by Tracy Brown
Born didn’t know what to say to that. She was right. He had continued screwing Anisa as a way to keep his mind off of Jada. But he knew that it would be futile to try and convince her of that now.
“I cut it off,” he told her, truthfully. “After you left the hospital, Anisa and I took Ethan home and I told her the truth. I told her that I love you. I’m gonna always love you.” He frowned a little. “I’m not gonna front like she’s cool with that. Her feelings got involved. You know what I’m saying? But I never lied to her or gave her any reason to think that I was done with you for good. I know I was wrong. But I never pretended to love her.”
Jada absorbed what he was saying. She knew him well enough to know that he was being truthful. She couldn’t help thinking of Sunny then. She remembered Sunny’s stories about Dorian and Raquel; how Raquel refused to move on and Dorian had somewhat liked that. She knew that, like Raquel, Anisa would always make herself available to Born. As long as she was alive, she would hold a vacancy in her heart for him in case he ever returned to fill it. Jada wasn’t sure that she was equipped to deal with always having to wonder if he would go running back to her.
Born seemed to read her mind. “I don’t love her,” he said again. “Jada, look at me.”
She did, her eyes full of sadness and longing.
“I only love you.” He had stared at her intently. “Marry me,” he said. “For real. Be my wife.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“’Cause it is. We don’t even have to plan it. We can go to city hall and do it, just me and you.”
“You’re serious?” She had sat up in bed and looked at him. Born sat up, too, and they sat face to face in the moonlit room.
“I’m serious.” He squeezed her nose playfully. “Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“You promise to honor and cherish me till death do we part?”
Jada’s smile had been bright enough to light up the room. “I do.”
Jada snapped back to the present when she heard footsteps on the stairs. It was Ava.
“Good morning,” Jada said, smiling casually. She held up the coffeepot. “Want some?”
Ava frowned. “No. Thanks.” She sat down at the kitchen table. “Umm … why’s Born asleep in your bed?”
Jada’s eyes widened in surprise. “You went in there?”
Ava looked at Jada like she was crazy. “Yes, I went in there. He’s snoring like a trucker.” Ava watched Jada pour cream in her coffee.
“I know,” Jada said. “He’s exhausted.”
“What are you gonna say to Sheldon when he sees Born naked in your bed?”
Jada nearly dropped the coffee mug. “You saw him naked?” She had pulled the covers up over him before she came downstairs, but she knew that Born tossed and turned in his sleep. The thought of Ava seeing Born’s pony made her claws come out.
“Relax. His johnson was hidden. But I saw enough skin poking out from under the covers to know that he didn’t have no clothes on.” Ava tossed a balled-up napkin at her sister.
Jada leaned against the counter and sipped her coffee. “Don’t be peeking at my baby.”
Ava shook her head. “What are you gonna say to Sheldon?” she asked again.
Jada looked worried. “I really don’t know, Ava.”
They were interrupted by more footsteps on the stairs. Sheldon stepped into the room. “Good morning,” he said. He greeted both his mother and his aunt with kisses on the cheek.
“Good morning. You hungry?” Jada asked, rubbing Sheldon affectionately on his head.
“Yup! Starving!” Born said, entering the room, unexpectedly. “Good morning, everybody.” Rubbing his belly, he smiled at everyone present.
An awkward silence filled the room. Born tried to make light of it. He walked over to Ava and nudged her, teasingly. “What’s up?”
Ava laughed and punched him playfully on his good arm. “Good morning, Mr. Graham.”
Born walked over to Jada and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Good morning, beautiful.”
She smiled, awkwardly. “Good morning.” Her heart raced as she looked at Sheldon to see what he would say or do. He took two steps back, staring at Born, unsmiling. Jada’s smile faded as she noticed that Sheldon’s chest was heaving. He was puffed up with rage.
Born held his hand out for a five. “Good morning, young man.”
Sheldon left Born hanging, and continued to glare at him.
“I said good morning,” Born repeated.
“FUCK YOU!” Sheldon yelled at the top of his lungs. His voice was so loud that it reverberated off the walls.
