by Xyla Turner
As Mindy made her way back to her seat, while everyone was clapping she couldn't help but see the tall figure sitting next to a blond-haired woman with her hand on top of his. That very same figure was Mr. Randall Jefferson who looked equally shocked to see Mindy.
Although the site threw her off, she blinked, smiled and sat back in her seat next to Diamond and Shane.
"You alright, girl?" Diamond whispered. "You look like you're about to throw up."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." Mindy deep breathed.
"Sis, you did excellent." Shane leaned in. "You don't look good. Want me to get a car to take you home?"
She tried to think quickly about what would be the best move after having the rug pulled out from underneath her. Then she rationally thought about what just happened. She and her friend had shared sometimes together and at a mutual function, he’d brought a date. He didn't even mention it nor was it on his calendar, so he just wasn't going to say anything plus he could do whatever he wanted. They weren't together but it still seemed like a betrayal.
"No, no. I'm good." She took another deep breath.
Why should she run away when she’d done nothing wrong? There was nothing to be ashamed of or even upset about she told herself. Screw the Jolly Green Giant. Now she knew where they stood and that was good enough for her.
"Let me know if you want to go." Shane raised an eyebrow towards her.
"I'm fine. Thanks, bro."
Once the official festivities were over, Mindy stood to make more rounds and steer clear of the lovely couple. Yet she couldn't help but notice the woman was paper thin; very unlike her. Then she thought about his humongous house and how he seemed to have dueling personas. Anyway, it wasn't her problem, so she kept meeting people and talking about LULA.
"Mindy," a familiar baritone voice called. "I didn't know you were coming here."
"Yup." Mindy turned after a few beats to respond. "Did you get your lunch today?"
She tried so hard to maintain her composure and act like nothing was wrong.
"Yes." Randall answered. "I told you it was perfection and you still won't tell me what restaurants."
She laughed.
"Yeah, some of those will need to remain secret." She shrugged. "You know."
She noticed that he kept a distance from her and that hurt her even more. The Randall that she knew always found a way to touch her.
"Well, I have to get LULA's name out there but have fun. Okay?" She smiled and side-stepped past him.
"Mindy," he called in a strained voice. "We're on for tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, I was going to let you know about that. I have another event in Arlington, so I won't be able to make it. It was a last-minute thing. Maybe another time." She half turned so he wouldn't see the pain on her face.
"Another time, Mindy?" he repeated.
"Yeah." She continued to face the crowd, refusing to look at him.
"It's not what you think," Randall addressed the elephant in the room. "She's a work colleague and this was a last minute add to the calendar."
"You don't owe me any explanations, Randall." Mindy's face remained in place. "We were only friends, so."
"Were?" he noted.
"My friends don't keep things from me and they keep their word. They don't make me question the words that escape their mouths and they also don't make me feel lower than I already do."
On that note, Mindy walked away from him, into the crowd and then out of the door. She'd send Shane and Diamond a text about leaving early and go home to eat some Ben & Jerry's Fudge Brownie ice cream.
When she arrived home, her mom was up watching television.
"Hey, honey. How'd it go?" she called as Mindy kept walking towards the steps.
"It went great Mom. Managed to say what I needed to without dying." She forced herself to laugh.
"Oh good. Glad to hear it." Beatrice added, "Oh, you have some mail on your bed. A letter from Rhode Island? Looked interesting."
"Oh. Okay. Thanks." She started walking up the stairs. "Oh, and Mom, Randall is not allowed here anymore. He's not a friend, okay."
"Hmm. Okay. You got it," she replied. "Sorry to hear that."
Mindy kept walking up the stairs and answered, "Yeah, me too."
After multiple pep-talks, staring straight in her mirror and looking up in the air, Mindy cried.
And cried.
And cried.
When she got sick and tired of crying, she picked up her letter from Brown University and opened it up. No matter what they said, she knew there was one thing that needed to happen.
