I stood up over my father and put the cheeseburger close to his nose. I didn’t know if he could smell it, but it was worth a try.
“Father, you’ve got to get well,” I said over a hot lump in my throat. “We still really need you. I need you. And even though we’ve been out of each other’s lives for some years now, I don’t think it’s too late for us to catch up. Father, I never meant to disappoint you. I was just trying to do what you taught me and that was to always tell the truth, even when it hurts, and to always be proud of the Dean name. I’ve tried to do that.”
His face blurred through my tears.
“It’s the real reason why I couldn’t lie to Mother, Kim, and you. If you were going to love me then you had to know who you were loving. Does that make sense? I need you to recover because I want you to understand that I really have become the man you wanted me to become. I’m still concerned about those less fortunate than me. I’m doing something that I love, and I treat and respect all people equally no matter what their stations in life are.”
I heard the door crack. I turned and saw the nurse coming back in. I shot her a look and she recognized that I needed a little more time, so she closed the door. I put the cheeseburger in its box and into my jacket pocket.
“Now I know you may think my being gay was something that I chose just to get on your nerves, but, Father, you really have to know better. My greatest joy has been being your son and I’ve missed you terribly. I need my father back, even if you don’t like everything about me. We’re going to have to learn to respect each other’s differences so that love can return. So will you get well so we can have that chance?”
I knew my father couldn’t answer me, but suddenly I felt his hand squeeze mine. I looked at his face and even though both of his eyes were still closed, I saw long tears streaming from his eyes. And a few seconds later, tears warmed my own face and I knew God was going to give my father and me a second chance.
FORTY
When Anna and I pulled into the garage of her house, I made an announcement.
“Father is going to be fine and our family is going to be just like it was when we were young.”
“What makes you say that?” Anna asked from the driver’s seat.
“It’s just a feeling I have, Anna.”
“So what?” She turned off the engine and looked at me skeptically. “You got some kind of time capsule, Bentley? Times changed. We’ve changed.”
I sat, enjoying the silence. I’d decided to stay with Anna instead of at the family house because I didn’t know if my mother’s young boyfriend was shacking up with her. I was in no mood to deal with that.
My sister and her husband had more than enough room. They had bought one of the huge mansions that white Buick executives had abandoned during the Detroit riots in the sixties. It was large enough where I could have my privacy and had a two-bedroom apartment right behind the garage. Normally I would have stayed there, but Anna’s nanny was currently occupying it.
“I know times have changed, but I think when Father gets well, I’m going to make him understand me. I need my father, Anna, and I think he needs me.”
She opened the car door. “I’m sure you’re right, Bentley, but both of you are still stubborn Dean men. Just like grandfather. How are you going to change that?”
“We both are going to have to bend. Almost losing him forced me to realize how much I need my father.”
She looked at me like my optimism was ridiculously unrealistic. “What are you going to do about Kim? I mean, that has to be uncomfortable for the both of you.”
“This isn’t about Kim. It’s about me and Father.”
She shook her head. “But she is a part of his life now. I don’t know how we’re going to decide where Daddy is going to recover. I thought about bringing him here so Mother and Kim wouldn’t split him down the middle.”
“Does Mother want him to come to the house?”
Anna got out of the car and I followed her, but we ended up standing in the garage, talking over the car. “Yes, those are her plans. When I asked her about Kim, she told me not to worry about Kim. That she would take care of that.”
“What do you think she has up her sleeve?”
“Heaven only knows, my brother.”
My father was coming home from the hospital. Mother had won the battle and he was coming back to the family home. Mother had hired a private nurse and finally agreed to let Kim come and visit.
I was still at Anna’s house having a cup of coffee when I realized it had been over a week since I’d checked my messages or computer. I wondered what was going on with Jah and if he was all right.
I listened to my messages. There were a couple of calls from Warren, Ramon, Alexandria, and Wilson. But no calls from Jah. When I checked my computer, I found several e-mail messages from people, but nothing from Jah. I decided to call Alexandria first, so I hit the number three autodial on my phone.
“Hey there, partner. Are you all right?” Alex asked after a couple of rings.
“I’m doing okay. Sorry I haven’t been in touch. Do we still have a business?”
She chuckled. “Business is fine. How is your father?”
I felt so relieved to tell her, “He’s not a hundred percent yet but he’s finally been released from the hospital. And can you believe, he’s coming to my mother’s house?”
Alex made a play shriek sound. “What? How did that happen?”
“Mother insisted and I think he’s too weak to fight,” I said with a laugh.
“How are you two getting along?”
“You mean me and my father?”
“Yeah.”
I sipped my coffee. “I think we’re going to be fine. I think the death scare and the operation have changed him quite a bit. But we’ll see.”
Alex was typing with noisy clicks on her keyboard as she asked, “When are you coming back to Miami?”
“Possibly in a week, but I can come back sooner if you need me.” I imagined her juggling my work and her own and feeling overwhelmed.
“I think I can hold the fort down. We got the Serena Williams deal, but that doesn’t start until April.”
