BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  "You just said that cause I said it was mine." She shook her head, checking her list, "I gotta get this stuff on my list and get home. My mama don't play that."

  "Okay, I'll help you get yours, you can help me get mine."

  "In that case, quit talking and let's get to shopping."

  And they did, rushing around the store, grabbing items off of the shelf, laughing and having a good time, chasing Joseph and her little brother's who tossed items in the basket and then ran through the store for all the stuff on his list. People stared at them, shaking their heads at them as they barreled through one aisle and then the next, every now and then, having to say, "Excuse me..." for banging into someone's cart. They had a good time. At the check out, they had to sort out their items on the belt, putting one of the dividers between their groceries. Joseph shared his Twizzlers with her little brothers while Shawn2 bagged up first her items and then his own, after paying. They all left out of the store, happy and smiling. Shawn2 and Joseph helping her by carrying some of her groceries. All five were all grins until they stepped out of the store to see Derrick sitting in the van outside of the store. He'd come to test the van for overheating at the same time looking for his boys to give a ride home from the store.

  Seeing who they were with, he figured it was a good thing he'd come when he did.

  "Dad?"

  With an arched brow, Derrick looked from his sons to Ma'Keiba. "Come on, might as well put your things in here as well, so I can give you a ride home."

  She and Shawn2 looked at each other as if they were guilty of a no no. "It's okay Mr. McPherson, we can walk home."

  "No way are you walking home. Shawn, put those bags in and hers as well, climb in boys, Ma'Keiba."

  All climbed in, Shawn2 was the last, slamming the door behind them and was the last to take a seat and buckle up.

  Derrick kept glancing at his son in the back seat, sitting with Ma'Keiba's little brother's beside him. He had Ma'Keiba sitting shotgun from him.

  "Ma'Keiba..." Derrick called her name gently.

  "Yes sir, Mr. McPherson?"

  "Will you do me a big favor?" He asked her.

  "Yes sir, if I can." She returned.

  Derrick stopped at the light, looked at the thermostat gage on the dashboard, noticing that the van was indeed starting to run hot, once he took them home and dropped them off, he would have to take it in. "Ma'Keiba, I want you to promise me something. And because of the type of young lady I know you are, the way your parents have raised you, I'm fully confident you're going to keep this promise to me."

  "Yes sir, what is that?"

  "I want you to promise me right here and now, that you'll never allow yourself to be alone with that son of mine. And I mean, alone as in a way that's not decent for good girls. Since I know you're a good girl, I'm not asking anything you can't deliver, can you promise me that, what I've just asked of you? You know what I mean, don't you?"

  Ma'Keiba blushed.

  Shawn2 turned red, but dare not say a word.

  "Well, do you know what I mean?" He asked again.

  "Yes sir, I know what you mean."

  "I'm sure you do, can you promise me that?"

  Ma'Keiba sighed, then nodded her head, "Yes sir, I promise."

  "Good girl. Always demand his respect, as well as other young men's respect; and make sure, while you're demanding it, you're also earning it, always carry yourself to be worthy of it, okay?"

  "Yes sir, I will."

  "Good girl. You hear that Shawn2?" Derrick asked glancing at his son in the rear mirror.

  "Yeah."

  "Yeah, that means - keep your distance and conduct yourself accordingly."

  Because they didn't live far from the main road and the strip mall where the stores were, they arrived at her house in no time. Shawn2 opened the van door, helped pass their bags to them; his ears burning red from the very brief talking his father gave them; then climbed back into the van as they made their way up the stairs of her house and then inside. They pulled off heading back home.

  "Mama we back!"

  "Shut up boy - you know mama sleep!" Ma'Keiba corrected her little brother.

  "No, I'm up." Shelly announced coming out of the bathroom, walking into the kitchen to make sure they had everything she wrote on the list.

  "Mama, we got a ride from that big white man that live over there!" Ryan, the oldest of the two boys announced.

  "His name Mr. McPherson, boy!" Ma'Keiba corrected him.

