Decision Time

by Earl Sewell

  “When I was younger I’d thought about it. I used to stand in the bathroom mirror and pretend that I was Patti LaBelle all of the time and was supremely confident that I could give her a run for her money in a singing competition.”

  “Well, why didn’t you become a singer?” I asked.

  Grandmother Katie chuckled once again. “I used to be a part of a girl singing group called Sweet and Sexy when I was in college.”

  “Sweet and Sexy?” I laughed out loud because I could not imagine Grandmother Katie in a singing group called Sweet and Sexy.

  “We were all sweet and naive church girls from different cities—Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia, New York and New Orleans. We could harmonize and sing a cappella so beautifully. We were so amazing together that we could bring an audience to tears.”

  “Well, what happened? Did you guys ever get discovered?” I asked.

  “No. We only stayed together for a semester. Two of the girls came up pregnant and the third one had to return home and help out her family, who fell on hard financial difficulties. I remained at school and joined the choir. I traveled around with the university choir all over the country, but after I got my degree and started working, singing sort of took a backseat. Well, at least any thoughts of a solo career did. I still sang with the church choir.”

  “Do you really think that I have a good voice?” I asked, feeling as if I’d discovered a new part of myself. I mean, I’d sung in the shower and in front of a mirror a million times, but I never thought my voice was worth hearing; and I certainly didn’t realize that my own grandmother had such an amazing voice.

  “Of course I do. A voice instructor has to determine your range and help you understand music.”

  “I’ve never thought about taking singing lessons. I think that’s something I’d like to look into one of these days,” I said.

  “A lot of people learn how to sing in church,” Grandmother Katie pointed out. “And church is a great place to learn.”

  “Okay, I get your hint. You want me to go to church more,” I said, feeling as if the conversation was taking a different direction. “I probably need to stop at a church on the way back so that I can pray to God and ask him to allow Jordan to let me back in the house.”

  “You leave that part up to me.” Grandmother Katie switched lanes to get around a slow-moving cement truck. “Now, tell me about this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  I exhaled loudly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Keysha…” Grandmother Katie insisted that I not shut down on her.

  “I just screwed my entire life up. What more do you want to know?” I said sarcastically.

  “Why did you disobey your father?” she asked.

  “Because I felt he was being unreasonable. After all Wesley had done for me I felt that I needed to be with him.”

  “Honey, Wesley is not your husband. He’s just a boyfriend and at this particular stage in your life chances are high that he’s not going to be your last boyfriend.”

  “You can say that again,” I uttered as I thought about the lipstick prints on Wesley’s face.

  “It sounds like your visit didn’t go the way you’d planned.” Grandmother Katie’s intuition was correct as usual.

  I didn’t answer because I was trying to keep myself from crying about it.

  “Wesley crushed your heart, didn’t he? Did he tell you to go home?” Grandmother Katie asked.

  “No.” Once again I exhaled my frustration. “It just appears as if I’m not the only girl Wesley is dealing with. How could I have been so blind?” I whined.

  “Don’t blame yourself. When it comes to matters of the heart, things can get pretty complicated and confusing.”

  “Well, things between Wesley and me are definitely complicated,” I admitted, feeling myself getting angry for risking so much just to be with him.

  “Your relationship with your father has also reached a complicated level, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I know…you don’t have to remind me. Do you think he’ll let me back in? Or will my bags be packed and waiting for me at the door?” I asked, uncertain if I wanted to hear the answer to my questions.

  “Of course he will. Let me tell you something about my son. He wants to give you a good home and a good life. He doesn’t want to see you out on the streets. But you can’t go around being hotheaded and disrespectful. That’s not fair to him, Mike, or Barbara. Have you spoken to your father since you’ve been gone?”

  “No, I haven’t, but I did receive a number of messages from him and Barbara.” I felt like a first-class jackass for what I’d done.

  “They were very concerned and worried sick about you, Keysha. They called the police and filed a runaway report.”

  I dropped my jaw and held my mouth open. “They did what?” I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.

  “They told the police you ran away from home and that if you were found by an officer, you were to be detained.” Grandmother Katie drew her lips in a tight line, and I knew she wasn’t joking around.

  “They didn’t have to do that.”

  “You didn’t answer their repeated phone calls, Keysha, and they had no idea where you were. You’re so lucky that you answered my phone call when you did. The police were about to do a phone trace on you to determine where you were. Then they were going to send a squad car for you. However, when you answered my phone call, I let Jordan know that you were okay and that I was on my way to pick you up.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said as I began to cry.

  “There’s some Kleenex tissues in the glove compartment,” Grandmother Katie said just as her cell phone rang.

  “Hello,” she answered her phone. “Yes, Jordan, she’s with me now.” She paused. “We should be there by dinnertime…. Okay, we’ll see you then,” she said and then hung up the phone.

  “How mad is he?” I asked as I blew my nose.

  “He isn’t as angry as he is hurt. Jordan loves you, Keysha, and so do Barbara and Mike. I don’t know what it’s going to take for you to understand that, but I do know this—running away from a family who loves you unconditionally is a mistake that you can’t afford to keep making.”

