Sorority Sisters

by Tajuana Butler

  “Momma, you know you could take some night classes, and get your GED and get a job.”

  “Now, you know I’m too old for that nonsense. Don’t try to help your momma. I’m doing just fine. I just want you to do good.”

  “It was just a suggestion,” she said with defeat in her voice. Although Tiara loved her mother, her heart ached every time she talked to her on the phone. She so wanted a better life for her, and it was hard to let her mother be the way she was and accept it.

  “That’s why I sent you to school. You gonna be the first one in our entire family to get a degree, and that’s all I need. Then Tamika will follow in your footsteps. Niece too fast for college.”

  “Don’t say that, Momma. When Niece and Tamika come to visit me for a week this summer, they’ll both start doing whatever it takes to come back here when they graduate.”

  “I hope so, but my bill is getting high. I hadn’t talked to you in a while and I just wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

  “Everything’s fine. I love you, Momma, and tell everybody I said hi and that I love them and I’ll be home in about three weeks.”

  “Okay. Three weeks. I love you too. Bye.” They hung up, and Tiara put her pillow over her face. Everything that she was smiling about earlier had faded. She had to figure out how she was going to get her family out of the Indiana slums and into better living conditions. She also wondered how to make her mother not need Charles, and how to make sure her brothers didn’t end up joining gangs, or start selling drugs, or even worse, get killed before they were twenty-one. She finally concluded that she could only do what she was already doing—get her degree and get a good job that would allow her to ease the financial burden on her mother so she wouldn’t need to depend on Charles, or anybody else, for survival.

  To find comfort, she attempted to call Rhonda, but she got her answering machine. At the tone, Tiara yelled her sorority call and said, “Hey, Big Sister slash Soror, I can’t believe you’re not home. Call me later, and hug Freeman for me. Love and peace!”

  She hung up the phone and decided she wasn’t going to spend her day in bed mourning. There were things in life she was never going to be able to change about her mother, her family, and her past. She promised herself to accept all the things she had been ashamed of. She would accept herself as Tiara, a work in progress. Her social class wasn’t as important as her loving, accepting, and allowing herself to move forward and grow. “Man, I’m beginning to sound like Rhonda,” she said out loud.

  She walked over to her closet to find something to wear. She wanted to be dressed if Ben called. And if he didn’t, she would go do something with somebody else. There was always Gina and Sandra, and, of course, she had four new sisters to hang out with.

  After showering and shampooing, she wrapped her hair and sat under the hair dryer. While under the dryer, she pampered herself with a much-needed manicure and pedicure. She then washed her face and spritzed with mineral water. Afterward, she prepared an egg mask, using only the yolk for her dry skin. Once the mask set, she rinsed her face. She ran the faucet a while to get the water as hot as possible, and soaked a washcloth under the running water, then rung it semidry and placed it on her face, allowing the steam to open her pores. It felt good. She spritzed her face again with cold mineral water. She touched her cheeks. “It feels as good as if I had gone to a spa,” she said.

  Once dressed, Tiara opened the latest Essence magazine and flipped through the pages. She was determined not to read anything dealing with her major. She loved this particular magazine. Rhonda introduced her to it and bought her a two-year subscription as part of her graduation gift. According to her big sister, Essence was the most complete magazine for women, from beginning to end, and she agreed.

  She read two interesting articles and learned some new beauty tips, and then the phone rang. Her heart raced. I hope it’s Ben, she wished.

  “May I speak to the finest lady in Campton Tower?” It was Ben. His voice was so sexy and masculine.

  “Well, if you mean Tiara, this is she.”

  “Hi, cutie!”

  “Hi back to you,” she teased. They laughed.

  “So, miss, what are your plans for today?”

  “Well, I’m booked solid. I already have a date with this guy . . . His name is Ben. He’s all that. You couldn’t even compete,” she joked.