  "I'm glad Mr. McPherson gave us a ride, 'cause I ain't wanna walk home with no bags." Cameron, the younger of the two added.

  Shelly's look of disbelief told Ma'Keiba that her mother was not happy about that, "Ma'Keiba, what in the world are you doing getting into that man's van? We just met those people, I cannot believe you did that." Leaning on the kitchen table, she glared into her daughter's dark eyes.

  "He was at the store when we came out mama."

  "Ma'Keiba - I do not care, we do not know that man, not long enough to trust you getting into his van and there you are, hopping right in, you and your little brother's alone with him, anything could have happened."

  "We wasn't by ourself mama, that Shawn2 and his little brother was there too. We was shopping at the store together, him and Ma'Keiba." Ryan chose to inform her.

  Ma'Keiba's eyes grew wide, trying to hide the icy look she shot to her little brother.

  "Em hm, I see." Shelly announced, shifting onto one hip, giving her the look as she put her hand on it.

  "Mama when you gone cook?" Ryan asked, noticing his mother and sister in an intense stare off, one of course that his mother would win. Cameron was heading for the basement, only one thing on his mind and that was getting in front of the TV to play with their Nintendo.

  "I'm getting ready to start now, get to the basement with your brother, I'll call you when its done." She directed, her eyes still on her daughter. Upon hearing the basement door close behind him, "Okay miss thang, spill it."

  "Spill what mama?"

  "Gurl look, don't mess with me. I sent you and your brother's to the store - how you end up there shopping with that Shawn2?"

  "I ain' have nothing to do with that mama, he was just there, getting stuff for his mama too. He saw me and we just hurried up and got what we were sent for and his father showed up and gave us a ride home."

  "Em hm, and the truth?"

  "For real mama, that is the truth."

  "Ma'Keiba - do I look stupid?"

  "Mama, that's what happened. He was just there, it is a grocery story you know, even white people go to the store."

  "Who you talkin' to like that - gettin' smart? You 'bout two breaths from gettin' the taste slapped right out your mouth! I do not play that! Gettin' around these white kids tryin' to be like them, gone get you in a worl' of hurt - I'm talkin' 'bout an ass whippin' you will always remember! I am not the one! And that lil'Shawn2 - got trouble written all over his lil'butt! Half Puerto Rican? Mm emp baby, let me tell you now, that boy got Latin blood flowing through his veins and I can tell you this, he will always have only one priority in his life! You better believe what I'm saying lil'sista, do not set yourself up to be his first real fool, little girl!"

  "I'on even like him! I don't plan on bein' nobody's fool!"

  "Bein' a fool ain't something you plan on, you just end up that way when you let your guard down and don't give a care about yourself. It happens when you end up putting your all into a man, that's putting his all into himself! Then bam, one day you wake up, look in the mirror, and there you behold, a damn fool!"

  "Well ... I'm not gone be no fool."

  "Not in this portion of your life you ain't! Cause these years belong to me! Until you are 18 years old, your life is in my hands. And baby you better believe, as your mother, I got a death grip on it."

  "Mama you gettin' bent all out of shape and I ain't even do nothin'."

  "Maybe not, okay? Maybe it happened just as you said it did, but I'm not blind Ma'Keiba - I c
an see the way you get when he's around. You just a baby and one day, you gonna go from being my baby, to a young girl with her hormones pinging and singing like mad. Hormones get turned on, everything you feel strongly for increases by tenfold. If you have the slightest bit of feeling for that boy, when your hormones kick in, ain't nothing else gone matter, but what you feel about him."

  "I don't feel nothing for him, he ain't even cute to me."

  "Quit lyin' Ma'Keiba - especially lyin' to yourself; if that's the case, why were you two around that store playing happy lil'home makers?"

  "Mama, we - were just - shopping."

  Shelly stood a moment staring, scared to death. To someone else, looking in, it might seem she was overreacting, but fact was, she had only one daughter and she loved her one daughter and if it meant fighting the very devil to save her young life, she was ready to fight to the death. Taking a deep breath, she reached over and caressed her cheek, "You so pretty - and one day, if you play your cards right, you'll be beautiful too. You know what I mean by that Ma'Keiba?"

