Guilty By Association

by Pat Simmons

  “How did he do?” Kidd smirked.

  “His best was downing four malts. Only thirty folks have done it in almost one hundred years. Want to give it a try?” she teased.

  “Woman, not even to impress you, am I that crazy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  On Sunday, Kidd bowed out of going to church. “This old man needs some rest.” He telephoned Eva early that morning. She laughed. “You said it, not me, but I understand.” Her muscles were still sore too. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Disappointed?”

  “Not really.” And she wasn’t. His commitment was to God, not her. “But I’d better get up now, so I can be there on time.”

  “I know something must be aching on that pretty body of yours. I can’t believe you can still move.”

  “Believe me, I’m sore, but I learned a long time ago that, when it comes to God, if I don’t stay on a ‘praying, church-going, and fasting’ schedule, it’s easier to get offtrack than to get back on.”

  They chatted a few more minutes before she hurried off the phone. After church, Eva enjoyed dinner at her parents’ home. It was a good thing he wasn’t with her because every other word at the table was about Kidd. When Eva expressed her concern about Kidd’s salvation progress, both her parents counseled her to be prayerful and patient.

  The following week proved to be chaotic at the facility. Kidd was busy putting out fires involving residents’ complaints. When a couple of staff members called in sick, Eva was called upon to work extra hours. Although their bench getaways were few, they did enjoy the short and sweet texts that bounced between them.

  When the weekend arrived, it was the first time they hadn’t made any plans. Eva was looking forward to a lazy Saturday at home when Dawn called.

  “What do you and Mr. Fine have going on today?”

  “After last weekend and the rough week I just had? Humph, I have nothing planned. No, I take that back. My plan is to do absolutely nothing,” she answered, saluting an invisible partner and then taking a sip of her freshly mixed limeade. Minutes earlier, she’d put together a cheese ball, cut up a few veggies, and grabbed some crackers.

  Eva eyed her hideaway. The balcony was the perk that sold her on the condo. All morning, it had enticed her to come out and lounge. The birds were on standby, waiting to perform a musical extravaganza. The sun was cued to bathe her in its warmth, while the tree branches were poised to stir a soft breeze.

  “What? You and Kidd aren’t attached at the hip today?” Dawn teased.

  “As a matter of fact, we both decided to relax.” Eva grabbed her plate of goodies and headed toward the sliding door.

  “Well, if your man told you to rest, then enjoy your day.” She chuckled. “See you on Monday.” They disconnected.

  Eva didn’t mind embracing boredom, laziness, and bumming around on a Saturday. She welcomed the downtime after recently enduring another hard semester and fulfilling her yearly pledge with Habitat for Humanity. It was normal for her body to take some time to rebound after a home-building marathon. The previous weekend’s back-breaking tasks seemed especially exhausting.

  She guessed there was some advantage of working with the man she dated. Eva had just seen Kidd the previous day. And although she had no complaints concerning his attentiveness or attention, she yearned for his closer walk with God. That was the only way to expel his demons and get him on the right track.

  The phone rang again just as she turned back to retrieve her glass of limeade. This time Angela’s number popped up. “Hey, there are several Juneteenth celebrations going on throughout the city today and tomorrow. Downtown seems to have the biggest one at the Old Courtroom and the Scott Joplin House. I figured you and Kidd would want to go.”

  Priding herself on keeping abreast of cultural events in St. Louis, Eva couldn’t believe she had overlooked the day that grass-root groups across the nation set aside so that no one would forget the dark past of American history.

  “Just think, before long, we’ll commemorate the 150th year after the last group of African Americans were freed from slavery,” Angela reminded her.

  Stepping outside, Eva situated her treats on the glass tabletop. With the cordless still squeezed between her ear and shoulder, she closed the screen door and settled in her wicker recliner. Eva blessed her snack with a quick prayer and nodded in silent agreement with her sister. She then shoved a cracker, topped with plenty of dip, in her mouth, without bothering to smother the crunch in her sister’s ear.

