Mistress

by Meisha Camm

  “Honey, what’s wrong? You have those straining lines on your forehead.” Ma took a seat on the living room couch right next to me.

  “I’m worried about school and my future just to name a few.” I shrugged my shoulders.

  “It’s normal to be anxious and nervous. I had the same feeling when my behind and six suitcases showed up at Virginia State University.”

  “Hampton is so competitive. What if I don’t measure up?”

  “Get the doubt out of your mind. You’re a smart cookie with a GPA most students would kill for. You’re going to make your father and I proud,” she replied, rubbing my hair.

  “Ma, this isn’t high school anymore. I’m going to have to prove myself all over again. What if I don’t graduate from Hampton University? What if I don’t get accepted to any medical schools?”

  “You will pass with flying colors. Girl, you worry too much. I have to take the blame for it because you get it from me. Medical schools are going to come knocking on our door. Excuse me, I mean your door. Baby, what have I always told you?”

  “To believe in myself and take one day at a time.”

  “Excuse me, I didn’t hear you.”

  “To believe in myself and take one day at a time.”

  “Amen to that.”

  “Thanks, Ma.”

  “You’re welcome. Remember, when you get down and frustrated, get on your hands and knees and start to pray. Cast your cares unto Him.” She pointed two fingers up into the air.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “By the way, I made an appointment for you a week from Thursday to go see Dr. Morales.”

  “Why?” My heart was beating fast. I was so careful not to leave steamy magazines, condoms, eatable watermelon panties or K-Y Jelly lying around in my room. “Listen, baby, before your summer starts to sizzle, I want Dr. Morales to examine you, since you’re having sex. Now, I don’t like the fact you’re doing it. The only thing I can do is educate and inform you of the risks and hope you make wise decisions. Besides, I’m far too young to become a grandmother.” Ma shrugged her shoulders.

  “What makes you think I’m having sex?”

  “It’s called mother’s intuition and raging hormones.”

  “I don’t want Dr. Morales asking me a lot of questions. Thomas and I use condoms every time. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation right now.” I shook my head and took a deep breath.

  “Girl, don’t be embarrassed. Now, your father is another story. He would be ready to kill Thomas. I wouldn’t dare tell him. This is between you and I.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t hurt for me to get on birth control.”

  “You’re right about that. Not to mention, you’re due for an annual pap smear. I know you can get caught in the moment. How do you think you and your brother got here? Please, please, please . . . always use a condom. I don’t want our lives to play out like a Lifetime movie.”

  Three hours later, Pop came running in the house. Jason and him got up at the crack of dawn to go fishing. “Vivian, I caught it,” he proclaimed, holding up the biggest flounder I’d ever seen up close.

  “Caught what?” Ma inched toward the dripping piece of meat.

  “The getaway flounder.”

  “Ma, you should have seen him. It kept trying to get away, but Pop had it hooked. Some guy offered him five hundred dollars to take it home, but he refused the offer. I’m going to jump in the shower and get ready for the basketball game.”

  “All right, baby. I must say, my son is a little hustler to raise three thousand for the cancer charity game in such short notice.”

  “You’ve always taught me to help the less fortunate. I’m hoping more people will donate today,” Jason explained.

  “For months now, other fishermen and myself have been trying to catch it. I’m grilling this guy tonight. Viv, I want steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes with gravy to go with it. I’m going to take a shower too, because I smell kinda ripe.” Pop smelled his armpits and headed upstairs.

  “You smell like fish. You stink, Pop,” I said, holding my nose.

  Ma walked into the kitchen. “Are you going to the game with us?”

  “I didn’t plan to,” I said, following her.

  “Alex, you can’t stay mad at Jason forever.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. He didn’t use ten of your bras to make a rope for the tree house. Those bras, I can’t even find anymore at Victoria’s Secret. Look, I’ll go, because it’s for a good cause. I already gave Jason a hundred dollars, so I need to get my money’s worth. He’s lucky to have the fingers he used to mangle up my bras. If one of his precious video games is even missing, he’s ready to have a hissy fit on the floor. Pop and you spoil him.”

