by Nia Arthurs
The bell over the door jangled as a group of customers left. Luke straightened and trotted over to their table to clean up. He pushed his complicated love life from mind and focused on work.
When the lunch rush petered out, Uncle Eddie emerged from the kitchen. He wore a plain grey T-shirt and baggy khakis. His pale face was pink from the heat of the stove.
“Let’s talk,” he said.
Luke followed his uncle to a table and pulled out a chair. “What did Mom say?”
“I didn’t get a chance to sit with your mother. She was furious that you were still dating that girl. She was also disappointed I hadn’t fired you from the store and refused to meet me, but I did speak to your dad.”
“And?” Luke leaned forward.
“He wants to speak with you and your mother. Soon.”
“Do you think it will help?”
“I think you should go and plead your case one more time. If they still don’t listen, you must take a stand. Remind them you are no longer a child and they cannot live life for you.”
“Thank you, Uncle. Having you in my corner gives me confidence. My parents… they’re taking this harder than I thought. I don’t know what to do.”
Eddie tilted his head. “I believe one should listen to sound advice and common sense at all times. But, in this case, your heart will lead the way.”
Luke took his uncle’s advice seriously and applied it to his predicament with Michelle and Ashanti. Though Ashanti hadn’t expressed interest in him while sober, the fact that they’d kissed meant something was there.
He would acknowledge that.
But the truth was, Ashanti wasn’t in his heart.
Michelle was.
He’d had a chance with her and he’d blown it. Luke couldn’t waver now, not for a fleeting attraction to his closest friend.
The door jangled and both he and Uncle Eddie looked up. Weng strode through, a backpack slung on his shoulder. He wore a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt.
A smile spread on Uncle Eddie’s face. “Weng, what a pleasant surprise.”
Weng bowed and slipped into the chair across from Luke. “My class finished early so I thought I’d stop by and eat lunch here.”
“I’ll go whip something up.” Eddie used the table to push himself to his feet and waddled to the kitchen.
Luke smirked. “Your parents didn’t freak out when you came home late, did they?”
“What do you think?” Weng snorted. “I’m grounded for the foreseeable future.”
“I told you not to risk it. You were the one who insisted on coming.”
“It was my first invitation to the big kids table. You think I would have missed that?” Weng slipped his backpack strap off his shoulder and leaned back. “Did Ashanti get in okay?”
“Both her and Michelle. Why? Did you doubt my driving skills?”
“Can’t I? You doubted mine.”
“Whoa.” Luke raised his hands. “It was just a joke, cuz. Calm down.”
Weng slouched in his chair.
Luke cleared his throat. “Something on your mind?”
“Not particularly.”
Luke tapped his fingers on the table. Weng was a teenager, but he hadn’t been this moody before. Was he that offended that Luke hadn’t wanted him to drink and drive last night?
“Is Ashanti’s car still at the bar? I thought I could pick it up and drop it off for her,” Weng said casually.
Luke glanced up, eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Just because.” Weng shrugged.
“I already got the car for her. Ashanti stopped by during her lunch break to pick it up from the café. But thanks for asking. I’m sure she’d appreciate that.”
“Whatever.”
Luke cleared his throat. “What did you think of Michelle?”
“She’s your girlfriend, right?”
“Not yet…”
“She’s alright. Ashanti’s prettier.”
Luke stiffened. “I didn’t ask you to compare.”
“You asked for my opinion. I gave it.”
Luke glared at his cousin. “What’s your deal, man?”
Weng scoffed and glanced away.
Luke was just about to reach over the table and teach his cousin a lesson when Uncle Eddie limped out of the kitchen with a steaming tray of food. He set the platter on the table and pulled out several bowls filled with sides of rice and vegetables.
Next he set two bowls of beef soup before them. “Eat up.”
Luke clamped his spoon between his fingers, still giving Weng the eye.
