Charmed - 3.

I don't even get the chance to unpack. As soon as my head hits the pillow I crash. By the time I come around, it's dark outside. I check the time and it's late. I've probably missed dinner. I make my way downstairs and sure enough the lights are off with no one in sight.

On the kitchen counter, I see a folded note on top of a foil-covered dish.

"In case you wake up feeling a lil' peckish, I saved you a plate" - Aunt Gaby

I clutch the note to my chest. How thoughtful.

I reheat the plate and head back to my room. As I walk the hallway, I hear movement in Theo's room. Estelle gave me a brief tour of the house before I settled in. At least someone is still up. I knock on the door and a few seconds later he opens it up a sliver to peek his head out.

"May I come in?" I ask.

He checks the hallway behind me then stands back permitting me entrance. "Sure."

His room is surprisingly tidy and his bed is still made. I sit at his desk and start on my dinner which is when the strange smell hits me.

"Something smells... funky."

"Guess there's no use hiding it." Theo walks toward the window and opens it up before perching himself on the sill. He retrieves a joint, lights it up and takes a puff. "You want a pass?" he asks offering me the blunt.

"Nah, I'm good." I remember the smell from the house party in Plett. It's quite distinct. I choose to leave this topic in favour of more pressing matters. "So, what was that about at breakfast?"

He inhales deeply and exhales into the chilly night.

"Just the usual power move from the folks."

"Were you serious about dropping out?"

"Sometimes I wanna quit, but I know it would limit my options and I don't want to have to extend my misery by completing my GED at a later date."

"I'm sure your dad would be relieved to hear you say that."

"Probably."

"When did you start smoking?"

"When we moved to the ATL."

"Where do you get it from?"

"I know some people."

I'm guessing these people are the wrong crowd Aunt Gaby was referring to.

"Have you ever gotten caught?"

"A couple of times. Shit. It's the reason I don't have a lock on my door or get an allowance anymore."

We sit in silence for a bit as he puffs on his joint and I eat my food.

"Why not buckle down and do what they expect for a few more months? After you graduate, you can move out of state and live the life you want."

"You make it sound so easy."

"From where I'm sitting, rebellion looks a lot harder."

He takes a last drag and puts out the rest of the joint before closing the window. He walks over to me and takes out an incense stick from his desk lighting the wick. He sets it on his nightstand and takes a seat on his bed. The scent of lavender soon wafts through the room.

"I don't drink and I don't do drugs. Despite what the government says, weed is natural except for the new breeds they're cloning in labs for 'medicinal purposes'." He throws up some air quotes. "Anyway, I do it because it helps me relax. I never expected to uproot my life at the tail end of high school to start again somewhere new. I'm an outsider and grew up differently. There's already an established order and a completely different culture at this school. I'm no jock, hot shot, or monied so I can't win this late in the game."

"Theo, come on. Are you telling me out of the hundreds of kids in the grade you can't make one friend?"

"I wish there were hundreds of kids in the grade, then I could at least disappear into the background. No, Dad got a new job and a raise and I got put into this snobby, private school that has like 100 kids, max, in our grade."

Okay, I'm starting to get the picture. I can totally relate.

"I feel you. I know what it's like to be around snobby, private school kids."

"Riiight. Your family is loaded Soleil. Dad told me you're practically royalty."

"Wait a minute. That was my grandfather and he was like one of many many children because his father had many many wives. Since he passed away, I think we've attended one of those royal gatherings and I didn't know half of those people."

"Still, you're kind of old money. Your parents had it. Your grandparents had it and probably the folks before them too."

"Those folks were going through apartheid so I don't think they had it the way you think they did." I pause not wanting to get into politics or comparisons. "Look, there's levels to these things. When I see what other families around me have it doesn't feel like I have much, but then I'll be forced out of my bubble and see people living in shacks in townships or homeless on the streets and I'm forced to remember how lucky I am. You know what they say, comparison is the thief of joy."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a dick. I'm just having a hard time adjusting. I didn't think it would be like this. 'Come to the ATL' they said 'where black folks run the town'. I never expected not to fit in. I'm like this corny whitewashed guy from Portland. I don't know what's hot. I don't get the lingo. They revoked my black card. I feel like I'm having an identity crisis."

"Look inside yourself, Simba."

"What?" My cousin looks at me in confusion.

"Sorry, I'm quoting Lion King. You're giving Simba vibes."

"If that means I'm giving off king vibes, I'll take it. If you're insinuating I'm surviving off bugs and rolling around with a meerkat and warthog instead of a pride, I need you to take that shit back."

"Well, it does sound like you've lost your pride in more ways than one my friend."

"You're right. Come to think of it, I don't even have a Timone or Pumba in my corner."

We break out into laughter. Mine dies down after a bit but Theo is in stitches. He's on the floor holding onto his stomach and rolling around in silence. I start laughing because I think he's high and it makes for a comical sight. I regret not having my phone with me to record this. He finally manages to pull himself together, wipes his tears and gets back on the bed.

"I'm glad I could bring brevity to your bleak situation. On a serious note though, a private school education is not a privilege that many people get. Don't fuck this up."

"I won't cuz. And thanks for being so cool about this. I haven't had anyone to talk to since Elle moved out. It's good to have you guys back for the holidays."

"What do you mean? Does your phone not work? Did you not have friends back in Portland that you're still in touch with?"

"So not the same thing."

"Ture. Anyway, it's good to be home for the holidays. By the way, why did your family move out here?"

"Dad got a teaching post at Morehouse."

