We Both Cant Be Bae 3 (We Both Can't Be Bae)

by Twyla T

  “You saw her here?” Keith asked while raising his eyebrows.

  “Yep, right by the vending machines. She walked that way when she left,” Cameron said, pointing in the opposite direction than her mother’s room. Keith pulled out his phone and called her again, but he still didn’t get an answer. A call to Luke was placed next. He picked up after about four rings, sounding weary.

  “What’s going on man?” Keith asked him.

  “I done fucked around and got food poisoning. I ain’t hitting on shit at the moment,” Luke replied.

  “Word, where you at? I had to get outta pocket for a minute, but I can call the lil homie since you ain’t one hundred,” Keith said.

  “Yeah, call him man because I’m in the hospital, and they having to give me fluids and shit. I’m going straight home when I leave here,” Luke replied.

  “Bet. Get back straight, homie. I’ll holla at ya later,” Keith said before he ended the call.

  While Cameron and Keith were still talking, Mr. Edwards had found his way to Carla’s room after getting her room number from one of the nurses that was at the information desk. He saw a door cracked opened and a white doctor’s coat was on a chair. Grabbing the coat and slipping it on, Mr. Edwards continued on down the hall to his destination. It must have been his lucky day because when he rounded the corner, Mr. Miller was walking out of the room with a pitcher in his hand. Perfect timing. He must be going to get some ice or something, Mr. Edwards thought to himself. Carefully pushing the door open, he walked in slowly to find Carla resting peacefully. Walking up to the bed and gently touching her hand and speaking softly, she opened her eyes.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” Carla asked shocked, immediately recognizing him, even though she was heavily sedated.

  “Now, you know I had to come and check on you. I know we were supposed to end this thing, but I had to make sure you were alright. You know how I feel about you,” he answered while still holding her hand.

  “I think I’m going to be fine, but you don’t need to get caught here or I won’t be,” she said while trying to laugh a little, but each movement was a little painful.

  “I don’t need you thinking; I need you knowing. We’re gonna be friends no matter what,” he told her with sincerity. After talking for a few minutes, Mr. Edwards decided it was time to make his exit. He didn’t want to be caught in there, even with the doctor’s coat on. But, before he left, he asked Carla if she would make one last trip with him to Memphis weekend after next. She told him she would see what she could do, but more than likely, yes. Just as he was turning to leave, the door opened and in walked Mr. Miller.

  “Hello, you’re a different doctor. Is everything okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.

  “Yes, everything is just fine. I actually walked into the wrong room, but I still got a chance to hold this lovely lady’s hand and make sure she was okay. Y’all have a great day,” Mr. Edwards said as he walked out.

  When Mr. Edwards left her room, she started thinking back to how they had become so close. Being the charge nurse most definitely had its pros and cons. I had been in the field so long that I enjoyed being able to make my own schedule and being in charge, but on the flip side, whenever there was a problem, I was the one who everybody came to. We had been having problems with our computer system for quite some time and keeping up with technology was a must, so imagine having to write everything down and being responsible for inputting it into the system at a later date. It could be a major headache.

  The current IT guy was out on a family medical leave, so I had to call a new company. I wasn’t too thrilled about it, but I needed our software updated so that we could get back on track. After selecting a few companies, one man said that he could be there within an hour, so I scheduled for him to come on out. True to his word, he arrived an hour later. When he walked in, I introduced myself as Carla and immediately began running down the issues we were having. He told me his name was Stanley and assured me that he would take care of any and every issue that I was having. I slightly blushed at his flirtatious comment, but I got my act together quick.

  Three hours later, he was able to fix about seventy-five percent of the problems and told me he needed to order a part to finish the rest. Then, he gathered his things to leave. Stanley promised that he would be back in two days and everything would be running like new. Two days later, I thanked him for being a man of his word and for being great at his job. Stanley told me there was no need to thank him because the bill that we would be receiving was thanks enough. We both laughed and said goodbye.

  Three weeks later, Charles and I had been arguing so much to where I was putting myself on schedule to work and giving people days off that they requested and normally wouldn’t get. I was frustrated to the max with him forcing Cameron to marry this clown named Malcolm. Considering our history, I knew there was something that he wasn’t telling me and that infuriated me more. Who forces their child to marry a complete stranger on the strength of a coworker’s word that he was a good guy? He never would bend on the argument and it drove a wedge between us that was almost closed.

  One day after work, I decided to go somewhere that I hardly ever go, especially alone. I stopped by a local bar called the Dark Horse Tavern for a drink because I just wasn’t ready to go home and argue anymore. After being there for fifteen minutes, Stanley walked in.

  “Well, hello there Mr. Stanley. There aren’t any computers for you to fix in here,” I laughingly said. I was three drinks in already.

  “No, there aren’t, but remember I said I could help with ANY issues,” he said while winking his eye and smirking. “So, tell me something about yourself that you’ve never told anyone before,” Stanley said.

