Choose Wisely

by Michele V. Mitchell

  My father was a stranger to me. I only knew him through the stories my uncle would tell. They were tight. If it wasn’t for him my parents probably would have never gotten together. My mother barely mentioned him once he was incarcerated. Right after he went to jail she found religion. He tried to win her back once he returned. But she wasn’t having it. She said it had to be us or the streets. He chose the streets. A few years later he and my uncle opened their first bar together. By the time he died they had owned four night clubs. He gave his shares to my mother and me.

  My mother let my uncle run the clubs. He wasn’t good at math so she kept the books. She had a small office inside The Next Level’s basement. She didn’t use her office often. I don’t think she liked being inside the club. She only went there in the mornings. You would never catch her there regular business hours. She would however open the bar every Thanksgiving and serve to whoever needed a meal. She was sweet like that. I sure did miss her.

  My thoughts were interrupted when Lexi came out the bathroom with just a towel. My man immediately came to attention as usual. She sure knew what to do to please me. I just wondered if sex was the only thing we had in common. I patted the bed motioning for her to come to me. Her eyes were red. She looked like she had been crying.

  “You, okay baby girl?”

  She strutted over to me and kissed me passionately.

  “I’m fine; I’m just ready to hit the slots,”

  I watched as she grabbed her suitcase and searched for something to wear. I knew something was wrong. But I figured it was best not to press her about it. When she was ready to talk she would come to me. I decided to head to bathroom and take a cold shower. I knew I wasn’t about to get lucky upstairs. Maybe my chances would be better once we hit the slots.

  We agreed to eat before we hit the casino. I was in the mood for a burger. She said she knew just the place for me. I followed her into Bill’s Bar & Burger. It was really crowed. We found two seats at the bar because there were no tables available. The place was full of TV’s where you could watch almost any sports channel you wanted. I picked up one of the menus to decide what I wanted to eat.

  Lexi ordered a veggie burger, fries, and a raspberry ice tea. I decided to try the Bill Burger. The picture looked great. I told the waitress I wanted my burger to have the works. I was so hungry I probably could have eaten two. I also ordered onion rings and a pitcher of beer. The waitress asked me what kind of beer I wanted. I told her to surprise me.

  The food was delicious. My burger was nice and greasy. Just how liked it. The beer wasn’t bad either. I guess Lexi agreed because she practically drank the entire pitcher herself. I was shocked. Because she already had three shots of E&J before we left our room. I could tell something was bothering her. I just hoped she’d open up to me. I didn’t like to see anyone hurting in my presence.

  I helped Lexi down off the barstool. I could tell the drinks were kicking in. She was laughing and joking more than usual. She tipped the waitress, while grabbing my hand.

  “Come on Papi! Let’s go have some fun,”

  I watched her lose almost two hundred dollars in twenty minutes. Now I knew how these types of places stayed open. They preyed on the weak. Some people would spend all their money, waiting on the big win. I dug into my jeans back pocket and pulled out two fifty dollar bills. I handed them to her. I wanted to try my luck at the blackjack table. I wanted to prove to myself I wasn’t a gambler like my father. I stayed at the table for almost forty-five minutes. I got up from the table after losing almost five hundred dollars. I was convinced a gambler I was not. I worked too hard just to throw my money away. I strolled around the casino until I found Lexi. She was at one of the slot machines, on her cell. As I moved closer I could hear her yelling at the person on the other end.

  “I can’t do this anymore!”

  She hung up her phone and began to cry. I wanted to know who she was talking to and why she was so upset. She didn’t notice me when, I walked up. I placed my hand touched her shoulder. I must’ve startled her because she jumped. She wiped her eyes and turned to face me.

  “You scared me,” she stated.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to make sure you were all right,”

  She picked up her drink sitting in front of her and gulped it down.

  “Sweetie, thanks for your concern. But everything is fine. I just have some family problems back home that I need to take care of,”

  “I overheard you say; you can’t do this anymore. What did you mean by that?”

