More of the same By Jonah Phillips
Bernard Nicholas Kilamanjaro, first in middle name coming from the St. Bernard dog in Saint Nicholas, a.k.a. Santa Claus, and last name, chosen by his ancestors once they got the free from slavery, was currently riding down the streets of Orlando, Florida. He was cruising in a motorcycle and the side core was a baby boy about one year-old, wearing a onesie and a hat, both of which head a light blue background with tiny Santa Clauses on it. He had originally been with the baby boy—named Iovec—at the house of his employer Soncnica Mostov. She was a Slovenian woman whose parents had immigrated America and she had been born in DC. She had moved to Florida after getting accepted into FAU at age 18 and upon graduating from college, had started her own rubber, sugar, banana, silver, and gold business. The farms and mines that she ran were in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
He only met her three months ago, when he was taking pictures of animals, and that’s how he made his living by capturing both domestic and wild beasts, in the Florida Everglades. The two of them had formed a fast friendship to the fact that neither judge the other on their gender or race, which unfortunately was a rare occurrence. Once she introduced him to her baby boy, the latter two were also enamored with each other, and he had readily accepted the babysitting job. Soncnica, who ran a rubber company, along with her husband who ran a scientific corporation, often had sitters and nannies look after their boy due to having to be away from him for her long periods. Bernard had stayed longer than most of them.
Soon, Bernard heard sirens and saw a police officer on a motorcycle following him. He felt fear because he was carrying a white baby in the southern state of Florida, and was well aware of every day racism that blacks like him faced
The police officer dismounted the motorcycle and walked over to him, lifting up his visor, which was black in the home was white, wow Kilimanjaro lifted up the reflective sunvisor on his British flag designed helmet. The cop was wearing dark blue clothes while Kilimanjaro war khaki pants with two Tasmanian devils designed on them in front and back and a shirt, also khaki, showed two male red kangaroos fighting with each other on a red desert ground peppered with green bushes.
“Hello sir. Is that your kid adopted, guardian, maybe a nanny or a babysitter?“ the officer asked not with hostility, but genuine curiosity. Surprised but remaining cautious, Bernard responded, “it’s the last one officer. I’m looking after him for my friend a lady named SONCNICA MOSTOV.”
“That sounds Slavic.”
“Yes! You got it right, sir! Mrs. MOSTOV is from Slovenia. Specifically your parents were immigrants, but she’s a natural born citizen.”
The motorcycle cop looked down at the baby boy who giggled back at him, then said to Bernard, “ seeing how happy he is, I’d say you’re doing a great job! I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re a natural at this. Keep up the good work!”
Bernard, when the police officer said he was a natural, filled feeling in his stomach, well aware of the stereotype that black folks were nannies or babysitters for white kids, and we’re just naturally good at it. He said nothing as the cop walked back to his motorcycle and then drove around and beside Kilimanjaro‘s own motorcycle and often to the distance. Once the office was out of sight, the multiracial male babysitters took off driving once again. He Edrove for 10 more minutes until he and Iovec arrived at the Florida mall, which was the largest shopping center in all of Florida, even though it was only in the city of Orlando. He got off the motorcycle, took a child. He was watching out of the sidecar press, the kill switch, and then walk through the parking lot towards the mall. Not surprisingly but disheartening, he felt stairs on him some hostile some hateful, some curious, some friendly and some adoring. Suddenly from the northwest side of him, he saw what appeared to be an eight year-old girl—with red colored pigtails sticking diagonally from either side of her head like Pippi Longstocking— running towards him. Stopping about a foot away from him she said, “he’s so cute and so tiny Mr.! Can I hold him?! Please?!”
She gave him her best puppy dog I look in seconds later a woman who also had red hair and rare purple eyes walked up to him as well. She was wearing pink, just like her daughter, but unlike her child, the woman had on a pink sweatsuit instead of a pink dress with shoulder straps. Both mother and daughter also had vanilla tinted skin. The woman was really amused at the enthusiasm her daughter had for the baby. Bernard was looking after her. We decided to get in and said, “Surekid, you can hold the baby, then make sure to support his head and butt.”
Her mother nodded in agreement, saying, “that’s right Sarah, be careful with his baby otherwise you’ll hurt him.”
“OK mama!“ Sarah replied as Kilimanjaro handed over the baby to her. Then, supporting his buttocks and the back of a scalp that she’s been told, Sarah started to lift IOVEC up and down and spin him around, holding him in the air, alternating between the two things wow the one year-old giggled excitedly.
