Prejudice Love

By M. C. Hampton

There is racial tension in the streets of America today, such as in Ferguson, Detroit, New York, Texas, Baltimore, and even Omaha. But racial tension is also on the rise in American schools and colleges, to name a few: North Carolina, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and even in Westwood, California. Two people of different races meet and fall in love, but they have to fight not only their families but each other to defeat the racism, bigotry, and prejudice that is tearing the country apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514451304

M. C. Hampton

Maybelle C. Hampton was born in Oklahoma but raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She now calls Los Angeles, California, home where she has lived for over forty years. This is the fourth book she has written under the pseudonym M. C. Hampton (two published). She won second place in a writing contest for a local newspaper, and her poems have been published in a small journal of poems. After completing two years of journalism courses at a community college, her time has been spent raising her five daughters, who are grown, and six of her grandchildren. Since her retirement in 2004, she now has time for her favorite hobbies: traveling, fishing, and writing.

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Copyright © 2016 by M. C. Hampton.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2016900870

ISBN:       Hardcover       978-1-5144-5132-8

       Softcover       978-1-5144-5131-1

       eBook       978-1-5144-5130-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/05/2016

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my family.

It’s early Friday morning, June 19, 1998, the last day of school before summer begins. Dana Wilson is a happy, healthy beautiful ten year old African American girl. Dana, her parents Scott and Alma, and her thirteen year old brother David, were in their car laughing and talking about where her parents would go after they dropped their noisy kids off at school. Dana’s father worked long hours at the shipping docks in Baltimore, Maryland where they lived, therefore he and her mother didn’t enjoy too many days and nights together.

After dropping the kids off, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were just going to enjoy themselves and also plan a surprise party for David. Dana was dropped off first, kissing her parents goodbye and shaking hands with her brother. That was the last time she saw her family. They never made it to David’s school. Her parents and David died, killed by a white man that was driving when he shouldn’t have been. Her family’s car was hit so violently from behind that the car was sent into an embankment, killing everyone instantly.

The man that hit her family’s car was Gordon Askew, a family man himself. He seemed to be a nice, honest man. Gordon pleaded guilty in court for causing the accident and he was ready to take his punishment. He told the court how sorry he was. According to him, he wasn’t feeling well the morning of the accident so he took a spoon full or two of some cold some medicine right before he left for work.

Because of Askew’s remorse he was given a two-year sentence and five years’ probation. When the sentence was handed down, Dana’s family screamed and cried. Gordon Askew turned to her family again and expressed his remorse. His wife and two grown children also apologized for Gordon’s action. From that day in court, Dana’s remaining family members’ hated white people. And they passed their prejudice and hate to Dana. Dana was left without her immediate family, she was sent to live with her grandmother Betty. Dana adored her kind and gentle grandmother. Unfortunately a year after her family died, her lovable grandmother died. Grandmother Betty went to sleep one night and didn’t wake up the next morning. Betty’s doctor said she seemed to die of a broken heart, Dana’s father Scott, was her only child.

Once again Dana at the age of twelve, was sent to live elsewhere. This time she was sent to live with her mother’s parents Sarah and John Brooks. From the moment Dana moved into her grandparent’s home she was abused. They hated her father, they didn’t think he was good enough for her their daughter. To clear up the word abused, Dana didn’t mean physically but any other type of abuse she received. She had to wash dishes every day, clean their room, do the laundry, take out the trash and make sure her room was always kept fresh and clean.

Dana was made to stay in her room after school, only allowed to come out to do chores. She was never allowed to have friends come over not that she had many. Selma Brooks and Dorothy Rogers, Dana’s aunts, her mother’s sisters were never told how Dana was treated. Dana was too afraid of her grandparents to ever go against them. Everyone thought that her grandparents were wonderful people, taking in a young child at their ages. People would look at Dana with nice clothes on, always clean and fresh and they would pat her head and tell her how happy she must be living with such amazing grandparents. God they just didn’t know!

