Authors: Nikki Turner
When she was coming out of the bathroom with Stephanie, one of the guys that was in the entourage came and asked,
"Which one of yall name is Yarni?" Stephanie pointed. He said "oh" and walked away.
The next day, Des called.
"You did an excellent job cheering last night. I liked what I saw and I may want you to be my own personal cheerleader."
"You came to the game but didn't make your appearance known to me? You didn't even speak to me!" She was upset and let him know it. He liked Yarni because she had spunk.
"Look, baby, that was yesterday. I can't bring that back.
Today is a new day and I want to see you." Yarni was in shock.
Wait a minute, he wants to see me?
"Can you meet me somewhere around your way?" Des asked.
How can I pull this off? Think Yarni, O.k. I can meet him up the street. Only white people live in that block and none of them know my mom, so I won't have to worry about them trying to snitch on me that I am meeting a grown man.
The date was set. When she saw him roll up in his Cadillac, chills struck through her body and she was mesmerized. Oh, my God, it's the dude from the entourage at the basketball game last night. This can't be the dude I have been talking to over the phone. Well, shoot me running! Why do I have to be 15? Ohhh, I just cannot believe this shit. I know he'll never be my boyfriend, hell, I've never even had a boyfriend my own age, let alone one that's 21 years old! Yarni, just keep your cool and lose the thought of him being your boyfriend.
Once up close she tried not to focus on the anchor pendant on his necklace that was fluttered in diamonds.
"You are even prettier close up," he said, as she blushed.
"Thank you, you're not too bad yourself," she said calmly as she melted inside.
They talked for a little while longer before she said, "I hate to break this up, but I have to get back home before my mom gets suspicious."
"Okay I'm glad you snuck out to meet me. I will call you in a little while to make sure you got home safe." Yarni strolled back down the street, passing all the large houses that sat up on the hill. Why am I so young? My age stops me from doing everything! He would never take me serious anyway. I'd be his "little girlfriend." Get real, Yarni, he's a grown man having sex, and you are still a virgin. Taking all those things into consideration, she dismissed the idea of ever being anything to him, and walked on home.
He watched her as she sashayed. The further she got down the street, the more he genuinely wanted her. Not for sex, but just as his own personal teddy bear, so to speak. She was everything he wanted in a female. She had the right build, not too big or too skinny. Her facial features were O.K., but she had the cutest dimples. She wasn't any beauty queen, but she was beautiful in her own way. She had long flowing black hair and a caramel complexion with no acne. Even though she was 15, he definitely liked her style.
As Yarni walked in her door, the phone rang.
"Look, I want to take you to the new Jean Claude Van Dam movie this coming Saturday." She felt like she wanted to just drop the phone. She couldn't believe this 21-year-old-man wanted to take her out. All kinds of things started running through her mind. What am I going to wear? How am I going to wear my hair? Most importantly, how am I going to convince my mother to agree to let me go out with him?
She thought of every possibility and tried to think of ways to go about this from every angle. I could say I am going to the movies with Melanie, but then she's going to want to talk to Melanie's mother and insist on dropping us off or picking us up.
I could say that it's a school function, but she's involved in every school outing. She came to the conclusion that her mother may let her go with a 17 year old, but definitely not a 21 year old.
That was a dead issue.
Yarni finally persuaded Gloria to let her go to the movies with her "friend" who she'd been talking to on the phone for months, and she told her mother she'd even been meeting him at Skate Land for the past couple years. She also told her mother that he was sort of like a big brother to her. So, her mother would not look at it as a real date. Now she knew that Gloria would want to meet him, and he would have to come in and meet her before they left.
Yarni knew Gloria was having company on Saturday night, and would be more lenient with her guests there. She told Des to pick her up at about 6:30, and he agreed, but he called at seven that evening. Saying that time had got away from him. He had gotten caught up gambling, but he was on the way. For a minute she thought he was standing her up. It couldn't be real, that she was going out with this big wheel.
