I swore my soul stood still as I watched my love turn around and walk away as we both drove off in two different cars and to different states.
That six-hour drive back to New Jersey had my mind thinking. My time in Virginia with Toni was short but great. We both were very happy and comfortable with everything. Yes, we were moving very fast, but it felt so right. I was still scared, but I convinced myself to really go and enjoy everything. I always overthought things, and sometimes my mind would bully my heart. But Toni seemed different and it felt real, especially since we didn’t have sex while together in Virginia. He respected me and said he didn’t want to rush me since I was still afraid that everything was moving so fast. He said he fell in love with my inner beauty and my mind not my body. This was a first for me because I personally focused so much on my outer beauty, and finally someone saw me and liked me for my inner beauty.
One-Hour Trip to New Jersey…
“Good morning, Ma,” I greeted my mother as I walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Jamie, what do you have planned for today?”
“I’m meeting Alan in a few hours to finally go house hunting. I think I’m going to focus on moving to New Jersey, because you get more house for your money there. Besides, because of my home in Georgia, I only qualified for one hundred sixty thousand dollars, so I would never find a decent home in a decent area in New York around that price.”
“Okay, that sounds like fun. Do you mind if I tag along?”
My parents have been separated or divorced (can’t keep up) for a while now, so I could tell my mother was lonely even though she would never admit it. I enjoyed hanging out with my mother, but living with her was slowly driving me crazy. She was a mom, so I wasn’t really used to checking in and checking out when I went to work or went out. I also felt like I was sneaking back into the house every night if I worked late or when I went out if it was late.
“Sure, I’m meeting Alan in Newark Penn Station at noon. So I’m leaving the house at eleven.” I said my departure time with hesitation, as my mother didn’t know time and she was always late for everything. My family ran on Trinidad People Time (TPT). I prided myself on being on time for everything. Everyone lied to my family about the time things started, but I always got the correct time because I would actually show up on time. “Seriously, Ma, it’s a one-hour trip to New Jersey on the train, so I really want to leave at eleven.”
“Okay, let me start getting dressed now,” my mother said, at eight a.m., which gave her three hours to get dressed, which was crazy, but my mother always took great pride in her appearance. My whole life I heard “your hair is your beauty” or “always take pride in your appearance and dress nice because you never know who will see you.”
I was very proud of my mother, as she beat me getting dressed and was sitting down in the living room at 10:30 a.m., patiently waiting for me to get dressed. We ended up leaving the house at 10:45, which was perfect because I totally underestimated the train ride to New Jersey. We had to take the J train to Broadway Nassau and walk to the Path Train, which was down at the World Trade Center stop. It was still so airy to be down by the World Trade Center after 9-11. It was very peaceful even with all of the construction going on.
We made it to Newark Penn Station right on time, and Alan was waiting outside the station for us. I guess I forgot to mention my mother would be joining us because Alan was shocked to see me bring a guest.
“Good afternoon, Jamie, welcome to New Jersey,” Alan said, as if this was my first time in New Jersey.
“Thanks, Alan, this is my mother, Kathy.”
“Good afternoon,” Alan said as he shook my mother’s hand.
The afternoon started off slow as Alan kept on showing me condos, but I had so much furniture I really wanted to see a single-family home. I also wanted to stay in Jersey City, but my budget kept us looking for homes in Newark. We found a few nice homes, but nothing jumped out at me. Alan and I had to set up another day of house hunting, but my mother asked for Alan’s business card.
Next thing I knew, the whole way back to Brooklyn my mother was talking about how much she liked New Jersey and how much more house she could get for the money. She was right, so I agreed with everything she had to say.
Three days later I got a call from Alan trying to set up another day to view houses, and he asked if my mother would be joining us. I was surprised he asked me, but then again I had been so busy with this commercial I was working on I hadn’t been around to talk to my mother about joining me again, so I told him I would get back to him on that question.
Little did I know my mother didn’t just want to join me on the house hunting, she also wanted to find her own home in New Jersey. My mother had been speaking to Alan and got approved for a house on her own in New Jersey. Naturally her budget was almost three times mine, so she had more options.
It took my mother about three weeks to find a home in Newark, and I finally ended up settling for a single-family home in Newark less than a week after, and it ended up being less than ten minutes away from my mother. I was happy my mother found a home but even happier to close on my new home so I could finally move out of my mother’s house.
You Can’t Change the Flight or the Closing…
“I am so happy; finally my new house in New Jersey is closing in less than a week, five days, to be precise,” I said to Toni over the phone.
“I’m so glad to hear that. This has been long-awaited news.”
“Tell me about it. I swear, if my loan officer calls me for one more copy of something, I’m going to kill him.”
“I hear you. Well, at least you can finally get your stuff out of storage and move out of your mother’s house.”
“Preach, I can’t wait to leave. I mean, I love my mother to death, but she’s driving me crazy. My love for my family is stronger from a distance.”
