by Heart, Skye
“C’mon mom, let’s go. We’re going to be late.” I heard my daughter say. Reluctantly, I grabbed my purse, and followed her out the door.
~STARR~
“Oh!” Naima cried, holding onto her stomach.
“You okay, mamma?” I asked, alarmed.
“Yeah, Braxton Hicks, that’s all. I have been having them all week. I’m all right, though. Go. Have fun.” She said to me.
“Are you sure honey, because I can stay if you need me? I’ll just call Eric, and cancel.” I already had my cell out, ready to place the call.
“No! Go!” Naima shouted, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I’m not due for a couple weeks, so go. You need to get this over with, so stop stalling and go.” She urged, shooing me towards the door. I studied her for a minute, unsure if I should leave, with her condition. With Naima’s due date looming, I had already cancelled several dates with Eric, to stay with her, just in case she went into labor. However, the real reason why I was considering cancelling this particular time was that, Eric and I, were going to have ‘The Talk,’ about our future together. We had tried talking on several occasions before, and failed miserably. Our over stimulated libidos kept taking over, but this time we agreed to have dinner at a restaurant, and just talk.
“All right,” I said reluctantly. “But call me,” I said, waving my cell phone in the air. “If you need me okay, and I’ll be back in a New York minute, all right?” I assured her.
“Gotcha. Now go.” She said, waddling to the couch, and then easing down on it slowly. I eyed her one last time, before leaving.
~TONY~
I heard the doorbell ring, and went to the door. My heart quickened, because I knew who it was. Looking through the peephole, I paused for a second, before opening the door.
“Hey. Come in.” I stepped aside to let Nena in. “Want something to drink?” I said, walking past her, and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed myself a beverage.
“No thanks.” She said, still standing. Then, Nena eventually followed me towards the kitchen, and took a seat at the dining room table. She briefly scanned the room, and seemed nervous. I joined her at the table with a cold bottle of beer, and took a long swig, watching her. She picked at her cuticles, and that is when I noticed it.
“Nice ring.” I said, taking another gulp of beer.
“Oh. Thanks.” She replied, removing her hands from the table. I placed the bottle back on the table, and crossed my arms looking at her. The person sitting across from me was in fact my wife, but she was now a stranger to me. Painstakingly, I realized that I never really knew her at all. She avoided my stare, so I got straight to the point.
“The reason I asked you here was to give you this.” I said pushing back from the table. I got up, went into my bedroom, and then soon returned with some papers. She took them from me, and read what she already knew were divorce papers; papers that I had already signed. Then, her eyes glistened, with what appeared to be tears.
“Tony, I,” she began to say, and then I raised my hand to stop her.
“Don’t,” I said, “it is what it is.” I remained standing, and she rose too.
“Can we at least be…?” She started to say again.
“What?” I said looking at her sideways. I know she did not just try to say, what I thought she was about to. “Friends?” I questioned. “You can’t be fucking serious.” I shook my head, wanting to smack her again, just for saying some stupid shit like that.
“I just don’t want to end it like this.” She said softly. I shook my head at her again. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to hold her, and I wanted to kill her. I wanted to hit something, someone. So many emotions were running through me. I was angry, and I was pissed, but I was mostly hurt. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry.” She said teary eyed.
“No you’re not.” I said, scowling at her. She started to object, but I continued. “You may think you are, but you’re not.” I said sternly. “If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have fucked him again, behind my back! Then, you moved in with him, and now you got a goddamn ring on your finger! So, what? You’re going to marry him now? Is that it?” I yelled, hating the fact that my jealousy was even a factor. She hung her head in shame, and I hoped my words made her feel every bit of the contempt, I now had for her.
When she said nothing, I continued. “You really think you can have a future with someone like that? He is grimy as hell Nena! You have no fucking idea! Look at what he did to me… to us! I have known him my whole fucking life, and I never would have thought, he could conspire some shit like that, to take you away from me! And now, you can stand there, and honestly say that you trust his scheming ass enough to marry him?” Tears now streamed down her face. Good, I thought. I wanted to hurt her just as she hurt me. Then she blinked several times.
“Wait. What are you talking about? What do you mean conspire? There is no conspiracy here, Tony! We didn’t plan this!” She said in his defense.
“Humph. You didn’t, but I sure as hell know for a fact, he did.” I said, wanting to whoop Chris’ ass again.
“What are you talking about?” Nena asked again.
“Why don’t you go home to your fiancée, and ask him.” I said, disgusted at the thought of Chris marrying, what I thought was, the love of my life.