“Let me guess you’re watching him for someone? My name is Chamomile. Me and my little girl’s last name is Turtledove” the mother said, turning her attention back to Bernard. He nodded and then she asked, “Are you available or do you babysit him all the time? Also, what’s your name?”
“My name is Bernard Kilimanjaro. This little man right here is the only child I’ve looked after, and I’ve been doing it for the past three months. Iovec and his mom and daddy might be upset if I don’t show up because I’ve taken other jobs.”
“Would you mind giving me Soncnica‘s number, please Bernard?“
He obliged, reciting it from memory. She typed it into the notes app on her iphone, then looked at her daughter and said, “OK Sarah, we have to go now. Give Iovec back to Bernard.“
The little girl sighed and reluctantly obeyed, then went back to take her mother‘s hand in the two walked off, with Sarah, saying, “Bye Iovec, Bye Mr. Kilimanjaro.“
Bernard smiled at them for bit before continuing to the mall entrance. Once he reached the concrete sidewalk, he noticed two women standing near the entrance, both white. The first one had silver blonde hair, faded light blue jeans, and was wearing a split-lemon-designed T-shirt. The second one had golden blonde hair was wearing dark blue jeans and had on a tie-dye designed T-shirt. Both women were wearing black heeled sandals. The two of them looking at him disapprovingly as he carried Iovec and whispering to each other. He knew what they were probably saying, even if you couldn’t hear them, and he glared at them, which caused them to stop.
“What the fuck are you two looking at?! What do you think because I’m a black man and this is a white baby that I kidnapped him?!“ He asked angrily. The two ladies were mortified at his accusation and quickly fled off the sidewalk and into the parking lot. Racism, whether implicit or explicit, didn’t just anger Kilimanjaro, it frustrated him. Even after millennia, people still clung to prejudice and stereotypes. They chose to embrace, comfort, fantasies, rather than except uncomfortable realities.
When he entered, the mall started to walk within seconds, many people all of them white started to approach him and say how cute the baby was, and also ask him if he babysat as a business. He reiterated that Iovec was his only ward and that he would have consult his boss. They encouraged him to do so, and also complementing him for being so good with the baby, just like the cop had Their obvious fetishism was superbly annoying, but it was better than hostility. As he walked, he also felt the stairs of those not approaching him some hateful and hostile, some curious and admiring. Do you remember what his parents had told him about racism coming in different forms and the ones you had to worry about were the ones who didn’t wear the sheets and who didn’t use the slayers.
After about 10 minutes in the mall, it happened. A woman who looked to be in her late 40s blocked his path. Her hair was milk chocolate and done up in the twin buns Chinese style. She also wore a silk short-sleeved dress designed with tomatoes. she looked to Kilimanjaro, not with hatred, but with unfounded suspicion as if he were a criminal.
“What are you doing with this white baby?” she asked him, again in that completely unwarranted, suspicious tone of voice.
“ I don’t have to explain anything to lady! Now piss off!”
This woman, however, didn’t know when to leave well enough alone.
“Why are you getting so defensive in response to a simple question? Unless of course you’ve kidnapped this child, brought him somewhere he’s not supposed to be, or are going somewhere you’re not supposed to go with him?”
Her insinuation infuriated him, but knowing that beating the crap out of her would result in prison time, he held back, instead replying, “No! It is not a simple question! It is a loaded and racist one. You looked at this child and you looked at me and you assumed that because we have different skin colors that that must mean I’m up to no good! This child is not crying, not squirming to get away, not bruised or scratched, not distressed in any way, yet you jump to conclusions! I was hesitant to take him outside while watching him cause I knew I might encounter a bigoted, bitch like you!”
He heard gasps from the people around him, as a small crowd had given to watch the exchange, and then he turned on his heel, eager get away from the woman. Her face went red, enraged at being talked to in this manner. Bernard had taken but five steps away from her when she rushed after him and tried to grab his shoulder, saying, “Hold on a minute I’m not finished with…”
That was the straw that broke the cameras back. Kilimanjaro quickly turned his body, causing her to miss his shoulder, grabbed her wrist and then flung her backwards onto her spine and butt. People gasped louder around him. He glared the woman with as much righteous venom as possible, and said, “You’re lucky I didn’t break your fingers, if you know what’s good for you you’ll stay the hell away from me!“ Then Kilimanjaro walked off. The woman lying on the floor, looked at his retreating form in shock. As Bernard walked away, another white woman with curly brown hair gave him a thumbs up in the smirk.
