Michael Jared pulled on Tandi’s hand over his eyes, but her hold was firm.
“Miss, my father likes chitterlings, I don’t. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t walk around here like that in front of my son, or me either for that matter.”
“I think your father should make—”
“Bernice,” Sporty said, coming up behind her, “I’ll make the coffee. Why don’t you go get dressed?”
“Oh, sure, honey bun.” Bernice smiled mischievously at Tandi as she turned and brushed catlike up against Sporty as she left the kitchen.
Tandi let Michael Jared up. He looked around for Bernice and was disappointed to see she was gone.
“Daddy, who is that woman?”
“None of your business.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t answer to you, Tandida. This is my house. I do as I damn well please. If you don’t like it, go home.”
For a fleeting but stifling moment, Tandi was reminded of the day she left Sporty’s house. That day, too, he had said, “If you don’t like it,” but he didn’t say go home, he had said, “Leave. Get out.”
“You’re telling me to get out when you’re the one who’s wrong? You opened my mail. You have no right to open my mail.”
“I have a right to look at anything that comes into my house.”
In her hand Tandi held the letter from the Department of Vital Statistics requesting the social security number and the correct date of death for Lorraine Belson. That angered Tandi even more because Sporty wouldn’t give her that information.
“No, Daddy, you don’t have that right.”
“The deed to this house says Glynn R. Belson, Senior, not Tandida Belson.”
“Does that mean I’m not entitled to privacy?”
“That’s exactly what it means. When you have your own house, then you can set up your own rules.”
“Daddy, you can’t keep bullying me. You can’t tell me to not try and get my mother’s death certificate. I have a right to know when she was born and when she died. That’s my legal right. And I have a daughter’s right to put flowers on her grave. But I can’t do that, can I? You’ve destroyed any evidence of my mother ever having been on this Earth. If you could’ve, I believe you would have gotten rid of me, too.”
The hateful look Sporty fixed on Tandi made her want to sink into a corner and hide.
“You watch what you say to me, girl. You’re not so grown that I won’t give you a good hard backhand.”
Tandi held her tongue. She knew well what it felt like to get slapped in the mouth.
“The next time mail comes into my house about your mother, I’ll burn it as sure as I’m standing here.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can and I will. If you don’t like it, leave. Get out!”
And she did. That same day. It was a whole year before she started coming around again and that was only because Glynn nagged her to death about it. Sporty wasn’t very welcoming but he did open the door. In that year she stayed away, Tandi realized that Sporty and Glynn were the only family she had. She quickly learned that a soul without family is as alone as a soul marooned on an island. She didn’t question Sporty anymore about her mother, but it was a bone of contention always between them.
9
Just thinking about that long-ago day that she was thrown out of her father’s house upset Tandi, but this time she wasn’t worried about a backhand slap from Sporty. If anything, she was worried about what she might do to him.
She boldly stepped up to Sporty. “I’m no longer a child. Don’t ever talk to me like that again.”
If Sporty was intimidated by Tandi’s closeness, he didn’t show it. “Then stay out of my damn business.”
“I am not in your business. I am protecting my son from your exhibitionist of a girlfriend.”
“Your son would not’ve seen a damn thing if you had been in your own house.”
“Mommy.”
“Unfortunately, we’re not in our own house, we’re in your house and you’re going to respect us whether you like it or not.”
“Mommy . . . Mommy, I wanna go home,” Michael Jared cried.
Tandi’s anger was choking her. She was about to tell Sporty about himself but the anguish in Michael Jared’s eyes, in his voice, forced her to put her mouth in check. She softened her tone.
“I’d appreciate it, Daddy, if you’d give me fair warning if you or your company is going to walk around here in the altogether.”
“Maybe you should give me fair warning when you and your son are going to be sitting around in my kitchen. And that’s another thing, Tandida, don’t be changing nothing around in here. I like my kitchen just the way it is.”
