by Pat Simmons
“Hmm. I cherish the memories of playing with Suzette when we were small. I try to hold on to happy memories when I have flashbacks of her dying from cancer. That was hard. Queen shifted on the sofa. “Anyway, I can tell you like babies. Make sure you don’t have any with a man who doesn’t make your feelings a priority.”
“I’m supposed to be married first,” Kami said.
Family drilled that into her head and so did the Bible. Honestly, she was too young to get married, but she loved Tango.
“Yeah, that’s what people say,” her aunt mumbled then picked up the remote.
Hours later after watching three murder mysteries, Kami yawned and stretched. “What time do you go to church in the morning?”
Queen waved her off. “I don’t have a set time or church. I visit a couple of places, but none have convinced me to commit.”
“So we don’t have to go to church?” Instead of the confirmation relieving Kami, it saddened her and she didn’t know why.
“Unless you want to go.”
“Nope. I’ll rest too,” Kami was quick to say. This was a vacation. God would always be there.
Kami stretched in her bed. Sun filtering through tilted shutters brightened the room. She rolled on her side, folded her arms, then rested her head. Welcome to Sunday morning. The house was eerily quiet, not the usual chaos she had grown accustomed to with everyone hustling to get ready for church. Today, there was no rush to get out of bed.
Yes, she did need this vacation from church, and she wasn’t talking about vacation Bible school. This summer would be a test of how she would live the rest of her life.
Without Me? God whispered His question.
Since it was impossible to lie in His presence, Kami admitted the truth, “Just for a little while. I want to make my own choices.” Even the Amish had a Rumspringa period where they could make decisions about finding a marriage partner and what was acceptable social behavior.
Eventually, she and Queen enjoyed a late brunch and lounged on the deck most of the day. “You want to go shopping?” her aunt asked, displaying her white teeth, which were a bright contrast against her dark skin.
“Please tell me you’re joking?” The shopping spree the day before would be seared into her mind forever. “Um-um, unless it’s online.”
“Chicken.” Queen laughed. “I forgot I’ve been invited to a swimming party next Sunday at my boss’ house in Bixby. His home is beyond description—the two-level library got me the first visit.”
Books? Kami loved to read, so she was sold without any further persuasion.
“But we have to go shopping to get you a flattering bathing suit and sarong. Plus, I can’t show up with what I had on last year.”
Tuesday morning, Kami waved goodbye to her aunt as Pearl unlocked the doors to the salon.
“How are those nails holding up?” She examined Kami’s fingers. “Andrea will be here in an hour. Jazz will give you a facial and makeover—on the house if you want. Plus, if you want to try something new with your hair, I think some highlights and curls will transform you.”
“Cool,” Kami said excitedly. “This will be better than them YouTube tutorials.”
“Amateurs.” Miss Pearl waved her hand in the air. “We’re professionals here.” She paused and grinned. “Some of them are really good.” They shared a laugh.
By mid-morning with few customers in the salon, Kami was served like a client with a facial. The thick paste-like mask made her feel like a mummy. At least, she could breathe. When the encasement was rinsed off and the moisturizer was massaged into her neck and face, Kami was in awe at her reflection. “Wow.” Kami couldn’t stop touching her skin.
“Tomorrow, when we have downtime,” Jazz said, “I’ll show you how to highlight your features with contours.”
Kami couldn’t wait. She was making money and getting beauty tips at the same time. Whenever a client entered the salon, she received compliments on how striking she looked or how her skin was glowing.
Jazz came to the receptionist’s desk and chuckled. “You are my secret weapon. I’ve had four people who want to schedule facials because of you.”
Kami beamed. She felt like a trendsetter.
Even Queen was amazed when she came downstairs to bring lunch. “Wow. You were already pretty, but you’re glowing! You’re going to turn heads.”
“Thanks, Queen.” Kami blushed. “I don’t think I could get any prettier than you without makeup.”
“Trust me, some of us are born divas.” She lifted her hand, and Kami slapped it with a high five.
