by La Jill Hunt
“Well, maybe it was temporary insanity. Whatever it was just isn’t there anymore. It’s gone. Or maybe I was still in shock and stupid enough to believe we could work it out.” Sylvia shook her head.
“Or maybe you need to dig a little deeper and find whatever it was. Come on, Sylvia. I know you. You have loved Garry from the moment that dude said, ‘Can I get a large fry and a strawberry shake?’ that day he was standing in front of you in McDonald’s line. And he loves you.” Kenny laughed. “You ain’t gotta front for me. I was there from day one.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.” Sylvia half-laughed.
The day she met Garry, she’d told Kenny she met the man she was going to marry. At first, he didn’t believe her, but soon, not only did he see that she and Garry were meant to be, but everyone else did too. There was something about him that instantly let her know that they were created for one another. She had never felt it with anyone else. It was love. But now she had learned that he had loved Randy, too, for the past sixteen years. That fact made her realize that as much as she loved, trusted, and believed that she was meant for Garry, maybe he wasn’t meant for her. How can you keep a secret for a decade and a half from someone you love? Especially one as big as this?
“He’s a liar and a cheater.” Sylvia frowned.
“Like Aunt Connie told me a few minutes ago, the only perfect man to walk this earth was Jesus. That’s why she doesn’t mind me being a man whore. She loves me anyway.” Kenny grinned.
“His mistress wrote me a letter.” Sylvia opened the binder up and pulled the envelope out for Kenny to see.
“She did? Now, that’s gangster. What does it say? Who gave it to you?” Kenny reached for the letter, but Sylvia snatched it back.
“No one gave it to me. I found it when it fell out of one of Jordan’s baby books. I haven’t read it yet.” She sighed and stared at the envelope.
“Why not? You scared? I would be. I can’t even front. A letter from your husband’s dead mistress? Now, that’s scary,” Kenny stood back and folded his arms.
“I’m glad you find all of this amusing, Kenneth, because I don’t.” Sylvia sat back in the chair and stared at the letter.
“Open it. Read it,” he told her.
“I don’t want to. Why should I? I don’t want to hear about how much she loves Garry and how they want to be a family.” Sylvia sighed.
“Maybe that’s not what she says.”
“Right before you got here, I spent damn near an hour going through The Magical World of Jordan. Her mother captured every single moment of this girl’s life. She was intense, graphic, detailed, and passionate about any and everything her daughter did. I can only imagine what that woman put in here. Oh, and she was beautiful. Look.” She opened the binder up and passed it to him so he could see for himself.
“Daaaaamn,” Kenny said as he flipped through the pictures of Miranda. Then, realizing how his response must’ve sounded to his best friend, he tried to clean it up. “I mean, she a’ight.”
“Screw you.” Sylvia glared at him.
“Oh, no. You won’t be using me to get back at Garry. Now, read the damn letter,” he told her.
“You read it.” She picked up the letter and held it toward him.
Kenny didn’t need to be told twice. He reached over and snatched the envelope, holding it up to the light. “I’ll be damned. She really did write you a letter. I wonder how old it is. I wonder why she never mailed it.”
“Just read it, please,” Sylvia said under her breath.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Sylvia held her breath as Kenny carefully opened the envelope addressed to her in the fancy cursive writing. She closed her eyes and waited for him to reveal all that Miranda Meachum had to say.
Janelle
“I just have two more stops to make, sweetie. I sure appreciate you getting me out of the house to run my errands today.”
“You know I don’t mind, Aunt Connie,” Janelle lied. She had been taking Aunt Connie all over the city since nine o’clock in the morning. It definitely was not how she had planned on spending her Saturday, but when her aunt called and asked her to come pick her up, she knew there was no way she could say no.
“Normally, Sylvia takes me to do this, but you know she got a lot on her plate right now. Have you talked to her?” Aunt Connie asked.