  Not sure, Ma'Keiba shrugged.

  "Being beautiful Ma'Keiba, is something you don't see in yourself - its something others - people that is, who come to know you, see in you. Make up, pretty hair, nice clothes, perfect figure, smooth skin and youth - are not the makings of being beautiful. Beautiful comes from how you carry yourself, how you treat people, and what you do to be a strong and positive contributor towards family, friends, society. To be beautiful, is hard work - it comes with integrity and self-respect ... you hear me?"

  "Yes mama."

  Shelly sighed pulling her daughter to her to hug her, "I love you my daughter, I love you with all my might. All I do, whether it seems right to you or not, is because I love you. So..." She pushed away, holding on to Ma'Keia, "... from now on, before things start getting too out of hand, Sasha is welcome to come here, but you - will not be going over there."

  "Mama! That's not fair, why not? I told you, I don't even like him. I finally got a friend and I can't even go over to her house, its not like she lives far, its right across the yard practically, please mama - let me go over there."

  "Ma'Keiba, as I said, she's welcome here, anytime-..."

  "But why should she be the one always coming here, sometimes I should be able to go there."

  "Yeah, to see Shawn2 right?"

  "No mama!"

  "Look Ma'Keiba, you do not need to be wearing out your welcome over there anyway, we not gonna even start on that; they got too many boys in that house."

  "Mama why you have to be this way!? I don't ever get to go anywhere, do anything - can't even have no friends!"

  "Wait just a minute here, your ass has been to Disney Land! Ain't no damn body ever took me to Disney Land! Every year we take all three of you on family outings - don't we?"

  Ma'Keiba stood with her bottom lip rolled out, her skinny arms crossed over her flat chest.

  "Gurl you better answer me! Don't we?"

  "Yeah."

  "All three of you, been to Wisconsin Dells - you been to the Grand Canyon - you been to Las Vegas. We've taken you all to zoos, museums, art shows, you been to plays, you been to musicals, a new movie comes out that's good for the entire family, we go. We take you swimming, you been to the beach - we've spared nothing all these years before we bought this home because we wanted you all to have a good life. Now you gone stand here and tell me, you don't go anywhere."

  Ma'Keiba knew that it was true and so fought with the last thing that she had, "But - I don't have no friends."

  "Well now you do, Sasha - and your friend - Sasha - is welcome in our home."

  "What they gone think about you not letting me go to their house?"

  "I tell you what, let me worry about that. Now let's get this dinner on so I can go lay back down for a few hours."

  Ma'Keiba followed her mother in helping to cook dinner, her mind working for a solution to her dilemma. "Mama and anyway, I would take Ryan and Cameron with me if I was to go."

  "What they gone do over there Ma'Keiba?"

  "Play with Joseph, he's their age and just think mama, it would be quiet around this house for you can get some sleep, you always saying how tired you be at work 'cause you can't get to sleep."

  "Ma'Keiba Clarke, you know doggone well you ain't thinkin' about no quiet and me gettin' sleep."

  "Em hm mama, I am."

  "That woman got all them kids in that house, the last thing she needs, is to add three more and one of them a girl - that, I might add, her son is eyeballing, ain't no sense in everybody going crazy!"

  "We would be good mama, really we would. Ryan and Cameron ain't no trouble long as they get to play video games."

  Standing at the sink washing the fresh green beans she was cooking, Shelly turned to her begging daughter and very firmly, "Ma'Keiba, I - said - no! I meant no, and know please, that that decision, shall remain. Now, do not ask - me again."

  Chapter 236

  Chicago...

  Vivian called in again.

