If I Ever

Although I don’t remember “the second day” (Quisa), my time at “Cookman” was extraordinary to say the least. I tested out of all of my remedial courses and was placed in classes that matched my level of academic understanding. If I remember correctly, I had college level English, Math, Anatomy and Physiology, and Freshman Seminar. To this day, I don’t completely understand the purpose of Freshman Seminar. Named for first year students, we would gather once a week (I believe, Fridays) and do what seemed like whatever came to someone’s mind. It was sort of a free-lance class, exposing us to??? Shit, I don’t know. I’m trying hard to remember, but nothing is coming to mind except that stage, curtains, the folding chairs and the two aisles everyone walked, danced, and stepped down. Oh, and I can’t forget the stained windows.

My first year was very different from my last year in high school. I got all A’s. And from that point on, I refused to accept anything less.

My last year at Braddock, I had a boyfriend. Robert was his name. We attended middle school together but I only found that out through our high school courtship. I saw him, years later, at the Sunstreat Festival in Miami. A yearly tradition, held on the stretch of 7th avenue, and extending to 54th street, the parade showcased local officials, businesses and high schools. The most exciting part….getting to see the schools’ bands strut their stuff. They’d always have a point in their routines where they would stop marching and “break it down”. Lol, I sound so old. “Breaking it down” would consist of multiple pelvic thrusts while maintaining a squatting position for at least 45 seconds, with the accompaniment of drums providing the bass lines that defined Miami’s music. At first site of a squat, the crowd would go bananas and finish with an even louder eruption of screams and applause once the 45 seconds was over. The band would then assume a standing position and march on the the next block as if nothing happened.

Once the parade was over everyone would just hang out and listen to music. This particular year, there was a “jam” session held in the parking lot of the nearby meat store. The D.J. was playing “If I Ever Fall In Love”. I stood directly in front of the speaker, so close I could feel the bass vibrate throughout my body. After the first bass filled note, I here….”Shye…. doo-doo- doom, coming right back acha….If I ever fall in love again… the lady will be just-like-you….. I then turn around and there he was dancing. His steps were interrupted by my eyes. He walked up to me, got my number and the rest is history.

Robert and I were inseparable. Although we went to separate schools, we spent a significant amount of time together. On the weekends, we would catch the bus to the Omni, hang out at his aunt’s house or just hang out around my house and talk. We’d meet up in the “New projects”, near the rail road tracks and just go from one topic to another. Our conversations were a lot about the future and our family situations. He always reminded me of how much I influenced him and always pushed him to do better.

It was finally time to go off to college. I had been accepted to Bethune Cookman and Robert had no idea about what he was going to do. Our last conversation was at the bus stop on the corner of 62nd street and 12th avenue. Although he wasn’t going to college, he said that he was looking to become a Public Service Aid. I had no idea about what that involved but it didn’t sound like anything he could evolve from. We kissed and went our separate ways.

Once I got to Cookman, I was a free woman but not for long…

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