Monday, July 26, 2010

Let Your Hair Down

Ebony & Ivory
Live together in perfect
harmony...side by side..

WTF ever! LOL. That one was just too easy. And I know, per my last post, some of you were thinking it. I'll be real...of all the Stevie greats, that one aint even on my iPod and I doubt it will ever make the cut. But alas, many of you have asked how did I meet the dude in my Monday posting. Well, I guess now is as good a time as any. I'm fresh off the date that started at 6 PM on Saturday...and didn't end until 7:30 am on Monday (today), so excuse me while I reach for a cup-o-Joe infused with coke. If you got a mind to, rock with me for a few...

3 lil birds sat on my window
and they told me, you don't have to worry
summer came like cinnamon, so sweet
lil girls double dutch on the concrete

We met as folks do...chillin! Minding my business, holding my own (plate) at a cook-out for a friend who happened to also be his co-worker. I'd decided, just that day, that I wasn't going to stress this particular weekend. I wanted to just enjoy the summer. Feel this breeze, in this moment, and honor God in this rhythm...for a few. No thoughts of earthly things. Only things on my mind were Gods & heavens & the smoke ring on my ribs (which I believe is a God & heaven combo if done properly) while sipping the juice of a mango mixed with my hard lemonade. I aint lyin either. That's not natural zen bullshit. I love a mango! Will eat them in an undignified fashion 7 ways from righteous with no regrets & believed I was currently doing so un-checked. As I watched the kiddies play in the fire hydrant & secretly made plans to join them, I tipped up my cup up and emptied. Fully plotting how the hell to blend in with the loud, 4'2" mammals in the hydrant, while aggressively kickin their asses out so I can immerse myself without seeming weird or creepy, I heard someone lean over and supply me with a re-fill. I said "thank you" without looking up. He said "anytime" and walked away. I turned to see who refilled me (cuz u can't just have anyone fillin ya glass) and saw this tall, muscular pale arm. Shrugging and thinking poor man must have caught his birth of the Albino...I went back to sippin and plotting..

maybe sometimes
we've got it wrong but it's all right
the more things seem to change
the more they stay the same
don't you hesitate

okay! So I know, now, he wasn't Albino. That boy went and caught his birth of the #nopigment4utribe. I caught that burst of reality right around the time I realized, he's a cop. Now fam, I don't know about you but cop+lack-o-pigment = not a good look for ya girl. I have history with those situations....but I digress..

I hadn't hesitated too long after my refill to jump in and kick the resident midgets to the curb. I'm laying in the water spray and happen to feel a shadow loom over me. I know it's one of the lollipop guild returning to tell or pee on me. So I roll over and peel open an eye, ready to jump bad, and who the hell is leaning against a tree?? Well, well, well, if it aint Protect&Serve. "WTF?", must have been accurately conveyed in my raised eyebrow because he smiled the smug "I have no pigment and so I'm entitled" smile. I bout spit on him. Instantly decided...I don't like him and he makes the hair on the back of my ass (which, still aint fully grown back) rise! In other words, I'm uncomfortable. Hmm....drumming my fingers on the ground and resting my chin on my forearm ...what to do. what to do? I , again, roll over on my back and close my eyes and let the water run over my toes. He doesn't go away. He stands like a cop. I've seen enough of them to know.

Me:

DC doesn't have squatters rights

Thicke Jr:
What?

Me:
I assume you're posted up at my hydrant to make a stink on behalf of the wee mammals. You know... (he blinked) the previous pigmy squatters of said hydrant. I'm assuming they sent you out here cuz I kicked them out. Well, we don't have squatters rights in DC & their tax $$ aint put in on this. So tell 'em...it's mine!

Thicke Jr: (I can hear his smile)
Nope. Though the 3 I'm watching did tell me you didn't have a bathing suit, you're hogging all the water and you don't have enough sense to know you should be worried about your hair getting messed up.

Me:

Ingrates! They could have sprouted a 3rd eye playin in this DC water. I saved 'em. I'm old. I've done all the developing and sprouting I'm going to do!

Thicke Jr:
Oh, trust, I noticed

Me:
(giving him the middle finger, not liking his laugh)
Why are you here Pinky? It's getting late. Aren't you and the Brain (indicating the other cop at the bbq who does have an extra large dome) scheduled to do what you do every night? Hmm? (peeling open an eye again to see his reaction) You know, attempting to take over the world by night-sticking the coloreds?? That is what you do isn't it? You're a cop? (no answer) Fine. I just hope you don't think you're incognito, you feel like a COP and, frankly, it's giving me a rash.

Thicke Jr:

You're not a nice girl

Me:

Nope. Left that for someone else the moment I decided to be a stellar grown ass woman... And I don't like you. (sticking out my tongue)

Thicke Jr:

Hmm. too bad. Anyway, I'd never be undercover as the only white guy at an all black cook-out. Now would I? And my mirrored sunglasses, which are an absolute must for when we cops promote race relations, are in my other jeans. So..why don't you and your mermaid show get from in front of my bike so I can go get them cuz, for a... what term did you use? colored woman... umm-hmm... you seem like you could use a good "night sticking" your self.

........I sat up and damn near choked....he just smiled. I rolled my eyes. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of confirming or denying. He just gestured his motorcylce and motioned for me to step aside. Of course, entitled cop would park his shit in front of a damn hydrant. Selfish ass.

Thicke Jr:

I'm going to get more mango.

