My Truth My Time My Turn

by Shelia E. Bell

  “I’ve been married for five years, bro, and I’ll tell anybody Jordyn is the love of my life. I can’t see my life without her in it. She’s given me kids, a happy home and man the sex is amazing.”

  Omar and Khalil laughed and fist bumped. “But seriously, not all days are good days. We’ve had some real knock down drag out fights to the point I had to leave the house to cool off, but I never once thought about divorce. I think she would say the same. So I guess what I’m saying is for us love is more about the two of us liking each other, about us being each other’s best friends, and about commitment to one another and our marriage. She’s the woman I plan on spending the rest of my days with. If you can’t see yourself waking up to Eliana every single day for the rest of your life and being happy about it, you don’t need to ask her to marry you. She’s not the one, bro.”

  Khalil looked at his friend. “I have a lot to think about then. I mean, I believe she could be the one. She meets a lot of the criteria you set out. We don’t have kids or anything like that and we’ve only been seeing each other for I guess a little over a year. I can say she makes me not want to cheat on her, although I have, but I’m done with that—I think.” He was thinking about Dee and a couple other females he’d smashed, but that was over and done. He’d finally gotten through Dee’s head that he wasn’t interested in her. He hadn’t heard from her and even if she did try to contact him he still had her number blocked. But there was a time a blocked number wouldn’t have stopped her because she would have been showing up at Holy Rock insisting on seeing him, or leaving notes on his car. She’d done none of that this time. Boy, was he glad.

  “As for the sex between us, it’s all that.” They laughed and fist bumped again. “But waking up and looking over at the same female for the rest of my life? Man, that’s a tough one. I don’t know if I can smash just one female forever.”

  “Then maybe you know the answer already, bro. ‘Cause you can’t be out there stepping out on your lady, not if you love her. At the end of the day, you know what?”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a decision you make. A commitment. Either you decide this is who you’re going to be with the rest of your life through good times, bad times, ups, downs, whatever sickness, health, just like the vows say or you should stay single until you meet someone who you want to make that commitment with.”

  “I hear ya. And you’re right. I have a lot of thinking to do. So enough of that, I’m going to head to the house. We can hook up later at my house if you want to watch the game. A couple other guys are coming over, Casey, Devon and Roger. We’re going to order some food, and push back a few cold ones.”

  “I’ll let you know. I need to see if Jordyn has anything planned first, but more than likely I’ll be over.”

  “Cool.” Khalil changed the subject. “My father’s trial starts next Wednesday.”

  “Oh yea. You going?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it even if my life depended on it. I can’t wait to see that fool found guilty. It’ll teach him not to mess with me.”

  “Didn’t you say he was there when your li’l bro had the accident? I thought you said he sounded like a changed man.”

  “That man will never change. Even if he did, he still needs to pay for what he did to my family. You talking about marriage and love being a commitment. Look at him. What kind of commitment did he have for my mother and for his kids?”

  “Yea, I know that had to be tough on you and your family. I’m sorry about that, but at least when and if you ever decide to walk down the aisle, you’ll know the kind of husband and family man you don’t want to be.”

  “Yea, fa sho. Anyway, I’m out. See you at the crib later.”

  “Yea, see ya.” The friends parted ways and walked to their cars.

  Fancy accompanied Xavier to his doctor’s appointment. The report he received was a good one. Dr. Daniels removed Xavier’s cast and ordered outpatient physical therapy so Xavier could regain full mobility or as much mobility as possible.

  While Xavier was taken to the other side of Dr. Daniel’s medical office to be introduced to the physical therapists, he and Fancy took the opportunity to chat.

  The two of them had been in conversation starting a week after they saw each other at Stiles’ reception. They didn’t talk on a daily basis but they did talk several times a week. Through conversations they learned more about each other. Like Fancy, Micah was a divorcee. He had three children; one adult son, an adult daughter, and a seventeen-year-old son. He resided in a condo on the river in downtown Memphis and was originally from Pennsylvania. He had been in Memphis since his late twenties and was 48 years old.

  Fancy opened up to him cautiously, being careful not to come off as a thirsty divorcee. She made it known she was a spiritual woman and especially close to her family and her church.

  He hadn’t asked her out, but all that changed today.

  “Would you like to have lunch after church this Sunday?”

  “Yes, sure.”

  “Our church services end at twelve thirty. We can have a lunch or we can wait until later and have dinner. It’s your choice.”

  “Let’s do lunch. Our last Sunday service is over at noon.”

  “Should I pick you up?”

  “Sure. I’d like that. Why don’t you pick me up from Holy Rock, if that’s not a problem.”

  “Certainly not. I should be there by one.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Micah smiled at Fancy. He didn’t date or go out too often because of his busy schedule, but Fancy was a woman he wanted to make time to get to know. Today, he hoped she would come to his office with her son and she had. It presented him with the perfect opportunity to see her again. He had intentions to ask her out before now, but hadn’t done so. Most evenings when he got home it was late, he was exhausted, and he had to get right back up at four o’clock the next day to go to the hospital to start his rounds all over again. It was a taxing profession but it was one that he’d dreamed of doing since he was a little boy. His father was a pediatrician and his mother a retired registered nurse. He had a younger sister who had recently completed her residency in Chicago so he came from a line of medical professionals.

