by Carl Weber
“Oh, my God, Jasmine! What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
She had the nerve to be actin’ all indignant as she stood in the doorway, butt-ass naked, steppin’ out on a good man with that lowlife she call her baby’s daddy. I know I was the last person she expected to find at the door. She just stood there and stared like I was some kinda space alien. Shoot, I know she musta been in shock, ’cause she didn’t even attempt to cover herself.
“Bitch, I know you ain’t the one who need to be askin’ that question.” I sucked my teeth. “What the hell are you doin’ here with Malek? You oughta be ashamed of yourself.”
Stephanie lowered her eyes and stepped back to finally get something to cover herself. I shouldered past her and sat down on the bed. The funk in the room made my stomach turn, but I had to stay and straighten this girl out. I never did understand the hold that Malek had over her. That’s why I had such a bad feeling after Big Momma told me Malek came by on Christmas Day. Sure, Stephanie probably put on a good show for Travis, all up in Malek’s face, tellin’ him to get lost. But I knew my sister well enough to know how hard that was for her. Part of her probably wanted to jump in the car and ride away with that no-good nigga. Something told me it was just a matter of time before there would be trouble. And now I was staring at trouble in the form of my naked sister in a sleazy motel. I just hoped I could stop her before she lost the best man she could ever hope to have.
“Jesus, Stephanie.” I shook my head in disgust as she stood before me wrapped in a sheet. “What were you thinking? You’re supposed to be getting married in a few months.”
“You’re not gonna tell Big Momma, are you?” was her nervous reply.
I had to give Big Momma her due. Even when she wasn’t around, she was around. Here was Stephanie, busted in a motel room with her ex-boyfriend, with not a stitch of clothing on, and all she could think about was if I’m gonna tell Big Momma.
“Big Momma is the least of your worries, Stephanie. You had better pray I don’t tell Travis. How could you do this to him after all he’s done for you? Do you know how many sisters would trade places with you right this minute? And you over here with that no-good nigga Malek. Please!” I frowned. “Will you stop starin’ at me and put some clothes on? Don’t nobody wanna see your naked ass.”
She turned her back to me and started to pick up the clothes that had been scattered across the room. The air in there was thick and musty like they’d been going at it all day. I couldn’t wait to get the hell outta there.
“Jasmine, please don’t tell no one ’bout this. Please,” she was pleading as she hurried to get dressed.
“You know, Steph, you’ve done some stupid shit over the years, but this is the stupidest.” I turned to face her, hands on my hips. “How in the hell could you cheat on Travis for Malek? That’s like choosing a Ford Escort over a Mercedes Benz.”
She didn’t answer me. She just sat on the bed and cried. I swear that was the first time I’d ever seen my sister speechless.
A minute or so later there was a knock on the door. Her body language made it obvious she was dying to answer the door, but she looked at me sheepishly to see what my next move would be.
“Don’t you even think about it!” I pointed at her as I stood and marched to the door.
The expression on Malek’s face was priceless when he saw me. His mouth ‘bout dropped to the scuzzy motel floor, and his knees buckled. For a second I thought I might have to catch this fool if he passed out. Either that or I was gonna have to go get him some paper, ’cause he sure looked like he was gonna shit on himself.
“So the criminal returns to the scene of the crime.” I place my hand on my hip. Malek looked past me, searching the room for Stephanie. She was fully dressed now, sitting on the bed with tears streaming down her face. He figured out real fast he wasn’t gonna get no support from her, so he took an attitude with me.
“I ain’t no criminal,” he snapped. “Yo, Short—I mean, Stephanie. What’s up? What’s she doing here?” Stephanie couldn’t answer him, so I did.
“I came to get my little sister and take her home to her fiancé. You got a problem with that?”
Malek was definitely not happy that I’d screwed up his little booty call, but it wasn’t like I cared. Wasn’t shit he could do to me. He knew damn well that if he tried anything stupid, I just had to make one call to one of Derrick’s friends and his ass would be pushing up daisies at Bland’s Cemetery.
