“Nice to meet you too. I’m AJ”
I pulled myself together and moved aside so that AJ, Deanna, and Karl could come in. AJ was carrying a small silver gift bag and Deanna was clutching an envelope in her hands. As I shut the door I turned to look at daddy who hadn’t noticed our new arrivals yet. Just then, mom stepped into the foyer.
“AJ, it’s good to see you again. I’m glad your family didn’t mind sharing you with us for the holidays.”
He smiled back at her as she embraced him. She was so loud that Daddy turned to look in our direction. My mind was telling me to run upstairs and hide under my bed, but my feet wouldn’t move. My father’s expression went from shocked to enraged in a matter of seconds. I watched him turn red as Mom stood there talking to my friends. Her hand was still on AJ’s arm distinguishing him from the rest of the group. Daddy had figured it out. His eyes turned to me, his teeth clenched, and his nostrils flared before turning to leave the room. Reluctantly, I followed him to his study leaving my guests behind at the door. When I reached the doorway he was pacing with his hands on his hips, looking up at me when I entered the room.
“I want him gone. Now!” He insisted.
I closed the door behind me to prevent anyone from hearing. “Daddy, you haven’t even given him a chance. What has he done wrong to you that you won’t even try to get to know him?” I asked.
He ignored my question. “I’m not gonna allow this. What were you thinking about, Samantha? You have no business with that boy! Did you really think that I was gonna let this go on? Let me tell you what guys like him do. They get with girls like you that don’t know any better. They get you into bed and use you all up. Then, they leave you BY YOURSELF and they find them a nice young girl of their OWN RACE who hasn’t been ran all through and they settle down with HER. Not you.”
It felt like there was a lump in my throat. “AJ’s not like that, Daddy,” I said in a voice so low that it was almost a whisper.
He laughed to himself as he tried to suppress his anger. “Oh, really? And how can you be so sure?” He asked I couldn’t explain myself, so I just ignored his question. “I’m not making him leave.”
“Samantha Lenise Kelley, this is my house, not yours.”
Just then, Mom walked in with a concerned look on her face. “What’s the problem?” She asked as she closed the door behind her.
“Daddy wants me to make AJ leave and I’m not doing it,” I replied with a hint of hostility in my tone.
He moved toward me with his fists balled up, but my mother intercepted. “Now James, I know you’re not suggesting that someone isn’t welcome in our home because of their race. Are you?”
Mom and I both stared at him waiting for his response. Daddy was fuming. My heart was fluttering uncontrollably in my chest. When he didn’t respond, Mom continued. “We didn’t raise Samantha to hate or judge anybody. She really likes this boy and there must be a reason behind that. Now, if you’d stop being silly about this whole thing you might even find that he’s a nice young man.”
She moved toward him slowly and put her hands on his shoulders. His gaze shifted to me and he stared intently for what seemed like forever. “I’m not going to tell you again. Tell that boy to get out my house!” Daddy yelled at the top of his lungs.