by Nia Arthurs
“We will celebrate Richie’s wedding first,” Yeye says.
“Yes, Yeye.”
“Then…” Yeye’s glassy eyes pin me down, “you must seek a wife.”
My throat tightens. I can’t even respond.
Marriage. It’s something I haven’t given much thought to. I knew it would come eventually, and that my wife would need the approval of my family. I just… I wish I had more time. Or at least an option to date whomever I wanted.
Gwen’s face pops into my mind. I bat it away until it disappears.
Doesn’t matter what I want. Yeye’s timeline is negotiable, but the marriage order is not.
If Yeye has his way, Aiden might become a father around the same time I become a husband.
7 Gwen
I moan into my pillow and punch the fluffy surface. Danny’s face when I asked him to kiss me was an expression of horror mixed with pure dread. I already knew he found me about as sexy as granny panties, but that exaggerated reaction proved it.
“Simpleness,” I mumble in Creole and suck my teeth. “What is wrong with me? Why did I ask him to kiss me?”
Before I can answer myself like a true crazy person, a door bangs downstairs. I shoot to a sitting position.
My parents are home.
I tiptoe outside and lean over the banister so I can eavesdrop on their conversation and gauge the mood. The house is deadly silent.
Goosebumps skitter over my arms. What if it’s not my parents? What if our house is being robbed?
I run back to my room, searching for a weapon. My grey walls are fitted with photographs of tails and shadowy half-human, half-fish figures, courtesy of my brief mermaid obsession back in high school. A computer desk and a dresser with a mirror are all my scan reveals.
When I find nothing I can use to defend myself, I run to Aiden’s old room and grab his baseball bat. My hands are shaking as I tiptoe down the stairs.
“H-hello?” My voice trembles. I swing my head toward the living room, leaning over the bannister. “Mom?”
“What are you doing?”
I scream and wield the bat, my eyes closed. “Get out of my house or I’m calling the cops!”
“Gwen!”
I recognize my mother’s voice. My eyes burst open. The bat clangs to the last step and rolls down. A sheepish smile climbs my face. “Hey… you’re home.”
Dad scoops Aiden’s bat and swings it like a pro. “Exactly what were you trying to do?”
“Defend our house from thieves.”
“And you didn’t think to call the police?”
“Nope.”
Mom grunts. “Our daughter is weird.”
“Tell me about it,” Dad mumbles.
“I’m right here.”
“We know, honey.” Mom cocks her head to the side. She’s a stunning woman with legs for days and a full-bodied figure that neither of her pregnancies could destroy. Her ethnicity is East Indian, so she has dark brown skin and long, straight black hair.
“Why didn’t you come home last night? We were worried.”
“Didn’t you get my text?” I swing toward Dad. “I messaged the both of you. Danny took me to Aiden’s.”
“It was just you and Danny in the condo?”
“Yes, Mom.”
She makes a face. The kind that involves eyes narrowed to slits and a top lip that curls up on one end.
“Mom, I assure you. Whatever you’re thinking didn’t happen.” Unfortunately.
“You would tell us if it did?” Her brown eyes turn pleading. “Not just with Danny. With anyone. I can’t take any more surprises.”
“Mom…”
“Leave the girl alone, Addie,” Dad says. “We trained her right. It’s up to her what she’ll do with her life now.”
“I just want you to be careful.” Tears glisten in my mother’s eyes and for the first time I get a glimpse of just how much this Aiden situation is affecting her. “Please.”
“I will.”
Mom swipes a manicured finger beneath her eye and straightens her shoulders. “I’ll get started on lunch.”
“I’ll help.”
I start to follow Mom when Dad clears his throat. “Before you go…” He crooks his finger.
“What is it?” I whisper, inching closer to him.
Dad shoots a quick look at Mom to make sure she’s out of earshot. “How’s Aiden? We were pretty hard on him yesterday. When he left, he seemed upset.”
“He’s still trying to make sense of everything. I don’t think it’s soaked in yet.”
Dad nods. He’s small and wiry with brown skin and dark eyes. Grey hair invades his once thick, black goatee.
“Do you think Mom will ever talk to him again?”
“She’ll thaw eventually. When the disappointment wears off. I don’t know how soon that will be.”
“Aiden’s beating himself up. It’s not like he’s taking it lightly.”
“Aiden knows better, so we expected him to do better.” Dad sighs. “It’s hard. As a parent, you question your own choices. Whether you could have done anything different. Whether you made the right decisions or set the right example.”
“Aiden didn’t mean for this to happen. It was just a mistake.”
“One that will cost him his future if he’s not careful. Raising a child is a big responsibility. I hope Aiden’s ready to step up and be the father his son or daughter will need.”
“He’ll be fine.” I wrap my arm around Dad’s neck. “He had a good example.”
Dad grins. “That he did.”
“And you’re so humble about it too…”
He laughs as we link arms and walk into the kitchen.
* * *
After lunch—a quiet, slightly uncomfortable affair thanks to Mom’s reticence and Dad’s awkward attempts to engage her—I waddle upstairs.