Dana lived in Sarah and John’s home for two years when suddenly John died of a stroke and a year later Sarah died of liver failure. She was fourteen years old and once again she was alone. Her Aunt Selma took Dana to live with her. Selma had never been married, nor had children. The man that she loved and was planning to marry as soon as his tour of duty was over was killed in the war. Dorothy helped Selma with Dana, they did all they could to make her happy but she was still sad and lonely.

Dana’s Aunt Selma, Aunt Dorothy and Dorothy’s kids were good to her but something in her life was wrong. She couldn’t get the image of her parents in their wrecked car or the image of the white man that killed them out of her head. Selma made an appointment for Dana to see a therapist, who was white. Dana didn’t want to go into his office but her aunt insisted. Talking to him was what made her realize that she disliked white people. She began to understand why at school she never wanted to be around the white kids, even the ones that wanted to be friends with her. The only time she dealt with white people was when she went to the mall or to the movies.

Dana lived with Selma for four years. After graduating from high school, she told her aunts that as soon as she turned eighteen, she was leaving Baltimore. She wanted to go to New York to attend college. They didn’t want her to go, they said she was too young to be on her own. The day after her eighteenth birthday Dana left, feeling sad because her aunts watched her go with tears in their eyes.

The college that Dana was going to attend wasn’t going to start for another two weeks. Her aunts had given her $500.00 apiece but she knew the money wasn’t going to last long. Everything in New York was much more expensive than in Baltimore. First she had to find a cheap room to stay in, which she did. She decided that before school started, she should try and find a job. She began to look for a part-time job, one that she could work after school. She took the first job offered to her, working in a fast food restaurant, earning practically nothing, but it was enough for her to pay her rent.

School started and she made sure she took enough classes to qualify for financial aid. After a month her financial aid was approved, so she moved into the dorms to save money. She continued working after school and sometimes the next day she was too tired to get out of bed. Tired or not, Dana never missed a day of school or work.

Dana had been on her job two years when her boss told her that he was going to have to lay her off. Now at twenty years old, with two more years of college to go, she began to panic. What was she going to do for money? She began to search harder and longer for another job, hopefully one that paid more money. But luck was against her until after another year working in a fast food restaurant, she found a part-time job at a real estate office. This job paid more money but she was hired as a receptionist, something that she knew nothing about but she took the job anyway. Dana was told that no matter how difficult the job was, she was expected to be a work every day. That is where she met Simon Wade. A tall, dark, handsome man with the friendliest light brown eyes that could be seen through the slightly tinted glasses that he wore.

The moment she walked in the door of the office, she and Simon stared at each other. She knew as well as he did that they would be together. After two months, Simon finally asked her out. Once that first date was out of the way, she and Simon were together as much as possible. She was in her last months of college, only three more before she graduated. Then she would have her B.S. in Business and she was sure that she would able to find a better paying job.

One night after work she went home with Simon and that is where she had her first experience with a man. After the pain of the first contact, Simon told her that the pain would be gone soon. What he was doing to her made her heart feel as though it would pop out of her chest. The pleasure that she felt as Simon pushed back and forth caused her to let out a small scream, as Simon moaned loudly before he fell on top of her.

God she loved him and he felt the same way about her and they couldn’t get enough of each other. Night after night they made love, not just once but over and over again. When they saw each other at work, they both wanted the day to be over so that they could be together. Soon everyone knew that Dana and Simon were in love. Some of their co-workers would laugh and tease them about looking at each other with lust in their eyes.

Simon asked Dana if she would marry him after she graduated and she said yes. A day before her graduation she got out of bed and ran to the bathroom, where she vomited over and over again and her stomach hurt something awful. She went to the doctor and was told that she was almost three months pregnant. She couldn’t believe it but she knew that her monthly time had slowed down, and then stopped completely. She was pregnant with Simon’s baby but she worried about how he would feel. She couldn’t be happy about the baby if Simon didn’t want it.

Selma and Dorothy along with Simon attended her graduation. As she looked at the people she loved, she was happy and sad. She spent the entire day with her aunts, who after meeting Simon, loved and approved of. When her aunts left, Dana went to see Simon, she had to tell him about the baby.

