by Tiana Laveen
“Hurting you? I’ve done nothing but give you everything you wanted! Since the day you were born you wanted for nothing. I put you and your mother in a nice home. I worked and slaved to get where I am in life, not just live off of my father’s hard work.”
“But were you a good husband?” Dad grew quiet. “A good father loves the mother of his child, too! You didn’t love Mama, Dad! Because when you love someone, even if they don’t do what you tell them to do, you still love ’em afterwards. You put parameters on your love, Dad. Love to you is like a contract. But we’re people, not puppets! You think money makes you a good person, Dad. It doesn’t!”
He stopped signing and folded his arms, resting them against his waist. And then he opened his mouth and let the words of his heart pour.
“When I was a little boy, I watched you talk badly to my mama. She’d cry.” His eyes watered as the memories flooded back. “I didn’t understand what you two were sayin’ back then, but I knew that I would watch her clean up the whole house, paint her face, do her hair, and put on heels and dresses before you’d get home. She’d give me a bath, play with me, fix dinner and everything, and you’d come home and not say, ‘I love you’, ‘thank you’, nothing. You’d immediately start complaining. Sometimes you’d even say mean things to her, then you’d walk out and she’d cry. I didn’t know the words, I didn’t get all the adult stuff going on, but I could see that something was wrong… something was very wrong. Now here you are doing it all over again! You can’t make her cry by hurting her feelings anymore—Mama is stronger now—so you do this instead. It don’t matter that I’m your only child; it should only matter that I am your child and that I am telling you, man to man, that you can’t do this to my mama no more! I won’t let you!”
The tears flowed down his face. Dad stood there, speechless. Who knew what was going on in the man’s head?
“I’ll run away from you if you try ’nd take me from her. Every day you’ll have to worry about whether I’m plannin’ another escape.”
“Are you threatening me, Noah?” Dad put his hand on his hip.
“No. I’m making you a promise.”
They stared one another down. Then, Dad turned away and walked over to the big window in his office. He just stood there, looking out at the view for quite a while. When he turned back towards him, he had a sad smile on his face.
“When I first met your mother, I couldn’t believe how beautiful and sweet she was…” His smile grew bigger. “She was ten years younger than me. In retrospect, that was far too young, I know that now, but, I think somewhere inside of me I felt if I had someone like her, she’d give me the things I wanted in life… what I missed. Your mother, see, grew up in a happy home. She wasn’t a victim of circumstances, nothing like that. She was a hard worker and she and her sisters were raised with morals… rules. I was sure my mother, your grandmother, would have loved her… but I was wrong.” Dad’s eyes sheened over.
“My parents let me know immediately that I was not to date any Black women, and they took particular issue with your mother being dark complexioned. Noah, for whatever reason, I was shocked by this. I had a great deal of respect for my parents, but this blew me away. I didn’t know they were racist against Blacks until that moment. I know it may sound strange, but it’s true. They’d never told me something like that before and your mother wasn’t the first Black woman I’d ever dated. I think they were concerned though, because they saw I was in love with her… I was serious about her. This wasn’t a fling. Contrary to what you and your mother think, and her parents, too, I did love your mother, Noah… I loved her very much and I still do.”
Dad wiped his left eye with a fleeting hand.
“She and I were not compatible after some time passed. She’d changed as a person. She wanted things in life that didn’t fit what I wanted for our family. I wanted someone to come home to, but your mother wanted to be involved in a lot of extracurricular activities.” He shrugged. “I figured, with you being so young, she’d settle down, but no, she just worked harder to spread herself thin.”
He smiled. “Yasmine is quite ambitious. She’s smart, too. I’m sure you already know all of this though. I think, uh… the older she got, the more confident she became and at the time… it intimidated me, Noah. I’ll be man enough to admit that. Your mother was no longer docile; she was outspoken, and that’s when the fights began. I couldn’t control her anymore. I suggested we have another child—she refused. Said she didn’t want any more children, that you were her blessing and she was finished. The birth was hard on her but honestly, I think she just wanted to devote her time to you and you alone. Any time your mother wasn’t in school or working, she was with you. I think, at one point, I had even become jealous of that, too…”
“You were jealous of me and her?”
