[email protected]>>
Good afternoon, beautiful. I’m worried because you didn’t call last night. How’s Arykah?
Monique thought what a wonderful man Adonis was. It was just like him to be concerned about someone else’s friend.
[email protected]>>
I’m sorry, I didn’t call. Arykah’s fine. I stayed the night with her. She appreciates your concern and prayers.
[email protected]>>
You two must’ve been up all night talking.
[email protected]>>
Yep, that’s exactly what we did. I didn’t have time to go to my hotel room for a change of clothes. Arykah was stingy with her clothes this morning; she gave me a dress that makes me look like Aunt Jemima’s granddaughter.
[email protected]>>
LOL . . . I find that hard to believe. I’m sure you’re still a shining star in whatever you’re wearing.
Monique felt her cheeks get warm. She knew Adonis was trying to make her love him.
[email protected]>>
I know what the mirror shows me, Adonis.
[email protected]>>
Monique, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Always remember that. I think someone has a birthday coming up. Who might that be?
She smiled.
[email protected]>>
That would be me. This Saturday is the big 2-9 for me. How did you know?
[email protected]>>
I have my ways of finding things out. What are your plans?
[email protected]>>
Everything revolves around Arykah’s test on Friday. I’m taking the day off to be with her. I don’t make any plans to celebrate my birthday. Arykah usually goes all out with a shoe shopping spree, balloons, and a cake, but I’m sure my birthday is the furthest thing from her mind right now.
[email protected]>>
That’s understandable, given the circumstances and stress she’s under.
Theresa came into Monique’s office and set the files on her desk. She saw Monique smiling at the computer. “You must be chatting with Adonis ‘Hercules’ Cortland.”
[email protected]>>
Adonis, I got a nosy person looking over my shoulder trying to be all up in my grape Kool-Aid.
Theresa’s eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe you sent that through.”
Adonis knew whom Monique was referring to.
[email protected]>>
LOL . . . Good afternoon, Theresa.
She hurried around the desk to type a response, but Monique beat her to it.
[email protected]>>
Adonis, you can’t say anything like that to her.
[email protected]>>
Why not?
[email protected]>>
Because she’ll twist it around and think you’re asking her to marry you.
Theresa shrieked. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you sent that through.”
[email protected]>>
You two are crazy, and it’s great that you have a fun working relationship. My job is so serious that I have to literally put my life on the line every day. On that note, I gotta go. Give Arykah my love. Theresa, have a great evening. And Monique, the most beautiful Aunt Jemima’s granddaughter on this side of heaven, I’ll give you a call later on.
Monique signed off and saw the silly grin on Theresa’s face. “What’s that look for?”
Theresa clapped her hands together and imitated Eddie Murphy from a scene in The Nutty Professor movie. “Hercules, Hercules, Hercules.”
After choir rehearsal Wednesday night, Adonis and Taj were the last to leave the sanctuary.
“Hey, Adonis, you live south, don’t you, man?” Taj asked.
“Yeah.”
“Can you give me a lift to Seventy-Ninth Street? I can catch the bus home from there. I asked Boris, but he said he wasn’t going south tonight.”
Adonis wondered if that meant Boris wasn’t coming home at all. “Yeah, man, I’ll give you a lift. What’s wrong with your ride?”
Taj exhaled. “Man, what ain’t wrong with it? It needs a muffler, brakes, new tires and a wheel alignment. And my battery needs charging. This morning I tried to start it, and I swear my car laughed at me, man.”
Adonis chuckled. “Taj, you need to trade it in. Have you been car shopping?”
“I kinda like not having a car note. But my ride is kinda raggedy, huh?”
“My aunt Myrtle used to always say that a raggedy ride is better than a dressed up walk any day.” Out of the corner of his eye, Adonis saw Arykah come out of the Bishop’s office with a tear stained face. “Taj, I’ll meet you outside.”
Adonis caught up with Arykah just as she was on her way into the ladies room. “Arykah.”
She stopped, then turned to look at him. Adonis saw her red, puffy eyes, and immediately pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Arykah wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed her weight to fall against him. He heard her exhale loudly in his ear.
“I got you, sweetie,” he whispered to her. Adonis knew Arykah needed to release the cry she held inside.
Just when Arykah thought she couldn’t shed any more tears, they fell down her cheeks. Adonis felt her body shaking, and he was glad to be the shoulder she needed at that moment. She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, Adonis.”
“Don’t you dare apologize. I knew you needed to get that out. Did the Bishop pray for you?”
Sniff, sniff. “Yeah, he did. Listen. Monique told me that you were praying for me and I appreciate that.”
“Praying is the least I can do. James, chapter five, verse sixteen says: Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Arykah looked into his eyes in amazement. “All right, Adonis, you better quote that scripture, boy.”
He chuckled. “You sound surprised. It would be a shame to sit in Sunday School week after week, and not get anything out of the lesson.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that.”
Adonis placed a finger under Arykah’s chin and lifted her face toward his own. “Keep a positive attitude about Friday. God always has the last word.”
“I know He does. I’m still scared though.”
