BOMAW 1-3

by Mercedes Keyes

  "Like... humiliate him by embarrassing him and going with all of his girlfriends."

  "Yes... unfortunately... I'm afraid so. I couldn't see it at the time. I placed him as a middle child with too much energy, as mischievous as I was. My poor son, he couldn't compete with Shawn who was the oldest. He couldn't have Derrick for himself, because Shawn and Derrick were close and protected each other, sticking together. So what was left for him, his two little sisters, whom once again... his father doted on... spoiling you and Kathy Ann - who tried to champion Jake... but he didn't want her attention, he wanted his fathers. And you know what Shanna... I think there were times, when he would have loved for Shawn to include him. But... he'd set up his own vicious circle, because of always doing things to aggravate Shawn and Shawn, was slowly growing more tense, more angry, more impatient. His only means of relaxing was when he drew. I would watch him just slip away, as if he was in another world. So I bought him his first canvases and paints, and later on a professional camera. Once again, Jake felt left out because I'd bought that for Shawn, in his eyes, making Shawn again... special. Jake just wanted somebody's attention. I just wish I'd realized it back then before it was too late... before the two grew so far apart. But I was too busy protecting Shawn and looking after him to know it then."

  "Wow... you know what... I guess its true, because Jake was fine once Shawn left home. He didn't do those things to Derrick."

  "I know. But now that Shawn is back, I see the old Jake starting up again. You saw the way he was with Sylvia... I sure hope to God he doesn't interfere with your brother again, they're grown men now, Jake should be over that."

  "Hmmm." Shanna murmured not so sure. The 80 X 80 garage door opened with Jake pulling his truck out and her father with his work overalls walking out slowly beside it. The two got along well now, Jake and her father.

  "Shanna..."

  "Yes momma?"

  "You keep what I told you, to yourself now... you hear?"

  "Of course momma, I would never tell anyone. I promise."

  Chapter 63

  "Whoa dude, so all this land yours then?" Mundo asked Shawn as they walked over his land from behind his house, leaving the women in the house gabbing. Victor had to work so it was only sister and brother, Isaac and Darren.

  "Yep, all of those woods down the back and over. There's a lot on the other side of those woods, I'm going to purchase that as well for my sister." Shawn spoke as they slowly strolled along.

  "Is we gone get t'ride yo' motorcycle?" Isaac asked for the fifth time, out walking with them.

  "Listen up lil'o'white boy! Ask 'bout that motorcycle one mo' time, an' I'mo choke yo'lil end and hide you in these woods! Understand?!" Mundo asked his nephew, who was starting to get on his nerves.

  "No you ain't - gone choke me... I'ah tell my mama - she choke you - hide you in'dah'woods!" Isaac fussed back, bringing a grin to Shawn's face watching nephew and uncle come up against each other.

  "I don't think so! 'Cause you gone already be hid in the woods! So there!"

  "My - my - my ghos' come back... tell my mama - on you! An' she - gone - beat - yo' - black - ass!"

  Shawn threw his head back and roared laughing as Mundo looked over at him grinning, trying not to laugh out, he loved to get his nephew wound up.

  "Yo' mama can't beat no'body! Who you think yo'mama is! She ain't bad!"

  "My - my grandmama beat yo' ass then!"

  That one got Mundo, his laughter joined in with Shawn's as he bent over holding his stomach.

  "Yo' lil'white ass know you crazy!"

  "I ain't white - I'mah nigga like you!"

  "HEY!" Both men shouted at him at the same time. Isaac's eyes got big as he looked from Shawn to his uncle.

  "Listen here young man, I don't ever wanna hear you say that word again, you understand?" Shawn crouched down in front of him talking face to face. He looked hurt like he was going to cry. "M - my - my mama say it."