“What do you mean, you know for a fact?” She asked, ignoring my snide remark. I paused before speaking, and then I looked at her, shaking my head again. “Would you stop that, and talk to me!” She screamed.
“Alana told me everything. About how Chris used her to get to me, so he could get to you.” I finally unveiled.
“Alana? Who’s Alana?” She asked confused.
“She’s the bitch I started fucking, after I realized you were still sleeping with that motherfucker!” I did not give a damn about her feelings anymore, and I could tell that my response unnerved her.
“You’re not making any sense.” She said, shaking her head.
“Funny. I can say the same about your behavior this past year.” I retorted. Then she looked down, and seemed to think for a moment. A few minutes passed, and finally, she appeared to begin to put the pieces together.
“What do you mean Chris used her?” She asked, looking up at me. I guessed she now figured out who Alana was.
“He was hoping that she would seduce me, and get it on tape, which would piss you off enough, to go running straight to him. Humph, and you did.” I chuckled at the irony of it all.
“No,” Nena said, shaking her head at me. “There’s no way. Chris wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. He loves me!” She said, in complete denial.
“Yeah, he loves you enough, to do just about anything to be with you.” I said. Then I shook my head at her. “Think about it Nena! You’re smarter than that! Alana told me about the time she saw you two at the coffee shop. How did Chris seem to you when he saw her, huh?” She opened her mouth, but stopped, and thought about it again. I watched her face, as the realization slowly came to her, piece by piece. Then, what appeared to be horror, clouded her face.
“He never seemed to care about what would happen if you ever found out about us.” She said to herself.
“That’s because he was counting on it.” I told her. Then I watched, as tears filled her eyes again, and I hated myself for wanting to hold her. Why I could not completely rid myself of the feelings I still had for her, was beyond me. I must be crazy to continue loving a woman, who had done what Nena did to me.
“I have to go.” She said, grabbing her purse, and then leaving the divorce papers behind, unsigned. Within seconds, she was out the door.
40
~STARR~
I had a huge smile on my face as I entered the penthouse, wondering what Eric had in store for me this time. I dropped my purse and keys, at the coffee table in the living room, and headed for the bedroom.
“Babe?” I said, pushing the door open to the dimly lit room. Suddenly, the lights clicked on, and I gasped.
“Hello, Starr.” A woman said, rising from the chair, in the corner of the room. Slowly, she crossed the room, and went over to the window. Then, she moved the curtain aside, and looked down at the view below. Although we have never met, somehow I had an idea, as to who she was. I looked her over, and noticed that she seriously needed a stylist. Everything from her beige, oversized cardigan, to the stonewashed jeans she wore, was all wrong. Not to mention, her hair was a hot ass mess. This must be what loving a man, more than he loved you, did to a woman. Watching the frail looking woman, and how she appeared to be much older than what she probably was, made me feel sorry for her. “My husband sure must love you, to have put your name, on this beautiful penthouse suite.” She finally said. I watched, as she fingered the gold-laced drapes, and then shook her head. “This place must have cost him a small fortune.” She said to herself. Then, in a huff, she turned, and glare at me.
“How the hell did you get in here?” I demanded. I was not about to let Eric’s wife intimidate me. Then, her lips curved into a slight smile, and my guards were way up.
“Same way you did.” She said with a chuckle, narrowing her eyes at me.
“What do you want?” I asked, with my eyes following her every move. I had no idea what this woman’s plan was, or what she was capable of doing.
“Humph, what do I want?” She questioned, looking at me as if I should already know. “How about my husband!” She hissed, and then shook her head at me. “How dare you stand there, draped in your expensive jewelry, which my husband bought with our money and act like I’m invading your space?” She said angrily.
“Like you said, he bought it for me. My name is on the deed, so therefore it is my space, which means you are trespassing!” I countered. This bitch needed to go. Then, she gave me that creepy laugh again.
“You whores can’t find a man of your own, so you have to take somebody else’s? How pathetic!” She sneered, shaking her head at me again. Insulted, I had heard enough.
“You need to get the fuck out, before I call the police! Or worse, beat your ass, and then call the police!” I said, with both hands on my hips, daring her to try anything. Cynthia shook her head again, as angry tears streamed down her face.
“I cannot stand bitches like you, who think that you can take a married man from his wife, and fool yourself into thinking he won’t do the same to you! Sweetie, it’s only a matter of time, before another longhaired pretty girl with a fat ass, takes him away from you too!” She spewed, heaving, trying to control her sobs. Her words touched a nerve within me, and for the first time in my life, I felt insecure.
