The ‘public’ Library

“Momm……………” Bernice stops as she hears singing from the room.

“Hallelujah…..Hallelujah…..Halle….. Elizabeth? Is that you? Put on your scarf and come join me in prayers!” Her Mom said. Elizabeth is Izzy’s birth name but only her parents call her that. In fact, only a handful of people know her real name is Elizabeth.

“Sure. Coming.” Izzy says dragging her feet to the room.

Bernice tried to hold her laugh. “It has begun…….Elizabeth”

They both went into the room and knelt by the bed side and continued singing with Mom. That lasted for 2 hours.

“Ouch. I can’t feel my legs.” Izzy complained.

“Yes! Our legs are for the Lord”. Mom says raising her hands in praise.

Bernice couldn’t hold her laugh anymore. She excused herself to the rest room to let it out.

“Have you been praying Izzy?” Mom asked.

“Hmm….yes.”

“ That’s good.” Mom compliments her.

Bernice returns from the rest room trying to comport herself in the best possible way.

“Good morning Ma” Bernice greeted.

“How are you my dear? You’ve grown so much into such a beautiful lady”

“Thank you so much Ma”. Izzy said as Mom walks towards the kitchen.

“What are eating today?” Mom asked.

Uhmmmm, Izzy says as she walks towards the kitchen, looking back and giving Bernice the sign language of ‘not to say anything’, “how come you didn’t tell me you were coming?”

“I wanted to surprise you”. Mom said.

“Well I am surprised, but you should have told me you were coming!” Izzy said in a low tone.

“I’m sorry? Should I inform my own daughter that I’m coming to the apartment I pay for with my sweat?”

“That’s not what I’m saying Mom……”

“That’s exactly what I’m hearing. Mom is lightly agitated. Bernice my dear, what are you going to eat?”

Izzy looks at Bernice with a sad look that says, “ i need an escape”. And Ofcourse, Bernice understood immediately.

“Uhmmmm Mom, Izzy and I already have plans for this afternoon so we can’t do breakfast but dinner is fine, thank you Ma.” Bernice responded

“Alright. Even I have to rest. It was a long journey”.

By this time, Izzy was in her room getting ready to leave the house as it had started to get uncomfortable for her. She looked around the room in order to get rid of anything that could get here into trouble. Like her sex toys and of course, her box of condoms which has written on it, “a girl’s gotta be safe” with a dripping red heart emoji.

After she hid all of her life in the closet and locked it. She then felt safe to leave with Bernice.

“ C’mon let’s go” Izzy says to Bernice.

“We’ll be back whenever we’re done”. She says to her Mom.

“Bye Mom….” Bernice waves as she exits the door with a push from Izzy.

“Ha! She hasn’t changed a bit huh”. Bernice said.

“Well if you know Mom like I know you do, you’ll know the word “change” is not in her dictionary. Izzy reminds Bernice.

I’m just glad we’re out”.

As they walked down the stairs, Bernice places her right hand on Izzy’s shoulder and pulls her in. “ I know it’s hard now but it’s going to be fine. We’ll get through this together…..as always.”

Izzy sighs.

“So where are we going now?” Bernice asks.

Izzy looked at Bernice and makes a smug face.

“Noooo!” Bernice shouts.

“Yes!” Izzy shouts.

Bernice says “Don’t tell me we’re talking about……

“The public library” they both shout it out.

“You know the motto gurl. Izzy hits Bernice. Say it with me, say it with me pleassssseeeee……pretty pleasssssseeeee”

“In the library, we read and find handsome guys”. They recited.

“Off we go”. Izzy makes the “Dora the explorer” jump down the last two stairs.

As they went on their way, they talked about a lot of things about home, new fashion wears, school, Mom coming to surprise her precious daughter…… and gossip too.

“Mmmm so…..Nathan huh???” Bernice mused.

“What did you say?”

“You heard me right! Start talking.”