“What time is the biopsy?”
“It’s scheduled for ten o’clock.”
“At ten o’clock Friday morning, I’ll remember to stop what I’m doing and pray.”
Arykah couldn’t believe the magnitude of Adonis’s character. “Thanks, Adonis.”
“I gotta go. Taj is waiting on me.” He kissed Arykah’s cheek then turned to walk away when she stopped him.
“Monique’s birthday is Saturday.”
“Yeah, I know. Are you planning anything?” he asked.
“Monique loves shoes; I’ll probably take her shoe shopping Friday evening. Every year she spends her entire birthday married to the Lifetime Movie Network. I ordered an Atomic Bomb cake.”
He frowned. “Atomic Bomb?”
“It’s a cake with fresh strawberries and bananas and it is da bomb. You should come by my place Friday night and help us celebrate.”
Adonis smiled at Arykah. “I’ll be there.”
Arykah couldn’t resist her question. “What are you planning for her?”
“I don’t have anything planned. Monique ain’t my woman.”
The way he answered her told Arykah he was lying about not having anything planned. “You’re up to something. You can tell me. I promise to keep it on the down low.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Adonis smiled and walked out of the church.
Early Friday morning, Monique was on her knees praying. She decided to spend Thursday night with Arykah for moral support. As Arykah slept peacefully, Monique knelt next to the bed. She placed her hands softly on Arykah’s left breast, closed her eyes and talked to God in unknown tongue so the enemy and his camp couldn’
t comprehend what she was saying to the Father.
Dr. Biesterfield, the head oncologist at West Suburban Hospital, came into Arykah’s room with the latest x-ray of her left breast in his hand. She was lying in bed as Monique sat in a chair holding her hand.
“Miss Miles, I’m sending you home with a clean bill of health.”
Arykah and Monique looked at each other, then back at Dr. Biesterfield before Arykah spoke. “You’re sending me home? What about the biopsy?”
“A biopsy isn’t needed.”
Monique looked confused. “I don’t understand, Doctor Biesterfield.”
He scratched his head. “Neither do I. Either my x-ray machine malfunctioned on Monday or I need to go back to medical school.”
“What are you saying?” Arykah asked him.
“I’m saying the lump is gone. It totally disappeared.”
“Oh my God,” both Arykah and Monique had squealed at the same time.
Dr. Biesterfield chuckled. “That’s pretty much what I said when I saw the x-rays we took this morning. This is unexplainable. I’ve never seen anything like this in all my twenty years of practicing medicine.”
Arykah was on the highest level of spirituality she’d ever been as she and Monique left the hospital. “Monique, can you believe what God did?”
“What did I tell you Tuesday, Arykah? Didn’t I say the lump would be gone by Friday? I told you I had the hook up.”
They got into Monique’s car and pulled out of the hospital’s parking lot. “God is awesome,” Arykah said.
“No argument there. Since we have the rest of the day off, what do you wanna do?”
“Take me by the church. I gotta get on the altar.”
After an hour of kneeling and giving God thanks for her healing and deliverance, Arykah took Monique to Oakbrook Terrace Shopping Center for her annual shoe shopping spree. “Okay, Monique, I’m a single woman with a mortgage, so take it easy on me.”
“What’s my limit?” Monique asked.
“I’m not gonna give you one. Just act like you got some sense.”
Thirty minutes after they entered Nordstrom’s, Monique was already carrying around four pairs of shoes, and of course, Arykah bought duplicates for herself. After spending big money in Nordstrom’s, they were walking and talking when Arykah’s cellular phone rang.
“Arykah, speaking,” she answered. She tried to be discreet with her conversation. “Uh-huh. Yes, that’s right. No. Absolutely. Yes. No. No. Yes. Something like that. Sure. Okay, thanks for calling.”
Arykah knew Monique was looking at her curiously and wanted to question her about the mysterious phone call. She placed her telephone in her purse and nonchalantly walked into Lord & Taylor.
“What was that about?” Monique asked as she followed closely on Arykah’s heels.
“What?”
“Don’t what me. Who was on the phone, and why were you giving one word answers?”
Arykah picked up a cream colored Baby Phat satin pump and pretended to examine it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, so now you’ve got amnesia?”
Arykah held the pump out to Monique. “Isn’t this cute? I wonder if they have this in fuchsia.”
Monique snatched the shoe from Arykah’s hand. “Don’t play with me. I asked you a question.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear it. What was the question?”
Monique asked the question again and did sign language as if Arykah was deaf. “Who . . . was . . . on . . . the . . . phone?”
“Nobody, wrong number.” Arykah walked away and looked at another shoe, but she wasn’t getting off that easy. Monique was still close on her heels.
“You got a man you’re trying to hide from me?” she asked Arykah.
“A man? What’s that?”
“You ain’t funny. Who was on the phone?”
Arykah exhaled and looked at her best friend. “Monique, do I be all up in your business every time your phone rings?”
“You’re keeping secrets, and that’s not right. I know one thing though, you better not be getting your freak on.”
“What if I am?” Arykah asked.
