
"Because he can't. He got himself in some trouble earlier this year with some dangerous people and that's what he has to do for them. It's only for a year, so he's almost done," she says in relief.
"I am sorry Marie-Anne, I didn't know," I say giving her a hug.
"I'm sorry about what I said, this will always be your world," she says hugging me back. No, it won't I tell myself.
"Marie-Anne, do you get looked at differently at school because of your skin color?"
"Yeah, why?" She asks pulling away from the hug.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" I ask feeling mad that she had to go through that alone.
"Um... because it's common sense that a black kid will get looked at differently at a university that is majority white," she says. Now I feel really bad, I'm such a bad boyfriend.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I'm sorry that I will never really understand you." I add.
"Oh, my brother?" She asks, "I'm sorry about him, but I don't care about that Dylan. I don't care about our skin colors or if you'll understand being black. Yeah, you probably will never know what it's like being black, but you don't have to. You're not black, so stop trying to understand what you see when you look at my skin or my body. I want you to understand what's inside of me and you do understand that."
"And I love that we are so different from each other, we come from two different worlds; it gives me something new to learn about you everyday. I don't want to stay in my comfort zone, I want to explore different things. I want to explore us," she says.
"Okay," I say processing what she just said.
"And Dylan?" She asks staring into my eyes.
"What?" I ask as we sit on the cold floor leaning on the bed.
"I love you," she says.
AN
Marie-Anne finally said it...
They are so cute together, anyways tell me what you guys think about their new step in their relationship.
Vote and comment...
Au revoir...