“Daddy, stop it. I have been cooking in this kitchen practically all of my life, and nothing has been changed around in here since I was three, so stop badgering me.”
“Tandida, you always had a smart mouth.”
“And so have you.”
Michael Jared cried louder.
“I’m still your father, girl,” Sporty said, looking sternly at Michael Jared. “What’s he crying for?”
“Leave him alone.” With her hand, Tandi wiped Michael Jared’s tears away. “Honey, go upstairs and wash your face.”
“I don’t wanna go upstairs. I wanna go home.”
“Why don’t you take the boy home? He doesn’t wanna be here.”
Tandi cut her eyes threateningly at Sporty. She thought old age was supposed to mellow a person out. Not in Sporty’s case. Old age wasn’t doing a damn thing about softening his nasty attitude. He was colder and harder than she had ever known him to be.
“What’re you looking at me like that for?”
“Michael Jared,” Tandi said soothingly, “honey, please go wash your face. I have to talk to your grandfather.”
With a loud, “Humph!” Sporty went over to the stove and picked up his old dented aluminum coffeepot.
“Mommy, I—”
“Please, honey, do it for me.”
Angrily pushing his chair back, Michael Jared sprang up and stomped out of the kitchen, mumbling to himself, “I hate it here. I wanna go home.”
Tandi’s heart ached for her child. It would have been easier on him if she had been able to stay at home. As much as she didn’t want to, she might have to let Michael Jared go back to Jared until she could get herself settled in her own place. This dreary old house and this even drearier, bitingly bitter old man were not conducive to an emotionally healthy transition to a new life for either Michael Jared or herself.
Glaring hatefully at Sporty, Tandi watched him fill the coffeepot with water from the tap and then spoon the fresh ground coffee grinds she’d bought just the day before into the strainer. All of her life she had been perplexed by him. She used to wonder why he didn’t give her away after her mother died since he never acted like he wanted her, much less loved her. If he loved anyone at all, it was Glynn; at least he didn’t yell at Glynn the way he did her. Still, he raised her right along with Glynn, alone, without a woman’s gentle touch. He made sure they got an education. He made sure they were clothed and fed, but he did not bother to make sure they had laughter in their home. Sporty was always so grouchy, so stern. He showed neither her nor Glynn any real affection. Tandi couldn’t remember ever sitting on Sporty’s lap or being carried up in his arms. There was not ever a kiss on the cheek or a tuck in bed at night. Sporty and Glynn always shook hands, and at awkward moments when Sporty should have hugged her, he shook hers, too. The only way she knew he liked Glynn better was when he’d say about his report card, “Keep up the good work.” About her report card, he’d say, “I want to see some improvement next time.” For the life of her she never understood that. Her report card was always better than Glynn’s. Even when she got all A’s he’d ask, “Don’t they give A pluses?” Nothing she ever did was good enough.
“Daddy, why are you so mean to me? What have I ever done to you?”
Sporty se
t the coffeepot on the stove with a bang. He turned the burner up high enough for the amber-and-blue flame to dance spiritedly under the coffeepot. Then as an afterthought, he stepped back from the stove and looked down at his right hand. He began flexing it open and closed.
Tandi saw what Sporty was doing, but she was too angry to care that something might be wrong. “Answer me, Daddy. Why are you always so nasty to me. I—”
“If that’s what you want to talk about, do us both a favor. Don’t.” Sporty avoided looking at Tandi as he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a slim plastic lighter from his robe pocket. He lit a cigarette and took a deep, lung-filling drag.
“Have you ever cared about me?”
Sporty tossed both the cigarettes and the lighter onto the counter near the stove. “I got better things to do.”
She hated that he could so coldly dismiss her. “Daddy, why is there always a battle being waged between us? When I was a child, did I throw up on you or wet myself on your pants? I mean, tell me what is it that I’ve done to make you dislike me so? What?”
