“Did we look that crazy when we walked in?” Twila asked.
“I think we probably did.”
All three of them had missed the theme memo. There wasn’t a hat between them, and Debbie was wearing a track suit, like she was on her way to the mall after the shower was over.
Twila scooted over to make room for all three of them at the bridesmaid’s table. Samantha looked over at us and frowned, probably because of the dress code. I wanted to tell her to be happy they were there, especially Traci and Abena, who had no use for church these days. Debbie always stayed connected just in case she needed that benevolent fund to pay a utility bill.
“It’s the Data Whisperer,” Abena said as she gave me a high five across the table. “I heard you still over there signing on new clients.”
“Yes, we are. I had to hire two new staffers.”
“Look at God,” Traci said. The way she said God it sounded like it had a t on the end of it.
We had not only landed the YS&S account on the strength of my proposal to Renita’s date William, but we’d signed Atlanta General and Knight Time Records. Those referrals came from Twila’s doctor. My sisters hadn’t let me down. They’d hooked me up with the assist, and Corden and I had made basket after basket.
Kimberly walked into the bridal shower with widened eyes and a slack jaw like the rest of us. She’d known the theme was tea party, but I don’t know if this was what she was expecting.
Kimberly looked over at our table and waved. We all waved back, and I added a shoulder shrug. I didn’t want her to think that I had anything to do with this.
“You get the seat of honor,” Samantha said as she ran out of the kitchen.
The seat of honor was at the center of a long table that was meant for more than one person, but Kimberly settled in and waited for the festivities to begin.
“Is it okay if I put a little something in my tea from my flask?” Abena whispered.
I reached over Twila and smacked her hand down. “No, girl. Put that away, why would you bring that to the church?”
“We’re not actually in the church. This is the building next to the church,” Abena said. “And we always put vodka in our tea.”
“Y’all are not about to have Samantha telling me off. Behave yourselves.”
“Samantha telling you off about what?” Samantha asked. I didn’t know the heffa was standing behind me.
“Nothing girl,” I said in a much calmer tone. “Everything looks beautiful. You did a great job.”
“Do you want to be the game master, Hahna?” she asked.
I shook my head. I didn’t want to be the game master. I wanted to sit and observe, and silently laugh at people.
“Not my thing,” I said.
“Come on. I don’t have anyone else,” Samantha said.
How could she say she had no one else? She had a whole table full of bridesmaids. But I understood. I wouldn’t want to ask these heffas to do anything either.
I got up from my seat and mastered the games. All of them. And they were the corny bridal shower games too. The make a bridal gown out of toilet paper game, and the pin the bow tie on the groom game. And finally, not to be left out, was the make a hat out of the gift bows for the bride game.
Interestingly enough, there was not one crock pot or air fryer in the boxes. One of the church mothers had surprised us by giving Kimberly a box of thongs and wet wipes. I could’ve done without her description on what she’d do with the wipes.
As churchy as this bridal shower was, Kimberly seemed to enjoy every minute of it. That seemed to bring Samantha joy. I’d never seen that side of Samantha, at least, not since she’d been an evangelist. I wanted to see more of her that way, enjoying her sisters in Christ and smiling, rather than scowling and judging.
“She seems a lot nicer at church,” Traci said, unaware that her observation agreed with my thoughts.
“Sure does. Maybe we should visit more often,” Abena said.
They shared a look similar to the ones Kimberly and I shared when we were communicating silently about Twila.
“Nah,” they both said simultaneously.
“Thank goodness we’re still giving her a bachelorette in Jamaica,” Debbie said. “Are we getting a Jamaican stripper?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “You didn’t teleport yourself out of church, girl.”
“I mean, God knew I was thinking about it. What’s the point of not saying it if He’s inside my head?”
“It’s a matter of respect for God and the people who worship here,” Twila said. “And no, to the stripper. Kim doesn’t want one.”
