Tears Fall at Night - smashwords (9 page)

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t be able to find pastries better than yours. And if you’re worried about looking professional, just give your business a name and order some business cards.”

“Thank you, Rose.” Carmella reached her arms toward her. “You are the best friend anyone could ever have. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Are you kidding, Carmella? You are doing this all on your own. I’ve been watching you, girl, and you’re reinventing yourself.” Rose leaned over and hugged her friend. “I’m so proud of you.”

When they finished hugging, Carmella said, “I just hope you’re still proud after I deliver the pastries to your event.”

Before Rose could respond, the telephone rang. Carmella hopped up and grabbed it. The caller ID told her that the call was coming from Dontae’s high school. As she answered, she prayed that Dontae hadn’t hurt himself in football practice like he’d done two years ago.

After she said hello, a deep rich, voice on the other end said, “May I speak with Mrs. Marshall.”

“This is she,” Carmella said as her toes began to curl. Even after all these years, she still recognized that voice.

“Oh, hi Carmella, this is Ramsey. I need to speak with you for a moment.”

Ramsey Thomas had been her high school sweetheart. Everyone had assumed that they would get married and live happily ever after. Even her yearbook had been filled with well wishes for her and Ramsey. But after high school they had attended separate colleges. Ramsey met Pam and she met Nelson.

Ramsey’s wife had died five years ago. Carmella had gone to the funeral and taken several cakes over to his house for the children. Two years ago Ramsey had transferred to Dontae’s high school as the principal.

“How’ve you been, Ramsey?”

“I’m doing well.”

“And the kids?” Carmella asked. If she remembered correctly, Ramsey and Pam had five children.

“I dropped the last one off at college last month, so I’m experiencing that empty nest syndrome. But I’ll get over it… the kids are all happy and healthy.”

Carmella felt for Ramsey. He and Pam should be having the time of their lives, traveling and doing things that couples couldn’t afford to do during the early stages of marriage. But instead, Ramsey had to experience the joy and heartache of the last child leaving the nest all by himself. Life just didn’t seem fair sometimes.

“I’m actually calling about Dontae,” Ramsey said.

Carmella turned to Rose, lifted the one minute sign and then asked, “Has something happened with Dontae?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.” Ramsey hesitated for a moment and then trudged on. “I don’t mean to pry, but since I’ve been at this school, I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Dontae from his teacher. But something changed this year. He’s moody, getting into scraps with his classmates and he hasn’t been turning in his work. Interim reports will be going out next week, and I guarantee that you will not be happy with what you’ll see.”

“Thank you so much for giving me a call, Ramsey. I know Dontae skipped a few classes. I talked with him and he promised not to do it again. I didn’t know that he was having any other problems.”

“His teachers started complaining to me about two weeks ago. I tried to talk to Dontae last week. But since I’m now getting ready to suspend him, I don’t think he’s listening.”

“Suspend him! Why? What happened?” This is just going from bad to worse, Carmella thought.

“He got into a shoving match with one of his teammates.”

Carmella put her hand to her mouth. She wanted to scream, but she refused to fall apart. Dontae couldn’t have a suspension on his record, not with him being so close to getting into the college of his choice. “Is there anything else that can be done, Ramsey? Dontae knows better than this… especially now with all of his college applications sent out.”

“Maybe Dontae thinks he’s above the rules here since he’s a senior. It might do him well to suffer the consequences of a suspension,” Ramsey said.

Carmella shook her head. “It’s not that, Ramsey. Dontae has been going through a lot lately. We all have.” She took a deep breath and blurted out the facts. “Nelson left me and we’re in the middle of a divorce. Dontae is having trouble dealing with the whole sordid mess.”

There was silence on the line and then Ramsey said, “I’m sorry to hear that, Carmella. I had prayed for a lifetime of happiness for you and your family.”

“Same old Ramsey, huh? Always thinking of others, even when you don’t have to. Like my mother used to say, ‘You must have been raised right.’”

“Brenda Thomas wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

She smiled.

Rose whispered, “What’d he say?”