  "That's different boy! Yo' mama look black... like I look black! You might be black on the inside, but on the outside, you look white! Sayin' that word around the wrong folks gone get you killed boy. 'specially they don't know where you come from." Mundo fussed at him. Walking up to him, he held his hands out to him. "Come here." Shawn stood so that Isaac could go to him. Mundo picked him up and hugged him, rubbing his back. "'sides, I ain't no nigga, I'on care what yo' mama call me. An' you ain' either, understand?" Shawn observed the two, uncle and nephew totally different. Mundo was the male version of Sylvia, but darker in complexion, with his hair braided and rows going into different patterns, starting to head towards dred locks. He wore an earring in his left ear, and even though he looked like his mother, Shawn could see the similarities in DJ and him. They were built the same, bodies solid, strong and athletic. Their hair was a similar texture Shawn could see, even though Mundo's was braided. It was easy to see they had the same father. As he inspected Mundo, he realized that he only had his mother's eyes and nose. Shawn imagined the rest of him was his father, especially the hair, because Shawn knew that Sylvia's hair type was more afro like, he knew that from feeling her new growth, as she called it. He was fascinated by it and often found his fingers in her hair, searching to feel the cluster of tight little curls close to her scalp.

  Then there was Isaac, straight, blonde hair, brown eyes and fair skin, one thing Shawn began to notice, his hair was starting to curl a bit. Should a stranger however see them together, there was no way they'd think the two related. As he watched them, he wondered about the child Sylvia now carried, if indeed it were a boy, or a girl... didn't matter, would there be such a strong contrast in him and his child, or Sylvia and their child? It could go either way, darker or lighter, he really didn't care which way it went, as long as he or she was healthy. They continued on their walk, talking about this and that. Mainly Shawn at first telling Mundo about himself, his earlier life in California, of course all of the good things, he would never divulge the uglier parts of his past.

  "Man that is so cool, that you can just see stuff and put it on canvas, I would love to draw, but it ain't in me." Mundo interjected still holding Isaac, whose head was on his shoulder and looked like he might be dropping off to sleep. "I think he needs a nap, we should probably be heading back to lay him down." Shawn suggested.

  "You ain't kiddin', 'cause lil'dude is heavy!"

  When they made it back to Sylvia's house, she was on the phone talking with her mother.

  "Mama why don't you just let me come and get you now, so we don't end up rushing at the last minute. I hope you remember that we're getting married this coming Friday. This weekend is the best time for you to come."

  "What am I suppose to do there all week!? Who gone watch my house?!"

  "Mama that house got fifty thousand locks on it, ain't nobody going in there!" She returned exasperated. Crystal sat listening and laughing as she made eye contact with Shawn and her brother who just walked in carrying Isaac. Mundo walked straight to the basement door and down it going to lay him on the sofa bed in the basement where Darren was sleeping.

  "Well if I'm not here Sylvia... they got all the time in the world to get through'em don't they?"

  "Mama please..." Sylvia whimpered. "Ms Eartha right downstairs... I'm sure she can keep an eye out on it for you."

  "Me and her ain't talkin'! She late on her rent!"

  "Lord have mercy, Jesus mama! I give up. If you don't want to come to your own daughter's wedding, that's your choice."

  "You didn't invite me to the first one did you?"

  "Mama there wasn't no first one, we got married at the courthouse, no one was there but two of my friends as a witness."

  "Emm hm, well... I'll see what I can do."

  "Mama you need to let me come and get you now... did you get a hold of David and Jr?" Sylvia looked over at Shawn who was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over his chest, feet crossed at the ankles, trying not to laugh out at her as she grinded her teeth together making a face of
absolute frustration and impatience.

  "Chile look... this is not a good time for me! I am not leaving my house right now. As for your brother's, you know better. I can't find Lucas Jr. don't know where he is and I haven't heard from him in months, as for David... you don't want him there spoiling your wedding, you know how he is. Wait until he hear that you marrying a white man, ain't gone be no end to the stuff he gone be talkin'!"

  "David's not like that mama, maybe Lucas Jr. - anyway, whatever mama, if they don't come, they don't come. As for you, yeah... stay and guard your house." Sylvia's jaw was clenching to fight back tears, she turned her back to Shawn and Crystal. It was the story of her life. Her mother had never shown up for anything that meant anything to her, she felt foolish for believing it would be any different with this. Their father had walked out when she was four years old, and hadn't seen or heard from him until years later. She'd never told her mother that she'd seen him again, had in fact spoke to him, because they just hated each other too much to even mention it. She was trying to play it off as if it didn't matter, but she was fighting back tears and wished to GOD Shawn and Crystal weren't present.

