Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White (31 page)

“I couldn’t get a boyfriend if I paid
him
that night. And that’s when I saw
John, the condom-and-sandwich guy. Ironically, his name is John.”

I laugh.

“He became my boyfriend that night. He went to his ATM machine and
took out three hundred dollars, the most he could get. Took me to a diner
and got me some chicken soup. I couldn’t get warm enough. And he just kept
giving me hot liquids and asking me to tell him my stories. And baby, I had
a lot of them.”

Her eyes fill with tears, and she brushes them back. “I’d never had a man
listen to me. Not since my daddy died. And John listened and never said
much about himself. He didn’t even preach to me, and I knew he was some
kind of preacher. He just took me off the street, gave me soup, money to keep
my pimp from sending me to the hospital, and kept me warm until the next
time. And there was a next time. And a few more.”

“Oh, Billie,” I say. “That’s so sad.”

“Yeah. But it’s my life. I gave it all to Jesus eventually. ’Cause you know
what, baby? John kept giving out sandwiches and condoms. Saint Francis
said, ‘Preach the gospel, and use words if you have to.’ Sweetie, that man
preached to me every day without saying one thing
about
Jesus. He just acted
like Jesus. Protecting me. Looking at me. Truly seeing me. Not trying to take
what he could get, and I offered him some, for free. He’s a cutie!”

She laughs, then has that satisfied smile I’ve seen on women truly in love.
“And pretty soon I asked him to start telling
me
stories. About Jesus. About
the Samaritan woman. About Mary Magdalene. And he told me about the
desert harlots. Now those were some changed whores, Zora. And Jesus loved
them! He excited me.”

“Wow.” I want to tell them Nicky excites me, but I’m so confused right
now. Billie goes on with her story.

“He kept coming back, asking for nothing, just giving, until one day, I
said, ‘Hey, remember that water you were tellin’ me about? That water that’ll
make it so you ain’t never thirsty again?’ And that cutie smiled at me, and I
told myself I was gonna marry him. Anyway, he said, ‘I remember.’ And I
said, ‘I’m pretty thirsty. Can I have a drink of that?’ The rest, as they say, is
history. We fell in love.”

“Amazing,” I say. “Now that’s a story.”

“And that’s a
man
. Seems like the one that shows up with the clothes, and
the food, and gets you a cab, and fights his family for you is the one—”

Linda clears her throat.

Billie rolls her eyes. “I can’t help it. I’m a romantic.”

Linda rankles. “She’s got a crisis, Billie. She’s not trying to get a man.”

“I know she’s not. She’s got two of them. I’m just sayin’ only one of them
is worth a—”

The buzzer sounding again interrupts her. Speaking of men.…

I get up off the floor and think to actually ask who it is in case I get
another surprise and find the pope standing there. But it’s just Miles.

“It’s my boyfriend.”

“Oh, joy,” Billie quips.

This oughta be interesting.

I buzz him in, and he’s surprised that I have company. He turns on the charm.
He is truly my father’s protégé. He’s got a big Wal-Mart bag in his hand.

The ladies stand.

“Miles, these are my friends. This is Linda.”

He reaches out and gives her what I know is a firm handshake.

“And this is Billie.”

He extends his hand to Billie but she doesn’t take it. “Hey,” she says.
Linda gives her a subtle glare.

Billie looks at him up and down and starts in. “Somebody’s been to
Wal
-
Mart
. Whatcha got there, big spender?”

I think that woman has a spiritual gift of flustering people.

He stammers. “Uh. I got her uh, a …”

He pulls out of the bag, of all things, an
air mattress
!

Billie stares at him. “You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

“She’s sleeping on the floor,” he says.

“Yeah, what else is new? Where were you Friday with your little air
mattress?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“No, you don’t, because I wouldn’t buy what you’re selling, pimp.
You’ve got to explain to
God
why three whole days after your girlfriend loses
everything you show up with an air mattress and that box of condoms you
think I don’t know are in that bag. And why you do this only after you spent
the afternoon feeling her up.”

His ire rises like my father’s. Daddy’s taught him well. First he looks at
me. The looks says,
Zora, did you tell them our business?

“Don’t look at her like that,” Billie says. “I know what you’re thinking.
I’m prophetic.”

“I don’t know who you are,
woman
. But I suggest you watch what you
say to me.”

