Peebo twists in fury as if living it again. "Then the man called her a wetback."
"I told him I was every bit as American as he was. I was born in this country!"
Peebo nods. "I told him he shouldn’t be using any derogatory terms anyway like wetback and the n-word."
"He said he lived in a free country and could speak the way he wanted," snarls Lorena.
"Well, by this time, the whole restaurant was staring at us."
"The manager came and asked all of us to leave. She actually apologized to Peebo and me for kicking us out. She said it was strict policy to ask all parties involved in an argument to vacate the premises. She assured us that the racist man and woman would never be allowed back into the restaurant. She also gave us coupons to go back and have dinner on them."
Peebo sighs heavily. "The whole experience really freaked us out."
"Of course it did," snapped my aunt who was pacing the floor in front of us in a frenzy.
"We were just minding our own business when all that happened," Lorena states, her voice still shaky.
"I can't believe this happened in El Paso!" I retort. "A city on the border with so much Latino population. Where does that couple come off being prejudice here of all places?"
"Stupidity is everywhere," my Aunt Letty murmurs with authority. "Everywhere!"
"Is this what Peebo and I have to look forward to when we go out?" asks Lorena with a trembling voice.
"Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don't want to see people of different cultures together," my aunt announces. "It rattles their low self esteem. They want to protect their little corner of the universe by not letting anyone inside, not realizing that we're on this tiny globe together and we'd better start working and understanding one another."
"But Peebo and I don't have this kind of problem at school. No one stares or says nasty things to us," Lorena comments.
"That's because your generation is different," informs my Aunt Letty, "THANKFULLY DIFFERENT!"
"We're different?' asks Benjamin.
"Very. You're much more at ease with one another. You talk around the world on the internet. You watch TV shows with different cultures working comfortably together. You eat different foods and listen to different kinds of music without much problem. My generation was much more segregated. And the one before mine was even worse. I'm not saying there's not any racism amongst you, but usually it's the twisted ideas of the parents seeping into fresh minds."
"That sucks," states Benjamin.
"It sure does," agrees my Aunt Letty. "But you can't let the racism and discrimination out there prevent you from your greatness."
"What can we do about it?" asks Peebo.
"Stand up to it," states my Aunt Letty. "If you and Lorena stop dating because of what happened at the restaurant, you'll be giving in to stupidity. Never, ever give in to stupidity!"
"We can double date," I offer, "and if we bump into more people like you did, they'll have to deal with the four of us."
"Especially with me," booms Benjamin, pushing to his feet. His height and muscled body definitely intimidates a lot of people.
"Thanks, guys," Peebo murmurs.
"I've been around the world and this type of idiocy never fails to surprise me or make me sick to my stomach," Aunt Letty declares.
"You can imagine how Peebo and I felt," mutters Lorena.
My aunt takes her seat again. Benjamin does the same. "The world is full of idiotic ideas that should've been thrown away a long time ago," my aunt announces. "They're used to keep people in their tiny spaces of supposed superiority, but all they do is gather like still, poisoned water and start killing humanity little by little."
"That's scary," murmurs Benjamin.
"Yeah," I mutter.
"It's terrifying," states my Aunt Letty softly.
Chapter 34
"Yeah, terrifying. You know, I've had to stop wearing hoodies after what happened to Trayvon Martin," explains Peebo. "My parents begged me to stop."
"They must've been terrified that the same would happen to you," my aunt Letty states.
"I don't see anyone asking Zuckerberg to stop wearing hoodies," he snaps angrily.
Of course he was talking about Mark Zuckerberg, who was instrumental in inventing Facebook. He uses hoodies all the time but he's white and doesn't have to give up his hoodies. It's unlikely he'll be accused of being a thug.
"It's so idiotic for you to be considered a thug just because you like to wear hoodies," snaps Lorena. "You're the smartest student in school. Why do you have to change the way you dress?"
"It's so unfair," snarls Peebo. "I know that life's unfair, but it still sucks."
"People use that line about life being unfair too much," my Aunt Letty states. "It often gives an excuse for people not to even try to make it fair."
I can see what she's getting at.
"Don't buy into it—not for something like this," explains Aunt Letty. "It's this world you'll soon be inheriting from us old dinosaurs, and we'll be dying off. You guys go all out to try to make it fair."
"You know, I really hate it that my parents had to have the talk with me," states Peebo.
"The talk?" asks Benjamin, puzzled.
"Yes, the talk," states my Aunt Letty. She seems to know exactly what Peebo is saying. "It would be good for you to listen to it, Benjamin. It could also affect you."
"What is the talk?" he asks.
"It's the talk about how to handle yourself with authority figures," states my aunt. "Right, Peebo?"
"Right."
"You see, there are a disproportionate amount of black and brown people in prison," informs my Aunt Letty. "If you're black or brown you're more likely to be stopped and frisked by authority figures like police, guards, and the like."
"You can't make sudden movements or put your hands in your pockets," states Peebo. "You have to stay calm no matter the situation. Don't be belligerent. Don't yell. Tell the authority figures calmly what you're about to do like pull out your wallet to show them your I.D."
