In shock myself I kept saying, “His wife?” You mean to tell me the man I was hanging out with was the husband of the suicidal woman holding the knife who I was alone with in the bathroom? She had to have seen the two of us together, which explained her tears. No wonder she was staring at me like she was. She could have stabbed me, then herself. Lucky for me, she didn’t. This could have been a murder-suicide case due to a jealous woman who had finally had enough from her cheating husband.
Unfortunately for her, she succeeded in showing him because later I found out she was pronounced dead at the scene. The news shook me up. I knew in that moment the paramedics could have been saying those same words over my body but fate stepped in and saved my behind.
Needless to say, it was a night I would never forget. Red Bone didn’t have to worry about me again, even though I was pretty sure he wasn’t thinking about me anyway. He now had to plan his wife’s funeral. I guess she really did show him, by proving that she loved him ’til death do them part.
Derrick
Picking up Zacariah was the last thing I wanted to do tonight. She found her way here. Why couldn’t she find her way home? Soon as I pulled up, I could tell something was wrong. The many police cars were a clear indication. I saw Zacariah standing at the curb and pulled up for her to enter. She jumped in without saying a word. I mean I didn’t even get a hello or thank you for coming to pick her up. She sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed looking straight out the window not acknowledging me at all like I was her mortal enemy or something.
“So you are just going to get in here without saying a word?”
“I called you over thirty minutes ago,” she said rudely.
“And I’m here.”
“But you took too long getting here.”
“Did you forget where we live? It’s not like I was around the corner, you know,” I said defensively. “And I couldn’t fly through every stoplight or pass every car to get here for the almighty Zacariah. You’re lucky I even came to pick you up. You want to run your mouth about me taking too long? It could have been all night,” I said, driving off, hoping my slight squealing of the tires wouldn’t cause a cop to come after me.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“It means I could have stayed in my bed instead of coming to get you.”
“You know what? Can you just shut up and get me home?”
“Not until I find out why I’m picking you up in the first place.”
“Because I asked you to, that’s why. Is that a good enough reason?”
“Zacariah, I don’t need your attitude.”
“And I don’t need your questioning me either. Can’t you just take me home and shut the hell up? Damn.”
“Hold up. You better watch how you talk to me. Just because you’re having a bad night doesn’t mean you’re going to take it out on me. I’m doing you a favor. I could have left your stank behind still standing on the curb.”
Still looking out of the window Zacariah said, “Derrick, I’m in a bad mood because a woman took her life in front of me tonight, okay?”
“Whoa,” is all I could say.
“You see now.”
“Baby, what happened?”
“Just a few minutes ago my name was stank behind. Now it’s baby,” she said looking at me.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t appreciate your attitude when you got in the car.”
“Now you know the reason for my mood. And to be honest, I really don’t feel like talking about it right now. Maybe I can tell you about it in the morning. I’ve had to explain this same story too many times tonight. I really don’t feel like repeating myself again.”
“Maybe this will stop you from going out now. Maybe this is a sign for you to slow your roll and stay home with your man,” I said.
“I guess you want me to become Susie Homemaker and stay under your ass all the time,” she said looking over at me.
“I’m not saying that. My point is it doesn’t look good for you to be out at all times of the night every weekend. And please let me state, you can never be Ms. Susie Homemaker.”
“First of all, I don’t see anything wrong with me going out,” she said with the folds in her forehead coming together for a meeting on frustration. “Second, don’t ever say what I can’t be because I can be anything I damn well please, okay? I just don’t choose to be waiting on no man hand and foot, cleaning house and cooking dinner all the time. That ain’t me.”
“Which is why I said you can never be Susie Homemaker. Plus, you can’t cook.”
“Yes, I can,” she squealed.
“Boiling water doesn’t count. You have to actually stand by the stove and put something into the water and tend to it for it to be considered cooking. How many pots have you burnt up boiling water?”
“I walked away for a few minutes.”
“That few minutes nearly burned the house down. Face it, Zacariah, you can’t even heat a microwavable dinner.”
She smacked her lips, tightening her demeanor, not wanting to deal with the facts presented.
“Baby, I’m just saying, you don’t have to get upset.”
“I’m not upset,” she said sternly.
“Yes, you are. And maybe that’s because you know I’m telling the truth.”
She rolled her eyes, sighing.
“Not many men would put up with your diva behavior. Not to your extreme anyway. I’m a good man who sits home waiting for his woman to get home after she flirts, shakes her ass, and consumes as many drinks as men will buy her.”
“How do you know—” she attempted to speak.
“Don’t even say it. I know men buy you drinks because you have never purchased one on your own for as long as I’ve known you.”
“Derrick, enough knocking me tonight. You don’t have to be with me if you don’t want to. I’m not forcing you to stay with me. And if you have such a problem with me going out, why don’t you go yourself?”
“So you saying you wouldn’t mind me going out with Jaquon?” I said laughing. Zacariah didn’t reply because I knew she couldn’t stand him. “You wouldn’t mind me going out with him, having a woman buy me a drink, and having her grind all up on me all night?” I asked approaching a green light.