“Let’s go, Stephanie,” I ordered.
She stood up and walked to the door, her head hanging low. When she passed Malek she whispered, “I’ll call you later.”
“No, she won’t,” I assured him as I closed the door behind us. When we got to the parking lot, Stephanie turned around and watched Malek walk to his car. There was longing in her eyes, and that scared me. She was so much better off with Travis, and I did not want her to mess that up.
“You are taking your ass home, aren’t you?” I used my most parental tone.
“Yes.” She answered absentmindedly still staring at Malek. As she opened the door to her van, she asked one more time, “Please, don’t tell no one about this, Jasmine. I ain’t gonna mess with him again, I swear. You’re always talkin’ about how we’re sisters and we should look out for each other. Please don’t say nothin’.”
I looked at her but didn’t answer. Let her sweat it out for a while. Truth is, I had no intention of telling Travis. She was right Even though we didn’t get along all the time, we were still sisters, and she had to live with Travis, not with me. But I did want to tell Momma and Big Momma. At least they could help me keep an eye on Stephanie so she didn’t mess things up with Travis. Her kids needed someone like him in their lives, and if she wasn’t gonna protect their interests, then we would.
“I thought you and Travis were happy, Steph.”
“We are.”
“Then why mess with Malek?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “Haven’t you ever done something with a man that felt so right at the time but was so wrong when you were done?”
I nodded my head slowly. That was exactly how I felt the night Dylan and I spent at Joe’s.
“Yeah, I guess I have, but not with anyone as low-life as Malek. Haven’t you learned yet that he’s bad news?”
“He’s not a lowlife, Jasmine,” she tried to convince me. “He’s just misunderstood. Isn’t that what you tell everyone about Derrick? ”
Damn, she was killing me with my own words. When she put it that way, I guess I did understand what she meant. My entire family hated Derrick even more than they hated Malek. I had spent plenty of energy trying to convince everyone of the good that I saw in him, and I guess Stephanie felt the same way about Malek.
“You still love him, don’t you?” She didn’t answer. She was too busy watching Malek’s car leave the motel parking lot. “Stephanie?”
“Hmm?” She finally turned to me.
“I asked you a question. You still love Malek, don’t you?”
She hesitated before speaking. “I still care about him, Jasmine. I can’t lie about that. But I’m not in love with him. Not anymore.”
I wasn’t able to tell if she was truthful.
“You for real?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “That’s why I need you to keep this between us. I made a mistake today, Jasmine. I realize that now, but it was a mistake I had to make if I was gonna marry Travis. I had to be sure I wasn’t still in love with Malek.”
“And you’re not?”
“I would’ve never left that room if I was in love with Malek, and you know it. I would’ve told you to kiss my ass.”
I couldn’t argue with her logic. From the start, everyone was busy telling her how perfect Travis was for her. Including me. Why shouldn’t we? He’s a good man. But the only one who needed to be more than sure was Stephanie. If you’re gonna get married, you gotta make sure the love is real.
“So are you in love with Travis?”
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“More than you can ever know,” she responded with sad eyes. “I can’t believe I did this to him. It all started out so innocent. I was just supposed to be hanging out with Malek and next thing you know, we ended up here.” I stopped her. I really didn’t wanna hear any more.
“All right, little sister. I’ll keep your secret. But you’ve gotta promise me you’re gonna stay away from Malek.”
“I promise, Jasmine.”
“Hold on.” My cell phone was ringing. “Hello?”
“Jasmine?” I recognized my mother’s agitated voice right away.
“Yeah, Momma. What’s up?”
“Have you seen your sister? I been looking everywhere for her.”
“She’s right here. What’s the matter, Momma?”
“Nothin’,” she snapped. “Just put your sister on the phone.”
“All right, Momma. You don’t have to get indignant with me.” I shoved the phone at Stephanie. “Here, Momma wants to talk to you.”