  She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. I could tell she was irritated. But it didn’t matter. I cared about her and I needed to know what was going on.

  “Dontae we came here to have fun. Not talk about my problems,”

  I sat next to her and kissed her forehead.

  “Listen’ you mean a lot to me. So when something is bothering you I want to know about it,”

  “Okay, I was talking to my mom; when I said I can’t do this anymore. She’s sick and still waiting for her disability to start. I’m the oldest on my mother’s side. So when she needs help she comes to me. She needs seven hundred dollars to pay her rent. If it’s not paid by the beginning of next week she will be evicted,”

  My heart went out to her if my mother was still here. I would help her with anything no questions asked.

  “I didn’t mean to yell at her. I just get frustrated sometimes. I’m only one person. I can’t save the world. The money I make at the club is not enough to cover my rent and hers. I don’t know what to do,”

  “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go upstairs where it’s quiet,”

  I took her hand and we headed towards the hotel elevator. I wanted her to feel secure as long as she was with me. I opened the door and Lexi stumbled in.

  “Whoa I guess I had too much to drink!” She laughed.

  She kissed my neck and led me towards the bed. She lost her balance and I fell on top of her.

  “Thank God the bed was here!” She giggled.

  “I know right?” I laughed.

  I rolled over and touched her hair.

  “If you need the money to pay your mom’s rent I got you,”

  She kissed my cheek and sat up.

  “Baby you don’t have to do that,”

  “I know I don’t. But I want too. I was always taught we’re blessed because we give and give because we’re blessed. We can’t take money with us when we’re gone. So if you have it to give why not?”

  She put her arm around me and moved her body closer to mine, “You are such a good man. I can’t believe your ex let you go,”

  I wasn’t an angel. Sandy and I didn’t work out for a lot of reasons. It takes two for a relationship to begin and to end. It was time I admitted to myself Sandy had good reason to do what she did.

  “Hey are you still listening to me?” She asked.

  I got caught up in my own thoughts. I stopped listening to her five minutes ago.

  “Yeah I’m listening to you baby,” I lied.

  I excused myself and went to the bathroom. I didn’t want her asking me any questions about what she was just talking about because Lord knows I had no idea.

  “Dontae, are you okay in there?”

  “I’m fine. I will be right out,”

  I washed my hands and walked out the bathroom. I poured me a cup of E&J that was sitting on top of the fridge. I turned around to find Lexi kneeing down on the bed naked as a jaybird. She mouthed the words; come here Papi. I couldn’t resist her even if I wanted to. She instructed me to lie down. I did what I was told.

  “I need you to know how much you mean to me. No man has ever treated me the way you do. I love you Dontae,”

  Wow she caught me off guard with that! I cared for her. But I didn’t love her. I had no clue of what to say next.

  “You love me?” I asked.

  “Yes I love you. I believe I’m falling in love with you,” she confirmed.

  I too
k her hand and kissed it.

  “Baby love is word I don’t take lightly. We haven’t been together long enough for me to say I love you. Do I care for you? Of course I do,” she interrupted

  “Baby I don’t need you to say you love me back. I just want you to know how I feel. You helping me and my family means a lot. I’ve been supporting my family by any means necessary for years and I’m tired,”

  I wiped the tear as it fell down her cheek.

  “Sweetie don’t cry. I can tell you’ve been through some things. Trust me when I say. I got your back. You mean a lot to me also,” I put my arms around her and held her close.

  That night I knew she needed a friend more than anything. I watched Lexi as she slept. She looked so peaceful. I had a feeling there was more to her then just a nice body and pretty face. She was hurting and I wanted to stop her pain. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be her man. But I was sure I would always be her friend. When we got home I planned on paying her mother’s rent and making sure she was straight.

