Homecoming Weekend

by Curtis Bunn

  “Me, too,” Tranise said.

  They made it to the reception area outside the ballroom and moved slowly through the crowd. “Don’t make eye contact with anyone; they’ll want to stop and start talking,” Tranise said.

  When they made it to the lobby, Tranise saw Charlene, who could not believe Tranise and Felicia were arm-in-arm. “Charlene, don’t say anything. Just go get Brandon and tell him to come to the front of the hotel now,” Tranise said.

  Off Charlene went. When the automatic doors to the front of the hotel opened, the ambulance pulled up. They got Felicia on a gurney, put an oxygen mask on her and lifted her onto the vehicle.

  The paramedics were ready to get her to Sentara Leigh Hospital, but Brandon was not there. “Well, I’m going,” Tranise said, and she hopped in the back. “I’ll call him again.” They shut the doors and took off.

  As the medics asked Felicia a series of questions, Tranise called Charlene. “I didn’t see him until just now,” she said. “Wait, he’s here.”

  “Tranise, what happened?” he said into the phone.

  “I don’t know. I’m in the ambulance with her now. We’re going to Sentara Leigh. In the bathroom she started feeling pain and bleeding a little. Brandon, you just need to get to the hospital.”

  “What’s going on?” Tranise said to the paramedic.

  “I can’t tell right now,” she said. “But the baby’s heartbeat is good. We’ll be at the hospital in a minute.”

  “Thank God,” Tranise said.

  Tears flowed under Felicia’s mask. There were tears of fear. Tranise reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey, girlfriend, I’m here,” she said. She was smiling. “It’s going to be all right. Probably something minor. Your baby probably was upset that we were acting like fools to each other for no good reason.”

  Tranise could see a smile on Felicia’s face through the mask. Tears started to flow down Tranise’s face.

  When they pulled up to the hospital, Tranise ripped off her pumps and jumped out of the ambulance first. The workers swiftly got Felicia off and hurried her into the hospital, Tranise running behind them with her shoes and purse in her hands.

  Several minutes later, Brandon arrived to the waiting area, looking totally disoriented. “What’s going on?” he said.

  “I don’t know,” Tranise said. “We just have to wait.”

  Brandon did not say much. He shook his head. Tranise left him and went outside to make some phone calls.

  “Thank you, Tranise,” Brandon said before she walked away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  BRINGING IT HOME

  The Whole Damn Gang, Part II

  Jimmy pushed aside his discontent with Donna long enough to let her apologize. “I’m really sorry,” she said. “It was a stupid thing to do. But I am glad to know my cuz has a real man as her husband. I wish I were so lucky.”

  “I appreciate that,” he said. “Other than being crazy, you seem like a together sister.”

  She laughed and extended her hand. “Forgive me?” she asked.

  He looked at her hand and then clutched it. “Okay, cousin,” he said. “Forgiven.”

  On the other side of the ballroom, Carter pleaded with the DJ to play a slow song—“What’s that about? Used to be there were slow songs throughout the night. Damn.” The DJ obliged him and the dance floor was packed.

  He and Barbara shared a slow dance. She buried her face in his chest and wept. He held her firmly and rubbed her back. Their lives were in flux. He loved her but was married to Marlena. She had gotten a divorce with the expectation of having him, but had no one.

  When Janea decided she was going to have the baby, Kwame soon after learned he was going to be a father. He was floored and no longer in a partying mood. She was floored, too, with the finality of the decision. “You’d better not even think about abandoning your dreams,” Venita had told her. “A baby should enhance your life, not stunt your growth. At times it won’t be easy. But you have family and a great friend in Diamond and a new ‘auntie’ in me for support.”

  Janea hugged Venita. “You okay?” she said to Kwame.

  “No,” he said. He looked at Janea. “But I will be.”

  “I won’t be all right until I tell my parents,” Janea said.

  “I’ll be there with you,” Kwame said.

