Being Davanté

by Michelle St. Claire

“I told you, man,” said Lionel.

  The two friends were at school, sitting at lunch the next day. Davanté was lazily picking at his food.

  “I can't believe it. I mean, was I wrong?” asked Davanté.

  “Of course not,” said Lionel. “Look, any dude would have jumped on her. Any guy would have taken her a long time ago. But you're not just any guy. And I'm not just any guy. My father told me that a real man takes his time. He waits on the right woman at the right moment and at the right time in his life,” said Lionel.

  “Yeah. Now she's probably spreading rumors that I'm a virgin,” said Davanté.

  “Naw, she wouldn't do that. At least not yet. I bet she'll wait awhile and try again,” said Lionel.

  “Hm,” muttered Davanté.

  “Look at Michael over there,” said Lionel. “Remember him? He was runnin' girls like a high school pimp! And now he's got three baby mamas. I heard he has to take another year of school just to graduate. And then after that, he's gotta get a job just to pay child support,” said Lionel.

  “You serious? Michael? He always had all the girls,” said Davanté.

  “Yup. But in reality, the girls had him,” said Lionel.

  Davanté looked at Lionel.

  “Li, you a virgin?” he asked.

  “Well, all I'm gonna say is that I ain't a man yet,” said Lionel.

  Davanté nodded in understanding.

  “Neither am I,” he said.

  Just then, Vanessa waltzed in the lunchroom. She was surrounded by girls who obviously desired to be just like her. They adopted Vanessa's walk and manner of speaking. One girl even wore her hair in the exact style as Vanessa's.

  “Hey there,” said Vanessa as she approached Davanté's table. Her voice was syrupy sweet.

  “Hey Nessa,” said Davanté.

  He had not spoken to her since last night. Davanté was unsure of how she would treat him.

  “So, I just wanted to ask you to be my date at my cousin's birthday party next weekend,” said Vanessa.

  “Um, okay,” said Davanté.

  Vanessa bent over and kissed Davanté on the cheek.

  “Okay, baby, I'll see you later,” she said.

  Davanté nodded as Vanessa sashayed out of the cafeteria with her entourage.

  “Man, she's smooth. I have to hand it to her. That girl can play game,” said Lionel.

  “I guess,” said Davanté.

  “Naw, don't guess. She's playin' you. Just keep your eyes open. Oh, hey, I gotta go! I forgot I have to meet with my mentor,” said Lionel.

  Lionel bumped Davanté's fist and trotted out of the cafeteria. Davanté remained at the table, finishing his lunch. Then he took a deep breath before turning in his lunch tray and continuing with the rest of his day. It was as if he sensed something was going to happen to him later that day.

  After school, as Davanté and Lionel reached Aunt Thelma's house, they found Aunt Thelma waiting on the front porch.

  “Boy, get your Black behind here!” she demanded to Davanté.

  Davanté was startled. Since his mother's death, Aunt Thelma had refrained from speaking harshly to him until now.

  “Ma'm?” he said to show an air of respect.

  “Don't Ma'm me! I'm not raisin' no hussy's baby!” roared Aunt Thelma.

  “Auntie, I don't understand,” said Davanté.

  “Oh, you don't understand, huh? You sneakin' out to be with some tawdry no-good hussy? You think you gonna bring back somethin' for me to raise? That's what you think?” demanded Aunt Thelma.

  “Uh, what?” asked Davanté.

  He was taken aback. How did Aunt Thelma know I went over to Vanessa's house last night? he thought.

  As if she read his mind, Aunt Thelma said, “I know you went over there because her mother called me. Yes, that's right! It seems like her mother knew her daughter was a little hussy! She had somebody in the neighborhood watchin' the house. And as soon as your no-good triflin' behind walked up to her house, they called the hussy's mama. And the hussy's mama called me!”

  “Oh, I'm sorry Aunt Thelma. Nothin' happened. I-I didn't even go inside the house,” said Davanté.

  “Like I'm gonna believe that! You a seventeen-year old boy! Who would believe that?” yelled Aunt Thelma.

