Speaking of careers, mine is still going well—better than ever, actually. It takes me two to three hours a day to answer all of my fan mail on the Internet. Along with fame comes responsibility. I can afford to hire an assistant like Lynzee has, but I’m too cheap. And I can just hear Jett complaining about wasting money.
While reading the newspaper with Jett early one morning, I come across an article about a black woman who enrolled at the Memphis Culinary Academy, graduated, and went on to open her own catering business. She’s known as the black Martha Stewart around town. She’s booked six months in advance, and is making more money than she ever has in her life.
“Do you think I’m a good cook?” I ask Jett.
“One of the best I know.” He continues reading the sports section.
“What about my baking?”
“You know that nobody can compare to your sweet potato pies and cobblers.” He glances up over the paper. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m thinking about enrolling in college.” I sip my coffee. “A culinary college. I think I’d like to open up a French bakery.”
Jett laughs. “Whoever heard of a black woman running a French bakery?”
“That’s the kick. It hasn’t been done. Of course, I’d hire two workers that are actually from France to work with me.” My mind is racing like a ticker tape at the stock market. I can go to school for two years, take a couple of seminars in France, and open up my bakery within a three-year period.
“What about your writing career?”
“I can still do that. I can finish this next book, then enroll in classes for the fall semester. I just think it would be a good idea to have a plan B, you know.” The one thing I don’t admit to him is that some of my zeal for writing is gone ever since the publication of Revelations. I love my success, but hate the drama that has come along with it.
He looks confused. “Charity, for years you wouldn’t get another job. You said all you wanted was to be a New York Times bestseller.”
“Yes, and now I’ve done that.” I smile proudly. “But I’ve been giving it some thought lately. The publishing industry is changing, especially for black authors. I’ve been in this business for almost twenty years, and I know the future. It doesn’t look good for writers like me. When I first started in the nineties, the publishers were actively seeking black authors, handing out huge contracts. Now the market is gutted with black authors. Besides, they’re coming up with e-books, Kindles, and books online. It’s only a matter of time before publishers start paying out much smaller contracts. And then where will we be?”
Jett gets up. “Well, thank God we paid this house off.”
“I know, but we still have other obligations, namely the twins’ tuitions for college. That’s going to cost a pretty penny.”
“And now your tuition. Any chance that I can talk you out of it?”
“No, not a chance.” I get up and take Jett’s and my cups to the sink. “The more I think about this, the better I like it. I’d like to leave a family business for our grandchildren to run one day.”
Jett kisses my cheek. “Time for me to go. I might be late tonight, so don’t wait dinner.”
I walk him to the back door, give him another kiss, and wave him off. I stack the dishwasher and then head upstairs to my office. After consulting the Yellow Pages, I find the school, call, and ask for an admissions application to be sent to my house. It turns out that many people have been calling because of the article in the paper. This just feels right. I can’t wait for the brochures and application to come in the mail. I know I can be a success.
Later in the afternoon, the twins come home. Jamone brings Holly with him. Javed is alone, as usual. I say hello to Holly and wait for them to go upstairs to Jamone’s room. I signal Javed that I have something to talk to him about.
“What’s up, Mom?” he asks, chomping down on a pretzel.
“Your love life. Jamone has been dating Holly for two years. I’ve never seen you bring a female home. Why is that?” I take one of his pretzels.
“I’m straight. I’ve been dating someone for over a year.”
I’m surprised. “Then why haven’t we met her?”
“Because she’s African and a Muslim. Pops wouldn’t approve.”
I shake my head. “Her religion would be a problem.”
“I know. That’s why I never bring her around.”
“Sooner or later your dad is going to find out.”
“That won’t be until I move out and move into my own place.”
“You’re not thinking about reneging on college, are you?”
“Yes. I’m not college material. And with my grades being so low, I won’t be able to get into a good college, so why waste the money?”
“You’re going to break your dad’s heart. He wanted both of you to go to college and get a degree like he did. He also wants grandkids soon. He’s not getting any younger you know.”
“Then maybe April will give him some.”
My mouth drops open. I’m speechless.
“I know you haven’t told him yet. Mom, if you don’t hurry up and tell him the truth, I can’t say much about the future of y’all’s marriage.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “I know if my wife knew a secret about my life and didn’t tell me, I’d never trust her again.”
He leaves me with my eyes as wide as an owl’s.
27
I’ve been working very hard to finish my next book, and I’m dead tired: tired of writing, tired of giving speeches, and tired of having to lie to Jett. I’m glad for the diversion when the phone rings and I see that it’s Kai.
We’ve been talking a lot lately. I guess she likes having someone to talk to since Lynzee no longer takes her calls. In fact, I know she has hard feelings about Lynzee, because half the time when she calls, it’s to offer advice on beating Lynzee at trial. This time, she calls with gossip.
Kai always hears the news about Lynzee before I do. She spends hours every day reading blogs on the Internet. Sometimes I wonder how she ever gets any work done.
