Safe & Sound In Louisiana

Out of the angst and uncertainty surrounding my impending move, the clouds parted and the sunlight commenced to shine through.

Whoever said God is an 11:59 God was right because the morning that I woke up to finish packing up my car and return my key, I had no money and nowhere to go. Then it began to rain blessings in the form of strangers who have heard about my journey and want to support me. Through the kindness of others I was able to get my car serviced, buy gas, snacks and a hotel room the night before I left town. I was even offered a place to stay, in their own home. It really blowed me the fact that people feel connected to me so much that they would invite me into their home.

My heart must shine through.

I will never forget the love Atlanta showed me and I’ll admit, I did cry when I left. During my last week in Atlanta I reached out to a few people who I always thought were nice but that I had hesitated on trying to get to know. I found out that I could have had more friends in Atlanta if I had just shown myself a little more friendly. But I’ll keep in touch with all of them.

One person in particular is JB, my old co worker.

I find it difficult to write about him because (1) I know he reads this. (2) I can not accurately describe this clenching feeling in my heart that won’t go away since I met him.

I try to talk to my friends about it, but it’s hard because it sounds so surreal.

Girl..This man is great. He makes me feel so good all the time. Talking to him is like having good sex. I feel safe when I share with him. I know that he has my best interest at heart. He is so beautiful to me. So talented and mature. And he understands me. He doesn’t talk about changing me. He acts like he won the lottery by meeting me just the way I am! Girl, we are on the same maturity level. That is such a relief. I don’t have to raise him up or lead him anywhere although he does value and respect my opinion.

He’s very expressive and honest so our conversations lack the usual game playing and pretense that happens between a man and a woman who are attracted to other. I don’t have to try to figure out what he meant because he just says what he means. He’s very direct and he is just like me in the fact that he looks at the root of people’s behaviors to try to understand it. Though I feel like I love him and yes, I have told him that- It doesn’t feel like an out of control infatuation, it feels like I just met my new bestfriend.

I can not believe I have finally met a man who treats me just like my friends do. But it happened two days before I was about to leave Atlanta which intensified the emotions surrounding meeting someone who is such a good match for a friendship.

Would things change once I left him behind?

Who knows? So, I jumped on I20 West at 1pm and rode the hell out.

Alabama was pretty. As I rode through, honking at the big ass trucks trying to act like they are Kia’s and shit, changing lanes and shit. I was like, “BITCH YOU SEE ME!!!” I hate those damn trucks! Oh, but Alabama was pretty but I kept thinking about Forrest Gump. ~smile~

When I passed through Mippissipi I felt like I was on a civil rights tour. A lot of shit happened up and through here back in the day and the chill of the day reflected its history. I stopped in Summit, Mississippi to get some gas and that’s it.

I took a left turn in Jackson, Mississippi and hopped on I55 South straight to Hammond, Louisiana where Ms. Wildly Sophisticated herself resides while she is in grad school. Seven hours after I left Atlanta I entered the city of Hammond and called Ruby for further directions.

When I turned into her apartment complex the entire street was dark and their were huge trucks with long arms and bright lights up and down the street. My first reaction was, “What the fuck kind of alien invasion is this?”

The tints on my car are already dark so I can’t see anything in the darkness of the neighborhood. Suddenly a smudge darts into the street.

I brake and look closer. The smudge is jumping up and down and shining two flashlights like an air traffic controller. “Park over there!” It screams. I smile.

Ruby.