“So what happens now. I mean, do we start planning our life, what?”
“Ny, I started planning my life with you the moment I picked you up in that airport. I knew at that moment that I was in love with you and I had to have you. I know what I have in mind, but please feel free to have as much input as you need.”
“I’m trippin’. I mean, It still feels like we are with these other people. When is it going to feel differently?”
“It’s going to take some time, Ny.”
“In the meantime, what do we do? I mean, do we act like we go together, what?”
“Act however you want. It doesn’t matter. But, when you tell someone you don’t want to be married to them anymore, the first thing you do is stop sharing a room with them. That’s why I left Lis at the hotel.”
“I guess what I mean is that I don’t want to make your family uncomfortable,” I tried to explain.
“Nya, everything will be fine, it’s going to take some getting used to on everyone’s part.”
“Do you think I should stay at a hotel?”
“No, you just need to move out of the room with Kenny. You can stay in Alex’s room. Let him sleep with Kenny.”
We heard my mother-in-law’s footsteps coming down the hall.
“So, do we tell ma now or later?” I asked.
“The sooner, the better.”
She walked into the kitchen and saw Allen sitting in the living room. She looked surprised to see him.
“My baby, I thought you and your wife spent the night at the hotel.”
“Ma, Lisa and I are not going to be together anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Allen. Are you alright? What about the baby?”
“I’m alright, Ma and I’m going to take care of my responsibilities. It’s just that Lisa and I won’t be together anymore.”
My mother-in-law smiled and looked at me.
“Ma,” Allen continued, “Nya and Kenny are splitting up too.”
“Ny, is it true?” she asked me.
I nodded my head.
“Ma, Nya and I are getting together.”
“My baby, is it true?” she shrieked in excitement.
“Yeh, ma. We’ve talked about it. We want to get married and start a family.”
“Oh, my baby! You make an old woman so happy!”
I sat there in complete shock. She didn’t even try to pretend that she was a little concerned for Kenny. She was practically jumping for joy! She didn’t even bother to ask how Kenny took the news.
“Ma, you’re happy?” He asked her, surprised.
“Hell yeh, boy!” She replied.
She sat there smiling and rubbing her hands together as if she was concocting a diabolical scheme. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but I was sure she was planning something, just by the look on her face. I was glad that my mother-in-law was happy, but I still wasn’t sure how everyone else was going to react. She sat there positively glowing and rocking back and forth in her chair that was not a rocking chair. We sat there for a while and watched the morning news. Soon, we could hear Kenny coming down the hall. He walked into the kitchen and glared at me sitting in the living room. He rolled his eyes.
“My baby, Nya told me you all are splitting up,” his mother stated sympathetically.
“Nya is not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way Kenny, but we are not going to be together,” I informed him.
“I’ll give her and Allen a week, I guarantee she’ll be back. Allen could never make her happy. Not the way I do, anyway.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Allen asked.
“It means a man with your limited experience couldn’t satisfy a woman who has been to The Promised Land with me.”
There was silence and we resumed watching television.
“Ma, what time are we having dinner?” Kenny wanted to know.
“I guess when everyone gets here.”
Kenny took his juice back to the room.
We sat there and continued to watch television. The telephone rang and I answered it.
“Where is Allen?” An angry Lisa asked.
I gave Allen the phone. I continued to watch television as he sat there and mumbled to her. He hung up the phone.
“Lisa’s parents drove down last night to pick up her and the baby. They are on their way over to get Andy.”
Allen walked to the back room to get Andy.
My mother-in-law looked at me.
“Now it starts,” she warned me.
“What?”
“Ny, it’s about to get ugly. If you can get through this, you and Allen will be very happy. But, Lisa and Kenny are not going to make your lives easy.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t know. I don’t know about Lisa, but Kenny can be very vindictive. He will try to destroy your relationship with Allen every chance he gets.”
“I’ll be prepared.”
“And don’t fall for any of his sweet talk, Ny. He’ll do anything to get you back now.”
“I know, I’ll be on guard.”
I sat there for a few moments but then decided to take a shower and get dressed. I could tell that the day was going to be eventful and I needed to be ready. First, I went to Alex’s room. I knocked on the door and he told me to come in.
“Alex, I don’t know if you are familiar with what’s been going on, but need to ask a favor of you.”
“What’s up, Ny?”
“Would it be alright if I stayed in your room and you bunked with Kenny? It’s only for a few more days. We are going to be leaving in a few days.”
“Yeh, I guess that’s cool. I get to sleep in the big room.”
I went back to the room where Kenny was sitting on the bed, watching television. I began putting my things in my suitcases.
“Where are you going?” Kenny asked, as if he was entitled.
“I’m moving to Alex’s room,” I told him.
“Damn, Ny. One brother at a time!” he said sadistically.
“That’s not funny,” I assured him.