“That’s great.”
Seth’s people obviously hadn’t gotten back with her, because she sounded completely natural when she asked, “How did your meeting in L.A. go?”
“Not well, but I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. I’ll update you when I get back.”
Alexandria said, “Okay. I’ve got some amazing news for you when you get back.”
I set my coffee cup down hard in protest. “Oh, you can’t do that to me. I need some exciting news. Please tell me.”
“Okay,” she said excitedly, “I really wanted to see your face. But I’m so happy, I’m about to bust.” She squealed, “I’m pregnant!”
I smiled. “What? That’s great. Which one did you choose?”
“The basketball-playing, Harvard MBA guy, so you know my baby will be athletic and smart.”
I remembered his picture and imagined a mix between him and Alex. “I’m so happy for you. When did you find out?”
Alex had a tone like she was confessing. “Actually I’ve known for a while but I didn’t tell anyone because I heard a lot of ladies miscarry when they first try it.”
“So it happened on the first time?”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t need to buy all that sperm!”
“Well, Alex, I’m really happy for you. I hope this means I’m going to be a godfather or something like it.”
“A godfather for sure. I’m really going to need your help, Bentley. But not right now. You need to stay as long as you need to, to help take care of your father.”
Looking around Anna’s kitchen reminded me that I was still in Detroit. “Yeah, I’m going to see if he needs any help with any of his businesses.”
I could tell Anna was smiling at the other end of the line. “Bentley, it’s great hearing your voice and I’m happy your father is on the mend.”<
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“Yeah, me, too, and thanks for looking out for me. I promise to make it up when I get back to Miami.”
I was still smiling when we hung up, until I immediately called Warren. I didn’t get an answer, so I left a message and sent him a text. I went back to my computer and decided to check my Facebook page because Jah used it all the time and maybe he’d left me a message there.
When I pulled up the pages there were no new messages on Facebook. But I did see something on the running log that caught my attention. It was a posting from Wilson stating that he would be attending a memorial service for his good friend, Jarvis Wentworth.
Wentworth was an unusual name and I didn’t recall Wilson ever telling me his friend’s last name. I thought back to the text that Warren had mistakenly sent me and wondered, could there be a connection? Could Warren be involved in this somehow? And who had the text been intended for?
I placed a call to Wilson but got his voice mail. I left him a message asking him to give me a call when he got a chance. I called Warren again and still couldn’t get in touch with him. I sent another text message telling him I was in the city and if he had time, I wanted to take him to lunch. I didn’t want to ask him about the text over the phone because I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was telling the truth or not.
I walked into my parents’ bedroom suite and my father was sitting up and looking at the television. He actually smiled when he saw me walk into the room. I went over and kissed him on the forehead and whispered that I was glad he was home.
“I’m not going to be here long, son. That woman isn’t going to drive me crazy.”
I smiled. “I guess you’re talking about my mother. What has she done now?” I asked as I pulled a mustard yellow chair closer to the bed. I gazed around the large room, noticing all the changes my mother made after her divorce. She had replaced the oak bedroom furniture with new modern leather furniture and very bright colors like light purple and yellow. I knew my father wasn’t going to like this.
“She hired some white lady to give me baths. Can you believe that?”
“You mean the nurse?”
Father just shook his head in dismay.
“What are you watching?”
“CNN, that’s the only thing worth watching.”
I glanced at the TV. “Okay. How have they been treating our new president?”
“Okay, I guess, but I think the Republicans are waiting on him to make his first big blunder. I sure hope this stimulus package works.”
I watched his mouth as he spoke. “Your speech has really improved, Father. The doctor told us it might take a couple of weeks.”
“I’m always ahead of the game, Bentley. You know that about me.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I do. But I have to tell you, it was pretty hard to see you like that.”
My father looked at me with a face full of confidence. “Check with me in a couple of months and I’m going to be brand-new, son.”
Part of me couldn’t believe I was sitting here in my father’s house, talking with him. “I’m just glad you’re here. I hope you’ll listen to your doctors so you won’t suffer any setbacks.”
For about an hour, my father and I remained mute with the only sound being the television. Just as I was getting ready to go downstairs and fix myself a sandwich, I heard my father’s voice.
He said, “Bentley, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you back in the fold, son.”
“I’m happy to be back, Father,” I said as I blinked back tears.
I walked through the back door of my sister’s house into the kitchen and the aroma of something good. I’d forgotten what a fine cook my sister was.
“Dang, that smells delicious. What are you making?”
“Just searing some chicken breasts with mushrooms and onions. How is Father?”
I smiled. “Looks like he’s getting better every day.”
“I’m going to go over and visit with him after I finish this.”
I warned her, “Call Mother first. She’s a tough gatekeeper.”
“I wonder what she’s up to?” Anna asked over the sizzle of food.
“What do you mean?” I asked, leaning closer to inhale the delicious scent as she pushed the chicken around the pan with a spatula. “Do you think she wants to get back together with him?”
