She said it was ok.
I continued with the details. I told her he held doors for me. He opened my door to his car and made sure I was in. Chivalry is not dead. I treated him to Red Lobster for registering to vote. He thanked me, and told me a woman has never treated him before. He was amused. We laughed and got along very well. He reminded me a lot of Drew. The good parts, that is. I was opening up to this experience. New things were so exciting. After about an hour, Chelsea and I got off the phone.
Jules started coming to church with me every Sunday. He was so loving. He cooked dinner twice a week. His place was a one-bedroom in a pretty nice complex off of Jackson Street in Hayward. His place was furnished and he kept it clean. All his DVDs were in place, and his computer was in the corner of his living room. His desk was organized, and his kitchen and bathroom were clean and tidy. His bedroom had a big screen and matching bedroom furniture. His closets were decent and in order.
What I loved the most was the 11x14 picture of his mama in the living room. Jules even came home one day with another TV for me. He said I could watch the basketball games since he’s not interested. He put it in the living room ’cause he knows how serious I am when it comes to my Warriors. His pad was so cozy and I loved being over there.
He couldn’t understand it because I had a house.
That was true, but I had a roommate and he didn’t call me baby and caress me and play footsie with me. I think it just felt good to be at the guy’s house, and not always at mine.
We spent a lot of time together when he wasn’t at work. Even when he had to go to Tommy T’s, I would stay at his house.
He gave me a key to his house and two drawers in his dresser. I hung some clothes in his closet. He loved lingerie, so one of my drawers had a few pieces in there. We went to every restaurant and every movie. We shopped and cooked together. We drove each other’s cars. He loved my Range Rover and I loved his Escalade.
He met my parents, my sister and the girls. I met his mama and his aunt and his favorite cousin and his wife. His dad was out of the picture. Jules said he was still out there in the streets. Their relationship was dead and he had other siblings that he didn’t have a relationship with. It was just him and his mama.
One night, we were at the house getting ready to watch Death Race when there was a knock at the door. He asked me if that was the door. I said yes. His uncle lived in the same complex so we thought it was him. I stayed in the bed and waited for him to return so we could watch the movie. At the door was one of his many chicks.
She was hollering and screaming at Jules. Had she been standing there for awhile before she knocked? Uh oh, I thought. This chick must have been missing him ’cause he been off the scene for about five weeks and I guess she was wondering what was going on. They were out there arguing loudly.
I decided to put the movie on pause. I figured she could teach me something about him. I was expecting to hear anything, I just didn’t want to hear her say anything about him just being with her since we been spending time. No need in me getting involved, I thought. This matter was between them. I guessed that he hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet.
Well, now was the time, because I was ready to have sex with him and he said he was holding out to wait on me so it could be more special. A lot of her fussing was about him not being with her, and being that she heard us laughing and talking while she was on his porch. I figured she had been listening to us. She figured out why he hadn’t been around. I heard him tell her I’m with her now and I love her. Then I heard hitting. I jumped up and ran to the peep hole to witness these two actually fighting, in case they ended up in court.
She was an amazon, and she was looking all crazy. My thoughts were, if you’re gonna come over a dude’s house, to profess your love, at least look hot. Come over in a long raincoat with some lingerie and heels on. Comb your hair or wear a wig and definitely don’t forget the lip gloss. They were fighting now and he broke her hold to call the police. Neighbors are coming out to see the commotion and ole girl was telling him “tell that bitch to come outside!” Then she told him, “well if it’s like that, give me my red lingerie in your bottom drawer.”
I think that was supposed to make me mad. I laughed at her safely from the opposite side of the front door. She really thought that I was her problem? I wanted to say, “focus on the man honey, not me. I don’t owe you a thing and if you call me a bitch one more time, I will be your problem.” Ok stop, I thought. She’s on the outside of this door fighting him in the cold while I’m in the house safe and sound. She can cuss all she wants.
I decided to gather her things up since she wanted them back. I went into his kitchen to get a plastic bag and I went to retrieve her red lingerie. It was there, balled up in the bottom drawer.
I looked at the size of the Amazon’s lingerie, size 22.
I got the two top drawers, boo! I opened the door, and they were still fussing and fighting. I dropped the bag on the porch and slammed the door closed to get their attention. He said thank you baby to me and she went off again.
“Come back out here!” she said.
I went to get back in bed, this was his crazy mess that he needed to end.
The police came and asked her to leave or they would arrest her. She left on her own. When he came back in, he was sweating, and huffing and puffing.
“You ok?”
“Yeah. Are you mad at me? I really don’t want you to be mad at me. I don’t want us to break up over that crazy bitch. I realize that I need to give everyone notice that I’m taken.”