  “Is that so?” he replied. “Well, that’s okay because I too have a date. I’m gonna be hanging out with Tiara, and let me tell you, she is one gorgeous young lady. She’s intelligent and sexy. Now I know you can’t compete with that.”

  “I guess she wins,” Tiara said.

  “I guess he does too,” he replied. “So what time do we meet them?”

  “Well, I was hoping to see my guy soon.”

  “How about thirty minutes.”

  “Okay. See you downstairs,” she said.

  “Hey, dress casual,” he instructed.

  “All right. See you in a few.”

  Tiara was glad it would be a casual date. She was already dressed casually, in her sorority’s paraphernalia, of course. She had on a T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, which was unusual for her. But she had worn tennis shoes so much while on line that she began to appreciate the comfort.

  She ran to the mirror and freshened her makeup. She was so excited. This was going to be her first real date.

  Tiara met Ben in the lobby of her dormitory. He was also wearing jeans and tennis shoes. Ben was extremely attractive. He was tall, thin, and muscular, and he wore his clothes well. He was dark-skinned and had light brown eyes and perfect, bright white teeth. His hair was always perfectly trimmed close to his head, and he wore two earrings. The brother had style, which is what had initially attracted her.

  “So, what’s up for today?” she asked, as they walked out to his car. She couldn’t imagine what they would be doing on a date that started at three.

  “Well . . .” He grinned. “I wanted to take you to one of my favorite places. No, two of my favorite places.”

  “What are they?” she asked.

  “Well, the first one is over that way.” He smiled and pointed in one direction. “And the other is that way.” He then pointed in the opposite direction.

  “Well, I guess I’m gonna be in suspense all day. This could be fun.”

  “I’ll tell you this much—we’re going downtown.”

  “Okay. At least I now know you’re not taking me to some foreign country,” she joked.

  Ben drove a used sports car. It was nothing flashy, but it was spotless. When he started the car, he quickly turned down the blasting music. They immediately engaged in light conversation. They talked about when they first met, and why they were drawn to each other. Ben told Tiara that he liked the way she took charge during the rehearsal the night before the show. “You’re a strong woman, Tiara, I like that,” he said. “Most girls I dated in high school were soft-spoken and weren’t opinionated, at least around me. You speak your mind, that’s sexy.”

  “Well, I’ve had to be strong, I grew up in the projects—survival of the fittest,” she said proudly. “Now, I’m majoring in engineering. You can’t be a weakling and keep a decent GPA—the classes are no joke.”

  “I hear you and I’m impressed,” he said.

  “So what about you? What’s your story?”

  “Well, I went to a coed private high school that was predominantly white. I got a basketball scholarship to another school, but wasn’t interested in playing college ball. Since I knew I wasn’t good enough to play professional ball, I didn’t even bother.”

  “Smart decision.”

  “I have to take my education seriously because I’m the first in my family to attend college. Both my parents had good-paying factory jobs, but they want a degree in the family. That’s where I come in,” he said proudly, and took one of his hands off the steering wheel and held it up. “I’m holding my family’s future in my hands.”

  “Tell me about it,
” she replied, thinking of her own responsibilities.

  Downtown, they parked at a meter and began walking. Although she had been in the city for two years, she wasn’t familiar with the downtown attractions, because she didn’t have a car and none of her friends ever wanted to go.

  They walked up to a two-story building, which housed an African-American museum.

  “We’re at our first stop,” he announced.

  “A museum?” Tiara was shocked. Ben didn’t look like the museum type.

  “Is this okay?” he asked, hoping she was not disappointed.

  “This is perfect.” She smiled. She was thrilled because she would be able to look back on her first date and say he was not only fine, but also educated and culturally aware. She couldn’t wait to tell Rhonda. She would be proud.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Malena walked through the door of her apartment. She hadn’t been there all weekend because she had spent the last two nights at Ray’s. Tammy and Philip were finishing up a late breakfast.

  “Malena, am I glad to see you. Your girl here has been driving me crazy since you haven’t been around. She really missed you. Are you in and out today, or are you back for good? Please say you’re in,” said Philip.