A lady with yellow sweatpants and a green sweatshirt said right on brother, well caramel skin man wearing a Chicago Bulls long sleeve shirt and matching pants mouthed to him “you taught that bitch a lesson!“ 10 seconds after she’d been knocked down said woman was approached by a man wearing pants that were designed with olives and a shirt that was designed with green grapes. He appeared to be Sicilian and head short, curly black hair and tan skin.
“What the hell is wrong with you lady?! Even if he was a kidnapper, you don’t try to stop. We could possibly be an armed or dangerous man. You go find the police or find security if they’re nearby and if they’re not you, call them and wait for them to arrive!”
“I’m a mother, I have three kids, and I don’t want anything to happen to them. Saw them being kidnapped. I wouldn’t wait for secure your police to step in and help, and I wasn’t going to wait for them to show up in this case!“
Another man who was completely bald, except for his platinum blonde eyebrows, came to stand beside the Italian man and told her in a very disapproving tone, “You had NO evidence that that black man was kidnapping that white baby. As he said, the baby was not scratched, bruised, crying, trying to get away from him, or showing distress in any way shape or form. What alarmed you was solely their different complexions. You’re the problem, not him. And don’t try to hide your concern behind your obvious prejudice!”
The woman looked at him in shock, and then looked around the other people around her, all of them weren’t angry, but none of them support or approved of her assumptions. Realizing this and that she had no allies, she quickly got up and headed back towards the mall entrance to leave the building.
Kilimanjaro meanwhile continued perusing the mall going in different stores for another 10 minutes. Then feeling hungry he said to head to the food court. First though, he gave Iovec his bottle from the green baby bag hanging from his shoulder. Arriving at the food court, he headed towards a pizza restaurant, ordering two slices of pepperoni pizza, two breadsticks, and ginger ale. Sitting down with SONCNICA‘s baby an empty table he waited until the the flashing lights on his wireless pager signaled that his food was ready. Still holding Iovec, he got his meal and sat back down. Feeling two fingers tap on his shoulder, Bernard saw a security guard with a cinnamon sugary beard and ponytail, wearing a black cap and light blue security uniform shirt in black khakis. Hanging from the waistband was a walkie-talkie. A wary expression on his face, the guard asked, “Excuse me sir, what is the nature of your relationship with his child? You clearly aren’t his father or relative, unless of course, you adopted him or adopted by the same family.“
The way the guard emphasized the word clearly made Kilimanjaro blood boil, and he immediately stood up, glaring at the man.
“ What do you mean clearly, sir?! Families coming in all shapes and sizes and yes, parents of different colors have two different colors. If you don’t know this, you need to take your head out of your ass!”
“Sir, I need you to calm down,” the security guard started, but Bernard sharply interrupted him.
“No! I will not calm down! I don’t blame people for having prejudices, what with how they are constantly pushed on us by the people around us and by the media, but that’s no excuse for scumbags like you constantly acting on them instead of realizing that they’re wrong instead of focusing on evidence and proof!”
The security guard, looking flummoxed, said, “Sir could you please answer my question about your relationship to this child?”
If you must know,” Bernard said with righteous rudeness, “He’s the son of my friend Soncnica Mostov, who, along with her husband asked me to watch him because they are often busy with their jobs, in require babysitters. I’ve been watching him for the past three months, which is also how long I’ve been friends with Mrs. Mostov. And no, I’ve never babysat before.”
“So this woman, who you only met three months ago, trusted you, who also has no babysitting experience, to look after and be along with her child?” The security guard said a skeptical tone of voice. His disbelief only further enraged Bernard, who said, “I don’t give a damn what you believe, you rent a cop! It’s the truth and you don’t get to decide what is the proper length of time for a woman to trust someone enough to let them near their child!”
The security guard’s hand twitched toward his radio, thinking of calling for back up, viewing Bernard as a danger/threat, rather than a righteously angry black man furious with being racially profiled. And just like last time, a crowd had gathered to watch the exchange.
“You know what, I’m gonna call up SONCNICA, so you can get an ear full for treating me like a criminal kidnapper with no evidence!”