His cousin completely ignored him and tucked into the soup with gusto. Uncle Eddie watched Weng eat with a smile on his face. When he noticed Luke hadn’t made any moves to follow, he gestured with his hands.
“Go on.”
Luke dipped his head and spoke in Mandarin, “Thank you for the food.”
“You should visit more often, Weng.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Eddie smiled fondly. “You’re growing up so fast. Just the other day, you were nothing but a toddler running around in your underpants and Luke was your age. Now you’re about to go to college and Luke is dating with the intention of marriage.”
“Marriage, huh,” Weng said, his mouth full of rice. “Congratulations.”
“We’re not that serious yet, Uncle.”
“What do you mean?” Eddie scrunched his nose. “That girl is always here. She might as well join the family.”
“Michelle’s always here? How come I haven’t seen her?” Weng arched an eyebrow.
Eddie rubbed his bristly cheek. “Michelle? That doesn’t sound right. Luke’s girlfriend has a name that starts with A.”
Luke choked on his food. His spoon clattered to the table and his hands dove around his neck as he tried to get himself together.
“Here, Luke. Drink this.” Eddie slid a glass of water toward him.
Luke grabbed it and shot it back. His eyes watered and his chest expanded with every tortured breath.
Weng was too busy staring at Uncle Eddie to care that Luke almost died. He balled his hands into fists and half-rose from the table. “Starts with A? You mean Ashanti?”
“That’s right. I knew it was some African name.” Eddie nodded and set his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Are you okay, Luke?”
“I’m fine.” He wheezed.
Weng slid his gaze over Luke. His eyes were as sharp as knives. “What is he talking about?”
“I’ll go make you some tea,” Eddie said, shooting a concerned look at Luke before turning and trotting into the kitchen.
“Weng, it’s not what you think.”
“What I think?” His cousin rose to his feet and towered over Luke. “It looks like you’re playing Michelle and Ashanti.”
“Ashanti and I are just friends.”
“Then why did Uncle Eddie say that?”
“It’s… a long story.”
“Go ahead. I’ve got all day.”
He glanced behind him to make sure Eddie was out of earshot and then leaned forward. “Ashanti volunteered to be my ‘girlfriend’ so Mom and Dad would get used to the idea of me dating a black girl.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I wanted to break up with Michelle because I knew my folks would freak out if they heard. I knew they would never accept her. Ashanti wanted me to be happy. If the roles were reversed, I would do the same for her.”
“Really?”
Luke nodded.
“Then you have no feelings for Ashanti at all?”
Luke hesitated and then shook his head. “No.”
Chapter Fourteen
She’d never had a dream that vivid. And she’d definitely never had one that featured Luke’s lips. Ashanti was beyond mortified, but it wasn’t like Luke knew her subconscious had created a scenario in which they kissed.
So no harm, no foul.
Right?
Or not. She couldn’t stop thinking about that dream. How she
’d felt in that moment. Like Luke was literally melting her bones.
Throughout the afternoon, Ashanti had to step away from her laptop several times just to drink a cold glass of water and fan her face.
The dream had definitely left an impression, but she wasn’t giving into her feelings so easily.
After she got home from work, Ashanti selected her rattiest T-shirt and a pair of pants with holes. She cleaned her makeup off with wipes and yanked the ponytail out of her hair, snarling in pain as the clip fell away with several strands.
Luke was just a friend. She had no reasons to impress him. Tonight, when he came over it would be business as usual.
Ashanti turned on the television and watched the first quarter of the news. She checked her watch. Luke would have closed the store by now. Her heart pounded in anticipation, but she forced herself to remain seated and plant her eyes on the TV.
Another hour passed. No Luke.
She snatched her cellphone and checked for any messages from Luke saying he was running late or he wouldn’t show up at all. He hadn’t reached out to her yet. She could only assume that he was still coming.
The news blared its closing theme song and Ashanti switched the channel to a mindless sitcom. As the canned laughter filtered in the background, she glanced at the door and chewed on a fingernail.
