The Fight Within (66 page)

“Well,” he said with a huff. “I guess that’s it.”

“Yeah, I believe so.”

“He won, he got you,” he mumbled as he stepped over the threshold, feeling dejected, hurt, but accepting of the situation.

“Jackson, he didn’t win me. Sean earned my trust.”

“How?” He faced her head on. “I had good intentions, I did! When I called you and asked to work it out, I meant that! I love you! But I accept what’s going down now, I get it. What did he do, Treasure, so that if I
ever
fall in love again, I know what to do? ’Cause I’m at a loss!” Tears streamed down his face and he did nothing to wipe them away.

“Jackson, some people have the best of intentions. You’re one of those people. You made a lot of promises that you didn’t keep. I wasn’t perfect either, but I tried, and that’s half the battle. The people that stand out from the crowd have good character, and their good character makes them
keep
those promises, Jackson. That’s what he did. There was no magic trick needed. He told the truth, and he came through. Nothing more, nothing less…”

*

Sean sat on
his living room couch in disbelief. He’d hit the ‘submit’ button seven minutes ago, but still swam in a state of shock. He’d submitted his last and final exam and was told he’d receive his test results within twenty-four hours. He was officially finished with school, and despite his nervousness, his gut told him he’d aced his test. He slumped over, plucked his beer bottle from the floor, and took a final swig. After getting his wits about him, he called Treasure, wanting to share the good news.

“You’re all finished, baby?” she asked, breathing hard.

“Yeah…why in the hell do you sound like that and I’m not above ya?”

“Oh, Lord!” She burst out laughing. “I’ve been racing back and forth trying to find my damn credit card. I think I left it at the restaurant. I’m going to have to call and get it cancelled if I don’t find it soon.”

“Check the bottom of your purse.”

“The bottom of my purse?”

“Yeah, you’re always complaining that wallet spills stuff. It’s old, needs to be replaced. Maybe I’ll get you a new one for a birthday gift.”

“Hold on a second, let me go check my purse like you said.”

“Alright.” He waited for a while, then saw his phone light up and beep with a call waiting. It was Kyle… He swallowed hard and ignored it. The man had been calling him at least once a day for the past week, but as far as he was concerned, there was nothing to discuss. The truth was now out—fully disclosed. The man was a two-faced, slick bigot, and he had no room for that.

“Okay, well, I guess you’ll want some sort of reward or prize,” she said with a giggle. “It was where you said it was…at the bottom of my purse. Whew, I was really worried there for a second.”

“Told ya.”

“Alright, so I am certain I am speaking to the latest 4.0 graduate of CUNY College!”

“I fuckin’ hope so! I gotta wait like twenty-four hours for the results of my stats test.”

“You’ve been studying for that test for weeks, Sean. I know you did fine, baby.”

“Yeah, I hope so. I felt confident about it until I thought about it again. Now I am second guessing myself.” He saw his voicemail light up.

“So when is the ceremony?”

“It would be next month… I’ve waited for so long for this, and now that it’s here I can’t believe it.”

“I’m so proud of you, honey.”

“I’ve already been putting in my resume to different places. I mean, I got the experience in the industry, too…”

I want to get a really good job…not to be rich or compete, but because I know I worked hard for it and to take some of the stress off Treasure. We need this…

“You will! I can feel it in my bones!”

“You want to feel my bone? I’d love to give it to ya.”

“Sean! Okay, let me stop acting like that doesn’t appeal to me.” She chortled. “When do you want me to come over?”

“For real? No bullshit?”

“No bullshit.”

“You’re really coming over to give me some pussy? I’m not just dreaming this shit up?”

“Yes!” She burst out laughing. “And I think you’ve been rubbing off on me, I’ve been cursing more lately and talking all tawdry. You’re a bad influence.”

“I know how you fuck me, Treasure…you are far from innocent. You move those hips like a cement mixer.”

At this, she lost it. Composing herself, she said, “Alright, let me put these dishes away and then I’m on my way.”

“Where are the kids?”

“Are you sitting down?”

“Yeah.”

“With their father!”