“It’s too goddamn early in the morning for this, Tandida,” Sporty said, angrily stubbing out his cigarette in the bottom of the sink. “We done had this talk a hundred times, and I ain’t of a mind to talk about it again.”
“Then stop giving me reason to bring it up.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to go?” Sporty grimaced as he began rubbing his right arm above the elbow. “Don’t you have to get your boy to school?”
“What’s wrong with your arm?”
“Nothing!”
“Don’t bark at me!”
“Then stop questioning me.” Sporty reached for his cigarettes.
Oh, how she wished he’d choke on his blasted cigarettes. “I don’t get it. Daddy, you act like I’m your worst enemy.”
Sporty flicked the cigarette lighter. It didn’t light. He flicked it repeatedly.
The coffee began to percolate.
Completely fed up, Tandi hit the table with the side of her fist. “I’m sick of this! Why are you so damn heartless?”
Ignoring Tandi, Sporty stuck the tip of the cigarette in the flame under the coffeepot and bending down to it, his face close to the pot, put his mouth to the cigarette filter and dragged on it until it was lit. Satisfied, he straightened up.
“Tandida, if you’re gonna stay in this house, don’t be trying to drive me crazy. Is that why you’re here? You drive that man of yours out of his mind? Did he put you out?”
She bristled. “You would think that, wouldn’t you?”
“He did, didn’t he?”
“Daddy, you know what you just told me about your business? The same here. My business is none of yours. The truth is, I hate that I even had to come here. If I knew of a conveniently located hotel, motel, inn, or rental shack in Queens, I’d be in it right now. As soon as I find an apartment—and I hope it’s today—I’ll be out of your precious house. But of course, if the sight of me sickens you so much, I’ll leave now, this minute.”
Sporty flicked his cigarette ashes into the sink. “Since when you listen to anything I say?”
If she could only strangle him. Tandi took a deep, thoughtful breath and let it out slowly. She had inhaled the strong nutty aroma of the fresh brewing coffee, but that wasn’t the only smell she inhaled. Cigarette smoke was all around her. She fanned at it with her hand. “Daddy, I’m asking you to please be nice or at the very least cordial to Michael Jared while we’re here.”
“I don’t talk bad to that boy,” Sporty said, blowing out a big puff of smoke in Tandi’s direction.
Tandi fanned at the smoke. “If we have to stay here a week, I’ll—”
“You’ll be here longer than a week.”
“No, we won’t. I’ll have a place in a few days.”
Taking another drag, Sporty turned his head toward the far corner of the room and blew out the smoke. “It’s not easy to come by an apartment these days. It took Iona’s nephew damn near a year to get an apartment.”
“That was him.”
“That’s gonna be you, too. First you gotta find one, then the landlord has to do a credit check, and then he has to check your bank account, your job, and your personal references.”
“Don’t worry. If it takes longer than a week, I’ll move out anyway.”
“Suit yourself.” Sporty’s cigarette hung from between his lips as he began rubbing his arm again.
“I will,” she said, looking down at her watch to keep from looking at what Sporty was doing. If something was wrong, he wouldn’t tell her anyway. She started out of the kitchen, but, as usual, couldn’t hold her tongue. “Hey, you better leave those cigarettes, that coffee, and your oversexed women alone. You’re a prime heart attack candidate.”
“I ain’t gonna stand for you telling me what to do in my house.”
Tandi locked eyes with Sporty. He was looking at her like she was something nasty stuck to the bottom of his shoe. That look was why she didn’t care what he did or with whom. She just didn’t want to be stuck taking care of him when he got sick.
“Sporty,” Bernice called from the bedroom, “hurry up.”
“I’m coming.”
Tandi shook her head. “Daddy, you’re scandalous, but it’s your life.”
“Damn right.” Sporty started from the kitchen.
“Um, before you go, I need to ask you a question.”
Sporty turned back. “What for? I thought you knew all the answers.”
“Not to this one. How in the world did you, of all people, ever get a nickname like Sporty? You’re such a sour person to have such a fun name.”
