"Don't worry 'bout how I know - I know. How that first one get killed?"
Her mother! It had to be! No one else knew her father, where he was, or cared enough about her and her life to fill all these details in for him. All this time, she thought no one else knew where he was, especially not her mother - and they'd been talking all along, there simply was no other explanation.
"Have you been in contact with mama?"
"Is you out yo'min'!?" He asked in a way that pretty much dispelled that notion.
Sylvia turned away from him looking out of the window on her side as he drove. It took her a minute to swallow back boiling emotions & answered. "He died in a car accident."
"I see. An' this man you married to now, what made you marry him?"
Sylvia turned back to him, staring. Her mind in a jumble of crazy thoughts and mysteries of how he knew what he did.
"Well?" He asked again.
"Tell me how you know these things?"
"Why I got to tell you that? M'potent thang is, I know."
"Because someone told you." She stated, and then "So who - if not my mama?" She pressed, thinking about Shawn. Could he have done so? But how would he have, she wondered, he knew little to nothing about her father. It wasn't like she'd talked much about him. Granted, he had been able to find her, but that was a coincidence - it just so happened that his friend Paul was brother to Bruce, had been at the club and called and told him. But this was different. There was no way for him to know her father, however - her father - someone who had been absent in her life not long after her fourth birthday, knew of her children and her two husband's.
"Lil'birdie tol' me so." He finally said grinning.
Sylvia looked away shaking her head, "Oh please Lucas Henry - don't go there - no such things as little birdies." She grumbled, remembering back when she was a little girl and he had taken her and her brother's to the first show at the movies she'd ever seen. They'd watched, "Song of the South." Her dad had taken to saying the blue bird on the Uncle Remus shoulder was his informant when they did bad. He had always said he knew what they'd been up to because a "little birdie told him so."
"Lucas Henry - hm?" He responded, hurt that she hadn't called him daddy. He thought back to those days, when the highlight of his day, had been to walk in the door and hear her little voice calling out to him, "Daddy daddy daddy - I'm so glad you home daddy - I miss you so much - you miss me?" He'd lift her in the air, and spent the next half an hour carrying her around the house on his hip as he spoke to his sons, rubbing their heads but stuck to him like glue - was his Lil'Lucy riding his side.
They were quiet a few minutes as he drove, she wasn't badgering him anymore about who told him what. She seemed gripped in thoughts or a struggle she wasn't willing yet to let him in on. Unable to sit in the silence he asked again.
"Ain't talkin' no more? Gone be a mighty borin' visit." He pointed out.
"Hmmm." She mumbled, staring out the window.
"What's his name?" He asked cunningly.
"Who?" She asked.
"Yo' husband."
"Shawn - Shawn Everett McPherson."
"Shawn hm, what make you marry him?"
"I had no choice - I had to marry him."
"There always a choice."
"Where he was concerned there wasn't. Not for me."
"No black men around?"
"Had I been surrounded by them, I would have married him. No one - and I do mean no one..." She turned from the window to look at him and finish the sentence, "... loves me - the way he loves me. Not even - my own family." Delivering that blow she turned back to staring out her window.
Feeling his face burn with humiliation and shame, Lucas muttered, "So that's why you here? Send me on a guilt trip?"
"Why shouldn't you be on a guilt trip? You certainly deserve one." She stared out the front window now as she spoke.
"Well I ain't goin' on it! You heah me?! An if this the only reason you show up here, I can drop you off wherever you want."
Sylvia turned back to her side window choking on moisture in her throat and tears pooling in her eyes. It had all been a waste. A waste of time, and emotion. The one person in the world who truly did love her, she was putting through hell - and for what? To be kicked in the teeth - again!
"Just drop me off anywhere - I'm sorry I bothered you." It took everything in her to make that sound normal, to keep the hurt from sounding through.
Now Lucas sat quiet as he drove, finally saying, "I thought you wanna see me?"
"You'll have to excuse me for my stupidity. Please pull over."
"Well I ain't gone dump you out right here on the road."