  Mary and Rodney made a pact: They would not have sex again until she ended her relationship back home. It was a tough decision for her; she craved his touch and passion. But she was shrouded in guilt for having spent Friday night with him knowing she had Clint at home.

  It would be a difficult conversation. She knew Clint loved her. Breaking his heart was something she never anticipated or wanted to do. Further, her family and friends saw them as an ideal couple. She loved some things about Clint, but she was not in love with him. And she wanted true love in her life—needed it—and believed she could have it with Rodney. At minimum, she was willing to seek it with him on the promise of true love.

  Charlene was looking for love, too, but mostly a love of self. She used jokes to suppress her displeasure with her body. And Tyrell picked up on it. “You talk about your weight a lot,” he said as they left the party. “That tells me it bothers you. And that’s okay, if you are willing to do something about it. If not, then you should stop talking about it.”

  For a moment, Charlene was upset. But the truth is strong. She told Tyrell of her plan to make a lifestyle change. “Well, if you are okay with it, I will adopt the same plan,” he said. “We can do it together. I could stand to lose some pounds myself.”

  And so, they vowed to become each other’s inspiration in their lifestyle adjustment. That commitment took their homecoming reconnection to another level. “You know,” Tyrell said, “sex is great exercise.”

  Said Charlene: “Well, I guess we know where to start then.”

  Don took Renee’s advice and called his wife right there, from the party. “Baby, I have a lot of making up to do, and I’m willing to do it,” he said. “Something happened to me down here at home-coming. I found myself—and I want us to rediscover each other.”

  His wife was shocked—and happy. “I thought I had lost you, baby,” she said. “Don’t you know, no matter what, I’m your wife. Our love is stronger than any business or any situation. You’re my man. And I’m your woman.”

  Don, the man who deemed crying as weak, was moved to tears. He wiped them quickly, before anyone saw, especially Jesse or Venita.

  But Jesse’s focus was somewhere else: on Rochelle. “There are a lot of women out here,” he said to her when explaining why he was not in a committed relationship. They sat at the same IHOP from the previous night. Only this time, he was sober. “But it’s about quality, not quantity. There’s a real sorting-out process that leaves you drained. You can’t just accept anyone because she is available. The fact that she is available might even be a red flag.”

  “Oh, so I have red flags?” Rochelle said.

  “You have red, black and green flags,” Jesse cracked. “But I’m willing to make an exception for you.”

  “Kiss my you-know-what,” she said. “That’s why I’m gonna stand you up at that event in two weeks.”

  “You do and I’ll sue you,” Jesse said, laughing.

  Earl and Catherine took photos together with friends and left the party the way they came in—hand-in-hand, with a group of friends looking on pleasantly surprised by their coming together.

  “Baby,” she said, after they dropped off Starr and headed to her place, “we are a true love story.”

  “That’s true,” Earl said. “And after tonight, I think we’re going to be the source of a lot of gossip. But I don’t care.”

  Jimmy was tempted to tell his wife, Monica, about her cousin Donna’s “test” but he didn’t. “Why won’t you?” Donna asked.

  “Because she should already know who I am and what I would do,” he said. “I prove it every day. That should be enough for her.”

&
nbsp; “I hear you,” she said.

  Tranise stayed at the hospital with Brandon until the doctor came out with his prognosis of Felicia: pre-term labor, meaning the baby was trying to come out. It was not an uncommon event, but one that required Felicia to minimize her activities until the baby was delivered. Any more drama and she would be restricted to total bed rest.

  “It was meant to be that you were in that bathroom when I was,” Felicia said, resting comfortably in her hospital bed. “How could it be that you, of all people, are a hero in my life?”

  “I don’t know about hero,” Tranise said, “but I do know this has been an unbelievable weekend. And I’m glad I was in that bathroom at that time. Amazingly enough, I gained a new friend.”

  “Two friends,” Brandon said.

  On Sunday morning, as he stood in front of the hotel waiting for his car to come up from valet, Jimmy embraced several friends and old classmates and wished them safe travels home.