  “But I love Wesley, too,” I said, trying to justify what I’d done. I thought for sure Grandmother Katie would understand my heart.

  “I can understand that, but consider this—a young man will say that he loves you because he wants to win a prize such as sex. However, when a father says that he loves you, he’s not looking for a prize. He truly means that he loves you and wants the best for you. That’s the kind of man I raised and that’s the kind of father you have in Jordan. Keysha, you don’t realize how blessed you are. So many other men would’ve turned their back on you, but Jordan welcomed you.”

  “I know. I wasn’t thinking…I just…I just felt that I needed to be with Wesley and when I got there I discovered that he didn’t really need me the way I thought he did.”

  “You know, there is an old saying that goes something like this—’If you’re going to walk on my love, the least you can do is take off your shoes.’”

  “Interesting, I’ve never heard that saying before,” I said, tilting my head slightly while pondering the meaning of the phrase.

  “What do you think it means?” asked Grandmother Katie.

  “Umm, I’m not exactly sure.”

  “It means not to take a person’s kindness for granted. Stop taking this family’s love for you for granted, Keysha. Are we clear on that?” Grandmother Katie was unmistakably serious and unyielding on her position.

  “Yes.” I fully understood that I was to never pull a stunt like this again.

  ten

  WESLEY

  Keysha got me kicked out of the hospital after the fight she’d had with Lori. The nurse reported the incident and within an hour my doctor came by and gave me a quick examination, wrote a prescription and told me to follow up with an orthopedic doctor and dismissed me from the hospi
tal. My dad, who wanted to know why Keysha was there and why she was so upset when he saw her getting on the elevator, grilled me once we got back to Grandmother Lorraine’s house.

  “Did something happen with that young lady that I should know about?” he asked.

  “Dad, it’s okay. I took care of it,” I said, not wanting to give up any details about the fight. I sat down at the round walnut table in the kitchen.

  “Took care of what, Wesley?” he asked, pressing the issue.

  “Keysha just showed up unexpectedly, that’s all.” I tried to downplay her visit, but he wasn’t buying it.

  “Did you send for her, Wesley?” Dad asked, trying to get to the truth.

  “No, I had no idea she was coming. I was happy to see her, but she got the impression that Lori and I were dating. She got a little upset over nothing,” I explained. It was enough to give my dad a sense of what had gone down.

  “Well, are you and Lori dating?” he asked.

  “No,” I answered. “She’s just a friend.”

  “Okay.” He seemed to accept my answers to his questions. “So where is Keysha now?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve called her a number of times, but she refuses to answer my calls,” I said as I stood up and walked over to the cupboard. I opened it up and removed a box of microwave popcorn. I removed the plastic wrapping and placed the bag in the microwave. I set the timer for five minutes and then turned back toward my dad. I rested my behind against the countertop and tried to figure out a way to get in contact with Keysha.

  “The police picked up that Percy kid,” Dad said, changing the subject.

  “Oh, yeah?” I responded, wanting to know more.

  “Yup. They picked him up and formally charged him, but the police didn’t find the gun he shot you with. The state prosecutor, a woman named…” My dad paused and pulled out his wallet. He removed a business card and read the name on it. “Amber Mullins says that they still have a good case, though, because Lori is testifying as an eye witness.”

  “Well, I’m glad Lori finally came around and agreed to help.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Well, if she didn’t come around on her own, I was certainly going to have a talk with her myself. Anyway, Attorney Mullins wants the judge to deny Percy bail because she feels he is a danger to himself and society. He goes before the judge in the morning. Hopefully, he’ll be denied bail. However, if by chance he isn’t, and he’s able to make the bail payment, you and I are going to head down to the police station and file a restraining order against him.”

  “They should throw him under the jailhouse as far as I’m concerned,” I said just as the kernels in the bag began popping. I removed the popcorn and skillfully opened the steaming bag before sitting back down at the table with my dad.

  “You want some?” I offered.

  “No, I’m not hungry.”

  “What’s up with the rumor I heard about you and me staying in Indianapolis for good?” I wanted to know if Dad had a sudden change of plans without notifying me.

  “Your grandmother has mentioned it to me a few times. She wants me to sell our home and move down here with her.” He repositioned himself in his chair.

  “You’re not seriously considering it, are you?” I asked.

  “No. The last thing I want to do is move back into the house with my mother. I love her, but moving back here is not a realistic option.”

  “Then I wonder why she told Keysha that—”

  “Has your grandmother been going around spreading that lie?” Dad interrupted.

  “Yeah, I think so.” I scooped a handful of popcorn out of the bag.

  “Well, I’ll go talk to her and make myself very clear. How does your shoulder feel?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “I’m okay, just a little achy right now.”

  “Well, Grandmother should be back any minute with your prescription.”

  “Good, because I can feel the pain medicine wearing off,” I said, being honest about the discomfort I was feeling.

  “I’ll be sure to contact an orthopedist in the morning and schedule you an appointment,” Dad said as he glanced out of the window. “Looks like your grandmother has just returned.” He stood up to head toward the door.