  “Then, if we add in the Jim Crow laws after that—up until the Civil Rights Era—Blacks have barely enjoyed true freedom for fifty years,” Angela rambled on. “We’ve still got a long way to go.”

  “Hmmm, you’re right about that. But we won’t be going today. Maybe I can get Kidd to go with me after church tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow? The good stuff happens today,” Angela whined. Still, she failed to convince Eva to reconsider before they disconnected.

  In the past, Angela would have never let Eva get away with turning down her invitation to go somewhere with her and Lance. She seemed to have only backed down since Kidd entered Eva’s life.

  Most folks assumed that single women liked to stay busy because it would keep their minds off of their singleness. Eva disagreed with that philosophy. She considered singleness as a season to enjoy like all of God’s other seasons.

  Finishing her snack, she headed back inside for seconds. Anything mixed with cream cheese was her weakness. Kidd found that out from her obsession with crab rangoon.

  Eva huffed when the phone rang—again. It seemed like the whole world knew her whereabouts. Checking the call ID, she was quickly becoming annoyed. A day of rest was supposed to be just that, a day to rest. She should have disconnected the phone.

  “Yes, Dawn?”

  “Put your day of rest on hold, girlfriend,” Dawn said excitedly. “The Kappas and Omegas are playing in a fraternity softball tournament to benefit the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs scholarship fund. You know, it’s all about the children.”

  Eva twisted her mouth. “Right, children this weekend and another worthy cause the next. Aren’t you still sore from last weekend’s house project?”

  “Nope. Since I hooked you up with Kidd, the least—”

  Eva lifted her hand in the air, as if Dawn were standing in front of her. “I met Kidd at work. How are you crediting yourself with the hookup?”

  “Humph! I kept the other females in check and their claws away from Kidd. I think that makes me an accessory to prevent the perfect crime of snagging someone. After he didn’t seem interested in me, which is unusual I might add, I watched him. Without interfering, I knew it was just a matter of time before you realized the man was interested in you—credit taken.” Dawn created her own sound effects to indicate she had scored a point. “I don’t think Kidd would mind if you go.”

  “I’ll pass, Dawn. Stop calling me—” Before she could hang up, Eva’s phone beeped and she groaned. When Kidd’s number showed up on the caller ID, she smiled. Her tone instantly changed. “Got to go! Bye.

  “Hello?”

  “Am I disturbing your rest?”

  Eva grabbed her plate and walked back out to the patio. “You?—never. Dawn and my sister—most definitely. That was Dawn calling for the second time, wanting me to go to a charity event with her today.”

  “Another one? When does the woman sleep?”

  “Probably on the job. Just teasing.” But Eva did wonder. “Plus, Angela invited me to a Juneteenth celebration downtown, but—”

  “That’s why I was calling. My cousin was trying to talk me into the same event. He makes it sound like an exhibit not to be missed. If you want to go for a little while, we can, or if you’d rather stay in, I won’t be upset. We could cook something together and sit at your table for two.”

  Her heart warmed at how easily their relationship seemed to be developing. Eva looked at her dip, limeade, and the birds perched in
the trees outside her balcony.

  “What time will you pick me up?”

  Chapter Thirty

  Kidd didn’t offer Eva a verbal greeting when she opened her door a few hours later. He swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her closer. Then he hugged her as if they hadn’t seen each other in years instead of the previous day at work.

  He kissed her until he gasped for air.

  “You do that to me.”

  She reached up and wiped her lipstick off his lips, while he kissed the tips of her fingers in the process. Once Eva gathered up her purse and keys, she locked the door behind her. Kidd escorted her to the car. Along the way, he relished the moment to admire her figure and enjoy the breeze that stirred up her perfume and the hem of her sundress.

