21
I knew I probably should have shown some type of sadness right about now. After all, Nikki and my brothers were sitting in the living room looking all pitiful and stuff.
My grandmother was in the kitchen cooking, trying her best to look busy. Not surprisingly, my mother was nowhere to be found. She’d left without even saying goodbye. If that’s the way she’s going to be, fine. I’ll see her when I see her, I thought.
I threw my last bag over my shoulder. My father was waiting down in the car. He’d come up, spoken to everyone, then carried some bags back out.
“I can’t believe you’re going to do this,” Jaquan said. I thought he’d be glad to see me go, as much as we fought.
“Why she get to be the lucky one?” Nikki moaned.
I ignored their comments, instead leaning down toward my youngest brother. “Jalen, you be a good boy, okay?” I said.
“Don’t leave, Jasmine. I gon’ miss you,” Jalen cried.
“It’s, ‘I’m going to,’” I corrected.
“I’m going to miss you,” Jalen repeated.
“I’m only moving to La Marque. You remember when we went to the beach in Galveston?” He nodded. “That wasn’t that far was it?”
He shook his head as he sniffed.
“So, see, I won’t be far away. And I’ll come see you all the time. My dad’s letting me use my half-brother’s car. He’s away at college.”
“You get a car!” Nikki exclaimed. “Man, that sucks!” she said, as she turned and stormed out of the room.
I ignored her. “Jalen, don’t be sad, okay. I promise I’ll come back and see you.”
“Unh-unh. ’Cuz Mama said if you leave, you wasn’t coming back,” Jalen said.
“Mama’s just mad right now,” I said as I stood up. At least I hoped she was. But truthfully, at that very moment I didn’t really care. I just knew I was finally getting out of this godforsaken house and going to live the life I was born to live.
“And if she won’t let me come back, maybe you can come see me and we can go to the beach and stuff.”
“For real?” Jalen said.
I nodded as I reached down and hugged him. I looked at everyone. Jaquan and Jaheim walked over and hugged me. Jaquan pushed my head.
“Who am I gon’ fight with now?” He tried to smile, but I could’ve sworn his voice cracked.
“You just gon’ have to find somebody else to get beat up by,” I joked.
“Beat up? You ain’t never beat me up,” he said.
“Please, boy,” I said, pushing his shoulder.
His smile faded. “I’m gon’ miss you, sis.”
“I’m gonna miss you, too.” I looked at everybody. “I’m gonna miss all of you.” I took a deep breath. “Let me get out of here.” I walked toward the kitchen. My grandmother was at the stove, stirring something in the pot. “Granny, I’m gone.”
“Umm-hmm,” she replied. “You be safe.”
I stood there a minute because she wouldn’t turn around. “Well, I’ll see you later.” I turned to leave and had just reached the door when she stopped me.
“Jasmine, come here.”
I walked back toward her with my head lowered. She lifted my chin. “I hope you know what you’re doing, baby girl. Sometimes our blessings are disguised and what we don’t think is a blessing, is. And what we think is a blessing, isn’t.”
I didn’t quite understand what she was saying and chalked it up to just another one of her ramblings.
She pulled me close as she hugged me. “For your sake, I hope he’s changed,” she whispered.
“Who’s changed?”
My grandmother released me from her embrace and squeezed my hand. “Don’t you worry. I’m going to be praying for you, baby girl. God will keep a watchful eye over you. I hope you find the happiness you looking for.”
I forced a smile at my grandmother and took one last look around the room before making my way outside.
As I walked down the stairs toward my father’s car, my forced smile turned into a real one. And as sad as I probably should have been about leaving my family, I couldn’t help but feel this was the happiest day of my life.
22
I was so nervous, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.
I was standing right behind my father as he unlocked the front door. “Sweetie, we’re here,” he called out.