“So, do you want to hear the latest on your sister?” she asks.
I balance the cordless phone and say, “Hell yes,” as I decide to whip up a batch of brownies for the twins.
“First off, Lynzee’s got a job.”
“A job? Where?” I get out the pan for the brownies and coat the surface with Crisco.
“At UCLA. She’s teaching creative writing.”
“That’s good news,” I say.
“Um, you realize that this is a step down for her, don’t you? She hates teaching.”
“I know, but she told me colleges had stopped calling her for speaking engagements. This is better than nothing.”
Kai laughs. “Stop trying to sugar-coat this. You know Lynzee must be miserable in the classroom. I’m sure she only took the job because no one was offering anything better.”
Of course, Kai is right. My mind is envisioning Lynzee speaking in front of a classroom of horny, disrespectful teens. It doesn’t fit. Lynzee’s ego is too big to teach.
Then I remember that UCLA is in Los Angeles. “What about her house in Oakland?”
“Her house is on the market. Right now she’s renting a home in L.A.”
“How’d you find this out?”
“Girl, you know I have my sources.” She sneezes. “Trust me, lady. This information is right on point.”
I pour the thick mixture into the pan and place it in the hot oven. “I’m sorry, Kai, I don’t like this. Sure, I want fame and fortune, but not at the expense of Lynzee losing her livelihood.”
“It’s too late to think about that now.”
I take a seat on one of the bar stools and glance at the clock on the microwave. It’s two o’clock, noon in California. “Maybe I should call her.”
“For what? You can’t change her situation—unless you’re willing to give her that five million that she’s asking for.”
I bite my bottom lip. “I don’t
have that kind of money.”
“And what if you did? You’d be broke and doing the same thing that Lynzee is doing, teaching. I’m sorry, Charity. I know that you love your sister, but she stabbed you in the back when she had you blacklisted. Look how long you suffered without any money.”
“I know. I’ll never forget it.”
“Then stop being a mamsy-pamsy and buck up. Lynzee deserves exactly what she’s getting.”
I’m a little surprised. I didn’t know that Kai’s feelings about Lynzee run so deep.
“I know Lynzee is getting payback, but when you see someone you love suffering, it hurts.”
“Bullshit. Get yourself together, lady. I betcha Jett won’t be hurt about it. He had to go back to work, remember? And you had to prostitute yourself as a car salesman too. Don’t tell me that job wasn’t humbling.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“Then teaching school won’t kill Lynzee. At least she’s working in her field. She might learn something. You know that all of her books sound alike. She gets on a soap box and can’t stop preaching.” Kai laughs.
I laugh too. “You’re right. All of Lynzee’s books do have the same scenario. She thinks that she knows everything.”
“As far as I’m concerned, she’s in the right place. You know how much it hurt me to see you working at that Mazda dealership. I don’t have any respect for someone who purposely harms you or your family. I love Lynzee because she’s my cousin, but I don’t like her. Don’t you know how much I love you, lady?”
I smile. “Yes, I know, Kai. And I love you, too. Why couldn’t the gods have made you my sister?”
“We’re just like sisters,” she says and sneezes again.
“Are you getting a cold? What’s the temperature there?”
“Yes, I’m coming down with something. It’s about fifty degrees here, cold for this time of year. I’ve been outside too much tending to my roses.”
“Girl, you and those roses. But I can’t blame you. I tried to get Jett to plant a rose garden but he won’t do it. He says that he doesn’t want to cut out another section in the yard.”
“Damn. Don’t y’all have two acres?”
“Yes, we do, but with the garden and the pool and pond, all of the extra space is taken up. As it stands, all three of our flower beds are full with annuals and bushes.”
“Not to worry, lady. I know your yard is pretty.”
“Thanks to Jett, it is.” I pause. “You know that Lynzee had a rose garden. It was right next to her pool.”
“So, we’re back to her.”
“Yeah. I still feel bad. Call me gullible, but I can’t help it.” I turn on the oven light and check on the brownies.
“Well, I might as well tell you the rest of the news. You might change your mind about Lynzee after you hear what she’s done.”
I brace myself. “Tell me, Kai. What’s happened?”
“Did you know that Tyler is pregnant?”
“No, she’s not. Jamone told me it was just a scare.”
“That was the first time. This time it’s for real.”
“What! How could Lynzee let this happen? Didn’t she know enough to keep Tyler away from that boy after the first scare?”
“Keep her away from him?” Kai says with a laugh. “Are you kidding? Lynzee signed for Tyler and her baby’s daddy to get married.”
“What! Tyler is practically a baby herself! What could she know about a husband and baby?”
“I feel the same way. If it were my daughter, she would have aborted the fetus. Then again, if Tyler were my daughter, I would have had her on birth control.”
No wonder Tyler hasn’t called the twins. “When did Tyler get married?”
“On Valentine’s Day.”
“How cute.”