  He hoped having lunch with Fancy McCoy would be just as entertaining as it was when they talked on the phone. The last time he dated, seriously, was three years ago. Most of the women he dated were nurses, doctors, or women from his church but none had interested him enough to make him want to pursue a serious relationship. Maybe Fancy McCoy would change all that.

  36

  “You are my greatest adventure.” The Incredibles

  “OMG, we did it!” Pepper kissed and squeezed Xavier around the neck when they stopped at the traffic light. The couple was on their way back to Memphis, having taken a weekend trip to Nashville where they returned as Mr. and Mrs. Xavier McCoy.

  As much as Xavier tried to dismiss the memories, he found it almost impossible not to think about the fun time he and Ian had when they made the same trip not long after they first met. What had possessed him to go through with Pepper’s crazy idea? Guess it’s no use questioning what I did now. What’s done is done. No turning back. God, may this marriage help me put to death the ungodly desires of my flesh for another man.

  “Yea, we did.” Xavier managed a forced smile.

  “Aren’t you happy, babe?”

  “Of course. Are you?”

  “You know it.”

  “But we agreed not to tell anyone yet.”

  “I know, but when we move in together you already know your mother is going to pitch a fit. First, she’s going to wanna know why we moved into another apartment and why we’re ‘living in sin’.” Pepper raised her hands in a quote sign.

  “We’ll tell her in a few weeks. I just want us to have some time to be together, you know as husband and wife.”

  Pepper kissed Xavier on the cheek, hugging him again and again.

  “Pepper, you’re going to cause a
wreck. Quit it already,” Xavier laughed and pulled away.

  “I can’t help it. I’m just so happy.”

  “Me too,” he faked. “Me too. Hey, my father’s trial is coming up in a few days. I’m going to be there. Just want you to know.”

  “Yes, I know. You told me already. Have the two of you still been communicating?”

  “Not a whole lot.”

  “How do you feel about it? I know when you were discharged from the hospital and found out he had been visiting you and checking on you, you said it meant a lot to you.”

  “Yea, it did, still does. He’s the last person I thought would be concerned about my well-being. It made me realize that maybe he still had some love for his family, for me. He always condemned my life choice. It was like he never listened, never wanted to hear what I had to say, never seemed to respect my choices. I feel like the black sheep of the family. Even my mother never wanted to accept who I am.” His countenance changed as he drove. The sadness in his voice was obvious and Pepper listened intently.

  Pepper loved Xavier, understood what he was saying, but no matter his feelings about Ian or any other man, she wanted him for herself. Now she had him. She was his wife, and if it took the rest of their lives, she was going to spend it making him love her.

  “You sure about this?”

  “Nope,” Khalil responded as he and Omar walked around the upscale jewelry store.

  Omar laughed lightly. “Man, then why are we here?”

  “I’d like to see that one,” he said to the jeweler, pointing to a Platinum 2.20 carat round cut Halo engagement ring.

  Omar almost seized. “Man, you see the price tag on that baby?”

  “Yea, and?”

  “And you setting out five figures for a woman you’re not even sure you want to marry?”

  Khalil stopped, looked around at Omar. “If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right. You hear me? No since in half-stepping. Plus, I got the cheese so this is like putting a penny in a bucket.”

  “Suit yourself. It’s your life. I’m not saying Eliana doesn’t deserve it. The lady is first class all the way and she seems to have your back at all costs. I think she’ll be a ride or die for you, and a darn good First Lady. Still, if you aren’t ready for the commitment, all I’m saying is don’t be persuaded by what other people think. Listen and follow your own heart, K.”

  “Thanks, Omar.” They gave each other dap and Khalil returned to the task at hand.

  “I like it,” he said to the jeweler. I like it a lot.”

  “Would you like to purchase this one, sir?”

  “Definitely.”

  37

  “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” Unknown

  Hezekiah was able to walk pretty much on his own, except for the use of a cane for whenever he planned on taking extended trips away from home. His speech was back to normal and for the first time in two years he felt like the man he used to be before the stroke debilitated him.

  He sat in the doctor’s office waiting for his name to be called. It was time for his six month check-up. He hoped to get the thumbs up from the doctor about getting behind the wheel of a car again. That would be the best news yet for Hezekiah.

  He didn’t know how many more outside doctor’s visits he would have, as his trial date was fast approaching. Scrolling through his phone, he received an email notification. He opened the email and read the message. It was a message from the rehabilitation center where Isabella was residing.

  It was good news. Isabella was doing remarkably well. The counselor stated in the email she was a star client and believed the young twenty-year old had a bright future ahead. She said Isabella had stated she wanted to continue her treatment after her discharge, slated for two months. They would help her secure a place to live, help her with child care, and get her acclimated to living a life free of drugs.