A man approached them before Monique could respond. “Hey, Arykah. Hey, Monique.”
They turned to see someone who’d been chasing Arykah for three years. Monique was the first to speak. “Hey, Evan, long time no see. How have you been?”
“It’s all good. How are you, Monique?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Evan turned his attention to the woman who had filed a restraining order on him a year ago. He’d been seen lurking outside Arykah’s home in bushes, sitting across the street from her job, and standing in the back of the church on Sunday mornings, trying to get a glimpse of her. “How are you doing, Arykah?”
She gave him a dry ‘hello,’ then excused herself and walked away.
Monique knew he was a thorn in Arykah’s side. “So Evan, what’s been going on with you?”
“Same old, same old. Still working at the candy factory, living from paycheck to paycheck, trying to make ends meet. I got suspended a month ago for sexual harassment, but I’m back at work now. Still living at home with Big Momma. My dog died on my birthday. I think my neighbors may have poisoned him. I just got over the chicken pox two weeks ago.”
If Monique were double jointed, she’d extend her leg backward and kick her own butt for opening up this can of worms with him. Misery loved company, and it truly loved Evan too. She hadn’t realized that Arykah had left her alone in Lord & Taylor with Evan.
“Wow, Evan, there’s never a dull moment with you, I see,” Monique said.
“Nah, it’s cool though. My probation is gonna be over soon.”
Monique’s eyebrows rose. “Probation?”
“I got caught up in a little petty theft thang with Pee Wee, Crusher, Bullet, and Hammer. I’m doing community service cleaning up elephant poop at Brookfield Zoo on the weekends.”
Monique knew she needed to end this conversation quick, fast, and in a hurry before Evan confessed to killing folks and preserving their brains in jars of formaldehyde that could be found in a refrigerator in his mother’s garage. She looked around the shoe store and didn’t see Arykah anywhere in sight. “That’s nice, Evan, excuse me a moment.” She reached in her purse for her cellular phone and called Arykah. “Where in the heck are you?” Monique yelled.
“I’m sitting outside in the car eating gourmet cheese and caramel popcorn.”
Monique was furious. “You better be lying.”
Arykah put a mouthful of popcorn in her mouth and crunched loudly in Monique’s ear.
A few minutes later, after exiting the mall herself, Monique threw her bags in the backseat, sat behind the wheel and slammed the door. “I can’t believe you left me alone with Jeffrey Dahmer’s half brother.”
“You know I can’t be within one hundred feet of that fool,” Arykah said.
“You created that monster, Arykah.”
Arykah turned her entire upper torso toward Monique. “How did I do that?”
“Don’t act innocent. You knew Evan was sweet on you. And you knew he sat in his car across the street from your house looking through binoculars, pleasuring himself while watching every move you made. You chose to sashay around your living room window naked.”
Arykah had a guilty smile on her face. “Monique, please, I did no such thing. And even if that was the case, what I do in the privacy of my own home is my business.”
“It ain’t all that private if your blinds are wide open. And did you have to call the police on him?”
“That nut stole my neighbor’s ladder from their garage and climbed on top of my roof, trying to get in my house.”
“You should’ve had some clothes on,” Monique said.
“What I should’ve done was call Bubblegum, the dope dealer that hangs around the church. For a six-pack and a carton of cigarettes, he would’ve taken Evan out.”
&n
bsp; Monique laughed as she drove toward Arykah’s house. “Speaking of Bubblegum, Gravy said he was on the side of the church last Sunday selling raw chicken wings and hamburger meat that he’d stolen from a grocery store.”
“I can believe that. Two Sundays ago he was selling Krispy Kreme donuts. Now you know the nearest Krispy Kreme to the church is in Bridgeview, which is about thirty miles away, and Bubblegum doesn’t have a car. So there’s no telling where those donuts came from or how long he had them. But the crazy thing is, folks were buying them.”
“Arykah, that is nasty. Everybody knows Bubblegum sleeps next to and eats out of a dumpster.”
“Girl, please, folks don’t care. Krispy Kremes will do that to you.”
Monique shook her head from side to side. “That’s a shame. The saints probably gave Bubblegum enough money to overdose. He’s a dealer and a user.”
She drove into Arykah’s driveway and turned off the engine. She and Arykah collected their bags and went inside. They sat the bags on the living room sofa, and Monique opened the boxes and looked at the shoes Arykah had bought her. “I love my shoes; thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sis. Happy birthday. What are you gonna do tomorrow?”
Monique sat down and leaned back on the sofa and exhaled. “I’m gonna do what I always do on my birthday. Absolutely nothing. I plan to lay in my bed all day. I’ll be twenty-nine. This is my last round before I become an old woman.”
“I beg your pardon. I’m thirty and as fine as I was when I turned twenty-five.”
“That’s a matter of opinion, sweetie. I ain’t mad at you though, you keep on convincing yourself of that lie.”
Arykah threw the shoe she was holding across the room, and it barely missed Monique’s leg. “You would say that to the woman who just spent over a thousand dollars on shoes for you?”
A Woman's Worth Page 11