  Ma looked me up and down. “He’s not the only one who’s spoiled. I want my children to have everything and all the opportunities I’ve never had.”

  Chapter 19

  Three years of late-night study sessions and crack-of-dawn classes were starting to affect my red eyes. To say the least, I was tired and stressed. Ma and Pop had been a great help with my expenses. I got to eat and have a roof over my head. Pop already warned me that if my grades slipped, so would the money train off the railroad track.

  Lately, all I heard coming from his mouth was money. Restaurant sales were down due to the new healthy eating wave. At this very moment, Pop and his team of cooks were working on new baked and grilled chicken and fish entrees. He’d decided to give his menu a whole new look. Also, the restaurant was being renovated. Ma kept reminding him, “The customers are going to eat it up.”

  To avoid being lonely, Maria moved in with me, paying the utilities. We got along well, trying hard not to bump heads. She respected my space, and I did the same for her.

  Thomas had a change of heart and attended Morehouse College. The extra five thousand a semester had him under the influence of saying yes to the Admissions Department. I was thrilled, as long as he was happy with the decision. A week before he left, we both decided to continue on with the relationship but maybe see other people. The rule was to let the other person know if there was someone else.

  For the first year, we were visiting each other back and forth. I had the middle-of-the-month weekends and he had the outer ones. We couldn’t get enough of each other.

  After a blissful three hundred and seventy-six days, the frequent flyer miles were wearing me down. Now, I was lucky to see him once every two months. Lately, I was either getting the answering machine or him telling me he’s busy and will call right back. He didn’t even call right back. In fact, he’d call two or three days later, in between shoving a meal down his throat and his next class. Why do men do that? If you say you’re going to do something, then do it. Call right back. This little consideration of decency would’ve saved me a lot of time talking shit about Thomas. He wasn’t the same any more. Our lives were going in two different directions. At times, I couldn’t help wondering if his penis was going into another direction as well.

  Chapter 20

  I was on my way to the Goodies candy store to buy a pound of clear mints and two pounds of chocolate turtles. I chopped the turtles up and mixed it with vanilla ice cream. I deserved a taste of victory for passing all of my exams.

  This summer, I was volunteering at the Kings Hospital. Sooner or later, I figured I would have to get acquainted with screaming patients, workers running everywhere, and the distinct smell of Lysol in the air.

  “Care to try a sample of our new specialty, chocolate with marshmallow on a stick?” Ms. Craken asked. Still going strong after thirty-five years in business, Ms. Craken always made me feel like one of the chosen golden ticket-holders in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

  “No, thank you. How are you feeling today?”

  “Honey, I’m fine. It’s just these ankles bother me on rainy days.”

  “I would like to try a sample,” a man said.

  “Jarrad! So nice to see you. Here you go. How’s the fa
mily doing?” Ms. Craken handed him a small napkin filled with the goodies.

  As Jarrad was making chit-chat with Ms. Craken, I stared him down. With pearly white teeth and manicured hands, clean-cut Jarrad had the face of an angel. He was dressed in a gray Armani suit and black Ferragamo shoes, and smelled of Versace Blue Jeans cologne.

  Hmm, his shoe game may be just as tight as mine. I like a man who knows how to take care of himself. He took his jacket off (It was quite humid), and I couldn’t help noticing his bulging muscles through the light blue shirt.

  “Excuse me, where are my manners? Alex, this is Jarrad, another one of my customers who’s been coming to my store since he was in diapers.”

  “I have to correct you. I was in training pants.” He laughed.

  “Hi, I’m Alex. It’s nice to meet you.” I extended my arm for a handshake.

  “Likewise.”

  “Ms. Craken, go ahead and take his order. This is Ma on my cell phone, and I’m sure she’s going to want something as well.” I walked to the back of the store. “Hey, Ma.”

  “Hi, baby. Listen, can you pick me up—”

  “A half-pound of Godiva truffles and a can of cashews for your father. How did you know I was coming to Goodies today?”