  While sipping on drink number four, I blurted everything out to Stanley in one single breath… I told him that “I was raising my niece as my daughter because my husband slept with my sister years ago, and she dropped the baby off with us and left her without looking back because my husband didn’t want to be with her.” The look on his face was one of pure utter shock. All he could say was WOW!! To ease the tension off of me, I asked him the same question in return. I wasn’t prepared for what he told me.

  Stanley said that “He found out that his wife put holes in all of his condoms with the intent on getting pregnant and having him marry her, and he never found out about her plans until two years after they were married. He said he felt like their whole marriage was based on a lie.”

  That night, we exchanged numbers and have kept in touch with each other ever since. It started out as us giving each other encouraging words. Eventually, it led me to taking a trip to Atlanta with him, where we finally crossed the line. As I was about to call Cameron, Stanley noticed her picture and started having a coughing fit. I asked him what was wrong and was he okay? After catching his breath, Stanley finally explained to me that Cameron was the young lady that was dating his son. We were both stunned! Cameron caught me one time, but she never saw who I was with. I threatened her so bad that she never bought it up again. Stanley and I have been each other’s go to person for comfort. We knew our relationship could eventually lead into something more difficult, but neither of us fought hard enough to stop it. What started as a simple conversation grew into a deep friendship that neither one of us really wants to let go of.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the hospital, Luke was finally being released a little earlier than they had anticipated and it made him feel better already. Being confined anywhere against his will always put him on edge and it was not a feeling that he liked at all. While the nurse was gathering his discharge papers, Phebe went outside to pull the car around to the front. Keith and Cameron had just walked down the opposite hall, so she missed seeing them, but she ran right into Mr. Edwards.

  “Hello, Phebe, what are you doing here?” he asked, scaring the shit out of her.

  Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Phebe stuttered and finally got an answer out. “Umm… I’m… umm…
here with my… my friend.” She was truly in an awkward position and needed to exit right away, so she hurriedly left without saying another word, not even goodbye. Mr. Edwards just shook his head and walked out behind her. Since his car was parked in the south zone, Mr. Edwards wouldn’t get a chance to see her pull around in Luke’s car. A car that he was very familiar with and had seen at his own house on several different occasions while he was visiting Keith.

  While Phebe had a few minutes to herself, she finally decided to call Keith back, but he didn’t answer. Calling again, the phone rang once and then went straight to voicemail. “Did this nigga just send me to voicemail?” Phebe said to herself, becoming pissed off. She didn’t think about the calls he had made to her that she ignored. “Fuck him,” she said and pulled the car around to the front. Luke was being pushed out in a wheelchair and you could tell by the scowl on his face that he wasn’t happy about it. Once he was situated in the car, they headed to his house, where Phebe catered to him for the rest of the day.

  Chapter 12

  “This shit can’t be happening. What in the fuck have I done with my life?” Charlotte asked herself Monday evening as she was lying across her bed with red puffy eyes and a headache out of the world. She had cried so much until she was certain there were no more tears left. She replayed this morning’s events in her head for the hundredth time after going to the doctor for her annual checkup. If it had not been for the reminder in her phone, she would have forgotten about it. “Congratulations Ms. Miller, you’re eight weeks pregnant,” the nurse had come back into the room and said.

  Charlotte was so stunned, she asked her, “What the fuck did you just say?” The nurse laughed it off because she was use to all types of different reactions from mothers to be.

  After hearing that news, to say she was confused and distraught would be an understatement. She laid there wondering how it was even possible for her to be pregnant. Yes, she knew she was having sex, but it was beyond that in her eyes. After having an abortion, Charlotte received news that led her to believe that she would never be able to have any kids. Even after looking at the sonogram with her name printed on it, with the date and gestation, she stopped by Wal-Mart and bought five more pregnancy tests, with each and every one of them came back positive. Charlotte could only cry and curse herself out for being so stupid.

  Drifting back to the weekend, Charlotte thought about the strange woman she met at Denny’s. It had taken everything in her to leave the house on Saturday morning, but she had to, no, needed to because looking at the walls was depressing. Why did I tell that stranger all of my business? It felt good to get it out, but what if everything I said comes back up one day? Charlotte thought to herself. Her ringing phone snapped her out of her thoughts. It was Crystal calling. She had called quite a few times, but Charlotte never answered her calls. The same went for Malcolm and everyone else who had called. She just didn’t want to be bothered. A total of fifty-three missed calls, twenty-one voicemails, and thirty-six text messages were highlighted on her screen.

  Once the phone finally stopped ringing, it started back right away. Finally picking the phone up, Charlotte answered with a voice devoid of emotions by saying, “Yes Crystal.”

  “Have you not been checking your messages? Your mom has been in the hospital since Saturday and just got out on today,” Crystal said.

  “What? What do you mean?” Charlotte asked, beginning to panic. “What’s wrong? What happened?” A fresh batch of tears sprang from her eyes. She immediately began regretting not answering her phone.