Jada gasped. Ava stood to her feet.
“Sheldon!” Jada yelled.
Sheldon backed up some more. He felt the control he’d once had slipping away. How could his mother allow Born back into their lives after Sheldon had tried to kill himself? This wasn’t part of the plan.
“We don’t need you!” He looked at his mother, desperately. “What’s he doing here? Tell him to get out,” he demanded.
Born stared at Sheldon as if he were watching a volcano erupt from a safe distance. He looked fascinated by what he was witnessing, but disturbed by it at the same time. He stood speechlessly for several moments as Sheldon huffed and puffed, his chest heaving with each breath he took.
A thousand thoughts were battling in Born’s head. This little boy—Jamari’s son—was terrorizing his mother. He had singlehandedly destroyed all of the work that Jada and Born had done to repair their relationship. Born knew that the kid had mental problems, that he had a lot working against him. But in this moment, all he wanted to do was wring Sheldon’s scrawny little neck.
Before he even realized what he was doing, he lunged at Sheldon. Vaguely, as if it were happening at a slow, warped pace, he was aware that Jada’s hands had flown up to cover her mouth as if she was in shock. Sheldon’s eyes widened in terror as he watched Born barreling down on him.
Born snatched Sheldon by the collar of his shirt, and flung him down to the floor with such force that Ava cried out as if she herself had been thrown down. Sheldon kicked wildly at Born while he was down there. Only able to fight with his one good arm, Born stomped him, causing the kid to fold himself over in pain. Born grabbed Sheldon’s collar again and dragged him back to his feet. With his good free hand he gripped the young boy’s face tightly and backed him up against the wall. Sheldon’s cheeks caved in under the pressure of Born’s strong grip, forcing his lips into a fishlike pucker. He looked absolutely terrified as he locked eyes with Born and saw the fury within them.
“You little fuckin’ brat!” Born spoke through clenched teeth and he was so close to Sheldon that he could smell the morning on the young man’s breath. “You walk around here like this is your world and everybody has to ask your permission to live in it. Let me tell you something.” Born leaned in even closer so that their noses were practically touching. “I’M THE MAN IN THIS MUTHAFUCKIN’ HOUSE!”
“Born…” Jada’s voice cracked as she called out to him. She wanted to calm him down before he went too far. But at the same time, she was so happy to see Born taking charge of the situation. Secretly, she was more turned on than ever hearing Born declare himself king of this castle.
Born ignored her halfhearted plea. He tightened his grip on Sheldon’s face. “The next time you raise your voice to me or your mother, I’m gonna kick your little punk ass. The next time I hear you curse, I’m gonna drown your monkey ass just like you did to that puppy you had.”
“Born.” This time Jada’s voice didn’t crack.
“Nah,” Born said. “This little boy thinks he’s grown, Jada! So I’m gonna talk to him like he’s grown.” He turned back to Sheldon, who was still pinned against the wall in Born’s strong grip. “It’s a wrap,” he said. “Your little reign of terror around here is over. I’m here now. I’m not leaving. So you gotta deal with that. Your father is dead. Guess what? So is mine. Get the fuck over it.”
&nb
sp; “Born, calm down,” Ava said, in her hostage negotiator voice. “Calm down.”
A tear slid down Sheldon’s face, but Born was unmoved by it. He was still inches away from Sheldon’s face. “Your mother made some mistakes, and she’s spent years trying to make that shit up to you. But your whiny ass is too busy playing the fuckin’ victim, taking pills, bullying kids, killing dogs and shit. That shit stops TODAY! I’m not playing with you, either.”
Born stepped back from Sheldon at last and mushed him hard, causing his head to collide with the wall behind him. Sheldon was full on crying now, and Jada felt a tug of sympathy for him. Still, she didn’t move or say a word. It was refreshing having Born take charge this way. For the first time in years, Sheldon was not the one with the upper hand. He sniffled and sobbed softly as Born stood ready for whatever he might try to do.
