by Teisha Mott
“Well, they have been going on for almost an hour now,” Samantha replied. “Someone will run out of steam soon enough.”
Samantha thought it was so ironic that every time she thought the situation could not get any worse, it suddenly did. Jeremy was more of a moron than she thought. For some totally inexplicable reason, he had chosen that evening at Grandpa's birthday party to go all ‘True Confessions' on Phillip. She had been trying to escape Darwin Stern, the Auditor General, who smelled strangely of fish, and who was insisting on setting her up with his obnoxious son, Rory, when she heard the commotion in the reception hall. When she, her sister and cousins and a few other curious guests went to investigate, she came across a scene that doubtlessly came from the cheesiest, B-Grade movie that was ever made. There was Phillip – her cool cousin, Investment Banker, number one on New York’s “Thirty under thirty” aiming to beat the bloody hell out of his protégé, causing such a righteous scene that TATTLER would probably have enough dirt to last for the rest of his miserable career. She had been so nonplussed that she could not even cry. She was scared to admit that now things could not get any worse, because, as the past days have proven it really could, and honestly, she was not sure how much more she could take. That had been pretty much the end of Grandpa’s party. Now Grandpa was going to hate her, Samantha thought. He did not hate her for falling pregnant from ‘a random hook-up’. He was kind to the jerk that had gotten her pregnant. But this was where the buck stopped. She was the root cause of what would probably be the biggest scandal in the history of the Persaud family. But Grandpa, being Grandpa, was not even remotely bothered. She had tried to apologise to him, but he just laughed.
“What are you talking about?” He had declared giving her a kiss as the last of the guests cleared out of the Ravi P. “I am 78 years old and my birthday party can still end in a mini riot. All things considered, my party kicked Sushil’s party’s ass!”
Unfortunately, Grandma Joyce and Grandpa James had not been quite as accommodating. They had taken the news much, much worse than anyone else, and in a fashion typical of Grandpa James, ‘the problem’ had to be solved right away, even if ‘right away’ meant 2:39 in the morning. As far as Grandma Joyce and Grandpa James were concerned, Samantha had committed the eighth deadly sin – ruining the family name, and there was no absolution from that one. Grandpa must have retired his diplomacy when he left the service, because he blamed Andrew and Janise Persaud for being poor parents. Grandma Joyce, on the other hand, blamed Ravi and Sylvia Persaud for being too permissive, and never strict enough with the children. It was only a matter of time before one of them came home pregnant. They purported that if Andrew and Janise had been firmer parents, and Ravi and Sylvia had been firmer grandparents, Samantha would not have thought to go off and ‘have relations’ with Jeremy, then have the temerity to announce this ‘unwanted addition’ in the ‘most scandalous way possible’.
She sighed and looked at Jeremy. "Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"When Phillip hit you? It looks like it hurts."
Jeremy shrugged. "I've been punched before," he told her. "Trust me, it looks worse than it really is, but Phillip has a serious left hook to rahtid bwoy!" He flexed his jaw.
They sat in silence again, as the shouting continued in the basement.
"It looks like they really plan to continue all night!" Samantha remarked, once more breaking the silence.
“I am really, really sorry for all of this!” Jeremy commented. “I mean, if I hadn’t said anything to Phillip, none of this would have happened in the first place!”
Samantha looked at him. Of course he was sorry. He must be sorry because he was no longer Phillip’s darling blue eyed boy. He must be sorry that Phillip finally saw him for who he really was. He must be sorry because Phillip told him he no longer had a job at Persaud Financials. She felt sorry just looking at him. He must be especially sorry that he had not tried talking her into having an abortion. Maybe now he would go home, and leave her alone.
“Well, I am sure you wish now that you had gone back to Mobay from I told you to go!” Samantha pointed out. “If you had gone, none of this would have happened. Phillip wouldn’t have freaked out, and you would still have your job.”