  With their seat belts fastened, Kidd lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He didn’t let go as he drove off. “You’ll meet my cousins down there. You know, the other women. Thank you for trusting me on that.” He watched the sun rays play in her hair. She looked so dainty in a sundress and comfortable-looking sandals that showcased her beautiful feet. Red polish on her toes—he loved it!

  Gritting her teeth, Eva turned away and looked out the window. “Yeah, the ‘other woman’ thing; it was a defining moment. I wanted to trust you with my heart, but the woman in me wanted their numbers. Put yourself in my shoes, what would you have done? Hmmm?”

  “Me? I would have confronted you and then taken care of the competition,” Kidd said. It was a no-brainer to him. Checking his rearview mirror, he exited on I-270 and headed west to I-70 downtown.

  “Right. Sounds good on paper, but from my point of view, I was afraid you would lie to me.”

  Their banter was light until Kidd finally said, “Baby, I see your point, but like I told you, I’m true to myself. My philandering father is not my role model.” Soon he was going to have to explain to her what he meant by that.

  The drive downtown was less than a half hour away. Kidd got off on Memorial Drive and parked on a side street. Hand in hand, they mingled within the crowd and strolled toward Keiner Plaza.

  The entertainment was already under way. A reenactment of Major General Gordon Granger leading the Colored Troops as they arrived in Galveston captured their attention. The actors were outfitted in authentic Civil War uniforms and appeared to take their roles seriously. Opening a rolled parchment, the man portraying the major read aloud Executive Order 3:

  “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

  The words enraged Kidd. “It took a law to free enslaved people.” He twisted his mouth in disgust. It was a good thing that textbooks withheld a lot of the truth when he was in school. At the time, Kidd doubted whether he could restrain himself from retaliating against anyone who appeared to be White.

  I fulfilled the law and you now live under My grace, God spoke swiftly.

  Kidd frowned. But what about the past? he questioned God. Black people were captured and enslaved. Fast-forward a hundred years, and they were still oppressed. Kidd just didn’t see a correlation between God and His benefits for Black people.

  The enslaved actors shouted in jubilation; most ran into the audience as a route of escape. A few others stayed behind, wide-eyed and bewildered about what it meant to be free. Kidd became disgusted with their seeming stupidity.

  Without knowledge, My people perish. God revisited Kidd.

  Frustrated, Kidd didn’t know if he could ever make sense of God’s cryptic messages.

  “Cousin Uncle! Cousin Uncle!” Kami yelled from a distance. Excited to see Kidd, she broke away from her family and raced toward him. Crashing into him, she hugged him tight around the waist. The look of contentment on her face was touching until she glanced at Eva. Still clinging to Kidd, Kami shot Eva a suspicious glare.

  Kidd lifted Kami off her feet and smacked a noisy kiss on her cheek. It only took a minute for him to remember what Cheney had said, when he noticed Kami hadn’t taken her eyes off Eva. He took his time and placed her back on the ground.

  “This is Miss Savoy.” Kidd was on guard, prepared to react to whatever Kami might have up her sleeve. “And this is Kami, my little cousin.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Eva said, as she bent to Kami’s eye level.

  “Are you my cousin uncle’s girlfriend?”

  “Yes, she is,” Kidd answered for Eva.

  “Oh.” She twisted her lips, thinking. “Well, I’m his favorite girl because I got flowers. If you’re his girlfriend, then he’ll give you flowers.”

  “I’m glad I got flowers without being his sweetheart.” Imani added her two cents when she strolled up behind the Jamiesons.

  “That’s enough, motormouth,” Kidd ordered and playfully pulled on Kami’s ponytail. After hearing Cheney mention that Imani had been through a rough marriage, Kidd toned down his retorts to her instigating remarks. He even went a step further when he included her as one of his recipients of flowers for Mother’s Day. Kidd understood all too well about hardships.

  “You can be his girlfriend because you’re pretty,” Kami told Eva.

  “Well, thank you. I’m glad she meets your approval.” Kidd chuckled, watching Eva blush.