  Melissa

  I had five minutes until my shift was over. I was dreading going outside. It was cold and I had to catch the city bus. My car was in the shop and wouldn’t be ready for a few days. I would normally ask Darius to pick me up, but we hadn’t spoken in almost a week. I wasn’t sure what was going on with him or us. All I knew was I missed my friend.

  I bundled up and headed outside to face the cold. I walked down Second Street to wait for the bus. I had only taken a few steps before I noticed Tyrone crossing the street. He was carrying red roses. We hadn’t spoken since our argument last Sunday. He’d left me several messages on my cell. But I never returned his calls. Who did he think he was anyway? Maybe his attitude was one of the reasons his ex-wife left him. I needed to be with a man who respected me.

  Tyrone handed me the roses and kiss me on the cheek. I rolled my eyes and continued walking.

  “Can I please talk to you for minute?” He asked.

  “I really don’t have time. I have a bus to catch,”

  “What time does your bus arrive? This will only take a minute,”

  I placed my hand on my hip and waited for him to speak.

  “First I want to say I’m sorry. I was way out of line the other day. I’ve been through so much with my ex-wife, that I forget not all women are like her,”

  I stood in silence for a moment. I needed to choose my next statement carefully.

  “I appreciate the fact you took time to come down here to apologize. But you need to know the way you acted was uncalled for. I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from. But instead of understanding, you went straight to the left. How do you think that made me feel?” He moved closer and touched my cheek. Oh my God! He smelled good.

  “What’s that you’re wearing?” I asked.

  “Why do you like it?” I moved his hand away and stepped back.

  “It’s okay,” I stated dryly.

  He reached for my coat collar, and then pulled me closer.

  “It’s Dior Homme by Christian Dior,” he smiled.

  “I know your upset with me. I get that. All I’m asking for is another chance. I promise if you let me, I will make it up to you,”

  He looked so sincere. Maybe I was being ungrateful. He did treat me and my entire family to a lovely and expensive meal. I guess I could’ve handle things differently. I had to be honest with myself. I was tired of being lonely. This man wanted me and I loved how I felt when I was with him. I was so confused.

  “Come on baby. Will you forgive me?”

  “Okay I forgive you,” I sighed.

  He kissed me gently on the lips and my entire body tingled. When I opened my eyes, I watched my bus ride by.

  “Shoot!” I yelled.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I pointed at the bus pulling off. It was already halfway down the street, and I had on heels and no desire to chase it down.

  “Don’t worry baby. My truck is around the corner. Wait right here. I’ll be right back,”

  “You don’t want me to walk with you?”

  “Cinderella didn’t have to walk to her chariot. So why should my princess?” He smiled.

  I couldn’t help but smile back. He knew all the right things to say. He made me feel beautiful. I felt like I was on cloud nine.

  Tyrone pulled around in his black Range Rover Sport. I climbed in and put on my seat belt. His leather seats were just what I needed to warm up my freezing body. The aroma of vanilla entered my nostrils. I inhaled his car air fresheners and listened to the music coming from his speakers; it was putting me in a romantic mood. I closed my eyes as Jaheim serenaded me with one of his latest hits, Age Ain’t A Factor.

  I checked my watch. I had twenty minutes to pick up David from daycare. I gave Tyrone the address to where my son’s daycare was located. I was glad he showed up when he did. I would have hated to pick up my son while catching the bus. I loved my city. But our public transportation was the worst. I remembered, a year ago I needed to go to the doctor’s. I didn’t have a car so I had to ride the bus. What would have taken twenty minutes in a car took two hours on the bus! It was ridiculous. I knew at that moment I had to get my license.

  We pulled into the Follow Me Christian Child Care parking lot. He turned off the truck and walked around to the passenger’s side and opened my door to help me out. What a gentlemen I thought. I waited outside the daycare to be buzzed in. My son ran to me as soon as he saw my face.

  “Hi mommy!”

  I picked him up and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Hey baby! How was your day?”

