Another Man Will (19 page)

“What? Did you tell someone?”

“Yeah, the teacher and the lady in the lunchroom gave me a ticket to get a lunch, but they had something nasty. I didn't want it.”

“I'm sorry that happened to you, but I just went to the market. There are snacks in the bags. We will make you one when we get in the house.”

“Okay, and, Mom, can I go to the hairdresser and get my hair done?”

“I'll make you a snack, and I'll straighten your hair out after dinner.”

As promised, I washed and blew out Mercedes's hair. Neither of us had been to the hair salon or nail salon in months.

“Look in the mirror, Mimi. See if you like it.”

“Oh, I look like I went to the real hairdresser. Oh, Mommy, can you paint my fingers, too?”

I could tell Mercedes missed being pampered, and so did I. What I wouldn't do to have someone wash and style my hair. And a manicure, pedicure—that would be amazing. I would love to place my feet in hot soapy water and get my cuticles cut and the dead skin sloughed off my tired feet. I couldn't wait to start working again, because I did miss the simple little things.

“Sure. Go get the polish off my dresser.”

She ran to my bedroom to get the polish and returned with an aqua color.

“This is pretty, Mimi,” I said as I complimented Mercedes on her choice and dipped the brush and covered her nails with the sparkly green color. I had got to her third nail when a light knock at the door interrupted my stroke. I walked to the door, where I found a young, nicely dressed couple.

“Yes?”

“Hello. Does Sammie live here?” the young guy asked.

“No, sorry. No Sammie lives here.”

I began to close the door and the young guy asked, “Are you sure? He has curly, short braids. And they said he lives here and he hangs out with a brown-skinned, husky boy.”

“You mean Semaj?”

They looked at each other.

“Yes, that's his name,” the guy said.

“He doesn't live here, but that's my son's friend. What happened? Is there something wrong?”

“Well, miss, he broke into my car and stole my husband's work computer,” the young woman said. “He really needs the computer back. All his work files are in there.”

“What?”

She went on to say that other neighborhood kids had placed Semaj at the scene. They'd seen him running away from the car with the computer bag. I called out for Brandon. He didn't come fast enough, so I called him again.

“Brandon, get out here!”

He came to the door. The couple looked him over, shaking their heads, letting me know he wasn't the one. I told them right where they could find Semaj and his mother and angrily closed my door.

“That's it. No more Semaj, Brandon. He is stealing computers out of people's cars. Plus, he is having you cut class.”

“You can't tell me who my friends can be,” he yelled back.

Mercedes stood up and said,. “Mommy can tell you whatever she wants, Brandon, and you better listen.”

“Mercedes, be quiet. I don't need any backup. Brandon, until you are eighteen years old, you can listen to me, or I can send your ass to Florida with your father. You will not turn into a criminal under my watch.”

“Man, I'm not going anywhere. Those people lying, and I didn't even do anything. You're yelling at me for nothing.”

“Go to your room, Brandon, because if you don't, you will be so sorry. I don't want to see your face.” I was so angry that my son was so dumb and just didn't get it. His life could change with one bad decision. That was it. He had to go. I called Doug and told him to come and get his son.

“I'm not dealing with him anymore Doug. All of a sudden he thinks he is so tough and hanging with the wrong kids, getting in trouble. I'd rather you come and get him.”

“Vette, listen, if I could, I would send for him now, but I can't.”

“Doug, he said I couldn't tell him who to be with. Anytime he can tell me, his mother, what I can't tell him . . . that means he's grown, and since he is starting to think he is grown, he can go. Come get him or send him a bus ticket.”

“If you tell him who not to be with, he is going to want to be with those kids more. He's being rebellious. Don't give up on him. If you want to send him, send him, but I think you should wait until the end of the school year. I will take them for Christmas break.”

“I really don't know if I can wait until then.”

C
HAPTER
31

Dana

A
dam's brown love seat was so comfortable, and I was enjoying the peace of not doing anything. I was flipping between the pages of his
Maxim
and
Men's Health
magazines, and he was on his laptop. We'd just come in from working out at the gym. We had both run seven miles. Well, he did seven miles. I walked maybe half of a mile, but I still felt very energized. We had had a light breakfast, had showered, and were going to watch the football game between naps and lovemaking. I was still learning Adam's body and he mine, but I enjoyed every moment of us being together. That's why I looked down at the screen of ringing phone and shook my head as my phone chimed loudly, “It's them again, isn't it?”

“Yes, it's them.”