  “Praise the Lord!” she exclaimed. “I’m back for good.”

  “Good, ’cause your girl, Tammy, has been a nutcase.”

  “Don’t believe him,” Tammy said, trying to defend herself while playfully kicking his leg.

  “Well, I missed Tammy too,” Malena said. “Especially last night. Why didn’t y’all come to the party?”

  “Well, we, ah . . . well, we lost track of time and were . . . well, you know,” Philip stuttered.

  “Gross! You two make me sick. Y’all were more interested in studying anatomy than partying with me,” she joked. They laughed.

  “Sorry we missed it, Malena. How was it?”

  “Off the hook!”

  “I knew it would be. Was Ray there?”

  “Of course. We’ve been together all weekend. We left the party early ourselves. We were still trying to catch up.”

  “Gross back to you,” Tammy joked.

  “Ray? Yeah, he’s the one you dissed my man Anthony for,” Philip teased.

  “See, I know you didn’t go there,” Malena said.

  “My boy has been sick. But he’s gonna be okay. He met a little cutie himself, about two weeks ago, and they’ve been kickin’ it strong.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Malena was glad he’d found someone, because she felt bad about the abrupt way she had stopped seeing him. “I knew he wouldn’t have a problem getting back into the dating game. Anthony’s a good man,” she added.

  “What are you doing tonight, hanging out with your sorors?” Tammy asked.

  “Nah, girl, we need a break from each other. It seems like we’ve been around one another nonstop way longer than seven weeks. I’m just gonna hang out with Ray. What are y’all doing tonight?”

  “We really don’t have any concrete plans.”

  “Well, why don’t we couple up? That way Tammy and I can spend time together, and, Philip, you can meet Ray.”

  “Oh, good, we have so much catching up to do,” Tammy said.

  “Oh, Lord. I don’t know if I’m going. You two will talk nonstop,” said Philip.

  “See, you’re starting already,” Tammy said, and stuck her fingers in her glass of water, then flicked water on his face. He retreated, and they started a water fight that ended with them both drenched.

  Malena shook her head and walked into her bedroom, lighting candles along the way as she went into the bathroom. She filled her tub with warm water and bubbles. Then she picked out a CD that she hadn’t heard in a long while and put it on. It was a variety of smooth Caribbean melodies. “Oh, now that really hits the spot,” she said aloud. It seemed like it had been so long since she really had time alone. She hadn’t taken a bath in ages, and showers never relaxed her the same way. She undressed and sank into the bubble bath, relaxed, meditated, and reflected on the events of the last two months.

  There was a knock at the door of Malena and Tammy’s apartment.

  “Oh, good, that’s probably Ray. I’ll get it,” Malena said. When she opened the door Ray stood there with a single pink carnation.

  “For me?” Malena asked.

  “Of course. I would have gotten you a pink rose, but they were all out. Now give me some suga’ and tell me I’m the man,” Ray joked.

  Malena put her arms around his neck and laid a juicy kiss on his lips, and in a dramatic tone said, “Ray, Ray . . . you . . . are . . . the man!” They both giggled and walked into the apartment. “Have a seat on the couch, and I’ll see if Tammy and Phil are ready.”

  “Okay, but just one more kiss.” He pulled her by the hand, hugged and kissed her, and said, “You know there’s no return, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “You’ve spoiled me, and you can’t undo that. You just have to keep on doing it.”

  “I know, and it’s a shame. I’ve created a monster, and I don’t know what to do with you now,” Malena said. She walked toward Tammy’s room and yelled through the door, “Let’s go! Ray’s here!”

  “We’ll be out in a second!” Tammy yelled from the other side.

  “Okay!” she responded, and walked back over to the couch where Ray was sitting. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “No, I’m straight,” he answered. Malena was glad he declined, because she wasn’t sure whether or not they had any drinks in the refrigerator.