“No, I was jealous of how much she loved you. She never loved me as much as she loved you. Of course I wanted her to be attentive to you and a good mother, but I also wanted that same level of care and attention. But after a while, I didn’t receive it.”
He lowered his head for a spell. “And uh, that was probably my fault. I think she would have, had I not been so angry with her at times. I could be quite harsh and critical of your mother; you are right about that. I was right many times I had a grievance though, Noah; your mother didn’t always think things through, but I didn’t always express myself to her in the proper way. I did it to help her, or so I thought. At the end of the day though, our marriage failed. I resented her for it. We both didn’t do what we were supposed to, okay? We both had faults, Noah.”
Silence webbed between them.
“Are you still going through with the custody case? I mean it, Dad. I will make life hard for you for two years and then move out at eighteen. By then, our relationship will be so fucked up, we probably won’t even be talking anymore. I love you, Dad… Please, please don’t make me do this.”
More tears rolled down Noah’s face. Dad looked at him long and hard and plunged his hands in his pockets.
“I still believe you’d fare far better here with me, Noah, but I believe you when you tell me you’ll fight this, make it hard. You’re too much like me.” The man shook his head. “This is something I would’ve done, you know that?” Dad sat down at his desk. “I’ve already called your mother and let her know where you are, by the way.” Noah nodded. “Of course she blames me for this.” He grimaced. “Funny, she said that man told her that you’d probably come here to confront me. She didn’t believe him. Seems the Mexican muscle-head was right. Anyway, I’m arranging a flight to take you back home by this afternoon. Before you go though, I want to tell you a story that I never even told your mother. Have a seat.”
Noah slowly approached his father and sat down in the chair, facing him.
“My parents, as I told you, disapproved of me being with your mother. I was so taken aback by this, that it made me angrier than I may have been in my entire life. In my culture, respecting your parents is essential. To go against them and their wishes was considered a big no-no. I called a meeting one day and sat my parents down. I told them that I was in love with your mother, and if they wanted to cut me off from the family, I would accept that. I told them that some way, somehow, I’d build my own empire. I told them that I didn’t need their family name or their money. I was already a success in my own right by that point. My parents immediately disowned me. No questions asked.”
Noah gasped. He’d never known of such a thing! Mama had never mentioned it either so it seemed Dad was right—she’d never known. He talked to his grandparents fairly frequently via Skype, however. They had a relationship and gave him birthday and Christmas gifts.
“But… you’re with them all the time. They didn’t disown you,” he signed.
“They did at the time.” Dad clasped his hands together. “But, you see, I didn’t back down. I turned around and did exactly what I told them I was going to do. Once your mother became pregnant with you and then we got married, they re
alized they didn’t want to lose a son and a grandson, too. They never fully accepted your mother, but they knew they had to apologize to me and at least pretend that the feud was over. I never told your mother what happened… that my very livelihood had been threatened. But I wanted your mother so badly, and she was having my child… you. I was so happy when she told me she was pregnant with you, Noah.” He swallowed and looked away. “I’ve not always been honest… I guess is the best word to use. I’ve done and said things to get stuff to go in the way I wanted.
“I don’t think that’s always a bad thing but you mean more to me than anyone else in this world, Noah, so I don’t want to keep secrets from you anymore. So, when you stood there and looked at me, speaking with your voice… straining to make me understand, I saw myself in you. I saw a young man looking at his father and telling him, ‘No. Mama makes me happy… and I’m not leaving.’ Just the way I looked my father in the eye, so many, many years ago…”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Bells and Bullets
YASMINE’S DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT was taking especially long. It was a routine checkup, but she’d been gone over two hours. Langston did bear in mind, however, that this was a brand-new doctor. Perhaps she needed to redo her paperwork. Langston’s impatience was growing fangs as he waited, hidden away in the grocery store like some fugitive. A few moments later, José came whizzing around the corner and gave him the signal.