“Yes sir, I think that is a good idea. I should speak to this child’s mother so that everything can be verified and cleared up,” security guard said with a nod, reaching for the yellow case phone that Kilimanjaro had pulled out and was dialing.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Bernard shouted, recount violently.
“Sir, please calm…”
“NO! I WON’T!”
Then, a woman wearing a white cowboy hat and a medium blue jean jacket with matching jeans and a white T-shirt beneath said, “He’s right man. You’re not a cop, you can’t touch or detain him without probable cause. Only the police can, and only if they have reasonable suspicion of a crime.”
“Yeah, and you got neither!” a woman standing next to her who had a gray cowboy hat on a brownish red frilly jacket with a pink shirt beneath it and tan khaki pants with a black drawstring.
“Ma’ams , you should know that obstructing an investigation into a crime is…“ the security guard began, but was fiercely interrupted by Kilimanjaro once more.
“What crime?! The crime of being black and carrying a white baby?! The crime of being with someone who’s not of my own race?! The only criminal here is you, you bastard!”
Finally, Bernard pressed the dial logo, which was a green circle with a white receiver in the center, on his phone and heard the ring dial signaling that his employers’s own phone had been contacted. The phone rang twice, before SONCNICA picked up and said, “Bernard? What’s wrong“ somehow realizing that this was not a pleasant or social call.
Kilimanjaro told her everything from the police motorcycle stopping him to the security guard, charging him for living while black.
“He did WHAT?! Put the phone on speaker, Bernard! He and everybody else that’s there needs to hear this!”
He did just that, turning the phone towards the security guard.
“How DARE you treat my babysitter this way not to mention my friend?!“
“Ma’am, I didn’t say…”
“I don’t give two shits what you said! I care what you meant! You looked at Bernard. He looked at my son Iovec and you assumed that something sketchy was going on. Clearly, you’re one of those people who associates blackness with evil and whiteness with innocence, which is why you profiled Kilimanjaro!”
“Ma’am, I promise you, I” the security guard again tried to defend himself, but Mrs. Mostov was having none of it.
“Your promises don’t mean shit to me! I’m going to contact your manager through the phone number on your mall website. I’m gonna tell her what you did and if she does not fire you on the spot, I’m going to contact the media and let them know that the mall tolerate racist employees. I also have my lawyers initiate lawsuit against this establishment, and get her fired as well. In fact, I’ll do everything I can to see it shut down! I’m gonna get the security footage of what you in that racist wench from earlier did, so that you’ll be famous worldwide and will never get another job again. Now get the hell out of my sight!”
The security guard struggled to speak for several seconds, but realizing that he had nothing to change his defense, quickly turned away and walked off. Even t
He only met her three months ago, when he was taking pictures of animals, and that’s how he made his living by capturing both domestic and wild beasts, in the Florida Everglades. The two of them had formed a fast friendship to the fact that neither judge the other on their gender or race, which unfortunately was a rare occurrence. Once she introduced him to her baby boy, the latter two were also enamored with each other, and he had readily accepted the babysitting job. Soncnica, who ran a rubber company, along with her husband who ran a scientific corporation, often had sitters and nannies look after their boy due to having to be away from him for her long periods. Bernard had stayed longer than most of them.
Soon, Bernard heard sirens and saw a police officer on a motorcycle following him. He felt fear because he was carrying a white baby in the southern state of Florida, and was well aware of every day racism that blacks like him faced
The police officer dismounted the motorcycle and walked over to him, lifting up his visor, which was black in the home was white, wow Kilimanjaro lifted up the reflective sunvisor on his British flag designed helmet. The cop was wearing dark blue clothes while Kilimanjaro war khaki pants with two Tasmanian devils designed on them in front and back and a shirt, also khaki, showed two male red kangaroos fighting with each other on a red desert ground peppered with green bushes.
“Hello sir. Is that your kid adopted, guardian, maybe a nanny or a babysitter?“ the officer asked not with hostility, but genuine curiosity. Surprised but remaining cautious, Bernard responded, “it’s the last one officer. I’m looking after him for my friend a lady named SONCNICA MOSTOV.”
“That sounds Slavic.”
“Yes! You got it right, sir! Mrs. MOSTOV is from Slovenia. Specifically your parents were immigrants, but she’s a natural born citizen.”
The motorcycle cop looked down at the baby boy who giggled back at him, then said to Bernard, “ seeing how happy he is, I’d say you’re doing a great job! I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re a natural at this. Keep up the good work!”
