by Iris Bolling
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
Vernon turned to give Jeans his full attention, as others in the class packed up to leave. "Do you mind having dinner with me tonight?"
"I don't know you like that."
With that, Vernon extended his hand. "Vernon Brooks."
Jeans hesitated, then shook his hand. "Connie Abernathy."
"So what about dinner?"
"I'm sorry." She smiled sweetly. "I have a boyfriend."
"Does he eat?"
She laughed. "Of course he does."
"Then he can come too." Vernon shrugged.
She gave him a funny look as she picked up her book bag. "He's at home."
"He's not on campus?" Vernon said as he walked towards the door with her.
"No."
"Oh, what a shame." Vernon nodded. "Your question, is it about class?"
"Yes, is it always so intense?"
"The law is intense and complicated. You have to be able to think on your feet no matter how much you prepare for a case."
Constance shook her head. "I'm a sophomore trying to decide what I want to major in. I like the law, but I don't know if it's for me."
"Hey, if Brooks can handle the classes anyone can." Wade smiled as he walked behind them.
Constance turned and smiled. "Hi, you were the other guy in class."
"Yes." Wade extended his hand between Constance and Vernon. "Wade Logan. Brooks and I kind of carry the class. Isn't that right, Brooks?" Wade turned to him grinning.
Vernon wasn't as cheerful. "Yes, Wade is definitely carrying something." The look shared with Wade let him know to get lost.
"Well, I guess I'll catch you at the apartment later, Brooks?"
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
Wade walked off as Vernon returned his attention back to Constance.
"You had more questions?"
"I do, but I have to get to my next class."
He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down his phone number. "You can call me with any questions you have."
"Really?" She beamed up at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He watched as she walked away and knew he would be hearing from her soon.
A week had passed. No call or message from Constance.
"Maybe she wasn't interested in you or pre-law," Wade suggested as he and Vernon walked to class.
Vernon waved at some friends as they walked by. "She may not be interested in the law, but I know a flirtatious smile when I see one."
"It's been a week, man, let it go." Wade shrugged as he looked around. "I mean look at all these honeys around here." He was walking when he noticed Vernon was not next to him. Wade looked back to see Vernon had stopped. He followed Vernon's line of vision to see what had captured his attention. It was the girl. Wade walked back to his friend.
"Okay, there she is. What are you going to do?"
Vernon stared at Constance, who was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed at the ankles. She had on shorts, a tank top, white socks and sneakers. He could tell from her friend's not so subtle looks in his direction that they were talking about him. He turned and continued walking in the direction they were heading before he saw her. "Nothing," was all Vernon said.
"Wait." Wade ran to catch up with him. "You been bugging about this girl all week and there she is and you are going to walk away?"
"Yep."
"I don't get it, man."
"I don't play the cat and mouse game. She saw me just like I saw her."
"And....?"
"She could have waved or acknowledged me standing there, but she chose not to. I can only surmise, she is not interested."
"Isn't that what I've been saying?"
He looked at his friend. "And for once you were right." Vernon knew he wasn't right, but he was going to let Wade have this one. Deep inside he knew he was going to see Constance again. She would make sure of it.
The call came in around eight that night. Vernon was deep into a paper he was writing to avoid the exam. His grades were in the top ten percent in his class. There was only one exam he would have to take, but this paper could eliminate that requirement. The phone on his desk rang a second time.
"Hello."
"Hi, may I speak to Vernon Brooks."
He recognized the voice right away, but refused to acknowledge her. "Speaking."
"Hi, this is Connie."
"Who?" he asked, looking up from the notebook he was writing in.
"Constance Abernathy. I sat in on one of your law classes a week ago. You said if I had questions I could call."
"Oh, right...right. I remember. You have more questions?"
"Well, yes, if you're not too busy."
"Um..." he hesitated. "No, I'm not too busy. What do you need?"
"You sound busy. Are you working on something?"
"A paper."
"Is it due tomorrow?"
"No," Vernon laughed. "This isn't due until the first week in May."
"Why are you working on it so early?"
Vernon thought about it and deduced she didn't have any questions. She wanted to talk to him. "I approach my papers much like I do relationships. I take my time getting to know the subject, just like I would do a woman. Then I determine if it is a topic that interests me. If it is, then I will spend time getting an in-depth knowledge of the topic or woman by spending all my spare time on it or her. I like for my papers or relationships to have a solid base, then I build from there. It takes time to prepare a good paper just like it takes time to establish a good relationship. I don't do anything that's quick and easy."
"Are you into one of those now?"
"A paper, yes."
"No. Are you in a relationship now?"
Vernon knew what she was asking. He wasn't going to make this easy for her. The last round went to her. He was determined to win this round. "No, my relationship is this last semester of class before my senior year."
"I could tell you were one of those intellectual brothers when I audited your class."
"Is that a problem for you?"