“That’s not nice to say,” Toni said, laughing.
“Toni, come on. Can you imagine going back home and living with your parents for almost four months? It feels more like three years.”
“You crazy. So your house closes on Tuesday?”
“Yes, Tuesday, July 6. I’m counting down the days.”
“Don’t you have a business trip on the same day?”
“Yeah.”
“So when are you going to move into the new house? When are you going to unpack and get settled?” Toni said, sounding very concerned.
“Welcome to the Jamie Reynolds chronicles. Trust me, everything will get done before my flight leaves.”
“You won’t even get to enjoy your new house.”
“No, but it’s cool, because at the end of the day, I have a place to lay my head when I get back.”
“I’m going to miss you. Where are you going again?”
“I’m going to Boston.” I hated lying to Toni, but I didn’t want to spoil my little surprise for him.
“You talk as if you don’t miss me now. You forget we still live in two different states.”
“How can I forget that?”
“Well, babe, sorry to cut the conversation short, but I have to make some phone calls before the day is done.”
“Okay, JR, I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Ditto.”
After I hung up the phone, I felt a little bit guilty about lying to Toni. I figured it was a good lie because he was going to like the outcome. I mean, it wasn’t a total lie, I did have calls to make.
Ring, ring.
“Damn, Angela, you must have been reading my mind; I was just about to call you.”
“Hey, girl, what’s up?”
“Nothing, I just got off the phone with Toni.”
“So, do I get to meet this Toni guy, or what, next week?”
“Yes, girl, you get to finally meet him. I am so excited.”
“And he still don’t know you’re surprising him on Tuesday?”
“No, girl, he is clueless and thinks I’m flying to Boston on a business t
rip. There is so much going on that day. Good thing my flight is at nine p.m. I just found out my house is finally closing on the same day.”
“Damn, you are going to be busy. But congrats. You can’t change the flight or the closing?”
“Hell no, I am not changing the flight, I booked that flight three weeks ago, and I am afraid to change the closing day because it took them over two months to set a date. Every time they settled on a date something came up and we ended up pushing the closing date back. We changed the closing three times already. Since I moved and my job is considered freelance, the banks were having a paperwork party and I was the guest of honor. But I’ll manage.”
“Oh, girl, a paperwork party? Please don’t say that phrase again.”
“What, you don’t like?”
“No, I don’t like. What is New York doing to you?”
“You crazy, girl, but not a damn thing. Anyway, let me go. I guess I can check you off my ATL list of people to call.”
“Alright, cool. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Angela.”
I spent the rest of the night calling everyone I cared about, and told them I was coming into town for a few days. It would be cool to see everyone. I hadn’t seen my friends in over four months.
“Should I call David and tell him I’m coming into town? Nah, I don’t need to see him, what for? I have more important people to see in Atlanta. I’ll call my brother T.”
“Hey, Terry, what’s up?”
“Oh, yo.”
“Please don’t sound so excited to talk to me,” I said to Terry, trying to sound sarcastic.
“No, man, I thought it was someone else calling me.”
“Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better.”
“Come on, J, I just got a new phone and I didn’t get a chance to add any numbers into it.”
“Oh, a new phone, what kind did you get?”
“This phone is hot. You can talk on it, text people, and even go on the Internet.”
“Ha, ha, your sarcasm is not funny.”
“You asked what kind of phone it was, I was just answering your question.”
“Okay, that’s enough. I was calling you to tell you some exciting news.”
“You giving me a million dollars?”
“Hell no, I ain’t giving you a million dollars. If I got a million dollars, you can be a part of my entourage and watch me spend my money.”
“Okay, J, now you got jokes. What’s your news?”
“I’m coming to town in a few days.”
“Okay, I’ll call the mayor of Atlanta and tell her you’re coming into town. Hopefully she can gather enough police officers to secure the area. I’ll also call the local papers and radio station and let them know you’re coming back into town. It’s going to be All Star weekend all over again.”
“Funny, funny.”
“I’m serious, you know you’re bigger than the president, and to tell you the truth, I don’t think the ATL can handle such a big celebrity in town.”
“Good-bye, T. I’ll see you in a few days. Love ya.”
“Alright, J, I will holla at you later.”
Then the phone just went dead. Damn, after what went down at his birthday party, I guess he’d never say I love you back like he used to. Our relationship wasn’t one hundred percent the same, but I was just happy to have one of my bests friends back. I felt a little guilty because I never really addressed his true feelings for me and I never even thought about how he was feeling about all of this, but I had enough on my plate and Terry was a big boy, so I moved on.
Damn, Seven Hours, I Got to Go…
Ring, ring. “Hey, honey. How’s everything going?”
“Hey, babe, everything’s cool. I have a very busy day today.”
“Have you signed the paperwork on the house yet?”
“No, not yet, but I’m heading to the bank to take out the rest of my savings to give to the lawyer. This house and the moving from another state tapped me out. I hate not having any extra money in the bank. I have to be on my grind these next few months, putting my finances back in order.”