“She doesn’t?” Traci asked. “Who doesn’t want to behold a naked Jamaican in his glory?”
I pointed at Kimberly who was thanking the church mothers for showing up to her bridal shower. Everyone nodded in understanding.
“Don’t worry y’all,” Debbie said. “When I get married, we getting a whole room full of strippers.”
Traci and Abena high fived each other and the rest of us laughed. I hoped that Samantha was happy. We showed up at church, in a range of church readiness and with varying levels of etiquette. But dangit, in the spirit of sisterhood, we showed up.
If this didn’t make us harmonious in Jamaica, then nothing would.
Chapter 50
KIMBERLY
Kimberly was speechless as she stepped into the vacation rental they’d gotten for the wedding. The pictures on the website hadn’t done the twelve-bedroom villa justice. Each bedroom had either a king-sized bed or two queens and its own en-suite bathroom. There were two half-bathrooms on the first level to accommodate the wedding guests.
The space for the ceremony was as stunning as the lodgings, with covered seating for one hundred fifty, a raised dance floor and a long walkway for the bridal party’s entrance. The flower and party decoration team had arrived a day before the bridal party and had already started transforming the place into a sea of pink, blue, and white flowers.
Kimberly was blown away.
“Baby, all your planning paid off,” Ron said as he toured the castle with her. “This place is truly spectacular.”
As beautiful as the castle was the view of the Negril cliffs and the ocean. The waves crashed off the side of the building and there were even little steps that led right down into the ocean from the front side of the castle.
It was a few hours before all the bridal party arrived on staggered flights and separate cabs carrying them the two hours from the Montego Bay airport to Negril. Kimberly got to hear a new round of excitement every time someone new entered the castle.
“Do I know how to pick em or nah?” Hahna said as she and Sam walked through the front door. “Which one is our room?”
Kimberly led them to the bedroom she felt was second best after the master bedroom. With a full view of the cliffs and a canopy bed, it was better than any hotel room that they could’ve procured.
“This is amazing,” Hahna said as Sam set their bags down.
Ron appeared in the doorway. “Sam, my brother, we’re doing a tequila toast downstairs. I know you just got here, but are you down?”
“Definitely. Be back babe,” Sam said.
Kimberly and Hahna laughed as he scampered out of the room behind Ron. Their men got excited about good tequila, so excited that they brought their own to the island. In Jamaica every brand and type of rum was available, but the good tequila was scarce.
“Can you believe you and Ron are getting married?” Hahna said. “Just under a year ago we were crying and making pacts talking about there weren’t any good men, and that maybe we should lower our standards a little.”
“And then we found out that we didn’t have to lower our standards at all.”
“Exactly right. And the thing with DeAndre and Twila?”
“Crazy,” Hahna said. “She wouldn’t have even met him if my business hadn’t momentarily fallen apart. Our sisterhood facilitated that one.”
“True story.”
“Well, let me go and manage these wedding workers. I don’t want you to worry about anything. I will handle any and all shenanigans as they arise.”
“They better not arise,” Kimberly said. “Everybody better get here and act like they got some damn sense.”
Hahna lifted her eyebrows and smiled. Of course, there would be shenanigans. Debbie, Traci and Abena were on the way. How could there not be?
* * *
The day of the wedding had finally arrived. Ron had been sequestered into the guest house on the property, where he and the groomsmen would get ready. The women needed the run of the house for their team of makeup artists and hairstylists.
Kimberly opened her eyes after a restful sleep. She reached for Ron and he was already gone. On his pillow was a note. Kimberly sat up in the bed to read it.
My Kimmie Kim. In just a few hours we start our forever. I promise to love you more and more every day, though I don’t know how I could love you any more than I do right now. My love for you surpasses anything I’ve ever felt. Thank you for being who you are and for loving how you love. See you in a few hours beautiful.
