Chapter Seven: The Visit

Zack decide to Visit Vivian at her college.

Saturday morning Vivian is sitting on her bed leaning against the wall.  She is wearing faded sweat pants along with an oversize off white t-shirt and a bandana wrapped around her hair.  Plans is to stay inside all day and do nothing.  Phone up to her ear, she is talking to her best friend Susan from home.

 

“This is the second time when you don’t have practice that you haven’t come home.”  Exclaim Susan.

 

“I know,” Vivian sigh, “Jack and I had a big blowup last night because I’m staying up here again.”

 

“Why!  I would like to know why you are not coming home.”

 

“I don’t know why I’m the only one that have to drive four hours to maintain our relationship, it be nice if he comes up here sometimes.  But when I do get to his place it the same thing every time.  He steady getting me out my clothes to do, well you know.”

 

Susan laughed, “Well that’s normal for a healthy young man, he haven’t seen or touch you for a whole week.  He has needs, anyway you still like…”

 

“Yes!  I love him, he makes me feel special every time, but there alt to be more.  When we make love it great, but that’s all we do.  I had to push and pull to get him to go out to a movie or something.”

 

“Oh come on it’s not that bad,” Susan is laughing to herself.

 

“Yes it is, you know I haven’t met his parents, there’re always an excuse why he haven’t.  He met Gloria many times, heck she cooks him dinner.  I know Gloria my foster mom, but she is family to me.  Last time I was there his mother had a cookout he didn’t tell me about it.  I don’t know, it’s really cruel that he didn’t invite me to that, I guess I’m good enough to have sex but not to bring home to momma.”

 

“No sweetie, maybe Jack wants to present you to his folk at the right time…”

 

“I know I come from a broken home a father that abandon me when I was a baby and a mother who now disown so she can take care of my half-brother who coming out of prison.  I should be grateful that any man is paying attention to me at all, I know I’m not the best looking girl in the world.”  She pause frowning refusing to cry.

 

Boom, Boom, Boom!

 

Vivian is wondering who is knocking.  She knows it not Pat, her roommate, hopping off the bed opening door there to her surprise standing bright eye and grinning Zackary very excited seeing her.

 

“ZACK!”  Vivian screams out totally surprise seeing him standing in the doorway.  She felt chilled bumps all over her arms, she quickly grabs him pulling him into the room.  Susan confuses of what’s happening steady trying to get her attention.

 

“Hey Girl what’s, why is Zack there?”

 

“I talked to you later,” Vivian disconnects the call, focus on her special friend from back home.  She couldn’t help but smile, touching her stomach to calm the feeling of thousands of fireworks exploding all at once.  “What are you doing here?”  She spoke tenderly, but intrigued why he there in the first place.

 

Zackary could not answer, he observes his loved face to face.  Realizing how long it’s been since he last seen her and how much he misses her too.  His mind full of things he wants to say, but he don’t know where to start.  His heart is beating rapidly but it started pounding when he parked the car.

 

The desire to visits Vivian has been in his heart ever since she left for college.  He knows their relationship is only a friendship and he has accepted that.  Gazing at pictures and texting her occasional was enough.  The yearning to see her face blazed red hot when spoke about his loved her when he gave an improved sermon last Saturday night at church.

 

Thinking about Vivian and how much he miss her cause a dark cloud in his soul.  But he figure it’s a temporary depression that will pass, no one knew what turmoil is going on in his mind, well he thought.  His mother notices something is bothering Zackary at dinner last night.

 

Betty, his mother arrives home with a bucket of fried chicken meal, Zackary and his sister rush to the table eager to eat.  They both are famish because there was nothing in the kitchen worth eating except peanut butter and crackers.  Zackary is picking at his food with his fingers.  His imagination is on overdrive dwelling about Vivian.

 

His mind contemplating many different and entertaining ways he would interact with her.  The images are like classic romantic movie scenes.  He wouldn’t admit it, he has seen a few chi flits, and liked them.

 

He and Vivian walking in the park, then in the distant they hear a clap of thunder.  Suddenly pouring rain they both ran hand in hand under a tall tree in an effort to stay dry.  Then another thump of thunder frightens Vivian causing her to cling into his protective arms of Zackary (in his imagination he is slightly taller than Vivian, enough for her to lay her head on his strong shoulder).