“Ha!” she said. “The way they were fighting at the end of their marriage, I doubt it.” Anna turned and looked at me. “So, we haven’t really talked about Father and Kim.”
“And I don’t want to talk about it. I’m going up to my room. What time is dinner?” I asked as I put my feet on the first step leading to the second floor.
“In about thirty minutes it should be all done. Oh, yeah, I got the Heather Headley gospel CD for you. I think you’ll love it. I put it on the bed.”
“Thanks, sis.”
When I got to my room, my cell phone rang. It was Wilson.
“Hey, Bentley, I got your message on my phone and on Facebook. What’s going on?”
“How was the memorial service?”
“It was very moving,” he said. “A lot of people showed up.”
“What did Jarvis do for a living?”
“He was a hairstylist. He used to be one of the most popular ones in Chicago until he started going to Los Angeles every chance he got. He was trying to break in on that celebrity clientele.”
“Do they have any leads on who did this to him?”
Wilson sounded sad. “Not to my knowledge. And to be honest, I don’t think the police are even looking. They don’t give a damn about a black man. Especially if it’s a black gay man.”
I shook my head. “I hear you. So did he have any success in getting to celebrities?” I asked, wondering if it was possible Jarvis knew Seth.
“Yeah, but he used to always say he couldn’t talk about it because once a star found out you talked about working with them, they would drop you like a hot rock.”
I sat on the bed, hoping that Wilson would give me some clues. “You think his secret boyfriend could have been a celebrity?”
Wilson sounded like he wondered why I was asking so many questions. “I guess so, but why do you ask?”
I played it cool. “Just a hunch I’m following up on. I’d like to see the people who did this caught.”
“Wow, Bentley, thank you. If you could find out anything, I know Jarvis’s family and I would be very happy.”
“I don’t know if I’m right but I’m going to do what I can. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Bentley. Take care.”
“I will, Wilson. You take care of yourself.”
“For sho.”
I threw my cell phone on the bed and picked up the Heather Headley CD and inspected it for a minute. I went in the bathroom and washed my face and brushed my teeth. When I came back into the bedroom, my phone was flashing. I picked it up: Warren.
“Where have you been hiding?” I demanded.
“I haven’t been hiding,” he said, with his usual coolness. “I’m just out in Los Angeles handling some business. You still in the Motor City? How’s your father doing?”
“Much better.” I hated feeling suspicious of Warren, but I didn’t think he was being straight with me. I guess “straight” was a funny word considering the nature of our relationship. One of the reasons I put up with some of Warren’s crap was because I felt he would always give me all the story.
“That’s good. Are you two going to make up?”
“I think so.”
Warren chuckled. “Great. Maybe he’ll give you his team if he wants to take it easy. Don’t forget me, because you’ll need a good general manager.”
I wasn’t in the mood to entertain his narcissistic nature. “I doubt if that happens,” I said dryly, “but I’ll keep that in mind. So I guess I won’t get a chance to see you. I think I’m heading back to Miami in a couple of days.”
“I can always come down there to check on my boi,” Warren said.
“Yeah, I know.” I wanted to ask Warren what he knew about Wentworth but I was still worried about not being able to tell if he was being truthful. But how else was I going to find out if Seth’s gang had anything to do with Jarvis’s murder? On one hand it didn’t make a lot of sense for someone so rich and powerful to want a Chicago hairdresser dead, but then I knew that people like Seth would do almost anything to protect their secrets. When you got right down to it, guys like Seth had more issues than Essence magazine.
“Okay, Bent, I gotta run.”
“Hey, Warren, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, boo.”
“Who is Wentworth?”
Warren didn’t answer. A deafening silence hung between us.
“Warren, are you still there?”
“I don’t know a Wentworth. Hey, I gotta run.”
Click.
FORTY-ONE
My sister’s house was quiet and I had the place to myself. Anna, her husband, and the kids were spending some time with my father. I’d been over there earlier and now I was getting ready to enjoy some microwave popcorn, pizza, and the Oscars.
When I sat down in Anna’s plush, all-cream family room, the awards had already started. Even though I didn’t watch the Oscars every year, I was intrigued because this one looked different. Before the first major award for best supporting actress was announced, five former winners came out on stage and talked about this year’s nominees. I thought that was very nice and especially enjoyed it since one of the former winners was Whoopi Goldberg. She’d been one of my favorite actors ever since I first saw her in The Color Purple.
I hadn’t seen any of the movies the nominees had appeared in. But I knew that neither of the two African American actresses would win. The two most likely split the black vote in the Academy. When Penelope Cruz was announced the winner, I started to turn off the television to do some work. But I decided to stick around and see how Sean Penn fared for his role in Milk. That was another movie I hadn’t seen, but I’d heard that both Penn and the movie were great.
Just as I reached down for my glass of wine, something on the television set off a slow burn through my body. It was Seth Sinclair in the audience. And the camera was slowly zooming in on him with his wife looking at him with adoring eyes.
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