  Tammy and Philip came out of the room wearing matching outfits—jeans and Tommy Hilfiger rugbys.

  “You two are so corny,” Malena said.

  “Ah, you just jealous ’cause we’re styling and you’re not,” Philip joked.

  “So, where did you get those shirts from?” Malena asked.

  “Philip got them from the PX on base. They were dirt cheap,” Tammy answered.

  “Aaaaaah, y’all look too cute,” Malena said, then introduced Ray. “Philip, this is Ray.”

  “Hey man, what’s up?” Ray said, and stood up to shake Philip’s hand. “I heard a lot about you.”

  “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  “No doubt, man,” Ray responded.

  Philip gave him a once-over, and then looked over at Malena. He said, as if it really mattered, “He’s cool!”

  “Oh, I already know that,” she said.

  “I’m starved. Let’s go!” Tammy said.

  “So what’s the plan?” Ray asked.

  “We’re gonna get fast food and then see a movie.”

  “Cool. What’s playing?”

  “We don’t know. We figured we could all decide what we’re going to see once we get there,” Malena answered.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Ray said.

  They walked out and began their evening. Malena and Tammy were double-dating again, as they usually did on the weekends. Only this time, Malena was truly satisfied with the man with whom she would be spending the evening.

  TWENTY-SIX

  While walking to class, Cajen ran into Chancey. They did their sorority call and hugged each other.

  “Hey girl,” Cajen said.

  “Hey yourself. You look very nice today, almost like you’re glowing. What’s different about you?”

  “Do I seem different?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Well, I’ve got a new perspective on life, and I’m not gonna let anything that happened between me and Jason stop me from living it.”

  “Well, good for you, and good riddance to him,” Chancey said.

  “My words exactly.”

  “So, what about your friend, what’s his name?”

  “Eric?” Cajen questioned.

  “Yeah, Eric.”

  “Well, we decided to remain friends. But we’re gonna continue to take it slow and see what happens. We’re both still young. But you know wh
at? He told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him too. And Chancey, I do love him.”

  “Cajen, I am so happy you have a friend like Eric in your life.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “So, where are you headed?” Cajen asked.

  “Don is parked in front of the Student Center waiting for me. He said he needed to talk.”

  “Did it sound like it was a good kind of talk or a bad kind of talk?”

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s anything too bad.”

  “Good, because I don’t want nothing but good news, at least for a little while.”

  “Cajen!” a familiar voice yelled from behind them.

  They stopped walking and turned around. It was Jason.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Can I help you?” Cajen asked nonchalantly.

  “Yeah, I just want to apologize for the other night. Baby, that was nothing, for real.”

  “Nothing! Jason, that’s your problem. Nothing in life means anything to you. You couldn’t care less about how you affect other people’s lives, and what’s even worse, you don’t even care about your own life.”

  “So what you trying to say, Cajen? You through with me?”

  “Jason, it was over between us when it began. Just do me two favors: Stay out of my life, and please, by all means, the next time you get a beautiful young lady in bed, show some respect to yourself and to her . . . use a condom!” Cajen felt a rush. The spell was broken. She wasn’t letting Jason control her emotions any longer. Pleased with herself, she turned from him and walked away. Jason was speechless, and he could only stare.

  Chancey rolled her eyes at him and caught up with Cajen.

  “You go, girl!” she exclaimed.

  “Now, that really felt good,” Cajen responded, as they walked down the sidewalk toward the building where Cajen’s class was held.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Chancey and Cajen parted, and Chancey walked to the Student Center. Don’s car was parked in front, but he wasn’t sitting in it. She found him standing in the parking lot, signing autographs for a group of professionally dressed ladies who were probably in their late thirties. Chancey waved hello to him while she put her backpack in his car, and leaned against the front of it. She was used to this routine and knew all too well that his fans weren’t interested in meeting her. They were too concerned with absorbing as much attention from him as they possibly could within the time he was kind enough to share with them.