  He held up his picture, smiling with pride.

  “It was good mommy! See what I did?”

  I observed his picture and felt nothing but love. I could tell he worked very hard on his masterpiece. He told me he had to draw what he was thankful for. I glanced back at the picture. When I realized what he was thankful for was me. It brought tears to my eyes.

  “Mommy are you ok?” He asked.

  “Baby I’m fine. Let’s get your coat so we can go,”

  I helped him put his arm in his coat sleeve. He put on his favorite Dallas Cowboys hat and we headed to the truck. Tyrone assisted me with putting David in the backseat. Once I was sure he was secure, I followed Tyrone around to the passenger’s side and got in.

  Tyrone turned down the music and announced he had a surprise for me and David. I looked back at my son to find him smiling from ear to ear. He loved surprises. I on the other hand could do without them. We pulled up to the Great Escape movie theatre.

  “Who wants to see the movie Frozen?” Tyrone cheered.

  “Me! Me!” David shouted.

  Tyrone was going to get some serious points from David. He had been begging me all week to take him to see this movie. I opened the back door to help him out of his seatbelt.

  “Can Mr. Tyrone help me?”

  That shocked me because he didn’t normally warm up to any other men besides his father and Darius. I stepped to the side to let Tyrone help him. He grinned kissing my cheek.

  “It’s okay baby. I have a way with kids,” he smiled.

  “I see,” I stated.

  I followed my son and the new man in my life into the theatre. Once we got our tickets and popcorn we headed to the section our movie would be playing. I sat between the two and waited for the movie to start.

  Tyrone held my hand throughout the entire movie. David paid close attention to the film. He even asked me and Tyrone to keep it down so he could hear. Kids amazed me. They were these little people who just said whatever came to mind.

  After the movie I asked Tyrone to drop David off at my sister’s. My job was open seven days a week and it was my weekend to work. I called Sandy and asked her to come outside once we reached her apartment complex. I waved my hand out the window. I knew she wouldn’t recognize Tyrone’s truck.

  Sandy ran to the truck and popped her head in to give me a kiss.

  “How’s the tra
ining?” I asked.

  She smiled and opened the back door to get David.

  “It’s not as easy as I thought. But I’m hanging in there,”

  “Hey Sandy nice seeing you again, I didn’t know you were going to school to be a cop,” Tyrone stated.

  She did a quick spin to show off her sweat suit, which read, Harrisburg Cadet.

  “Yes sir I’m about to be one of Harrisburg’s finest,” she boasted.

  I was so proud of my sister. I couldn’t stop smiling. I admired her. She was the type of person who knew what they wanted and went after it. I asked Sandy to bring David to the window. I squeezed his cheeks and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

  “You be good for your auntie,” I instructed.

  “I will mommy! Love you,”

  “I love you too. I’ll see in church on Sunday,” I waved as Tyrone pulled off.

  “So where to next?” He asked.

  “I’m sorry but the movie was it for me. I have to work in the morning,”

  “That’s cool let me make one stop and I’ll take you home,”

  “Thanks,” I smiled.

  I must’ve dozed off. Because when I opened my eyes we we’re outside of the Wine & Spirits near my apartment complex.

  “Do you want anything?”

  “No I’m good,” I stated.

  He came out and threw his purchase in the backseat.

  “So did you have fun tonight?” He asked.

  “Yes and thank you for spending time with my son,”

  “No problem. I know you two are a package deal. I gave you the wrong impression about me the other day. This is just my way of making it up to you. Plus your son is cool. He makes me want to have kids someday,”

  I beamed at the thought of more children with him. He was fine and I knew our kids would be beautiful.

  I gave Tyrone directions to my apartment. Once we pulled up to my building he turned off the truck.

  “So do you think I can come up for a minute?” He asked.

  I was tired but I didn’t want our night to end. I smiled at the thought of getting cozy with him. I reached for my purse on the floor.