“Hey, Momma. Whatzup?” It seemed like a full five minutes Stephanie just stood and listened to Momma, who was yelling so loud I could hear bits and pieces of her tirade as I stood next to my sister. Stephanie finally interrupted. “I know I need a new cell phone, Momma. But I ain’t paid the bill on the last one I had, so you know they ain’t gonna give me a new one. Is that why you called looking for me?”
Stephanie looked agitated, but whatever Momma told her after that had her worried, ’cause she just stood there babbling things like, “What? ... Oh, shit! ... What did he say? ... Damn, Momma! ... Why didn’t you? ... Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Stephanie clicked the phone off and handed it to me. She looked even worse than she did when I busted her.
“What happened?”
“Travis dropped the kids off at Momma’s.”
“So?”
“She said he left them there so he could go lookin’ for me. He talked to someone at my job and found out I wasn’t doin’ overtime.”
My sister was in a whole heap of trouble, and I hoped for her sake she could think fast enough to get herself out of it.
16
Travis
I stopped searching for Stephanie and headed home once it got dark. I was so heated when I walked in the house and she wasn’t there that I went straight to the living room bar and poured myself a shot of tequila. I threw it back and finished it in one gulp, then poured myself another. I’m not really a drinker, but I needed something to calm my nerves. I musta drove around Richmond for three hours trying to find Stephanie’s ass. I stopped by every friend, relative, and acquaintance I could think of. The only place I didn’t stop by was that punk Malek’s house, and that was only because Stephanie’s mother said she didn’t know his address.
I gulped down what was left of my second drink, then poured myself a third before I sat on the living room sofa. I sat there for a good five or ten minutes, staring a portrait of Stephanie hanging over the mantel. I was trying to figure out why the hell she’d lied to me, but I just couldn’t come up with a logical explanation. I mean, it wasn’t like I was unreasonable, and I had definitely been good to her. In all the years we’d been together, I hadn’t even looked at another woman. So why the hell was this happening to me? In my frustration I started to scream at the portrait.
“Why? Why the fuck would you do this to me?”
Stephanie smiled out at me from that picture as if to say, I’ll do what ever I want. You’re in love with me, remember!
Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just my pent-up anger, but I snatched that portrait from the wall and threw it to the ground It shattered into a hundred pieces and I was about to stomp on what was left of it when I heard a car pull into the driveway. A few seconds later I heard Stephanie’s voice coming form the front door.
“Travis! You home, baby? Travis!”
“I’m in the living room,” I grumbled. It took everything I had not to explode on her like I did the portrait when she walked in the room.
“Hey, baby. I didn’t ...” Her eyes took in the broken glass all over the floor. She didn’t budge, but her expression told me she was concerned. I was hoping she was scared. “What happened to my picture?”
“I broke it. What does it look like?” I slurred belligerently.
She eyed me strangely. “Travis ... are you drunk?”
“You damn right I’m drunk! And I’m gonna get drunker. Now where the hell have you been?” I shouted.
“Um ... well ... I ...” She wouldn’t make eye contact, and that just made things worse. As far as I was concerned, it just proved she was doing something she had no business doing. An image of her and Malek flashed in my mind and I just lost it. I knocked everything off the bar to get her attention.
“Look at me, goddamn it! I already know you weren’t at work. Now, where the hell were you?” My hands were shaking and I was trying my best to control my temper, but it was getting hard. I guess I was expecting her to act shocked or pretend she didn’t know what I was talking about, but she just lowered her head without a word. “Answer me, Stephanie! Where the fuck were you?”
When she didn’t answer, I kicked the coffee table in my rage, and the wood splintered with a loud crack. Stephanie screamed loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. But I didn’t care who was listening. I just wanted answers. And the fact that she wasn’t giving me any was pissing me off even more.
“Goddamn it, I asked you a question!” I reached for her and she stepped back out of my grasp.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?” She was scared, real scared, and believe it or not, so was I. Scared of what I might do if I got my hands on her.