  "Make a video thing, send me that, and send me some pictures too."

  "Yeah mama, sure I will. I gotta go, we have a lot to do."

  She heard her mother sigh on the phone, "Look Sylvia, I'll see what I can work out."

  "Don't bother mama, we know how its gonna end... I'll send you pictures, we might come by there before we head off for our little honeymoon."

  "That's a good idea... I'll fix ya'll a nice dinner."

  "Yep... that's fine... okay... I love you, bye." She hung up the phone and walked out of the kitchen straight into her room and closed the door, then went into her bathroom and locked it to get herself together.

  Shawn stood at the sink blowing to calm down. He looked over at Crystal, who had tears in her eyes.

  "You know what... I love my grandma, I really do... but she has never gone out of her way for my mother. None of us really, but she always complains if we don't call her, if we don't visit with her, if we go there and visit my other grandparents, we better not leave Chicago without stopping in to see her. What you see there, with my mom, always been like that. She bends over backwards for her mother, but she always ends up getting hurt in the end."

  Mundo had come up from the basement then. "So what's up... ya'll going to get grandma?" He asked.

  "No... she can't come... she ain't got nobody to watch her house."

  "What?!" Mundo exclaimed. Shawn stood from the counter and walked to the bedroom door, "I'll be right back you guys." He said, went into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

  "Come on Angela lets go in the basement girlfriend, so I can kick your tail at some Tetris."

  "Uh... so sorry, I am, the best at Tetris." Angela bragged.

  "Oh we shall see." Crystal returned.

  Mundo went into his mother's refrigerator looking for food to eat, glad for the moment alone... food.

  "Sylvie... you okay?" Shawn asked softly at the bathroom door.

  "Yep." She returned.

  "Can I come in?"

  "Nope."

  "Please?"

  She was quiet, he waited, and then he heard it. Soft, faint, a failed attempt to quiet a sob. "Aaah honey, come on... let me in."

  "I just wanna - be - alone right now Sha - Shawn... plea - please... just leave me - a - alone."

  "Okay listen, I'll search the internet for a house sitter for her. We'll hire one, and they can watch her house while she-..."

  "Shawn its not gonna work! She - she's not gonna c - come! I'm - I'm the stu - stupid one. I knew - knew she wouldn't... I knew - she - she wouldn't."

  Shawn stepped over to the dresser, found a pin, came back and stuck it in the small hole that was in the door knob for the safety catch for the lock to open. He opened the door walked in to see her sitting on the side of the tube crying into tissue paper, closing the door behind him, he called to her, "Come here."

  She didn't hesitate, was up and in his arms in a flash despite her plea to be left alone. He turned and made his way to the toilet and sat down placing her on his lap. "Shhh shhh shhh baby, don't cry... I can't stand to see you crying."

  Sylvia sat up, wiped at her nose with the tissue paper, turned and grabbed more off the role and blew her nose. Shawn sat looking up at her, deeper in love still. She was adorable, and so childlike and vulnerable sometimes, contradictory to the strong woman he knew that she was.

  "I'm sorry... I'm okay... she just gets to me sometimes. You know, I have a lot to thank her for. Because of the way - she was with me, I was determined to - to be at every one of my children's events, no matter how small they were. I didn't care, they would not look up and see everyone else parents present and not see their own. Oh the fights I had with Armundo to get him to go... but he went... well... not to all of them, but some. But I..." She poked her chest about to burst into more tears. "...I was there for every one of them! I didn't care if I - I couldn't see straight - I - I wen - wen - went!" She sobbed out and fell to his shoulder again crying, he rubbed her back, comforting her.

  "I think maybe that's why you and Angela hit it off so well, you two have a lot in common."

  She nodded yes on his shoulder, unable to pick herself up again.

