The Bitter One (Full Version, Completed)

The Bitter One

The reflection in the mirror shows the broken soul of a young man growing up in world where the color of your skin defined who you are. The reflection looks back at him and whispers, “I guess you know from the smiles and the look in their eyes everyone’s got a theory about the bitter one.” Chris has been here in this position before with himself, talking to himself and even answering himself. He knew even as a kid that something was wrong with him; I mean no one wanted him. “I know what they are saying…” he throws water onto his face to hide the tears forming behind his brown eyes. He hates looking into the mirror because his reflection always shows the truth. That is probably why he got rid of all the mirrors in his apartment, all but one.

“They’re saying, your mother never loved you much and your father was never around to give a damn,” His reflection quirked its lips in anticipation of Chris’ reacting in a negative way. But not this time, this time the young man just walked away from the mirror in the bathroom and made his way into the living room where he stopped to look out the window to the street below where kids were playing basketball. He envied all the kids in his neighborhood growing up, only because they seemed happy and he was not.

Standing there watching the kids play as his breath lightly fogs up a small part of the window, “Is that why you shy away from human affection?” He silently asked himself as he backs away from the sounds of squealing children and moves towards his closet. “I need to get away, far away from here; from these unwanted memories.” The young man packs his bags for wherever his heart desires. He puts all his important things in his truck and he’ll have the rest of his items shipped over once he is settled. As he pulls away from his apartment he looks into his rearview mirror, “You’re taking your time making up the reasons to justify all the hurt inside…” his reflection raised an eyebrow. Chris sighed and began to drive west as he figured a little sunshine and new people would help him overcome all his pain. “California.” He breathes out, “I just need to figure out where.”

He’s been listening to his collection of genres of music, occasionally stopping for bathroom breaks, food and gas. He’s been driving for 8 hours and it’ll be another 20 hours before he officially crosses the California state line. His G.P.S. searched for nearby motels and he found a Super 8 two miles up the road. As he shut the engine off; he leaned back and grabbed all of his important items and lugged them to the front desk. A young man with blonde hair and green eyes greeted him with very little enthusiasm.

“Welcome to the Super 8 Motel, how can I help you tonight?”

Chris opened his wallet and showed the gentleman his I.D. “I’d like a room for the night.”

The skinny man behind the counter grabbed his I.D. and did the necessary requirements in setting up a room for a customer. “It’ll be $29.99 for the night and we offer continental breakfast in the dining area from 8am until 10am. Thank you for staying at Super 8.” He handed Chris his room key.

Chris grabbed his things and trekked to find his room number. As he approached his room door he tried to hold his wallet but it slipped from his hand. “Damn.” He sighed as he bent down and began picking up the contents that spilled from his wallet.

A softer voice knocked him from his reverie, “Here, let me help.” A young girl about his age bent down and helped gather up his things. Once they both stood up he looked at her as if he recognized her from…somewhere.

“Thanks, I can be a bit of a klutz.” He gave a genuine smile.

She smirked, “You’re not the only one. So where are you headed?” Chris took a step back feeling a little uncomfortable at the question that was thrown at him.

She quickly picked up on it and said, “I’m sorry, I’m just nosey. I just…I hardly see young people in my age bracket staying in this area. Just curious, I guess.” She gave a small smile to show him she meant no harm.

He relaxed and responded, “California. Not sure where…” He trailed off still trying to figure that part out. She grabbed his key card from his hand and opened his door for him.

“Maybe you’re waiting for the right kind of pilot to come along and take you where you want to go.” She gave him his keycard and walked away to her room.

He stood there for a few seconds longer than warranted and whispered, “Maybe…”

His alarm blared throughout the tiny room as he rolled over to cut off the sound. He stood up and looked at the time realizing breakfast will be almost over in an hour. He showered and got dressed as he gathered all his things bringing them down to the front desk. This time it was an older woman with salt and pepper hair standing there with a smile on her face. He handed her his keycard and she thanked him and told him to have a nice day. He grabbed 2 cinnamon raisin bagels, a bottle of orange juice and a cup of coffee. He downed the cup of coffee quickly, desperately needing the caffeine to get on with his long journey. He walked outside juggling his food and bags trying to reach for his car key, just before he dropped his food a slender hand grabbed it from his hand.