Donna, my father’s wife, stepped out of the kitchen. She looked like the All-American housewife in her apron, which was wrapped around a flowered rayon-looking dress. Her hair was pinned up with several curls dangling loosely.
“Hello, Jasmine,” she said, as she wiped her hands on her apron. “You’re just in time for dinner.” I couldn’t make out the look on her face. She was smiling, but it seemed really fake. Before I could figure it out, two girls came barreling down the stairs. They both had long, black ponytails and wore matching short sets. They looked like they were about twelve or thirteen years old. “Daddy,” they called out at the same time as they raced to put their arms around his neck.
“How are my babies?” my father asked as he picked both of them up and swung them around. I couldn’t help but smile. He still called them his babies. My gaze made its way around their spacious living room. It was a huge, wide-open area. There was a fireplace with pictures all along the mantel. Pictures of my father, Donna, the girls, and a tall, handsome boy who had to be Kevin, all lined up in an array of silver frames.
“Girls,” my father said as he put the girls down. “This is your sister, the one I told you about, Jasmine.”
The one on the right stuck her hand out, a huge smile across her face. “Hi, I’m Carla.” She pointed to her sister, who had lost her excitement and was standing with her arms crossed and a funky look across her face. “This is my twin, Darla. So, are you coming to live with us?”
I smiled widely. “Yes, I am.”
“You can’t stay in our room,” Darla snapped. She and Carla looked exactly alike—even down to the tiny freckles on their butter-colored faces.
I was a little stunned at Darla’s nasty attitude. It was obvious she didn’t like me and I hadn’t even said two words to her. “I hadn’t planned on it,” I replied.
“Stay outta my way and I’ll stay outta yours.” Darla turned and spun off before I could say another word. I don’t know why she had such a funky attitude with me. She didn’t even know me.
“You’ll have to excuse my twin,” Carla said. “She’s not a very friendly person. The total opposite of me.”
“Sweetie, why don’t you help Jasmine get settled in her room,” my father said.
I liked the sound of that. My room. My room and my room only.
Suddenly Darla wasn’t the only one giving me the evil eye. Donna was no longer smiling. She was now staring—make that glaring—at me. So much so that it was making me uncomfortable. Still, I tried to be understanding. Here I was, a child she didn’t even know about until recently, coming to live with her.
Upstairs, Carla showed me my room and helped me unpack the two big suitcases I’d brought with me.
“I love having a twin, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have an older sister,” Carla said as she stretched out across my bed. “I hope you’re cool. Kevin never wants to be bothered with me.”
I pulled my suitcase up on the bed and opened it. “I think I’m pretty cool,” I said, as I started removing stuff from my suitcase. “I’d love kickin’ it with you.”
“Just a word of warning. Mama doesn’t like for us to use slang around her,” Carla said.
I frowned but made a mental note to watch my words.
Carla and I spent the next hour laughing and talking. It felt good to have someone I could just kick it with and not have to worry about fighting. I liked how she looked up to me. She asked me a hundred and one questions. And she hung on to my every word like I was the smartest person in the world.
My father stuck his head in the door. “A
re you ready to eat?”
I nodded and me and Carla followed him downstairs. Darla was already sitting at the table, attitude still written all over her face. Breaking her down was going to be a whole lot harder than Carla.
I sat down at the table, next to Carla. Her sister didn’t seem to like that, either. I looked down at a plate of what looked like Brussels sprouts and other leafy plants in front of me. I didn’t really like salads before dinner but I guess I wouldn’t protest.
Darla leaned in and whispered, “Get used to it. My mom’s a vegetarian. So that means we all are. Enjoy your dinner.” She snickered.
I stared at my plate. Vegetarian? As in no meat? This was my meal?
Carla noticed my expression and tried to stifle her laughter. “Don’t worry, Darla and I are always sneaking off to go get a burger,” she whispered.
Donna walked in and must’ve noticed the look on my face, too. “I hope you don’t have a problem with vegetarian foods?” she said as she placed another plant-looking dish on the table.