Izzy being her natural self tries to avoid the topic by pointing to a shiny blue heel that had a “50% off” sign on it.

“It’s funny how that heel has been there for the past two weeks and you just noticed it. I know what you’re trying to do so let’s cut to the chase. So it’s Nathan now?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Izzy mouthed.

“I can hear you. I’m standing right here.”

“Fine. Like I said earlier, I just met him at the bar yesterday and we just had this click.” Izzy disclosed as she stroke her hair.

“You’re touching your hair Izzy.”

“Am I?”

Izzy smiles and doubles her pace as Bernice tries to catch up with her. “Wait up” she shouted.

“So what’s he like? Gimme something… Izzzzzzzzzzzyyyyyy???”

“Well he’s handsome and tall…”

“Gurl you know what I’m asking about…” Bernice pushes Izzy to the side.

“I don’t know wha….”

“Oh please stop playing dumb with me. How is he in bed?” Bernice presses.

“He’s alright”

“He’s alright or he’s alright ….allllllllllllrigggggggghhhhhtttttt?”. Bernice mimics a sex position.

“You’re crazy. You know that? Anyways, I think I like like him.”

“No you don’t Izzy! No you don’t! That’s the same exact thing you said about Timothy and Wonder and Sensei and Nelson.”

“I swear this time is different.” Izzy says.

“The only thing different about this time is the date and the month. Plus you just met him when? Yesterday?Uh-uh….I’m not buying that.  The next thing, we’re going to be furnishing his house and as always, he’ll leave and you will be???…….say it!”

“Broke” Izzy whispers down casting her eyes.

“I didn’t get you” Bernice tilts her head downwards placing her hands at the back of her ears close to Izzy’s mouth.

“Broke”. Izzy shouts.

“Exactly!” Bernice reminds her that that’s what she’ll be if she continues down this same path.

The silence between them built its foundation rapidly as it did its wall and no one spoke until they arrived at the library. As usual, they both went into the ladies room to freshen up a bit and light up their makeup.

“Can I borrow your red sexy lipgloss?” Izzy asked Bernice.

“You know you’re the one who finished the last one?”

“I’ll buy the next one, I promise.”

Izzy and Bernice were incredibly beautiful girls, curvy. Izzy had been blessed with both boobs and ass and Bernice with just boobs, but she was beautiful nevertheless. Izzy was prettier, average height, fair in complexion, a law student, dark brownish hair, brown eyes, well carved lips, long natural eyelashes and of course the dark full eyebrows, she inherited from her Dad alongside his faulty eyes, but damn…. glasses looked super amazing on her.

Izzy walks into the library with her hair up, light green pants, a white buttoned up shirt, tucked in, black medium heels and a black handbag with her glasses on and immediately, all the guys were jaw-slacked.

As she looked around, looking for a place to sit, she saw some guys sending their friends to look for a different place to sit to make available a chair for her. Others, waving to her that there was an empty chair at their table and there’s this one guy who doesn’t seem at all interested, who’s sitting alone at the far back of the library. His back facing everyone else, well-dressed, low hair cut, sky blue collar shirt, navy blue trousers, black office shoes, EarPods on.

“Hmmmmmm do you see what I see Bernice?”

“Absolutely. A challenge.”

“See you later babes. Don’t go too far and have fun too”. Izzy says with so much amusement in her voice”

“Sure”. Bernice replies mimicking Izzy’s Barbie voice.

Izzy walks up to him and stands at his back expecting that he’d turn. After a few seconds without a word or a sign of acknowledgment of her presence, she says, “Is this sit empty?”

“Yeah sure” he says without making eye contact.

“Thank you.” She says walking in front of him to take a sit across the table.

“Hel………….. oh no. Nathan?

“Izzy?”

“Oh hell no”. Izzy stands up.

“Can you just sit for a moment and let’s talk?

“Talk about what? Izzy stops him. There’s nothing for us to talk about. It was a one time thing for me.”

“It wasn’t for me. I can’t stop thinking about you. ”