Fanfiction

“Poem For a Lady Whose Voice I Like” By Nikki Giovanni Fanfiction

I was not looking forward to going to my first day of college tomorrow. You see, no one in my town actually goes to college because they value work more than education. This life wasn’t for me. Ever since I was little I loved reading books and my mother would go above and beyond to make sure I had new books to read. My mother is basically the only one whose supportive of my decision to go to college and I am okay with that because she’s the only one that matters to me.

So, going to college tomorrow is going to be a big step towards my future. I’m all packed up and now I’m just waiting for the time to come. I’ve heard great things about college from my teachers and I really hope it’s as great as they told me it is. My teachers always told me they knew I was destined for more and now here I am, bags packed and a college education waiting for me.

The day has come to go off to pursue my future. My mom walked me out towards the cab that was waiting for me. We said our goodbyes and I hugged her for a long time and told her I would be back as a better person and that we’d be able to go to a new house. She laughed at my comment and gave me my blessing and with that I got into the cab that drove me to the bus stop which was a little out of town.

The ride to the bus stop was even worse than the night I had. I think I had more nerves now that my mom isn’t with me and I am on my own. All this was hitting me right now and all I wanted to do was make the cab turn around and run to my mother’s arms.

“We’re here miss” said the cab driver. I snapped back into reality and got out of the cab.

I grabbed my bag, thanked the driver and went to the bus station.

As I went into the bus station many people stared at me, for it was the news of the town that a girl like myself was going to college. I walked quickly avoiding the glares that people threw at me. I got my bus ticket and was waiting for the bus to come so I decided to buy a donut and wait by the stop.

I was opening my donut from its package when a man comes up to me. I don’t even want to say what he said but coming from a man like that I am not surprised. He looked down upon me going to college just like everyone else in this town. He went as far as to tell me that I consider myself to have the privilege of those white folks. I responded the way my mother taught me, with respect because a lady should never let herself go.

After this man walked away my bus arrived. I chose the sit next to the window and stared at the plain grass as the bus drove towards its destination. I kept thinking how this man had the audacity to compare to me the white men just because I decided to pursue my education. It’s incredible what people will say to bring you down.

I couldn’t stop thinking about that man that came up to me at the bus station. His face seemed familiar, but I couldn’t put a name to the face and it was killing me. After a couple of hours of trying to remember who that man was, it hit me. I went to high school with him, but he left early because he had to take care of his siblings after his dad got sick. No one knew more about him after he left but I couldn’t believe he came up to me and spoke to me that way.

After getting settled in my college dorm I was getting ready to sleep but I kept trying to come up with an answer as to why that man came up to me acting like he knew me. We never talked in high school, yet he came up to me all confident and ready to blow.

A week has passed, and I always think about home. I think about my mother and of course the man from the bus stop. I finally came to a realization as to why he came up to me that day. I don’t like to think this way but perhaps he was a bit jealous of how my future turned out compared to his. Many of us at high school went through hard times but I never thought college was a competition it was more of an opportunity and if you wanted it you had to take it. Perhaps he was angry that he couldn’t reach for that opportunity but instead had to go straight to work to help his family. He’s not the first, in my town many people go to work instead of receiving an education, however, I don’t want to be like them.