Two weeks later, it was Valentine’s Day.
Paulo and Phoenix were headed to her mother’s house in Washington Heights. They had just left Mrs. Elias’ house in East Harlem.
“I loved your mom,” Phoenix said. “She was wonderful!”
“Yeah,” Paulo smiled fondly. “I am glad you both hit it off. She liked you, I could tell.”
“Funny thing is, she reminded me a little of my mom. They’re about the same size and complexion.” Phoenix snorted. “Except your mom is a lot nicer.”
“I’m sure your mom will be fine. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Thanks for coming with me today. I’ve been wanting to talk to her for so long. I didn’t want this wedge to last between us. She just doesn’t forgive easily and—”
“Really? Hmmmm,” Paulo said with a smirk.
“Yeah, well, that’s where I get it from,” Phoenix retorted. “Every time I have tried to apologize to her in the past, even when she was wrong and hurt me, she would find a way to continue the argument and make it my fault. She has never, ever apologized when she’s hurt me in my entire life. It’s always that I’m disrespectful or that God is going to punish me for defying her. She never owns up to her faults or the critical way she is. I just couldn’t face that as hurt as I was. I stayed away to avoid saying something worse.”
“That’s understandable. But that is the past. We’re going to march in there, introduce me, and mend those broken bonds, alright, Baby?”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
Once they arrived, they prayed together, before exiting the car, and unloading several bags bearing gifts for Phoenix’s mother and grandmother.
In spite of the cold, February day, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Kembro were outside playing cards. “Hi, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Kembro,” Phoenix walked over to them.
“Hello, young lady. Who might you be?” Mr. Kembro asked, barely looking up from his hand.
Phoenix laughed. She’d forgotten that it had been six months and sixty pounds since the last time she’d seen them. “It’s me, Phoenix.”
Mr. Kembro and Mr. Rodriguez eyed her up and down.
“Uh huh,” Mr. Rodriguez said, “Phoenix who?”
“How many Phoenixes do you know?” she giggled, eyeing Paulo who winked at her.
“Phoenix Jean-Baptiste?” Mr. Kembro’s lit cigarette fell out of his mouth. “Is that you? My goodness, Gal! You finally done up and lost some weight. You lookin’ mighty fine, Gal. Mighty fine!”
Mr. Rodriguez struggled to reach out to hug Phoenix from his spot on his wheelchair. Phoenix bent and hugged him tightly. “You look beautiful, Mija. And who is this gentleman? I heard what happened to Cedric.”
Phoenix rolled her eyes. “Let’s not bother discussing him. He’s out of my life for good. This is Paulo Elias. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Well, I’ll be!” Mr. Kembro exclaimed, reaching up to shake Paulo’s hand. “You look like a mighty fine gentleman. Mighty fine!”
After they exchanged a few more pleasantries and Mr. Rodriguez discussed his latest issues with diabetes, his recent cataract surgery, and issues at his family’s restaurant, Phoenix and Paulo were free to head up to see her mother.
Phoenix was practically nauseous. She leaned against Paulo, breathing roughly.
“Hey, my baby,” he crooned, stroking her face with his fingers. “It’s going to be fine. Remember your name. You have already risen up from the ashes of your life. God made sure of it. Just remember that, Baby, okay?”
As usual, Paulo knew the right words to say.
They reached her mother’s floor. As the elevator opened, Phoenix came face-to-face with her mother. Paulo squeezed Phoenix’s hand and pulled her into the hallway.
Phoenix and her mother eyed each other for a second. Her mother squinted and looked her up and down.
When she realized, as only a mother could, that the beautiful, svelte woman in front of her was in fact her daughter, her hands flew to her mouth. “Fe Fe? Is that you?”
“Yes, Ma,” Phoenix answered shyly.”I’ve, uh, I’ve lost some weight and—”Phoenix took a step closer to her mother.
“I missed you so much! You look beautiful!” Magalie threw her arms around her daughter’s neck. “You are beautiful. And so skinny! How much weight have you lost?”
Phoenix smiled. “Sixty pounds, Ma. I’m a size four now. I work out daily and eat right, these days. All because of his help. He helped me lose weight, go back to church, and get my life together”
When she gestured towards Paulo, her mother froze. “And who are you, Young man?”
