1972.
"It's scorching hot in Dallas, Texas, everyone pull out your swimming suits and daisy dukes. Here's your number one hit on the charts, The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack!" The sound of the voice Roberta filled the 1968 Impala Convertible and Cain was content as he sat at the light. The sun cascaded in the passenger side and he looked out the window to see beautiful women walk in their polka dot dresses and daisy dukes, smiles on their faces. They were white women, of course ,they were happy but he looked at a couple of black kids walk down the sidewalk, he looked at the displeasure in their faces and they walked into the small corner store. The light turns green and he releases the gas pedal, he maneuvers his car over to park on the side of the road. Cain turns his car off, he hops out the car and he gets out from the passenger side to avoid getting hit by a car.
He walked into the store with his hands in his pocket, he looked around and he looks at the store owner who was suspiciously looking at the children. Cain clicks his tongue and he slowly made his way over to where the kids were, he didn't want to come off as a creep because he saw how sad the kids were and they needed some cheering up. "Pick whatever you like, it's on me," He tells the children, they look up at the really tall, white man who looked a bit suspicious but the little black boy's little sister popped her thumb out of her mouth. "Anything?" She questioned and he nodded as he crouches down to her level, he smiles and he reaches out for a pack of Smarties because when he first came to America has a young child, that was the very first candy he ever tried. "Anything you like, I'll pay," He tells them and the older boy stares at the older guy then he blinked then he nudges his sister to get whatever she wanted. The little boy held out his hand and Cain looked down, he shakes his hand as he gently pushes the boy's hand away from his and he grinned. "You don't have to give me you change kid, I want you to keep the change for you," He tells him and the black boy nodded his head as he slipped the change in his pocket of his polyester trousers. Cain gets a cherry cola with his smarties and a candy bracelet. He comes to the register and he sees the two kids, the store owner was glaring at them. "Can you afford this boy?" He questioned them and Cain clears his throat as he sat his stuff with theirs. "Yes they can, so lay off them," He huffed and he pulls out his wallet, he pulls out a ten and it paid for their stuff.
The children walked out the store and he trailed behind the kids, they stopped and they turned around. The little girl smiles as she looks at Cain, his heart melted right then and there. "Thank you sir, what's yo name?" She questioned and she was glowing in the sunlight. "Cain Papillion, what's your name little one?" He asked her and the little girl who was about maybe five or six swooned at the French Man. "My name is Jane, I go by J-Baby," She reached out her hand and Cain shakes her hand her older brother who looked about ten eyed Cain with suspicion.
Cain understood his suspicion and he didn't mean any harm, he just didn't want them to be sad. "Well J-Baby, it's a pleasure. I have something for you," He say reaching in the back and her older brother stepped in front of her, he looked up at the six foot plus man and he glares at him. "Thank you sir, I don't know what you want from us or my sister but it's best you leave us alone," The little boy says and Cain nodded his hand he pulled out a candy bracelet, Jane gasped and she grabs it from Cain, "Thank you Cain," She squealed and the little boy looked Cain up and down. "Thank you, Cain, but we have to go." The little boy pushes his sister to get her to walk and Cain watches the kids leave, J-baby turns around and she waves with a big smile on her face, he waved back and returns with a big smile.
An older man catches them and he shakes his head. "Those little nigger girls are trouble," A older man gruffled and Cain looked at the man as he walked down the sidewalk, he frowned as he gets into his car.
Cain was to pure too even live in the South, he was too pure to be in this world filled with evil that he wish never began but it all started when Eve ate the forbidden fruit but he didn't think so. His mother told him that all the time, even though she wasn't all that religious. He drives off all the way back home, he looked in his dashboard to see his brother's rosary hanging from the front mirror. His younger brother Chip were drafted into Vietnam, they didn't go to college like Cain and his older brother Bruce did or they didn't go soon enough and it's been three years since they've been gone, he watched the news and checked his mailbox everyday for him because he missed them and he prayed to God that he would come home in one piece or unarmed.
He gets out his car and he goes to his apartment flat, it was weird because he lived next to the building were President John F, Kennedy was shot from which was the most saddest day next to his brothers getting drafted. Cain walked all the way up this apartment and he unlocks his door, he instantly was tackled by his cutesy but way too big of a Rottweiler Agnes. She was an all black with a brown spot on her side and she has the prettiest hazel eyes that make all the males dogs get drawn to her presence. Her little stub of a tail shakes right along with her little bottom and Cain smiles as he kicks the door closed. "Hello to you too Aggy," He sits his stuff down and give her a good belly rub, he feeds her and he sits next to her and watches her eat while he takes a sip from his cherry cola also he pops a smartie in his mouth.