Them
was Stephen and Leah. I loved Leah, I was glad she had introduced us, and she was still my girl at work, but I'd come to the realization that she was extremely clingy. She wanted to be a part of everything. I really thought
they
or
she
thought they owned us. The couple dates were cute at first. Over the last month we had done everything from bar crawls to bowling, but enough was enough. Now we were tired and couldn't take any more.

“Don't answer.”

“Okay, I won't.” I knew Leah couldn't see me, but I still felt guilty for not answering. A few moments later Adam's phone started buzzing on his dresser.

“Leah, leave us alone.” Adam laughed. Then my phone rang again.

“Oh, it's not Leah. It's Tiffany.” I answered. “Hey, Tiff.”

“Where are you?” Tiffany asked

“At Adam's. Are you okay?”

“Not really. I've been crying since Wednesday. I didn't want to tell anyone, but Solomon stopped calling me. He called me every day, all day, and now nothing. I haven't received one text message from him in four days. Dana, I don't know what I did wrong. It makes absolutely no sense. Like, why wouldn't he call me? I knew it was impossible for both of us to be happy at the same time.”

“I don't know. Did you call him?”

“Yes, I left him a message, and I've been waiting for him to call me back, and he hasn't, and something must be wrong. I'm telling you, somebody better be dead,” she groaned.

“No one is dead. He just got tied up. Tiffany, don't always wait for a man to take the lead. I think you should call him. That's the only way you're going to find out what exactly is going on.”

“I'm not calling him. I tell you one thing. I really believed that this one was going to work. Now I'm single again.”

“And it still might. You'll never know unless you call him. It's only been four days.”

“I'm so scared. I'm really scared. I think when I call him, he is going to tell me what I already know . . . that it is over.”

“It's not over. Call him. You're being silly and crazy.”

“Okay, I'll call him, but ask Adam if he has any friends, since I'm single again.”

“No, I'm not asking him that. Call Solomon, and then call me back.”

“What's wrong?” Adam asked as he came up to me from behind, kissing me on my neck.

“Tiffany's boyfriend hasn't called her in a few days.”

“Yikes. What did she do?”

“She didn't do anything.”

“Then he probably has a valid excuse or explanation for her.”

“I sure hope he does.” I saw Tiffany's number across my cell phone. That was fast.

“So what happened?”

“Well, his grandma died and the funeral is on Friday.”

“I told you. You should go up there and support him.”

“I am. He said he really needs me. Oh, tell Adam I said, ‘Never mind.' ”

“I will.” I hung up the phone and was so thankful that Solomon was not a jerk and that someone really had died. I wasn't happy his grandma had passed, but, wow, it was possible for us both to be happy at the same time.

C
HAPTER
32

Yvette

N
ot even a week passed before Brandon's vice principal was calling again. Brandon was now fighting Semaj. I think he wanted to see how much it would take to drive me crazy. If that was his intent, it was working. I couldn't say anything but that I was on my way.
This makes no sense,
I thought. What if I was a normal person with a job? Then I would not be able to run back and forth to his school every day.

We had just had a long talk about self-discipline, doing the right thing. His father had talked to him, my mother had talked to him, and so had his grandfather. And he went right back to school and forgot everything we discussed. What was the damn problem? I had tried talking to him like they said you were supposed to, but today I was going to use excessive force and kick his ass. I had too many things going on to have to run up to his school every day.

I threw on my clothes, washed my face and brushed my teeth, and left the house. I tried to calm my nerves and turned on the radio, and at the next light I heard something pop and then the car started smoking. I coasted to the side of the road. I put my head in my lap and took a deep breath.
Why? What now?
I thought. I closed my eyes. This couldn't be happening. I got out of the car and popped the hood open. I had no idea what I was looking at or looking for. Cars were riding by slowly, looking at the steam and smoke coming from my car, but no one stopped. I couldn't stay there forever. I called my dad and started crying.

“Daddy, where are you? My car broke down.”

“Do you have AAA?”

“No, I don't. It's smoking bad, and it won't start up. I'm a few blocks away from Brandon's school. Off of Chelten Avenue.”

“I'll be right there.”

My dad came right away. He had already called a tow truck company, and they were on their way. While we waited for them, my dad put my hazard lights on and we went to his car to get out of the cold.

“You need some tires on that car, Vette.”

“I don't have any money for tires, Dad. I don't have money for anything.”

“Well, you can't ride around with those. They are going to bust at any moment. Your front tires are fine, but those rear tires, you need to change them.”

“Dad, I don't have money to pay my rent. Phil took my money. The car broke down. It's just so much. Brandon keeps getting suspended.”