“All this time you wasted worrying about your dead father, your dead grandmother, and shit that happened before you could even form memories in your mind. Meanwhile your mother is here. She’s fuckin HERE. And I’m here.” Born took a deep breath. “Your Aunt Sunny is dead, God rest her soul. She’s never coming back. Now Mercedes has no mom, and no dad. You have a family. Your aunt Ava loves you. Your mother loves you. I love you.”
Now Jada felt tears burning in her eyes. It was the first time she had ever heard Born say that.
“No you don’t,” Sheldon said, between sobs. His voice was small and childlike for the first time in ages. “It’s all about DJ and Ethan. You don’t care about me.” He squeezed his eyes shut and silently cried harder.
“Yes I do,” Born said, flatly. “I don’t like your bad ass all the time. I want to fuck you up when you start wilding. But how would you know who loves you and who don’t when all you ever do is fight everybody? EVERYBODY! You got a chip on your shoulder 24-7, and if shit don’t go your way you cause trouble. Nobody likes a nigga like that.”
Born some air blew out, feeling the anger finally beginning to wane, albeit slowly.
“But I do love you. You got a lot of people who love you. The problem is you spend so much time feeling sorry for yourself that you can’t even see it.” He paused and stared at Sheldon, who still had tears streaming down his face. “Man up! Stop crying. You can’t walk around terrorizing everybody and then cry like a little bitch when somebody calls your bluff.”
Sheldon tried his best to pull himself together. Jada watched in awe.
Born walked over to the counter and snatched a stack of napkins. He stomped over to Sheldon and gruffly handed them to him before he continued. Born towered over Sheldon.
“That’s it, you heard? All the tantrums and the bullshit you put your mother through. All the trouble you cause at school, picking on the other kids, disrespecting the teachers, making them have doctors evaluate you and medicate you. None of that shit is necessary. Yeah, maybe you need a little extra time on a test than most kids. Maybe you have a hard time focusing. That’s not your fault. We can help you with that. But you’re taking advantage of it and using it as an excuse for all the shit that you can control. You don’t fool me, son. I see right through you.”
Sheldon stared down at his feet, confused and flooded with emotion. He was angry, having been tossed around and choked up. No one had ever raised a hand to him in his entire life, and the feeling of being physically confronted was unfamiliar to him. He was nervous because he had never seen Born this angry before, nor had he ever before heard so much rage in Born’s voice. Sheldon also felt convicted, because Born was right. Mercedes continuously pointed out the same thing. Sheldon was well aware that not all of his behavior was the result of his mother’s drug abuse during her pregnancy. Some of what he was doing was just an attempt at garnering attention, getting his way, and making his mother pay for the mistakes she’d made. Until now, the only person who had ever called his bluff had been Mercedes. And, although she had shown him tough love, too, her version had been nothing compared to this. Sheldon glanced sheepishly at his mother.
Jada stood near the refrigerator, her gaze fixed on them. She caught sight of Sheldon looking her way, and she met his eyes. But gone was the sympathy Sheldon usually saw there. Gone was the weakness, and in its place a look unlike Sheldon had seen before. For the first time in a very long time, Jada looked emboldened. She stared back at her son, and it was clear to him that, although she’d spoken no words, she was staunchly on Born’s side.
Born gestured toward the table. “Sit down.” He watched as Sheldon did as he was told, and then Born sat down across from him. Jada sat, too, while Ava leaned against the counter and listened silently.
“I don’t like having to put my hands on you,” Born said, his voice sincere. He locked eyes with Sheldon, who had to resist the urge to look away. “But I will do it again if you force my hand. The next time you disrespect your mother, or any adult, or intimidate Ethan; the next time you fuck up at school or talk back to someone in authority, I’m gonna kick your little ass. That’s not a threat. That’s a promise. You feel me?”
Sheldon wanted to defy Born. He wanted to shrug his shoulders, or suck his teeth, or ignore him altogether. But the idea of being yoked up again kept him from doing any of those things. Reluctantly, he nodded. “Yeah,” he answered weakly.