“You’re shittin’ me! The phantom patriarch has reappeared! Well, that’s good. Glad to hear it.”

“Yup. Alright honey, I’m coming.”

“Not yet…but you
will
be…”

‡

Four and a half weeks later…

“T
here he is,
Mom!” Asia jumped up from her seat and pointed into the sea of people with their black caps and gowns.

“Where? I can’t see him.”

Sean’s parents, Colin and his girlfriend stood beside her, along with several of his long-time friends and cousins.

“Right there, Treasure! Do I need to pick you up and put you on my back again?” Colin joked with a toothy grin, gently bumping her with his shoulder. Getting ready to respond with something witty, she thought better of it once she saw the irritated expression on Lydia’s face as she stared up at her man, apparently not pleased with the little revelation. Stifling a smirk, Treasure looked back out in the crowd and finally saw her Love. His smile was wider than the ocean, showing every damn tooth in his mouth. He bopped around, proud as a rooster on Sunday morning. Sean had aced all of his exams, and best of all, that morning he got a call from a big, prestigious company, HRH Construction, to come in for an interview later that week after a successful phone screening.

“Okay, okay, everyone quiet!” Mr. Mahoney Sr. declared. “They’re about to say his name!”

“Kevin, no clapping. They said at the beginning they didn’t want anyone to clap until everyone was announced.”

“I’ll clap if I want to! I’m a grown man and I pay taxes! This is a free country!”

“Shhhhh!” someone barked.

“You
shhhh
! Who the hell are ya? The dean? I didn’t think so. Anyway, no one tells me to not clap for my son! He graduated college!”

Mrs. Mahoney rolled her eyes at her husband and turned away, causing Colin and Lydia to snicker.

“Sean Mahoney, bachelors in industrial business development marketing.”

“Wooo hooo, Sean!” His family and friends lit up the place, their applause thunderous, as the man stood on the stage and waved, no one giving a damn about the warnings for quiet. He shook the hand of the president and proceeded off the stage, as simple as that. Asia wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and looked up into her eyes.

“Mom?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Now that Sean finished school, I guess we’ll be seeing even more of him, huh?”

She smiled at her daughter for a second or two, then nodded.

“Probably so. I’d imagine that would be the case.”

“That’s good. I’d like that, Mom. I’d like that a lot.”

*

Several days later…

“Now it says
here, you worked for…” The man with sparse reddish brown hair peered over his glasses at the paper, “…you worked with at risk inner city youth.”

“Yes, Mr. Yusuf. I teach them self-defense, Brazilian jujitsu and kickboxing. Due to school, however, I had to cut back on instructing classes, but I hope to get back into that soon.”

“That’s good, Mr. Mahoney…very good.” the man said in almost a whisper as he continued to pore over Sean’s resume, delving into details and wanting specifics for the most minuscule of things.

My underarms are itching. This cheap ass deodorant! Feels like a million ants dancing on my pits. That’s what I get for buying this stuff from the Dollar Tree…probably all sorts of strange enzymes in it that give you diseases and cause you to break out in a damn rash. And Jesus it’s hot in here… why is the heat blasting like this? Am I in hell? Is this some sort of omen? Look, man, do you want me or not? I can do the job. You know I can do the job. What’s up with all this dilly-dallying?

“Says here you had a 4.0…very nice.”

“Yes, I was disciplined about studying and taking care of my assignments and exams.”

“I like that. It shows you know how to self-motivate, complete a task, and do it properly. How many construction jobs have you worked in the past twelve months, Mr. Mahoney?”

“Three. I helped a pal of mine out and offered some strategic advice on a construction site he worked at as a subcontractor. I did a side job just to make some extra cash and then another time I did some part-time marketing work on the Beamer project.”

“Ahhhh yes, the new mall.”

Sean nodded.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention that about fourteen months ago, I had kind of what I’d call a short internship with Turner Construction. I learned the most there, worked twelve, sometimes thirteen hour days.”

“Turner Construction?” The man’s ears reddened and his long face flushed right before Sean’s eyes. “Hmm, that’s a good company.”