Giving Is Caring

“Move out of my way you fuckin’ mut!” Jason Mars screamed, followed by a shove to my back, causing every paper I had to fly out of my arms. As I stood up and turned around, I saw Jason’s closed fist coming straight to my face, but before he could connect, BAM! A science book smacked Jason right in the back of the head. “ Leave him alone Jason! Go pick on someone who aint afraid of you!” I heard a high pitched voice yell from down the hall. I was shocked when I realized where the voice came from. It was Regina Fontain, the most beautiful girl in school; well according to myself and the rest of the guys. She didn’t stay to fight, or even converse with me, but still I was in awe. Should I have been embarrassed of being rescued by a girl? If so I wasn’t; I had bigger things to worry about. I almost forgot to mention, I'm Jeffery Mosely. Sometimes it seems like the other students shit on me just for being smart Or because my Momma is white. I've made the honor roll every semester since high school started. My Father passed when I was a freshman, leaving my mother with myself and six of my siblings. I just want to give Ma the world someday. With that being said, I roll with the punches, come to school everyday and work my ass off.

After watching Regina walk away to our next class, I finally picked up my things and followed. “It’s senior year and I’m still getting my ass kicked by Jason.” I thought to myself, drowning out the lecture my teacher had been giving for more than half the class. Before I knew it, the bell rang and it was time to go home. As I walked out of the class room Regina grabbed my hand. “ hey dweeb. Wanna walk home with me since we go the same way?” I looked at her nervously and just couldn’t get the words to come out. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She smiled and took my hand. After that day Regina and I walked home together everyday. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world for a moment. Regina and I had built an unbreakable bond over the months. She’d become my best friend, but I didn’t want that anymore; I wanted her to be my lady. I’d learned so much about Regina. She was kinda in the same boat as I was except she was an only child.

I sat in my room for weeks after school trying to think of how to bring to her attention that I wanted to be more than just her friend, but little did I know the last time I saw Regina had actually been the last time. She didn’t show up to school for three days so I started to worry. I took it upon myself to check and see if everything had been alright, but when I made it to her her house what I saw broke my heart into a million pieces. There was a “for sale” sign right in her front yard. In denial, I walked up to the door and knocked a few times. There was no answer. I turned around with my head low and started home.

Losing Regina took a toll on me. I found myself sitting in the dark, not eating, and my attitude had been trash! I’d spent the rest of my senior year basically crying over who I thought was the love of my life. The day after graduation I woke up a little bit different. I didn’t want to be sad anymore. Sad felt like it was killing me and I had to do something about it. As soon as the graduation ceremony was over I stopped by Regina’s old place one last time and sat on the porch for a while. As I sat there reminiscing on all the great conversations she and I had, I noticed something in her front lawn. Me being as curious as I am, I walked over to see what it was. It was a little black book with the name “Regina Fontain” engraved on the spine. When I opened the book there was nothing, like it was brand new. Regina must have dropped it on her way out. For some reason I took this as a sign. My brain started to run a mile a minute and all of a sudden I knew exactly what I wanted to use this book for. I put the book in my back pocket and took a deep breath as I walked away. Having this book was like having a little piece of her. When I got home I opened up the book and wrote inside

“Regina Fontain- Saved my ass and showed me happiness when I had lost that feeling all together. Thank you.”

She was the first person outside of my mother that made me feel like someone. I will always love her for that. My only hope is that I run into her before she finds a new love.

25 years later

I sat patiently waiting for the new owner of what used to my home. I was anxious because the woman I’d sold my house to had the last name Fontain. I hadn heard that name since Regina. I was almost sure that Marley Fontain was indeed the daughter of Regina, but I had to be sure. Over the years, being an architect had blessed me with a huge fortune to take care of my mother and siblings. When Mother passed the money meant nothing to me. After all she was the reason I worked so hard to be this fortunate. I was almost finished paying it forward to my list of people in Regina’s little black book, but I still had a few names to cross off. While I waited for Marley to meet and close in on the house. I left a chess filled with $20,000 down in the basement.

Marley and her wife finally showed up. We talked for a bit and made sure there was nothing she wanted to fix. After we said our goodbyes, I took Marley’s hand and placed Regina’s book in her hands. I could see the question marks in her eyes as she looked at it. “ How do you know my mother?” she asked with a confused look. “ Just an old friend,” I said with a smile and shut the door behind me.

Before I could even make it home my phone was ringing off the hook! I kind of had an idea of what was happening, but when i looked at my phone the number was unsaved. When I pulled into my driveway, the number called again so I quickly picked up out of curiosity. “Hello this is….” “ I know who you are dweeb.” a soft voice came through my phone. “ My daughter called me. She said that you gave her my book I lost way back in school. She also told me she found a chess full of big bills. Marley wants to finish off your list with the money you left her Jeff.” I was at a loss of words. Marley wanted to do with the money exactly what I left it for, but what she doesn’t know is that when the list is done, my whole fortune will be passed to her. She will have done the ultimate good deed. Giving is caring.