When the doorbell rang Yarni hurried from upstairs to try to get to the door before Gloria could get to it. Yarni had to admit that she looked very cute. She had on tight fitting black leather pants, a black, red and white shirt, some red leather tall riding 9-West boots, and a red leather jacket.
Gloria rushed into the foyer, looked out of the window to the burgundy on burgundy rag topped Lincoln Continental with the slant back, parked outside with the "True" spoke rims along with the Vogue tires on it. She invited Des in. When she saw him with a huge diamond in his ear, Gazel sunglasses, and exquisite ostrich skin leather coat with the cowboy style hat, belt and shoes to match, and it wasn't that imitation stuff either, her first thought was "Oh, hell no, my daughter is not going anywhere with this gangsta looking cat. Bottom line." But that was before he spoke in that civilized manner that mother's love. He made direct eye contact with Gloria while extending his hand to greet her. "I am so pleased to finally meet Yarni's mother. Yarni has a lot of good qualities, and I can tell that she must have inherited them from you. Would you like to come along with us? We are going to see the new Jean Claude Van Dam movie. It had a good newspaper review," Des said.
"No, Sweetie," responded Gloria in an equally civilized manner. She thought to herself, that was a nice gesture. He has good manners and he looked me in my eyes while he spoke to me. Hummm, I have raised Yarni with certain morals and principles, and I trust her. She knows if he acts a fool that I am only a phone call away. Yarni's mind is set on going on this date. She inspected him from head to toe, and I can understand why. He is definitely a cutie.
"Sweetie, you all go and have a nice time," Gloria said.
"Is 11:30 O.K. to have her back?" Des wanted to do everything right.
"Yes, Sweetie, that'll be fine." That impressed Gloria. Yarni peeking from around the corner was bedazzled, as well. Des knew it would put Gloria more at ease.
Gloria went in Yarni's maize and hot pink room to get her.
She handed her three dollars in change and two twenty-dollar bills. She put her hands on a strand of Yarni's hair that was out of place, fixed the out strand, and grabbed Yarni under her chin.
"Rule number one for Dating 101. Never go anywhere without your own money in your possession. Don't let him know that you have money, but keep your own stash in case he acts a fool.
And if he does, there's enough change for you to call me. I gave you the change because rule number 2 states, never go on a date without change. You may need to use the phone to call somebody. You understand? Now I am going to be here all night, if you need me, baby. You look beautiful." She kissed Yarni on the forehead.
As Yarni was about to turn to walk out of the door, Gloria called out to Yarni and Des, "Wait a minute, smile! I have got to get a picture of my baby's first date." Gloria flashed them with her 110 camera.
Oh, my God I knew she was taking all this too well. She just had to embarrass me, by snapping that stupid picture. She is so dramatic and sentimental. I am so glad I did not inherit that trait from her. She always has to overdo it. Like she just could not settle with giving me one dollar of change. She had to give me three dollars of change. The phone is only 20 cents. Now I got all this change weighing my pocketbook down. Don't she know I am smart enough to just call her collect.
Gloria watched from the house as Des opened the car door for Yarni. Tears begin to roll down Gloria's face because reality sank in, her baby, the one she'd given birth to, which seemed like just yesterday, was growing up. As Gloria looked on watching them drive off, a time line of events in Yarni's life from birth up to this point flashed through her head.
They got to the movie 20 minutes late, which was fine by Yarni. She was fascinated with just being with Des. He was very serious, and to her, he seemed a little uptight. The movie was over at about 10pm. He knew they were working with little time.
He stopped by his apartment on the West end. It was something out of a magazine to her. Yarni's mother had a bunch of antique style furniture, but Des apartment was very modern. Everything in the apartment was black; black leather sectional sofa, a large picture of a black panther on the wall in the living room. The tile in the kitchen was black marble. The cabinets and counters were a marble print as well. All the walls throughout the apartment were mirrored. Yarni was intrigued by his style.