Cain lived alone, all he did was go to work, come home to his dog and watch whatever was on TV. He didn't have any friends because they were too ignorant out here but he had mutual associates that invite him to places and have drinks with them also if he felt like it, go sleep with whoever wanted to sleep with him because he was a lonely guy but didn't mean he didn't get his freak on. "Oh Agnes, I seen the cutest little kids today. I got them whatever they wanted in the store, they looked so sad when they were walking together. The little girl was the sweetest but the boy was mean but to protect his sister and I understand because I'm the big, bad white man to him," Now that he thought about it, he didn't like how the little boy thought that he was gonna harm them or something but that's just how it is.
He stripped his shirt off and walks around with his muscle shirt, he takes his hands through his chestnut hair, he tossed the shirt onto his shoulder and walked to his bathroom. He flicked the light on and he looked into the mirror, he turns on the water and he began to wash his olive toned skin that looked tanned because of the hot weather. He turned the water off and dried his face, he looked in the mirror and his emerald eyes scanned his face that looked pretty devious in his opinion. He happen to inherit the cold looking demeanor from his Father who he adored so much that he would die they day he would die because his Pa was everything to him but not as much as his Mother.
"Help!"
Cain blinked rapidly as he runs out to the bathroom, he paced to his front door and he opens it. He looked down the hallway and he sees a woman, she was kicking a man while he laid on the floor. He looked for a second, it was a Black Woman who wore bell bottoms with some white Chucks and a white ringer shirt with a brown fist on the front of it. Hair was big, curly and beautiful. She was kinda short but every girl was short to him. He looked at the side of her face and she had a soft diamond shape. "I outta fucking kill you," She hissed and the man looked at Cain who just stared. "Are you gonna help me?" He questioned Cain, the tall man snapped out of admiring her and he simply grabs her lifting her off of the floor by her waist.
The woman didn't stop kicking her legs and swinging trying to get him, she struggled under Cain's grip then he looks at her face. She had a busted nose and a potential black eye. This man had put her hands on him and Cain thought that was sorry, he thought that Men who hit Women deserved to be burned at the stake because they would be shit without Women and they go through life and death to birth them. "He tried to rape me, let me go," She cried out and with those words he lets her go, she goes right back to kicking him but mostly in his groin. Cain crossed his arms as he watched, he didn't believe in violence but this guy deserved it.
Cain watch her stop and tears ran down her face, she was hunched over and she looked at the man who was looking pretty bad on the floor. Cain has never seen a woman in this predicament, he envied for her. The woman suddenly spits on the man and she rested her back against the wall, she looked so tired and it looked like she fought for her dear life because she did, This man was three times her size, she looked at Cain and her brown eyes blinked slowly because she was exhausted. Cain did the unthinkable and he carefully hoisted her up bridal style and she looked up at him, she got beaten on pretty well and he carried her inside his apartment.
Cain laid her on his couch, he stares at her for a second and she tossed her head gently as she looks up at the ceiling. Tears were running down her face, she began to sob and Cain didn't want to do so he justs sits next to her and he hugs her. He wasn't good with people who were crying in front of him, all he could do was hug them. "It's okay, I'm positive that man won't come after you anymore," Cain assured her and she sobbed into his muscle tee. He found it odd that this random woman was in his house, in his arms and crying. He looked down at her and she got blood and tears on his shirt, she sniffled. "That man... followed me for an hour. I left my friends house and he saw me, he followed me and I panicked, I ran in this building and I thought maybe I could catch the elevator to a random floor then he wouldn't find me but I'm guessing someone might have spotted me and told him because, he wouldn't have found me. He trapped me at the end of the hall and he tried to take my clothes off but I ended up fighting him because I was scared and I-I know... how to fight but I was just so scared because he was so determined to get me and this is the first time this ever happened to me."
Cain bites his pink lips and he looks at the Woman, he gets up and he walks to his restroom. He gathered some stuff to clean her up. He sits back down in front of her, he motions her to come forward and she hesitates before leaning in closer to him. He honestly was speechless because she was so gorgeous, even if she had all these bruises on her, he would still find her gorgeous but it would make him happy if she didn't have them. He gently cleans her face and when he put alcohol on her cuts, he blew on her face making the woman eyes go wide a little because this guy was attractive and had the most perfect pink lips ever. "What's your name?" He asked her as he closes the first aid kit, the woman looks at the reflection in the nearby mirror on the wall and she sees that she had a bandage on her nose also mini bandaids on her face. "Ramona, Ramona Maple," She introduced herself and he smiles softly as he holds out his hand. "Beautiful name. I'm Cain Papillon," He says and Ramona shakes his hand gently.