“She’s here!” the man announced in a loud whisper before reclaiming his post off to the side of the wall, his magazine in hand. Langston got to his feet, pulled at his black leather jacket, and made his way to the front door.
“I swear!” Yasmine yelled. “I spent more time waitin’ to see the doctor than getting the appointment done and over with. Dr. Henry… that man had so much hair in his ears he coulda made a coat. Sorry I’m late!” She quickly snatched her jacket off, not even noticing him.
“Baby…” She quickly turned in his direction. Her eyes went from his face to the large bouquet of bright red roses he’d hand selected.
“Awwww! They’re beautiful, Langston! You shouldn’t have!” She reached out for them, a big smile on her face.
“These ain’t for you! They’re for the widow Ms. Robertson that comes in here every Tuesday to get the half off bagels and her Metamucil. She bought a smoothie last week. Now, she and I are goin’ steady.” She playfully swatted at him and José burst out laughing from their antics. “I’m just playin’, baby. Here you go.” He handed them to her and she blessed him with a soft, sweet kiss.
“These are gorgeous! You spoil me so much!” She gave them a hearty sniff.
“I know.” He rocked back proudly on his heels and crossed his arms.
“I should be the one getting you flowers, Langston! You’ve got a contract now with the Smoothie Tsar and on top of that, Whole Foods is interested, too.” She made her way to the closest cash register and set her purse down behind it.
“Yeah, well, that wouldn’t have happened without your help. All those late nights and early mornings, you encouragin’ me, helpin’ me with marketing, and going to that meeting with me.”
“You would have still made it just fine without me there. All I did was remind you to keep steady and finish the course. I gotta get this register opened, baby. Come on by my house tonight. I’ll fix dinner.”
“I can’t. Gotta work. Picked up another shift last minute.”
Her disappointment was evident, but she just forced a smile. “Well, I understand. I got work to do anyway.” She took out her key and opened the register.
“Your uncle done told you that next month the store goes in your name officially. He is passin’ the torch and you’re still actin’ like a worker bee. I love that about you. You ain’t too good to do what needs to be done.”
“Of course I’m not. Queen Bees should know what Worker Bees do because they used to do it, too, and neither of them exist without the other. That might not be true in nature, but it’s my true nature.” She pointed to herself. “And that’s all that matters.”
“Yasmine,” José called out. “I almost forgot. While you were gone, a truck dropped off some boxes in the back.”
Yasmine’s shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes and sighed.
“This wasn’t supposed to be a delivery day. Ain’t no tellin’ what it is. Darn it… All right. Thanks for tellin’ me, José.”
“You’re welcome.” His brother went back to flipping the magazine, playing his role to the hilt.
“Looks like I’ll be doin’ inventory tonight, too. Rick is comin’ in. I’d like to fire him but I feel sorry for him, and I am gonna put him to work on this, too. Damn,” she muttered under her breath. “Well, let me go on and get this register situated and start ringin’ up folks. I bet—”
“You better look in them boxes right now, Yasmine. He said one of ’em had a leak… smells like pickle juice. There was also a rat back there… better call the exterminator again,” José added for good measure.
“Are you serious?! I swear to holy Hell!”
She went around the counter and marched to the back of the store, anger in each step. José and Langston shot each other an all-knowing glance and burst out laughing. The back doors of the store swung open violently as she disappeared into the small warehouse area of the store. Moments later, Yasmine walked slowly out, looking as if she’d seen a ghost. In one hand, she held a piece of paper and in the other, a black jewelry box. She took small steps, getting closer and closer, her eyes fixated on him. Langston grabbed the microphone and spoke into the speakers.
“Excuse me, all American Market Grocery Store shoppers… pardon this interruption. I ain’t gonna hold you long. I know you got places to go and need to finish up your shoppin’ so you can get home and what not. Many of you in here know a woman, the manager and now owner of this place, Ms. Yasmine English. Yasmine has been a proud resident of Elsa, Texas for many, many months now and her Uncle Sonny has been a staple in the community.”
