Saved Folk in the House Read Online Free PDF Page A

off,” she said.
    He laughed. “You better come or I’m gonna come get you.”
    “I said okay,” she replied as she picked up her tray and went to join Ruby and some other girls from the dorm. She could feel the heat from the hard stares the sorority women gave her as she walked past their table.
    The town house was three blocks from campus. Zakia, Ruby, and the girls they ate with walked over to the party that Saturday night. There was music, card playing, backgammon, food, beer, hard alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and folks yelling, “Party ovah heah!”
    College students are cool but not too focused,
Zakia thought.
    “Loosen up and have some fun,” Ruby said, “or I’m gonna sic Malik on you. Here, drink a beer.”
    “Girl, beer looks like pee, and it’s nasty,” Zakia said.
    “Just do it like you do the cafeteria food. This Olde English is the bomb. Drink the rest of this one to loosen up,” Ruby instructed, handing her the can.
    “You’re not going to leave me alone until I do, are you?” Zakia asked.
    “Gonna bug you all night. Come on, roomie, I got your back,” Ruby replied.
    Zakia took the can and quickly emptied its contents in an effort to avoid the taste. It went straight to her head, and because she was completely drug- and alcohol-free, she was instantly high. She began to loosen up. She was dancing, grooving, and becoming lighter and freer. Malik was all over her, and she reciprocated. She was getting higher off the smoke that filled the room, which drove all her inhibitions away. Zakia was no longer herself. She could do whatever she wanted. She let out a loud yell as if to let everything locked up inside of her out.
    The party people yelled back. She yelled again and experienced a release that made her feel freer than she had ever been. They yelled back again. When she went off yelling and dancing out of control, Ruby and Malik knew something was wrong. Malik grabbed Zakia and led her upstairs to lay on his bed. Ruby ran up the stairs behind them.
    “What are you doing?” Ruby asked Malik.
    “Just letting her lay down, that’s all,” he said, lifting her legs onto the bed.
    “Yeah, right.”
    “I wouldn’t take advantage of her like that, Ruby. Give me a break. I wouldn’t want it like that.”
    Zakia sang loudly as she lay on the bed with her eyes closed, oblivious to where she was, not hearing the conversation for the loud music.
    “Yeah, right. She’s to’e up,” Ruby said.
    Zakia continued to sing at the top of her lungs.
    Ruby, worried about her roommate, looked at Malik.
    “She’ll be all right,” he said, sensing her concern.
    Zakia was still singing, louder and louder.
    “Listen to her,” Ruby said.
    “Just let her stay here and sleep it off. I’ll walk her back to the dorm in the morning,” Malik insisted.
    “Please! She’s so messed up she wouldn’t even remember if you took advantage of her.”
    “I’m telling you, I wouldn’t take advantage of her like that.”
    Now Zakia was moaning and groaning. They looked at her, then at each other. Malik tried to look as innocent as possible. Ruby looked deep into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity.
    “Aaww heck naw! Come on, walk us back to the dorm
now!
”
    The next day, Zakia vowed to never do drugs or alcohol again. Malik came to her room that afternoon to make sure she was all right.
    “How’re you doing today, baby?” he asked, genuinely concerned as he sat in the chair at her desk. Ruby was still asleep.
    “Fine. Never again, though. That was not me at all.”
    “I know, but did you have a good time? Tell the truth,” Malik said.
    “It was okay. I wouldn’t do that every weekend. Or like Ruby, every day, if she could.”
    “Yeah, she’s crazy, but she’s got your back. That’s good. But she’s so wild. You need a man to have your back, baby. Come on. Let me be your man. Let me take care of you. I understand what you’re all about, and that’s why I love you. We can help each