“I don’t care that Phillip fired me,” Jeremy said. “I graduated in the top twenty from a first tier business school. I don’t need to work at Persaud Financials. I can work anywhere I want, and frankly, if Phillip is going to be so immature, maybe working with him isn’t such a good idea after all. I don’t care what Phillip says, or what your grandparents say, the only place I am supposed to be is right here. With you.”
Samantha winced. “Jeremy, please…”
"Samantha, look, I don’t know why you don’t want to believe me, or why you are determined not to include me, but…” He sighed. “I'm not here because I feel obligated or because anyone is forcing me. I am here because I want to be here. I want be a good father, and I want to be your friend. I want to take care of you." He took her hand. "I am not the horrible monster that you think I am. Or maybe I am, but one thing I know I will not be is a bad father. You just need to give me a chance." He tucked her hair behind her ear, and his face was too close to hers. “Please. Just let me be here for you…”
Samantha’s heart fell to her feet. She looked at him. He was holding her hand. His touch felt firm, and she felt safe. He looked so sincere and so vulnerable that at that moment, more than anything, she wanted to believe him. She wanted to imagine a life with her and Jeremy and their baby, where they were in love and happily married, and when she announced that she was pregnant, there was not a great shouting match like the one that was going on downstairs. She wanted to imagine a life where they were friends and they did things together with their little son, hopefully not called Sebastian, and where they sat up and talked way into the night, making decisions together concerning his future. She looked at him, and for a moment, she was transported again to that night in Infierno, when she was asking herself whether it was all right to kiss him. She had really, really wanted to kiss him then… but that had been the tequila. Tonight, she was one hundred percent sober, but still her brain was fuzzy as he looked at her. What if she kissed him tonight? Certainly, it could not go as badly as it did the last time, and even if it did, it was not like she could get more pregnant than she already was....
Suddenly, Grandpa Ravi’s voice travelled up the stairs. “Of course the boy has parents, Joyce! He did not morph from thin air! What the hell is wrong with you? And stop the damn crying before I give you something to cry over. You are riding my last nerve!”
Samantha was jarred back to reality. What the hell was she doing, leaning in to kiss Jeremy? That was how it all started in the first place. She had allowed him to kiss her, and that was where all this madness begun. The night that was truly the beginning of the end, all because she chose to be taken in by his sincerity and his vulnerability. What was wrong with her? Didn’t she learn? What was it about this man that turned her into such a raging, hormonal idiot? She had liked to blame that night in Infierno on a myriad of factors, none of which had anything to do with her, but this moment – this right here – proved otherwise. It was not Phillip who had insisted that she go out that night, and then abandoned her in the club. It was not the countless tequila shots. It was not the Mariachi music or the dark, smoky club. And it was not being upset because Micah had dumped her for Ronica. It was her. It was all her, because it was apparent that despite her protests and despite her common sense, and despite the fact that Darrin was right, and Jeremy was no good for her, there was something in her that was tugging her towards him. He had some kind of power over her that made it impossible for her to resist him. She had been taken in by him in Infierno; she was almost taken in again that Sunday morning in Starbucks… Well, she was not going to be taken in by him, tonight, or any other night after this.
Angrily, she snatched her hand away. “Don’t touch me!”
&nbs
p; “Samantha, what…” Jeremy was confused. It seemed as though they had a moment, but it had faded away as quickly as it had appeared.
Samantha stood too quickly and almost lost her footing. She grabbed the bannister to right herself, and pointed at Jeremy. “You listen to me, Jeremy Malcolm, and you listen to me good!” She hissed. "I don’t want to be your friend. I don’t want you hovering over me, or trying to take care of me. I don’t want you to ask me how I am, or going to the doctor with me. All I really want from you is what I have been begging you from day one, and that is for you to leave me alone. I don’t want you here. Just go away, alright? Go away!”
Jeremy sighed as she stormed up the stairs. That, right there, was the even ten.
