The Marrying Kind

by Monique Miller

  “Man, I’ve been riding the bus ever since Beryl and I broke up,” Travis said. “So definitely no trade-in.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” Phillip said.

  “But I do have some money. And I have the faith of a mustard seed.”

  Phillip smiled. “Well I hear that.”

  Travis pulled out his wallet and pulled out the check he had just received from the lottery. “I have this.” He handed Phillip the check.

  “So what you are telling me is that you want to buy a car straight out?” Phillip asked.

  “Yes,” Travis said. “Let me be totally open with you. I know you know a lot about my history with Beryl and all, but there is a lot you don’t know.”

  Phillip sat back in a position that told Travis that he was all ears and there to listen to him.

  “You know I had problems keeping a job in the past. Not only that but I also had problems paying my bills on time when I did have a job. My credit is shot. And up until this morning I had back taxes and back child support, but now those two things are behind me.

  “Phillip, I don’t have a pot to cook in or a window to throw the leftovers out of. I’ve been living at one of my friend’s, housesitting while he is abroad. In about a month I would have been homeless but thanks to the grace of God I have turned some things around.” Travis took another sip of his water.

  “I got a job a month ago and within two weeks I was promoted.”

  “Congratulations,” Phillip said.

  “Thank you. I started to realize that I wasn’t doing what I needed to do as a man or a father. I started that new job like it was the last job on earth. They saw how committed I was and gave me a promotion.”

  “So you’ve been at this job for over a month now?”

  “Yep. And that’s not it,” Travis added.

  Phillip’s eyebrows rose in anticipation of hearing what Travis had to say next.

  “In addition to that job, I have also been working a job at night cleaning offices. I’ve been there for three weeks. I’ve been watching my spending, I set up a budget, and I have even been paying my tithes.”

  “Is this the same Travis I met back in the mountains of North Carolina a couple of years ago?”

  “No, this is a new Travis. Man, I am so focused I can’t see anything blurry to the left or the right of me. I’ve got to be accountable. I’ve got to be the father my sons need for me to be, and I can’t do that jumping from job to job, or sitting on the couch watching old episodes of CSI.”

  “Amen to that, my brother,” Phillip said.

  “When I won that money on the scratch-off, I couldn’t believe my eyes. And as I thought about it I knew I needed transportation. I’ve been spending money on the bus and taking the taxi here and there as well. All of that is getting expensive. I miss the freedom of being able to jump in the car when I want and being able to drive exactly where I want to go,” Travis said.

  “So you want to spend your whole check on a car?” Phillip asked.

  “Yeah, man. You know it’s not like eight thousand is a lot of money when you are talking about trying to buy a car, but I am just praying that it will at least get me something reliable that will allow me to get to my jobs, and to be able to take my sons to the park or museum, or, heck, to even be able to meet Beryl to pick them up.”

  Phillip nodded his head.

  “Beryl and I haven’t been on the best of terms the past few months, but here lately she has at least been talking to me. I am hoping to get the boys this weekend. It would be great to be able to put their booster seats in the back of a car that I can call mine. Otherwise I am going to have to have them trek around with me walking and catching buses.”

  It felt good to Travis to have a listening ear, and especially the listening ear of Phillip, who he deemed a good man of God. He hadn’t been able to confide his thoughts and feelings to anyone else. He knew Phillip to be a man who would listen and give advice without steering him wrong.

  “And I know I shouldn’t care about it that much, but I don’t want to meet Beryl at a bus stop while her fiancé looks on and sneers at my circumstances.”

  Phillip sat up. “Fiancé?”

  “Yep, Beryl is engaged to be married. She is marrying some nerdy-looking guy. Personally there is something I really don’t like about the man,” Travis said.

  “Travis, do you think you are possibly just a little resentful that Beryl is moving on with her life?”

  Travis sat up in his seat. “In all truth, Phillip, I can’t say that it doesn’t hurt that she has found somebody else. But that’s not the crux of it. He isn’t even her type.”