  “Well, I’m sure it’s stress she is dealing with because she threatened a heart attack. They only wanted to keep her overnight for observations, but they ended up keeping her two nights. You need to call and check on her,” Crystal told Charlotte. Sitting there stunned, Charlotte began to wonder what else was going to go wrong. “Are you still there?” Crystal asked, snapping Charlotte out of her reverie.

  “Yes, but I need to call and check on mom. Thanks for letting me know,” Charlotte replied barely above a whisper.

  ***************************************************

  Bertha had finally convinced Malcolm to forget about Cameron, for the moment anyway. Malcolm had to stay at the hospital until Monday morning. He almost showed his true side on Sunday night, but he caught himself and got it together real quick. He had actually made a little progress during therapy and discovered the roots to some of his anger. Being controlling had resulted from him being controlled and manipulated as a child. His need to control Cameron was deeply rooted and he was advised to stay away from her for a while. After hearing the notes from the sessions, Bertha was able to convince him to leave Cameron alone for the time being. Malcolm agreed because he wanted to do better.

  After calling Malcolm’s job for him and notifying them of a family emergency and requesting a few weeks off from work, Bertha picked up Malcolm and he was free. Bertha told Malcolm that she was about to book flights for the both of them back to Mississippi, but he informed her that he would drive back since his truck was there in North Carolina. Bertha had never even thought to ask about his truck and was glad she didn’t book the flights in advance. “So, where is your truck?” She asked him.

  “Well, I know where I left it, but I don’t know if it’s still there or not,” Malcolm said, beginning to talk in circles.

  “You need to call and find out. And remember, you must take your medication every day, okay? I know you don’t want to be locked up in a place like that forever,” Bertha said to her son.

  “I know, I’m gonna do right this time. I’ll drive,” Malcolm said while heading to the driver’s seat.

  After driving for about twenty-five minutes, Malcolm turned onto the street where he had left his truck. It wasn’t exactly where he left it, but he saw that it had been moved down pass Charlotte’s house in the curve. “Who lives over here? I have to use the restroom,” Bertha said.

  “I have to go in and get my keys, so it will be okay for you to come in,” Malcolm replied, not thinking it was necessary to say whose house it was. Not bothering to call Charlotte, Malcolm parked behind her car and him and Bertha got out and headed towards the front door. Ringing the doorbell back to back to back without an answer became frustrating, so Malcolm started beating on the door.

  Five minutes later, the door swung opened and Charlotte screamed, “HERE ARE YOUR FUCKING KEYS TO YOUR TRUCK! NOW LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE PLEASE!!” Malcolm knew she was upset since she wouldn’t talk to him when he called. He figured it was because he wasn’t even supposed to be at her house the day he got caught there.

  “My mom needs to use the restroom and then I will leave,” Malcolm pleaded. He was genuinely sorry for causing her any pain. When Bertha locked eyes with Charlotte, she dropped her purse on the ground and covered her mouth.

  “What’s wrong with you, mom?” Malcolm asked.

  “I really just need to use the restroom,” she replied.

  “Can my mom use the restroom please, Charlotte?” Malcolm asked her.

  “Umm sure, right that way. It’s the first door to the left down the hall,” Charlotte pointed and told Bertha. When Bertha made it to the bathroom, she didn’t know whether she was coming or going. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she tried to remain calm until she could ask some questions. After using the restroom and washing her hands, she noticed a garbage can full of pregnancy tests. With her curiosity getting the best of her, she picked one up and noticed that it was positive. It didn’t take long for her to notice that all of the tests were indeed positive.

  “Oh my goodness! Is she pregnant with Malcolm’s baby?” Bertha asked to herself.

  “Is everything okay in there Ms. Bertha?” Charlotte knocked and asked from the other side of the door. Bertha didn’t realize that she had been in there so long. She was in there thinking about what Malcolm’s life would be like if he and Charlotte got together, or if he would have met her first.

  “Yes, I’ll be right out,�
� she replied while turning the water on to act like she was washing her hands.

  “It’s not what you think,” Charlotte said, as soon as Bertha opened the door.

  “Don’t lie to me. I understand that we both thought we would never see each other again, but it really is a small world I see,” Bertha said. Charlotte just dropped her head. She stood there, refusing to shed anymore tears. She had talked to her mom and really wanted to go to Mississippi to see her, even though she told her making the trip wasn’t necessary. Charlotte had spilled her guts to Bertha and now she was embarrassed and just wanted them to leave. “So, are you going to tell Malcolm that you’re pregnant with his baby?” Bertha asked. Charlotte wanted to die right then and there because she realized Bertha must have looked in the trash can and saw all of the tests she had taken.

  Damn, why didn’t I just take the doctors word for it any damn way? Wasted money on all of those damn test, Charlotte thought to herself. “Please don’t say anything about this. I have way too much going on at the moment. I will deal with this at a later date,” Charlotte pleaded.

  “What y’all doing back there?” Malcolm yelled from the front of the house. Neither of them answered; they just stood there and stared at each other.

  “Don’t kill my grandbaby,” Bertha said and walked off. After getting his truck keys, Malcolm and Bertha quietly left with Charlotte standing in the doorway.