 

“Zack!  Zack!”  Zackary coming to himself gazing up at his mother calling his name.  “You’re not eating, are you hungry?”  He nodded yes, breaking big pieces of meat putting into his mouth, “I don’t know, you seem to be in la-la land or something.”

 

“Yeah, he got his mind on you know who,” Alice giggling as she spoke.

 

“Who?  Oh no, not Miss Thang.”  Dreaded Betty, shaking her head with disappointment.

 

“Yep, word on the street, shy boy spoke about Vivian proudly last Saturday at daddy’s church.  Comparing his undying love for her with the love of God.”

 

“Did you do that son?”

 

“Well mom,” Zackary is shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, “I didn’t know what I was talking about last week.”

 

“Zack, it’s been six months since she dumps you.  Son it’s time to move on, I know it hard but you got to do it’s.”  Zack nodding his head yes with a smirk staring at his plate, “I just don’t know why you not seeing that girl brought to watch movies.”

 

“Oh, you mean Mmmmmm Jennifer,” Alice chimed in glancing at Zackary observing his reaction, “He have lunch with her every day.”

 

“Now son, that girl got it together, she well manner, capable, pretty and has a beautiful singing voice.  She got a little meat on those bones that’s good…”

 

“Yeah Thick,” Alice is giggling, Zackary eyes pointing at his sister a little frustrated at her.

 

“Yes son, like I told you fat women make better wives.”  Zackary bobbing his head around agreeing and disagreeing at the same time.  “I just don’t know what you see in Ms. Thang.  She too tall, skinny as a rail and too many muscles.  The oddest looking thing, her breast is flat as pancakes.”  Alice is nodding agreeing with her mother and trying hold back laughter.  Zackary is holding his head down not wanting to look at the women across the table, putting down Vivian, he is wishing they would change the topic.  “I know God don’t like talking about people’s appearance, but she is just strange looking…”

 

“There nothing wrong with her breast!”  Zackary blared out, “they just small, I guess they would increase in size if she get pregnant…”

 

“Pregnant!  What?  Betty startle by what she thought she heard.  Zackary shaking his head stammering trying to explain Vivian is not having a baby and if by some chance she is he not the father.  Alice giggles burst into a belly laugh at her brother’s ordeal.  Zackary surrenders trying to defend Vivian.  He just stuffs his face with chicken plotting in his mind to see her.

 

Zackary stands in the dorm room scoping his friend from the bandana on her head down to the pink socks on her feet.  His heart return to a normal rhythm, enabling to speak. “Hi.”

 

“Hey,” she responded back as they both sat on the bed.  For the next few minutes they are chatting about old times and home.  Then Vivian face became serious staring at Zackary.  “So tell me the truth, why are you here?”

 

“I just in the neighborhood,” he said smiling.

 

“No you did not drive four hours for nothing, why did you come all this way.  If you wanted to say hi you could have called me.” 

 

Zackary shrugs his shoulders, “I wanted to see you.” 

 

Vivian face becomes irritated by his answer, “No!  You men folks always have a motive for everything you do!  You will say all of the sweet and loving words to wear us girls down, we think that you truly loved us!  After you got what you from us then you throw us to the side like trash.” Zackary smiling face turned confuse in a moment as he is a loss for words to say to his trouble friend.

 

“The only motive I have,” his voice soft and timid, “is the desire to sit talked, like we use too.”

 

“Lies!  I know I’m ugly and no good,” she pause, “I must have done something horrible in a former life to be punished like this.  Every good thing that comes to me spoiled, don’t waste your time wining and dining me saying caring word in effort to bed me.  I save you some time I just pull off everything and you can have at!”  Her voice is sharp and strained with pain.

 

Zackary alarmed about what she speaking, his mouth is dry and his body tense with nervousness.  Then he saw her hands grabbed top front of the sweat pants making motions to rip them off her body.  Zackary quickly took hold of her hands, held them tightly.