  Hezekiah was glad to read the good news. As he waited he thought about when he first met Isabella. She was just a teenager. Drugs had clouded his mind too but it was still no excuse for him to sleep with a minor. Like Isabella and Detria, he had done his share of drugs, but he was too old to indulge in stupidity and so he had made a decision to stop indulging around the same time he arranged for Isabella to go into rehab. He occasionally smoked a little weed, but he was done with any of the hard addictive stuff. It was time for him to make a change in his life. He was already facing years of time behind bars if he was found guilty. He didn’t need to be in prison and withdraw from drugs at the same time.

  All in all, he was happy for Isabella. She was a good girl who had been dealt a lousy hand, but now it seemed that things were turning around for her. Of all the wrong he’d done in his life, he needed to feel that he had begun to turn his life around too.

  Speaking of turning his life around, he shot Xavier a text. They had been communicating sporadically through text. Hezekiah didn’t know who told Xavier about his visits to the hospital, but whoever told him, Hezekiah owed them a thank you. It helped open the door back up for him to have a relationship, though still strained, with his son. He hadn’t seen Xavier face to face. Xavier told him he wasn’t ready for that. For Hezekiah, communicating with his son was still a positive start.

  As for Khalil, Hezekiah resigned himself to the fact he would never get his money back from Khalil. He still had a problem with the fact Khalil stole from him. No matter if he could prove it or not, his gut told him it was Khalil. Khalil was too much like Hezekiah, so it was no doubt the boy took his stash. Hezekiah was by no means a broke man himself. The 100k Khalil stole was part of the embezzlement money but it was not half of what Hezekiah had put away in places unknown by anyone other than himself.

  He had his own stash that he could live on for a minute, but he didn’t have the money Khalil had. He wouldn’t be surprised if Khalil was pushing millionaire status with the way things were flourishing at Holy Rock.

  After leaving the doctor’s office, he had an appointment with his attorneys. He had a darn good criminal defense team. His hope was that they were so good they could get him off. George had walked out to his freedom while Hezekiah prayed he wouldn’t be taking his friend’s place behind bars.

  The courtroom was partially full. Fancy, Khalil, Stiles, and several of the ministerial staff were present.

  “There’s that snake, George,” Fancy noted to Khalil.

  “Yea, I saw him when he first slithered in here. Didn’t know he’d gotten out of prison.”

  “Neither did I,” Fancy replied.

  “Look, it’s your father. He’s walking,” Fancy looked surprised and whispered to Khalil.

  “Yea, good for him,” Khalil responded. “He’ll need to walk when he’s behind bars.” Khalil sneered.

  Stiles flew in from Houston, anxious to be in support of his brother and his brother’s family. It seemed this was the only way he would get the opportunity to see Hezekiah.

  When he saw Hezekiah saunter in with a team of high profile attorneys, Stiles smiled. God is good. He’s walking! No more wheelchair. Praise, God.

  He didn’t know if his brother was innocent or guilty. That wasn’t the reason he was here. The jury would determine that. His purpose was to show his full support by being present and accounted for. He would not take sides. Another reason he was in Memphis was because of Victoria. It had been years, well really since Rena, that he’d felt this way. He looked forward to talking to her, to seeing her when they video chatted, to hear her squeaky childlike voice, and her contagious laughter. Their conversations could be serious or hilarious. She was so versatile. He could be vulnerable with her. He still kept the strings of his heart pulled tight, but he allowed them to loosen just a bit more every time they talked. This evening, after he left court, he and Victoria were going to a music festival in Collierville, Tennessee.

  “All rise,” the bailiff said, pulling Stiles from his thoughts.

  38

  “It doesn’t matt
er who hurt you or broke you down, what matters is who made you smile again.” KushandWizdom

  Stiles and Victoria snacked a little at the festival, bee bopped to the music, and enjoyed their time together. Walking to his car, they held hands.

  Victoria could see herself falling in love with him, but she kept her heart at bay, remembering what Fancy told her about Stiles—he was afraid to love. She could identify with him shielding his heart. She was no stranger to heartbreak. Pepper’s father had cheated on her with the woman he was married to now, which happened to be a close friend of Victoria’s. It hurt something awful and Victoria didn’t think she would ever get over it. However, here she was, tonight, having the time of her life with of all people a pastor of a church. She laughed out loud sometimes when she imagined being a First Lady.

  On the way home from the festival they stopped to get Chinese takeout.

  “Are you sure about going to my place?”

  “Yes, the night is young, and I know you aren’t going to take a girl home with an empty tummy.” They laughed.

  “I wouldn’t think of doing such a thing.”

  Arriving at his house, he pulled into the garage, turned off the ignition, opened his door, got out, and went to Victoria’s side to open the door for her.

  She turned and reached in the back seat for the bag of Chinese food. “Thank you.” She stepped out of the car.

  “Niiice,” she complimented when she walked inside and Stiles gave her a quick tour.

  “Thanks. I like it. It’s a good neighborhood, quiet, and the house is perfect for me.”

  They gathered in the kitchen. “You mind?” Victoria inquired as she walked over to the cabinet and began opening drawers.

  “Not at all.”

  Victoria found silverware and brought them to the table. Next, she returned to the cabinets and retrieved two glasses. From there, she opened the stainless steel refrigerator. “Would you like water or what about some of this wine you have in here? Your choice.”