She had to go and make that life away from the only home she knew.
"I didn't know it was out of state. There are so many great colleges in this area, Mindy. Shoot, you know that," Diamond counseled early Saturday morning.
She had to tell someone and the only person she could think of was her sister-in-law to be. She hadn't even told her mom yet because she wasn't sure how she'd respond. Same with her brother. There was no telling what Shane would say. Diamond was the best option because not only did she have experience with getting up and moving to not be in anyone’s shadow, she did it and met the man of her dreams.
"I know but I have to go."
"Does this have anything to do with Randall?" Diamond lowered her voice. "I saw him at the fundraiser with another woman but they didn't seem together or anything like that. She's all business."
"No, this isn't about him. I applied before him and will stick with my plan."
She seemed to believe that and said, "Okay, when are you going to tell the family? Does Sandra know?"
"No, she doesn't. I figured I'd let Mom know and maybe have a family dinner to let Shane and Sandra know."
That would probably keep them at bay.
"Oh yeah? Are you cooking? I'm so there." Diamond's entire mood changed.
Mindy laughed. "Yeah, if I'm calling the meeting, then I'd better be the one cooking."
The next few weeks were spent planning everything for the move to Rhode Island. Housing, work, and everything that was needed, including transportation of her car, and even connecting with alumni from her undergraduate program who happened to live in the area.
It wasn't clear if Randall had tried to call Mindy or not because his number was blocked. Well, all his numbers; his car, office, agent, and the stadium’s phone numbers were blocked. She did not go to LULA but worked from the other office that was not allowed to be disclosed and he was no longer welcomed at her house, which alleviated any run-ins with him.
This did not make Mindy feel any better but helped relieve the anxiety of having to deal with the brute face-to-face or in any capacity.
Finally, when Mindy was able to get the family together, she cooked her famous pineapple chicken, collard greens and home-made garlic mashed potatoes with carrot cake for dessert. Everyone was there, eating and enjoying each other's company. For a small moment, she felt like she'd miss this. Her mom, Shane, Sandra, and Diamond all together having fun but then she still felt that sense of emptiness. It hadn't completely left and that settled it. She had to do it.
"Hey everybody," Mindy yelled over the laughing. "Sorry, but I wanted to have a family meeting to inform you of a decision I've made."
"Oh," her mom nodded. "Go on, then."
Mindy looked to Diamond for support and then at each member of the family.
"Well, I've been blessed to be a part of such an extraordinary family. I mean, no one holds a candle to you all. Last year, we lost a valued member of our tight niche and that has impacted each of us differently." Mindy nodded at Shane, who nodded back. "I, uh, miss him dearly."
Her voice broke a little but she was able to snap back.
"So, as you know, I'm getting older and I've been doing a lot of soul-searching lately. Well, for the better part of this year and I've decided to go to graduate school and take up Digital Journalism..."
Before she could finish, everyone began to cheer for her and yell their congr
atulations.
"Wait, you guys," she interrupted them. "It's at Brown University in Rhode Island and I start this summer."
Murmurs started to trickle around the table as everyone looked at each other.
"Why are you going so far away?" Sandra asked. "I mean, there are so many excellent schools here. You want an Ivy League school, try Penn or even Columbia."
"Yeah," Shane jumped in. "What's with leaving? I thought you were helping out with Mom and LULA?"
Beatrice scoffed and said, "She doesn't need to stay around here to help me with anything. I raised three kids and took care of a husband. I can take care of myself."
"No, Mom, I don’t mean it like that," Shane clarified. "It's just that's it's good to have someone here with you is all."
"No, I'm good," their mom said sternly. "Furthermore, what she's doing at LULA, someone can be hired to do. As a matter of fact, I can do it."
"Wait," Shane interrupted. "What's this really about?"
"I'm going to grad school at Brown. They have the program that I want and they accepted me. Therefore, I'm going." Mindy held her ground. "Why is this a big deal?"
