Waiting Over, 2009

Resar, fall, 2009
Harriet and Henry Mendenhall are juniors. Erricson Frankson, Rosemarie Grand and Tyisha Masters are freshman. Rashid Cunningham is 23, S'Ahmisa Warwick is 22

S'Ahmisa nervously bit her lip as she glanced at the clock for the third time and what was only two minutes.


"What time is their train supposed to arrive?"

"1:18 according to the schedule," Rashid said nodding towards the paper on the wall.

She nodded and resumed her meal of flesh. She shouldn't be nervous, but then again, last time she saw the woman in question was more than five years ago and it wasn't the best of circumstances.

"We're almost there. Are you excited?" Sabien asked, smiling at the young woman as the train slowly braked.

"I am, Uncle Sabien. I can't wait to start university."

"Pierce University is a good school and the art program in Apple Valley is top notch, you're going to be working with some great artists."

"I know! Mr. Herendez is actually teaching my beginning art seminar. I can't wait to work with him."

The group got off the train and stretched their legs.

"Do you see them?" Tomika asked, scanning the crowd. "There they are!"

S'Ahmisa and Rashid waved at the small group and quickly approached them.

Rashid wrapped his arms around Tyisha and picked her up off the ground. He couldn't help but think of the song, Shawty is a Ten, as he held the young woman in his arms.

"Dang, look at you, boo."

"I know," Tyisha said grinning. "I'm not a little girl anymore am I?"

Rashid blushed, "Nah, you are not a little girl anymore at all."

Having her around was going to be a lot harder than he originally thought it was. She was fine as ever and time had really did her well. He couldn't help but appreciate the way that time had shaped her body and the curves on her hips and the way she swayed them naturally, so full of promises and illicit temptations.

"Mama C, it's so good to see you." S'Ahmisa said hugging the woman and trying to ignore the unchecked glances Rashid kept passing to Tyisha.

"It's great to see you as well, Ms.Hood Council President. How are you doing, baby? You eating enough? You're looking a bit thin."

S'Ahmisa smiled, "I am doing the best I can. Besides, I've always been this skinny. I wasn't blessed with curves."

"Are you coming to the university to help us move in Tyisha?"

"I can't, I have business at the office. However, I paid a couple of guys to move everything in and arrange the room however she wants it. They're waiting over by the luggage area. Just point out your bags and they'll do the rest."

They did do the rest and Tyisha was quickly moved into her spacious double room.

"I'm majoring in art too!" Tyisha's new roommate, Summer squealed as she greeted her at the door.

Tyisha and Summer were well matched as roommates, both enjoyed art and the color purple and both had the same preferences for cleanliness, but Tyisha wondered if they would actually become friends. Summer was a bit too perky for her tastes.

While Tyisha clearly wasn't.

She wasn't the only freshman on campus,

Erricson Frankson had joined the university that simyear as well and he was thinking about majoring in culinary arts,

but first he had to rethink how to get rid of his surplus cooking experiences, otherwise he would quickly gain more than the freshman fifteen.

Erricson made a lot of trips home

since his mother was pregnant with her third child

  

and his parents had also decided to foster a little boy until he could find an adoptive family.

He would help out by tending to his younger brother

and keeping him entertained with trips

to the newly constructed pool

or watching his foster brother, before returning to the dorm to finish homework.

Also Rosemaire Grand was a freshmen and thinking about majoring in education...or forensic science...or pathology.

Hopefully, she would make up her mind before junior year.

There was a bunch of older students still in the dorm,

as most were enjoying the brand new renovated campus.

Tyisha was enjoying her major classes with Mr.Herendez. At first, she was stuck with clay pottery for the first few weeks of class.

She hated clay and how it stuck to her nails.

Her professor noticed her lack of enthusiasm. "A true artist can work with any medium."

Tyisha refrained from sticking out her tongue at him, especially since acrylics were the next medium and she couldn't wait to return to her paints.

She grabbed an easel next to her roommate, Summer, and quickly picked up her brush in anticipation.

"Paint your fear, not literally, but figuratively." Mr. Herendez instructed.

Tyisha froze...paint her fear? What kind of assignment was that? She closed her eyes and thought about that deep dark hidden place that she kept locked and hidden for so many simyears. She didn't dare peek inside, instead she grabbed a random thought and started painting.

"I don't believe you," her professor whispered as she flicked the brush across the canvas.

"What?"

"This isn't your fear," he gestured to the painting. "As an artist you must display your soul, bare your emotions for the world and leave nothing hidden. If you cannot, then you will never be a true artist. You might sell artwork, but you won't be an artist."

"This is my fear," she protested.

"Don't insult me," he barked. "I know hesitation and I know passion. This is hesitation, and I don't tolerate hesitation. When you're ready to paint with passion let me know, until then, don't waste my time."