The Zenya Bernard Story by Ausin Mitchell - HTML preview

Chapter Two

Zenya was now dancing with Wendel. Karl was dancing with

another of his women, Portia. Carlene came over to where Zenya was sitting on a bench and drinking a malt beverage. She had just finished dancing with Wendel.

“You’re just using Karl. I know that’s what you’re doing. You’re taking his money for what, I don’t know. You don’t have any morals, girl. You should leave him alone and go and look a man for yourself.”

“You can’t stop me from being along with him.”

She drank some more of the drink she was having.

“You told me that it was he who looked you, but I know it’s you who looked him. You’re still along with your baby father, Wendel.”

“I’m not along with him. He’s married and has a wife. You’re just trying to stir up trouble.”

Carlene left and went to another section of the party. Reta, Norton’s

woman went over to Zenya.

“Zenya, I don’t want you to dance with Norton again.”

Another woman, Debbie was nearby and heard what Reta said to Zenya.

“I have two children for Norton. I have more claims to him than you who just has one child for him. He lives with me and not you.”

“He spends more time with me than you.”

After a while, Norton started to dance with Reta and Debbie began to fume. Dean was dancing with Ashley when a woman, Shirley came over.

“Don’t get too comfortable with Dean. Tena and Britney will beat you to leave him alone. “

“Miss Shirley, you know that nothing like that will happen,” he told her.

“If you say so, but I’m just warning her,” she said and retuned to her man, and they started dancing again.

Dean took Ashley down to the Keswick back road to talk at around one o’clock that morning.

“Most women don’t trust you. Especially after what you did to Delaine.”

“I used protection every time I slept with her. Her boyfriend, Delton, claimed the baby.”

“I have seen the baby several time and she resembles you very much.”

Despite her reservations she allowed him to make love to her in the backseat of his car. He took her home afterwards. He didn’t feel sleepy and decided to go back to the party. He had seen Margot French inside, dancing alone. She had winked at him when he was leaving the party. It was a good thing he had used a condom on Ashley. He saw Margot still dancing alone. He took a seat on a bench. He watched her dance. Several young men were watching her too. Some of them had asked her for a dance, which he knew she had refused. Not many of them could waltz with a woman like her on a dance floor. His mother had taught him ballroom dancing and he was grateful to her. When the song finished playing, she came and sat beside him.

“I see you have just done a quickie with Ashley.”

“She said she was tired and wanted to sleep so I just took her home.”

“I don’t want any trouble with her, Tena or Britney. I like you. The problem is that I’m not sure that you like me.”

“From I came up here and saw you, I was attracted to you. Don’t listen to all those rumors about me.”

“Are you saying that you didn’t get Delaine pregnant? When you refused to own the baby, Delton stepped forward and claimed it.”

“You know him. Does he look like a fool to you?”

“I don’t know what was the agreement between you, him and Delaine. I have seen the baby and she resembles you very much.”

“But he claimed that the baby resembled him.”

She laughed. He bought food and drinks and they sat and ate it. She agreed to go down to the Keswick back road. They went unto the backseat of the car and made love.

***

Saturday, Dean was at his house when Zenya called him. It was slightly drizzling.

“I will never dance with you or have anything more to do with you.”

“Why are you refusing to dance with me and now saying that you don’t want anything to do with me? You think I’ve lost my dancing skills and will step all over your toes. Are you angry with me or something?”

“Yes, I’m angry with you for what you did to Delaine. You forced another man to step forward and own her baby.”

“That child that she has isn’t mine. Why would he claim that baby and he’s no fool?”

“If you want to repair relations with me you have to reclaim the baby and apologize to both of them.”

“They’re both happy as things are. Why should I go and upset them?”

“Because I don’t think both of them are happy as things are.”

“I don’t know if you realize what you’re asking me to do. You danced with Wendel and Norton but refuse to dance with me.”

“I danced with Norton because sometimes when my car breaks down, I have to take his bus. I danced with Wendel because he’s my baby father.”                                    

“I don’t like how you’re treating me.”

“There’s a big rumor that you slept with both Ashley and Margot last night.”

“I was on the Keswick back road last night. I was there with Ashley first. We were drinking malt beverages and talking. When she said she was tired, I took her home. It was then that I went back for Margot and we did the same thing that I said Ashley and I did. No sex with either of them was involved.”

She burst out laughing.

“I have passed your car on both the Jackson and Keswick back roads with women in it many nights. Don’t tell me that you and those girls were just having drinks as you are alleging you and them did.”

“Of course, that’s what we were doing, just having drinks and enjoying the atmosphere. Up there is like being in the mountains and feeling all that refreshing air coming down on you.”

“You know that I don’t believe that you have only one baby mother. Come on, tell me the truth about the women with whom you have children.”

“What would my students think about me if they heard that I have several baby mothers?”

“So, are you hiding the truth? What would they say if they heard about what you and various girls are on the back roads at nights doing?”

“As I told you, nothing went on between me and any woman on those backroads. And as I told you before I just have one baby mother.”

“I still don’t believe you, not after the way you behaved in college.”

“You can go on, you hear,” he told her and ended the call.