Page 2 of Dionysus
When I got inside, Dio was not there. “Hey, where is he?” I asked the driver as soon as he got in.
“I’m not sure. This ride, however, is on me. Where to?”
There was that sadness again.Did I really want to go to Toussaint without him?Even if I chose not to, I would have nowhere to go. Maybe once I got there, I could get a job, save up, and go off on my own again. I glanced up at the driver. “The bus station, please,” I said softly.
He nodded and took off. When we reached the bus station, people were boarding. I hurried with my things; stuffed what I could under the bus and took what I had left on with me. When I finally sat down, I glanced out the window. I couldn’t believe I was about to leave the only place I knew as home. They say things happen for a reason, and meeting Dio was my reason. It took another ten minutes, and then the bus took off. I watched until the only city I knew was no more. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to text Dio to thank him.
I wasn’t sure what he had been doing all this time, but I hoped he got the happiness he was looking for with Bianca, and that I would soon see him again when he comes to Toussaint. Dio was my savior, and I hope he didn’t have to sacrifice anything for it.
After what seemed like a ride that would never end, we had finally reached Toussaint. The bus reached its final stopping point, which was in a city called Parkside Cove. By this time, only a handful of us were left on the bus. I grabbed my things and exited. I stood there, unsure of whom to look for, but I patiently waited. Minutes passed, then an hour. I was losing hope until I spotted an old school car spinning the corner coming into the parking lot. It pulled up only a few feet away from me. When the person got out, I was surprised. My face frowned in confusion.
“Are you Samara?” The guy asked.
I nodded slowly. “Yes.”
He seemed like a grouch, like coming to pick me up annoyed him. I wondered if this was his brother, but he didn’t resemble Dio. I stood there, afraid to move. He snatched up my bags and put them in his car. He grabbed my portrait of Dio and stared at it like he was studying it, then shot me a look. “You did this?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because I asked. Get in, let’s ride.”
I didn’t move. He turned to look at me, “Listen, I don’t have time for this shit. If it were my choice, I would leave yo ass here, but my wife sent me and if you think I’m going back to that house without you, you have me fucked up. Now get your ass in that car. Scoot them fucking feet and let’s go.”
I let out a light sigh and moved to get in the car. When he got in, he turned to look at me. “My house, my rules. I’m not sure what you and that hard-headed ass Dio had, and I honestly don’t give a damn. I don’t do liars, thieves, drug addicts, orhoes.The space I created is of peace and if you get around and begin shaking shit up, Dio and all, yo ass got to go. Now, which one are you?”
My eyes widened. “I’m neither. Dio and I have nothing but friendship. Listen, if you don’t want me at your house, say that but you coming off as aggressive as you are is unnecessary. I was told to talk to Zaria, not you.”
He laughed. “Little girl Zaria and I are one and that friendship shit with Dio is a lie.Strike one!” he finished and took off.
I didn’t know if coming here was a good decision because I had to deal with him and wasn’t sure how long I would last. However, I didn’t believe that Dio would suggest a place where he didn’t think I would be safe, so for now, I would deal with it and hope things get better.
Since I’ve arrived, the Cove has seemed welcoming. Chevy hasn’t truly accepted me yet but is dealing with me because of Zaria and Dio. However, the home they had was more than I imagined. Dio’s people lived a luxurious lifestyle I wasn’t used to. The room they had given me was bigger than my apartment back home. I couldn’t lie, the change felt good.
Zaria tried talking to me to get me to open up, but until I felt comfortable, I kept it short. Since being here, I have taken my test to get my GED, helped Zaria at the nursery, and applied for TSU. I was grateful for how things were going, but I missed Dio.
I have thought about him every day since I arrived. I tried texting and calling his phone, but he had not answered.Was he still mad?Or had Bianca succeeded in doing what she was trying to do all along?I didn’t know what to think, but I knewI couldn’t wait for Dio forever. So, I decided to cease calling and texting him.
I rolled over in bed, staring at my phone, when I heard taps at my balcony window. I quickly got out of bed and walked toward the sound. I slid the door open, stepping into the night air. I saw Keith standing beneath the tree in front of the balcony. “Is yo daddy home?”
I laughed. “Chevy is not my daddy. He’s gone.”
Keith smiled. “Cool, I’m coming up.”
Keith climbed up the tree like a pro. He and I had become cool since the block party. He’d saved me that night. When the block party was over, I told Zaria I would clean up the shop for her because she had been moving all day, and I knew she was tired. Any way that I could help her, I would. I was cleaning the nursery, making sure things were in order, when smoke began to fill the shop. I rushed toward the front to get out when I saw a guy throwing a Molotov cocktail through the side window. Once one plant caught fire, it became a ripple effect. There was no escaping it. Keith had thrown something in the window on the other side. He took his shirt off, covered his mouth, came inside, and got me out. I was grateful to him.
When his people picked us up that night, and I saw the guy who thrown that cocktail through the window in the passenger seat, I knew then shit wasn’t right. I didn’t know who he was, but his eyes said he was a demon.
Keith finally made it to the balcony and stood staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You good?” he smiled.
It was something about the way he looked at me that made me smile. “I’m ok.”
I could tell he liked me and was probably thinking of a way to ask me out, but I wasn’t interested right now. A part of me hopedthat Dio would see the light and come to Toussaint so he and I could start what we hadn’t finished.
I led Keith through the sliding doors. He walked over and sat on the stool in front of my canvas. “Did you hear about what happened today?”