“I wouldn’t want you to lose your free food on this long trip to Cali.” She laughed a little as she walked over to his blue Ford F-150. “One of my favorite colors,” she grinned. Smiling, he opened the car door and deposited his belongings onto the backseat.

“Yeah, me too,” he responded quickly. “So where are you headed?”

She handed him his food and she leaned against the truck pointing towards a blue 2001 Chevy Malibu. “I was headed to LA to become a screen writer but my piece of shit car broke down. I will say it made it all the way from New Jersey to here.” She was still surprised how far she had driven with it.

Chris considered offering her a ride, despite the fact that she was a stranger but something held him back, I mean she seemed okay but there was something about her he felt connected to.

“I’ll take you…” He says in a whisper she barely heard. But she carefully looks at him and of course her conscience said, “He could be a rapist.”

Maybe, but her instincts said something totally different. So to test him if he was a douche bag or not, “What do you want in return?” She crossed her arms reading his body language.

He furrowed his eyebrows in disgust at the suggestion she was implying but he quickly adjusted and responded honestly.

“Well I could use a friend, if you’re willing. This car could be our ticket to a world where we both belong.” He gave a small smile and she blinked a few times to take in what he just said.

“I can’t remember a time when I felt needed.” She extended her hand, “Well if we’re going to be friends, we should probably introduce ourselves, my name’s Mariah.”

Chris extended his hand to the caramel skinned young lady, “Chris, nice to meet you.” They both grabbed each others’ hand and felt a spark of…familiarity maybe?

“I’ll grab my things…” She released his hand and disappeared into the building.

He stood there looking out onto the open road, “I don’t even know what love is, so how can I be a friend to anyone?” He asked himself as he turned to get into his truck. Within 3 minutes she returned with her belongings and tossed them onto the back seat and she got into the passenger side buckling up. He smiled and pulled out from the parking lot continue to head west.

She looked out the window and then looking at the side review mirror her reflection smirked, “You think he’d continue to drive you when he finds out that your friends have been tried for treason and crimes that were never defined.?” Mariah shook her head from the thought and turned her head to look towards the young man beside her.

“So, mind if I ask what are you running from…or should I say who?”

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he exhaled, “My…old life.” He briefly turned to look at the brown eyed girl and he knew from the look in her eyes that there was more to it. So he continued as he kept his eyes on the road, “My father left me as a baby and I grew up in a house full of white people. My mother she is white and my father is black so…” He trails off and she finishes his thought.

“…so they treated you like an enigma, like you were an accident.” She didn’t have to ask the question because she understood all too well just slightly a different situation. He nodded and sighed as he kept looking at the open road in front of them.

She turned her head looking out the passenger window and spoke softly, “Love is like a barren place and reaching out for human faith is…like a journey we just don’t have a map for.”

Chris didn’t know what to say to that, it was like she was reading his thoughts and feeling exactly what he felt. They sat there in silence for 20 minutes until his curiosity got the best of him.

“What about you? What are you running from, or who?” he asked curiously, turn about being fair play.

She sighed and responded, “My family also; the ones that are supposed to love you no matter what; the ones who are supposed to support your dreams no matter what. It’s funny; I originally came out to Minnesota to look for my father…” Chris looked at her surprisingly. She continued, “My father was absent from my life as well, sure the stories told from my mom is all I have. But I wanted to know his story and why he left me; his baby girl.” She sounded just like a lost little girl in that moment as he thought to himself.