“I hate to see you on your grind. You would think you’re on your grind right now.”
“Tell me about it. Well, babe, I hate to rush you off the phone, but I just pulled up to the bank.”
“Say no more. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Ditto,” I said, hanging up the phone, feeling both guilty and happy about the rest of my day. “He’ll be happy to see me when it’s all said and done.”
***
“Okay, Jamie, you sign here, and, Mary, you sign here,” my lawyer James said as I finally signed my second home’s paperwork.
“Mary, it was a pleasure finally meeting you,” I said, standing up to shake the seller’s hand as she handed over the key.
“You enjoy the house.”
“Well, Mary and James, I hate to run off, but I have a flight to catch and my moving truck is waiting outside the house, waiting to throw my things into it.”
Everyone laughed as I quickly walked out the door.
“Hey, babe. I finally got the keys,” I said, standing in the parking lot on the phone with Toni.
“I am so glad for you. I wish I was there to help you both celebrate and move.”
“I wish you was here too, it’s cool. Hey, Toni, I hate to rush you off the phone, but I got to go. I have the moving guys at the house, waiting on me. When my day is all over, we can talk. Love you, got to go.”
“Ditto,” Toni said to the dead end of the phone.
I hated to rush him off the phone, but I got to go and make moves, my flight was leaving—I paused to look at my watch. “Damn, seven hours, I got to go,” I said to myself as I pulled out of the driveway like a madwoman.
***
“Hey, Ron and Mike, sorry I’m a little late. You guys can start off-loading the truck now. Just drop everything into the living room except the bedroom set,” I demanded as the guys began opening the truck.
Ring, ring. “Who the hell is this?” I said to myself as I began to follow the sound of my cell phone ringing into my new kitchen.
“Hello,” I said very harshly.
“Well, good afternoon, Jamie.”
“Oh, hello, Mrs. Reynolds.”
“You don’t sound excited to talk to your mother.”
“Mom, I’ve been so busy these past few days. I swear, I have never heard of a house closing as crazy as ours. I was just ready to get out of that hotel.”
“Well, thank god it’s all over and we can now get settled in. I agree, I felt so displaced these last few days.”
“Ron and Mike are at the house now, moving myself in, or should I say throwing myself in.”
“You’re always in a rush; you need to slow yourself down.”
“I know, Ma, but remember, I have a flight to catch in”—I paused to look at my watch—“five hours. Ma, I hate to rush you off the phone, but I have to go. I’ll stop by and see your house when I get back in town next week, promise.”
“Oh, by the way, Alan mapquested the distance from your house to my new house. It’s only four point four miles away.”
“That’s good, Ma, I’ll call you later.”
That’s good, what am I saying? I was going to lose my mind living so close to my mother. I loved her and all, but from a distance. I thought I was going to lose my mind those four months at my mother’s house in Brooklyn. I was a little happy both of our houses took an extra few days to close after the initial closing date. But I felt bad that she had already rented the house in Brooklyn out and none of us had a place to live for five days. I had to check myself into a hotel and she had to stay at her brother’s house for those days, but I needed my space. I loved hotels, as I felt like it was a mini vacation. Thank goodness the tenant in my rental property in Stone Mountain was great and paid her rent every month on time, as I really needed that extra money during this whole process.
The sound of a fall
ing box broke me out of my daydream, or more like a day-nightmare.
“Hey, Ron, is everything okay?”
“Everything’s cool. We’re almost done.”
“Damn, I love you guys. I’ll throw an extra tip on your bill before you guys leave.”
“JR, you don’t have to. We move your mother in tomorrow. Your many referrals are all we need.”
“Thanks, Ron, I hate to rush you out, but I have to jump in the shower and head out.”
***
“Damn, I’m pushing it,” I said to myself as I pushed almost ninety miles per hour to get to the airport on time. But I decided to make some last minute calls before I caught my plane.
First I called my mom and left her a message since her phone went straight to voicemail. “Hey, Ma, the car is parked at the airport in row J, as in Jack, 13. The ticket and twenty dollars are in the glove compartment. That should be more than enough to cover the parking. Thanks again for picking up my car at the airport. Have fun moving tomorrow. I’ll call you later.”
Then I called Toni. “Hey, babe, what’s up?”
“Hey, I was getting worried about you. I know you had a crazy day, so I didn’t want to bother you.’
“You wouldn’t be bothering me if you called. You know I love to hear from you.”
“So are you all moved in?”
I had to think for a second and remind myself of the big mess I left at the house. I had a crap load of unpacking to do when I got back into town.
“Pretty much,” I said, lying my ass off. “My phone is almost dead and I have to locate my chargers. So I might have to call you again later tonight, when I get settled and my phone is fully charged.” Again lying through my ass.
“Okay, babe, have fun. Don’t work too hard.”
Lust and Lies (The Jamie Reynolds Chronicles #1) Page 9