Love you forever,
Big Ron
The note started the water works, but they were the most joyful tears Kimberly had ever had. The anticipation of walking down that path to meet her prince was almost overwhelming. She breathed deeply to keep the tears at bay. She didn’t want red and puffy eyes in their wedding photographs.
Later, after breakfast, in the bridal suite, Kimberly was surprisingly calm. Twila and Hahna entered wearing the specially crafted bridesmaid robes that Kimberly had gotten for all of them. Their hair and makeup were done, and they both looked incredible. Like two sun-kissed goddesses.
“How are you feeling honey?” Hahna asked.
Tears flooded Kimberly’s eyes and Twila dashed for tissues. “Girl you can’t cry off your lashes yet.”
“Y’all look so beautiful, I couldn’t help it. I-I never thought you two would be my bridesmaids. I only dreamed of it being the other way around.”
“Fold the tissue and dab with the corner,” Twila said, “if you’re about to have all these waterworks.”
The makeup artist smiled and took a break while Kimberly got emotional. She’d just have to fix any damage that was done after the bride had a moment.
“Are DeAndre and Sam enjoying the castle?” Kimberly asked.
“They are in heaven,” Twila said. “Can you imagine all the couples’ trips we’re going to be taking?”
“I can’t wait!” Hahna said. “All those years we showed up in the Caribbean longing to have men of our own . . .”
“Dreaming of island peen that would come and rock our worlds,” Twila said.
Kimberly and Hahna shared one of their signature looks.
“Whatever,” Twila said. “Y’all not gonna act like I had those dreams all by myself.”
“I was just thinking about how you gave up that dream and brought your own peen last year,” Hahna said.
They all burst into laughter thinking about Twila’s electronic thingamajig that promised to love her all night long. Or at least until the batteries ran out.
“Well, I don’t need my battery-operated boyfriend anymore, thank you very much,” Twila said. “DeAndre is handling all of that.”
“He over there working you out, huh?” Kimberly said.
“Child. We christened that little beach area last night.”
“I hope you didn’t get any of y’all juices into the wedding decorations,” Hahna said.
“What about you and Sam?” Twila asked. “You just worry about what y’all nasty selves doing.”
“Sam and I are taking advantage of all the . . . amenities in our room.”
The laughter continued until Kimberly’s tearful moment had passed. “Thank y’all for being here with me,” Kimberly said.
“Of course, we’re here. We’ll let you finish getting made up,” Hahna said. “Do you need anything? Any champagne? More breakfast?”
“No, girl,” Kimberly said. “I can’t keep eating and drinking all morning if I want to fit into that dress.”
“You’ll be fine. We don’t have a problem greasing you up with coconut oil and sliding you in,” Twila said.
Kimberly laughed. She had so many different girdles and equipment, that no one would have to grease her up, but they might need a team for her to go to the bathroom once she was in the dress.
“Thank y’all. For everything.”
Hahna winked as she and Twila headed for the door. “It’s not over yet. The fun part is just starting,” she said.
Kimberly knew Hahna meant the fun of the wedding day, but to Kimberly it had a deeper meaning. She’d waited her entire life to feel like the other girls. She’d looked longingly at couples having fun at skating rinks, movie theaters, and restaurants and wondered if, not when, she’d ever have her own fun. And now in her forties, her fun part was just starting.
And what a time it would be, she and her friends were ballers in love. That meant there would be adventures and shenanigans for decades to come.
Chapter 51
HAHNA
It was time for the wedding to start, and everything was ready. No, everything was perfect. Every flower, every dress, and every eyelash. Ron’s little girls, Carly and Kayla were so cute in their African print dresses that matched the men’s vests, and the bridesmaids’ dresses all fit like they were custom made.
I couldn’t wait for Ron to see Kimberly. Twila and I had nearly lost our shit when we saw her in her dress. There were no words for how beautiful she looked. It was like she shone from the inside out. All that love she had for Ron emanated from her being until she glowed.