We had just starting going together the day before. I told him that our relationship was new and all his women friends just needed to be notified quickly that his status has changed. He said “ok”. We kissed and I gave him what he had been waiting for. We never saw the movie.
Chapter 23
SOMETHING’S IN MY HEART
I was in a deep sleep when my crackberry rang.
It was Friday morning and I was over Jules’ house. He was at work. When I reached for my crackberry, I looked at the caller ID. it was Pop.
“Hey there Pop.”
“Nee, you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Well we haven’t seen you. Miss you baby.”
“Ah Pop, I’ve been missing in action that long?”
“Yep,” he said.
“Well I’m good. You know how new relationships are.”
“Guess y’all getting along there pretty good then. You ain’t got on his nerves yet. I guess.”
We both laughed.
“I don’t want nothing. Me and your mama is doing cool, just wanted to hear your voice.”
I felt missed.
“I’ll be up there Pop, but tomorrow I gotta go to Kalena’s house to do favors for her wedding and we are taking her out.”
“Ok baby. We got her invitation in the mail. I ain’t never seen an invitation that pretty. Did you help them pick that out?”
“Yes, I did,” I said proudly.
The invitation came in a bronze orange envelope. The mailing labels were written with a brown calligraphy pen and the invitation was bronze brown with orange print. There was a ribbon attached to the invitation with two small gold wedding bands.
“I am happy for my other daughter. Todd and Kalena will be a great couple. And I guess Chelsea won’t be next.”
“Naw, she won’t.” I said with disappointment.
“And what’s up with Najah? She’s dating yet?”
“No, she says that she’s on a male break. Just working, churchin’ and hanging out.
“Yeah, well, that’s when her husband just may show up.”
“Yeah, I’m understanding that myself. Maybe my husband just did show up huh, Pop?” I said all giddy.
He didn’t reply rig
ht away.
“Well baby, I’ll tell ya like this. Just pay close attention to him.”
I went into defense mode.
“I believe I am. He’s playing his cards right so far, Pop. You met him. You don’t like him?”
“He seemed ok, Nee. Let’s see how it goes. Trust me, I’m ready to walk you down the aisle. Are you over Drew and Jason and James and Peter and Bob, and Harold and William too?”
He was laughing and I was too.
“Pop, stop it. I mean I don’t know if my heart is over Drew, but my mind is. I’m over the playing. I’ve put my shoes up, and I’m ready for you to walk me down the aisle too. You even said the best way to get over someone is to start dating someone else,” I reminded him.
“Yeah that’s right,” he said. “Yeah, ’cause my other daughter is fighting for her right to get married. Is it ‘no’ on prop 8, or ‘yes’?”
“It’s ‘yes’ on 8 if you are against it and ‘no’ on prop 8 if you are for it. Now, if that ain’t nothing but a bunch of confusion. You know she has one of those signs in her window at home?”
“Really?” I asked. “Wow, she gone full throttle. So, Pop, are you ok with her lifestyle?”
“No way, but that’s my daughter and I love her. You can still love the person but hate the sin. It’s not right, period. Your Mama and I are hoping and praying that this goes away. She’s not a lesbian.”
“Well, she’s single, she says, so I guess she won’t bring a date to the wedding.” I said.
“I’m not ready to meet any women of hers. Don’t know if I ever will,” he said.
“She needs our support and, together, we will get through this. You’ve instilled the same things in both of us, so maybe she will, maybe she won’t. I’ll be ok as long as I don’t see any PDA,” I said.
“I’m with you on that baby. Derrick was here. Says he’s going to LA to do a tour?”
“Yeah. Thirteen cities at that. He’s headed to the top!”
“Alright, Derrick! To be young again and living in L.A. Those women are gonna be all over him, and he’s gonna make that money and go crazy.” Pop said.
I started cracking up.
“You know, he ain’t used to nothing. Well, this is what he wanted. Yeah, but what we want may not be what is good for us or what God has in store for us.”
I hated those subliminal messages. They were scary and made me uneasy. So, on that note, it was time to go. I had to make sure I had everything we need to put Kalena’s favors together tomorrow with the girls. I hadn’t seen them in about a month. I couldn’t wait until then.
I was waiting on Jules to get back from work. We were gonna look at places online to see who’s renting. We figured we liked each other, and wanted to move forward in our relationship. At the rate we were going, we’d be married by this time next year, and hopefully we’d have a baby.
Derrick could hold the house down, and if he moved to L.A.—because he’s been saying that for awhile now—I could rent the house out.
Jules was getting off earlier tonight. He said he would pick up some fish from Family Fish on Mission Boulevard and come straight home.