Bernard, when the police officer said he was a natural, filled feeling in his stomach, well aware of the stereotype that black folks were nannies or babysitters for white kids, and we’re just naturally good at it. He said nothing as the cop walked back to his motorcycle and then drove around and beside Kilimanjaro‘s own motorcycle and often to the distance. Once the office was out of sight, the multiracial male babysitters took off driving once again. He Edrove for 10 more minutes until he and Iovec arrived at the Florida mall, which was the largest shopping center in all of Florida, even though it was only in the city of Orlando. He got off the motorcycle, took a child. He was watching out of the sidecar press, the kill switch, and then walk through the parking lot towards the mall. Not surprisingly but disheartening, he felt stairs on him some hostile some hateful, some curious, some friendly and some adoring. Suddenly from the northwest side of him, he saw what appeared to be an eight year-old girl—with red colored pigtails sticking diagonally from either side of her head like Pippi Longstocking— running towards him. Stopping about a foot away from him she said, “he’s so cute and so tiny Mr.! Can I hold him?! Please?!”
She gave him her best puppy dog I look in seconds later a woman who also had red hair and rare purple eyes walked up to him as well. She was wearing pink, just like her daughter, but unlike her child, the woman had on a pink sweatsuit instead of a pink dress with shoulder straps. Both mother and daughter also had vanilla tinted skin. The woman was really amused at the enthusiasm her daughter had for the baby. Bernard was looking after her. We decided to get in and said, “Surekid, you can hold the baby, then make sure to support his head and butt.”
Her mother nodded in agreement, saying, “that’s right Sarah, be careful with his baby otherwise you’ll hurt him.”
“OK mama!“ Sarah replied as Kilimanjaro handed over the baby to her. Then, supporting his buttocks and the back of a scalp that she’s been told, Sarah started to lift IOVEC up and down and spin him around, holding him in the air, alternating between the two things wow the one year-old giggled excitedly.
“Let me guess you’re watching him for someone? My name is Chamomile. Me and my little girl’s last name is Turtledove” the mother said, turning her attention back to Bernard. He nodded and then she asked, “Are you available or do you babysit him all the time? Also, what’s your name?”
“My name is Bernard Kilimanjaro. This little man right here is the only child I’ve looked after, and I’ve been doing it for the past three months. Iovec and his mom and daddy might be upset if I don’t show up because I’ve taken other jobs.”
“Would you mind giving me Soncnica‘s number, please Bernard?“
He obliged, reciting it from memory. She typed it into the notes app on her iphone, then looked at her daughter and said, “OK Sarah, we have to go now. Give Iovec back to Bernard.“
The little girl sighed and reluctantly obeyed, then went back to take her mother‘s hand in the two walked off, with Sarah, saying, “Bye Iovec, Bye Mr. Kilimanjaro.“
Bernard smiled at them for bit before continuing to the mall entrance. Once he reached the concrete sidewalk, he noticed two women standing near the entrance, both white. The first one had silver blonde hair, faded light blue jeans, and was wearing a split-lemon-designed T-shirt. The second one had golden blonde hair was wearing dark blue jeans and had on a tie-dye designed T-shirt. Both women were wearing black heeled sandals. The two of them looking at him disapprovingly as he carried Iovec and whispering to each other. He knew what they were probably saying, even if you couldn’t hear them, and he glared at them, which caused them to stop.
“What the fuck are you two looking at?! What do you think because I’m a black man and this is a white baby that I kidnapped him?!“ He asked angrily. The two ladies were mortified at his accusation and quickly fled off the sidewalk and into the parking lot. Racism, whether implicit or explicit, didn’t just anger Kilimanjaro, it frustrated him. Even after millennia, people still clung to prejudice and stereotypes. They chose to embrace, comfort, fantasies, rather than except uncomfortable realities.
When he entered, the mall started to walk within seconds, many people all of them white started to approach him and say how cute the baby was, and also ask him if he babysat as a business. He reiterated that Iovec was his only ward and that he would have consult his boss. They encouraged him to do so, and also complementing him for being so good with the baby, just like the cop had Their obvious fetishism was superbly annoying, but it was better than hostility. As he walked, he also felt the stairs of those not approaching him some hateful and hostile, some curious and admiring. Do you remember what his parents had told him about racism coming in different forms and the ones you had to worry about were the ones who didn’t wear the sheets and who didn’t use the slayers.