“Umm, no ma’am. I don’t have a problem with it.” I picked up my fork.
“Besides, you probably could benefit from some vegetarian meals,” she said as she reached down and patted my thigh. Darla laughed and I tried not to let my embarrassment show.
I leaned over and dug into my food. Donna loudly cleared her throat as she took her seat across the table. “I don’t know what you’re used to, Jasmine, but around here we say grace before a morsel of food goes in our mouths,” she said.
“Sorry,” I said as I placed my fork down. Donna looked at my dad, who had just sat down at the head of the table. He immediately reached out and grabbed her hand. Me, Darla, and Carla followed suit.
Donna lowered her head. “Heavenly Father, we ask that You bless this food as it provides nourishment for our souls. Father, we also ask that you forgive my husband again for what he has done to this family and for making me relive that terrible, terrible time in my life.”
My eyes popped open. Everyone else still had their eyes closed. I closed mine again.
“Father, we come to You today asking for strength as we bring this stranger into our home,” she continued.
Okay, she was straight trippin’. I looked around again. No one seemed fazed by this odd prayer.
“And Lord,” she continued. “Let our punishment serve as a testimony to my husband’s remorse. These and other blessings we ask in Your name. Amen.”
“Amen,” everyone but me said. I looked around trying to make sense of what that was all about.
It really bugged me for a minute, but eventually I just let it drop since everyone seemed to have moved on and was making idle chatter during dinner.
“Hey, Dad, Jasmine is going to a basketball banquet this weekend with her boyfriend. She doesn’t have anything to wear and needs us to buy her a dress,” Carla threw out. I almost choked on my food. I had told Carla about my date with Donovan, but I never expected her to tell my father. I had planned to wait a couple of days before bringing that up.
“Mmph,” Donna muttered as she turned her lips down. “Been here less than an hour and already asking for stuff.”
“Donna,” my father chastised.
I didn’t want them thinking that I was only interested in their money. “Oh, no. I…I have some money saved. I was going to buy my own dress,” I lied. I only had fifty bucks to my name. And that wouldn’t get me anything decent.
“Well, first of all,” Donna said, “we’re not sure about this date thing, period. In this house, young ladies don’t date until they turn eighteen.”
Eighteen! I’d be dang near out of high school by then. And the dance was a week away. I couldn’t back out on Donovan now.
My father must’ve noticed the look of horror on my face. “Well, I’m sure we can make an exception on this since Jasmine didn’t know the rules prior to making this date.”
Donna shook her head, obviously getting upset. “Make an exception for one, you have to make an exception for them all. Carla, how about you? You got anybody you want to go out with?”
Carla’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! This boy named Lamar at my school.”
“Great! Set it up. What about you, Darla? You wanna find some boy to take you out of town for the weekend? Since we’re letting you girls do what you want to do these days, why not go for it.” Donna threw up her hands in disgust.
“Donna, please. Can we talk about this later?” my father said.
“What is there to talk about? You’ve decided it. So she gets to go on her date. Just like you’ve decided everything else in the last three weeks.” Donna pushed back from the table, stood up, and started gathering up dishes. I sat with my mouth hanging open. The last thing I wanted to do was cause problems.
“You’ll have to excuse Donna,” my father said as she walked out of the dining room. “She’s still a little upset about this…this whole situation. She’ll come around.”
My father took a sip of his iced tea. I thought my mom could act a fool. But Donna was out of order. And after that fiasco, I definitely would have to find another way to get a new dress to wear to the banquet because there was no way I was going to ask them now.
23
I was tired and bummed out. Tired because that drive from LaMarque to the church and back was kicking my butt. And bummed out because I couldn’t stop thinking about how Donna was trippin’.
“That woman is psycho,” Camille said, shaking her head. I had just finished filling everyone in on Donna’s prayer, her constant little comments, and her obvious hate for me.
