A Different World Watch Party
Zeke’s taking the last batch of pumpkin snickerdoodles out of the oven when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it,” Hendrix offers, walking in from checking the pizzas.
Zeke sets the cookies down and follows behind him as Hendrix opens the door.
Everyone arrived at the same time, as usual, minus Jace.
“Hey, Jimi. Hey, Zizi.”
“Hey, Ma,” they reply in unison.
They share hugs as everyone else streams through the door.
“It smells delicious,” Frankie says. “Smells like autumn.”
“I know, right? Zeke made a pumpkin swirl cheesecake and pumpkin snickerdoodles,” Hendrix replies.
Eden hugs Zeke. “No prune cobbler?”
“God no,” he cringes.
“Yuck,” Hendrix grumbles, wearing the same repulsed look he knows is on his own face. “Cooked fruit is disgusting.”
“You don’t eat anything with cooked fruit? Not even apple pie?” Eden asks.
“Don’t get him started, Denny. Hen could talk about his hatred of cooked fruit forever,” Gabbi warns.
“Fruit shouldn’t be cooked. It just shouldn’t. It’s an abomination,” Hendrix rants.
“That’s enough, Jimi. We get it,” Fatima intervenes.
“But, Ma—”
“No buts Jimi. The faster we sit down, the faster I can eat cheesecake.”
They chuckle as they settle in the living room and he’s as eager to start the first episode as Fifi is for dessert.
“Should I go ahead and turn it on?” he asks the group while grabbing the remote.
“Wait angel, the pizzas should be done in a couple of minutes then we can watch while we eat.”
Zeke sighs long-sufferingly.
“I know, you’ve been waiting all day,” Hendrix coos. “I’m shocked you were even able to focus at work.”
“Can you blame me? This is A Different World we’re talking about.” He turns on the TV and navigates to the series homepage.
“I’m surprised you’re not wearing your sweatshirt,” Devin replies.
Hendrix snickers and Zeke narrows his eyes at him.
“I was gonna wear it, but somebody started talking about how hot it is outside so I changed my mind.”
“Don’t lie,” Hendrix rebuttals. “Tell them what really happened.”
Zeke starts cracking up in an attempt to prolong telling them the truth.
“He put the sweatshirt on as soon as he woke up, declaring it ‘A Different World Day’, and promptly spilled coffee on himself while we were eating breakfast,” Hendrix explains. “So it’s not my fault.”
“True. But if you hadn’t made me coffee this morning, I wouldn’t have spilled it.”
“Ezekiel,” Hendrix huffs.
“Okay, okay,” he replies through laughter, walking over to Hendrix and kneeling down in front of where he’s sitting to his cheek. “I’m sorry, bunny.”
“You should be.” Hendrix pouts.
Zeke gives Hendrix a kiss on the other cheek, his forehead, and finally his lips.
“It’s in the dryer,” Hendrix smiles. “I meant to tell you earlier, but got distracted with getting things ready.”
“Really? I’ll go change now.” Zeke kisses Hendrix again and practically skips upstairs to the laundry room.
He grabs the shirt out of the dryer and reverently traces over the Hillman College logo.
A Different World has held the top spot as his favorite TV show ever since he first watched it back in undergrad.
He wasn’t allowed to watch it when he was growing up because his parents were strict about “secular influences” in music and television. But when he was no longer under their roof he started watching and listening to everything that had previously been off limits.
More than the ability to see a different perspective of the college experience, the celebration of Blackness reeled him in. Seeing the faculty and staff full of Black people was mesmerizing, not to mention the exact opposite of his university.
While there were certain aspects he couldn’t identify with, he could see himself reflected in the struggles of the students doing their best to create a life they could be proud of.
Each episode came with important life lessons couched more often in the many forms of Black love than in Black pain.
At Hillman, Black people weren’t a minority or a monolith. Every shape, shade, and temperament was represented. Each one cherished, respected, and loved.
As far as he’s concerned, the show is a cornerstone of Black television. Which is why the news of a reboot filled him with so much excitement. Throwing a watch party was a given.
A timer goes off in the distance, breaking him out of his thoughts.
He puts on his shirt and when he gets downstairs Hendrix, Frankie, and Devin are walking in with the pizzas.
Zeke follows them into the kitchen to help cut them then goes ahead and cuts the cheesecake, eliciting happy squeals from Fifi.
Once everyone has their plate in hand, Zeke gets the remote.
“Y’all ready?” he asks.
“First, any predictions?” Eden questions.
“Well, based on the trailer it looks like Dwayne and Whitley’s daughter will get involved with Ron’s son and I don’t think that’s gonna go well,” Zeke replies.
“Why don’t you think it’ll go well?” Ivy asks.
“Enough questions y’all. He’s been waiting all day. Go head baby.” Hendrix smiles.
Zeke starts the episode. “Here we go.”