Paulo grinned. “My name is Paulo Elias, Mrs. Jean-Baptiste. I am in love with your daughter.”
“What?” Magalie’s eyes widened as she took in the tall, golden-toned man with the gorgeous green eyes, bright smile, curly salt-and pepper curls, and broad shoulders. “God bless you, Child!” She moved away from the door. “Come in, come in.”
Phoenix led Paulo into the apartment. She greeted her grandmother with a hug, but her grandmother, Rosemarie, was startled when the strange girl came barreling at her.
“Who is this?” she asked Magalie in Haitian Kreyol.
“Maman, that’s Phoenix. She has lost a lot of weight.”
“Oh! Phoenix!” Her grandmother hugged her precious grandchild hard. “Why have you stayed away for so long? I could have been dead by now.”
“I know, Grandmere. I am so sorry to both you and Ma for not coming sooner. I just didn’t want to fight.”
“Well, you were disrespectful…” Magalie’s frown replaced her wide smile quickly. “You hurt me a lot.”
“I know, Ma. I am sorry for hurting and disrespecting you,” Phoenix responded ruefully.
“And I would like to remind you that I am your mother. You have no right to speak that way to me.”
“Yes, Ma.” Phoenix kept her eyes on Paulo’s steady smile to avoid lashing out.
“But—” Magalie let out a heavy sigh. “As I see this handsome young man with you, I realize that I should apologize for what I said to you. I was foolish to tell you what I did.”
Phoenix looked up at her mother in surprise.
“I was just so afraid you’d end up alone. But I am proud of you. You were willing to be alone rather than let a man mistreat you. Maybe if I had stood up for myself with your father, he would have treated me better.”
Phoenix was overcome as she hugged her mother. “Thanks, Ma. Your apology means a lot. But you know what? I now realize that we are never alone. God is willing to be with us if we allow Him.”
Paulo looked on proudly as his woman made amends and ministered to her mother.
“I know, Fe Fe. I wish I’d known that then.”
Phoenix’s brother, Charles, returned home from work.
“Look at you!” He grabbed his sister in a bear hug. “I am glad you came over. I wish I had known. I got to get to my class. You look fantastic.”
“When did you start school?” Phoenix asked, shocked.
He shook hands with Paulo before turning back to his sister. “Just last month. Mom kept saying how I needed to be more like you, educated and responsible. So I signed up at City College for evening classes! I’m in their physician’s assistant program. But listen, I’m coming by this weekend. We got to talk. I’ve been calling you for six months. Just because you argue with mom don’t mean you got to have beef with all of us! There is so much we gotta talk about. I’m about to be thirty. I am throwing a huge party next month and couldn’t even get you on the phone. I left so many messages. I thought you were gonna miss my birthday.”
“I know, Charlie, I’m sorry,” Phoenix said, hugging him again. “I’ll be home. Just call me.”
Turning to Paulo, Charles put a little bass in his voice and puff in his thin chest. “And, dude, we’ll talk. In the meantime, be good to my sister, you heard?”
“Uh, yeah, Man. Loud and clear,” Paulo prayed he had kept a straight face.
After he lef
t, Phoenix went and retrieved her gifts from the front hall. She handed her mother several bags of clothes. “These are for you, Mom. They are all size sixteen. I can’t wear them anymore but I’m sure there are a few things you’ll like.”
“Oh, Fe Fe, thank you!” Magalie shrieked, snatching the bags. “I need some clothes!”
“Let me help you carry them where you want, Mrs. Jean-Baptiste,” Paulo offered, grabbing several bags.
“Okay, you can take them to my bedroom. I can give you a tour too. It’s not much, but it’s home,” she said, turning to Paulo and gasping. “Wait a minute! Weren’t your eyes green a second ago?”
Phoenix giggled as she watched Paulo blush and shrug. “They, uh, change color on their own, depending on how I’m feeling. What color are they now?”
Magalie stared. “My goodness, you are handsome. Now you have blue eyes.”
Paulo glanced at Phoenix. “That’s because I’m a bit nervous.”
“Oh, Young man, you have nothing to be nervous about,” Magalie said with a laugh, as she led Paulo down the hall.