“You damn right I would mind because don’t no woman need to be putting her hands, breasts, or ass on you. And as for Jaquon, he’s a bad influence,” she said.
“And all your friends are a great influence.”
“Essence is,” she retorted.
“She’s a liar.”
“No, she’s not.”
“Well, she lied to me to protect you. You cheated on me before, remember, and I know she knew about it,” I countered pulling up to a red light.
Zacariah didn’t answer. I sighed looking at the light which was still red. I noticed a white coupe pull up to my left side and admired the rims. In the car sat two females who were very attractive. Both looked over at me and smiled. Neither broke their stare, that was, until Zacariah leaned forward and started screaming at them.
“Who the hell are you looking at?”
“We’re checking out your man,” the one in the passenger seat said with long hair sweeping her shoulders.
“He’s cute. Maybe he should drop you off and follow us so we can get to know him a little better.”
The woman turned her attention to me and asked, “Have you ever been with two women at the same time before?”
I wanted to say never but Zacariah yelled, “Don’t make me get out of this car and snatch that weave outta your head.”
Both women’s facial expressions changed from smiles to straight up wanting to beat Zacariah down.
“Get out of the car then, trick,” the girl snapped back.
Zacariah reached for the door handle, but it was locked. The light turned green, and I sped off, eliminating her possibly catching a beat down.
“You should have let me check those whores.”
“A
nd catch a charge? I don’t think so,” I said minutes away from pulling up at my house. I looked in my rearview mirror making sure the coupe wasn’t following us. It wasn’t. It was just some girls wanting to start trouble.
The garage door opened, and I pulled in. Zacariah had already taken her seat belt off and didn’t let me stop the ride completely before she jumped out. I, on the other hand, took my time. By the time I made it up to our bedroom, Zacariah had gotten undressed. She screamed, “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Do you want me to join you?”
“No! I don’t need you crowding me. Go back to bed or watch television,” she yelled, slamming the bath room door.
On cue, the doorbell rang and I knew who it was. I swear he stalked my house.
Wishing this night would end with some peace, I opened the door saying, “Not again, Jaquon.”
“Just tonight, man,” he said walking pass me.
“When are you going to learn that you can’t come here every time you do your dirt?”
“Come on, Derrick. I haven’t been over here in weeks.”
“Who was she tonight?” I asked shutting the door.
Jaquon ignored the question, walking toward my basement entryway. He proceeded down the stairs like I didn’t say anything. He took it upon himself to make himself at home, as usual. My basement was completely finished and looked like a second apartment with a living room, bathroom, small kitchen area, bar, and pool table. He walked over to the coffee table, picked up the remote control, and turned on the fifty-two-inch flat panel TV. He then went to the fridge and pulled out a beer, kicking off his shoes, and plopped down on the sofa.
“You know you are making this too much of a habit. You barge in my place, taking over like you pay bills here.”
“Derrick, this is my second home.”
“Then contribute to the mortgage, my light bill, cable, and food.”
“I don’t have any money today,” Jaquon said with his eyes fixed on the score to the ball game that was on earlier.
“Who was she tonight?”
He laughed saying, “She was tight. Body was like,” moving his hands in the air to represent her having a big round bootie and nice-size breasts. “Shorty was hot, and she had me on fire.”
“If you keep this up, you’re going to be on fire, burning,” I said chuckling.
“If I’m burning, I swear tonight was worth it because homegirl had it going on.”
“I thought you weren’t going to cheat on Kea anymore.”
“I wasn’t, Derrick, but this chick came on to me. We had a couple of drinks. Then we had some more drinks, and then I took her home.”
“And you just had to tuck her into bed,” I said.
“We never made it that far,” he said reminiscing on the evening. “She started hitting me off. My mic enjoyed the sounds she played with her lips.”
“TMI, Jaquon. TMI.”
“We did it right there on her kitchen table. Shorty had some skills, and she was straightforward with what she wanted. I couldn’t deny her.”
“Yes, you could have. You could have walked out that door and took your ass home to Kea.”
“Oh, my baby, Kea.”
“I guess you forgot about her in the midst of you blowing this chick’s back out.”
“I did think of her and tried to resist, but, oh, girl was persuasive,” he said.
“Your trifling ways are going to catch up with you.”
“Maybe, but for now, I’m going to enjoy myself.”
“You need to go home to your girl.”
“Where’s your girl at?”
“She’s taking a shower,” I said.
“Washing off her trick’s cum?”
“Man, don’t be talking about her like that,” I said with irritation. “Would you like it if I called Kea a trick?”
“You couldn’t. Kea is a good girl. Zacariah, well, we know what she’s done in the past. I still can’t figure out why you took her back,” he said, taking another sip of his drink.
“The fact is we are still together. If you keep doing what you are doing, Kea is going to get smart and leave you,” I said.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Jaquon said arrogantly.