Ramona gets up and she fixes her clothes that were kinda shifted on her. "Um thank you sir, I should get going." He didn't want her to go so soon because she was the first woman to ever come into his house let alone guest that he actually wanted them to be there. "Oh you don't have to go right now, I live alone and I don't get a lot of company or I don't have any friends," Cain blurted but more like rambles, she sees the hint of nervousness in his face and his body was slowly tensing up as he speaks. "It's okay, you're okay, I can stay if you want. I don't really have any either," She sits back down and he sits back down, Agnes comes around the corner and Ramona lifted her legs off of the floor. Ramona moaned in fear because the dog was so big and she didn't like dogs, it didn't matter what size it was. "Oh you're scared of dogs, I-I can put her away. Come on Agnes," Cain murmured and he gets up, he puts Agnes in his room and he comes back.
Ramona smoothed out her pants leg. "Sorry, I just never was really fond of dogs because I'm more of a cat person," she smiled a little and she smiles softly. Cain watched her talk about how much she liked cats, he was listening but he was such in a complete daze because her honey toned voice matched her aura and her face. She had the most gorgeous brown skin, it was a rich sepia color that was like a brown Autumn leaf. Her eyes were a chocolate color and her eyelashes were curled beautifully. He really liked her hair a lot, her really big, kinky curly hair that seemed pretty effortlessly to do when really it wasn't at all. "I even like the orange tabby cats because they remind me of Garfield, I really loved Garfield. I have a gray cat home named Tiny but she's really fat—I'm talking way too much," she laughed at the end and Cain shakes his head as he blinked. "No not all, I'm just enjoying your presence because you're so gorgeous," he covered his mouth before he could say anymore and Ramona giggles softly.
"Thank you," she said softly and Cain nodded as he looks away from her. "So, what do you do?" Ramona questioned him and he clears his throat. "I'm a Teacher, I teach at Harrell Budd Elementary School and I teach second graders," he tells her and Ramona had no idea that he did, she didn't expect for a white teacher to be at the school full of mostly black children. "That's nice, I never expected you to be a teacher—"
Cain chuckled and he nodded. "I get that a lot. Kids think I'm pretty mean when really I'm the total opposite. I'm a pretty empathetic guy, I like cute puppy pictures and I'm happy if children are happy," He tells her and Cain really is very kind, he always sacrifices his happiness for other people because he was a man who grew up and had everything, he found it so unfair how others didn't but that's how it is for some people but he thinks that it doesn't have to be that way. "Why is that?" Ramona asked him and Cain thought about it for a second. "I just feel like, children shouldn't have to feel like they don't belong in this world at such a early age or worry about if their family member is gonna come home. They shouldn't have to be scared for their lives or fear others because someone told them to. Children should be playing at the park with their friends, getting excited for their favorite show to come on, and eating as much sweets as they want instead of.. being on the streets selling, or fear that there might be a drive by and looking at everyone's face to see if they disapprove of them."
Ramona didn't have a fun childhood at all, she had a angry political Father and a stubborn Mother but well respected mother who everybody knew in the community. She was always on edge because her family loved to go out and fight for what was right and even had little Ramona with them when she should be in school. Ramona smiles gently and she looks down a little bit. "That's nice, I can already tell that you're a amazing teacher," she mumbled and Cain nodded, he knew he was because his ten children that he teachers loves him so much and they mean the world to him. He wished that he could just take care of them because some of their parents don't care for them as much and he couldn't do much about it. "Yeah, I have amazing kids and they make me feel like there's gonna hope in this world," he tells her and Ramona thought this guy was just all around attractive but also very appealing because he cared and he wasn't like the others.
Ramona fiddles with the end of her shirt and she looks at a picture sitting on his table, it was him with his children and they were all so cute. They were making silly faces and Cain was holding a little girl, she had her pointing fingers hooked in her mouth as she stretched her mouth with she tongue out while Cain made a goofy smile. "Who's that?" She asked and Cain smiles as he picks up the picture. "That's Leslie, she's my favorite. I of course don't tell that to the kids but she is because she's so smart, she is also a kid genius and wants to be President of the United States. Comes from a complicated neighborhood in Oak Cliff and her parents are from Dominican Republic who don't speak English but by her learning, she's teaching them along the way. She's is the future, I just know it."
Ramona thought that was cute, she really did and she hoped the best for Leslie. They continued talking for hours but Ramona had to leave, she had to go home and Cain walked her halfway to make sure that she was safe and she told him to look her up in the phone book and give her a call. When he got home, he called the police and gave them a very heavy description of the man who they eventually found where he was which wasn't very far from Cain's apartment building.
But later on that night, he sat with Agnes on his couch and he couldn't get Ramona out of his mind.
I honestly don't like how I wrote this but please vote and leave a comment or something but of course, I honestly don't care if you do :/