"What?"
"My being an intellectual brother?"
"No, I need someone like you to help me decide what direction to go with my major."
"You mentioned that before. So you have questions about pre-law?"
"Yes, but I was wondering if we could get together and you just tell me why you decided to go into law."
He remembered her turning him down for dinner the first time they talked and was trying to decide if he wanted to do the same when she spoke.
"I'm free for a little while, if you have some time."
Vernon smiled. "I guess I'm at a good place with my paper. Where are you?"
"At Wilder Hall."
"You live on campus?"
"Yes. Where do you live?"
"I have an apartment off campus." He looked at his watch. "I can be there in ten minutes."
"Okay, I can meet you out front."
"See you in a few." Vernon hung up the phone, changed his shirt, put on his suit jacket, checked his wallet for a condom then jumped in his car.
Constance was sitting out front on a bench when Vernon pulled up. He parked the car, got out and walked over to where she sat. She was dressed in white shorts, a halter-top and sandals. The smooth, thick thighs captured his attention as he sat beside her. "Hi."
"Hi." She smiled. "Thank you for coming."
"Anytime," he replied. "So." He sat back. "Where are you from?"
"Baltimore."
"Not too far from here."
"Far enough," she replied. "What about you? Where are you from?"
"Mclean."
"How far is that from here?"
"Less than thirty minutes away."
"Why don't you live at home if you are that close?"
"Traffic."
She nodded. "I understand. It's pretty bad."
"Yes, it is." He looked around at all the students that were hanging around. "Yo
u want to go for a walk around the lake?"
"Sure," she replied as they stood.
They crossed the street and walked towards the lake. "So you think you want to be a lawyer?" Vernon said as he took her arm and moved her to the inside as he walked on the outside of the sidewalk.
"Why did you do that?"
"What?"
"Move me?"
"When a man is walking with a woman, she should always be on the inside in case something happens."
"Something like what?"
"A car could jump the curb, or splash water off the road, or a wild bull could charge us. Anything could happen. Whatever it is, it will get me before I let it get to you."
Constance smiled. "That's sweet."
"I did not invent it. It's called the code of chivalry. Most men operate from that code."
"Not the men I know."
"Maybe you should change that." He looked down at her and smiled.
"Maybe I should." She looked away and continued to walk. "So, what kind of law are you interested in?"
"Oh, I don't know. It's a family tradition."
"Everyone in your family is a lawyer?"
Vernon thought for a moment. "Everyone except my mother and little brothers and sister. But they will be."
"How do you know?"
"It's what we do." Vernon shrugged. "My father is a civil rights attorney who fights for the rights of others. His father did it before him, and his before him."
"So you’re following them just because?"
"No. I believe people have a right to a good defense. I think sometimes the less fortunate are not able to get adequate representation and end up in a system that is not regulated to reform. They are there to punish and not much more. So we end up with a disproportionate number of men in prison where they don't stand a chance in hell of doing anything but repeat the cycle. Even once they have served their time, the system isn't set up to get them jobs that will pay the rent or put food on the table. So they end up turning back to the life of crime so that they can feed their families. I want to prevent our brothers from going into the system. Try to stop the madness, so to speak."
"You're serious about this lawyer thing?"
"I'm a serious type of guy. What about you?" he asked as they continued to walk.
"I don't know. I'm trying to get out of the madness you mentioned. I'm the first in my family to attend college. I might be the first to graduate high school."
"You don't know?"
"Not really. I'm an only child. My mother's family tends to be in the category of the repeat offenders you talk about. We don't have much contact with them. My mother wanted something different for me."
"I can't imagine my life without my family." Vernon shook his head.
"You have brothers and sisters?"
"Oh yeah. My brother James who just started college and the twins Nicolas and Nicole."
"You have twins in the family? That must be fun."
"It's something." He laughed. "They have this weird telepathic thing going on. None of us can understand it or try to figure it out. We just let them do what they do."
"That's funny."
"So it's just you and your mother? No cousins or close friends?"
"I have friends, but I'm not trying to live that life. You know what I mean."
"I have an idea. Well, you have your boyfriend...right?" He stopped walking and looked at her.
She shrugged. "He's okay."
"Just okay?"
She stopped. "He's in a life I don't want any part of. I don't see him changing. I've been here almost two years and he's still hanging on the same corner doing the same thing every day...nothing. I want something more."
He began walking again. "Have you had that conversation with him?"
She started walking again. "When we do, the phone call ends early."
"That's usually a sign that someone has moved on," he said as he took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders. "It’s getting a little cool."
"Is this another one of your chivalry things?" She smiled at him.
"Something like that." He stared at her for a long time, then bent down to gently kiss her lips. They were sweet, as he thought they would be. "I better get you back before you miss your curfew."
They turned to go back. "I like you, Vernon Brooks."
"I like you, too, Constance Abernathy."