“Don't worry about all of this. I'll take care of the car. We will go get Brandon. I can loan you money. I have it. You're my child. You're going to get it together. I'm going to take Brandon with me. Let's just take the car down to my mechanic first.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

After all this time I was still Daddy's big girl, and he was still rescuing me. But all I wanted was to be able to rescue myself.

My dad went inside to get Brandon at school, while I waited in the car. Brandon came out and knew he was in trouble. His face was balled up, and he was looking down.

I met him on the sidewalk. “So what's your excuse, huh Brandon? Your mom was on crack and wasn't there for you? You didn't have a dad in your life? I mean, really, were you abused? Because you're going to need some excuse when you are a loser and someone asks you why you haven't did anything with your life.”

“I'm not a loser,” Brandon yelled back at me.

“Well, you sure are acting like one.”

“Man, you don't know.”

I punched him dead in his chest. “I'm tired of you, boy. You need to get it together. First, you want to be with Semaj. Now he is your enemy.”

He bowed over, and my dad grabbed me off of him.

“Leave him alone, Yvette.”

“No, Dad. Stay out of this.”

“You're taking all your anger out on him,” my dad said as he tried to wrestle me off Brandon.

“I'm not, Dad. He just has to has to stop acting like he doesn't have any sense.”

“Leave the boy alone. He will learn.”

My dad was right. Brandon was going to learn right now—learn to stop having the school call my phone and interrupt my day.

C
HAPTER
33

Dana

“H
ow do I look, babe?” Adam asked. His beard was coming in a little scruffy.

“You look good. Your beard is sexy.” I fixed Adam's tie in the mirror as we got ready to attend his uncle's retirement party. I was wearing a pretty ivory cocktail dress. I knew I looked great, but I wasn't prepared to meet his two sisters and his mother all at once. I didn't know why I was so nervous, because I met people all the time and could sell anything, so I knew I could sell myself.

We arrived at the upscale banquet hall in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. There were people standing around the reception area, drinking out of champagne flutes and wineglasses. Adam's mother came over to us and kissed her son on the cheek. She had a short blond cut, was petite like me, and had very light blue eyes. She was in her fifties but looked a few years younger. She was followed by his sisters and his aunts.

“Everyone, I want you all to meet my girlfriend, Dana,” Adam said as he kissed me on my cheek proudly.

“I haven't heard much about you. Where do you live and work, Dana?” his mother asked.

I looked over at Adam, puzzled, and before I could respond, he said, “Mom, she works downtown, at a marketing agency, and lives in the city, and I have told you about her.”

“Oh, a city girl. Nice,” his mother said, and I noticed her eyes cut over to his aunts.

“Like, really in the city?” his sister Amanda asked.

“Yes, Philadelphia,” I said.

“Whoa. I would be so scared to live there,” Amanda stated. “I watch the news every day. It seems so scary to live there. It's like every night someone gets shot or robbed. And the last time I was down there, we rode the train to the game and a homeless guy asked me for a dollar and I gave it to him, and then he came right back and asked for a cigarette. So then I finally told him I didn't smoke anymore, but then he came back and asked me for ten dollars; it was very scary.”

“Oh, that's interesting. That's real interesting,” I said, sort of lost for words. I scratched my head because I didn't know why she was telling me this horrible story.

“Being as you're a city girl, you probably see that all the time,” said Adam's mother.

“Actually, I don't in my neighborhood, but you know, over in Adam's neighborhood it's a little rougher. I have a doorman.” I looked straight in the witch's face. I got her “city girl.”

Adam interjected, “Yeah, we city people like it there, Mom. Let's go and find Uncle Stuart and congratulate him on his retirement.”

All evening his mother kept referring to me as a city girl, like the entire city was one trash can that I had jumped out of to run to this party. This lady was not behaving like the supermom of the year I had heard so much about. She was a rude bitch, and I wasn't sure if I was a city girl because I lived in the city or if I was a city girl because I was black. I wanted to confront her, but then I didn't want to act like a city girl, too. So instead I just smiled, and I managed to maintain my composure and got through dinner with his mother and his sister Amanda asking me ridiculous questions.

 

 

The next morning in the conference room I was still in deep thought about the evening before. Leah was presenting our ideas on a Smart Board to the executives at Quench 0 Calorie Drink. I was supposed to keep up with her, but all I could think of is that I finally had found a great guy that I liked, but our relationship might not work out because his mother was a racist. After the meeting was over and the executives had left, Leah, Reshma, and I stood around talking. I was still moving in slow motion, trying to get my thoughts together.

“What's wrong Dana? Who did it?” Reshma asked with her little belly starting to poke out; she looked so cute in her Pea in a Pod maternity jumper. I couldn't help but touch her belly.

