A House Is Not a Home
Read A House Is Not a Home Online
Authors: James Earl Hardy
To all the Pooquies & Little Bits in the world
Acknowledgments
Well . . . all
jood
things must come to an end.
Hard to believe, but Pooquie, Little Bit, L'il Brotha Man, and all the other characters have been a part of my life for more than a decade. I've laughed with them, cried with them, loved with them, and most of all, learned with and from them. I never would've chosen this path to take as a writer but I am so glad it chose me. If I didn't listen to that little voice that rainy night in November 1993, I don't know whereâor
who
âI'd be today. The novels have taken me places I might've never gone; introduced me to people who have become friends of the highest order; forced me to face my fears, my transgressions, my
self
; and enhanced and enriched my world in ways I am not aware of (and won't be for years to come). So, while I am sad to see this chapter come to a close, I believe that even with an ending there is a beginning. Who knows what other adventures await on the horizon. This chapter may be over, but
it
ain't over yet.
Special shout-outs to . . .
God, for the gift of life and the gift of the word. What a blessing and joy it has been to share them both.
Bam Bam: Goddaddy is so proud of the young man you've become and the man you're becoming.
Matais Pouncil, a.k.a. Mista Wonderful.
Feels like I've seen you before, maybe in a past life, you were mine and I was yours. . . .
Tei Black, a.k.a. Shmookie Pooh. I'll always be your one and only Baybay Boi.
What you do is crazy, baby, not like you belong in an asylum. . . .
Anthony Antoine, a talented musician, brutha, and friend. Your courage is very necessary in these times. Keep on keepin' it real for the Children.
Live for the dream, follow the dream, beautiful dreamer. . . .
The fans. I'll always cherish your testimonials and affirmations, and appreciate your patience (it is indeed a virtue!).
Luther Vandross who, for nearly a quarter-century, has inspired my work (can't ya tell?). I look forward to hearing you in concert again, soon.
Heaven knows I love you. . . .
And Pooquie, Little Bit, and Li'l Brotha Man, for inviting me to take this trip with them. It's been so much fun, a better-than-jood time. This might be our last dance, but it won't be the last song we enjoy together.
June 6, 2003
Chapter 1
T
he routine is so familiar that Mitchell doesn't have to look at the clock to know what time it is.
At 5:45
A.M.
, he wakes up when he hears the hall bathroom door close. The toilet flushes at 5:47. The water faucet comes on at 5:48; when it's shut off, it's 5:55. Then the door opens and Errol's footsteps travel pass Mitchell's bedroom door and upstairs to the fourth floor, where Errol hits the treadmill and works out. When he hears Errol's footsteps coming back down the stairway, it's 6:45. Mitchell rises and heads into his own bathroom to wash up as the hall bathroom door closes again. After showering, Errol heads out of the bathroom and continues heading down the hall at 6:57.
Knock, Knock.
The voice is a mumble since Errol isn't within earshot, but Mitchell knows what Errol is saying. . . .
“Destiny? Time to get up.”
Errol closes his bedroom door at seven. That's when Mitchell makes sure Destiny is up.
It took her a while to get used to rising so early. When the school year began, she'd ignore the wake-up call and turn over. After being forced out of bed by Mitchell, she'd sleepwalk to the bathroom. Sometimes she'd fall asleep while sitting on the toilet, so he'd have to watch her scrub and brush up. But now she needs no prodding or pushing. Just as he opens his own bedroom door and steps outside, she's marching into the bathroom.
At 7:01, Mitchell reaches Destiny's bedroom. He eyes the clothing hung over her rocking chair. She didn't change the outfit he chose for her the night before (let the weather warm up just a little like it has over the past few days, and she wants to wear a summer dress). He makes her bed. As he reaches Errol's room, Mitchell hears Errol's current Great Day 'N' Da Mornin' song: “Give It to Me While It's Hot,” by TLC. Errol chooses a new one every week. The only artist granted more than a five-day run was Aaliyah; after her death in August 2001, she reigned with “More Than a Woman” for the entire month of September.
Mitchell puts on the coffee at 7:04 and gets
The New York Times
, which is usually stuck in one of the holes of their front gate. What he fixes for breakfast depends on what day it is. Monday is bacon, scrambled eggs, and cinammon toast. Tuesday is cereal and corn muffins. Wednesday is blueberry pancakes and turkey sausage. Thursday is oatmeal and fruit salad. On this day, Friday, “anything goes.” He surprises them with one of their favorite combos: buttermilk biscuits and cheese omelets.
By the time the meal is prepared, it's 7:30. Errol is pouring their chocolate milk as Destiny enters the kitchen. “Jood morning,” she sings.
“Jood morning,” Mitchell and Errol respond.
As she's done so many times before, she proceeds to switch the thirteen-inch color TV that sits on the island from the
Today
show to
Little Bill
. She peers at Mitchell. “May I turn the channel?”