"Buses running."
"That don't matter."
"Don't see why it matters now!? I'm a grown woman! I can take care of myself! When I needed it to matter to you, it didn't! You left us when we were children and now that I'm a woman - suddenly it matters!? Pullover!" Sylvia hated it - but she was going to burst into tears, maybe uncontrollable, her chest burned so it felt that way. She was breathing hard and wanting to get out.
"Now calm down - why you got to get so upset?"
"Oh I don't know Lucas Henry Martin - it's not every day that I get to face the unquestionable fact that my own father - gives a shit about me - NOW STOP THIS TRUCK!!!"
A big Jewel's Food Store was to his right and he pulled into the lot. Before he could stop good, Sylvia threw open the door and jumped out, making a car coming out of the lot put on breaks because she jumped out right in front of it.
"Lord have mercy!" Lucas cried out - his heart leapt into his chest as Sylvia grabbed her bag, snatching it out and slammed the door. The car laid on the horn as she side stepped between it and her father's truck moving towards the store. Lucas hit the auto-window for that side opening it to holler out at her. "NOW - NOW - NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE! WILL YOU WAIT JUST A MINUTE! WELL WAIT! HANG ON NOW! YOU COME ALL THIS WAY!!!" He yelled but she kept walking towards the store. He opened his door and stood outside of it to yell at her, "YOU GONE JUST LEAVE - LIKE THAT??!"
Sylvia turned back and yelled, "I'M MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER!!"
Lucas shook his head, "Lord'o'mercy she mean! Gul' know she got huh'self a tempa'."
People were blowing their horns at him, he jumped back in and tried to move to where she was walking, he'd pulled in at the end of the lot, there was a bit of a walk towards the store. He finally made it to the lane she was walking down and said out the window when he moved up next to her. "Come on now cut this out. Least come wit' me - I get this wreck - then we can talk." He was almost pleading. Sylvia walked on ignoring him. "I ain't gone beg you! Two old to chase after you! If this how you gone be - what you come for?!"
Sylvia wiped at the tears rolling down her face, she didn't want to just walk away - but she had her pride. Besides, right then, it was a struggle to stay upright. Her stomach felt weak like any moment she was going to double over. She was almost at the store, if she could just make it inside to the ladies room, she could get herself together. Finally her father pulled off ahead of her. She watched feeling herself about to really lose control to see him leaving, she was almost at the cart barriers along the front of the store, making it there, she watched the truck - unable not to. It left the lot, drove down the street, turned at the end of the lot and down to the other entrance and back in again. Sylvia sniffed and wiped her cheeks as an unbidden smile broke out on her face. She cleared her throat, got control of her facial features and stood there watching as he made his way back to her. He had to wait on a car or two to back out of parking, correct themselves and then pull ahead of him, but finally after a few minutes, he pulled up in front of her.
"Well - you gettin' in or not?" He asked staring at her, the look on his face saying clearly, he really wanted her to.
Biting her bottom lip not to smile, Sylvia put her nose into the air, took a deep breath and walked around the front of the truck to the other side, opened the door, threw her bag in again and hoppe
d back in.
Her father looked at her.
She looked at him.
"Can we start this over?" He asked.
With sad eyes that said she really wanted to, she nodded, "Please..."
Chapter 130
"Hi, I'm Vivian Cooke, I made reservations for lunch? Has Siaoko Chan arrived?" Vivian felt breathless, a bit irritated. She was running late, in fact five minutes late. She didn't want to blame it on Sylvia, but had she not suddenly arrived, she would have been early as she'd planned. It gave her opponent time to reflect, steel herself and use her tardiness as a weapon to unsettle her. She just prayed she was still there.