  “It’s Thursday. Not even rain, sleet, or snow can keep you from getting your weekly fix of sugar.”

  “I’ll drop it off later tonight,” I said, laughing.

  “Bye, bye, baby.”

  Also, I picked up a pound of Charms lollipops with Ma’s order, my usual, and proceeded to the counter.

  Ms. Craken placed my items in a brown paper bag. “Your total is fifteen dollars and seven cents.”

  “Here you go.” I handed her the money. “Take care. I’ll see you next week.”

  “Bye, honey. Tell your parents I said hello.”

  I needed a car wash. Summer was approaching. I can’t have my car looking like the dust almighty machine, I thought. Hmm, Jason will do it for me for a cheap price.

  “Excuse me, can I get a lollipop, please? I prefer a brown one with your skin tone and smile. Your phone number will make it taste even sweeter.” Jarrad closed the door for me.

  “I’ll tell you what, I can’t give you my brown lollipop, but what I can give is the colors of the rainbow. Why don’t you first try the bright pink one? It’s the sweetest one of all.” I handed him a handful. I walked to my car with my shades back down on my eyes, trying hard to hide the smirk on my face.

  Once Jarrad was nowhere in sight, I laughed so hard that I almost missed the stop sign on Virginia Beach Boulevard.

  Chapter 21

  The Norfolk International Airport was packed. I was afraid of heights and so didn’t enjoy flying. Plus, my ears hurt every time the plane took off. Not to mention, finding my flight and making sure my luggage was on the right plane was too confusing for me.

  Maria applied Oh Baby MAC lipgloss on her lips. “Girl, I can’t believe you told him that.”

  “You should have seen him. He was speechless with his mouth wide open,” I explained, spreading lotion on my hands.

  “What time does her flight come in?”

  Maria and I hadn’t seen Charlotte since Christmas.

  “It should be landing now.” I glanced down at the piece of scrap paper.

  Charlotte’s flight was delayed, which came to no surprise to us. After two hours, a cup of a chocolate almond latte, and six self-help magazines, I was becoming impatient.

  I finally spotted Charlotte, a thousand and one bags in her hand. How does she expect us to carry all this mess to the car? I’ll have to find one of the workers to help me.

  “Hey, girls.” Charlotte dropped her bags on the floor and took her hat off. “It’s good to be home.”

  “It’s good to have you home,” I replied as we embraced each other for a hug.

  “What’s on the agenda for today?” she asked, pinning her hair up in a ponytail. Charlotte always kept her hair shoulder-length.

  “First, let’s get your luggage home. I still don’t understand how you can travel with all this stuff.”

  “Neither can I. I didn’t realize how much junk I have.”

  “You mean priceless junk.” I laughed.

  “Turn the air conditioner on high. It’s boiling out here,” Maria said to no one in particular, fanning herself with a magazine.

  I asked the worker, “Is that everything?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Have a nice afternoon.”

  Maria handed him a five-dollar bill. “Thanks for your help.”

  Charlotte rubbed her hands together after getting in the car. “So, ladies, what’s been going on? Tell me all the dirt.”

  “Neither one of us could do the long-distance thing. I’m too young to be tied down to one person, especially if I can’t monitor his ass. Peter got ‘jungle fever,’ and I got a taste for even darker chocolate.” Maria licked her lips.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Hasann.”

  “Alex, what about you? Who’s been warming your sheets?”

  “No one, except my teddy bear, Roger. Thomas doesn’t give me the time of day. He may be seeing someone else, but I can’t prove it. Instead of worrying myself sick over it, I’ve been concentrating on school. I can’t tell you enough what a relief it is to have a break from looking, touching, and examining dead bodies. The smell alone is still lingering in my nostrils.”

  “I met a guy named Bobby. He wants to be an architect working for WASAR,” Charlotte explained.

  I looked at Charlotte in my rearview mirror. “Isn’t that the company that designs airplanes?”

  “Sure is. It’s also the company that will be paying for my new house in a couple of years.”