After we ate, we looked at townhouses and apartments from Hayward to Fremont. We decided that we would rent a two—bedroom, two—bathroom, washer and dryer unit, because that was most important to me. I also wanted a two-car garage. He wanted this place in Fremont, and I liked a place we saw in the Hayward Hills.
Fremont? I was not cool on living out there. It was too far. As we ate, his phone kept ringing and he was getting upset, cussing the person out and telling her to stop calling him. Then, he would hang up the phone and the phone would ring again.
I wasn’t sure about this protocol, because I didn’t make it this far with Jason or anyone else, as far as that mattered.
“What would you do if I told you one of my ex—girlfriends was pregnant?”
“Leave you.”
His voice went up.
“You would? Just like that? Man, you cold. Why would you do that if it happened before you?”
“You wouldn’t stick around if it happened to me. You would be out the door in no time. And besides, our relationship is too new to be dealing with something so intense. We gotta deal with the baby and the crazy mama? That’s a lot for me to take so soon, just to be in a relationship with you. Especially if I was willing to give you a baby.”
“Ah baby, that is so sweet.”
He got up from the computer desk and sat on the love seat.
“Come here.”
I did and we made out and things started to heat up instantly, so we continued in the bedroom.
The next morning, I jumped up and went into the living room to turn the stereo on. Michel’le was singing my song. I start singing with her right when the chorus starts.
I was excited about surprising Kalena, plus Jules had a great package. It was huge and he knew exactly what to do with it. I didn’t know big dudes had it like that!!! That was something worth singing about. I wanted to hurry up and get the day going.
We had allocated four hours to do the favors so we wouldn’t be rushing. I went to the kitchen to get some water, and Jules left the junk drawer open. Big as day there was a letter just sitting there waving at me to go over and pick up. So I did, of course. Under it was a card from a Lisa Harris. She lived on Tompkins Avenue in Oakland, zip code 94619. That was off High Street, I thought.
I looked at the post date stamp; it just got here.
Jules had opened it already.
Since it was fresh off the press, I opened it. It was one of those “Between You and I” cards. She was pouring her heart out to Jules; one of those “I hate when we argue” cards. It went on about how she couldn’t wait till they got back to the way they were.
I went into the bedroom and grabbed my crackberry. I scrolled to my memopad app and stored this address.
This was from the chick that was banging on his door the other night. Poor girl.
He gave me the run down when I asked about them. They went to Fremont High together, grew up in the same neighborhood on 55th Avenue, a crazy biotch, but she sucked dick very well.
I put the card down. I wasn’t tripping off her. She’s entitled to her feelings toward Jules. They had history and that was exactly where it ended.
I exhaled.
Then I found, an email he printed from his soon-to-be ex wife, Vantasha.
She should have called and left him a message, because her grammar sucked big time.
I had to spend more time re-reading her sentences over and over, because I had to figure out what she was trying to say. Then when I figured out what she trying to say, I had to read it over to actually read what she was saying.
Ignorant broads, I thought. Nobody has spell-check anymore? She started talking about how hurt she was, how he never stepped to the plate to be the husband that she needed him to be. He still ran the streets, and wasn’t coming home.
Every time she wanted to talk to him, he used to get angry at her, and they would have heated arguments. Then he would leave again.
She began to say how immature he was, how he needs to grow up and stop listening to nothing but rap music, and he needs to stop riding around playing his music so loud. She was also mad about him never taking her on a honeymoon, and she knows love from her father, and it’s nothing to compare to the lack of love he gave her. I was glad that she never mentioned him hitting her or giving her any STDs.
However, he did act like a kid at times, but I thought it was cute. Some women’s expectations rise automatically after marriage, like the guy has more to give after getting married. We argued once and I got mad and didn’t want to talk to him, but he wanted to squash it. He said “let’s talk about this now instead of wasting time being mad.”
Maybe
she grew him up for me. How many times had I done that for my ex-boyfriends’ wives? Is this what Pops was talking about when he said “pay attention”?
Wow she was angry. Well, that was last year.
She shined some light on him.
He didn’t seem like the same guy, I was sure taking notes. A man will do what you allow him to do, and I was gonna be well-understood in this relationship. I would not be taking any more bullshit. I’d had it. It would be my way or no way.
Off to the bathroom I went. I had to pick up Chelsea, since she lived in San Leandro. After doing the favors, we were surprising Kalena with a limo and taking her to celebrate her bachelorette party. Kalena’s sister, Ashley, wanted to do something fun and different for her sister. She suggested that we take a pole-dancing class. We found a studio in San Francisco called Sedusa. The place looked nice, and we could dress in a theme and celebrate with cake and drinks after our class.
Right Before My Eyes Page 16