Saint's Sacrament - Sins of the Father (40 page)

“Okay
.” Saint offered a wide grin. “I’ll go over there. What would you like?”

“Something stronger
than this water…any more beers?” the man asked wearily.

“Of course. I’ll be right back.” He
passed the long dining table Xenia had set up perfectly with a marine blue tablecloth. A gorgeous watermelon fruit salad basket wrapped in saran wrap was set in the middle of it, while matching blue goblets, plates and silver plastic picnic cutlery were at each place setting. Pam pretended not to notice him approach, hiding behind her wide, white sunglasses. He smiled and reached into the cooler, removing a corona from the assorted cluster of beer delights.

“Hey Mama Pam, how are you?”

“Hungry as hell.”

“It will be ready soon. Probably no more than five minutes.”

“Naw, hungry for a piece of Henry, that walking piece of shit! Look like somethin’ that came right out of some angry bear’s ass after a long bout of constipation! I’m glad I had him in his hay day—he look a fuckin’ mess now!” The woman huffed and belted an evil laugh etched in pain. “Serves him right! That’s what womanizin’, stealin’ and lyin’ will do for ya.”

“Awww, Mama Pam, come on, now. Let’s try to be nice today.”

“Why? That’s just being fake.” She looked at Saint in disbelief. “He wasn’t nice to me when he did all the bullshit he did. He wasn’t nice to my children after he left, ain’t call or find out about them, for years. Xenia, Porsche and Ira wanted to know where their damn daddy was! Hell if I knew.” She shrugged. “We coulda been dead, homeless, he ain’t know. He still ain’t sorry for it after all these years and I got a problem with that. Still ain’t offered no back child support, nothin’! Porsche all up under him like he is Sun-Ra or some shit!”

Saint chuckled, more so at the fact that Pam knew
about Sun-Ra.

“Well, you know how that is.
Porsche obviously has a deep desire to foster a relationship with him.”

“She been the one callin’ him all these years, asking to see him. Sometimes he stands
’er up, sometimes he shows up from what I understand, but she don’t tell me the half of it. Says I’ll just get goin’. Xenia was on to his shit and now here he stands! Bold as fuck!”

“
Well, sometimes our need to have someone in our life is more important than what may have transpired in the relationship in the past. Besides, maybe he’s changed.”

“He ain
’t changed! He the same piece of sneaky shit yesterday, today and tomorrow. Make sure you take a pile of Isis’ wet wipes when you go around him. Shit tends to smear. Henry is a consistent type of mothafucka! That low life nig—”

“Mama Pam!” Saint laughed lightly and threw up his hand. “Come on, now. I’m begging you; just
try,
for Xenia’s sake. You are getting yourself all worked up.” He patted her knee affectionately.

She snatched her glasses off and huffed.

“Gimme a beer, Saint. I’m going to need all the liquor I can handle to get through this damn cookout!” Saint grinned and opened up the beer in his hand. He handed it to her, and watched the woman wrap her full, orange gloss covered lips around the neck and down half of it before he could form another thought. He looked away, to avoid cracking up in the poor woman’s face as he reached into the cooler and gripped another beer to take back to Henry. Just then, Lawrence called out, “Everything is done! Let’s eat!”

~***~

Bodies wet from the pool, some dry and freshly tanned, leaned in close to one another, huddled around the table. Now the place was covered in side dishes, marinated grilled meats, and colorful bottles of bubbles Xenia had purchased for the children. Lively chatter and old school R&B music reigned in the outdoor space. A sense of relief washed over Saint. He glanced at Donna and Lawrence who sat hip to hip, their noses deep in plates piled with delicious potato salad. Xenia had said grace and now, he surveyed everyone. This was his extended family and he was happy they were all there. He sat at the end of the table, his plate untouched as he continued to make mental notes. Dakarai’s body was pressed into Traci’s, as if there were no room to spare. The sweetheart of a woman allowed it, though Saint held a chuckle at bay as he realized Xenia’s declaration to him weeks previously was correct—Dakarai was smitten with the young lady and his outlandish questions earlier in the day proved it all the more. It all made sense now. He turned and looked at Pam. The woman’s eyes burned with rage. Her yellowed skin appeared angry with fresh reddish welts, no doubt a scorching kiss of sunburn despite her spending most of her time under an umbrella.