He cut the T.V. on and sat on the arm of the sectional. She sat in front of him. He just stood there. She asked him, "Are you going to give me a hug, or real gangsters don't hug." He stood up in front of her and put his arm around her, but never responded to the comment. She tried to kiss him, but he turned away, so she kissed him on his cheek, and she could feel his penis getting hard. At that point, he looked at his watch.
"It's almost eleven, I've got to make one stop, and I gave your mom my word that I'd have you back by 11:30." He grabbed her jacket, held it up in front of him so she could slip her arms into it, handed Yarni her barrel shaped Liz Claiborne purse and opened the screen door for her so they could exit the apartment.
They were off.
The ride back to Yarni's house was silent, besides the radio playing, "All Alone You Off On Your Own Girl" by Al B. Sure.
She wondered to herself exactly what his thoughts were. Des was so mysterious. I wonder, why he didn't try to make a move on me? I can't believe that he was a perfect gentleman. Would he ever see me again? Is he not impressed with what I wore? Is it my hair? She had her hair in a flat wrap, hanging real straight with the ends bent. What is it? He pulled into the 7-11 convenient store.
"You want something out of here?" Pointing to the store.
"No, but thank you anyway." He ran in and left the car running. He was back in a flash. He came back with 2 bouquets of flowers. He gave her one and placed the other bouquet on the back seat. I wonder whom the other one is for? The nerve of him to go in the store and buy his other chic some flowers while he's with me! It must be some tramp he's going to go and screw since he can't screw me. It's all too good, though. He probably thinks just because I am young I won't know what's going on. I am not going to say anything though. I am going to go ahead and play along with his little games, as simple as that.
They arrived at Yarni's house. He grabbed the other bouquet of flowers. He walked her to the door. Des presented Gloria with the flowers. Oh, this young boy got his stuff together trying to flatter me, huh? Gloria thought to herself, loving the attention, but not wanting to display loving it too much.
"Thank you, Mrs. Pitman, for allowing me to spend time with Yarni." As he sat down in the Victorian style chair in Gloria's living room, he said, "I was wondering if you'd allow me to take Yarni out again to dinner tomorrow night because we didn't really get to spend a whole lot of one-on-one time together?"
"Oh, and why was that? You picked her up at 7:15, and now it's 11:20." Gloria was anxious to hear his response.
Using his hand to explain. "Well, see, at the last minute my grandmother called requesting a ride to Bingo. I had to stop her at Kmart to get a marker because she left her Bingo bag at home, which put me way behind schedule. Yarni and I could not go to dinner as we planned after the movie because we had to pick up my grandmother from Bingo and drop her off at home. And initially, I told Yarni we were going to do dinner and a movie. I am a person of my word, and I'd like to keep my word with Yarni, if you'd allow me to."
He seems like he has good characteristics, but at the same time this is my baby, my only daughter, and I got to monitor him closely. Gloria looked into Des' eyes because she wanted to see the expression on his face when she gave him her response.
"No, tomorrow night is not going to be good." Des looked at Gloria.
"O.K., Mrs. Pitman, I'd like to thank you for the time you have allowed me to spend with Yarni tonight," Des said in a calm tone. He stood up to shake her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you."
"Des, you are most welcome to come over tomorrow night.
We have cable television. You all can watch a movie and order a pizza, and maybe I'd consider allowing you to carry Yarni to dinner next weekend." She had to play it slow.
"That'll be fine. Good night, Mrs. Pitman and Yarni, I will speak to you tomorrow." Gloria then started feeling like he was a good kid at heart. She decided that she wasn't going to judge the book by its cover.
As Des drove back across town to the crap house to try to win back the $22,000 that he'd lost earlier that evening, he came to grips with the situation. Yarni was what he'd longed for.
She was going to be his. He knew that she was not of age. He was also aware that there was a certain set of rules he'd have to follow concerning her mother. He'd have to cater to Gloria.