When Simon opened the door, he took her in his arms and kissed her. I love you Dana and I can’t wait until we are married and start a family. I want us to have at least four or five kids. Tomorrow I am taking you to meet my family. It’s time and besides they have been asking me when are they going to meet you, he told her. Tomorrow, sweetheart not tomorrow, I’m not ready, she said. Yes tomorrow and of course you’re ready. It’s just my father Bruce, my mother Sandy, two older sisters Laverne and Georgia and of course my big brother Aaron, Simon told her and kissed again.

Simon I have to tell you something, Dana said. Simon looked at her and he was afraid of what she had to tell him. Maybe she was going to tell him that she really didn’t love him. Or something happened and she had to leave town. Honey what is it? What do you have to tell me that would make you look so sad? he asked, his heart beating fast.

I’m pregnant, I going to have a baby, she told him. She waited for his reaction but he didn’t say anything. She began to cry when she noticed the look on his face. Dana sweetheart why are you crying? he asked. I can tell by the look on your face that you are not happy about the baby, she told him as the tears fell. Not happy, is that what you think? The look on my face is shock. Do you know that for weeks I have thought about the day we make a little boy or girl? Now you’re telling me that it has happened. Dana honey I am thrilled. I’m so happy that if I wasn’t a big strong man, I would cry, he told her with tears in his eyes.

Simon took Dana to meet his family, whom she felt all liked her. To Dana, it seemed that Aaron, who was the oldest of the four Wade children at thirty two, couldn’t stop looking at her. He made her nervous and he also made her feel dirty. When Simon told everyone that he was going to be a father, his family seemed happy, everyone but Aaron. Maybe his dislike or like for her was all in her mind. Simon and Dana were married three weeks later. Simon’s family along with Dana’s aunts and a few of her cousins were also at the wedding. They didn’t go on a honeymoon for two months after the wedding. Simon couldn’t get away from work until then.

For their honeymoon, Simon and Dana went on a three day cruise but to them it was a lifetime. They never came out of their room. During the day they made love but it was at night with the stars shinning over the water, their lovemaking seemed like magic.

Simon, Simon oh my darling, oh, oh, Dana whispered as Simon pushed harder and harder into her, making her scream softly as he moaned loudly when he erupted. After a few minutes, Simon was ready to go again. This time Dana was on top of him. They both were moaning as she rode him. He took her hips and pushed harder on his penis. To Dana, it seemed that every time she made him go harder and deeper, his penis would get larger and larger, which pleased her. Suddenly they both screamed as they came together.

We have to stop Simon, we have to remember the baby. I’m almost six months pregnant, what if our lovemaking hurts the baby, she told him. I’m sorry sweetheart, you’re right. We don’t know if we are hurting the baby when we make love day and night, he said and turned over and went to sleep. Dana didn’t want to stop, she wanted Simon just as much as he wanted her. She found the ship’s doctor and asked him if her and her husband’s love making would hurt their baby. The doctor laughed and told her no matter how many times she made love, hard or softly it would not hurt her baby. He also told her that when she is seven months pregnant she should consult her physician about lovemaking. That is all that she wanted to know. She hurried back to her room, discarding her clothes the moment she closed the door.

Three months after their cruise, Simon Wade, Jr. was born. He was a healthy, happy baby and his parents adored him. Simon’s family would come down often to visit their grandson and nephew. When Simon, Jr. was 15 months old, Dana told Simon that she was pregnant again. Simon was overjoyed because Dana found out that the baby is a girl. This time Simon did cry along with Dana.

Sandy Alma Wade was born two months after Simon, Jr.’s second birthday. She too was a healthy happy baby with Simon’s parents showing up with more gifts for little Sandy than they had after Simon, Jr. was born. Simon and Dana had moved into a three bedroom house with a large room in the back that was going to be used as a playroom.

They were in the process of buying the house, they were waiting for the sale to go through. Simon finally received a call saying that the house was theirs. Dana’s life was wonderful and she didn’t have to worry about moving from home to home anymore because this was now her home.