Later at home, a cool breeze enticed Kami and Queen outside for an evening stroll through the neighborhood. Kami liked the feel of the self-contained community for residents only. Queen waved at some neighbors at the same time Kami’s cell rang with a three-one-four area code. She recognized her brother’s number.
“Hey, kid. How it’s going?” Pace asked at the same time she heard whistles and catcalls. Turning around, she was surprised that she was the center of attention from players on a basketball court. She ignored them. “What’s all the noise in the background?”
“Queen and I are walking through her village—”
“Village? You’re supposed to be in Oklahoma, not on the African continent.”
Kami sighed. “Her neighborhood is divided into villages. It’s neat with a clubhouse, tennis, and basketball court, which we were passing now, and I can’t believe some guys are trying to flirt with me. Queen said—”
“Queen, huh? Since when did you stop calling her Aunt Queen?” He paused. “And don’t trust any guy that’s playing hoops. They’re probably bidding on you right now to see who can sleep with you first.”
What? She didn’t come to Tulsa for a summer fling. She already had a boyfriend. She huffed. “Stop being a big brother. They can look all they want, but my heart belongs to Tango. You’ll see when I come back home.”
Pace was quiet. She said hello to see if he was still there.
“Well, I’m glad you’re having fun. Not too much. Hold on. Mom wants to talk to you.”
“How you doing, sweetie? I heard you got a job.”
“Yes.” She beamed. “I had to fill out tax forms and everything. I like working at a real salon. I also get free stuff like pedicures, manicures, and facials. Queen says I’m glowing.”
“Umm-hmm. No aunt or cousin, just Queen?”
“It was her idea,” Kami defended. Why was everyone making a big deal out of it?
“Anyway, I thought you would have called me to tell me all about your first day.”
“I’ve been busy, Mom. You know this is my summer vacation.” She walked a few paces and backtracked to stay near Queen.
“Have you gone to church there?”
Here we go. “No. We’ve slept in.”
“Hmm. If you want, I can contact some of our sister churches in the area.”
“I’ll let you know,” she said, eying the guys who were still trying to get her attention. “Okay, Mom, got to go. Love you. Tell Dad I love him too.” She disconnected.
Minutes later, Queen looped her arm through Kami’s and dragged her away. “You want the right kind of attention from the opposite sex. They’re probably in heat.”
Why did she sound like Pace? Kami smiled and waved anyway. A couple of guys blew her kisses, one gripped his crotch. Maybe her aunt and brother were right. She had never seen Tango do that.
Chapter Eight
Cheney hadn’t always had a stellar relationship with her mother. Actually, they didn’t speak for a couple of years. It was Cheney’s fault when she distanced herself from the family because of personal relationship problems. Maybe God was paying her back with the recent disconnect from her own daughter.
When she adopted Kami, Cheney was on a mission to prove she could be a better mother than Gayle Reynolds had been. The joke had been on Cheney because she was making a mess of being a good mother.
God quickly let her see that parenting
wasn’t one size fits all. Prayer brought reconciliation, restoration, and the realization that her mom had indeed dispensed seeds of wisdom growing up that Cheney had rejected. She entered her bedroom and closed the door to call her mother.
“How are you holding up with Kami gone for the summer?” was Gayle’s first question after the pleasantries.
“Lonely.”
“You have a house of four males. There is no way you can get lonely. If I were you, I would find a hiding place.”
She chuckled. “That’s what I’m doing now.” Then she sobered. “Mom, what am I doing wrong with Kami?”
“Everything and nothing.” Gayle laughed. “Where do I begin? Seriously, you’re a good mother, and I’m proud of you as a wife and mother.”
Cheney’s spirits lifted. Praise from her mother meant a lot, but it didn’t solve her immediate problem, so she vented. “Sometimes I wish I had two daughters, so when one stopped talking to me, I had the other. Silly, huh?”