Carmella waved her friend away and turned her back, so Rose wouldn’t be able to see any more of her facial expressions. She asked Ramsey, “Is there anything else that can be done? Like making him wash all the faculty members’ cars or something?” She held her breath for the answer.

“Now that I understand a bit more clearly what he’s been dealing with, I think I can assign him to detention instead of suspending him.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much for that, Ramsey. And when he gets home, I’ll be taking those car keys from him until he can get his act together.”

“I think that’s a good idea. And Carmella…”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry about Nelson.”

She thanked him again for his kindness and then hung up the phone. Turning back to Rose, Carmella said, “I’ve got to figure out how to help Dontae get over what Nelson did to us before he ruins his life trying to get back at his father.”

“The last thing you want him doing is messing up when he’s so close to finishing school. You’ve got to do something quick,” Rose said.

A devious smile crept across Carmella’s face.

“What?” Rose asked.

“I’d been putting off repairs around the house, because I didn’t have the money. But if Dontae isn’t studying and isn’t motivated to go to college anymore, he might as well get some experience in becoming a jack of all trades, so that he can earn a living.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“It’s going to be all bad for him. Just wait until he gets home.”

10

“Mom, why is Dontae outside cleaning the gutters?” Joy asked as she came into the house.

“Is that boy still working on the gutters?” Carmella opened the kitchen window and hollered for Dontae to come into the house. He came running while taking off his gloves. Carmella asked, “Why haven’t you finished the gutters yet?”

“I just finished. I was on my way in to get my keys,” Dontae told his mother.

“Keys?” Carmella picked up the rake that she had leaning against the wall. “You’re not getting ready to go anywhere. There’s a lot more work to do around here.” She handed him the rake and informed him, “I don’t want to see a single leaf in the yard when you’re done.”

“I’ve got homework, Ma. I can’t be doing all this yard work.”

“You weren’t thinking about your homework a minute ago. You came in here to get your keys so you could go hang out with your friends,” Carmella corrected.

“I was going over to Marco’s house so we could study for our science test.”

“Boy stop lying, you know you haven’t been studying or doing any homework. Now get back outside and rake those leaves.” She wasn’t dealing with his foolishness. But one thing was for sure, by the time this week was over, her son was going to beg for the opportunity to study—and he would mean it.

Dontae walked back out of the house, dragging the rake and mumbling under his breath.

“What is going on around here?” Joy asked.

Carmella watched Dontae walk out the door, she then turned to Joy and said, “My son is trying to sabotage his future and I’m not going to let him.”

Joy put her Louis Vuitton on the counter and sat down. “What’s he done?”

“Besides fighting and goofing off in school, nothing much.” Carmella sat down next to her daughter. “I failed you and your brother by falling apart after your father left me. But I’m not falling apart anymore and I’m not letting Dontae get away with this.”

“What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to work him like a Hebrew slave. When he’s done with all the manual labor I have lined up for him, studying and getting into college is going to seem like a trip to Disney World.”

“Okay Pharaoh, so when are you going to let Dontae go?”

“I don’t know.” Carmella tapped her fingers on the counter. “I’m just praying for direction and a miracle.”

“Wow, I wonder what you’re going to pray for when I give you my news.”

Since leaving her apartment and moving back home, Joy had been nothing but a comfort to her. “Please tell me you haven’t done anything crazy?”

“I don’t think so, but I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about it.” Joy sat in silence looking at her mother, gaining the courage to say what came next. Then she opened her mouth and let the words trickle out, “I dropped out of law school.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“No, I’m completely sane and finally thinking for myself,” Joy said.

Carmella stood up and ran her hand down her face. She was so mad that she wanted to drive over to Nelson’s love nest and swing at him again. He got to run off with a girl half his age, while she got to stay home and put their family back together. “Think about this, Joy, you only have one more semester and you’ll be done. Leaving school now might just be the biggest mistake of your life.”

“Going to law school was the biggest mistake of my life. I only did it because Daddy wanted it so bad. But I’m done trying to please that man.”