***
July 17
‘Congratulations are in order for the über-fabulous Samantha Persaud, who is expecting her first child with beau, Jeremy Malcolm. TATTLER is unsure how long the two have been an item, but suspects that the match was made somewhere in the busy streets of the city that never sleeps, where both were pursuing Graduate Studies. There have been some ugly judgment calls on Samantha for being unmarried. After all, she has been our sweetheart for years, and I am sure many expected the big, lavish wedding before the baby, but TATTLER has never been one to judge! So I say congrats to Samantha. You and your partner are happy, and that’s all that counts. We can’t wait to see the first pictures of your beautiful little bundle of joy when he or she arrives.’
Andie Persaud rolled her eyes and crumpled the gossip rag into a tiny ball and stuffed it into her Longchamp tote.
"You know that TATTLER is really something else!" She commented, as she dug into her plate of spaghetti Bolognese.
Klao gave her a weird look. "Since when you start to read TATTLER?"
Andie did not respond. She just continued to rage. "I mean, really! When he or she or it thought I was pregnant he wrote about how I am not as smart as ‘the über fabulous Samantha’, and now that he knows it is ‘the über fabulous Samantha’, he is all smiles and congratulations and no judgment. And look -- not even a word of apology, after he told a lie on me!"
"Yes, Andie. We get the distinct impression that TATTLER doesn't like you!" Bianca commented dryly. "What you going to do about it!"
"What am I going to do about it? I am going to find him or her or it, and bundle up his stupid column and stuff it down his throat. That's what I am going to do about it! That sorry excuse for a human being! Who gave him the right to call himself a journalist in the first place?"
"I'm sure you only think so because he never has anything good to say about you!" Klao pointed a french fry at her. "I bet if he called you 'the über fabulous Anne Dru’, you wouldn't be so quick to let him eat his paper!"
"Whatever, Klao! TATTLER is clueless and idiotic, and he has no respect for people’s feelings or privacy. Right Sammy?"
“What?” Samantha asked through a mouthful of Gauchos turkey burger. She had agreed to join her sister and cousins for lunch at their favourite spot, but she was not listening to their conversation. She was otherwise occupied, shoving huge bites of succulent, spicy burger and greasy, salty fries down her throat and licking her fingers.
Bianca looked at her. “I can see someone got their appetite back!”
“Yes, finally!” Samantha commented. She motioned to the waitress. Bianca, Klao and Andie were still eating. Maybe she could get another plate of fries… Ooh! Or maybe a double portion of death by chocolate!
“Why are you eating like the world is coming to an end?” Klao asked. “You do realise that after the baby you are going to have all that weight hanging on to you, right?”
“C’mon Klao! I’m eating for two!” The waitress appeared, and she ordered her French fries, extra salty, her death by chocolate – extra chocolate syrup and a chocolate brownie for good measure. That was the best part of being pregnant, she thought – being able to hoover as much chocolate as she wanted without getting a migraine!
“Eating for two?” Andie spat. “It’s more like you are eating for the entire frigging third world!”
“Don’t you want a fat niece or nephew?”
“Yes, just not a diabetic one!” Bianca told her. “Slow down, or you are going to get indigestion. And take it easy on the salt.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Samantha wiped her greasy hands on the red Gauchos napkin. “I am just so glad that I am over the whole morning sickness part of it. God, it was like hell!”
“Hell for you, or hell for me?” Andie piped in. “I am the one who had to use the bathroom after you finished throwing up in it!”
Klao made a face. She was no good with throw up. “Can we talk about something else please?”
“Apart from being eternally famished, how are you feeling?” Bianca asked.
“Pretty great, except look at me!” She motioned to her once clear skin that now sported abhorrent dark spots. “This baby is wreaking havoc on my skin!”
“Oh well, that is to be expected!” Bianca told her, expounding her three years of medical school wisdom. “It’s just the hormone changes stimulating pigment-producing cells in your skin. For now, wear sunscreen or a hat, or carry an umbrella, because exposure to sunlight can make the spots darker.”
“Wow! You almost sound like a real doctor!” Klao said impressed.
“Well, I am halfway to becoming a real doctor!” Bianca rolled her eyes at her cousin. “What do you think I am doing up at UWI every single day?”