Why wasn’t Luke here yet?
She debated calling him when there was a knock on the door. Ashanti sprung from her seat like a jack-in-the-box and pounced on the doorknob. She paused. Smoothed her hair down. Took a deep breath.
Her smile was wide when she opened the door, but it slipped off her face as soon as she saw who stood on the threshold.
“Mrs. Zhang!” Ashanti squeaked.
Luke’s mother stood in the golden light splaying from the porch. Her hair was brushed away from her face and swirled in an elaborate pin at the back of her head. Her cheekbones were high, and her eyes were as black as marbles.
She wore a cream jacket over a brown blouse and a pair of silky blue pants. Silver earrings dangled from her lobes and a bracelet glinted from the width of her wrist.
Mrs. Zhang looked like she’d come to visit the Prime Minister, not a lowly journalist.
Ashanti looked at her own ratty outfit and cringed.
“May I come in?” Mrs. Zhang asked with a toss of her head.
“O-of course.” Ashanti stepped aside and gingerly followed Luke’s mother to her living room. “I didn’t expect you tonight. What a… lovely surprise.”
“Don’t lie. I know you like me about as much as I like you.”
She forced a laugh and said politely, “Then you must love me.”
Mrs. Zhang shot her a dark look and Ashanti knew her joke had fallen flat.
“Get it? Because I… never mind.” Ashanti dropped all attempts at lightening the mood and pointed to the couch. “Have a seat.”
Mrs. Zhang sat gingerly, her legs clasped together like a princess. She surveyed Ashanti from the top of her wild hair to the tips of her toes. A snort fell from her lips. “What on earth does Luke see in you?”
Ashanti bristled, but she kept her mouth shut. This was Luke’s mother. At the end of the day, she was responsible for creating and raising one of her closest friends. Ashanti would respect her. But she had a line. If Mrs. Zhang crossed it, all bets were off.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Ashanti, was it? You seem like an intelligent young woman.”
“Thank you?”
“Have you heard the term ‘a fish and a bird may fall in love, but where would they build their nest’? It’s a relatively common proverb.”
“I’ve heard it,” Ashanti said stiffly.
“Do you know what it means?”
Her fingers balled into fists. “No.”
“Come on now, Ashanti.” Mrs. Zhang’s voice dripped with disdain. “Take a guess.”
“It… means that the fish lives in the water and the bird lives in the air. They’re from different worlds.”
“Exactly.” Mrs. Zhang nodded. “A fish can’t live outside the water and the bird cannot survive beneath the waves. They may admire each other to their hearts content, but they can never build a life, a home together. They wouldn’t be able to survive.”
“Are you calling me the fish or the bird?”
Mrs. Zhang tilted her head. “Whatever you are, you do not belong with my son.”
“Ma’am, I ask this respectfully. What exactly is it that you hate about me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t hate you, Ashanti. Do you think I would have allowed you to hang around Luke for decades if I did?”
“So you knew we were friends?”
“Of course.” She lifted a shoulder delicately.
“Then you know I’m not a bad person. That I would never do anything to harm Luke.”
“You’re missing the point, dear. You see, friendship and marriage are two very different things. Your friendship was harmless. I had no qualms as long as you were not a bad influence. But marriage… it’s not so simple.”
“What does our potential marriage have to do with you?”
“It has everything to do with me.” Mrs. Zhang’s eyebrows pulled together. “When two individuals marry, they are really joining two families. How would your relatives fit with mine? It would be total chaos.” She shuddered. “I can’t even imagine it.”
Ashanti almost laughed. How could one woman be that delusional? “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
Mrs. Zhang, clearly trying to educate her, scooted to the edge of the couch. “What if you two had children?”
“What about it?”
“They’d be mixed.”
“They’d be beautiful,” Ashanti snapped.
Mrs. Zhang was too busy balking at the thought to notice that Ashanti was dipping into the last of her patience. “Would they be black? Would they be Chinese? What would people say?”