“It doesn’t work like that. You would wind up turning one against the other.” She paused. They were probably thinking the same thing. Her older sister, Janae, had taken her mother’s side and stopped talking to Cheney too. “I don’t read the Bible as much as you, but I do know if our sweet little Kami gets lost trying to find her way, God will go looking for His lost sheep.”
“Amen.” Cheney had read those passages in Matthew 18 and Luke 15 many times over. She never thought Kami would be the one to get lost. “Thanks, Mom, for the pep talk. Love you.”
After disconnecting the call, she went in search of her husband and joined him on the back deck. “Your daughter sends her love,” she said in an upbeat tone to mask her melancholy after talking to Kami. It was a skill she had practiced and mastered being a mother.
“How does she sound?” he asked nonchalantly, searching her eyes for the truth.
Pace grunted. “Like she needs to be rescued from herself,” he said coming out the kitchen door. He was on his third burger, leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.
Cheney eyed her husband. She saw the worry flash across his face before it disappeared.
If their daughter was having too much of a good time without any restraints, then that could constitute a rescue operation.
“What do you mean, son?” Parke gave Pace his full attention.
“She sounds different, a lot of attitude and a magnet to the opposite sex.” Pace explained. “I’ve got some cool friends, but I keep them away from my sister, just in case they think she’s cute.”
Cheney smirked. “Kami is cute, son.” For a brother and sister who never seemed to get along, Pace was wearing his concern and love for his sister on his sleeve.
“Kami’s having growing pains, like you did. While you questioned everything to reason it for yourself, your sister isn’t thinking at all.” She nodded to herself. “One thing’s for certain, prayer changes things.”
Fast time. It was beyond time. When things became hard, it called for drastic measures, a Biblical fast—no food or water— at least twenty-four hours. The devil wasn’t going to be happy. He was going down!
Chapter Nine
Sunday afternoon, Kami almost stumbled in her five-inch heels, not because they were too high, but at the sight of the mansion where the swimming party was underway.
The steps from the circle drive on East 109th Place reminded Kami of a photo she had seen of an elegant stairwell, wide at the base and narrow as it ascended into heaven. She heard voices coming from the back as they stood in front of a set of double doors made of frosted glass and wrought iron.
Queen tapped the doorbell and a short—or maybe not, since her aunt had on heels—older White man opened it. Kami assumed he was the butler.
The foyer was as impressive as the entryway with fifteen- or twenty-foot tall ceilings. The wrought-iron accent continued up the spiral stairwell. Sure enough, she could see the library and the balcony that overlooked it. Bookshelves lined the upper walls too.
“Wow.”
“I told you.” Queen nudged her.
The swimming party was cool, but there was nothing more appealing than cozying up with a book until she drifted off to sleep.
A grand piano was the centerpiece in the huge foyer. Her parents had tried to convince her to take piano lessons, but she opted to put all her energy into dancing and cheerleading. Too bad. She could imagine her gliding her fingers across the keyboard, playing to the sunset.
“Ladies, this way,” the butler said and walked toward the music and voices.
The backyard seemed as massive as the house. Kami’s mouth dropped as she spied a baby grand piano set on auto play, serenading the guests under a covered patio near the pool.
Heads turned their way as if they’d stepped on a runway. Queen smiled and waved, soaking up the attention as she swayed her hips with each strut to greet other guests. She was such a beauty that she could win a pageant without trying.
Although there were a handful of other Blacks, her parents had taught her to be comfortable in her skin—a biracial girl who could date and marry a man of any ethnicity. Kami was surprised and pleased she wasn’t the only teenager there. She had half expected to see all old folks. A few guys looked about her age. One was buffed like her brother, Pace, but not as cute.
She fingered her spiral curls, knowing her makeup was polished. Miss Pearl and the others in the salon would approve. The highlights were growing on Kami who was accustomed to her jet-black hair. The accent made her look completely different in a good way.