  Phillip gave Travis a look of question.

  “No, no, hear me out. I think she likes him because he has money and can and does take care of her and the kids. He is like the total opposite of how I use to be.”

  To this Phillip said nothing. He just sat and continued to listen, giving Travis a chance to let it all out.

  “And I can’t put my finger on it, but it really doesn’t seem like this guy is really all that into Beryl and the boys. It is more like he has a bucket list that has a wife and kids on it. With Beryl and the boys, he has a ready-made family. Get this, the other day I saw Beryl and she was acting really funny. I mean she was walking around in shades and a scarf like she was hiding out from someone. And when her fiancé called her on her cell phone, she flat-out lied to him about where she was and what she was doing. I’m concerned.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Beryl at all. She struck me as a pretty straight-forward woman,” Phillip said.

  “She is. That’s the point. I don’t know what is going on there. But I prayed for her and the boys right after I saw her,” Travis said.

  Phillip shook his head. “I hope everything is okay with Beryl. I’ll pray for her and the boys tonight myself.”

  “Thanks,” Travis said.

  “Man, Travis, I must say you have come a long way. And brother to brother, I am proud of you.”

  It meant a lot for Phillip of all people to tell him that he was proud of him. “Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

  “If you need a listening ear, feel free to call me.” Phillip wrote his personal cell phone number and his home phone number on the back of his business card.

  Travis took the card and slipped it into his wallet. “It sounds as if you’ve got things under control. We just need to find you a car now.” Phillip smiled. He clicked the screen on his computer.

  Phillip turned the computer screen to the side so Travis could see it. “I’ve typed in the specifications you want and a price range and this is what I’ve come up with.”

  Travis looked at the list of cars with their pictures. Then he looked at the price range that Phillip had typed in. “Oh, I think you punched the number in wrong. I’ve only got a little under nine thousand to spend. I mean I do have a little more saved but I am going to have to get car insurance.”

  “We’ve only got one car in stock that is under nine thousand.” Phillip pointed to an early-model car with high miles on it.

  The particular car he was pointing to wasn’t a Honda or a Toyota. From past experience Travis knew that that particular brand of car wasn’t very reliable. “Oh,” said Travis.

  “So look at the cars in this price range and don’t worry, we’ll work out the difference,” Phillip said.

  Out of the list of the other nineteen cars, Travis picked out three he wanted to test drive. He and Phillip test drove all three. The one he ended up liking the most was a five-speed automatic, desert mist metallic Honda Accord that was seven years old. It had only 90,000 miles on it, which wasn’t too bad for the age of the car. The car drove wonderfully and whoever had owned it before had kept it in pristine condition.

  Not only was the car in great condition, but it was loaded. It had cruise control, a six-disc CD changer, air conditioning, air bags, remote keys, an alarm system, tinted windows, and a sunroof. The sticker price for the car was $10,578 which was $1,63
2.25 above Travis’s budget.

  “So you like this one?” Phillip asked.

  “Yeah, but that price is way over what I have to spend,” Travis said.

  “Stay right here. I’ll be right back.” When Phillip returned he said, “Let me ask you a question.”

  “Sure.”

  “You say you’ve been trying to do right?”

  “Yes,” Travis said.

  “And you say that you have been watching your spending and paying your tithes? Did you take any tithes out of this money?” Phillip asked.

  Travis gave Phillip a sheepish look.

  “The new sticker price for this car is $8,050.25,” Phillip said.

  “But that’s like $895 below the amount of my check. That’s like ten percent less,” Travis said as he got the message. “Got it. Ten percent for my tithes.”

  Phillip pulled a sold sticker out of his pocket and placed it on the car. “Sold.”

  “Are you serious? That price is like $2,500 less than the sticker price that was on the car,” Travis said in disbelief.

  “Yes, it is. I am the owner and I can set the prices. And let me tell you one other thing that might blow your mind. The price you are paying for this car is about five thousand less than market value,” Phillip said.