Billie gets right in his face. “I could have you for breakfast without a
burp, sweetie. Bring it on.”

Linda pulls Billie to the side. “We’re going, Zora. I’m very sorry.”

“I’m not,” Billie says to me. “Come with us, baby. I don’t trust Romeo
here.”

I look at her and Linda, and then Miles, and all the emptiness. Blue walls.
Red walls. It still feels too lonely. Frankly, I’d rather go with them no matter
what color they are. I think. But I’m not sure.

I’m surprised Linda doesn’t tell Billie to mind her business. I think she
wants me to go with them too. In his anger, Miles must sense my hesitation.

“Zora, you’d better ask your friends to leave.”

“I think everybody needs to calm down,” I snap back at him.

I’ve never seen Miles so angry. His left hand is shaking. He reminds me
so much of the worst of my father that I feel afraid.

His voice is controlled rage. “As the man you are about to marry, I’m
telling you right now to ask your little friends to leave or I’ll put them out of
here myself, and you won’t like it.”

“I’ve met more compelling pimps,” Billie says.

“I’m sure you have,” he replies.

“You’ve got to come stronger than that to break me down, my friend.”

Miles looks at me. “Zora …”

I feel like I can’t take any more. “Can you all just leave? I just want to be
left alone.”

“Zora. You’re my woman, and I don’t have to take orders from a
female.”

“Feeling me up doesn’t make us one flesh, Miles. Just let me have some
space. Take your air mattress and condoms and go.”

“Fine,” he says.

“Miles?” I say. “Wait.”

He looks angry. “What?”

“Do you really have condoms in that bag?”

He doesn’t say no. I look at Billie. She’s harsh and crazy, but she knows so
much more about life than I do. Linda just looks at the floor.

“Why didn’t you bring me a Bible?” I asked.

Linda says, “We’ve got a Bible in the car. We’ll get the things we brought
for you and just leave them by the door. It’s just the stuff we told you about
and some clothes, personal items, and a few quilts and pillows. We’re so sorry
we didn’t get these things to you sooner.”

Billie adds, “The House of Hospitality and The Beloved Community rely
on donations. I’ve been looking for furniture for you since Friday, but we
have to dole out our resources according to priority needs. I’m sorry, baby.
Take the air mattress. We’ll get you a bed soon. I promise.”

Miles doesn’t say anything. He just sets down the bag with the mattress
in it, condoms and all, and walks out. I don’t try to stop him.

I do follow Linda and Billie down to the car they came in—an old-
fashioned hippie VW van. I can only imagine who it belongs to. Miles is long
gone, even though he heard them say they had some things for me.

They have two big boxes, and that doesn’t include Richard’s stuff from
Zingerman’s.

Billie takes the braggin’ rights. “Look, baby, we didn’t shop at Macy’s for
you, but lemme tell you, I got a good eye. I didn’t let Linda pick out
anything
.
I know nuns who wear more interesting clothes.”

Linda doesn’t even look fazed. “I know that I’m beautiful in Christ, and
I happen to love my modesty and my personal style.”

“I love it too.” I say. And oddly I mean it. But I like Billie’s style
more.

Billie laughs. “Not that there’s any leather in here for you. I just figured
you got a classy yet bohemian kinda vibe. Am I right?”

“That’s exactly right.”

“I got ya good stuff. Even us needy God-broads like to look good. Right,
baby?”

“I think so. I don’t know.”

She laughs again. “Trust me on that one.”

Once again, Jesus has shown up, this time looking like two crazy white
women. Maybe He looks like Miles, too. With an air mattress so I wouldn’t
have to sleep on the floor, despite Miles’s agenda. But what if he returned?
Could I handle him?

“Can I go with you two after all?”

“Of course,” Linda says. “We’d be honored to have you, either one of us.
Do you want to go to my place or The Beloved Community?”

“What’s The Beloved Community?”

“That’s the community of Jesus where Billie and her family live. I live
alone. I’d love to have you.”

“I’d love to come, but I’ve got to see a place called The Beloved
Community.”

A wide grin creeps across Billie’s face. She thrusts her fist in the air.
“Yes!”

“The Beloved Community it is,” Linda says.

We put the boxes in the apartment, and I take a moment to go through
them. Billie is right. She has a great eye and scored some wonderful things for
me. I grab a few necessities, including Nicky’s phone number, a sketch pad,
and some pens, and head out the door.