Where coral was Queen’s color against her dark skin, Kami had learned the right shade of blue complemented her fair skin tone. Once she returned home, Kami planned to add more blues to her wardrobe.
“You have a gift from God,” her aunt said about her legs as Kami slipped her pedicured feet into her heels. “You should always pick clothes to showcase them.”
I gave you My gift when I poured out My spirit upon you. You heard the evidence of Me speaking through your tongues, God reminded her of Acts 2:4.
Kami didn’t deny God’s gifts, but at the moment, she chose to concentrate on her legs as two guys and a girl approached her. After the introductions, they exchanged ages, schools, and where they lived. She soon forgot about the books and peeking in the library.
David and Todd were the host’s nephews. Both were one year older than her and had just graduated high school. Susanna just had a sweet sixteen party and was the daughter of one of her aunt’s coworkers Todd’s eyes were ocean blue and mesmerizing.
When she told them her brother had graduated too, the young men asked where he would attend college in the fall. “Pace turned down Rice and Stanford for Tuskegee.” Their clueless expression inspired her to give them a brief recap of the university’s significance in history, then she boasted of her brother’s intellect for engineering.
Seemingly bored with talk about colleges, Susanna changed the subject, “Kami, what are you doing next Sunday? Want to do brunch and a movie?”
“I’ll drive. I got a new convertible last month. The ride’s part my birthday and part graduation gift,” Todd said with mischief in his eyes. “I can be your personal chauffeur while you’re here and give you a tour.”
“My aunt has already done that.” Kami was cordial, but made it clear she wasn’t interested in his personal services.
Susanna pulled out her phone. “Since you’ll be here all summer, give me your number and you’ll have mine.”
“Okay, before I leave.” Kami didn’t want Todd or Dave to eavesdrop. If Tango couldn’t call her, neither would they.
The four were inseparable as they paraded across the pool, sampling cool fruit desserts and appetizers and chatting as they went. Soon, the guys showed off their skills in the pool while she and Susanna sat at the edge. Removing their sandals, the two slipped their legs into the water and wiggled their polished toenails.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Susanna asked and they saved each other’s numbers in their phon
es.
“Yep,” Kami said proudly, grinning. She leaned back on her arms and closed her eyes to see Tango’s face.
“I figured you did. You’re so pretty. I saw Todd checking you out.”
Kami opened one eye and turned. “Not interested. I have Tango. We even got tattoos.” She showed Susanna the tattoo near her wrist. “This is the reason why I’m here. My parents are trying to keep Tango and me apart.” She twisted her lips, bummed out thinking about it.
“Oh, that’s sad.” The girl frowned. “Why?”
“They don’t think he’s good for me, so I’m staying with my aunt for the summer to supposedly”—she made quotations in the air— “make me forget about him.”
Susanna nodded. “I’ve had two boyfriends.” She looked around and lowered her voice. “I had sex with one of them because I thought we really liked each other—I thought— but he left me for one of my friends.” She bowed her head.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Kami felt bad for the girl.
She looked up again. “Hopefully, your boyfriend won’t treat you like that.”
Shaking her head, Kami said, “He won’t.” They continued to talk about boys, makeup, and hobbies.
When their conversation turned to their favorite books, David and Todd appeared out of nowhere. She hadn’t realized the two had gotten out of the pool.
“My uncle has a massive library with hidden compartments. Want to check it out?” Todd’s excitement was contagious, and the temptation was too great for Kami to resist.
Susanna shrugged.
“Yes.” Todd assisted Kami to her feet. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand, but she tugged it free.
Inside the house, Kami felt like she had entered a different world surrounded by books. In awe, she wished she could read all of them as she fingered the texture of the old hardbound covers and worn paperbacks. Susanna didn’t seem too interested, but Todd followed closely behind her.
Turning around, she jumped when he was right there. It was no accident that he tried to pin her against the wall. When he attempted to kiss her and touch her breasts, Kami promptly kneed him in the groin like her brothers had taught her, so she wouldn’t become a #MeToo victim.