  Travis took a step back and pinched himself. “Are you for real? I mean this is like really blowing my mind.”

  “It’s called a favor, Travis. And the Lord blows my mind all the time too,” Phillip said.

  Chapter 23

  Travis hit the CD changer on his new CD player in his new car. He had filled all six changers with music, ranging from gospel to R&B and jazz. He had taken that Friday afternoon off to prepare for his visit with his sons. Beryl had called him the day before to tell him that she would meet him with the boys on Saturday and that they could spend the night with him.

  He had been all around the city picking up toys for the boys to play with, groceries for them all to eat, and kid movies and popcorn so they could have movie night together just as they’d had when they were all living in one home. Travis felt like he was shopping on Christmas Eve to surprise the boys the next day.

  Thus far the trunk of his Accord was filled with balls and trucks for the boys to play with, plus two scooters. His plan was to make sure the boys had fun the entire weekend. He missed playing with his sons a lot.

  The next morning, Beryl met Travis at one of the city parks. Beryl and her new man got out of the Lexus they were in. The car Darrin was driving had a personalized vanity plate with the emblem for Carson State University, and letters that said EXCEL. Travis also saw an insignia for a fraternity decaled in the back window of his car.

  As soon as the boys saw their father they ran up to him. Travis tried to hold back tears. The boys were dressed similarly with khaki shorts and T-shirts. Cameron, the oldest, had on a shirt that read KINDERGARTEN ROCKS on the front and TRINITY PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL on the back. Jayden, who was three years old, had on a T-shirt that read TLC DAYCARE on the front, and the back said TENDER LOVING CARE DAYCARE CENTER with the address of the daycare.

  “Hey, Travis,” Beryl said.

  He could have been imagining it, but it seemed as if Beryl’s greeting wasn’t as hateful as it normally was. It was a bit softer.

  “Hello again,” Darrin said.

  “Hello,” Travis said in an attempt to be polite. He would have been fine just ignoring the guy all together.

  “They’ve already had breakfast,” Beryl said. She noticed the tension between the two men.

  “Okay. Great,” Travis said.

  “And, don’t forget, Jayden is allergic to peanut butter,” Beryl added.

  “I know, Beryl,” Travis replied.

  Beryl pulled one of the booster seats out of the Lexus and Darrin got the other one. They handed them to Travis. He put them in the back seat of his car.

  “Nice car,” Beryl said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Is it yours?” Beryl asked. Travis could hear the genuine curiosity in her voice.

  “Yes, it is,” Travis said. He had never owned a car free and clear in his life.

  “Yeah, nice ride,” Darrin said.

  It was all Travis could do not to say anything back. He knew if he did, the wrong words would flow out of his mouth.

  Beryl must have sensed the tension again because she quickly said, “So we’ll meet you back here tomorrow at five.” She pulled the boys’ overnight bag out of the Lexus and handed it to Travis.

  “Cameron, Jayden, come give Mommy a hug.” The boys hugged their mother and she kissed them both on the forehead.

  “Come on, guys. I’ve got a fun-filled day planned for you,” Travis said to his sons.

  “Yeah, Daddy, what are we going to do?” Cameron asked.

  “You’ll see,” Travis said. “Now come on and get into your seats so we can head on out.”

  Beryl headed with Darrin back to the Lexus. Travis figured the happy couple would probably make the most of their time together without the kids. But as he looked at Darrin and Beryl’s faces it was like looking at a tale of two cities. Darrin looked excited and relieved, while Beryl looked keyed up and worried.

  As soon as they left the park, Travis drove over to the Silvermont Children’s Museum. One of his coworkers had mentioned taking the kids to the museum when Travis told him that he was going to be getting his sons for the weekend. He had never in his life heard of a children’s museum and wondered why in the world little kids would want to look at art paintings and sculptures. The coworker schooled Travis on what a children’s museum consisted of and he was sold.