  “I’m going to go lie down for a little while.” I picked up my popcorn bag and headed toward the basement.

  I sat on the edge of my bed and finished eating. As soon as I was done, I called Keysha, but her phone went directly to voice mail. “Dang, girl, are you going to at least give me a chance to explain myself?” I spoke to her voice mail. “Give me a call back. Please,” I requested before hanging up the phone.

  I hated the way I felt. I felt as if I’d hurt her in such a way that she’d never want to speak to me again. Hurting Keysha was the furthest thing from my mind and I certainly wanted her to know and understand that. I let a few minutes go by and phoned her again, hoping that she’d pick up the phone. However, once more I was dumped into her voice mail where I left yet another message. Frustrated, I slipped off my shoes and rested on my back and glanced at the ceiling. I wondered why my life was in such a tailspin. Being shot was certainly no fun, and dealing with a girl as complex and unique as Lori was both challenging and exciting at the same time. Admittedly, I didn’t know exactly how I felt about Lori and that left me in a strange state of confusion. I wasn’t trying to be a player and see more than one girl at a time, but there was something about Lori that attracted me to her. I reached out and removed my iPod from the nightstand. Just as I was about to put the ear buds in my ears, I felt my cell phone vibrating.

  “It’s about time,” I said aloud because I thought Keysha was finally returning my phone call. Without looking at the caller ID I picked up and answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Do you miss me yet?” It was Lori. I had to give it to her; the girl was persistent.

  “Did you make it home okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m here. Just washing my hair after being attacked by that pit bull you call a girlfriend. I swear, Wesley, you sure know how to pick ’em.” Lori didn’t have very high regard for Keysha. She continued her criticism. “She is all wrong for you. In fact you guys don’t even look like a cute couple.”

  “I could say the same thing about you and Percy. You hooked up with a guy who is a little on the crazy side.” I reminded her of her poor judgment call.

  “Okay, point taken, but I honestly think that fate led us to each other,” she said.

  “Fate. How do you figure?” I asked as I rested one hand behind my head and got more comfortable.

  “The way you rescued me from Percy was the first sign that we belonged together. Then when you protected me from getting shot and killed was the second sign. Then when we kissed each other at the hospital. That kiss was so sweet I think destiny has brought us together. There is no denying it, Wesley. For some reason we’re drawn to each other the way stars are drawn to the moon. Don’t you agree?”

  “I’m not too sure about all of that, Lori,” I said, not fully accepting her theory of fate.

  “You may not want to believe it and that’s okay. But I do and I think that destiny will bring us together.”

  “I think that’s kind of a long shot. You don’t even like me that much,” I reminded her.

  “Well, my horoscope says that a new and very different love interest will enter my life and my relationship with this person will be both passionate and complicated.” Lori summarized the astrology message she believed to be true for her.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?” she asked. “Well, here is more proof for you. According to your sign, you are torn between two lovers. However, your most recent love interest is more compatible and is perfect for you. You shouldn’t hesitate and you should let your feelings be known. Now I know this may all sound a little on the bizarre side, but a lot of astrological stuff is true. I even heard that Missy Elliott consults the stars all of the time, and you know how successful she is. I’m t
elling you, Wesley. This stuff is powerful. So tell the truth and shame the devil. Were you thinking about me before I called?”

  “Umm…” I said, not sure how to respond.

  “See there. You need to stop fighting your feelings for me. You need to dump Keysha and give our relationship a chance.” Lori was absolutely convinced that she and I belonged together and needed to hook up at all costs.

  “Lori, just chill out for a minute, okay? You’re talking a mile a minute,” I complained. “There is so much going on. They’ve arrested Percy. We’ve got to testify in court and make sure that he’s put behind bars for what he’s done.”

  “I know. I’ve heard. I think that by going through this trial together, we’ll become closer. Don’t you think?” Lori asked.

  “It’s possible, but let’s take one step at a time. The main thing right now is making sure that fool gets locked up,” I said with a bit of anger in my voice.

  “Okay. We’ll take it one step at a time.” Lori paused. “Do you want to come over and keep me company while I wash my hair?”

  “No, my shoulder is still bothering me,” I said.

  “Oh, that was so insensitive of me. I’m sorry. I should come over to see you.”

  “No, don’t do that. I’m about to take a nap,” I said, preparing to end the call.

  “You should let me take a nap with you,” she teased.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” I said, not wanting to exchange flirtatious comments with her.

  A few days later when I returned to school it seemed as if everyone who saw me wanted to kick my ass just on GP…General Principle. Dudes I didn’t even know glared at me, bumped into me and boldly called me a punk-ass snitch. The resentment and animosity toward me hung in the air like a cloud of black smoke from a burning inferno. For the first time in my life I actually feared for my own safety. I was defenseless and if some dude decided to swing a punch my way, I certainly had no way of properly defending myself. I tried to be as invisible as I possibly could, but no matter how hard I tried, I stood out because my arm was in a sling. I finally arrived at my locker and was having a difficult time opening it because I had to use my left hand. It took me a total of six tries before I got the lock opened. Then, suddenly some guy slammed the palm of his hand against the locker next to mine.