I took my bags to Alex’s room and used the hall bathroom to take a shower, instead of the bathroom in the big room. As I took my shower, I couldn’t help but think how lightly Kenny was taking this whole thing. It really concerned me because it made me wonder if he took it seriously or if he somehow thought it was a joke. Maybe he thought I was just doing this to get him to change and that I was never really planning to leave him. I wasn’t sure what he thought, but the fact that he showed little emotions about it made me concerned.
When I finished taking a shower and walked into the hall, I could hear Lisa asking,
“Where is your little back-stabbing bitch?”
I chose to ignore her because like Kenny, she had a lot she was dealing with.
She had already gotten Andy and put him in the car. I really wanted to say goodbye to him before he left, because I did not know when I would see him again. I really had not had a chance to play with him since we had gotten here, in light of everything that had been going on. I loved that little boy and wanted to see his little face before he left. But, I didn’t want to see Lisa’s. At least not the way she was acting. When she is more calm and civil, then I would like to talk to her. Not now, though. I don’t want Thanksgiving Day to turn into a disaster for everyone. I went into the room and got dressed. I sat on the bed and checked the messages on my cell phone. No one from the office had called and I considered that a good thing. The last thing I needed was for Dee Dee and Haily to kill each other while I’m gone. I called the house and checked the messages there, as well. No one special had called. Most of the messages were wishing us a safe and prosperous Thanksgiving. I decided to return to the living room. When I did, Lisa was gone.
“You missed the fireworks, Ny,” my mother-in-law told me.
“Not completely,” I assured her, “I heard Lisa when I was in the shower.”
“I don’t think y
ou’re going to get her vote, should you ever run for Most Popular,” she continued.
“I wouldn’t win anyway.”
“She’s got my vote,” Allen assured her.
“Ma, is there anything else we need for the dinner today?” I asked her.
“No, Ny. I think we have everything.”
I couldn’t help but think that if Allen and I had not announced our plans to get together, she would be sending us to the store right about now. I mean this is one of those perfect opportunities where she usually sticks us in the car together to go get something inane, like cranberry sauce. Since she wasn’t going to do it, I decided that I would.
“How about cranberry sauce?” I asked her.
“That’s right, we don’t have any cranberry sauce,” she remembered, “Ny, why don’t you go get some?”
“Me? Why do I have to go?” I teased her. ”Why can’t Allen go?”
She started laughing.
“You knew what I was doing all along, huh?” She asked, embarrassed.
“Not at first, but I catch on. I just want to know why. Why were you always trying to put Allen and me together?”
“Because I knew you two would be happy together. Ny, you and Kenny couldn’t make each other happy. Kenny needs an overbearing, tell-him-what-to-do kind of woman. He could never appreciate you. Allen, on the other hand, needs a smart, sensitive, go-getter type like you. I’m old, Ny. I’ve lived and I know these things. I just figured if you two spent enough time together, you might discover it yourselves. I wasn’t even banking on Nya taking that trip to Denver. That was like a bonus.”
I smiled and grabbed my keys and purse. I asked Allen to ride with me. We walked out of the house and got in the car.
“I’ll drive,” he offered.
As we pulled out of the driveway, he looked at me and smiled.
“Now, this feels right,” he said with a look of satisfaction.
I smiled back at him.
There were several minutes of silence as I pictured our life together. Soon, Allen spoke.
“Ny, I want you to move to Colorado.”
“Huh?” I asked, sounding like Scooby Doo.
“Ny, let Kenny have the house and you move to Denver.”
“Allen, it’s not just my house in Birmingham. I have a business. I have employees who depend on me.”
“Ny, move your business too. I’m not trivializing your business by asking you to pick up and move. I realize how important it is to you. Hell, it’s important to me too. I have a lot invested in it, especially now, and I want to see it grow and flourish. It’s just that I think you will like Colorado and maybe you need a change of scenery.”
“Well, to be honest, a change would be nice. Still, there is a lot to do. I would have to get my Colorado broker’s license. There is no reciprocity with Alabama. And another thing is that I just started the commercial development project in Birmingham. But the hardest thing is that I’m worried about Dee Dee. She really depends on me for her job. She has so much vested in this little administrative job. If I leave, she may not get another job like this, even with a glowing reference from me.”
“Why not? What’s wrong with Dee Dee?”
“She is what one would refer to as ‘Ghetto Fabulous’, without the fabulous. I trust her and she is a great worker. It’s just that she has that ‘Around-the-way Girl” thing about herself that employers aren’t crazy about.”
“Well, Ny, maybe you just answered your own concern. You can hire someone to oversee the Alabama project and keep Dee Dee on as an administrative assistant. Maybe you can even promote her and give her more money. You’re going to have projects all over the country anyway when your company starts growing. You are going to have to have the global view and the ability to delegate authority. Ny, you have to be able to let people work for you and not try to do everything yourself. You’re only one person and you can’t be everywhere at the same time. I need you with me, so that means someone else is going to have to manage the project in Alabama. I’m not telling you to ditch the project, I’m telling you to think outside of the box.”