  Now since turning in her final notice, she wasn't so anxious to get off to work. Something about moving on to something else, stole your fire and motivation where you were. Of course it wasn't only that, that made her wish not to go in, a lot of it had to do with Laek Chan. He'd put a scare into her that wasn't easily shaken. Part of her wanted to tell Jake about it, but she couldn't trust what he might do. Were he to some how get hurt on her account she would never forgive herself. Not that he couldn't take care of himself, she knew that more than likely, he could - yet - why take chances? She was in love with him. In less than a couple of weeks, she would be with him anyway, so she would bide her time. There was still time to report it to the authorities, but if she did that, what might that cause? She figured, as long as he left her alone, she would be okay. Sitting in front of the TV with its talk shows running, it was hard to focus on them when she had so much on her mind. She had tomorrow and Friday to get through and then one more week to go. Even so, there was the weekend to look forward to when Jake, Kevin and Paul would be coming down. In the meantime, she would endure with what was left of her time there. At the moment, she was lounging around in one of Jake's work shirts, the one with the sleeves cut off, soft and threadbare. No bra on underneath and just her daisy dukes.

  She supposed she should fix herself some breakfast and was about to rise to do so when she heard the door buzzer.

  She opened the apartment door and walked up the three steps to the outer door that led out to the side of the building, moving the curtains aside, she saw that it was the phone company. Smiling she opened the door, "Good morning."

  "Good morning, we have a work order to install a phone here for a Mr. Jacob Patrick McPherson?"

  "Yep, come in. Um, I'd like to ask, I wasn't here when my fiancé ordered the service, we also need an INTERNET connection, I don't really want dial-up, I prefer DSL - can that be done today please?"

  "Boy are you lucky, I noticed I had an extra one in my van for some reason, I'll issue you that one, of course that ups your services and installation fees."

  "No problem, whatever - I'll take care of the extra. We'd like a phone jack in the kitchen, one in our bedroom and another in the living-room."

  "You got it - I'll have to call in the extra service first."

  "Sure, do what you have to do." She went off to the kitchen to prepare herself something to eat, happy that soon she would have a phone and the Internet. She'd kept her three phones from her previous home to connect there and her laptop sat in its case also waiting to be Internet connected. Taking a skillet out, placing it on the stove, someone came knocking at the kitchen door. There could be only two persons at that door, Lydia or Ms. Earthaleen. Heading to it and opening it, there stood Ms Earthaleen with a disgruntled look on her face.

  "What you doing here?" She asked grumpily.

  "I live here Ms Earthaleen."

  "Ain't you supposed to be at work?"

  "I decided not to go in today, with the ph
ones being installed-..."

  "He as' me to look after that, you suppose to be at work!"

  "I'm aware of that Ms. Earthaleen, however since I'm here, I'm seeing to it."

  "Well in that case, you should'ah said somethin', I got other thangs I could'ah been doing, sides waitin' round here for nothin'!"

  "I apologize Ms. Earthaleen, you're right, I should have told you."

  "Em hm, I s'pose you gone be living here all the time then?"

  "Just another couple of weeks ma'am and I'll be gone."

  "Gone where? Where you goin'?"

  "I'll be joining Jake in Wisconsin, we have a home there now."

  "A home?"

  "Yes ma'am, he's bought us a house, I'll be moving there to be with him in that house."

  "Emph! And you ain't married to that man yet, but you gone take yo'tail all the way there, live with him, let him get all the married privileges, but ain't married?"

  "We're engaged Ms Earthaleen, we'll be getting married pretty soon."

  "Hmph, that's what they all say! You bes' not believe it 'till you walking down the aisle wit' him waitin' by the preacher."

  "Ms Earthaleen, if you don't mind, I was about to fix myself something to eat, I know how busy you are, so I won't hold you up any longer."

  "Yes, I am busy! And nex' time, you bes' be tellin' me when plans change." She fussed, turning in the door to head back up the stairs.

  Closing the door, Vivian had a conniption fit of frustration right there by the door, grinding her teeth quailing the need to shout. By the time she stopped what looked like a jogging in place fight with an invisible opponent, and looked around her, she was embarrassed to see the white technician standing staring at her like she was crazy. "Uh, you okay? Everyone all right?"

  Knowing how ridiculous it must have looked, she broke into a smile, "I'm sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. But have you ever talked to an old person that just grated on your nerves so bad you wanted to scream? You know you have to be polite and nice, but they sure don't make it easy to be."