Mama Dearest

by E. Lynn Harris

  My trip down memory lane was ended by a male voice. “Still just as beautiful as ever.” I looked up and saw Derrick standing a few feet from me just as handsome as ever.

  I stood up, took both his hands in mine and gave him a kiss on each cheek. “Derrick. It’s so good to see you.”

  “Yancey Harrington Braxton. Man, was I surprised to hear from you.”

  “Have a seat,” I said. “I hope this restaurant wasn’t hard to find.”

  “No, my driver came right here,” Derrick said, taking the opposite seat.

  “Where is that waiter?” I asked nervously. Damn, I couldn’t calm myself.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile on his behalf. “I just need to get the waiter so we can order you something to drink.”

  “I’m fine, but I must say, you seem a little nervous. Is everything okay?”

  I slapped his wrist playfully. “Oh, it’s fine. Tell me, are you still an engineer?”

  “I still have my license, but for the last couple of years I’ve been managing a rising young star, who also happens to be my daughter,” Derrick said proudly.

  I didn’t respond. Even though he had put the issue on the table, I still couldn’t talk about Madison. I was getting ready to look over the menu when the waiter approached the table.

  “Can I get the gentleman a drink?” the waiter asked.

  “Just let me have a cranberry juice with Seven-Up,” Derrick said.

  With the sweetest smile I asked if they had any specials.

  He warmed right up. “Yes, we do. Why don’t I get the drink and then I’ll go over them with you?”

  “That will be fine,” I said as I smiled a hundred watts at the waiter. When I turned toward Derrick, he was blushing like a boy.

  “I see you still got that charm,” he said.

  “You think so?” I asked, fake eyelashes operating at full speed.

  “You know so. Are you still in the business?”

  “Oh yeah, and things are going well. Right now I’m looking over several projects trying to decide which one to take. There are television, stage and movie offers my agent and I are considering,” I said.

  “That’s good to hear. I tell you I’ve learned a lot since Madison got in this crazy business, and I don’t know how you all do it.”

  “I couldn’t do anything else,” I said.

  He was fully under my spell. “You always were a star, Yancey.”

  “How is your mother Charlesetta doing?”

  “She’s doing fine. About a year ago she moved in with us in California to help with Madison.”

  There was my opening again, and this time I took it.

  “I see Madison is doing quite well. I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. You must be so proud of her.” I picked a piece of the rye bread from the basket and spread whipped butter across it. Just as I took the first bite, the waiter came over and set Derrick’s drink in front of him. He rattled off several specials, and when he mentioned a broiled trout stuffed with spinach and rice, Derrick and I looked at each other and nodded our heads in agreement just like we were on a date. Some nice habits hadn’t died, even though we had moved up a few stars on the restaurant scale.

  When the waiter left, Derrick pulled one of the thin golden brown breadsticks from the basket and bit off the tip. He looked at me and said, “Yes, I’m quite proud of her, and I think you’d be, too, if you took the chance to get to know her.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, Derrick,” I said, not faking it. “Everything I’ve read about her makes Madison seem like the perfect child.”

  “She’s not perfect, but Madison is a good girl.”

  I didn’t respond, although I was proud of her too.

  “How’s Ava?” Derrick asked.

  A dark cloud passed on my brow. “What can I say? Ava is still Ava.”

  “Is she still in jail?”

  “You heard about that? Wow.”

  “Yeah, we heard about that. I wanted to contact you, but since you hadn’t responded to any of the notes I’d sent with pictures of Madison, well, I figured you had your hands full.”

  “I’m sorry, Derrick,” I said, genuinely meaning those words. “I was busy, but I should have responded and thanked you for sending the photos. She is a beautiful girl. You’ve been an excellent father.”

  He looked down at the table and nodded his head. “No problem. So, tell me what you need, Yancey. I know you didn’t want to meet with me to talk about the times we had back at old HU?”

  The waiter brought out two small salads and suddenly I thought I might need a little help, so I ordered a glass of wine. I encouraged Derrick to do the same but he declined, saying he was meeting Madison and her producer at the studio later in the evening.

  “Tell me what you need to talk about, Yancey,” Derrick said, unfolding the napkin that held his eating utensils.

  Time was running out so I got to the point. “I guess there’s no other way but to come out and say it. I want to meet Madison. I want to be a part of her life,” I said.

  Derrick dropped his fork to the floor. Shocked, he asked, “Are you serious?”

  “Yes I am, Derrick. I think it’s time.”

  “But why do you want to meet her now after all these years? You didn’t get news that you have some terminal illness, did you?”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course not. I just figured since we’re both in the business it would be good for us to meet. I could help her out,” I said.

  “Is that the only reason? I mean, Madison has tons of people including myself looking out for her.”

  “I’m sure she does but certainly not someone with my knowledge. Have you thought about having her do Broadway? That is the best training for a young actress. Maybe you should see if they found someone to play Sparkle. I heard there was talk of finally getting that movie made,” I said as I took the avocado out of the salad and placed it on my bread plate and sliced it in half.