  “Lionel,” she said, turning to address him. “I see your daddy just pulled up. Go on now!”

  The friends did not attempt their usual fist bump. Lionel merely patted Davanté on the back and quickly ran towards his father's car.

  “Vanté, I know everything. I know I don't look like I'm hip into things, but I know everything that goes on in my house,” stated Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté was at a loss for words. “Now, apparently you don't know your own past. You don't know what you been runnin' from,” claimed Aunt Thelma.

  “I don't understand Auntie. I mean, seriously, I didn't even go into her house. I mean it, I didn't,” said Davanté.

  Aunt Thelma sighed. She motioned for Davanté to sit down on the wicker chairs on the porch.

  “Sit down,” she ordered him.

  Davanté sat down as Aunt Thelma sat down facing him. Her expression was stern yet honest. She fixed her gaze on Davanté making him feel uncomfortable.

  “Stop squirming!” barked Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté tried to sit still.

  “Now, you don't know some things. As a matter of fact, you don't know a lot of things. You don't know about your mamma,” she said.

  Davanté's face fell. Not again, he thought.

  “Auntie, I don't want to hear about this now,” he said.

  “Yes, you do need to hear about this now. You should've heard about this a long time ago, but I didn't want to add to your heartache. Lord knows I miss my baby sister! There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “Can we talk about this later?” asked Davanté.

  “No,” stated Aunt Thelma. “We will talk about it now.”

  “Now,” she began. “Your mama went through a lot in her life. We didn't have a good daddy. In fact, our daddy was downright mean and nasty. He never liked me because I wasn't that attractive lookin', I guess. But he took to your mama.”

  Davanté felt his muscles tighten.

  “Now, he was bad to your mama. He did bad things to her. He started doin' bad stuff to her when she was but six or seven years old. Then, as she grew older, it got worse. Now I finished school before her and started workin' at the hospital as a nurse's aide. I made enough money for an apartment, so your mama ran away and lived with me,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “I know all this,” said Davanté.

  “How do you know?” asked Aunt Thelma.

  “Clarence told me. He said you raised her,” said Davanté.

  “Pshaw! Clarence don't know the half of it! Yes, I raised your mamma. But I couldn't do everything. I was busy with my life, too. Somebody down at the school showed her drugs and she got hooked. Your mamma was hooked on drugs, Vanté,” said Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté did not respond.

  “So,” she continued. “Your mamma started datin' Mr. Kettles, back when he was just a young man.”

  “Wait, Mr. Kettles?” asked Davanté.

  “Oh yeah. They were a hot item! Mr. Kettles even proposed to your mamma, but she turned him down. Why, I don't know!” replied Aunt Thelma.

  “I didn't know that,” said Davanté.

  “Well, that's why I'm tellin' you. Mr. Kettles and your mamma was in love. They really was. I remember seein' it in both of their eyes. But then something happened. Your mamma got pregnant. Mr. Kettles thought it was his. He had been tryin' to get your mamma off drugs, but then he had to leave and go to that big college out of the city. It was about the same time your mamma met Clarence,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “Clarence,” she continued. “He was good, at first. But he wasn't like Mr. Kettles. He wasn't
totally clean. He had done drugs, too, but not as much as your mamma. When her stomach started to get big, that's when he started pressurin' her to stop. I give it to him, he really tried to get her to stop.”

  “So, he was telling me the truth,” said Davanté.

  “Well, I don't know what he told you. But if you he told you that, then yes, he was telling you the truth. He tried. He took her to all kind of meetin's. He took her to rehab clinics, doctors, therapists, everythin'. I remember he used to come by my house to pick her up for doctor appointments,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “What happened?” asked Davanté.

  “Well, your mamma just wasn't ready. She couldn't quit. Her growing stomach just wasn't enough to make her stop doin' those drugs. So, Clarence took matters into his own hands. He was much more street than Mr. Kettles. Clarence had all kind of friends from the street. And he called up his friends so they can jump the drug dealer that was givin' your mamma drugs,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “That's how he ended up locked up?” asked Davanté.