My stomach’s so full with rice and beans, baked chicken and fried plantain that it’s possible I’ll fall into a food coma.
My parents turn on the television downstairs. I listen to the audio of a cricket game and smirk. Dad hates cricket, but Mom’s an avid fan. They watch it together, one person on her feet, yelling at the screen and the other on his phone.
Growing up, our family was all about sports. Mom had cricket; Dad had baseball; Aiden had swimming; I had track.
My brother and I didn’t have time to mess around, going to parties or doing drugs because we had to prepare for competitions and keep up with school.
Even on our off-seasons we were always doing something sports or church-related.
Mom and Dad are quirky and a little strict.
Okay, they’re a lot strict.
But I don’t mind. I had a great childhood with two loving parents who cared for me and were faithful to each other.
That’s more than most of my friends can say.
As much as I adore my parents, I’m looking forward to returning to school next week. Balen University is in Cayo, a two-hour drive from Belize City. It’s easier to live near the college than make the commute everyday so I won’t see them often.
My phone vibrates with an incoming call from Winnie. I prepare myself with a few quick inhales before I pick up.
“Hey, Winnie.”
“How was last night?”
“What about last night?”
“Your evening with Mr. Hottie.”
“Danny. His name is Danny.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s hot and therefore ‘Mr. Hottie’ applies.”
“Put it on speaker,” Britney says in the background.
“Hey, Brit.” I lean against my pillows, preparing for an onslaught of squeals.
Britney does not disappoint.
After a series of ear-shattering giggles, she speaks in a language I can understand. “We were jealous all night. Put us out of our misery, would you?”
“Sorry to disappoint. Nothing happened. Danny took me home.”
“And then…?”
“And then what?”
I play dumb. If I tell Britney and Win that I slept over at his house, they’ll flip. I’ll never hear the end of it.
“If he’s your brother’s friend,” Winnie reasons, “that means you have his number, right? Would you help a girl out and pass it along?”
“Why do you need his number?”
“Because he won’t accept our friend request,” Britney blurts.
“Hey!” Winnie hisses.
“What? It’s the truth. We looked him up as soon as we got home, but all his social media accounts are set to private.”
I smile at Britney’s candor. “Danny’s a private guy. I can’t give out his number either.”
“It’s not like he’ll know it was you,” Winnie says.
“Right. Because Danny won’t be able to put two and two together and remember that you guys are my friends.”
“You don’t have to be smug about it.” I can hear Britney pouting even if I can’t see her.
I change the subject. “Did we get the apartment we used last year? I’m thinking about heading up tomorrow to settle in before school starts.”
Winnie clears her throat. “Actually, there’s a slight problem.”
“What problem?”
“We didn’t know you’d be back from Haiti this soon,” Britney says.
“What do you mean? I sent you an email.”
Winnie coughs. “Yeah, but by then it was too late.”
“Too late for what?”
“We got a new roommate.”
“Are you kidding me?” I screech, digging my fingernails into the phone. “I told you I would try to make it back for the third semester.”
“Yeah, but we weren’t sure you were being serious. Tell her, Brit.”
“I’m sorry, Gwen. We wanted to talk to you last night, but then we got distracted by Danny and you left the club and…”
“School is starting in seven days and you’re just telling me I don’t have a place to live?”
“You can crash on our couch until you figure something out,” Britney offers.
“No,” Winnie mumbles loud enough that I can hear, “we’re not allowed to have guests sleep over for an extended time. Remember?”
“Oops. Forgot about that.”
“I can’t believe this.” I rub the bridge of my nose.
“Look at it from our end. Our best friend suddenly ups and disappears to Haiti for six months. It’s not like we could read your mind or predict when you’d be back.”
“I get what you’re saying, Brit. I really do. But you could have at least given me a heads up that you were looking for another roommate. I could have assured you I’d be back in time or I could have looked for another place.”
“We really are sorry, Gwen.”
“What do you want us to do?” Winnie sounds anything but remorseful. “Should we kick our new roommate out? Screw her over?”
“That’s not what I’m saying—”
“Things just ended up this way.” Winnie sighs. “We didn’t want to hurt your feelings. That’s why we didn’t tell you.”
“How am I supposed to find a room on such short notice?”
“Can’t you drive?” Britney asks. “It’s only two hours.”
“That’s a four hour commute. And I overloaded this semester to make up for the classes I missed last year. I can’t do that every day.”
“Look, we feel bad about it.” Winnie’s on the line again saying things she doesn’t sound like she means. “We’ll ask the manager if they have an extra room or ask if anyone needs a roommate.”
“Forget it. I’ll figure this out myself.”
“Gwen,” Britney whines, “don’t be mad at us.”
“I have to go. I’ll talk to you guys later.” I slam my finger against the END button on the screen and then toss my phone. It plops at the foot of my bed.
How could they wait so long to tell me they’d kicked me out of the apartment? Where am I supposed to live now?
My head throbs. I tiptoe to the stairs, hoping to vent to my parents and maybe take a pain reliever pill.
The cricket game grows louder as I head down the steps. I’m halfway there when I hear a strange noise mingling with the broadcast.