  He and Carter had a talk over breakfast, where he learned his boy was married but in love with Barbara. “I don’t envy your position,” Jimmy told him. “I’m not sure what I can do, but I’m willing to help any way I can.”

  “Pray for me,” Carter said.

  Jimmy called Monica as he tipped the valet and settled into his vehicle. “Hi, wife,” he said.

  “Hi, husband. How was everything? What’s next on your agenda?” she asked.

  “It’s been an awesome weekend,” he said, putting on his dark sunglasses. “People told me, but now I know for sure. It will take a few days to recover. Homecoming was great. But, baby, it’s time to come home.”

  “Am I coming with you next year?” Monica asked.

  “Yes,” Jimmy answered.

  “No,” he then said after a few seconds. Monica did not say anything.

  He put on his dark sunglasses and smiled.

  “Well, maybe,” he said, finally, driving off.

  ALL HAIL

  THE HBCU HOMECOMING EXPERIENCE!

  “I remember my high school guidance counselor exalting all the virtues of the HBCUs. He told me I wouldn’t be just another student, a number. He told me that I would get personal care from my professors—and he was right! At Norfolk State, I became a part of a huge family that included professors, administrators and an eclectic group of friends from all over the US.

  There are 10 federal holidays in 2012. For me, you would need to add two, maybe three more days for homecoming weekend. Homecoming at NSU is a must on my calendar. It is a necessary part of my year.”

  —SAM MYERS, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1984

  “My great-grandfather, Henry C. Baker, was a friend and confidant of Booker T. Washington (founder of Tuskegee Institute) and George Washington Carver (the school’s first president). Naturally, when it was time for college, Tuskegee was the only place for me. In fact, I always envisioned myself one day being a learned scholar and being so proud to see my grandmother’s face as I was one of the many well-known former students who passed through town to participate in events at Tuskegee Institute. As a freshman, what I remember as my most impressionable moment was my first day. The most memorable and life-molding person I encountered at Tuskegee was my ROTC instructor, Major Neal, the polished, impeccable intellectual man I had ever met. He was a man who had traveled the globe. Major Neal was intimidating but also humorous, and I gravitated to him. He would often tell me “Whatever area you choose to pursue, always put your best foot forward.” It was a simple but lasting message that I held on to . . . was at Tuskegee when Dr. King was there discussing the Rosa Parks bus boycott. I was there when my grandmother and I were thrown off a Greyhound bus to make room for a white family. All in all, being at Tuskegee gave me the gumption to start an international corporation that has worked across the globe. I take my time at Tuskegee as my history lesson not only by which I live by, but as the rich cultural history I have tried to shape the lives of my children and grandchildren.”

  —TED BAKER, TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1962

  “When I think about my time at FAMU, I then think of how that was a period of my life that I could live over again and again. Being surrounded by like-minded people who shared my goal of achieving success and mostly looked like me . . . my HBCU experience was amazing! Going back to Homecoming allows me to put aside everything, and go back to a place where I had the best time of my life and made my forever friends!”

  —VENUS CHAPMAN, FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1994

  “Attending TSU was the greatest decision I ever made. The friendships I made during those four years are still with me today. Homecoming is like walking on hallowed ground. With 2012 as TSU’s 100th anniversary, we know it’s going to be even more special than ever, and ‘off the chain’ experience . . .TIGER4LIFE!!!”

  —JEWELL ROLLEN, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1972

  “When I graduated from Bethune Cookman, I felt good about myself and the education I gained, but I also felt a strange sense of sadness. Part of me was ready to go; another part of me felt a pull to stay. Then, it dawned on me: I had grown accustomed to this place. In essence, I was leaving my home.”

  —JANELLE THOMAS, BETHUNE COOKMAN COLLEGE, CLASS OF 2005

  “My Spelman experience has given me the strength and tools I need, as a woman of color, to exist in a world that is not designed for me. Having lived abroad for over eight years, I find I value my HBCU experience even more! How I have missed attending homecoming and reunion celebration that provided me with a sense of belonging and connectedness that I haven’t found any other place. Though now I can only be a part of this event through social media, it continues to empower me to keep on keeping on.”