"Yes she has, she just arrived a moment before you, this way please." The host answered leading the way to the back booth in a dark cozy corner. Vivian had practiced for this move. When the bank had to make up for some mishap with a clients account, depending on the amount of the account holder, this was one of the methods to making things aright. Wine and dine and pamper while adding extra benefits to maintaining their account while assuring them whatever mishap had occurred at their bank, was a rare mishap indeed, one Vivian always insured the client that would not happen again. Something about sending a professional, well spoken, beautiful black woman, who clung a bit to her ethnicity while fully dressed and compliant with the business dress code standards, executing it so sexily, was the banks own secret weapon. Sending her out to dazzling and sooth ruffled feathers, especially if the feathers were those of rich white males. Males who prepared themselves to give the banking executive who showed up a good dressing down. Almost every one of them expecting a male, was immediately thrown out of balance when the tall, slender, regal black beauty appeared, dazzling them with her smile. By the time they got all of their, (figuratively speaking) ball bearings back on track, the meeting was over and they'd agreed to something they could not repeat if they had to. Of the few she'd had to meet, more often than not she was sought out for drinks, or maybe dinner after work. Most, older white males - short of salivating with their lascivious eyes devouring her mentally.
Vivian braced herself, took several inconspicuous deep breaths to face her ex-lover's wife. There was no way any of the things that moved dissatisfied customers would work here - only tool that might work, was humility. Approaching the table, the woman who was his wife looked up to see her walking towards the table where she sat. She'd been looking over the menu, a waiter had just left water and a drink with her. Vivian could tell by the look on her face, this was not going to be easy, but she had an idea and if she could bring it across... she would get away with the plan. Seeing how she colored slightly and her Asian eyes attempting to widen, Vivian wondered what shocked her more, her looks - or - just the fact that she was black -real black. Right a way Vivian used the smile she often did, when she was needing to apologize. Not overly bright, but a slight one that said, 'Okay - I'm in the wrong, I accept.'
"Mrs Chan? Hi, my name is Vivian. Let me start off by saying, how much I appreciate you meeting with me." Vivian held out her hand for her to shake. Siaoko looked at it with disdain and then up at Vivian. It was clear, she was not so easily sucked in as to shake her husband's lover's hand. Her stare was almost hostile, her lips were thinning. "Okay fine - I can't say as I blame you." Vivian responded, laying her paperwork on the booth seat and then sitting down across from her.
"I cannot believe - my husband had been - having an affair with you?!" Siaoko almost spat.
Vivian needed to keep her focus. She needed to let this women bleed her displeasure; to a point that is - she had her pride after all.
"Well - looking at you, I can't either." It was a sincere comment, Siaoko was attractive, very attractive. "The only defence I have, is that I was lied to for quite some time, I thought he was single."
"When did you find out that he was not?" She demanded.
Vivian sighed, "Two years into the relationship, more or less."
"I see, let me think, according to what you yelled at me over the phone, that means that even after you knew, you were available for my husband to fuck - three more years. What is it that you were hoping to gain by that?"
"I was in love with him. Plain and simple. Knowing about you, wasn't enough to make me break it off."
"You broke it off? He said that he broke it off. That you were furious because he did, the reason you called me. Revenge against him for walking away."
"Oh did he really? He's a liar!"
"And this is new to me?! After learning this! Of course he is a liar! In fact, I care not who broke it off - I am done! You can have him now."
"No thank you I'll pass. And uh - good for you. Does this mean you're divorcing him?"
"So that you can have him? Sure - he makes me ill just to look at him, and now - that I've seen you - I am even more sick!"
Vivian was only willing to take so much more of the racial put downs and disdain, if she didn't need out of that contract with buying the house so bad, she would have told her to kiss her deep, dark, black ass! Because she needed her, she took it, once that house was off of her back, they need not cross paths again.
"Look, I can assure you - the last thing I want - his him back. You can insult me all you wish if it makes you feel better. The fact here is, he used us both. He fed me lies after lies after lies, and it is quite apparent, he has done the same with you. I asked if you're divorcing him for a reason. That reason is this. First, I hope you take him for everything you can. Second, I have a beautiful home that I've just moved out of. I purchased it, with his help. HE - tried to use that home as leverage to get me to take him back, despite what he's told you. He should have never done that. I'm here to offer you another knife to stick in his back, by signing the property over to you, as full owner with him, and then as you divorce him - not only will he pay for the home you now have, he can pay for this one as well. You can demand whatever you wish, because he cheated. You get the property - to sell - to rent - whatever you wish. He - gets to pay for it. Imagine his humiliation knowing, they you've screwed him just as he screwed us both."