“It's nothing, well. Adam's mother kept referring to me as a city girl. She was really a bitch,” I complained. “All night she said things like, ‘Give the city girl another drink,' and ‘The city girl is going to the restroom.' It was so embarrassing, and what made it even worse was Adam didn't say or do anything about it.”

“Do you think she is prejudiced?” Reshma asked.

“You know, I'm not sure if she is, but something is wrong with her and she was so shamelessly rude.”

“I wouldn't worry about it. You're dating him. Forget his mother. Stephen's parents don't care for me. They'd much rather he date a Jewish girl,” said Leah.

Reshma frowned. “I didn't know that. I love Zyeed's parents. I couldn't imagine not liking my in-laws.”

“I think they are concerned about when we are married. I'm Christian, he's Jewish, and it's hard raising children with two different religions,” Leah explained. “The whole kosher thing makes everything complicated.”

“Wow. Well, I'm going to say something to him,” I told them.

I took their advice and dialed Adam once I was back in my office. I had to let him know his mom's behavior bothered me and it was unacceptable.

“Babe, last night your mom said a lot of things I didn't take well. Does she have something against me? Is she maybe a little prejudiced?”

“Dana, absolutely not. No, she is not prejudiced. I'm her only son. She has hated everyone and anyone I have ever dated.”

“Oh. Are you sure? Because she kept referring to me as a city girl.”

“My mother was born in the city, in South Philadelphia. My grandfather is Italian. My mom has a lot of—”

I stopped him mid-sentence. “Don't say it, Adam.”

“Don't say what?”

“Don't say, ‘My mother has a lot of black friends.' It's the first thing every racist person says when they are trying to defend themselves about being called a racist.”

“Okay, I won't say it, but she does have a lot of black friends. She pushes buttons on purpose. I'll call her now.”

“No, you don't have to.” Before I could stop him, his mother's deeply annoying voice answered on the three-way call.

“Hey, Mom,” Adam said. “I meant to ask you last night . . . What did you think about my girlfriend?”

“I thought she was okay. Nothing jaw-dropping.” I waited for her to say something really reckless. “But you know my opinion is different from everyone else's. She was okay to me, but your sisters seem to like her. What do I know?”

“Mom, how come you don't like any of my girlfriends?” Adam asked.

“Because I don't. But I will say she is a vast improvement over the other one. At least she is not on medication.”

“All right, Mom. I will call you a little later.”

“Bye, son.” His mother hung up.

“See? She loves you.”

“That's love? Watch when you meet my parents. You'll see how easygoing and nice my family is. You'll see love.”

“When will I get to meet your family?”

“I don't know. Soon. My dad is really funny sometimes. He really only likes to meet husbands and fiancés. At least that's what he tells us.”

“I'm going to be your husband one day, right?”

“Maybe you will be one day, maybe not, but right now I'm completing my workday. I will talk to you later. I'll be over around seven.”

After hanging up with Adam, I called my mom. I hadn't talked to her in a while. Between work, being in a relationship, and just everyday life, there wasn't enough time to keep up with everyone. She answered on the fourth ring.

“Mommy, what are you doing? Why did it take you so long to answer the phone?”

“I was upstairs fixing up that back room. Everything is okay the same I suppose. I'm just really concerned about Yvette and the kids.”

“What's been going on with Vette?”

“Everything. Every time I call her, she still doesn't answer. I leave her messages and we've sent her money and she doesn't respond. Your father said her car broke down on her, Brandon is misbehaving in school, she still hasn't found a job or got her money from that nothing-ass man, and he also said she put on some weight. It's like the world is coming down on her, and I don't know how to help her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Dana, just call her or go past there please for me.”

For once I was worried too. I was going to have to make sure I called her.

“I will.”

“Oh and Dana, Thanksgiving is at Crystal's,” my mother informed me. “And, when you get a chance, I want you to help me pick out new luggage. We are leaving this cold weather and going to the Florida Keys.”

“Thanksgiving at Crystal's? Can she even cook? Is she still married?”

“Yes, she can cook and her husband Terell is a real good guy since we've gotten to know him. I told her I didn't feel like making all the food, and she volunteered. She is doing good now. They bought a new truck and everything. You need to apologize to her. You have to give credit where credit is due.”

“I don't care. I'm dating someone now, too, and I'm bringing him. I still say it won't last—I give them to the end of the year.”

“That's not nice, Dana.”

“It's not nice, but true. Mommy, I'll talk to you later, and I'll take you to get luggage this weekend.”