Simon and Sandy were smart little kids. Simon realized that when he was bad or wanted something special, all he had to do was call Dana mommy and her heart would melt. Otherwise he stuck to calling his mother mom. Sandy always called Dana mommy but when she was near her father it was daddy, my daddy. This would make her brother mad because Sandy would tell Simon, Jr. that Simon, Sr. was only her daddy. There were no other families happier than Dana and her little family. But all good things come to an end.

When Sandy was two, Dana’s world collapsed. Simon liked to go for a walk every night after work to relax, he thought he was getting a little pudgy around his middle. On this night as he walked he became thirsty and stopped at a convenience store to buy a bottle of water. While he was there, two white men came into the store. Simon got his water and was on his way to the cashier when he suddenly heard shots. Simon stared at the two men. He tried to back up away from them because as he looked behind the counter, he saw that the two cashiers were dead. The men had money in their hands, money from the open cash registers. The men saw him and one of them shot Simon in his head, killing him instantly.

What the men didn’t know or care is that their entire crime was caught on a surveillance camera. Within hours after the men murdered everyone in the store, they were caught. They were tried and sentenced to life in prison without parole. They were boys, just young boys, ages seventeen and nineteen but their lives were over and so was Dana’s. At Simon’s funeral, Dana was beside herself with grief. As she kissed Simon goodbye for the last time, she took her wedding ring off and placed it in Simon’s hand, telling him that the two of them would always be together.

For months after Simon died, Aaron was at Dana’s house, offering to help her with the children or doing some of the things around the house that Simon would have done. He was there so often that he was making her nervous. One day without any warning Aaron kissed her, not a brother-in-law kiss but full on her mouth. He apologized right away but Dana didn’t like the way Aaron made her feel when he was around her. Finally she told him gently that she really didn’t need his help anymore and he stopped coming to visit.

Simon had been dead over two years and Dana still walked around as if she was in a trance. She constantly looked for and called Simon all the time, forgetting that he was gone. Simon’s family knew that Dana needed some time for herself so once again it was Aaron that volunteered to come and pick up the kids and take them to Washington. When the kids kissed their mother goodbye, Aaron also kissed her. He tried to kiss her mouth but she pushed him away and looked at him. He said he was sorry and rushed out of the house.

The kids were only gone for a month before Dana brought them home, she missed them too much. She also quit her job at the real estate office where she and Simon met, it was too painful for her to go there.

Here she was, twenty seven years old, a single mother with two young children to care for and no job. The money from Simon’s insurance was running out so she decided after three months that she had to find a job. Dana had met an older black lady down the street one day when she was helping Sandy and Simon look for their friend’s little dog. The lady, Helen Price, said that she indeed had a little dog in her back yard. She told Dana that she didn’t know who the dog belonged to but it was so cute that she decided to take care of it. Helen said she knew one day someone would come looking for the dog or she would see a flyer asking for help in finding it. The day Dana knocked on Helen’s door searching for a little dog was the beginning of a wonderful lasting friendship.

Dana needed someone to care for the kids while she searched for a job and Helen was more than happy to babysit the children. Dana offered Helen twenty dollars an hour to babysit but Helen would only take ten. For weeks Dana looked for a job but even with her college degree, jobs were hard to find. She was down to her last few thousand dollars when she picked up the paper and saw an ad for an Office Manager in Thomas Management Firm. This was a fairly new company that had been opened five years, in one of the new building downtown.

Dana applied for the job and to her surprise and delight, she was hired by the CEO’s personal executive assistant, Mattie Haley. Dana was happy, at least now she would be able to pay her mortgage that was coming up in two months. She wouldn’t have to dip into the last of the insurance money. Two weeks after she was hired it was announced that the CEO, Derrick Thomas, was in the building and he wanted to meet the new employees but separately. There were only four new hires, three men and one woman. She was the woman and she was the last to be interviewed because she was the last to be hired. She was nervous as she went to his office but she had decided that she was not going to let him intimidate her. What if he said something that she didn’t like about black people and she exploded? There was a few other black people working there but most of the employees were white or other ethnic backgrounds.