“Will I get my proper skin back?” Samantha asked, wondering where the waitress was with her fries. She stole a few of Andie’s in the meantime.
“Yes, you will,” Bianca told her. “You don’t need to worry about that. What you need to do is try to curb that appetite of yours, because gestational diabetes and hypertension is not a joke. And the most important thing is that you should try not to get cross. You will upset Sebastian, and you don’t want him upset from now, or he will be a very fussy baby.”
“Did you learn that on your OB rotation last year, too ‘Dr Persaud’?” Samantha asked.
“No, but it stands to reason,” Bianca explained. “You and Sebastian are literally joined to each other. If whatever you eat affects him, I don’t see how your moods won’t.”
“I am not even joined to you and your constant miserableness and bad attitude are making me cross!” Andie added.
“Number one, I do not have a bad attitude!” Samantha glowered at her sister. “And number two, stop referring to it as ‘Sebastian’ and ‘him’. It could easily well be a girl, and in any event, I am not calling my baby Sebastian!”
“Of course it is going to be a boy!” Andie declared. “And he is going to be so cute, just like his father!”
“Just what the world needs – another Jeremy Malcolm!” Samantha rolled her eyes.
“He should procreate for a living!” Klao stated, not noting the sarcastic bite to Samantha’s tone. “I mean, I have been looking at him, and I am yet to discover even one design flaw!”
“Oh please! He is good looking, but not an Adonis or anything!” Samantha said. “There are men in the world much better looking than him!”
“Outside of TV, name one!” Bianca challenged.
Samantha took pause. She was actually stumped. She would rather die than say it out loud, she did indeed think Jeremy was without a doubt a ridiculously good-looking man, and really she couldn’t think of anyone who could compare.
“Whatever!” She shot finally. “It is not only about how he looks like on the outside. Beauty is skin deep, and his ‘design flaws’ cut straight to his very core. He is rude and obnoxious and just downright damn evil!”
“Are we talking about the same Jeremy Malcolm?” Klao asked. “The same Jeremy who has been here every day, putting up with your bitching and still being kind to you?”
“That is because he is a hypocrite to boot! Acting all sweet and pious. Doing this and that with Christopher, smiling up with Nursey and Theresa. He even has Rosie fooled. Do yo
u know he is even going to the office with Daddy and helping out on projects?” Samantha was on a roll now. TATTLER may have reported that he was her beau, and they were elated about their ‘bundle of joy’, but he was way off base – even for a sleazy gossip columnist. They were not happy. In fact, just the very thought of him upset her, let alone his presence at her house every single day, hovering over her and bothering her about doctor’s appointments and vitamins and baby things. “And everyone seems to be so taken in with him, as though they have forgotten that he is the one who impregnated me with his devil in hell sperm …”
“Drop dead gorgeous devil in hell sperm!” Bianca interjected.
Samantha was getting annoyed. “Take the stars out of your eyes Bianca. I don’t trust him. And if I don’t trust him as a man, I am sure as hell not trusting him as a father!”
“You cannot hold on to malice for life, Sam!” Andie instructed. “Jeremy is different from how he used to be.”
“He’s a canker sore on my butt, that’s what he is!”
Bianca looked at her. “A canker sore on your butt? That’s not even possible!”
“I’m just saying he is a pain in the butt!”
“Well, say that!” Bianca advised. “A canker sore is only in the mouth!”
Samantha glared at her. “Do you want a fist sized canker sore in your mouth?”
Andie raised an eyebrow and looked at Bianca. “See what I mean about the attitude?”
"Well, look at the bright side," Klao, the ultimate peace maker, pointed out. "He's only here for another seven weeks before he goes back to New York to be abused by Phillip. So you will soon get rid of the ‘canker sore on your butt’!"
"Trust me, not soon enough!" Samantha declared, looking lovingly at her food that the waitress had just brought. Andie made a face as she dipped a fry into the chocolate sauce that covered her death by chocolate. "Next week is ultrasound day, and I still have to figure out how I am going to go see Dr Creary without him insisting on coming along!"