"Well, Mindy, it's just that you've never left the district and now all of a sudden," Sandra gestured towards Mindy, "you're doing this whole, I'm fleeing the coupe and jumping states. Seems strange."
"Yeah," Shane looked towards Sandra with a confirming nod.
"Well, I just want to start fresh and new. That's all. You guys have done it and nobody batted an eye but when I say I'm going to, it’s a thing." Mindy's back was up and she was ready for battle.
"No, honey. It's not that," her mom interjected. "I think it just seems like weird timing is all."
That was absolutely it.
Mindy jumped up and yelled, "Shane packed up and went clear across the ocean after Dad died and no one reacted this way. Sandra went away to college and never came back home. Nobody said a thing. I decide I want to go to graduate school out of state and this is what I get."
"Hold on, now. Hold on." Sandra stood up. "Calm down."
"NO!" Mindy yelled. "You guys have done whatever you damn well pleased and good ole' Mindy has gone along with it since I was little. I'm Sandra and Shane's little sister. Anywhere I go in this place, I'm somebodies something, never Mindy Sinclair and my own entity. Nope, just always in someone else’s shadow and I'm not doing it any longer. I didn't call this meeting to ask for your permission; it was to let you know I'm moving out next month. I am twenty-eight goddamn years old. If I haven't left the nest by now, something is wrong."
Her eyes were too blurry to see that Diamond was standing as well but it didn't matter. She rounded the table and said, "There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to leave this place. I lost Dad too. He's not here to understand me. He's not here to counsel me. He's not here anymore to do anything, so don't sit there with your lives all together and tell me how I shouldn't put mine together without my father. Don't you dare!"
Her legs carried her up the stairs to her room, where she nabbed her bag, her car keys and ran back down the stairs to get into her car.
"Mindy, Mindy," someone called but she kept moving and stormed out of the house.
"Let her go," she heard her mom say.
Let her go.
Chapter Eight
"You've been off lately," Coach Greer said to Randall. "You're my starting small forward and in the past few games, you haven't shown up."
There was nothing for Randall to say because the coach was right and he had no excuse. Or no excuse that he was willing to divulge to the multi-championship winning coach, who could care less about his personal issues.
"Look, we have the biggest game of this season coming next week against the Brooklyn Nets. They’re tough, scrappy, and know how to handle the ball. I need for Randall Jefferson to show up or I'll replace him with someone who will." He continued, "So, tell me now. What needs to happen for you to get out of this shithole you're in. Is it a woman? A man? Shit, I don't know."
Randall almost choked but managed to say, "I'll be there coach. I'm going home this weekend to hit restart and I'll be ready."
"Okay, son. I know how hard you’ve worked and I'm concerned. I'm busting your balls but it’s because I don't want to see you fall out of line like many other players before you. Believe me, I've seen it all. Whatever it is, fix it or let it go."
Standing up since the coach dismissed him, he nodded and said, "Will do."
On his way to the car, he called Mindy so he could talk even though he knew what it would say.
This number is not receiving calls at this time.
He had a good mind to drive over to her house but he knew that her mother would not allow him inside. Their last conversation played over in his mind.
"Randall, I'm not sure what happened but Mindy no longer considers you a friend, therefore she's revoked your privileges to see her. I respect her wishes, so if you would like to get in contact with her, it cannot be done here." She waited a beat and then continued. "I hope you made the decision to put things on pause and it's Mindy that is honoring your wishes because if it's because you've done my daughter wrong, I would be very disappointed."
Mrs. Sinclair didn't wait for him to answer but closed and locked the door. That sort of embarrassment hurt but the fact that Mindy wouldn't even see him, refused his gifts and totally cut him off was a pain he constantly felt in his chest.
His car phone rang.
"Hey Miles, what's up?"
"Sup, man. Calling to remind you about the event at the fundraiser with Amy this weekend."