“Are you that afraid of what others think?”
“I’m afraid of the future you represent.”
“A future where love is the only thing that matters? That doesn’t seem so bad.”
“You’re idealistic. Do you think marriages are built on love?” Mrs. Zhang laughed. “Read that in a storybook?”
Ashanti resented Mrs. Zhang’s condescension, but chose to ignore it. “You disagree?”
“In real life, romantic moments aren’t accompanied with sparkles.” She thrust her hands out like mini fireworks. “Marriage is built on a common foundation. A similar set of values. A shared worldview.”
“All of which Luke and I have.”
“You cannot,” Mrs. Zhang thundered. “You and Luke did not grow up the same way. We have a culture that is vastly removed from yours. So much so that you cannot even begin to understand.”
“Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter. Isn’t it Luke’s choice? Don’t you trust that you raised him well enough to choose the right partner?”
“Of course not. For all his good qualities, Luke is still a man and subject to the cunnings of a woman, whether she is black or not.”
Her head throbbed. Ashanti leaned back wearily. “I will never be more than the color of my skin to you, won’t I? This,” she held her hand up and ran a finger over her brown wrist, “is all you can see.”
Mrs. Zhang narrowed her eyes, but her tone was soft, pleading. “I beg you, Ashanti. Leave my son alone.”
“Okay… get on your knees.”
“What?”
“If you want to beg properly, get on the ground and ask me the right way.”
Mrs. Zhang’s face paled and then grew red in such quick motions if Ashanti blinked she would have missed it. She shot to her feet, her chin trembling in outrage. “How dare you?”
Ashanti unfolded herself from the couch and stood too. “I’ve got to warn you though. Even if you beg me, I won’t let him go.”
Mrs. Zhang raised her hand to slap her.
Ashanti snatc
hed her wrist and dragged the woman close, her fury sizzling just below the surface of her skin. “No, I gave you a chance to talk. Now you listen. My name is Ashanti. I am black. And I am not ashamed of who I am or the color God gave me.”
Mrs. Zhang’s jaw dropped. She struggled and yelled, “Let me go!”
“You might think your precious son is above me,” Ashanti said, holding on, “but the truth is he sees me as his equal and so do I.”
“I said let—”
Ashanti tossed her hand down before she finished the instruction. “Luke is not a bird, and I am not a fish. We are both human beings. I think you’d feel much better if you remembered that.”
Mrs. Zhang smoothed the sides of her black hair and then ran her hands over the seams of her dress. Her nose flared and anger burned from her dark eyes. “You will never be a part of my family.”
“And I would never want a mother-in-law like you.”
The women stared each other down for a second. At last, Mrs. Zhang spun with a huff and stormed toward the door. She pulled the knob and yanked it with such force the door banged against the wall.
Ashanti followed her and stood in the doorway. She watched Luke’s mother clamor for her car and disappear inside. The vehicle didn’t move immediately, but a few minutes later she heard the engine turn over and saw the parking lights flash.
Ashanti took a deep breath of the fragrant air and didn’t let it out until Mrs. Zhang had driven away. As soon as the car disappeared around the curb, she wilted against the doorframe.
The chimes her grandmother had hung on the porch danced together, creating a fairy-like melody. She listened to the music and wondered what Grandma Flora would say if she were still here.
She’d probably stomp Mrs. Zhang down for insulting me.
A smirk climbed Ashanti’s face. Her grandmother was fierce like that.
Flora gave birth to her eldest, Jerry, at eighteen and raised him alone for five years before she met her husband, Frank—Ashanti’s biological grandfather.
In those days, being a single mother was frowned upon, but Grandma Flora ignored the haters. She did her best to feed and provide for her children and she never let the world get her down.
Man, she missed her grandmother.
Ashanti fell back inside the house and locked the door. Her phone was vibrating on the arm of the couch. For a second, she thought of ignoring it but figured it was Luke and rushed to scoop it up before she missed him.