  "Its like you said Sylvia about Deidre. She did the best that she could as Angela's mother. You think maybe, your mom did the best that she could with you? Maybe, just maybe - her mother, was a lot worse. So she may have been an improvement from what she experienced growing up. And you, are most definitely, an improvement from her. Because I have been with Crystal, and I have seen how you are with Angela. You have no reason to be sad baby... feel sorry for her, because she's the one who missed out. Your kids will be there, and your friends will be there... and my family loves you... and hey... look at what you're getting, I mean... come on... life's not all bad." He joked... and it was just what she needed because she burst out laughing.

  *Sniff* "You arrogant - stuck on yourself - beautiful - man... I love you so much."

  "Well it's a good thing, cause you're pregnant up the duff with my lil'un - and we're gettin' hitched... so I'd have to say, that's a really good thing."

  "Okay mama, I need to know what kind of music ya'll want for your reception?"

  "Music we like to listen to... not all that rap and stuff..."

  "Aye, it won't hurt to throw a few good ones in there."

  "Boy don't mess with me, I'll make a list, and so can Shawn. I just hope you can dj."

  "Aye, I'mo rock the place, I may have to borrow a few pieces here and there - but I'll get it together by Friday."

  "Well what do you need?" Shawn asked.

  Mundo looked up and so did Sylvia. Since she wasn't going to get her mother, she decided to take Shanna up on her offer of flower shopping and getting the cake ordered, she'd called while they were still in the bathroom asking what they had planned, and so Sylvia, Crystal, Angela and the boys were meeting her and Gert in town and they would all head to the mall in La Crosse. By then Victor would be up and he could take the boys, working nights, he needed to get some sleep.

  "What do I need?" Mundo asked wondering where that question was going, his eyes shifted over to his mother who was looking from Shawn to him, and then narrowing on him.

  "Yes... as in equipment you may need to borrow."

  "Well... I need to borrow a couple of turn tables, and my friends laptop, maybe a couple of his speakers too, mine are good, but for a sho'nuff good presentation, I need some pros."

  "Well that's everything!" Sylvia snapped.

  "No it ain't mama, you need a amp, mixer, mic... table, music... stuff like that. I got that, I just need to work my way up to get the other stuff."

  "I don't think its a good idea to be borrowing other peoples equipment. Is this something you're gonna be doing on a regular basis?" Shawn asked, Sylvia looked from him to her son.

  "Yep... you better believe i
t, I'm good at it too - ain't I Crystal?"

  "Yeah... I will say that, he can turn it on... the sets I went to that he did... they were straight... I must say, it was one of the few times... and I do stress - few - that I was proud to call him my brother."

  "Why can't you just compliment a man? Why? Why you gotta give a little... then take it away!" He fussed.

  "Well I tell you what... next time... I ain't gone say nothin'! There... you happy now?!" Crystal fussed.

  "Don't start! Don't start! Mundo can't you just mix a few disks for us, then we can just pop'em in?" Sylvia asked.

  "Mix'em on what mama? You got to have proper equipment, see, I been meaning to do some mixes and sell'em... but cause I ain't got no stuff, its a hold up."

  "Oh here we go, look here boy-..."

  "Get'em mama, get'em - cause you know what he gone do!"

  "Okay okay okay... everybody... stop right there. Sylvia, Angela, Crystal... get the boys... out the door, my mother and Shanna will be there in no time. Let Mundo and I take care of everything else." Shawn directed. Sylvia looked put out, but stood and grabbed her purse, ushering her daughter who had Darren and Angela who held Isaacs hand heading out the door.

  "That's right - ya'll heard the man... get t'gettin'... start t'steppin' - go take care of the women stuff... leave us men to men's business!"

  Sylvia stopped at the door eye-balling her son, "Come here." She called to him.

  "Why?" He stepped back near Shawn, with his arms up in a defence position as if she meant to hit him. "Mundo! Don't play with me... now come here."

  "What you want mama? She gone hit me... see that look in her eyes... she gone hit me." He said it like a frightened little boy, clowning for Shawn and it worked. Shawn doubled over laughing at him again, and intercepted them. "Baby... leave'em... go shopping, get what needs to be done - done." He instructed, knowing she wasn't going to hit him, but he played the role so well, he had to step in. "Shawn... don't let him twist you. How much you gonna spend? Don't spend a lot Shawn... we can just mix some music we like on my computer or yours."