After about 10 minutes in the mall, it happened. A woman who looked to be in her late 40s blocked his path. Her hair was milk chocolate and done up in the twin buns Chinese style. She also wore a silk short-sleeved dress designed with tomatoes. she looked to Kilimanjaro, not with hatred, but with unfounded suspicion as if he were a criminal.
“What are you doing with this white baby?” she asked him, again in that completely unwarranted, suspicious tone of voice.
“ I don’t have to explain anything to lady! Now piss off!”
This woman, however, didn’t know when to leave well enough alone.
“Why are you getting so defensive in response to a simple question? Unless of course you’ve kidnapped this child, brought him somewhere he’s not supposed to be, or are going somewhere you’re not supposed to go with him?”
Her insinuation infuriated him, but knowing that beating the crap out of her would result in prison time, he held back, instead replying, “No! It is not a simple question! It is a loaded and racist one. You looked at this child and you looked at me and you assumed that because we have different skin colors that that must mean I’m up to no good! This child is not crying, not squirming to get away, not bruised or scratched, not distressed in any way, yet you jump to conclusions! I was hesitant to take him outside while watching him cause I knew I might encounter a bigoted, bitch like you!”
He heard gasps from the people around him, as a small crowd had given to watch the exchange, and then he turned on his heel, eager get away from the woman. Her face went red, enraged at being talked to in this manner. Bernard had taken but five steps away from her when she rushed after him and tried to grab his shoulder, saying, “Hold on a minute I’m not finished with…”
That was the straw that broke the cameras back. Kilimanjaro quickly turned his body, causing her to miss his shoulder, grabbed her wrist and then flung her backwards onto her spine and butt. People gasped louder around him. He glared the woman with as much righteous venom as possible, and said, “You’re lucky I didn’t break your fingers, if you know what’s good for you you’ll stay the hell away from me!“ Then Kilimanjaro walked off. The woman lying on the floor, looked at his retreating form in shock. As Bernard walked away, another white woman with curly brown hair gave him a thumbs up in the smirk.
A lady with yellow sweatpants and a green sweatshirt said right on brother, well caramel skin man wearing a Chicago Bulls long sleeve shirt and matching pants mouthed to him “you taught that bitch a lesson!“ 10 seconds after she’d been knocked down said woman was approached by a man wearing pants that were designed with olives and a shirt that was designed with green grapes. He appeared to be Sicilian and head short, curly black hair and tan skin.
“What the hell is wrong with you lady?! Even if he was a kidnapper, you don’t try to stop. We could possibly be an armed or dangerous man. You go find the police or find security if they’re nearby and if they’re not you, call them and wait for them to arrive!”
“I’m a mother, I have three kids, and I don’t want anything to happen to them. Saw them being kidnapped. I wouldn’t wait for secure your police to step in and help, and I wasn’t going to wait for them to show up in this case!“
Another man who was completely bald, except for his platinum blonde eyebrows, came to stand beside the Italian man and told her in a very disapproving tone, “You had NO evidence that that black man was kidnapping that white baby. As he said, the baby was not scratched, bruised, crying, trying to get away from him, or showing distress in any way shape or form. What alarmed you was solely their different complexions. You’re the problem, not him. And don’t try to hide your concern behind your obvious prejudice!”
The woman looked at him in shock, and then looked around the other people around her, all of them weren’t angry, but none of them support or approved of her assumptions. Realizing this and that she had no allies, she quickly got up and headed back towards the mall entrance to leave the building.
Kilimanjaro meanwhile continued perusing the mall going in different stores for another 10 minutes. Then feeling hungry he said to head to the food court. First though, he gave Iovec his bottle from the green baby bag hanging from his shoulder. Arriving at the food court, he headed towards a pizza restaurant, ordering two slices of pepperoni pizza, two breadsticks, and ginger ale. Sitting down with SONCNICA‘s baby an empty table he waited until the the flashing lights on his wireless pager signaled that his food was ready. Still holding Iovec, he got his meal and sat back down. Feeling two fingers tap on his shoulder, Bernard saw a security guard with a cinnamon sugary beard and ponytail, wearing a black cap and light blue security uniform shirt in black khakis. Hanging from the waistband was a walkie-talkie. A wary expression on his face, the guard asked, “Excuse me sir, what is the nature of your relationship with his child? You clearly aren’t his father or relative, unless of course, you adopted him or adopted by the same family.“
The way the guard emphasized the word clearly made Kilimanjaro blood boil, and he immediately stood up, glaring at the man.