"Even justice is disproportionate," Aunt Letty snaps angrily. "If you're black or brown you're more likely be dumped in prison and given longer sentences. That's why your parents, Benjamin, are such heroes for fighting for people's rights."
"Yeah, they're pretty awesome," I say.
"I don't know why they haven't had the talk with me. I mean I'm brown and a big guy. I may be perceived as a threat by some people."
"It's probably that your parents don't want to think that you're in any kind of danger," states my Aunt Letty.
"That's gotta be it," Benjamin says.
On Friday, I prepare for my long awaited date with Benjamin. What a week it's been! After we had learned about what had happened to Lorena and Peebo, Benjamin and I try to be there for them. They're still pretty shaken up. So are Benjamin and I. Talking to my aunt helped a lot, though. A lot. Lorena and Peebo are now convinced that they can't let some jerks come between them and their blossoming relationship.
I put on a dress I rarely wear because it's very fancy and I hardly ever have occasion to wear it. My mom had practically forced me to buy it, telling me I needed a dress for a special time. I'm glad she had convinced me.
The chiffon dress is light purple, frilly, and what you would call feminine. I wear a pair of brown small heels with it. I have never been able to wear high heels, so my low ones will have to suffice. I curl my shoulder length, dark brown hair. My mom tells me it looks really good.
As I come down the stairs Benjamin is talking to my dad. Both stop talking and look up to see me.
"You're beautiful," Benjamin murmurs, his hazel eyes on me.
"Thank you," I say quietly.
My dad, the emotional type, has tears in his eyes. "My little girl is all grown up and so gorgeous," he murmurs.
"Aw, dad," I say, stepping up to him, "I'll always be your little girl."
&
nbsp; "Promise?" he asks.
"Promise," I say.
Benjamin and I step out of my house to his car. He looks amazing! He wears black slacks and a green dress shirt.
"You're really beautiful," he murmurs as he starts his car.
"You're beautiful yourself," I say.
Tomorrow, we'll be double dating with Lorena and Peebo, but tonight is just our night. I'm tingly all over. I realize how much we needed a night without drama but just dedicated to our relationship.
"Look in the backseat," he murmurs.
I gasp. A radiant bouquet of flowers in a pink, shimmering wrap sits there. I grab it and immediately put it to my nose. The sweet scent of the red roses with baby breath fills my nostrils.
"Thank you, Benjamin," I murmur.
He smiles. "I'm glad you like them."
"I love them."
We arrive at the Mexican restaurant, Mariachi, and immediately feel comfortable in the place. Bright candles burn on every table along with vases with flowers. Some walls are painted teal while others are just plain beige. But the beige walls have paintings of Mexican scenery on them. Outside is a courtyard with a giant fountain in the middle. The water flows through a giant ceramic sombrero in the center. Benjamin asks that we be seated outside.
When we're settled, I smile at him and he returns the smile. I order a taco plate and he an enchilada one. We both drink melon beverages and eat crispy chips with red hot salsa.
"I like it here," he says.
"I do too."
For the moment, we're the only ones outside, and he decides to give me a kiss. Wow. Very delicious.
After his lips leave my own, he puts his forehead to mine. "It feels so good to be together."
"And without all the drama that usually surrounds us."
He frowns. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way, okay?"
"Okay." He kisses me again. I try not to melt.
Savoring the tasty food slowly when we get it, our stomachs are full and our hearts content when we leave. As planned, we go to Scenic Drive. It's already dark now and while I love it during the day too, I prefer it at night. To me, cities look like glistening jewels at night.
We step out of his car, and go down the steps to the mini-type of a park overlooking the two cities that unfold before us. There's Juarez on the Mexican side and El Paso on this side. Vibrant city noises of traveling vehicles and busy happenings travel through the air. Other people are here enjoying the sights. Benjamin hugs me from the back as we gaze at what's in front of us.
"Really beautiful," I murmur.
"Yep."
Looking at the Juarez lights, I feel compelled to ask him a question. "Benjamin, you've never told me about your summer in Mexico," I murmur.
"You want to hear about it?"
"Very much. You said some very interesting things at the cafeteria when you tore into everybody."
He chuckles. "Okay."
"Benjamin, I'm curious as to what exactly caused you to change your whole life."
"I almost died, Zuri."
Chapter 35
"What?!" I gasp, my stomach folding into itself.
"I tumbled down a hill. It had rained and was very muddy. The boy with me was used to the place but I, of course, wasn't. I stepped wrong and found myself sliding down fast."
"How terrifying to be falling like that!" I blurt, my heart pounding hard.
"As I was slipping to what I was sure would be my death because there was a precipice that suddenly dropped off and giant rocks were at the bottom, I kept thinking how I hadn't done what I wanted to do and was about to die."
"What a realization!" I mutter.
"I didn't want to play basketball anymore. I didn't want to date Chantilly. I wanted you, Zuri."
"You really thought of me?" I ask, surprised.
"There was nothing strange about it. I've been in love with you for a long time."
"Same with me," I say. He squeezes me tightly.
"At the last minute I grabbed onto a fallen tree. It was huge, so I managed to stop myself from continuing to fall."