“Y’all ready to do this bridesmaid walk?” I asked as our sorority sisters lined up.
Traci, Abena, and Debbie were struggling with minor hangovers from the night before, and the morning of drinking, but they were gorgeous regardless. Samantha’s face was fresh and pretty, looking much younger than her forty-two years. That was the result of clean Holy Ghost living, and good genes.
“If they ain’t ready, they better get ready,” Twila said. “We gotta marry this girl off right now.”
The music started, and Samantha led the way. She met with her groomsman and they traversed the path down the ramp to where the guests were assembled. We all followed one by one, remembering to smile for photos.
My eyes locked with Sam’s and he gave me the most loving smile. I knew that when we married, it wouldn’t be like this. It would be something private, for the two of us, because I wasn’t letting Rochelle and Shady Falls come through and ruin the joining of our lives.
Ron stood at the bottom of the ramp, already blinking back his own tears, as his little girls descended. I could only imagine what he was thinking, but maybe he never imagined himself having this kind of joy after two failed marriages.
Kimberly emerged from the top of the ramp and met with her older brother who would give her away in place of their deceased father. I could see the tears glisten in her eyes as she came to meet her groom.
When she arrived at the altar, Ron took both of Kimberly’s hands and kissed them. He didn’t let them go for the whole time the minister spoke. In fact, Ron never took his eyes off Kimberly, and he never stopped smiling.
Right before they exchanged their vows, I stepped to the altar with the best man, and helped Ron and Kimberly bind their wrists together with ropes in the African custom. They were bound in this moment and they would be through this life and the next.
Kimberly said her vows first. “Big Ron. My Ron. You were the one from the first time I saw you on the yard. So skinny you wore sweatpants under your jeans to look a little thicker, but with the most handsome face I’d ever seen. I could look at those dimples forever. And then, we became friends, and my attraction to you became more than physical. We connected on a soul level, so much so that when life took us on different paths, God saw fit to bring us back toget
her. I promise to always love you with everything in me. I will love you with the God in me, and that love is pure. It is patient, kind, peaceful, joyful, and gentle. It is long suffering and it forgives. This love is all I need. It is complete.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the place, but Ron was so sweet with his tears. He’d tried to stop them but had given up. It was funny how everyone kept passing him tissues. Now it was time for him to share his vows.
“Kimmie Kim. I remember when I gave you that nickname. You hated it at first, but you grew to love it, because it was the beginning of our special language. You always got me, and with you I always feel understood and seen. I am my best self when you love me and that’s because you love me with your heart, and with your spirit. I vow to reciprocate that love every day of our lives. I will see you, understand you, and protect your heart. You can be vulnerable with me, and I with you because we are safe with one another. Our love is perfect, and I will never leave you. You are my twin flame, and I will spend a lifetime stoking your fires, as mine can never be doused. I love you, Kimmie Kim. You are everything to me.”
That was it. We pretty much were done. We even ran out of damn tissues from the crying. The minister pronounced them married and they kissed. Everyone laughed when Ron dipped Kimberly like an old school lover. And then the sisters of Gamma Phi Gamma strolled, and the brothers of Omega Phi Gamma stepped, in the tradition of the yard. Atlanta wasn’t the motherland, but it was the birthplace of our adulthood, and this was our own kind of African dance. This was the most perfect union of our Gamma Phi Gamma and Omega Phi Gamma.
At the reception, after the cake was cut and the first dances were done, Sam and I took a walk away from the guests. We went out to the stairs overlooking the cliff, and I finally exhaled. The day had gone by in a blur and now was finished. My girl was married off, and my Maid of Honor duties were complete. I’d reflect on those duties later, and probably look back at pictures wondering what I was thinking or feeling at a given moment.
“You tired, babe?” Sam asked.
“Oh my God, you have no idea. I can’t wait to put my feet up and take off this girdle.”
All the Things I Meant to Tell You Page 30