| Saturday, October 29, 2005 |
| CHAPTER 11
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Rick hadn't spoken to Paula for almost 3 days. He was so upset with her. She hadn't called him, when she said she would and she had been out all night. Rick wasn't possessive or anything, but he believed in keeping his word. If you say you are going to do something, then do.
Treshon had been screaming in Rick's ear all week that Paula was out somewhere doing something damnable. Rick knew otherwise, Paula wasn't like that. There were times when Rick wondered why he was even friends with Treshon. Treshon was harsh, much too harsh for Rick's taste. Perhaps it was Treshon's strict holiness upbringing. Rick was brought up Baptist. Treshon was constantly trying to get Rick to become Pentecostal. If Treshon was an example of Pentecostalism, Rick wasn't sure if he wanted to become one.
"I done told you boy, that girl ain't saved. She is always doing something she ain't got no business doing. You are going to be an evangelist; she has to be above reproach. She just ain't right for you, man. She is loud and boisterous. She is flashy and forward. She ain't gonna make a good preacher's wife," Treshon ranted.
Rick composed himself, "Treshon, I am tired of you running Paula down. She may not be what you want, but she is what I want. Man, you are too hard, it's no wonder people run from you. Paula's right, one of these days, someone is going to hit you. If you keep running my girl down, it may just be me."
Treshon made his POed face, as if Rick even cared, "See, I am trying to help you. If you want that trouble, then don't say anything to me when she makes you look bad. That girl is not a good representative of who you are."
Rick threw up his hands, "For the record, we are not married. Good grief, boy, we are in college. You need to lighten up. I'm gone. You need to prayer about being so mean. I am sure glad Jesus wasn't as mean as you are. I might not have come to Him if He was. Remember that, Treshon. You are showing people how Jesus is. How are you making Him look?" Rick walked out the door before Treshon could respond.
Treshon wondered if he was really that harsh. He had grown up under dogmatic preachers all his life. That's all he knew. He brushed his curly hair from his light skinned face. People often said he was so mean because he was short and trying to compensate for his height.
Born in a religious house, Treshon learned about God at an early age. His mother was Holiness, his father, recently called to be a preacher, a Baptist preacher, though. Treshon had been called to the ministry since the age of 12. He was a fiery dynamic preacher, even at a young age. He often won youth to Christ, although recently, the only person he had won to Christ was Rick.
Maybe Rick was right, maybe he was too harsh. Treshon just didn't believe in sugar coating anything. People needed to know the truth. He had been called by the Lord to tell the truth. Treshon was tired of Paula. Her only real problem was that she was not like the women he was use to. She did not sit still and be quiet. Treshon did like the fact that she helped Rick in his ministry. She would help him pass out tracks and witness to people. Other than those attributes, Paula needed to sit somewhere and keep silent, like the Bible said.
Rick just needed to go for a walk. He couldn't take anymore of Treshon's nonsense. Treshon had a knack for upsetting people when trying to encourage them. Rick tried to get Paula out of his mind, but he couldn't. She didn't do bad things, she was just doing what college students do, have fun. Who could blame her; she was young and carefree. She liked having fun. Rick had to admit that he enjoyed being around her when she decided to be fun loving. She was a wonderful relief from Treshon. That boy was always serious. Rick couldn't remember when he had actually seen Treshon bust a gut laughing or smile big. Rick wasn't sure where he was going, but he kept on walking.
Paula was worried. Rick hadn't called her in a few days. She had called him, but Treshon trifling behind had picked up the phone and acted a fool with her. She couldn't stand him. She had to pray so that she wouldn't knock him dead into a new week.
She walked over to Rick's dorm. When she walked up to the door, she ran into Treshon. Treshon saw her. He made it a point to go talk to her.
"What do you want?" Treshon frowned at her.
Paula huffed, "Not you. Is Rick in there?"
Treshon shifted his weight from his left side to his right side, "No, he isn't. What do you want; to tell him that you were shaking your behind at the dance?"
Paula looked at Treshon as if he had lost his mind. "Look fool, first and foremost, it ain't any of your business what I do. Second, you need to watch your tread before you get slapped. Rick ain't here to protect you. I don't like you, so you need to leave me alone."
Treshon grabbed Paula's arm, "You need to watch who you are talking about slapping. Touch not my anointing and do my prophet no harm."