I whistle. "That's impressive. Go, Uncle Don!"

"Yeah, I guess it is. But, he's also been putting pressure on me he never did before. He's changed."

A knock on the door interrupts us. After a beat, Uncle Don pokes his head in.

"Soleil?" He looks a little surprised to see me in here. "Theo. Uh, just wanted to say goodnight."

"Yeah right," my cousin mutters.

"I think I've slept enough, but you have a good night."

"Thanks, kiddo. Try to get some rest though. I want to take you somewhere tomorrow."

"Alright, will do." He smiles before closing the door. I turn to look at Theo. "Damn. Why you gotta be so rude?"

"He entered without giving me a chance to respond. I could have been naked for all he knows. He probably thought I'd snuck someone in or some shit because he doesn't trust me."

"Have you snuck someone in here before?"

The silence is telling. Before I can confront him about it, his phone rings. He answers the call but gives one-word answers to whoever's on the other side. The call ends quickly.

"Hey, do you mind if we cut this short? There's something I gotta finish up."

"Sure, no problem." I get up to leave pausing at the threshold. "Hey Theo..."

"Yeah."

"You're lucky you still have a dad. I can only imagine how annoying he can be if he's anything like my gran, but he loves you. Just hang in there and persevere through the bullshit of school politics. If I made it, so can you."

He rolls his eyes at me in response. "Night cuz," he says before shutting the door in my face.

"Love you too," I shout through the barrier.

***

The next morning I'm in the car with Uncle Don after breakfast driving to who knows where. The drive has been silent except for the oldies station playing some 80's music.

I decide to start up a conversation. "Professor Donatien..."

The man breaks out in a wide smile that lights up his whole face. I can see it now. He's dressed in grey slacks, a baby blue shirt, a grey sweater, and a black peacoat. His bald head matches his clean shave. His thick dark brows and dark brown eyes stand out against his caramel skin.

"Technically, it's Professor Spellman. Who told you?"

"Theo. Congratulations, by the way!"

"Thanks, Sunny Bear."

"You're welcome. While we're on the topic Professor, does our family name have anything to do with the founders of Spelman College?"

"I've also wondered the same thing. The college was named after Laura Spelman and her parents. Laura was the wife of John D. Rockefeller and trying to get family records on one of the most prominent families in this country is no easy feat. Her father, Harvey Spelman, was an abolitionist and active in the Underground Railroad from Massachusetts. Our family is from Louisiana though. There may be a link, but it's not likely."

"Have you ever done those ancestry tests?"

"Nah, never thought too much about it. I decided to look to the future instead of focusing on the past. I can't go back there now, can I?"

"I guess not."

I take a moment to consider the possibilities of time travel. I mean if Brice can teleport through space, can he also move through time? I push the thought of him out of my mind and focus on the present.

"What made you want to be a professor?"

"I didn't. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. My major was Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. Gaby and I were down in Boston for a networking event. I was working for a research company at the time and was simply sharing my findings. A professor from the college was among the group and we got to talking. He told me about the position that had recently opened up. I'd already done my PhD, so why not? Then bada-bing bada-boom and here we are."

"So it was a stroke of luck?"

"Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Did I ever tell you about how my brother met your mother?"

"No, we've never discussed them. I guess I was too young back then."

"Well, back in the day, Jules and I were bad-ass kids. We hated school. Didn't think it was worth our time since we knew we weren't going to college because we couldn't afford it. We came from a broken family. We were poor and started hustling. Jobs were few and far in-between. It's what our father did to put food on the table back when our parents were still together. That's how he knew to survive and that's how he taught us to survive. Unfortunately, we got caught and had a stint in jail. When we got out, we decided to leave New Orleans for the Big Apple which is where your dad tried to hustle your mom."

"Stop! You can't be serious."

"Wait, it gets worse. He used to hustle the tourists because they were easy to spot. He had your mom as a mark, but according to him when they got to talking he forgot the objective and instead convinced her he was a student when he found out she was a foreign exchange student."

"Nooo, this is so dizzy." I laugh picturing the two.

"He enrolled in a community college to get his GED while she was at NYU Stern for Accounting," he continues.

"How long did this charade last?"

"Your father confessed a year after graduating. But according to your mother, she knew after the first semester. Anyway, since my partner in crime was attending school, I decided to join him. Ended up enjoying the environment and being around such driven people. Your mom was down to earth and would introduce us to her friends who were people with vision. She brought out a different side of Jules. Who knew the kid running around spray painting graffiti and tagging walls had talent on canvas?"

"I remember him painting these huge murals in the loft," I recall.

"Yup, he was getting commissioned once his art started making the rounds. While he was busy in love and discovering his creative side, I focused and applied myself too. Met Gaby. Got a little eager which led to little Estelle and the rest is history."

"Wow Uncle Don, that's the cutest thing I've heard."

"I'm glad you think so." The car slows down and comes to a stop. "We're here."

I look around at the quiet streets and scattered buildings, the most prominent being the white three-storey with its dark tinted glass windows we're parked next to. It looks like a recent build and is more modern than the rest.

"And where is here exactly?" I ask.

"You're not gonna find out sitting here. Follow me."

2024 / 08 / 10

WC: 2400

How are you liking the backstory on the other side of Soleil's family?

Or do you prefer intense romances that solely focus on the couple and any mentions of their backstory are in a few sentences that take place off-page i.e. they never interact?

I just wanted to be fair and include her American side since we got to see the African side with Gogo and Michelle 🙃