  In the museum the boys played for hours. At first they played in an area that had a play fire truck and dress-up outfits. Then they played with the play ambulance that had items a real ambulance would have, like a gurney, a stethoscope, a hospital IV pole, and even lab coats. Once the boys got tired of playing doctor, they took on the roles of being veterinarians in a pet hospital. Just like the fire truck and ambulance, the pet hospital was fully equipped. The hospital had stuffed dogs and cats, an exam table, pet cages, and even X-ray sheets and an X-ray light board.

  Travis had to coax them to check out other areas. There was a play kitchen, a grocery store, and diner, which all had items to make the areas look realistic. Once the boys finished shopping as if they were in a grocery store while Travis pretended he was ringing their items up on the play cash register, they headed to the three-story pirate ship to play.

  They spent four hours in the museum and still did not cover it all. When Travis told them it was time to go, Jayden cried and Cameron pleaded with his father, asking for another ten minutes. Travis gave in twice to the ten-minute extension, which didn’t help because the boys still were reluctant to leave.

  In the end he had appealed to their stomachs. Both children were hungry. As it turned out they were also very tired. He hadn’t gotten a mile down the road before both boys were asleep. Travis drove with the music off so that he could listen to their snoring. It was a sweet sound he hadn’t heard in over a year.

  When he got them home he fed them some spaghetti he had cooked the night before. As he remembered it, both of them loved to eat spaghetti. Things hadn’t changed, they both cleaned their plates.

  After giving them their baths, Travis spread out a thick blanket on the floor in the bonus room and put the DVD for the Cars movie in the DVD player. The boys clapped their hands when they saw which movie it was. Then Travis popped popcorn and joined his sons on the blanket for movie night. Ten minutes into the movie both children had fallen asleep again.

  Travis moved them to his bed to sleep. He grabbed a pillow and blankets and made himself comfortable on the recliner in the bonus room. That night Travis slept like a newborn baby without a care in the world.

  The next morning, Travis awoke early and fixed breakfast for the boys. He turned on the gospel music and hummed along with it as he scrambled eggs, made fried country ham, and poured orange juice in
their glasses. He also made grits and jelly toast.

  After eating breakfast, Travis got himself and the boys dressed for church. He had forgotten how long it took to get two additional people ready for church. So instead of making the eight o’clock service they went to the eleven o’clock. Even though the church had an area for children to enjoy service so they could learn at their own age level, Travis kept the boys close, knowing that in just a few hours, he was going to have to send them back with their mother. Then he didn’t know how long it would be before he would get the chance to see them again.

  Five o’clock came much too quickly for Travis. When he pulled up to the meeting spot, he saw where Beryl and Darrin were already waiting. When Cameron realized he was going to have to leave his father, he started to kick, scream, and cry. When Jayden saw his brother crying, he started crying as well.

  It tore at Travis’s heart knowing the picture was completely wrong. Travis could also see that it tore at Beryl’s heart as well, as she did her best to take the booster seats back and their overnight bag without crying. She tried to soothe the boys, but it looked as if she needed soothing herself.

  Darrin looked like a knot on a log. He was basically useless and void of feeling. “Come on, boys. Time to go.” He sounded like a nerdy robot to Travis.

  Travis held Cameron in his arms. “Cameron, it’s okay. Daddy is going to see you real soon. It won’t be a long time like before. I promise.”

  Cameron’s cries turned into whimpers. “Promise, Daddy.”

  Travis took his thumbs to wipe the tears off of the boy’s cheeks. “I promise. Isn’t that right, Mommy?”

  Beryl did her best to smile. “That’s right. You’ll see your dad soon.”

  “Okay, Cameron,” Travis said to his son. He gave him a kiss and long hug, then placed him in his booster seat in the Lexus.

  He did the same with Jayden and gave him an almost tighter hug as he knew Jayden was more confused than anything else. His cries had also subsided when the emotions of his brother and mother had subsided.