“I take it you didn’t find him.” He responded nonchalantly and she nodded,

“No. All I know is he was in the Air Force and was stationed out in Montana in the 80’s before moving to Minnesota…” She noticed Chris’s face turn pale and she put her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

Chris could not believe it; they couldn’t have the same… “I…um…I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a complete crazy person…” He breathed out. She turned her whole body to face his direction.

“Tell me. Please.” She almost begged.

“My mother told me that my father was in the Air Force as well and he was discharged due to his addiction to alcohol and then he moved to Minnesota and met my mother. That was in the 80’s as well.” Chris briefly looked at Mariah and she looked like she wasn’t breathing at all. “Please breathe…” he begged. “I am about to pull over.” He said.

She quickly grabbed his arm and shook her head, “Please keep driving and continue what you were saying.” He reluctantly kept driving.

“As I said, that is all I know. I don’t know what he looks like and my mom seemed so bitter with everything that had anything to do with him and apparently I reminded her of him so I was the target…all the time.” He hated with a passion talking about any of those people.

Mariah’s heart was racing and she kept staring at the young man before her eyes. That is why she thought she recognized him from…somewhere. She slowly pulls her wallet out from her back pocket and opens it up and pulls out a picture of a young man in an Air Force uniform; her father. She hands the wallet size picture to Chris.

“This is him. My father; our father” She whispered mainly to herself but Chris heard her loud and clear. He grabbed the picture from her shaking hand and studied it quickly. His looked over the young handsome man in uniform and saw a reflection of himself in him. “You look like him; you’re just a little lighter from your mom’s side. But it’s uncanny.” She smiled a little. She couldn’t believe this was happening; her brother was right beside her. I mean it might be a bit far fetched but still…

Chris couldn’t handle all these revelations anymore and pulled over to the side of the road and parked the truck. “I just…I can see it. But I am so angry at him for leaving me in that god forsaken place!” He shoves the picture back into Mariah’s hand and gets out the truck and starts yelling to the sky.

“WHY CAN’T THE UNIVERSE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!! IT’S BEEN 22 YEARS ISN’T THAT ENOUGH?!” He dropped to his knees and whispered, “I am just so tired of being unwanted…”

Mariah got out the car and slowly approached the broken young man before her eyes. She dropped to her knees beside him and pulled the crying man into a fierce hug. She had tears falling from her eyes.

“Chris, look at me. Look at me.” He finally looked up at her with his brown eyes and he sucked back his tears. “Everything happens for a reason and whatever shit we went through in our past led us to this moment. It led us to each other and honestly I couldn’t be happier. While I was looking for my birth father instead I found my brother.” She cried happily while he laughed at the way the universe is so fucked up. He looked up at her and wiped away his tears.

“You have his eyes, nose and his smile.” He commented to her. She blushed a little knowing she’d been told that all her life growing up.

She responded, “Well little brother you have his smile as well and nose. You have a lot of his features.” They both stood up and walked back to the truck; she took the keys from him and said, “I’ll drive.” He knew it was already set in stone she would. He nodded and got into the passenger seat as she started the truck.

“Whoa, who said I was the younger of the two. I was born in 1988.” He fastened his seat belt as she adjusted the rearview mirror. He was just a little taller than her but not by much. She responded, “Born in ’86. Sorry little brother.” She teased as she pulled away from the side of the road.

He shook his head and laughed. “Whatever.”

“You know we have 20 hours to get to know each other and then some. I just have to say you looked a little bitter when I first met you.” She teased again as she kept her eyes on the road.

He snorted, “It was a mirror image of what you looked like when I met you as well. I guess we’re both bitter ones.” He looked out the side window thinking of all the things that lead up to this moment. “Amazing how life works,” he thought to himself. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly.

“I guess we have our family to thank for that.” She commented as she slowly let go of his hand. “That felt…real.” He thought to himself as he was processing a human connection that he felt would never exist in his world. He looked up from their hands to Mariah and responded…

“I am not bitter anymore…”

“Neither am I little brother, neither am I.” She smiled.

Miesha Lowery