He was certain
, however, that feeling of sunburn paled in comparison to her anger that boiled deep within her. Henry still did his damnedest to not make eye contact with his nemesis. Pam was out for blood, so the man had better watch his neck. Porsche held Isis on her lap, hand feeding her niece grapes and sliced strawberries while the children giggled and made obnoxious comments. Lastly, Saint’s eyes rested on Xenia. Sitting there in her short purple and white sundress, she was an image to behold. Smiling, laughing, passing food and asking everyone how they were doing, she was the epitome of a gracious host. He loved her slight tan; it made her skin glimmer, that skin he longed to touch…

Henry cleared his throat.

Oh no…please be quiet. Man, you’ll get some shit started! Just stay incognito!

“Saint, I want to thank you for inviting me over to spend time with you and your family…my daughters, grandchildren. I really appreciate it.” The man grinned, his mouth partially stuffed with food.
“There is nothing more important to me,” he smacked noisily and swallowed before continuing, “…than being here today with my family. That’s what matters,
family
.” He watched Porsche eat up the declaration like it was a chocolate cake right from the table.

Xenia said nothing. Matter of fact, it was as if she hadn’t heard
him speak at all. Everyone else, except Pam and the children, nodded and co-signed with murmurs. Saint nodded and smiled weakly, but it was too late; he knew it was over. Henry opened the door for a shit storm, and it would be more than torrential…

“
Family is important to you, huh? Do you really believe that, Henry?” Pam asked, a smile on her face as she threw her napkin down with an attitude. “I doubt that. You knew where the hell they’ve been this entire time! If you
really
cared about your family, you would have tried to get in contact with Xenia years ago! She wasn’t buyin’ your bullshit and—”

“Mama
, please!” Xenia’s eyes pleaded, but it was simply too late. His poor wife looked around the table, offering an embarrassed smile to all of her guests. Much to Saint’s surprise, no one reacted. No one seemed shocked or put off by what transpired. He gave an inner sigh of relief. Nevertheless, Xenia was trying to corral a tornado, otherwise known as Mama Pam.

“Mama, nothing! I’m going to have my say!” Pam rose from her seat
like a phoenix from burning embers. “After all these years, I can look this man in his face and finally have my damn say!” She pointed at Henry as her face twisted in disgust. “You low-life, two-timing, venereal disease havin’ and bringing that shit home to me son of a
bitch
!”

“Mama! Oh my God! Stop!
” Porsche’s eyes became wild—wild with something untamed, like Pam’s. The usually meek young lady seemed devastated that her beloved daddy would be spoken to in such a harsh manner.

“I ain
’t’ stoppin’ nothing! I had to get three shots in the ass to get rid of that shit!”

Now, people’s
expressions changed. Some looked shocked, others wore smirks as they enjoyed the show and others tried to pretend that nothing strange was going on. Then, he looked back over at Xenia. The woman was wilting like a damn flower left out in the desert sun.

“
He isn’t gonna just sit here acting all sweet and milly mouthed while I just stand here and take it. I’m sorry Porsche and Xenia, but I can’t ignore this and I’m sorry to anyone,” she held her hand up, her eyes glazed with hot, angry tears, “who has to hear this! But my daughters need to know the truth! Ain’t nothing sweet about ’im!”

Henry looked to be in a state of shock. The man was frozen, right there in his seat.

“Xenia,” Saint whispered in her direction, “please take Hassani and Dakarai in the house. I will try to police this situation.” He honestly didn’t have much faith in his efforts, but he knew he had a better chance of it than his wife.