Allen was right. I always had a problem letting go of projects that I considered “my baby”. I mean, I always felt that if I wasn’t there, things wouldn’t get done right. Now, I’m starting to open my mind to the idea that I need to learn to delegate in order to maximize my effectiveness. After all, what if Ted Turner felt the need to be at CNN, AOL, Time Warner, and all of those other places all at the same time? He would never have built the empire he has by trying to be everywhere all the time. I was glad that I had someone like Allen now, who could put things in perspective for me now. I never had that kind of support or advice from Kenny. He probably would have told me to watch them because they might try to steal from me. What Allen is trying to show me is that you can’t build the mall if you’re too busy watching the store.
“I know, Allen. But, I’ve never really considered living in Colorado. It’s not that I’m afraid of change, it’s just this is happening very fast.”
“Ny, this relationship is what we both want. I’m not saying we have to live in Colorado. I just suggested it. I believe Denver may be a better place to raise a family.”
“Let’s revisit this another time,” I said, trying to avoid what could be the first conflict of our relationship.
“Alright, but I think it’s something you should think about.”
“And I think the possibility of leaving Denver is something you should think about as well.”
“Ny, you know I want to be close to Andy.”
And Lisa.
Whenever a brother starts talking about being close to his children, you can believe that a baby’s momma is not far from the picture.
“And what if Lisa moves? Are you going to go wherever she moves just to be close to Andy?”
“Ny, what are you saying? Are you saying I want to be close to Lisa? Nya, I just left my pregnant wife for you. That should give you some indication of how strongly I feel about you. I don’t want to be with Lisa anymore. Don’t start acting jealous.”
“I’m not acting jealous. I never said you still wanted to be with Lisa. But maybe a part of you still wants to control her and the best way to do that is to say it is for the best interest of Andy.”
“Ny, I’m surprised at you.”
He said he was surprised at me but he looked like he was surprised at himself. He looked as though he had a realization that maybe he was trying to control Lisa and he never thought of it before now.
“You’re right, Ny. Maybe we should revisit this later,” he told me.
We got to the store and there were signs posted that they would only be open until noon. We went inside to get the cranberry sauce. Allen grabbed a buggy for no reason that was apparent to me and we walked slowly down the aisles together like an old married couple. I looked at him and smiled. It was funny to me to see a man pushing a grocery cart, especially with the care and ease with which Allen did. He was a natural at this family thing and I envisioned us doing this as a family with our five children toddling happily behind us.
“This feels right,” I told him.
When we got the checkout counter with a cart containing only a few cans of cranberry sauce, we were floored to see who our cashier was.
“Ya’ll two are a trip. Now she’s supposed to be married to Kenny, but she’s always with you. What’s up with that?”
“Mind your own business, Akina,” Allen told her.
“Akina, why are you working today?” I wanted to know.
“I need the money to take of my children since their sorry ass daddies don’t want to.”
She glared at Allen angrily. It wasn’t orchestrated. She looked as if she believed with all of her heart and soul that Allen had fathered her oldest child.
“Well, when you get off a 12:00, are you going to have dinner at your family’s house?”
“Why are you all up in my business? For your information, my family went to Ne
w Orleans for Thanksgiving. I would drive down there when I get off, but my car won’t make it that far. So, I’ll be home alone for Thanksgiving.”
My heart dropped. I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone being alone on the holidays. I knew everyone, including myself was going to hate me for what I was about to do but it was the only right thing to do.
“Akina, you can come to our house when you get off. I mean, you can come and fix yourself a plate. I don’t know if it would be good idea if you stayed, but if you just want to get some food, we have plenty.”
She looked at Allen. Allen looked at me as if he were going to stabbed me.
“They don’t want me over there,” she convinced herself.
“Well, I’m inviting you. Akina, no one should be alone on the holidays. Just stop by and get some food. If you feel uncomfortable, you can leave.”
“Where is Allen’s wife? Is she going to be there?”
“Akina, don’t worry about Lisa. Just come and eat some fried turkey.”
“Ok, but I’m not staying.”
She checked us out of the line and we walked to the car. I knew Allen was going to blast me, but I felt it was the only right thing to do. Allen opened my door for me and we got in the car. We started down the road and he began to speak.
“So, have you called into your office to make sure everything is going ok?”
“No, but I checked my messages and there were none. That just means that Dee Dee and Haily haven’t killed each other yet. Besides, they both have the number at ma’s house if they need to reach me.”
“That’s cool. It sounds like you are doing a great job. You know, Ny, I think you are going to be one hell of a developer. You’ve got everything it takes!”
I looked puzzled. I’m sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. He is supposed to be mad about me inviting Akina to dinner and he hasn’t said a word. But Allen is smart. He is going to wait for me to bring it up. He’s not like Kenny. Kenny would have cursed my ass out in the parking lot of the store. Allen is much more subtle. He’s going to get on my case, but it’s going to be in such a way that I won’t even know what happened.
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