Interracial Love

“Mom, I want you to meet my new friend, Darnell.”

“Hello, Darnell. How are you doing?”

“I'm just fine. How about you, Ms. Winfield?”

“I'm okay. So, Darnell, are you from the general area?”

“No, I'm originally from St. Louis.”

“Is that the big city that has the arch?”

“Yes, it is.”

“So what do you do?”

“I'm a computer analyst.”

“Do you have any children?”

“No, I'm not planning on having any children until I get married.”

“What does your family do? Are your parents married? Are they still together? Are they degreed?”

“My mom is a special education teacher, and my father is a train conductor, I was born in the year of 1975, which makes me twenty-nine years old. I started talking clearly at nine months. I'm the oldest between my brother and me. My youngest brother’s name is Jeremy. He is seventeen. My mother purchased us bunk beds and bikes. We also had a trampoline in our backyard and a four-year-old golden retriever named Stacey. My father drives a silver-gray Dodge Caravan, my mother drives a burgundy Lexus, and my brother Jeremy drives a black Chevrolet Malibu. Did you need to know the year of the vehicles too?”

"Come on, Darnell, I'm ready to go.”

"Meagan, what is your mother's problem? Why did your mother ask me all those questions about myself? She asks as if we were going to get married.”

“Darnell, my mother does not mean any harm. She just don't want to see her daughter getting hurt.”

“Meagan, you are talking about the word ‘hurt’—that is what your mother just did to me. Your mother judged me by the color of my skin. If my skin was white, no way in the world she would have asked me a thousand and one questions. I do not sell drugs, I do not do drugs, I do not steal, I do not kill. I'm a hardworking black man. I get up every day and go to work and take care all of my responsibilities. I never caused harm to no one. I'm just trying to survive.”

“Darnell, I do not think my mom meant any harm towards you. She does that to every individual I bring home. It has nothing to do with the color of your skin. Baby, I apologize if you took offense to my mom’s words. Darnell, all of this talking has made me hungry. Do you want to go out to eat? Everything is on me.”

“Yes, what do you have a taste for?”

“What about Applebee’s? It's just five minutes away.”

“That's fine with me.”

“I hope we’re able to get a booth—Applebee’s looks really packed inside. I see a parking space near the door.”

“Darnell, someone is calling your name.”

“That's my mother and her baby sister, Ann.”

"Hello, Would you prefer smoking or non-smoking?”

“Can you sit us with the two women that's sitting near the window? That's my family.”

“Wait here one second while I get two chairs.”

“Hi mom.”

“Hi, baby, who's your new friend?”

“Here are you guys’ chairs.”

“Thank you, sir, I appreciate it. Mom, this is my friend Meagan.”

“Sit down, Meagan, and order you something to eat. You need some meat on them bones. My son loves thick women like me.”

“Hi, Ms. Patterson. Darnell told me you are a special education teacher.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Teaching children every day with special needs must really stress you out a lot, hmm? You don't even know when you are going or coming sometimes, do you, Ms. Patterson?”

“Mom, leave Meagan alone.”

“I like her. She's a sweet person.”

“Darnell, you didn't tell me that you preferred full-figured females.”

“Meagan, I do not care what size you are. You can be petite, medium build, full-figured, African American, Caucasian, Asian, Puerto Rican—I treat all women the same. Color and size is not important to me. Being considerate, a good personality, and sense of humor is a must. I have no preference. You are just the first petite women that ever acknowledged me; full-figured women have always approached me more. Now that we have all of this out in the open, can we order now?”

“Have you all decided what you want to order?”

“Yes, we have. I would like to order some skinny back ribs with honey barbecue sauce, a side order of cole slaw, and a large diet Coke.”

“Come on, Meagan, let's go. Mom, you are fifty years old and you act like you are fifteen years old.”

“Darnell, let's just grab something at McDonald’s and let's call it a night.”

“Meagan, I apologize for my mother behaving like a child.”

“Mary, why are you being so nonchalant towards Darnell's new lady friend?”