  “Hmm . . . you’re thinking about marriage already?”

  “Of course, I am. We’re not getting any younger. Next year, we’ll be graduating from college, thank God. Bobby is a real man, and that’s what I need. Besides, I want to have kids early, so I can get my body back in shape as quickly as possible.”

  “You’ve got it all mapped out, huh?”

  Charlotte took a bite out of a graham cracker. “Life is all about planning. Everyone should have a five-year plan.”

  “Enough about men. I figure we could go to the old skating rink down on Military Highway.”

  Maria changed the radio station. “Pass me a graham cracker please. Yeah, you’re right. It’s been forever since we’ve been around the skating rink.”

  Chapter 22

  Is it me, or did the chili dog with cheese make everyone’s stomach turn over?” Maria asked, holding hers.

  “Let me remind you that you’re the only one that ate it.”

  “I think I’ve got painful heartburn and gas, mixed with a bad case of nausea. My stomach is killing me. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Move aside, my butthole and mouth are going to erupt.”

  Charlotte turned the corner to get out of Dodge. “Take it easy.”

  “Maria, slow down. You’re going to slam right into—” My words came seconds too late. She slammed into Charlotte, causing her to trip and sprain her ankle. Well, at least, that’s the way it looked.

  Maria couldn’t hold it in and vomited all over the skating rink. Other patrons came rushing over to help me because I couldn’t carry them both to the car.

  Charlotte’s ankle was turning black and blue by the minute as she screeched wails of pain.

  “Take me to the hospital,” Charlotte pleaded, holding her ankle.

  “I’m going to get there as fast as I can. Are you able to put your seat belt on?” I asked Charlotte.

  Charlotte wiped the dripping sweat off her face. “I don’t give a crap about a seat belt.”

  “Please, hurry, I can feel it coming up again. I need air. Put the window down.”

  I handed Maria a brown paper bag to throw up in.

  “Maria, no, please don’t, not in my car,” I said, backing out of the parking space.

  “Sorry, I dropped the bag.
At least, I didn’t hurl in the back seat. It will come right off your mats. Ah . . . I feel much better,” Maria said, taking a breath of fresh air.

  “Look, I’ll slowly get over the fact that my car smells like rotten eggs. In the meantime, I want you to see a doctor to check you out to rule out food poisoning.”

  “The right side of my stomach hurts to even touch it.”

  “How are you doing, Charlotte?” I asked, rubbing her shoulders.

  “I need drugs. Please give me drugs. Eight hundred milligram will be just fine for me.”

  A man came from out of nowhere and helped bring in Charlotte, while I helped Maria through the door. I was surprised to see it was none other than lollipop man himself.

  “Thanks for helping me with my friends,” I said, giving him a handshake.

  “No problem.” Jarrad smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

  I noticed his hand wrapped up in gauze. “So what are you in here for?”

  “I almost sliced my right thumb off trying to cut down an old tree in my mother’s backyard.”

  “Are you still in pain?”

  “No, but my heart is a little damaged because you refused.”

  “I didn’t refuse, I declined.”

  “Yes, you declined to enjoy an evening of fun with me. I have to admit you hit me with a good comeback line.” Jarrad laughed.

  “I always think on my feet. Since you helped me with my friends, I’ll return the favor and spend an evening with you. Let me say this is just a get-together, not a date. I don’t like you.”

  “I hear you loud and clear, captain. Here’s my number, and may I pick you up at eight on Friday night?” He jotted his number down on a piece of his discharge paper.

  “Yes, here’s my number, and one more thing . . .”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t be late.”

  The emergency room took both of them in right away. I was surprised because the ER made you wait and wait in the waiting room. Once you finally got in to a patient room, you still had to wait for the man or woman of the hour to diagnose you.

  It turned out Maria had a nasty case of appendicitis, and her surgery was going to be in another hour. Charlotte’s ankle was sprained and she did get her wish of pain medication. I called their mothers, and mine to calm me down. I was scared for Maria. She (nor I for that matter) had never been under the knife.