“Be sure to read over chapter three by the next class meeting. There may be a pop quiz. Who knows?” Professor Starks said with a shrug of his shoulders.
I huffed slightly as I stood from my seat, nearly falling back to it. I was still getting used to this prosthesis. Therapy had been a beast, and I somehow allowed myself to sink in depression, wondering if I had made the right decision. There were days where I wanted to take this stupid ass leg and throw that shit out the window. I had to settle for the most basic accommodation. The shit didn’t even match my skin, so I rarely wore shorts or dresses.
I grabbed my cane and made my way out of the row I was seated in. Blake University had gladly accepted me back into their Next Act program. It was for students over the age oftwenty-five, deciding to further their education. I was grateful for it. I needed all the assistance I could get, because I didn’t have a clue of what I was doing. This finance degree was a dream. I was also getting a business degree. As if getting one degree wasn’t more than enough, I allowed my mother to convince me to enroll in a dual degree plan.
The prerequisites were mostly the same, so that was a good thing. It would only add a year or so to my time here at Blake U. The university was in Cove City, only about twenty minutes from Atlanta where I was from. The city was much smaller than Atlanta, but I liked that. It helped me get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while. Everything I needed was on campus. They even had a daycare center for children of all ages. If my mama couldn’t watch Xavier, that was an option for me as a student. They only charged seventy dollars a week, and if I made the A or A & B honor roll, day care would be free the next semester. That was a hell of a deal.
Being around all these kids was wearing me thin, and I’d only been here a month. All the meaningless chatter and constant step shows and parties were all above me now. If I got asked about being in another sorority, I was going to scream. I was a beautiful woman who took care of her body, despite my now disability and cancer. If it weren’t for this cane and my limp, no one would have a clue that anything was going on with me. I was a thick, melanated sister, who had curves for days and plenty to offer intellectually as well. I was sure to remind myself of that daily, especially when I’d gained a little weight after the amputation.
As I approached the door, the jackass ahead of me allowed it to close in my face. I had my bookbag in one hand and my cane in the other. As I carefully tried to twist the knob without dropping my cane, the shit fell to the floor anyway. I huffed as I stepped aside so others could get out. It would take me aminute to bend over to pick it up to assure I didn’t fall. It was still difficult for me to get up from the floor. I refused to let this shit slow me down though. I would do whatever I wanted to do, despite how long it could possibly take for me to do it.
When the last student approached, he smiled at me then bent over and picked up my cane. I smiled back as he said, “What’s up?”
“Hey. Thank you so much.”
“No problem, gorgeous. What’s your name?”
I know damn well this lil boy isn’t flirting with me.“Azari. What’s yours?”
“Chozen. Let me grab that bag for you. I don’t have a class after this, so I’m not in a hurry.”
I frowned. “I’m sorry. Did you say your name was Chozen?”
“Yes, ma’am. My mama said the moment she found out she was pregnant, she knew I was chosen for greatness. So she named me Chozen Amir. Amir means commander-in-chief. She spelled Chozen with a Z instead of an S.”
“Hmph. She’s a wise woman, huh?”
“Shewasa wise woman. She was killed in a car accident when I was nine.”
“Oh wow. I’m so sorry. Is your dad around?”
“It’s cool. God was in the plans from the very beginning. My aunt and her husband took me in, and it’s been up since then. I don’t know who my biological father is. That nigga almost made me a statistic. I thank God for my aunt and uncle every day.”
“That’s great.”
He nodded as he held the door open for me. I was doing my best not to look at this lil boy, but he was fine as hell. He was tall, about six feet, and slender but defined. He looked like he could be a football player. His hair was shaved on the sides but in braids up top. I could tell he had soft hair just from the partsthat was faded. That smile though? It was gorgeous. I could only thank his mother for the genes she passed down to her child.
After walking through the opened door, I turned to him. “You don’t have to carry my things. I’m sure you have something else you could be doing.”
“I do have something else I could be doing, but I would rather be doing this,” he said with a straight face, staring into my eyes.
I quickly turned away. “I’m flattered, but I ain’t one of these lil girls around here. I have a whole kid I’m taking care of. I’m far removed from high school.”
“I can tell. That’s attractive. I’m not fresh outta high school either. I like grown women,” he said as he walked beside me.
I swore my breath had left my body for a moment. After trying to think about how old I thought he was, I frowned. “How old are you? Twenty-two?”
He chuckled. “Nah. I’m twenty-eight. I’ll be twenty-nine before the semester is over. I can’t be too far from your age, whether older or younger. I know a grown ass woman when I see one, and baby, you all woman,” he said, scanning my curves.
My breathing was shallow as I nodded. I remained quiet, not knowing what to say in response to that shit. The smirk on his lips told me that he was amused with himself, . . . the fact that he left me speechless. He was smooth. I had to give him that. He was wasting his time though. The conversation was nice, since I didn’t really talk to anybody at school. I could see them glancing at my cane, probably wondering what happened to me to have to use it.
“What’s your major?” I asked, changing the direction of where the conversation was headed.
“Architecture, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to take some business courses.”
“Is this your first time attending college?”
“No. I have an accounting degree that I got from University of Colorado. I also have a master’s in organizational leadership. Since I work in the accounting office at my cousin’s architectural firm, I got extremely interested in architecture. What about you?”