“Not about what’s going on. I tried, but I get the feeling that I’m the last person she wants to talk about that situation with.” Janelle sighed. The few times she’d reached out to Sylvia, her sister seemed irritated. Their normal hour-long conversations had turned into five-minute chats. When Peyton called to tell her about Jordan moving in, Janelle immediately called her sister to find out what was going on, but the only thing Sylvia told her was that it was just until Garry “figured it out.”
“Because of you and Titus probably,” Aunt Connie told her.
“What?” Janelle was shocked by her aunt’s statement.
“You and Titus. It bothers her,” Aunt Connie said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aunt Connie.” Janelle decided the easiest way to respond was to act as if she were clueless.
“Girl, don’t play dumb with me. You think I don’t know that you’re still seeing him and have been for years now?” Aunt Connie cut her eyes at her.
“I haven’t been seeing him. Not like people think. He is my friend and he always will be. And why does it bother her? She shouldn’t feel some way about me because we’re still friends. She’s still friends with Kenny, and they dated back in the day. They’ve been friends just as long as me and Titus. What’s the difference?” Janelle tried to sound as innocent as she could.
“There is a big difference, and you know it.”
“Aunt Connie, despite what you and everyone else may think, I am not sleeping with Titus,” Janelle said, wondering how her aunt even knew about their continued friendship. She must’ve heard it from Sylvia.
“Well, Kenny and your sister never did either, and they were never in love with one another. You and Titus have done both of those. Now, you may not be having sex now, but you have had sex while he is married,” Aunt Connie said matter-of-factly.
Janelle shook her head. Her aunt was right. For the most part, she and Titus were just friends, but there had been times when they gave in to temptation and met at a local hotel and satisfied one another like they both knew no one else could. He was her Kryptonite. He made her weak and vulnerable, even though she tried to resist. It had been months since they had made love, not since she started dating Jarvis. She had hoped that somehow, he would be a welcomed distraction.
“People don’t understand. What Titus and I have, it’s indescribable. What we feel for one another, the friendship we have, whatever it is, it’s kismet. You don’t get it. You met and married Uncle Mick right out of high school,” Janelle told her.
“Honey, I met my soul mate years ago. He is the one man who knows me better than anyone, the one I connect with on all levels. The one who makes me feel like no one else ever can. He is the one I feel like I was created for, and the one the good Lord created for me. Too bad I was already married to your uncle, God rest his soul, when I met him. Just because someone is your soul mate doesn’t mean that’s the one you’re destined for or the one you’ll end up being with. Trust me, I know, and I struggle with that thought even today.” Aunt Connie stared at her.
Janelle couldn’t believe what her aunt had said. It was as if she knew exactly how she felt. “Aunt Connie, did you cheat on Uncle Mick?” she whispered.
“I did. And it’s not something I’m proud of, but in my heart of hearts, I don’t regret it in some ways. But, Janelle, just because something is meant to happen doesn’t mean it’s meant to be. You don’t need to confuse the two.” Aunt Connie touched her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.
Janelle could see the emotion in her eyes and knew that this conversation was one that ha
d been a long time coming. “Aunt Connie, I’m not. I date other guys. You know that. But they don’t make me feel anything near what I feel for Titus. After all these years, he’s still the one for me,” she explained.
“One of the worst feelings in the world is knowing you both love one another but you can’t be together. But you ain’t doing nothing but torturing yourself. I hope you ain’t foolish enough to believe he’s leaving his wife to be with you,” Aunt Connie snapped.
“No, I don’t. We’ve never even talked about that. We are just friends at this point.” Janelle told her, “I don’t expect anything from him. But even with the other guys I’ve dated, it doesn’t feel the same.”
“Well, maybe that’s your problem and why you can’t feel for anyone else. You don’t need to because you’re getting all ‘feeled up’ by Titus, and that’s just wrong. Oh, wait. Pull over to the pharmacy. I need to run in there.” Aunt Connie pointed out the window.
Janelle pulled into a parking spot close to the door.
“Aunt Connie, did Uncle Mick know about you and your soul mate?” Janelle asked.
“He did.” She nodded.
“What did he say?”