Paula wrenched away from Treshon, "Negro, don't ever put your hands on me again! Get this straight. I don't answer to you, so you can kiss a certain part of my anatomy. Since you want to quote scriptures, how about quoting the one that says, if you want to make friends, you must first show you self friendly. Then again, you probably don't need friends in your mind. I firmly believe Rick is saved, because anyone who would hang around with your trifling behind, would have to be saved or a saint. If you want to tell Rick, you can tell him, that's up to you. But I make you this promise, if you ever touch me; you are going to wish you hadn't."
Treshon was stunned. No woman had ever talked to him like Paula had. He wanted to say something to her, but she walked off from him. He thought about going after her and setting her straight, but she had a little height and weight on him. He figured it wouldn't be worth it to get into a fight with her. As crazy as she was, she would probably fight a dude.
Paula walked off. She was so upset that she had turned red in the face. Before she knew it, tears were running out of her eyes. She started walking towards her dorm. She wasn't in any condition to be around people.
"Good grief, why must people act a fool with me when I am PMSing," Paula thought. It never failed someone had to do something idiotic at a time when she was already an emotional wreck. She cried even harder. She knew Treshon was going to say something to Rick and then make it look twice as bad as it really was.
Paula reached the walkway of her dorm. She heard someone calling her name. She wiped her face before she looked around. When she looked up, Rick was standing in her face. He took one look at her and knew something was wrong.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Why have you been crying?" Rick said in a caring voice.
Paula laid her head on his shoulder and cried. Rick put his hands around her and held her. She cried for a few minutes before she raised her head up off of Rick's shoulder. She wiped her eyes and then attempted to wipe the tears off of Rick's shirt. Rick moved her hand from his shoulder. He took both of her and held them in his.
"Are you gonna tell me why you were crying?" Rick inquired.
Paula sighed, "I went over to your dorm to look for you and I ran into Treshon. He gets on my nerves. He just upset me."
Rick let her left hand go and walked her over to a nearby bench. "What did he do?"
Paula smirked, "What he usually does. Being a jack! Being an idiot."
Rick batted his eyelashes, "He must have really upset you. Tell me what he said."
Paula rubbed her chin, 'He asked me if I had come to tell you that I was at the dance and he quoted some scriptures. I told him off. Something is wrong with that nut. He has issues with women. Why are you friends with him?"
"What dance did you go to?" Rick frowned at his red faced girlfriend.
Paula twisted her lips, "A dance given by Benita and her sorority sisters. A girl from one of my classes wanted to go, so I went with her."
Rick frowned again, "Why did that make you cry?"
Paula shrugged her shoulders, "I don't' know. I guess I was just upset about it. Are you gonna tell me why you are friends with him."
"He is not as mean as he acts like he is. He is actually a pretty good guy. He just was raised a certain way and he believes that things should be that way. God's going to have to change him. I am trying to be an example to him. He thinks women should be seen and not heard. He is pretty old-fashioned. I have told him that everyone's household wasn't like that," Rick lamented. He caressed Paula's hand.
Paula moved her hand from his. She didn't like the way he was making her feel. He was making her feel better. She wanted to be mad right then. She wanted Rick to be mad at Treshon, too, but Rick was an even tempered guy and she had never seen him get mad at anyone.
"Aren't you mad at Treshon?" Paula said.
Rick blew a breath, "Yea, I will talk to him when I get home, later. Right now, I am trying to make sure that you are okay."
Paula smiled at Rick being delightful. "I don't suppose you are going to hit him."
Rick laughed, "No, I am not going to hit him. I am going to talk to him."
"He needs a good kick in the behind. That's about all that is going to help him."
Rick grabbed Paula's shoulder, "Don't be so mean, girl. Just pray for him."
"I can't right now. I might pray the wrong thing and he may turn into a roach and someone may step on him."
Rick laughed and Paula laughed.
Paula knew that she had to broach the subject, "I apologize for not calling you the other night. I got in late. I didn't feel like hearing Treshon's mouth, plus I didn't know if you were gonna be woke."
Rick sucked his bottom lip, "You should have called anyway. Who did you dance with at the dance?"
Paula smiled, "No one. I mostly helped Benita out. I just made sure that Kourtnee had some fun. You should see that girl's apartment. It is professionally decorated and everything. That girl is living better than any college student I know."
"How you just gonna tell all that girl's business? No one asked you to change the subject either. We were talking about the dance."
Paula titled her head, "I know. I'm hungry. Can we go eat?"
"You are just trying to get out of trouble. We can't go right now. I am fussing at you."
Paula rolled her neck, "Trust me; Treshon has caused me enough stress that you don't even have to fuss at me. And I would appreciate it if you didn't fuss at me this time."
Rick smiled, “Yes, Mame. I'll let you slide today."
They both stood up and headed for the cafeteria to go get something to eat. |
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