Phoenix sat at the table to catch up with her grandmother. She tried not to get nervous when her mother suddenly let out a loud shriek from the back of the apartment. She hoped her mother hadn’t seen one of the frequent mice they had in the apartment during Paulo’s first visit.
“Everything alright back there?” she called out.
Magalie and Paulo returned. Magalie was wearing a straight face. “Yes, everything is fine, why?”
“I thought I heard you shout.”
“Oh, I almost tripped,” Magalie answered eyeing Paulo.
“Are you alright?” Phoenix asked concerned.
“I am more than alright, Fe Fe. I am so happy!”
Several hours later, Phoenix and Paulo were at Plataforma, the restaurant they’d gone to for their first official date. They were both enjoying their choice cuts of barbecued beef and fixings.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby,” Paulo said, leaning over to feed Phoenix some of his food.
“Um, thank you. So how did you like my family?” Phoenix asked, before taking a sip of wine.
“I loved them. Like any family, you have your ups and downs, but they seemed great. I am glad I know some French and was able to speak with your grandmother.”
“Yeah. But she could understand your English too. She loved you though.”
“I was happy when your mother agreed to work out with us at the center three days a week. I was ecstatic when your mom and grandmother agreed to join us for church next Sunday. God is awesome, I’ll tell you that.”
“I was amazed too. My mom was flattered when you invited her to come. Then again, my family already loves you. Both my mother and grandmother thought you were a gentleman and so, so, so handsome!” Phoenix said, with a playful roll of her eyes.
Paulo smiled. “And what about you? You think I’m handsome?”
“As if God made you Himself,” Phoenix purred, before leaning forward to give him a gentle kiss.
“Do you think I am handsome enough to marry?”
Phoenix’s jaw dropped.
Paulo stood, knelt on the floor, and opened a box. “You heard your mother shrieking this afternoon? She was excited when I showed her this ring, and asked for your hand in marriage.”
Phoenix was speechless when Paulo presented the three carat, solitaire diamond ring she had playfully tried on during their shopping trip two weeks prior. They had tried on so many different pieces at Zales. She was surprised Paulo remembered her favorite.
“Phoenix, I am so very much in love with you. I have loved you from the beginning. You kept saying that God sent me to be a gift to you when all along, you were a gift to me. I loved you the way you were back then, when we first met, and I love you even more now. Will you please become my wife, Tesuda?”
Phoenix’s mouth trembled and she could not utter a sound. She bobbed her head up and down several times.
Paulo laughed. “Is that a yes, Baby?”
“Yes!” Phoenix jumped up. “Yes! Oh, God, yes!”
The whole restaurant burst into applause. The staff threw on celebratory Samba music, as Paulo slipped the ring on Phoenix’s finger.
Paulo led Phoenix to the makeshift dance floor in the back of the restaurant deciding to teach his fiancé dance moves from his country. After showing her the energetic footwork and twists, he pulled her closely to him, and kissed her. They swayed gently to the pounding Samba beat.
“I can’t believe you want to marry me, after everything I’ve put you through,” Phoenix cried, her face frozen into a grin, as she admired the ring on her finger. “I thought you were just kidding around when we went into Zales. That’s why I went for this huge ring. I didn’t really expect you to get it, at least not anytime soon. Are you sure you want to marry me?
“I do, Baby,” Paulo whispered before kissing her earlobe. “I want to more than anything. I only have one request.”
“What’s that?” Phoenix said, as she gave him a dreamy look.
“Can you please gain some weight before the wedding? I’m Brazilian, and we like women with a little more meat on their bones. ”
Epilogue
From His place on the Throne, the Lord God looked down upon Phoenix and Paulo and was well pleased. Smiling from His place on the throne, the Lord spoke, “Let Us begin the work We have for Paulo and Phoenix to do...”
END
Thank you for taking the time to read my novel. Please stay tuned for my next two novels Ayiti, Part 1 and Ayiti: Continued that will also be featured on Amazon, along with other sites. I will also be updating with new website information. Check regularly. Want to leave a comment or email a question about my work? You may email your thoughts to [email protected]. You may also search for Vacirca Vaughn on Facebook or Goodreads for now. With a name like mine, I should not be hard to find! Please take a moment to leave a comment; I value all kinds of feedback. Please review my work. I would love that!
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