Me:
Don't bother. (The host) doesn't like them. There were only a few so I used them but he doesn't like them

Thicke Jr: (putting on regular sunglasses and turning on the bike)
I know he doesn't. but you do. and you're all out. Don't drown while I'm gone. (helmet on...radio blasting some unfamiliar tune)

Girl put your records on
Tell me your favorite song
You go ahead let your hair down
Sapphire & faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead let your hair down

... I just laid back down and let the water cool me off. Yep....I hate him. He made it back with the mangos. I'd made it out of the water by now and was sitting in the sun drying off, letting my locs drink the sun. As he passed by I stuck my tongue out at him. He tossed the mango my way and said, this time...I'll let you keep it. I asked the mangos? you bought them for ME. remember?? He grabbed a beer and said your tongue. This time, I'll let you keep your tongue. Stick it out at me again and it's mine. Beautiful hair by the way. You should keep it down. He walked back to the house and called out don't know if that's a blush or a burn but either way you might want to handle it.

Blue as the sky, sunburnt & lonely
Sipping tea in the bar by the road side
(just relax, just relax)
don't let those other boys fool you
Got to love that afro hair do

Ok, I don't like wtf moments. And dude was throwin too many my way for me to not have thoughts of just out right kicking his ass. He was argumentative and rubbed me the wrong damn way. As the night wound down, I borrowed aloe gel from the host for what turned out to be a blush sunburn combo. Meanwhile, all the greeks (as is customary) exchanged numbers & promises to keep in touch. He's in a frat. Interesting. I stayed behind to ask questions and found out, he had been asking questions about me. Mainly about my ex and if he and I were still together. Upon hearing that info, I realized we had met before. Before he was a cop and I was an ex. Before mangos and fire hydrants. Long ago, when he was pledging, we met on opposite sides of the sands. I had pledged him (just a bit) and was probably a tad mean and feeling entitled. It made sense...he was getting back at me. That smooth shit wasn't fooling me.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid
but it's alright
the more you stay the same, the more they seem to change
don't you think it's strange?

Months later and several text msgs and phone calls from him down the road...it hits me...he's flirting. What the hell? Did he not check the pigment? Eventually I started to answer the calls and the texts. I wanted to see,what he wanted from me. A date. He wanted simply to ask me out. Hmmm...Interesting. I stayed me, throughout the conversations. Gave him a hard time the whole way. Now granted, we discovered we can talk for hours about anything and laugh like idiots at each other but the more I tell him to bite me, the more he seems inclined. I don't get it but the idea of him, my ever changing idea of him, makes me more uncomfortable the more comfortable I get with him. Ya dig?

Twas more than I could take, Pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realize, that you don't even have to try any longer?
do what you want to...

He's white - I don't do. & A frat boy - wish I never did. & a cop = u gotta be kidding. And during our date of asian fusion and a movie, finished off with going to his house and talking til 5 am, he tells me You deserve to feel good. I think you should just squash the fight and enjoy yourself. I'll think about it, but not too long or too hard. The next night he was at my house and we stayed up talking again until 5 am then drifted to sleep until startled awake by my alarm clock. I dragged myself into work this morning having to admit I'd had one of the best date night/weekends I'd had in a long while. Even though nothing major happened (physically) and it shouldn't this early in the "game", there are definite sparks there.

I've told him my reservations. He said it's his responsibility to convince me otherwise and my responsibility to be open to the possibility. I don't know woah-dies! Not sure I can trust myself in this space, this far away from everything I know to be real. As I laid on the porch with him and fell asleep to the sound of his breathig and the water that's right outside his door, the ease of being me, it all felt like being lost in a dream. To be continued...(putting on my earphones)

Girl put your records on
Sing me your favorite song
Just go ahead let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
You're gonna find yourself some day, some how...

~Shai
Song by Corrine Bailey Rae: Put Your Records On

8 comments:

  1. You are a mess LOL.. messing with them babies. Very Interesting piece.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Cubicle NationJuly 27, 2010 at 6:50 AM

    We will not read anymore postings at work!!! LOL....they just can't handle us laughing so hard this early in the morning...We love you and will continue to watch your progress



    Sincerely

    The Cubicle Nation

    ReplyDelete
  3. @ Shasa - Sis!!! it was hot as balls (sans the spearmint dip)outside! Can the adults get a lil cool down action?? Some of those kids looked like they needed a penicillin shot! Truly. Like that hydrant was the first bath they'd seen in a minute. LOL. The three he was watching belonged to the other cop and he didn't put ne'er a drop of lotion on them babies after all that hullabaloo. Walked around that yard looking like Michael Jackson wannabes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Cubicle Nation,

    I love that yall laugh & keep up with us. I know yall are missing that t-gyrl! Hell me too! I clearly need some advice. She's been away at a conference so hopefully she can make us all laugh soon. No homo.

    As for this here, I don't know. I like him...but I don't like that I like him. LOL. We'll see how far I let this record spin. Love yall.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @ Cilla - Kindred, I had a "Last Dragon" moment when Thicke Jr. was walking back in the house after the tongue comments. You should have seen my face. You know that scene where Shonuff is talking about catching a bullet with his teeth. And dude goes "Nigga....Please!"...yeah, that was me.

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  6. i thought i raised you better than this.
    don't put yourself in situations to tempt your deal breakers. as women we can't help ourselves & lay 'em right down on the side of the road, get in cars with strangers & ride off down a road that eventually dead ends right in the center of a ginormous pile of bull dung.

    so...you can take that man through the ringer if you wanna, waste his time while you waffle, or you can prepare to fall into the deal breaker trap & wonder how you got there while you're trying to comb through the kinky/curly/wavy #3 hair texture situation you didn't see coming. translation: #giftsofthebiracialspawnnation

    smooches!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. wow. that was pure ignorance. lol

    u didn't raise me

    with exception of the hair, all the rest of that has only been my experience with black men.

    which leaves us only with the hair. is that even worth responding to? rofl..yeah, I think not. I've learned when something will bother another more than it would ever bother me...leave it with them.

    ReplyDelete