 

“Please stop!”  He is speaking franticly, “I don’t know what’s going on, but if I did something that’s causing this I’m sorry.  You are not ugly, you are beautiful beyond words to describe.  There is a reason you are here and it’s not to be abused, NO!  You have favored from God and you are blessed.  I’m telling you the truth, you deserved to be loved and taken care of because you Vivian are worth it!”

 

“Vivian you are precious to me, I prayed every night that you find your way to goodness and complete happiness.  I know you had troubles in the past, we all do, but I know God willing your future is bright.”  He releases her hands gently rubbing her upper legs, head down, “I loved you Vivian, I know that might not be much,” he pause.  “I wish I could do more for you.”

 

Vivian listens to Zackary words her anger melted away from her face.  She notices the innocent, loving passion from her distraught friend.  Her hands twitching, biting her bottom lip staring at Zackary lower head.  Quickly she took hold on his shoulders pulling him into herself embracing him.  She is rubbing his back and running her finger in his hair as their cheek touches.  Zackary wraps his arms around her waist, holding on firmly.

 

“Zack, I’m sorry, you are a true friend to me.”

 

“That’s ok,” responded Zackary

 

She pulls back gazing at him, seeing a tear, “No, it’s not ok, I was upset about a few things that’s going on in my world and I took it out on you.”

 

“I’m glad that you are not angry with me,” he grinned, then she smiled.

 

“Oh Zack, I don’t know about you.  Why did you break up with me?”

 

He paused with a smirk taken hold of her hand, “I don’t know, but I love you still.”

 

Vivian is caressing his hair, “I love you too.”  They both sat quietly not looking at each other directly.  Zackary glance upward taken a peek at Vivian.  She blushes with a smile knowing he is staring at her, but she wouldn’t look at him.  “So you happen to be in the neighborhood.”

 

Zackary snicker, “Yeah.”

 

She turned beholding his nerdy darling face which she fond of start to giggle.  Then the dorm door pop open, Pat flew inside the room bright eyed excited after her morning run.

 

“Girl, I met this super find boy this morning,” she speaking fast walking to her bed not looking up, “I was just jogging, you know in my own world listening to my tunes.  Then I looked over this man was running with me.  He was only in his shorts, super cute, I know he was checking me out but I played it cool.  I try to change my running style so I can look like I was running with a purpose, but I stumble.  He was so sweet, he thought I was falling so he made a move to catch me, so I oblige him and he caught me.  Ohhh girl he felt so good, well I got his number and we have a date at the club tonight.”  Pat looked up seeing Vivian with Zackary next to her.

 

“Oh!  Hey Vee I didn’t know you have company, I just barge in here just chattering away.”

 

“This my friend Zack from home.”

 

Pat reaches out her hand to welcome Zackary, he stood up shaking her hand.  “Hi Zack, I’ve bet that was a long drive,” then her eyes pointed at Vivian, “Hmmm, you are her ex-boyfriend.”  She begins to smile, “How sweet that your ex has driven hours to see you, but your current hasn’t set foot here at all…”

 

Vivian jump to her feet separating the two shielding Pat view of Zack. “I’m going to take Zack for hamburgers at the café off campus.”

 

“Oh that super but you aren’t going out looking like that?”

 

“What wrong what she have on?”  Ask Zackary thinking her faded sweat pants, oversize shirt and bandana looks good on Vivian frame.

 

Pat glancing at Zackary grinning, “You are a darling, but no Vee you can’t go out like that on a date.  Why don’t you change into something appropriate in the bath while I keep your boyfriend oh, I mean your friend company.”

 

Vivian laugh at her friend leading Zackary to the door, then opening it, “No way you little heifer,” she said under her breath, “Zack dear can you wait for in the lobby for a few minutes while I change.”  He nodded yes, walking out the room, shutting the door, staring at her roommate.  “I have nothing to say.” She stated.

 

“Vivian I find it interesting that a boy who was in a relationship with you only for two weeks came to visit and the one you with now for almost a year haven’t shown his face here.” 

 

“Well there reasons for that…”

 

“Yes, but that Zack you can see it all over his face, he deeply in love with you.”

 

Vivian sigh step inside the bathroom pull the bandana off her hair.  Turn on the facet splash water on her face, then wiping with her hand, looking at herself in the mirror.

 

“I know.”