  “Like yourself, we’re looking at a lot of things. Right now it’s getting the first album in the can and filming this reality show that VH-1 is doing about Madison.”

  Shit, Madison couldn’t do her own reality show if she was going to be in mine.

  “A reality show? Are you serious? With VH-1? Have you thought about this clearly, Derrick? Reality shows are going to be a thing of the past very soon,” I said.

  “Madison wants to do it. She’s even bringing along her best friend Caressa.”

  “Who’s the parent here? I hope you don’t let Madison make all the decisions,” I said.

  “I’m the parent,” he answered with emphasis. “Madison knows that.”

  “Does she have a boyfriend?”

  “Not really. I just started letting her have boys over once she turned sixteen. Madison was seeing this young man but he dropped out of sight when she auditioned for American Star. Madison didn’t tell me but I think he was pressuring her for sex.”

  “So she is still a virgin?”

  “Of course she is, Yancey.”

  “That’s good. We certainly don’t want Madison to have a sex tape out before she’s twenty-one,” I joked. The waiter brought out our entrees and I gave him my patented dismissive smile.

  “Did you say we?”

  “I meant you.”

  “So why now, Yancey? And what does Ava think about this? Does she want to meet Madison as well? I’m not sure I’m prepared for that.”

  “Because I feel like I’m ready and no, I haven’t discussed my plans with Ava. She is busy trying to stay one step ahead of her probation officer and find another rich fool to marry her before what beauty she has left fades.”

  Derrick considered the last statement as he cut into the fish. “I’m going to have to think about it before I talk to Madison.”

  “What do you think she might say?” I asked.

  “She’s a teenager, Yancey, so it’s no telling. Since American Star her life has changed
drastically. Madison has a lot on her plate.”

  “Okay, okay, but can you do it soon. I need to tell …,” I said stopping myself before I said producers.

  “You need to tell who?”

  “No one,” I said. “I’m just anxious to meet my baby girl.”

  “This is so strange,” Derrick said softly. He took the last bite of his fish.

  “What’s so strange about this? Why can’t you see that I’ve grown wiser and realize what a mistake it was to never meet Madison?” I said.

  “It that all it is? No other motives?” Derrick asked, looking at me the way he always did when he was trying to determine if I was telling the truth.

  “No other motives but to do what I should have done years ago,” I said.

  “And what is that?”

  “Be the best mother that I can be,” I said, eyeing the dessert tray and avoiding Derrick’s inquisitive eyes.

  CHAPTER

  24

  When Derrick asked Caressa and the two producers to give him and Madison some privacy, Madison hoped it wouldn’t be bad news like when he told her about Aunt Jennifer and her cancer diagnosis.

  “I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  “Tell me what, Daddy? You’re making me really nervous.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening now.” Derrick went silent for a few moments and cupped his hands under his chin. His face looked pensive until he finally came to a decision.

  “Your mother wants to meet you.”

  “My mother?” she asked, almost breaking into a laugh at the surprise. She half expected her father to say he was punking her. “Are you serious?” Madison leaped from the rolling high chair she was seated in and began pacing the control room repeating, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “No, sweetheart, I’m serious. I met with her for lunch and she really seemed serious,” Derrick said.

  “Did she say why?” Madison raised her hand to her forehead in an attempt to collect herself. “I don’t know, Daddy. I don’t know if I want to meet her now.”

  “Well, it’s totally up to you, Madison. I’m just the messenger. If you decide you don’t want to meet her, I’ll call her and tell her. But I thought you should know. I also think it’s time you two met.”

  “What did she say? How does she look? Is she still pretty?” Madison’s thoughts twirled back to her youth, when she’d found out her mother was the glamorous recording and Broadway star known as Yancey B. She had cut out pictures of her attending parties with handsome men and being seen with famous people. Madison had a scrapbook hidden in her room containing the pictures that nobody, including her dad, knew about. She thought about how many times she’d sat up in bed all alone wondering what she would say when Yancey and she met. Madison thought about it during her American Star audition and every time she competed. Secretly she’d wished her mother would seek her out once she became famous.

  Out of nowhere flashed a memory of when she was in the sixth grade. Despite her young age, she had been picked to play the lead role of Dorothy in The Wiz. The production wasn’t polished, but people raved about Madison’s powerful voice. Her castmate’s mother, a beautiful socialite, gushed over Madison, her beauty and performance. When she asked Madison if her mother was proud of her, Madison announced that her mother had given her up at birth, one of the few times she’d ever said this. Shocked, the socialite said in a whispered tone, “She wouldn’t have done that if she knew what a talent you’d grow up to be.” And from that day on Madison often wondered if this could possibly be true.

  “She looks great,” Derrick said. “Just like the girl I fell in love with.”

  “Who looks great?” Madison asked as her daydream ended.

  “Yancey. Remember you asked me if she was still pretty.”

  “So she’s here in New York. I thought she was doing some road show,” Madison said.

  “Yeah, she’s here. Yancey told me that she had a lot of projects upcoming, but she wants to take the time off to meet you. She could offer you advice on dealing with show business.”