“He was hurt, but he forgave me eventually. When he got angry at times, he would bring it up, and one time, he even said that the reason we never had a child was because God was punishing me for what I did.” Aunt Connie’s voice softened, and Janelle saw her eyes water.
“That was mean. I’m sorry.” She shook her head.
“I had to explain to him that I serve a merciful God who forgave me the same way I forgave him for a whole lot of stuff he did. And I told him he was not gonna keep crucifying me over and over for the same sin, and if he kept it up, I was gonna cut him and leave him for dead where no one would ever find his ass.”
Janelle burst out laughing at the thought of her aunt threatening her uncle with a knife. “Aunt Connie, you are crazy!”
“No! Well, maybe so. But he knew I was telling the truth, and I bet he never brought it up again and we lived happily ever after. You know, I once told your mama that when a man loves a woman, he can’t keep his mind on nothing else. If she is bad, he can’t see it. She can do no wrong; turn his back on his best friend if he put her down.”
“Aunt Connie, you do know that’s a Sam Cooke song, right?” Janelle pointed out.
“Shut up and listen to me. There is nothing like the love of a good man, that’s for sure. That’s why I keep telling Sylvia to fight for Garry. He’s a good man, and she’s a good woman, just like me and your uncle, and your mama and your daddy. We ain’t perfect, but we were good people, and we fought to hold on. You need to find someone worth fighting for, and who will fight for you. That’s what love is all about. It’s not about feeling good all the time or matching your soul. The truth is our souls belong to the Lord, and while we worried about who our mates are on earth, we need to be doing what we need to do to get to heaven. Find that person who will be in the ring for you, Janelle. That’s the one you wanna be with,” Aunt Connie told her.
“Yes, ma’am.” Janelle leaned over and hugged her aunt.
“Now come on, because I need to get some Epsom salt and some witch hazel. Oh, and some Pink Oil Moisturizer for my hair,” she said as she opened the car door and stepped out.
Janelle followed her aunt into the store and grabbed a basket. Her eyes went to the back of the store where the pharmacy was located, and she searched for Sherrod but didn’t see him. For some reason, she was slightly disappointed. She thought about their conversation at the gym the night before and how much she had enjoyed it.
“You ladies finding everything you need?”
She turned around to see him standing in the aisle, smiling.
“Yes, sir, we’re fine. How are you?” Janelle asked.
“I’m great. Is this your aunt I’ve heard so much about?” He nodded toward Aunt Connie.
“Yes, this is Aunt Connie. Aunt Connie, this is Sherrod Crawford, the pharmacist.” Janelle introduced them.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Sherrod extended his hand.
“Same here, young man. But please don’t call me ma’am.” Aunt Connie shook his hand. “Call me Connie. And where is your Epsom salt?”
“It’s right over here.” Sherrod led them to where she could find it. “You need anything else?”
“I think I have everything else.” Aunt Connie looked in the basket to make sure.
“I can check you out back here,” he told her. “Follow me, Ms. Connie. It is Ms., isn’t it? Or is it Mrs.?”
“It’s Ms., but I’m not available at the moment, in case you were wondering.” Aunt Connie told him. “I’m currently involved.”
They went to the register, and he rang the items up, making small talk with Aunt Connie about the meds she was taking.
“Wait, where are your condoms?” Aunt Connie asked.
Janelle gave him an ‘I told you so’ look and waited for him to respond.
“Uh, they are right over here,” Sherrod told her, pointing to the rack. “Any particular brand?”
“Magnum, the ones in the black box,” Aunt Connie replied.
Sherrod grabbed the small box and went to ring it up.
“No, get me the big box,” Aunt Connie told him.
“Aunt Connie,” Janelle whispered, “I just bought you a box less than a month ago. What in the world?”
“You can never be too safe. That’s what I told Peyton when I gave them to her.”
“Peyton? Why does Peyton need condoms?” Janelle was shocked at the thought of her niece having sex. She didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. “Is she having sex? Does Sylvia know?”