“Well, what does Troy think about this?”

Joy lifted her left hand, to show her mother that she was no longer wearing her engagement ring. “I gave the ring back. I’m not ready to get married.”

“You can’t just drop out of law school and call off your engagement without giving yourself time to think and pray about it.” Carmella wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed her on the side of her forehead and softly said, “Oh Joy, I know you’ve had to deal with a lot in the last few months by coming to terms with the end of your parents’ marriage, but don’t let him win… don’t let him steal your dreams.”

Joy’s eyes filled with tears. She closed her eyes and the tears spilled over onto her cheeks. “I just need time to figure out what I really want, Mom.”

“I know you do, baby, we all do,” Carmella sat back down across from Joy and allowed Joy to lean her head on her shoulder. The two women then cried together until they couldn’t shed another tear.

“What’s going on?” Dontae asked as he came into the house. “Why are you and Joy crying?”

Carmella looked up. Her son was staring at her with fear in his eyes. He and Joy were fragile right now. She needed to make the right moves so that they could heal properly. Carmella was going to show compassion to her children, but she wasn’t going to coddle them. The world wouldn’t, so neither would she. She wiped the tears from her face as she told Dontae, “We’re okay, we just had a moment.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Perfect.” Carmella nudged Joy. “Isn’t that right?”

Wiping her face also, Joy nodded. “I just needed a good cry. But I’ll be all right.”

Carmella then put her hands on her hips as she asked Dontae, “What’s going on with the yard?”

“I did everything you asked. I’ve cleaned the gutters and raked the leaves. So, can I please go hang out with my friends for a little while?”

“How are you planning to get to your hang out spot?” Carmella asked, preparing to drop the hammer.

“I’m going to drive over there,” he told her as he walked to the key holder by the garage door and noticed that his keys weren’t there. “Who moved my keys?”

“I moved them,” Carmella declared. “You’re not driving until you bring your grades back up.”

“Mom, why are you tripping,” he whined. “My grades are fine.”

“That’s not what your teachers say. So I suggest that you make it your business to figure out what assignments you’re missing and get them turned in immediately.”

Dontae huffed and puffed, then kicked the counter.

“You might as well unflare those nostrils, because I couldn’t care less how angry you are right now. But what you need to worry about is how angry I was when I heard that you’d rather fight than do your school work.”

“Mr. Thomas told you about my detention, didn’t he?”

“Told me about it? I had to beg him for it. You were getting ready to get suspended.” She almost asked him what he thought the colleges he’d applied to would think about a kid who liked to fight rather than study, but she knew that was the point. Dontae was trying to self-destruct.

“He told you that?”

Carmella nodded.

“So when I told you that I had to stay late for football practice, you knew I was lying?”

“Don’t you know by now not to lie to Mom? It’s spooky how she figures stuff out. But I’ve learned to just ‘fess up,” Joy told her brother.

With a smirk on her face, Carmella picked up a can of white exterior paint and the paint brush that she’d placed on the kitchen table earlier in the day. “Enough chit-chat, I need you to paint the trim on the shed out back.”

“What!” Dontae exploded. “Haven’t I slaved around here enough today?”

“Don’t complain, Dontae. I’m just trying to provide you with a skill.”

“Why do I need a skill? I’m not trying to get a job; I’m still in high school.”

“Look at it this way, Dontae, if you don’t do your school work, you might not receive an acceptance letter from any of the colleges you applied to, so you’ll need to figure out how to earn a living without a degree.” She shoved the paint can toward him. “So here you go.”

Rolling his eyes, Dontae took the paint and stomped his feet as he went back outside.

Joy started laughing. “I bet he won’t do this again.”

“I don’t know what you’re laughing about. I’ve got something for you to do also.”

“Me… why?”

Carmella put a yellow notepad and pen in front of Joy. “Let’s see… you quit your job a few weeks ago, you just dropped out of law school and you even broke up with your fiancé.” Carmella ticked each item off with her fingers as she spoke. “You might be grown and can do what you want, but you are not sitting around this house, doing nothing.”