  Madison wasn’t convinced, though the idea was growing on her with every passing second. “But did she say anything about why she’d waited so long? Did she say anything about being my mother? Did she, Daddy? Am I finally going to have a real mommy?”

  “She said if you allowed her, she was ready to be a mother.”

  Madison felt a sharp pang of longing, but quickly forced it away. “Do you believe her?”

  “I don’t know, Madison. I just don’t know.”

  “What about you and Shanice?”

  “What about her?”

  “If you two get back together, won’t that make Yancey uncomfortable?”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that, sweetheart.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I am sure. Stop worrying about your daddy.”

  Madison walked over to her father and put her arms on his shoulders as he sat quietly wondering how his little girl had become a woman without his knowledge.

  LATER THAT EVENING MADISON, Caressa and Derrick were looking over the architect’s plans for Jenny’s Place in Harlem when the phone in the hotel suite rang. Derrick left the two girls scouring over the blueprints on the dining room table and went to the desk to answer the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Mr. Lewis?” the vaguely familiar-sounding voice asked.

  “Yes, this is Derrick Lewis.”

  “This is Nicole Stovall, Madison’s voice teacher. We met once.”

  “Oh yeah, how are you?”

  “I’m doing fine. I just want to talk to you about something that’s been bothering me and thought maybe you could give me some insight.”

  Derrick looked over at Madison and Caressa, who had now spread the blueprints on the floor.

  “How can I help you?”

  Nicole went on to tell Derrick about their lunch date and how Madison responded when Yancey Braxton’s name came up.

  “She was really sad, Mr. Lewis, and I just couldn’t get it off my mind.”

  “What did Madison tell you?”

  “That’s it; she didn’t. Madison told me it was nothing. Does she know Yancey?”

  “Not really, but there is a connection.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Look, Ms. Stovall, I really appreciate your concern and I’ll talk to Madison about this. What am I thinking? I’m the adult here. Yancey is actually Madison’s biological mother.”

  There was dead silence on the phone line. After a few minutes Derrick called out Nicole’s name.

  “Yes, yes, I’m here. My God, I don’t know what to say. I didn’t know Yancey had a daughter. Is she in Madison’s life now?”

  “Not really.”

  “Oh I see then, that explains the tears. I wonder if Yancey knows what she’s missing having such a beautiful and talented daughter,” Nicole said.

  “That’s nice of you to say but if you know Yancey, then you know what her number-one priority is,” Derrick said with a laugh.

  “Well, I guess it’s great you can laugh about it, Mr. Lewis. I don’t know how I could live my life without my children,” Nicole said.

  “Madison said you were a great mom. Now I see what she was talking about.”

  “That’s very nice of you and Madison to say that. So you’re telling me she’s okay and I shouldn’t worry?”

  “Always worry about kids, Ms. Stovall, especially in today’s world. But trust me when I say I’m looking out for my daughter double time.”

  “I hear you. Please forgive me if I’ve overstepped my boundaries but I just think Madison is the best. You’ve done a great job of raising her.”

  “Thanks, Ms. Stovall. That coming from someone who Madison thinks so highly of means a lot.”

  “Have a good evening, Mr. Lewis.”

  “Derrick, call me Derrick.”

  “Only if you call me Nicole.”

  “You bet.”

 
CHAPTER

  25

  Ava found Lyrical lying on the sofa in Yancey’s office with a newspaper covering her face. Lyrical’s high-top sneakers rested on the arm of the sofa. Disgusted, Ava was tempted to push them to the floor, but she needed some information and didn’t want to get Lyrical riled.

  “So what’s the bitch been up to?” Ava asked.

  Lyrical woke up and removed the newspaper. She was still sleepy and didn’t reply.

  “Surprised to see me?”

  Finally Lyrical stirred herself and sat up. “When did you get back?”

  “I’ve been back a couple of days.”

  “How was it?”

  “What?”

  “Your vacation, diva. What did you do?”

  Ava was pleased to have an audience. “I did nothing but lay around on my ass and eat a lot of very fattening food with a bunch of boring rich people.”

  “Sounds like fun to me. You know, the lying on your ass thing.” A street edge entered her voice. “When are we going to start my classes about how to be a lady, Ava?”

  “You mean etiquette lessons, darling?”

  “Yeah, whatever, Ava. You think I forgot, but I introduced you to Donnie Ray and it’s now time for you to pay up.”

  “It’s all so easy, my darling. There are just three simple rules you must follow,” Ava said.

  “What are they?”

  Ava raised a finger, signaling the number one. “Stop cussing. It’s so crass and juvenile. Learn how to express yourself without the use of those words.” Up went a second finger. “Start wearing more dresses and bras. I’m surprised you’re not mistaken for a dyke or young boy more often.” She dropped her hand. “And finally, don’t give out no pussy without rewards.”

  “Are you telling me to become a whore?” Lyrical said, suspicious. “I ain’t selling no pussy, Ava, and I don’t like dresses or bras.”

  “Who said anything about being a whore? There is a big difference. And I don’t mean you have to get something every time you get down, but you need to keep a little tally running in your head and when it’s time you cash in.”