Randall almost swerved into another lane when he heard this.
"WHAT!" he exclaimed. "There's nothing on the calendar about that. I double checked."
"Sorry, man. I forgot to add it. Shit, she just reminded me."
"Miles, this is unacceptable. She doesn't run my brand and you don't seem to be doing a good job of it. This favor you owe, what's in it for you? I see no potential anything nor do I understand fully what the hell is going on. You know what. I'm not doing this anymore. Tell her to get someone else to babysit her and I don' care that I can't be a part of the collaboration of bringing the leagues together, this is too much. I'm not doing another fundraiser nor any last-minute changes." He turned onto his street. "And Miles, this is my final warning to you. I don't know what's happening with you but we're not on the same page and more importantly, you're not doing your job. So, this is your final warning."
Randall hung up the phone without a further word and pulled into his community. He could not believe that he was in this position where he was not only being reprimanded from his coach but also doing the same to his agent. It wasn't that he led a charmed life but he’d never had these problems before and now it seemed not only was he in deep but in every way possible.
He rarely drank but he took a shot of the amber liquor to calm his nerves for even a little while. Then he called his mom and dad to let them know he'd be in town on Friday evening and he'd like to take them out to dinner. After their kids left the coop, they moved to South Carolina where his mom was raised. That was where all the family reunions were held and according to the Jefferson's, it was where the magic started.
"Randy!!!" His mother came running towards him in the foyer. "Oh my boy."
"Hey Mom," he greeted before he easily picked her up and twirled her.
"Ahhh," his mom squealed. "Boy, you ain't changed a bit."
"Nope. How've you been?" Randall put her down.
"We've been great! How have you been?" She examined him. "Your father doesn't miss one game."
He laughed at the thought of Ralph Jefferson watching basketball. The professor that studied at Cambridge did not fool with games, professional or not. Well, so Randall thought.
"Where's dad?" he asked.
"In the garden, as usual." His mother grabbed his hand and said, "Come on. He's dying to see you."
When they walked out into the massive garden that his father had created
from scratch, Randall couldn't help but be impressed. The fountain was in the middle of the plot with small angelic statues surrounding each shrubbery. Around each cement centerpiece was a bed of flowers in a circular format. The colors, types and seasons of the flowers varied throughout the garden but it was all strategic.
"Hey Dad, this is impressive." Randall walked outside with his arm around his petite mother.
"Son!" His father stood and smiled. "So glad you're here."
He took off his gloves so the two of them could embrace. It lasted a moment longer than normal but Randall hadn't physically seen his father in months. They would face time once his mother remembered to turn on the iPad he bought them over a year ago. Besides that, there were always practices, games, and other crap that kept him from visiting as often as he wanted.
"Glad to be here." Randall let his dad go. "Are we on for dinner tomorrow?"
He knew the only way they could go out was if his father approved the outing.
"Your mother can cook." He arched an eyebrow at his son.
"She's cooking tonight. Let's give her the night off tomorrow." Randall knew his dad would see he wasn't trying to flaunt his money but give his mom a break.
"Okay. Tomorrow, we go out." His dad agreed.
"Perfect. Now what's for dinner tonight, Mom," he asked as he placed her right back next to him.
"All of your favorites, Randy." She beamed and his heart instantly warmed.
There was nothing like family.
The evening went by with small talk, funny stories of relatives and some of the media drama. The next day was easy as they all ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at different places from the list of Randall's hole in the wall restaurants he’d found. His parents were pleasantly surprised by the establishments and impressed with the food. Once they returned home, his mom retired after having two glasses of wine, leaving him and his father to their own devices.
"Join me in the study," his father said as he went to his room in the basement of their home.
Ralph Jefferson had decorated his study like any other academic professor. Wood-based furniture with leather upholstery surrounding a large desk with built-in bookcases on all four walls. A small table sat between the two leather chairs with educational magazines spread on the top.