Her Helping Hand

Dylan: “Just a few more blocks.” I whispered to myself as I scurried down the pavement, my heels clicking on the ground as I tried to get to my apartment. It was after eight, the sun set being around six pm considering it was almost the winter solstice. I hated it because it meant I would have to endure the countless harassment until I was safe at home. Hey ma.. Smile, beautiful! Let me talk to you for a second.. It was another late night at the office. So many nonprofit organizations were ready to be launched that it made my head spin. All the paperwork and business pitches having to be reviewed by myself and my colleagues before Christmas which was two weeks away. I was exhausted. It wasn’t like I didn’t live a good life, in fact I lived a great one. I’m twenty-eight years old working a great job where I get paid more than six figures a month. I’m a single black woman who lived in luxury. What more could I want? My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the familiar sound of change rattling in a cup as I reached the front of my building. I looked down and sighed at the sight of the individual who had their head bowed between their legs as they trembled, shaking their cup for any means of support. “Here..it’s freezing.” I breathed as I removed my scarf and wrapped it around the persons shoulders. They didn’t budge, their head still bowed as they shook their cup causing me to shake my head. I pulled out my wallet and slipped a twenty dollar bill into the cup before pushing the door to the apartment building open and stepping inside. “Goodnight, Ms. Williams. Good to see you made it home safe.” The security guard grinned as he stepped to the side to let me into the elevator. “Thank you, Frantz. Have a wonderful evening.” I responded before stepping into the elevator, shivering slightly as my body adjusted to the warmth of the atmosphere. The elevator took me to my penthouse and I exhaled in satisfaction as I walked into my apartment. I slipped off my shoes and walked straight into my bedroom, walking over to my closet and opening the double doors. I stepped inside my closet, looking at all of my designer clothes and handbags that were neatly organized and color coordinated. Every shoe had a bag to match, as well as every outfit. My jewelry box sat at my closet vanity, my makeup bag sitting right beside it. I hung up my coat and stripped from my dress before putting my shoes away, taking my rag along with the rest of my toiletries and walking to my bathroom. I smiled at the sight of my king sized jacuzzi and walked over, turning on the fountain-like faucet and watched as the hot water started to fill the marble tub. I looked in the mirror, analyzing my features as I removed my makeup. I slowly took off my eyelashes and placed them down, before wiping my face with the makeup remover. I took my black, straight hair and wrapped it in a low bun before slipping on my shower cap and painting my face with my face mask when my phone started to ring. I grabbed it before taking my bath bomb and slipping it into the tub as I answered the FaceTime call. “Hey, girl. Brunch tomorrow?” My friend Stacy asked. We aren’t really friends, but she thinks we are. She was a preppy white girl who worked with a different organization partnered with my job. We met at the fundraiser almost two years ago and she was attached to me since. As a black woman with the life that I had, it was smart to have connections and to make ‘friends’ with people who have influence. But you also had to be careful. What colored woman would be dumb enough to lower their guard in the white mans world? Not me. That’s for sure. My mother always told me in order to survive in the white mans world you have to hide that part of you that screams ‘color.’ They don’t want to see color. They want the black girl with the bone straight Peruvian bundles and Louis Vuitton red bottoms that eats sushi and drinks Starbucks. The one that doesn’t speak Ebonics or eat fried chicken straight from the pot. I couldn’t help but be tired of hiding sometimes. “Hey hon..I’m not sure. I’m supposed to go to the country club and meet with my mother before work.” I responded, watching as Stacy rolled her sharp blue eyes before smirking. “You can’t skip one day?” She asked. I sighed because she knew I met with my mother twice a week at the country club. My mother makes it mandatory for me as her eldest, most luxurious daughter to meet with her almost every week. I sucked it up and met with her the way she wanted me to. What type of daughter would I have been to not? “You know that I can’t, Stacy. We can do dinner, okay?” I breathed as I slipped into the tub. She sighed causing me to smirk as I grabbed my floating tray that was filled with herbs and weed. It helped me relax and unwind after a long day like this. “Fine. Dinner it is. You’re in the bath?” She asked. “How’d you figure?” I asked sarcastically causing her to chuckle. “Daniel called me again.” “Ugh..what did he say?” I asked as I rolled my eyes at the mention of my ex boyfriend. He just so happened to be Stacy’s cousin. We dated for a few months, but I recently ended it because it simply wasn’t working out. For me, at least. I’m not sure if it was the way he would touch my hair all the time, or compare me to chocolate brownies. Whatever it was just turned me off. I couldn’t do it anymore. “He just wants an explanation, Dylan. I told him I don’t know the reason, which is true.” “Does there have to be an explanation? I just wasn’t feeling it. What more do I have to say?” I asked as I finished rolling my joint. “Calm down, girl. I’ll just tell him to back off, alright?” I rolled my eyes. It’s always ‘calm down’ and never ‘I hear you’. When will it ever be that? “Alright. I’ll call you before dinner tomorrow.” We said our goodbyes and I hung up before sighing aggressively and inhaling from my joint. Deep by summer walker started in the background and I sunk lower into my bath, allowing my eyes to flutter close as I allowed my muscles to relax. I can’t believe I have to do it all again tomorrow.