“I don’t know if she’s having sex or not. I know she likes boys because I hear her talking on the phone. And if she likes boys, then I’m sure boys like her, and you know what happens when boys and girls start liking each other. Didn’t you and I just have a talk about you feeling some kind of way about Titus?” Aunt Connie smirked.
Janelle glanced up to see if Sherrod was listening. Based on the look on his face, not only did he hear the conversation, but he was amused by it. Janelle could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She had never been so grateful for her mocha complexion as she was at that moment.
“Just because she likes a boy doesn’t mean they are having sex,” Janelle leaned over and told her.
“Well, in case she decides to have sex with the boy she likes, she will be prepared,” Aunt Connie said. Then she looked up and asked, “Don’t you think teenagers need to be prepared? As a matter of fact, can you hand me another box for my niece here? I need for her to be prepared too.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Sherrod said. “Do you need Magnums, or will Trojans suffice?”
“Umph, I hope she got more than a Trojan man in her life.” Aunt Connie laughed as she took the money out of her wallet and passed it to Sherrod to pay for her items.
“I don’t need any, thank you very much. And you can put that box back too. Peyton doesn’t need them either, Aunt Connie. Sylvia and Garry would be pissed if they knew you were giving Peyton condoms.”
“They would be even more pissed if she came up pregnant, or worse, had AIDS.”
“She won’t. Peyton is a good girl. And I will talk to her, I promise.” Janelle knew her aunt meant well, but her methods were a little eccentric and extreme. She could only imagine Peyton’s face when Aunt Connie gave her the box of Magnums, and she prayed her aunt hadn’t mentioned anything about a “Trojan man” to her innocent niece.
“Okay, well, if you say so. Sherrod, are you married?” Aunt Connie asked.
Sherrod coughed and said, “No, I’m not.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” She continued.
“Not right now, I don’t,” he said.
“Well, I’m sure you have sex. Do you need any condoms? I already paid for them.” She took the condoms out of the bag and handed them to him.
“No thanks, Ms. Connie. I’m g
ood,” he told her, looking surprised.
Janelle leaned over and whispered loudly, “I think he might be a Trojan man.”
Sherrod’s jaw fell open, and the look on his face was priceless. Janelle gathered her aunt and her bags and waved goodbye as they walked away.
“Now, he is cute, and he is single,” Aunt Connie said when they got in the car. “You better get on that.”
“Aunt Connie, you need to stop,” Janelle said.
“Oh, let me run in the Dollar Store right quick while we are over here. Come on.”
“You go ahead. I will wait here,” Janelle said.
Her cell phone rang, and she answered it. “Hey, Nivea girl.”
“Hey. I saw you called last night. I was ’sleep and missed everybody’s call: you, Natalie, Sherrod.”
Janelle felt a tinge of jealousy when Nivea mentioned Sherrod calling her. She almost asked why he was calling, but she stopped herself. She also didn’t mention that she had just seen him at the pharmacy.
“I didn’t want anything.” Janelle sighed.
“What did you do last night?” Nivea asked.
“Went out with Jarvis and then hit the gym for a little while,” Janelle told her.
“You had enough energy to go to the gym after a date with Jarvis? He musta been whack.” Nivea laughed.
“Naw, he was okay. I just wasn’t ready to go home yet.” She sighed.
“Or was there some other reason you wanted to go to the gym? Go ahead and say it.” Nivea exhaled loudly.
“Say what?” Janelle questioned her friend. She wondered if Nivea had spoken with Sherrod and he mentioned seeing her at the gym.
“That’s where you meet up with Titus, isn’t it? Your rendezvous spot. Was he there?”
“Yeah, he was,” Janelle confessed.
“I knew it! I swear you are a mess. You know if Jarvis finds out you left him to go see another dude, that’s it, right?” Nivea told her.
“First of all, Jarvis and I are just friends, so he can’t say anything about me seeing anyone. He sees other people all the time. And I didn’t go to the gym planning to see Titus at all. He stopped when he saw my car in the parking lot,” she explained, not wanting her friend to think seeing Titus was planned, which it wasn’t.