Yasmine now stood a mere few feet away, her mouth hanging open like some zombie.
I done put the damn woman in shock…
He was tickled by this revelation, but kept on going.
“My name is Langston Lopez and I am in love with Ms. English. She has just gone to the back of the store and opened a box to find one piece of paper in it, reading, ‘Will you marry me?’ on a piece of invoice paper.”
He swallowed, his nerves starting to get the better of him. He could now hear people talking amongst themselves. Some of the customers drew closer, interest in their eyes.
“She’s got a box in her hand now, too, and it contains a nice engagement ring. I wish I could give ’er a bigger one but one day I will, sooner than she thinks. Anyway, see, I met Yasmine through my job. I love this woman… more than I can even tell any of y’all.”
He paused when applause and whistles resounded. Strangers gathered around him with their grocery carts and baskets.
“So, Yasmine, now we’re down to the wire.” He looked over at the woman, and almost lost his composure. “I just want to ask you what’s written on that there paper?” He pointed to it, walked to her, and dropped to one knee in front of her. Gingerly taking the box from her grip, he popped it open, exposing a beautiful French-set halo diamond ring. “Yasmine, I just wanna know if you’ll let me love you, cherish you, protect you, and romance you for the rest of your life. Will you marry me?” he smiled up at her.
The woman nodded through her tears and said, “Yes.”
The people cheered as he slid the ring on her finger, got to his feet, and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She pulled him in for a kiss and draped her body around his, hugging him tight.
José came over to hug them both. “Congratulations!” he said.
Langston loved the cheers and happiness that surrounded them, and his heart began to once again beat at a normal pace. He hadn’t been completely certain she’d say yes, but he’d taken the chance. Yasmine was a str
ong and determined woman and he never doubted her love for him… but he worried that perhaps, due to her past, she may be overly cautious or fearful of things happening too soon. He’d never feared a woman not wanting him as much as he wanted her, but Yasmine was beautiful, intelligent, and so down to Earth, making her more of a prize in his eyes. She knew her worth and where she was going in life, and that fueled the love in him. He wanted this woman not as just his girlfriend, but as his wife, and there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
My baby has said yes. It’s just me and her against the world now…
Two dreams come true, a few more to go. I bet the best is yet to come!
“Oh, does anybody wanna smoothie? I got kiwi strawberry and radish and raspberry—both give boosts of energy and taste amazing! Freshly made this mornin’! They’re twenty-five percent off for the next thirty minutes only! Buy three get one free!” he yelled out, only to have Yaz nudge playfully at his arm and burst out laughing.
“You just makin’ up stuff as you go along! You ain’t tell me nothin’ about no sale and all this buy one get one free stuff.”
“What?! This is a golden opportunity!” He threw up his hands. “All these folks gathered ’round here. I may as well try ’nd make some money off it all! Besides, somebody gotta replenish my bank account after I done emptied it buyin’ that damn ring. So, if you’ll excuse me, I have some drinks to sell.” He held his chin up and fought laughter. “José! Help me carry that crate to the front. I wanna set these up differently, make it look more appealin’. Smoothie Criminal needs to be a household name! Let’s get ’er done!”
“Spoken like a true salesman. Baby, you were made for this business… or perhaps politics.”
She winked at him then walked away, waving her ringed finger like a pageant princess…
…Several months later
LANGSTON SAT AT his kitchen table, his eyes barely able to focus. A whole stack of papers with words he couldn’t make heads or tails of sat in front of him, waiting for him to read and sign. Smoothie Criminal had taken off so fast, his head was spinning. The Whole Foods in Austin, Texas now carried his smoothies, too, and he’d had to hire a gang of lawyers to help figure all of this shit out. The meetings with graphic designers, marketers, advertisers, and social media influencers went on and on. He’d purchased a new computer and was using it to track inventory amongst other things, just like his fiancée had taught him. His kitchen was now equipped with all sorts of devices—five blenders, new knives and chopping boards, the works.