Dana knocked on Derrick Thomas’ door, and she heard a heavy voice that said, Come in. When she walked into the room Derrick Thomas stood up, all 6' 2 towering over her, with his mouth open. Derrick never expected an angel to walk into his office. He stared at Dana, she was totally beautiful, the most beautiful black woman he had ever seen. She was about 5' 6, crimpy shoulder length brown hair, long lashes that covered light brown eyes, creamy light chocolate brown skin and a beautiful body that he could see through the silky dress she was wearing.

When he could breathe again, he noticed that her hand was extended to shake his. But he couldn’t get his hand to move to shake hers. Dana was staring at the man with her hand out, she had to admit that he was handsome, very handsome for a white man. He looked to be maybe thirty two or thirty three years old, 165 to 175 lbs., long black hair, a mustache, small beard and blue eyes.

I knew it, I knew this was going to happen, Dana said as she turned to leave. Mrs. Wade we haven’t had our interview yet, Derrick said. I knew the moment that I walked in here that you was going to be someone that I was going have a problem dealing with, Dana said as she looked at her boss. I’m Derrick Thomas, please let’s start over," Derrick said as he stuck out his hand. This time she hesitated. When she did shake his hand he began to shake a little.

Please sit down and tell me something about yourself, Derrick told her. I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I won’t go into specifics but my mother, father and brother were killed when I was ten years old. I am twenty seven years old with two children, a boy Simon, Jr. who is almost six and a girl Sandy who is three. My husband Simon, Sr. was killed two years ago during a robbery at a convenience store where he had stopped to buy a bottle of water. I received my degree from a college here in New York, majoring in business. That is all you need to know about me except I can do my job effectively, she ended.

I am sorry to hear about your family and your husband. Is there anything that you would like to know about me or the company? Derrick asked. No, is all that she answered. Then our interview is over. Thank you and I heard that you are doing a great job here, Derrick was saying but Dana closed the door when she left before he finished talking.

After Dana’s interview, Derrick was at his company at least once a month. Around the end of the month, she was called into a staff meeting. All of the new hires were going to meet Mr. Thomas’ right hand man, the General Manager, Dan Mitchell, who had been working overseas for several months.

She went into the staff meeting but the moment she locked eyes with Dan Mitchell, and he locked eyes with her they didn’t like each other. Was it because she was black and he was white, no that wasn’t it, because there was also a black man that was a new hire. No, there was something else. She just didn’t trust Dan Mitchell and later on she would know why.

So you’re the little lady that I have heard about doing such a good job with the company. I’m Dan Mitchell and your boss, if you have any problems come to see me. My door is always open, he told her with a sneer. Thank you but I’m sure I won’t need to come to your office for anything Mr. Mitchell, Dana told him and she could hear some of the staff laughing. They all knew why Mitchell wanted her to come to his office.

Dan called Dana into his office often, usually for little petty things but she always managed to get out of his office with little or no hassle. It was Friday and Dana was in a rush to finish up the day because she and the kids were going to have junk food night and watch a few movies. They had even invited Helen to join them. After her lunch break was over, before she could get back to her desk, Dan Mitchell told her that he needed to see her in his office.

Damn, she said to herself as she went into his office. As soon as she got into the office, Dan grabbed her and closed the door. He began rubbing himself against her as he kissed her. She pulled away from him, and then she slapped him as hard as she could. Dana managed to get the door open and was trying to leave but Dan caught her and shook her. You little black bitch, have you lost your fucking mind, I’m your boss, he yelled at her as he shook her again. Dana managed to break away from him and she rushed out into the lobby where staff members and customers were.

He followed her and grabbed her again. Let her go! Leave her alone! What are you doing, take your hands off her! men and women were yelling at Dan. Mitchell continued shaking and cursing Dana who was trying to get away from him. Just as the men standing around was about to rush Dan, they heard, Dan Mitchell, take your hands off her or I will break your neck, the voice demanded.