“How ironic,” Kai states. “Especially since the reason they got married in the first place is so that Raymond wouldn’t go to jail for statutory rape. Such a shame. But the worst thing I can say about the scumbag is that he’s a republican.”
“First it was Colin Powell, now we have one in our own family? What is this country coming to?” I check on the brownies. The kitchen is alive with the chocolaty fragrance of fresh baked goodness. “I hate to say it, but Lynzee isn’t a very good mother. She’s thinking more about her son-in-law’s legal problems than her daughter’s future. Tyler could be divorced by the time she’s seventeen.”
“The fact that Lynzee never married might have something to do with it.”
“Yes, I hadn’t factored that into the equation.” I pause for a long time. “You know, Kai, speaking of mothers, I’ve been meaning to tell you something about Lynzee.”
“You mean her daughter, April? I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.” She sneezes again and blows her nose.
“When did you find out about April and how come you never told me you knew?” I wasn’t expecting to hear that she already knew about all of this.
“You should know by now that I have my ways of finding stuff out. It took you long enough to talk to me about it.”
“I’m sorry. I was just so embarrassed about the entire ordeal.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. Does Jett know yet?”
“No, I haven’t told Jett.”
I hear footsteps. I turn around and see Jett enter the kitchen.
He says, “Haven’t told Jett what?”
28
Sweat breaks out on my forehead as I scramble for a plausible answer. Then I think, what the hell? I’m too tired to keep up the charade any longer.
“Jett, I’ve got something important to talk to you about.” I tell Kai that I’ll call her back later.
Jett removes his tie and stands before me. I’m quaking in my boots, hoping that he won’t be too mad. “I’m really tired, Charity. Can we talk later?”
“No. This has been going on for far too long.” My heart is beating so fast, I can barely control it. “Why didn’t you tell me that you had an affair with Lynzee years ago?”
He’s deathly silent. It takes him quite a while to answer. I wonder if he’s trying to come up with a lie, but he doesn’t deny it. “Because it didn’t mean anything.”
“Fuck that, Jett. You screwed my sister. That’s something that I should have known before I married you.”
“Would it have made a difference?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s too late now.” I notice that he’s sweating. He takes a seat at the kitchen table. “I never loved Lynzee, if that’s what you’re thinking. We were both young. It was just sex.”
“Maybe for you, but not for her.”
“Why are we talking about this now?”
I take a seat across from him. “Because you got Lynzee pregnant.”
“No fucking way!”
“Yes, you did. And she had a girl child. And she put it up for—”
He jumps up from the table. “What the hell are you talking about? A baby?”
My body is so tense it feels like steel. I grab hold of the side of the chair and plow on. “She gave her daughter up for adoption. Her name is April. She’ll be thirty-four years old soon.”
“Stop bullshitting with me, Charity. I used condoms.”
“Apparently, it busted or had a hole in it.” I stare him dead in the face. “I’ve seen a picture of April. There’s no denying it. She’s your female twin.” Now the tears come. They roll down my cheeks like molasses.
He stands in front of me with his hands on his hips. “You’ve seen a picture of her? How long have you known about this?”
My bottom lip quivers. “Since last summer.” More tears fall as I brace myself for his upcoming anger.
“And you’re just now telling me?”
“Yes. I was afraid of what you might do. You’ve always wanted—”
“A daughter.” I can see his temples jumping. “So, you’re a liar. And you’re not trustworthy.”
“Jett, I—” I stand up, hoping to feel his arms wrap around me. Ins
tead, he slaps me.
“You lying bitch. I could kill you for this.” He slaps me again. “You’re not fit to be called my wife.”
I feel my fury rising. How dare he try to put all of this on me!
“This is as much your fault as it is mine! You lied, Jett. You weren’t honest.”
“You shouldn’t have lied about my daughter. That’s unforgivable. It should have been my decision whether I wanted to make contact with her or not. Not yours.” His nose flares open. “I can’t stand the sight of you.” He turns to walk away.
“Jett. Please let me explain.”
He keeps walking. I crumble back down on a chair. My face falls to the table and I cover my head with my hands. My shoulders heave up and down, wracked with sobs. It’s over. I know it’s over. He hates my fucking guts. I should have told him long ago. I should have listened to Herman, Jamone, Javed, and Kai. I feel like the biggest fool in the world. What have I done? What’s to become of my marriage? Will Jett leave, or will he give me a second chance to be the kind of wife I know he wants and needs?
I don’t know how long I sit there crying my eyes out. The sound of quickly approaching steps makes me lift my head. It’s Jett. He has two suitcases in his hands.
“Where are you going?” I demand. I get up and move beside him. I try to touch his arm.
He yanks his body from mine. “That’s none of your business.” He begins to walk toward the back door.
“Jett, please don’t go. We can work this—”
“You and I have nothing. Nothing. You disgust me.” He opens the door. “I’ll be back in a few days for the rest of my things. Don’t bother trying to call me. I have nothing to say to you.”
We Ain’t the Brontës Page 13