"What is in it for you?"
"Nothing. All I want, is to be free of him. It's been over, despite what he's told you, for months now. He won't leave me alone, however. I was forced to move to keep him from just showing up on my doorstep."
"Aaaah I get it now, you don't want to be stuck with paying for two properties."
"If I took him back, I wouldn't have to pay for one. I'm not taking him back. I work for a bank, I can negotiate a refinancing on the house and make it affordable to pay for it without living there until it sold. My credit is excellent, I assure you I could." Vivian bluffed, knowing that if she didn't agree, she would most certainly have to try, but that would mean having to deal with Laek.
"Just put aside what you feel right now, and think about how your doing this - would make him feel. He deserves whatever you can do to him, and I'd like to help you, so you can throw it in his face and laugh. He's a liar - I don't want him, you don't want him - and he's going to pay. Use it. Do it. Hit him where it will hurt. And gain in your possession a valuable piece of property as well."
Siaoko stared a moment, tempted to scoff at the offer and throw it in her face, but she would rather throw it in his face. Bitterness was strong in her for him to feel all the humiliation she was feeling.
"Can I see the property?"
"You most certainly can. Name the day, time - I'll show it."
"Now!"
"Right now?"
"Right now. I need to see it to make up my mind."
"I don't own a vehicle, I came by train. We can take a taxi-..."
"I drove here, if you don't mind riding with me-..."
Vivian smiled, "No offence, but I'd just as soon not. I will take a taxi and meet you there."
"I've never killed anyone." Siaoko announced sinisterly.
"There's always that first time - isn't there? Save it for him. So what's it going to be? We meeting there or not?"
"Where is it?"
>
Two hours later, Vivian was handing her the keys along with her copy of the signed contract exchanging ownership to her. Vivian walked down the two steps leaving her in the house and stepped into the waiting taxi she'd called at the conclusion of signing over everything. When she closed the door and it made it to the end of the block and turned the corner, Vivian could no longer contain it. "YE-E-ESSS!!" She shouted startling the driver. He looked back at her like she was crazy, and right then, she felt crazy. So crazy with joy and happiness she started laughing in the back seat waving her fist and shaking her head from the rush of relief! Holding her signed copies to put away just incase.
* * *
Shawn was enjoying his visit with Dennis and Sheila, but was blown away when Sheila told him about what Edwina pulled. "That stupid ass brother of mine, I swear he'd fuck a warm scarf!" Dennis and Sheila burst out laughing. "I'm sorry Sheila, I shouldn't be saying such things in front of you, but it just makes me crazy to think of where that could have gone with her! All he had to do, was just leave her alone. Does he know about it?"
"I don't think he do less Vivian told him." Sheila answered as they sat around her kitchen table talking. "I can tell you this, she kicked her ass and good!"
Dennis was still laughing at Shawn's last comment and said, "Man... ya'll ass is crazy! What you gone do today later on?" Dennis asked. He didn't want Shawn to leave, there wasn't many he invited over, but he really enjoyed Shawn's company, and Jake's as well for that matter.
"It all depends on whether I'll be going to get my wife or not. I wonder is she with him?" He stated. The door bell rang, Sheila hopped up to answer it. Right away they could hear loud whooping and hollering.
"I AM FREE!!! DO YOU HEAR ME! SUPER FREE! YES!" Vivian sang coming into Sheila's living-room, dancing, gyrating her body with no need of music. Shawn and Dennis stood up and looked from the kitchen door at her, smiling because her whole manner made you want to laugh. She was all teeth until she stopped realizing that Shawn was still there. "Oh! Hi! I didn't know you were still here!"
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