“ What do you mean clearly, sir?! Families coming in all shapes and sizes and yes, parents of different colors have two different colors. If you don’t know this, you need to take your head out of your ass!”
“Sir, I need you to calm down,” the security guard started, but Bernard sharply interrupted him.
“No! I will not calm down! I don’t blame people for having prejudices, what with how they are constantly pushed on us by the people around us and by the media, but that’s no excuse for scumbags like you constantly acting on them instead of realizing that they’re wrong instead of focusing on evidence and proof!”
The security guard, looking flummoxed, said, “Sir could you please answer my question about your relationship to this child?”
If you must know,” Bernard said with righteous rudeness, “He’s the son of my friend Soncnica Mostov, who, along with her husband asked me to watch him because they are often busy with their jobs, in require babysitters. I’ve been watching him for the past three months, which is also how long I’ve been friends with Mrs. Mostov. And no, I’ve never babysat before.”
“So this woman, who you only met three months ago, trusted you, who also has no babysitting experience, to look after and be along with her child?” The security guard said a skeptical tone of voice. His disbelief only further enraged Bernard, who said, “I don’t give a damn what you believe, you rent a cop! It’s the truth and you don’t get to decide what is the proper length of time for a woman to trust someone enough to let them near their child!”
The security guard’s hand twitched toward his radio, thinking of calling for back up, viewing Bernard as a danger/threat, rather than a righteously angry black man furious with being racially profiled. And just like last time, a crowd had gathered to watch the exchange.
“You know what, I’m gonna call up SONCNICA, so you can get an ear full for treating me like a criminal kidnapper with no evidence!”
“Yes sir, I think that is a good idea. I should speak to this child’s mother so that everything can be verified and cleared up,” security guard said with a nod, reaching for the yellow case phone that Kilimanjaro had pulled out and was dialing.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Bernard shouted, recount violently.
“Sir, please calm…”
“NO! I WON’T!”
Then, a woman wearing a white cowboy hat and a medium blue jean jacket with matching jeans and a white T-shirt beneath said, “He’s right man. You’re not a cop, you can’t touch or detain him without probable cause. Only the police can, and only if they have reasonable suspicion of a crime.”
“Yeah, and you got neither!” a woman standing next to her who had a gray cowboy hat on a brownish red frilly jacket with a pink shirt beneath it and tan khaki pants with a black drawstring.
“Ma’ams , you should know that obstructing an investigation into a crime is…“ the security guard began, but was fiercely interrupted by Kilimanjaro once more.
“What crime?! The crime of being black and carrying a white baby?! The crime of being with someone who’s not of my own race?! The only criminal here is you, you bastard!”
Finally, Bernard pressed the dial logo, which was a green circle with a white receiver in the center, on his phone and heard the ring dial signaling that his employers’s own phone had been contacted. The phone rang twice, before SONCNICA picked up and said, “Bernard? What’s wrong“ somehow realizing that this was not a pleasant or social call.
Kilimanjaro told her everything from the police motorcycle stopping him to the security guard, charging him for living while black.
“He did WHAT?! Put the phone on speaker, Bernard! He and everybody else that’s there needs to hear this!”
He did just that, turning the phone towards the security guard.
“How DARE you treat my babysitter this way not to mention my friend?!“
“Ma’am, I didn’t say…”
“I don’t give two shits what you said! I care what you meant! You looked at Bernard. He looked at my son Iovec and you assumed that something sketchy was going on. Clearly, you’re one of those people who associates blackness with evil and whiteness with innocence, which is why you profiled Kilimanjaro!”
“Ma’am, I promise you, I” the security guard again tried to defend himself, but Mrs. Mostov was having none of it.
“Your promises don’t mean shit to me! I’m going to contact your manager through the phone number on your mall website. I’m gonna tell her what you did and if she does not fire you on the spot, I’m going to contact the media and let them know that the mall tolerate racist employees. I also have my lawyers initiate lawsuit against this establishment, and get her fired as well. In fact, I’ll do everything I can to see it shut down! I’m gonna get the security footage of what you in that racist wench from earlier did, so that you’ll be famous worldwide and will never get another job again. Now get the hell out of my sight!”
The security guard struggled to speak for several seconds, but realizing that he had nothing to change his defense, quickly turned away and walked off. Even t
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