  “Hmmm.” Kami shook her head animatedly. “Grandma BB says I should always tell it like it is, and I’m telling it like it is,” Kami said in a grownup tone and attitude to go with it.

  Eva’s eyes sparkled. “I know your Grandma BB. She’s a funny lady.”

  “And a strange one too,” Kidd mumbled. Eva cut her eyes at him.

  “I miss my grandma. I’ll be glad when she comes home,” Kami said, pouting.

  “We will too,” Parke said, speaking for the first time. He seemed impatient, waiting for an introduction.

  “Eva, I want you to meet my cousins, Parke Jamieson and his wife, Cheney.”

  “Hello.”

  Cheney reached out and hugged Eva. Next, Hallison introduced herself and gave Eva a hug. Almost immediately, the women broke off into a personal discussion.

  “Eva, it’s nice to meet you. If you ever want to know something about a Jamieson man, my sister-in-law and I can fill you in.” Cheney laughed.

  “Thanks.” Eva smiled politely, not sure how to respond to Cheney. Changing the subject, she added, “You look familiar. What church do you attend?”

  “Faith Miracle Church on Highway 67.”

  “My church fellowshipped with yours …”

  Oh no. There’ll be no church talk on my time, he thought to himself. Kidd wasn’t about to be pushed to the sidelines. “Okay ladies, I would like to spend time with my date.”

  “Oh, sure. Not a problem. We’ll exchange numbers,” Hallison said, as the three started digging in their purses for their cell phones.

  Parke shrugged. “Get used to it, man. I did. When women want to get together, we can’t stop them.”

  Kidd unfortunately had to wait while Eva tapped the numbers into her phone. Then he finished the rest of the introductions.

  “These are their other brats: Pace, the oldest, and Paden, the baby. That’s a mouthful.” Kidd turned. “And this is Malcolm, Parke’s brother and Hali’s husband, and their little boy, MJ.” He tilted his head. “And somehow Imani Segall is part of the family. She’s also Mrs. Beacon’s neighbor.”

  “Watch it. My number of repossessions is down for the month,” Imani warned through a pasted smile. Imani never joked about her job.

  “We’re getting ready to explore the music venues, want to join us?” Parke invited them.

  “We left home in separate cars for a reason,” Kidd reminded his cousin, then looping Eva’s arm through his, he proceeded to walk away. “Thanks, but we can do our own exploring.”

  “They seem nice.
So those are your other women, huh? They’re beautiful.” She shoved him playfully. “The similarities between Parke and his brother are striking. You all have some good genes.”

  “But I’m the best looking.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me. They don’t seem manipulative to me.” She elbowed him. “That’s nice of them to invite you into their home. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the family bonding.”

  “Not at all when I first arrived … and even still, sometimes. I was ready to move back home until they talked me into the Garden Chateau gig. You stole my heart the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re like a sweet fruit that I want in my lunch box every day.”

  When her eyes misted, Kidd reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad you decided to stay. So,” she took a deep breath, “how are you all related to each other? Brothers’ sons?”

  “Nope. It’s a long story,” Kidd replied. He wondered when it would be a good time to release the fire from the dragon demon within him. It surfaced whenever he thought about Samuel Jamieson.

  Eva pressed him. “Think of it as feeding me nourishment, a little at a time. We can take small steps, and you can tell me the whole story over time.” She gave him a smile that made him want to release a floodgate of his life’s history.

  Holding his head back, he closed his eyes and counted to three. Kidd didn’t want Eva to witness his rage. “I already told you my parents weren’t together. I left out the fact that they were never married. I usually omit that tidbit, not wanting to bring judgment on my mother, who is as sweet as pie. I hate him for that. I can’t help it. I grew up with a little boy’s memory of his absent father. Although I had friends without fathers in their lives, I wanted a father in my home like some of the other boys I knew. When I later learned that Samuel Jamieson had two other families and us—his illegitimate children—I hated him even more.”

  She gasped. Shaking her head, Eva yanked her hand from his and covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”