It sounds like… crying.
I peer over the railing and spot my mother and father on the couch. Mom has her head on Dad’s chest. She’s weeping, her shoulders shaking with the force of her tears. I cover my mouth, a wave of emotion rolling over me.
I hate it when the people I love cry.
My feet tread backward as I return to my room and close the door quietly. No way am I bothering my parents about my apartment dilemma when they’re so concerned about Aiden.
I’ll just have to figure everything out on my own.
My anger bubbles as I grab my laptop and start researching. Angry tears blur my vision. My fingers still over the keyboard.
Yeah, it sucks that I’m in this situation so close to school starting, but what hurts even more is that my friends are the ones pushing me out.
Have I changed or have they?
Danny’s words about outgrowing Britney and Winnie return to me.
He’s usually right about these things, and I usually don’t listen to him until I get bitten in the butt.
It doesn’t matter now. I have to find a solution fast before I end up homeless when school starts.
8 Danny
“Are you going to see Melissa today?”
Aiden nods. “I avoided her for a few days, but she’s getting antsy.” His phone rings and he frowns at it. “That’s her again. I told my folks about the baby last week, and now she wants us to talk to her parents.”
My spoon plops back into the empty cereal bowl. “You think they’ll react the same way your parents did?”
“She says they won’t care.” Aiden shrugs and brushes the sleeve of his white shirt. “I’m hoping they respond better than my mother. We work in the same firm, but I might as well be invisible. Mom is taking this cold shoulder thing all the way.”
“At least your dad reached out. He’s on your side.”
“Dad won’t sneeze without Mom’s permission.” Aiden scrubs his face with the heel of his hand. “I can’t do this on my own, man. I was looking at the cost of raising a baby yesterday. It’s like thirty grand. Can you believe that?”
“I can. We’re opening a maternity store in Belmopan soon. There’s a market for it.”
“How can you talk business at a time like this?”
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. I’m the one who messed up. I shouldn’t take it out on you.” Aiden moans. “Why did I forget to use protection? The sex was good, but it wasn’t worth it.”
I push my chair back. The legs scrape the black and white tiles. “What’s done is done. No use crying over spilled milk.”
“I’ve always hated that phrase.” Aiden glowers at the milk on the counter. “No one ever cries over milk.”
His grumpy expression reminds me of Gwen.
She still has my hoodie. I debated using my sweater as an excuse to see her again. I even passed by her house a dozen times, but I always talked myself out of it.
Fanning the flames of my sudden fascination with Aiden’s sister won’t end well.
“She’s calling again.” Aiden curses.
“Who?”
“Who do you think?” Aiden scoffs. “Melissa.”
“Answer. She’s the mother of your child.”
I move to the sink to wash my dishes. Aiden follows me, wearing a pained frown. “I’m aware of that. It’s just… I don’t even like her.”
“What do you mean you don’t like her? You slept with her.”
“Because she was cute. We had chemistry, you know?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Aiden and I never dated anyone seriously in high school. We were too busy with our individual sports and too scared to introduce a girl to our close-knit, opinionated families.
When we got to colle
ge, Aiden didn’t know what to do with all the freedom. We were relatively good looking guys, intelligent and rich. The girls on campus went crazy.
I got turned off by most of them. Casual hookups have never been my thing.
But Aiden… he was the opposite. I secretly admired his ability to juggle so many women at once.
Now, that feeling is gone, and all I have for my friend is pity.
“Come on.” I rinse the dish and put it in the rack. “There must be something about her that you like.”
Aiden gestures to his chest. “She’s got a nice pair of—”
“I meant her personality.” I smirk. “Something on the inside. Is she funny? Does she make you laugh?”
“No.”
“Do you like talking to her?”
“No.”
I shuffle my feet, slightly frustrated. “Do you have anything in common? Like reading books? Or a similar taste in movies?”
“We didn’t do much talking.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “If you get what I mean.”
“Dude, you know nothing about this girl.”
“Now you see my problem?” He throws his hands in the air. “I barely know her and she’s got a person with half my DNA growing in her stomach.”
“First you need to calm down…”
“I am calm!”
“Sure you are.” I wipe my hands on a towel. “Here’s what I suggest. Take Melissa out. Get to know her. And whatever you do, try not to have sex with her until you can answer at least some basic questions about who she is.”
Aiden crosses his legs. “Don’t worry about that. I’m locking myself up for the foreseeable future.”
“Really?” I slant him a disbelieving look.
He frowns. “I’m going to be a father. That shifts the priorities.”
“I’m glad you’re taking it so seriously.”
“I may have disappointed them big time, but some of my parents’ lessons stuck.”
“Good for you.”
Aiden clenches his fist and thrusts it into the air. “You know what? I will get to know Melissa.”
“You should probably start by answering her calls then.”
He drops his arm and pushes out his bottom lip. “Will you help me?”
I blink rapidly. “When did I get into this?”
“There’s no way I’ll keep my hands to myself if Melissa and I are in a room alone. If you and Gwen are there, you can act like…” he snaps his fingers, “like chaperones.”