Mitchell released Dana who was immediately surrounded by the people in the lobby asking her if she was alright. Mitchell what in the world is wrong with you? That is a woman that you were attacking, Derrick Thomas said as all attention was turned to him. Derrick walked over to Dana, touched her shoulder and asked her if she was alright. She told him she was fine, she thanked him for helping her. Man what the hell do you mean threating to break my neck, that little black nigger slapped me. I ain’’t about to let some black tramp slap me and do nothing about it, Mitchell said as everyone gasped at his words. And I will do more than slap you the next time you try to seduce me you dirty bastard, Dana yelled at him. He started for her again but the men that had her surrounded stopped him from getting to her.

Mrs. Wade, Mitchell in my office, now! Derrick yelled. Dana was the first though the door, followed by the two men. Okay who wants to go first? Derrick asked. Dan said, I asked this black bitch, was all he got out before Derrick said, Mitchell, don’t call her that again. Sorry but this woman came on to me the moment the door was closed today. I practically had to fight her off. I’m hate to admit it but I remembered how beautiful she is and I reacted as any normal man would. I kissed her and rubbed my dick against her. When she felt my hard dick, she pushed me away from her and slapped me, Dan ended. What have you got to say Mrs. Wade? Derrick asked her. Not a damn thing except that ugly white bastard is lying, Dana said. Who the fuck is you calling ugly? Dan asked. You. I would come on to a gorilla before I would come on to you, you lying dog, Dana ended laughing. She noticed that Derrick was trying to control the laugh that was about to escape from him.

This is a he said, she said situation, therefore I have to let you both go. I can’t have this type of arguments in my company, especially in front of the staff and customers. You are both fired, Derrick told them. Dana was the first to leave and Derrick’s heart almost stopped beating. As Dan was leaving, he turned to Derrick and said, You’re just like your fucking father but you will be sorry.

The day after she was fired, Dana was frantic. She began right away looking for another job. She would start early in the mornings and not come home until late in the evenings. She was glad God had sent Helen to her because without Helen, she would have had to try and find a babysitter while she looked for work. She would be tired when she came home, boned tired and each week she couldn’t wait for Fridays because they were her last days of searching for jobs. At least she could relax on the weekends. Dana was talking to Helen as tears were beginning to fall out of her eyes. They were sitting at Dana’s table drinking coffee. Helen what am I going to do now? How am I going to take care of the kids, Dana asked. Don’t worry dear, I have a little money saved, you are welcomed to it if you need it, Helen told her. Before they could continue their conversation Simon and Sandy came into the room. Dana tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes but her children saw her crying. Why are you crying mommy? Sandy asked. Oh it’s nothing honey, I’m just sad. I’m alright, you two go wash up it’s almost time for dinner, Dana told the children. Are you sure you are alright mom? Simon asked. Yes mommy is alright, go wash up and help your sister, she told her son as the children went upstairs. Dana realized that she had to find a job soon. Her mortgage was due in a month, plus all of her other bills. She had some money saved, she just hope that it would be enough until she found another job.

Two weeks after she was fired, Dana and Helen put the kids to bed after they had eaten dinner. Helen and Dana talked for a while, and then Helen told her that she was going home because it was getting late. Dana was sitting at her kitchen table trying to work on her budget when there was a knock on her door. When she asked who it was, she heard, Mrs. Wade, it’s me Derrick Thomas. Dana opened the door and Derrick was standing there with flowers and two gift wrapped packages. Why are you here? And how in the hell do you know where I live? Are those flowers and gifts for me to apologize for not believing me, and then firing me? Dana asked. You used to work for me remember, I got your address from personnel. I’m sorry Mrs. Wade, may I come in? Derrick asked. Dana stepped back from the door and he walked in, closing the door after him.

My name is Dana and since I no longer work for you I will call you Derrick. What do you want Derrick? Dana asked. First let me say again that I am sorry that I had to fire you. Please accept these flowers and the gifts are for your children, Derrick told her. She took the flowers and gifts, said thank you, and then asked, Now what? she asked. "Now that you no longer have a job, how will you live?’ he asked.

If you care so much, why did you fire me? she asked as she walked away from him and sat down. I had to. As I told you I can’t have that type of things going on in front of my staff and especially not in front of customers. I had to let you go. Now I’ll ask you again, how will you live now that you are not working? Derrick asked as he sat down next to her. I’ll manage, she told him.

"I