“Keep thinking that. Eventually, sweet, innocent Kea is going to retire you and find herself someone to take your position, if you get my drift.”
“No one can fill my position, if you get what I’m saying.”
“Funny, but please believe there is always another brother who will work harder at filling Kea up since you never seem to have time to do it yourself.”
Kea
The sun did beat Jaquon home. When I got up to get dressed for the day, he was not in bed next to me. My stomach felt like bees were buzzing around in it, stinging me every time I took a breath, but I couldn’t cry. My tear ducts had dried up. I had been crying so much my eyes were swollen. I really couldn’t open them much. They felt like weights were pressing down on them. Looking in the mirror in the bathroom, I stared at my reflection thinking, What is wrong with you? You are a beautiful woman and can do better than Jaquon. Why do you feel you have to stay with him?
I answered my own question speaking, “It’s because I love him.”
I watched my lips move, repeating those words over and over again. “It’s because I love him.” I didn’t know why I loved him so much. All he did was hurt me. What did I do for him not to want to be with me? I really couldn’t see myself without him. And I knew once those keys jingle in the door, I was going to be so happy he was finally home, thinking, He chose to come home to me. Whoever she was, it didn’t matter because he still came home to me. However, it was the next day, and whoever she was, she had him all night while I slept alone.
Still staring at my reflection, I shook my head at my excuses. It’s because I love him. The voice inside me said, When are you going to start loving yourself?
I shrugged, watching my shoulders almost touch my earlobes. I started to run some warm water in the white porcelain sink. I had to wash the residue of salty tears off my face which was incased by it, like I slept with a facial mask on all night. With pores tight, I dipped the washcloth in the soothing water and gently rubbed it across my face. With each stroke, I felt renewed. Afterward, I ran cold water over the cloth and placed it over my eyes to help with the swelling. I couldn’t go meet my sister looking like this.
I didn’t feel like being around my sister today. I was supposed to meet her at the bridal shop to try on my bridesmaid dress one last time before her wedding next Saturday. Instead, I wanted to crawl back under my blue cotton sheets and relax all day. I was in no mood to feel happy about her getting married to a great guy who owned his own home and had lots of money. Every time I went around her, she talked about how happy she was and how this had to be the wedding of her dreams. I knew I was supposed to be happy for her, but my life was not a cakewalk like hers. We lived totally different lives. I had issues going on and to see her breeze through life like things were peaches and cream disgusted me.
After showering, doing my hair, and eating a bowl of cereal, I began to get dressed. Soon as I snapped on my last bracelet, the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Kea, this is Derrick.”
“I guess you calling to tell me Jaquon was with you all night.”
“Yeah, he stayed with me. If you don’t believe me, ask Zacariah when you see her next time. You know she will not lie for Jaquon. She can’t stand him.”
“That’s all well and good, Derrick, but he stayed out all night long again and I could care less if he was sleeping at your house or in an alley somewhere. Jaquon should have came home.”
“Kea—” Derrick called out, but I continued to take my frustration out on him.
“I’m tired of his crap. He like’s sleeping over there so much, then maybe he should move over there permanently.”
“I know he needs to get himself together,” he said before I cut him off again.
<
br /> “Why are you calling for him anyway? Why couldn’t he be man enough to call me himself? Is he trying to get a feel on the type of mood I’m in? Well, you can tell him I’m pissed the hell off.”
“I just called to tell you he was on his way home. I don’t know why he didn’t call you himself. He told me to give you a ring, so I did.”
“Well, thank you for calling me, Derrick.”
“Anytime. And Kea?”
“Yes, Derrick?”
“Don’t hurt my boy too bad,” he said laughing.
A few minutes later those keys I had been longing to hear jingled in the door lock. My heart kicked up some beats, and I almost ran to him, but I didn’t. I wasn’t going to be nipping at his heels like I always did, wrapping my arms around his neck, then arguing with him about where he’s been all night.
Hearing the screeching of the door hinges, the door opened, and then closed. I heard Jaquon call out to me. “Baby, where are you?”
I didn’t answer.
“Kea, baby, are you here? You got to be here because your car is still outside.”
The more he spoke, the closer I could tell he was getting to me.
“There you are,” he said, coming over to me with one hand behind his back. He tried to kiss me on the cheek, but I stepped back before his lips could touch me. He paused, looking at the side of my face before backing away. I didn’t say anything.
“Damn, you look good,” he said with his eyes roving up and down my body. “You smell good too. What’s that fragrance again?” he asked in his joking manner, and I continued to ignore him.
“I brought you some flowers,” he said bringing his hand from around his back, holding a dozen yellow-stemmed roses. He held them out to me, but I didn’t bother to take them.
“Baby, I know you’re mad at me.”
I paused and looked at him like, “Duh,” still saying nothing.
“So you’re going to give me the silent treatment now?”
Still nothing.
“I’m getting scared because this is unusual for you. Your mouth should be running a mile a minute by this time.”
My Mans Best Friend (9781622860241) Page 5