“No, I’ll do it.” Traci quickly got to her feet and grabbed the boys, ma
de a mad dash around the pool, and dragged them inside. Both youngsters looked over their shoulders, their feet barely able to keep up with Traci’s quick retreat, their small eyes wide and apparently feeling rather salty that they’d miss the inappropriate conversation, the kind epic entertainment was made of.

“Naw!” Henry yelled,
as if he’d suddenly been born and hip to the severity of the situation. “Let her finish, Porsche. Now you see why I left!” He snorted. “This is what I had to come home to, time and time again. A bunch of mess!… Her, and her loud mouth!”

Man! Henry!
Shut up! You didn’t do yourself any favors just now…

Saint shook his head and closed his eyes in disbelief.
Pam had calmed a bit until he opened his mouth again. He didn’t dare look at his wife. A part of him knew that, though she was embarrassed about the scene, a part of that woman he adored relished in her father being told off, finally forced to look what he did in the face. Regardless, Henry apparently had forgotten who he was dealing with. Pam would not be ignored.

“You damn straight
, you shady, beady eyed, gap toothed funny lookin’, crusty ass weasel. I had a loud damn mouth!” Pam put one ring covered hand on her hip and continued to blast the shrinking man to kingdom come. “When you
would
bring your lame ass home, after you’d been gone for days on end, out in the street humpin’ otha broads and slangin’ that poison, that dope or gang bangin’. Putting us all in danger! I wasn’t part of that life anymore! Soon as I had my children, that was it! But not you; you just kept right on. You couldn’t be just cool wit’ the homeboys, you had to be a ringleader in the bullshit! Police at the damn door all hours of the night. What type of life is that for kids, Henry?! I begged you to stop, and you ignored me…got worse, matter of fact. I still tried to keep the family together.”

“Oh
, here we go!” Henry sat back in his seat. “Does anyone have any violin music for this performance?! Jesus Christ!”

“You
wasn’t callin’ on Jesus when you was out there in them streets, don’t call on ’im now! You can imply I’m a martyr all you want, call me whatever you like, but the truth will always remain just that, the truth, and I’m here to tell it! Half the time, you ain’t have two pennies to rub together, but when you did have some dough, I ain’t see none of it! I was out there workin’ my ass off, trying to take care of you and the kids, belly stickin’ out to here,” she gestured at her stomach, “… and that is how you mothafuckin’ repaid me! By cheating, and treating me like something on the bottom of your cheap ass, Payless shoes you got on today! Soles so thin, if you stepped on some bubblegum you’d know the damn flavor!”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Pam, you need to just move on! That was years ago! And besides,” he looked around at everyone, a slight sheen of embarrassment over his face, “
this isn’t the place for this. Respect yourself, your daughters and this man’s house.” Henry wrapped his hand around his beer bottle and put it to his dried, slightly trembling lips.

“
Don’t try to get the focus off yo’ black ass! You shouldn’t even be here!”

“Pam,” Saint said calmly, but loud enough to be heard over all the commotion. “I invited him, okay? This was
my
decision, per Xenia’s needs, not anyone else’s. Can you and Henry please take this discussion elsewhere? I’ve been patient, but this has gone on long enough.”

“
Don’t worry, I’m almost through and that’s fine, Saint. I know this is
your
house,” she said with attitude, “but as for the people here sittin’ at this table, minus this rotten, shit for brains ugly ass gremlin, this is
my
family!”

Saint hung his head and shook it. He tried…Lord knew he tried…

“Xenia, Porsche and Ira are
my
children, ’cause I raised ’em!” She put her attention back on Henry. “Saint is
my
son-in-law, them two little boys in tha house, those are
my
grandbabies! I love ’em, help watch ’em when their parents are working or need some alone time and I love being around my family, ’cause that is what a mama and grandmamma is supposed to do!” Her whole body vibrated, her breasts shot out like rockets as she leaned forward, animated with each word she uttered. “That baby girl, that’s
my
granddaughter, none of yours! I bet you don’t even know those kids’ names, so ain’t no use in me saying them! Porsche’s daughter, that’s my grandbaby, too, wit’ her little fast, bad self, but she’s mine! And don’t you forget it!”