  “Uh-huh. Clarence jumped him alright. Boy, he and his thug friends beat up that guy real good! They almost killed him. But even though he was a drug dealer, it was still wrong. They all got arrested and went to prison. Your mamma didn't care much. She was almost due with you by then. It wasn't until after you were born that she really quit for good,” said Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté sat back in his chair. Clarence had told him the truth after all.

  “Boy, we all thought you were going to be born with somethin' wrong,” said Aunt Thelma. “I mean, your momma was shootin' all kinda stuff up her veins. But God had another idea. Oh no, you were strong even from the beginnin'. Nothin' touched you. You were as healthy as healthy can be,” she said.

  “What happened to Mr. Kettles?” asked Davanté.

  “Oh, he went on with his life. He met some girl up in that city and they got married. She gave birth just about the time you was born. That's probably why you and Lionel are so close. You almost had the same daddy. Mr. Kettles always loved your mamma. That's why he got Clarence out. He knew Clarence was only tryin' to save her,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “Wait-I thought Clarence got out on his own,” said Davanté.

  “Oh no, baby! Clarence was supposed to be in there for life! Uh-huh. Attempted murder ain't no joke! But Mr. Kettles knew the judge and all the lawyers in the court. They put pressure on the judge to let Clarence out since he ended up doin' what the police shoulda done to that drug pusher years ago,” said Aunt Thelma.

  “So, Mr. Kettles got my father out? Mr. Kettles always knew my father?” asked Davanté.

  “Boy, he knew Clarence from way back. Of course he knew! But your mamma made him swear that you would never know. Your mamma didn't want you to know about Clarence, because she didn't want you to know about her past. She was ashamed,” said Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté shook his head. It was all too much to take in.

  “Davanté, I know this is a lot,” said Aunt Thelma. “But if you don't know your past, you won't know where you're headed. That's why I told you about your mamma. Cuz when I got that call from that hussy's mamma this mornin', boy, that blew my top! Ain't no way you gonna repeat the past! Oh no!”

  “Auntie, honest, I didn't even go into Vanessa's house. I wouldn't do that. I don't want to be like my father. I don't want to mess up my life,” said Davanté.

  “Well, good. That's enough for me. That's what I like to hear. That hussy should be focusin' on her school and college and stuff. She don't need to be openin' her legs for the whole world to see. Your mamma had emotional problems. She couldn't see her future. She couldn't see that she had a life beyond drugs. That's why she became a mamma when she wasn't really ready. But even though your little hussy ain't on drugs, she still blind. Sex ain't no joke. It ain't a sport. It ain't somethin' you just do for fun. You get bound to that person. And if you stupid, a baby comes out of it. As far as I'm concerned, you way too young and too stupid to be somebody's daddy,” stated Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté nodded. He had a headache. Images of his mother doing drugs swirled in his mind. He needed to lay down.

  “Now, go on up in the house. Kendra's gettin' the table ready. Don't worry, boy. You gonna make it. I'll see to it. But I don't ever want to get a call like that again. As a matter of fact, if it was up to me, you shouldn't be around that little hussy anyway!” recommended Aunt Thelma.

  “Her name is Vanessa,” said Davanté.

  Aunt Thelma stood up and defiantly blocked Davanté's way. She glared at him menacingly.

  “What? You tryin' to correct me?” warned Aunt Thelma.

  “No Ma'm,” said Davanté.

  “Good. Cuz a hussy by any other name is still a hussy. You hear me?” demanded Aunt Thelma.

  Davanté shook his head sheepishly. Aunt Thelma stared at him for a few minutes. He could hear her heavy breathing. It sounded as if she would pounce on him any minute. He patiently waited for her to let him go inside.

  Finally, Aunt Thelma slowly stepped aside allowing him to walk into the house. Davanté went straight to his bedroom and plopped on his bed. He was exhausted. Swiftly, he fell asleep and did not rise until the next morning.

 

  Ten