I exhale deeply. "Thank goodness."
"I never told my mom and dad about that because I didn't want them to freak out, but that fall was one of the things that changed my life."
"What are the other things?" I question with curiosity.
He sighs as if catching his breath to tell me a story. "When we went to Mexico for the summer, we were very careful."
"All that drug dealing and violent crime stuff by certain elements across the border is horrible."
"My parents took me to a very small village in Mexico. Only a dot on the map if at all actually. My mom didn't like how I was acting. She was right. The most valuable player stuff was getting to my head—it didn't help that Chantilly was reminding me what a popular couple we were all the time."
"I never saw you act like a jerk," I say with astonishment at what he's telling me.
"Well, I was bad enough to my parents. I was asking them to take more paying clients and stuff like that. The thing is is that I was acting up because I was so unhappy with my life that I criticized everything including them constantly."
"This really surprises me."
"Peebo was the one who was trying to wake me up. He knew right away what was wrong with me and told me I needed to straighten out my life."
"What did you do?"
"At that time, my parents decided that we should help out the poor in Mexico. To be honest, I was relieved to leave for the summer and have time to myself to decide what to do. Once I had my near fatal accident and saw what I saw amongst the poor, deciding what course my life should take was easy."
"It was?"
"It freaks me out how much food there is in this world while others are starving for it. All my life, I've taken for granted that if I'm hungry I can just open the refrigerator or buy myself something. There are so many people in this world who struggle for food. Even in our own rich country, there are kids going to bed with growling stomachs."
"That's really sad."
"And what I said in the cafeteria was true. There are so many teenagers our age and younger who help support their families. They don't even buy themselves a single soda to be able to help feed their parents and siblings."
"Wow, that's pretty huge."
"All the superficial stuff we're sometimes into seems stupid to me now."
"I can see why."
"You know, Zuri, that some of the little kids in the village used to be fascinated by our laundry?"
"How is that?"
"I'd help my mom do laundry since there were no laundromats in the little village. Heck, we were lucky that with the little house we rented we also got an old fashioned washing machine. Anyway, I'd help hang the clothes with clothespins."
I chuckle. "I would've loved to have seen that."
He chuckles too. "I'm sure I made quite a sight trying to figure out how to best use the clothespins. A whole slew of kids would watch me and laugh. I didn't mind since I'm sure I was giving them quite a show in clumsiness. To my surprise, I realized that they weren't just there to be entertained by me. They were fascinated with how many clothes we owned. I could see them counting the clothing."
"Counting the clothing?" I ask, surprised.
"Yeah, their little fingers would be pointing and they'd be counting uno, dos, tres and so on."
"Wow," I murmur.
"I got so used to them following me around and stuff that I decided to give them some sort of classes—to make my time useful with them."
"What kind of classes?" I ask, fascinated.
"I started reading stories to them and doing other stuff. My parents had given me books on Mexican folktales, traditions, and crafts before we had left to Mexico. My parents were so happy with what I had started doing on my own that they provided materials and even a lunch meal for the kids."
"How awesome, Benjamin!" I'
m so proud of my boyfriend that I tilt my face and smack his lips with my own.
"I had so much fun—it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. You know that none of those kids ever missed a class? They were always quiet and respectful towards me. When we'd finish, they didn't want to go home!" he states, chuckling. "I had to convince them to go or I'd be in trouble with their parents."
"How funny."
"They were amazing kids."
"What an amazing experience you had, Benjamin."
"You think I could ever share this story with Chantilly?—that she could ever even begin to understand?"
"Probably not."
"All she ever thinks about are clothes, looks, and popularity," he sneers.
"Some people are built like that."
"But you get it."
"I sure do," I sigh.
"I love you, Zuria."
"I love you, Benjamin."
Chapter 36
I've been going over what Benjamin told me at Scenic Drive all weekend—about his change of attitude, his near death experience, and his helping those kids. It's Sunday, and I'm doing a lot of thinking. We went out on Saturday with Lorena and Peebo. They seemed nervous when we entered the Italian restaurant but soon relaxed when Benjamin and I kept pulling words out of them. It's difficult to go through what they went through and forget it just like that.
Overall it was a pleasant evening, but I couldn't help thinking about how some people can be so mean and misguided. The thought of people criticizing Lorena and Peebo for dating shouldn't even be entering their heads, much less affecting them.
Is this type of intolerance what we, the young, are going to inherit? I wonder. My Aunt Letty's ideas are drilling into me with hard strokes. Are we doomed to live on the planet that haters created?
Then the idea hits me. The cyberbullying prevention mobilization inspires me. Ordinary people can make a difference. I rush to my favorite aunt's home to tell her my idea.
"You want to start a club?" Aunt Letty questions.
"A Teens for a Better World club," I state. "Is that hokey?"
My Letty aunt smiles and shakes her head. "It's a great idea."
"You really think so?" I ask excitedly.
"Being proactive about making your world a better place is just great. The problem would be if your heart is in the wrong place—if you were doing it just for popularity or in disguise of intolerant and damaging attitudes, but I know that's not the case with you, Zuria so full speed ahead."