“Yeah, she’s being a total witch to you,” Angel said.
Trina rolled her eyes. “She ain’t being a witch, she’s being a—” She bit her lip just as Rachel walked in the room.
“I just know you were not about to use any foul language up here in the house of the Lord,” Rachel said.
“Of course not, Miss Rachel,” Trina grinned.
“Umm-hmm,” Rachel said. “I see y’all started the meeting without me.”
“We were just talking about Jasmine’s dad,” Trina said. “His wife is totally trippin’ with her.”
“You see, all that glitters isn’t gold,” Rachel said as she shook her head and got situated at the table at the front.
“My dad isn’t that bad,” Jasmine said.
“Well, what about the banquet? Are they going to let you go?” Trina said.
“You really think they won’t let you go?” Alexis asked.
I shrugged. “Naw, it looks like I’ll be able to go. But Donna isn’t happy about it. And she definitely isn’t about to buy me a new dress.”
“Well, you’ll just have to wear something you already have,” Rachel said.
Trina shot me a look. I knew what she was thinking: that I better get off my high horse and do what I needed to do to get a new dress. Because Tori was waiting in the wings to get my man.
“Oh, shoot, I forgot the article I wanted to show you all in my office. I’ll be right back,” Rachel said, rushing out of the door.
As soon as she stepped away, Trina turned to me. “You know the cheerleaders go to the banquet. And you’d better believe Tori is bringing her A game. You can’t walk up in there in some hand-me-downs.”
I sighed. “I know.” I looked around the room at Alexis, Camille, and Angel. “I don’t want to, but at this point, I have no other choice.” I looked down at the floor, then back up at Trina. “So, when can we go to the mall?”
I felt bad. I’d tried to do right, but right wasn’t working. Now I had to do what I had to do. And anyone who didn’t understand that, well, that was just too bad.
I didn’t know what I was thinking bringing Carla along, but she had been bugging to go with me since she found out I was going to the mall. I tried to get out of it by saying I didn’t want to drive with her in the car all the way back to Houston since we were going to Memorial City Mall. When that didn’t work, I’d tried to tell her I was doing some work with the
Good Girlz, but Donna had insisted that I take her. I suspected that Donna thought I was trying to sneak off and see a boy or something and wanted Carla to tag along just in case.
I almost told Trina and Alexis I couldn’t go through with it because I didn’t want Carla to figure out what was going on, but the banquet was tonight. I was kicking myself for waiting ’til the last minute but Donna had me working like Cinderella all week long. And she was ten times worse than my grandmother, because her stuff had to be spotless. I scrubbed and washed and mopped until I thought I was going to lose my mind. At least she had all of us cleaning like that, my father included. It was crazy, but Darla and Carla seemed like they were used to it.
I looked around the store. I was scared to death. Trina made it seem so easy. I had watched as she stuffed dresses, jeans, and a few blouses into a bag. But this was different. Now it was my turn to actually take something, and I wanted to run up out of the store, and forget I had ever agreed to do this in the first place.
Trina had been adamant that if I wanted the dress I had to help. She said she couldn’t be taking all the risks by herself, which I thought was strange because she always seemed to get off on taking the stuff. Personally, I think she was just in a foul mood today or something.
Me, Trina, and Alexis had barely gotten in the door good when the sales associate walked up to us.
“May I help you find something?”
“Ummm, no thanks. I’m fine,” I replied, trying to play it cool.
“Well, I’m Damali. If you need anything, just let me know.”
I nodded as she shot me a smile and walked off. I tried to calm my nerves as I sent Carla to get us some smoothies. We made our way on into the store. We spotted the dress right away—an absolutely gorgeous hunter green long dress that not only was going to have Donovan’s mouth wide open, but every other boy in the place as well. Camille was meeting me at my dad’s to do my hair later this afternoon. I think she and Angel were even more excited than I was.
Blessings in Disguise Page 10