“Yeah, maybe I have lost my mind. But if I have, it’s your fault!” I reached out to grab her again. This time I wasn’t letting her get away. “I’m not gonna ask you again. Where the fuck were you?”
“Let her go, Travis! She was with me.” The voice came from behind me. I turned around and there was Jasmine, holding my son with one arm and Maleka’s hand with the other. I let Stephanie go and she ran to her sister’s side.
“She wasn’t with you. She can’t stand you. Why the hell would she lie to me about being with you?” I really hadn’t meant to say it that way. It wasn’t Jasmine I wanted to hurt, but the alcohol was talking.
Jasmine frowned in Stephanie’s direction. “She was with me ’cause no matter what you say she feels about me, she’s my sister and I needed her.”
“Ha! What do I look like, a fool? I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid. Do you really expect me to believe that shit? I don’t know what she has on you, but I don’t believe a word you’re saying.”
“Are you calling me a liar, Travis? I don’t have to lie to you.” She actually looked insulted.
“Neither does Stephanie. If she was with you, why’d she lie to me about doing overtime? She could’ve told me the truth. I wouldn’t have stopped her.”
Jasmine released Maleka’s hand, then handed the baby to Stephanie. She marched over to me and stood inches away from my face.
“You wanna know why, Travis? This is why.” She re moved her sunglasses.
“Damn! What happened to your eye?” She looked like she’d just gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali.
“The same thing I just stopped you from doing to my sister,” she sighed as she placed the glasses back on her head. “Look at this place, Travis. I can’t believe you. I never thought I’d ever see you act this way. Is this the example you wanna set for your son?”
I felt like I was shrinking in front of her. I surveyed the damage I’d done in the room: the broken picture frame, the splintered coffee table, and the frightened look on Maleka’s face. I felt like a fool. I’d jumped to conclusions about Stephanie’s whereabouts a little too quickly. I should’ve had a little more faith. I should’ve trusted her more. And to make matters even worse, T. J. was crying and Stephanie was on the verge.
“She was really with you?”
My voice was humbled and unsure, sorry I had rushed to judgment.
“Yes,” Jasmine nodded. “She’s been with me ever since I left Ryan’s.”
I lowered my head and stepped toward Stephanie. She flinched backwards, so I froze. I’d really fucked up. I had to proceed very carefully now.
“Is that true, Steph? Were you with Jasmine?” She glanced at her sister before she nodded at me.
“Oh, shit.” I covered my face as I lowered my head. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m really so sorry. You know how much I love you. I just thought ...” I took a step forward, then stopped.
I expected her to curse me out after I was so stupid, but she burst into tears and wrapped her arms around me. The baby squirmed between us as we held each other tight.
“I’m sorry, baby. I love you, too. I’m never gonna lie to you again, not even for my sister.” She looked up at me and I kissed her tears away.
I said a quick prayer to thank God for giving me back my family. I coulda sworn I heard Jasmine suck her teeth behind me, but I wasn’t gonna get into that. She was probably just jealous that she was the sister stuck with a no-good jailbird and one hell of a black eye. Oh well, maybe me and Stephanie could set a good enough example that she’d wake up and dump that guy someday soon.
17
Stephanie
It was late, almost midnight. I couldn’t fall asleep because Travis had been rubbing his thing up against my butt for the past hour. I was trying to pretend I was asleep, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he got frustrated and started shaking me to wake up. Even worse, I was afraid he might try to get my panties down far enough so that he could slip himself inside me. Not that I could blame him if he did. I’d promised him this morning that I was gonna give him some tonight. He’d been back from maneuvers in the field for over a week, and with the kids sick with colds and both of us taking night classes, we just hadn’t had the time or opportunity to be intimate. Travis had let me know this morning that he couldn’t wait any longer. The bad thing about all this was that I had an itch that needed to be scratched myself, only I hadn’t waited for Travis to take care of it.