Sporty’s father gave him that name as a child when he was the best right fielder in his division’s softball team. That was decades ago before disappointments and betrayals stole his hopes and dreams. “My name isn’t who I am, who I am is what life has made me. Don’t ask me any more questions.”
Tandi left the kitchen to keep from going another round with Sporty.
Sporty tossed his cigarette into the sink and turned on the cold water. The sound of the water drowned out the hissing sound of the lit cigarette being extinguished. Shutting off the water, he shook his right arm out to the side then flexed his fingers repeatedly. The numbness would have worried him if it had been his left arm.
“I have to stop letting that woman sleep on my arm.”
10
Already Jared’s life was different. Usually he woke up each morning with one client or another on his mind and a revelation or two as to what legal precedence he could use to strengthen a case. He was always eager to start his day, always ready to take on a challenge. Not this morning. This morning, because he had been unable to sleep, he had gone into the office at seven o’clock, an hour earlier, and for the first time didn’t have a clue as to where to begin. He used to think there were not enough hours in his day to do all the things he needed to do in his practice. Not this day. As much as he had to do, he felt as if he had nothing to do that was more important than speaking with Tandi. Tandi and where she and MJ could be was all he could think about. After a sleepless night, he had no great revelation as to how to make what was wrong between them right. If he had to, he’d find a way to come home earlier, but did not believe for one minute that his being home earlier would solve their problem or make Tandi happy. Her anger at him was deeper than that. He could play dumb and say he didn’t understand why, but he’d be lying. He knew Tandi had never gotten over his affair.
That’s something he didn’t understand. Why didn’t Tandi get over it? It was a long time ago. She didn’t leave him when it happened. He had never cheated on her again, and actually, he had bent over backward to make it up to her. Still, she brought it up last night, cutting open the wound and pouring pepper into it to remind him of how much he had hurt her.
The door of Jared’s office opened. Marci stuck her head in. “You were so quiet, I wasn’t sure if you were here or not.”
“I’ve been here
a while.”
“Geez, Jared, you look awful.”
“I didn’t sleep too well last night.” He hated having to explain himself. “What’s up?”
“Mr. Shavers is on line one.”
Jared glanced down at his watch. It was 9:10. The last time he had called home was 8:45. He had been hoping Tandi would have come back home that morning.
“Jared, are you going to speak to Mr. Shavers?”
Picking up his pen, Jared began to roll it slowly between his fingers. “I’ll call him back later. Tell him I’m waiting to hear from the insurance company.”
“Will do.” Marci left, pulling the door closed behind her.
Jared immediately picked up the telephone and called home. For the sixth time in the last hour he held the receiver to his ear while Tandi’s voice asked that the caller leave a message. He had left messages, six of them. He wondered if she was there listening to him begging her to pick up the phone. This time he wouldn’t beg, he would not leave a message. He slammed the phone down and took a minute to let his stomach calm down. It had been tied up in knots ever since last night when he got back home to an empty house after drinking that cheap, flat champagne. He had called Tandi’s office and could only leave a message with the answering service. He had called Evonne and left a message at her office for her to call him. Evonne was one of Tandi’s closest friends. If anyone knew where Tandi was, Evonne would. He knew Evonne’s number because she had given him business cards for her real estate business to pass out to his clients.
“Jared!” Marci screamed.
Startled, Jared rushed out into the outer office. “What? What’s wrong?”
Marci was up on her knees on top of her desk pointing across the room. “There’s a mouse over there behind the water cooler!”
“A mouse! Damn, Marci, I thought someone had a gun on you or something.”
“It’s a mouse, Jared. Get it!” Marci couldn’t stop looking at the floor on either side of the cooler.
Jared would have loved to see how fast Marci had climbed up on the desk. She wasn’t exactly fat, but she wasn’t a small woman either. “Marci, get down. You’re messing up important papers.” He went to the cooler.
Distant Lover Page 7