“We’re not having this conversation ever again,” Born said. “This is it. We’re gonna wipe the slate clean, and start all over.” He glanced over at Jada, sitting with her hands folded in front of her. He winked at her and offered her a slight smile. “I’m in love with your mother. I’m gonna marry her. We’re gonna be a family and you better learn to deal with that.”
Sheldon looked at Born in silence, letting his words sink in.
“Today, you and me are gonna spend the day together.”
Born saw Sheldon’s eyes widen in surprise. Then he frowned, unsure.
“Just us, nobody else,” Born said. “We’re gonna talk man-to-man and get some shit off our chest. I’m not gonna treat you like a kid today. You walk around here like you’re a grown man, so today we’re gonna talk grown-man style. You have one hour to think about what you want to say to me. Nothing is off-limits. That cool?”
Sheldon was enticed by the idea of having an afternoon with Born all to himself. True, he wasn’t his father. But Sheldon was beginning to realize that Born was playing hardball. He could tell that Born was there to stay this time. He nodded again.
“Good,” Born said. “Now go upstairs.”
Sheldon stood up slowly and looked at Born, then at his mother. It was clear to him that a shift had taken place, and he was no longer as powerful as he had once been in this house. He cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was barely audible. “I’m sorry.”
He ran upstairs, as Born smiled victoriously, and Jada and Ava stared after him, in awe.
15
BYGONES
Gillian walked through the kitchen at Conga, the popular Cuban-style Manhattan restaurant formerly owned by her mother, Mayra. Prior to his death, Gillian’s father had signed ownership of Conga over to Frankie. But in the years since then, Gillian had persuaded Frankie to give the restaurant to her. He hadn’t required much convincing. It was clear to all who knew him that Frankie was still in love with Gillian. When she had asked for ownership of the restaurant, Frankie had happily signed the necessary paperwork. So as she strolled through the bustling kitchen on this day, she did so with the authority of its owner. Gillian directed the staff, gave her compliments to the chef, and chatted with the maître d’ to ensure that everything was being done according to her exacting standards.
Mayra scowled at her daughter, as she watched her make the rounds. This restaurant had been Mayra’s baby. It had been her idea, her vision that had brought this place to fruition. Doug Nobles had been happy to see his wife enjoying the day-to-day details of running a business. Mayra had loved the sense of power and accomplishment it had afforded her. But those days were long gone. Once Gillian got her hands on the place, Mayra had no choice but to sit
back and watch the takeover. She suspected that Gillian took pleasure in snatching Mayra’s dream out from under her. Her only solace was the fact that Gillian was so busy running the illegal Nobles empire, that she seldom found the time to stop in to Conga personally. But lately even that had changed. With the family under investigation and the majority of the crew locked up, Gillian was nervous. She had been spending way more time at the restaurant lately, keeping up appearances in case anyone was snooping around. She wanted to look the part of the attentive legitimate business owner.
This forced the two women to spend time together daily. Mayra refused to allow Gillian to run her completely out of the restaurant that she had created. So she stayed on, running the day-to-day operations of the place in name only, while Gillian made all of the profits and got all of the glory. It was a setup that neither of them favored. Mayra was resentful toward her daughter for taking away her business, and ensuring that she didn’t inherit more than a small portion of Doug Nobles’ fortune. Gillian, too, was resentful. Her mother had cheated on Doug with one of his closest friends, a torrid affair that Gillian had uncovered. Mother and daughter had a lot of tension between them these days.
So Mayra was completely caught off guard when Gillian strolled over to where she sat at a corner table going over inventory lists. Gillian pulled up a chair, sat across from her mother, and clasped her hands together.
“We need to talk,” she said.
Mayra took off her glasses and set them down on the table. Meeting her daughter’s gaze, she nodded. “Okay,” she said. “So, talk.”
Gillian let out a deep sigh. “I’ve been thinking a lot about Daddy lately. How he would think I’ve been doing since he passed away.” She looked to her mother for feedback, and hated herself for feeling hopeful for her approval.
Mayra swallowed the wrong way, and choked. As she coughed to clear her throat, she apologized. It was a rare occurrence for Gillian to spark idle conversation between them. Odder still, that she would seek her approval. Mayra cleared her throat.