"Connie."
He put his hand to his heart. "Be still my heart. I get to call you Connie." He smiled.
"You are funny."
"I know, and charming too."
"You are full of it." She gave him a playful shove.
That walk around the lake led to dinners, bike rides, plays and clubs. Vernon even helped with the selection of her classes for the next semester. The two became inseparable. The last night of the semester, before Connie was scheduled to leave campus, Vernon cooked a romantic dinner at his apartment. It was the first time they made love. Vernon was in heaven.
They spent most of the summer on long distance phone calls. Vernon worked at his father’s firm during the week. Every other weekend, he worked with Habitat for Humanity building homes for lower income families. They had their first argument because she wanted to attend an Earth Wind and Fire concert but Vernon had committed to work that weekend with Habitat.
"Building houses for some poor people you don't even know is more important than me?"
"Connie, you can go to a concert anytime. I made a commitment to help people build homes. They can't help their economic status."
"Yes, they can. They can get a job. Get an education. You know the things people do to improve their status."
Vernon could not understand her position. "Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't you tell me you used financial aid to go to school?"
"What's that have to do with this?"
"You needed assistance to improve your situation. So do these families." She didn't reply. "I made a commitment to help. That's what I'm going to do."
"I can't believe you put me in the category of those people."
"Those people?" Vernon raised his voice. "People are people. Some have and some don't. It is our responsibility to stretch a hand out and help those that we can. Earth Wind and Fire will be in concert next week."
That conversation should have given him a warning but he was so in love with Connie, he chalked it up to her being disappointed. To make it all up to her, the following weekend, he flew her out to Atlanta, GA to see Earth Wind and Fire. That weekend seemed to have shown Connie how important she was to him, for he did not have any further issues with him working with Habitat.
The next sign came once they returned back to campus. Vernon was in his senior year of undergrad. He had the sweetest girl on campus, two classes and the LSAT to study for. Life was good, or so he thought. The first problem started with a mock trial assignment. The professor assigned Vernon to be the prosecutor. He was able to select a team to assist on the case. He selected his friend Wade as his second chair. Wade suggested using a friend of his by the name of Genesis Morgan as their investigator. Preparing for the case was demanding. The evenings Vernon would normally have spent with Connie were filled with team meetings and strategy sessions. This did not sit well with Connie.
"What am I supposed to do while you are playing at being a lawyer?"
"It's a competition, Connie, one that will be a significant boost on my application for law school."
"Why are you worried about getting into law school? With your parents’ money you're a shoo-in."
"My getting into law school is based on my grades, my courses and extracurricular activities. My parents’ financial status has nothing to do with getting accepted."
"Of course it does, Vernon. Don't be naive."
"I'm not naive, Connie. Whatever I accomplish is based on what I do. Not my parent’s money. I have to go." He disconnected the call and for the first time since they met he began to wonder what happened to his sweet Connie. He had hear
d it before. People thinking he was so successful in what he did because of his parents. But he studied hard and was determined to make it on his own. The last person he expected to hear it from was Connie. She knew how important being successful was to him. He talked to her about wanting to make his parents proud of him. Being the type of man his father was meant everything to him. He told her about the fact that Avery Brooks was not his biological father. His parents told him when he was old enough to understand. He shared all of this and his desire to be an attorney like his father.
Yet another sign surfaced when Vernon invited Connie to a dinner to celebrate the start of the mock trial. Wade brought his girlfriend, Genesis brought her boyfriend and Vernon in turn brought Connie. Dinner started off fine, but then Connie began to act out, especially towards Genesis. He had to admit that most of the conversation centered on the upcoming case. It wasn't on purpose, it was just that everyone involved was excited so the conversation naturally went in that direction. In an attempt to become a part of the conversation, Connie began questioning Genesis.
"So where are you from?"
"D.C.," Genesis replied.
She groaned. "That must have been rough."
"Why do you say that?"
Connie shrugged. "I mean it's not the best place in the world to grow up."
Genesis looked around. "I turned out okay."
"Did you?" Connie asked. "I mean you're the one who is trying to join the FBI, right?"
"Yes." Genesis nodded. "That makes something wrong with me because I want to be an agent?"
"Well." She glanced at Genesis' date. "How do you feel about your girlfriend having a butch job?"
"Connie." Vernon frowned.
"Oh no." Genesis touched Vernon's arm. "Don't interrupt her. This is getting interesting." She put her drink down and turned to her date. "How do you feel about it?"
"It is a male oriented job." He shrugged.
"I think it's kind of cool," Wade's date commented.
"Thank you." Genesis sat back proudly.
"You really think the FBI is going to allow an African-American woman into the agency?" Connie laughed.
"If I qualify, of course they will. It’s not like I'll be the first."
Connie gave her a look. "You may be able to physically qualify, but what are you going to do about those aptitude tests?"