And, as he's done so many times before, Mitchell answers: “Yes, you may.”
This is the first weekend of the month, which means Destiny will be visiting her grandparents. Errol, who normally heads up to Harlem to stay with his mother and stepfather, will remain in Brooklyn; he'll be having a party Saturday night to celebrate his fifteenth birthday.
“Are you gonna save me a piece of birthday cake?” she asks.
“Of course,” Errol matter-of-factly declares, pinching her right cheek as he sits next to her.
She giggles. “Thank you.”
Mitchell places their plates in front of them. He and Errol turn to Destiny, who takes both of their hands. They all bow their heads.
“God is great, God is good, thank You for our food, A-men,” she sings.
“Amen,” Mitchell and Errol reply together.
As Destiny laughs along with Little Bill, Mitchell and Errol talk about the party.
“Did you get ahold of that other deejay?” Mitchell asks.
“Yeah. He's got another party at midnight but it's in Crown Heights, so he can do it. He'll only charge us two hundred dollars.”
“Jood.”
Errol glances at the list Mitchell is making. “Oh, don't forget the blue bulbs.”
“I won't. Are Sidney and Monroe coming over after school to help you set up the basement?”
“Nah, we'll do it tomorrow.”
Mitchell pours himself a second cup of coffee. “You all should do it before you go to Monroe's tonight.”
“Why?”
“You're going to the matinee tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That means you won't be back here until three.” He examines one of Errol's twists; they've grown several inches over the past year. “It'll take at least an hour for me to touch up your hair.”
Destiny pats her own 'do. “Are you gonna touch up mine, too?” She also has twists, which are shoulder-length.
“No. Yours will hold up for another week.”
“Okay.”
Errol takes his last bite. “But there's not that much work to do. Sweep, set up the chairs, make a space for the deejay.”
He sighs. “Okay. And what about your room?”
“What about it?”
“Knowing you, it's a mess.”
Errol shrugs. “It might be, but it's a manageable one.”
“Yeah, I know, it may look a mess but you know where everything is.”
“Right.”
“At least clear a path so I can see the floor. And make up your bed.”
Errol nods, turning his attention to
The New York Times
. Mitchell continues going over the shopping list; he'll make his first bimonthly trek to the supermarket at 10
A.M.
At 8:05, Destiny and Errol rise from the table. Errol takes their dishes, rinses them off in the sink, then places them in the dishwasher. She puts on her backpack; he picks up his duffel bag, placing the paper under his left arm.
“You two have a jood day,” Mitchell advises.
“We will,” they respond together.
Destiny picks up the remote and flips from
Blues Clues
back to the
Today
show.
Mitchell smiles. “Thank you, Sugar Plum.”
“You welcome.”
He hands Destiny her Little Bill lunch box; today she has a chicken-salad sandwich, sour-cream-and-onion potato chips, homemade lemonade, a banana, and raisins (her favorite food).
“Thank you,” she says.
“You're welcome.” He pinches her nose. “I love you.”
She pinches his nose. “And I love you, too, times two!” she squeals.
They hug.
He turns to Errol. He reaches up to pinch his nose when Errol draws back. Mitchell jabs him in the left arm with his clenched fist instead, handing him his lunch. (Errol has not one, not two, but three chicken-salad sandwiches.)
Errol takes it. “Yeah, I know.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Destiny waves, then takes Errol's right hand as they walk out the front gate.
Mitchell waves back. “Bye, Sugar Plum.”
It's now 8:08. Mitchell watches them walk to the corner, cross the street, and disappear.
If anyone had told Mitchell that he'd be raising his teenage godson and his own daughter at this point in his life, he would've laughed. Not that being a parent wasn't something he didn't ponderâor have a little practice at. Errol had been a part of his world four and a half years before Destiny arrived. But there is something about holding and molding your own that's different. And this wouldn't be a sometime or half-time (or, as it was with Errol several years ago, a one-weekend-a-month) deal. He now knew what folks meant when they said being a parent is a full-time gig.
Well, it's actually an
overtime
gig.
There's always something. A PTA meeting. A class play. A class trip. Karate lessons. A science project. A bake sale. A cold. A nosebleed. A stomachache.
And all of those things happened last
month
.
It's been a challenge but one he's been up to and met. He has made his life easier by putting the family on a schedule. Running a household comes down to time: knowing how little you've got and doing the most you can with it. He learned very early that the less he's pressed, the less he's stressed. Of course, there's always going to be stress, but you can either let it drive you crazy or you can let it drive you. He's chosen the latter.
He'd be lying, though, if he said the load didn't get heavy. It's during those timesânot to mention when the ordinary that is really so extraordinary happens, such as Destiny counting to ten for the first time and Errol being smitten by the puppy-love bugâthat he wishes he wasn't doing it solo. He has an idea of what his mother experienced when she became a widow.