  —JERI BYROM, SPELMAN COLLEGE, CLASS OF 1987

  “Going to Clark Atlanta University or, as I know and love ‘the school on the hill,’ basically raised me. The nurturing of the professors and the camaraderie of my classmates reside in me to this day. As for Homecoming, the fun usually begins Thursday evening (if you’re lucky) and doesn’t end until Sunday afternoon on your way to the airport. It will take a day or two to recover, depending on how hard you roll.”

  —DARRYL (DJ) JOHNSON, CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1983

  “Attending North Carolina Central was truly one of the best decisions I made as a young adult. I cherish the friendships that I developed there and they will last a lifetime. Homecoming at an HBCU, specifically NCCU, is a great experience that is hard to put into words. You reminisce about your college experience, tell ‘tall tales’ and school some of the young students that are still wet behind the ears. The camaraderie is indescribable. However if you ever walked on our yard during homecoming, you would feel the love, joy, excitement and the common bond that is shared among ALL EAGLES!!!! We soar very high. EAGLE PRIDE!!”

  —DEBORAH MCCLOUD, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1997

  “Graduating from North Carolina A&T was a major milestone. It meant a lot to me to study in Martina and Gibb Halls, same as A&T alums, the late NASA astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair, The Greensboro Four and Jesse Jackson, among others. Our homecoming is not called the best in the world for nothing. I get to be a teenager all over again and reminisce while sitting on the steps of Holland Hall with my dorm mates from fall 1986. It’s the best time!”

  —MICHELLE LEMON, NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1991

  “The first day on campus at Virginia State felt like the beginning of a four-year vacation. It was the only time my wonderful parents invested thousands of dollars on me to go on a vacation. It was challenging academically, but I mostly recall how much fun I had. After years of growth, returning for homecoming means more than crowning a king and queen, attending a parade, football game or homecoming dance. Above all it’s a cherished time for uniting the past and present.”

  —DEBORAH R. JOHNSON, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1984

  “We were fortunate to grow up with exposure to HBCUs so the biggest decision I had to ma
ke was choosing one. Shaw University not only provided an excellent education but the nurturing that we needed. The faculty and staff were surrogate parents and many of my school-mates were like siblings and we still maintain those relationships over 30 years later. No matter where you came from or needed it or not, you were taught how to walk among Presidents, Queens. Homecomings are just that—coming home to the place where you did so many firsts or met people who will remain in your life forever. The stories get a little fuzzy and sometime more colorful but that’s what makes Homecoming so cool!

  —ELEANOR AND DAVID LINTON, SHAW UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1980

  “I visited tons of colleges as a high-school senior, but no place stood out like ‘THE HILL!’ The difference in environment and student atmosphere was astounding. It was like a home away from home, but with an edge. It wasn’t just the hype of homecoming, but every single function was one you never wanted to miss. The fashion, the Greeks, the band and the many festivities were all just another representation of our African heritage. No matter what side of THE HILL you lived on, everyone came together as one during almighty homecoming. And no matter how many years have passed, it’s every HBCU’s family reunion. It’s like seeing your long-lost cousins and being introduced to the new additions to the family. ’A-M, A-M, A-M, A-M-U, whooooo ah booty bootaayyyy!!!!’”

  —ERIN SHERROD, ALABAMA A&M, CLASS OF 2001

  “Homecoming, freshman year (1972) was like going to the best party ever and having Earth, Wind and Fire on campus and this young group called The Commodores throw down off campus. There was a comfort level attending HI (now HU) that made the maturation transformation from high school to college seamless. And accompanying this growth was the country’s finest collection of intelligent sisters. It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.”

  —MARTIN MCNEAL, HAMPTON (INSTITUTE) UNIVERSITY, CLASS OF 1977

  “My HBCU experience was great! I actually turned my life over to Christ during college. The love & friendship through Campus Ministry was the best thing ever which really helped me through. Every HBCU needs a real Down-to-Earth Christ Rocking Ministry!”