“If that’s the case, then why are you still trying to hold onto him?” I questioned.
“I’m not leaving him!” She snapped.
“Neither will I!” I snapped back. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she started to hyperventilate. Fear-stricken, she clutched her chest, as if she could not breathe.
“Are you okay?” I asked alarmed. Then all of a sudden, she collapsed.
~NENA~
I burst through the front door, slamming it behind me. Then, Chris rushed out of the bedroom shouting, “What the hell?” Fuming, I glared at him. “Babe, you okay? What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching for me.
“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, backing away from him. He looked confused, so I said, “Who’s Alana?” His eyebrows went up, and then back down again.
“What?” He asked, stalling.
“Tell me you didn’t tell that bitch, to go after my husband, so that you can crawl your way into our bed! Tell me you did not set me up, because you knew I would fall for you! Tell me Chris!” I screamed, with tears in my eyes.
“Nena, I…I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but…” he tried to say.
“Don’t lie to me Chris! I want the truth!” I screamed again, with more tears coming down. I did not want to believe that he could do that to me.
“Babe, I can explain…” he started, and I gasped.
“Oh my God,” I said stunned. “I loved you.” I whispered, and started crying again. He reached out to me once more, and I moved away.
“Baby please, let me explain.” He begged.
“I gave up everything for you!” I screamed. “My marriage! My family! How could you do this to me! I thought you loved me!” I shouted through tears.
“I do love you!” He pleaded.
“You ruined my life! I chose you over everyone, including my own sister! She hates me now, because I thought what you, and I had, was real. I thought our love was pure, honest, and true.” I said, wiping my face with my hands, and then shook my head again. “But there is nothing pure, honest, or true about you at all. You used me! You preyed on my emotions! And I thought you…oh God, I think I’m gonna be sick.” I put a hand over my mouth, willing the vomit that I felt coming up back down.
“Nena, baby…” he said, taking a step towards me again.
“Don’t!” I yelled. “Don’t you ever touch me again! It’s over!” I screamed, snatching the ring off my finger, and threw it at him. “You’re disgusting! I never want to see your lying face again!” Then I turned, and angrily stormed out of his apartment.
~NAIMA~
“Oh!” I shrieked, and then held my stomach, breathing through the unexpected contraction. When the pain subsided, I placed the empty fruit bowl in the sink, and relaxed my shoulders. Then, when I turned to leave the kitchen, another sharp pain attacked me from my back, traveling all the way around, to my protruding belly. “Ow!” I screamed, holding onto the counter. I steadied myself, and tried to take another step. “Ouch!” I cried again, when yet another pain followed, close behind the last one. Struggling to breathe through the spasm, I looked up, and tried to time my contractions, when another one hit. “Ah!” I wailed, reaching for the phone. Then, another pain shot from my stomach, to my back. “Oh my God!” I panicked, my body going numb, as the feeling of warm liquid trickled down my legs. Crying, I dialed Starr’s number.
“Hey girl, you won’t believe what just happened.” Starr said when she answered.
“Ow!” I screamed, when another pain shot through me.
“Nai! What’s wrong? You okay?” She asked alarmed.
“No,” I managed to say through tears. “My water just broke, and… ow!” I cried again.
“Okay, I’m on my way. Try to breathe through it hon, like how we learned in lamas class. Everything’s going to be okay.” She said, sounding just as panicky.
“Please hurry Starr! Ow!” I dropped the phone, clutching my stomach. Then, I grabbed a kitchen towel, and placed it between my legs. I waited until the last pain subsided a little, and then with all my strength; I made my way to the couch, and sat down. At last, I was off my feet, praying that it was over. With my eyes closed, I thought about my sister, and wished she were here. When another pain shot through me, I screamed again. “Oh God! Please, not now.” I cried, squeezing my legs tighter. This baby was not coming out right now, not if I could help it.
Then finally, sometime later, Starr burst through the door.
“I’m here, I’m here!” She yelled. “I got you.” She said, helping me to my feet.
“That was fast.” I said, grimacing at another pain attacking my insides.
“What’d you expect? That’s my god baby in there.” Starr smiled, helping me out the door, and into her car.
41
~ALANA~
I burst through the hospital’s double doors in search of a doctor, a nurse - anybody that would point me in the right direction. “Hi. My mother was just brought in earlier this evening.” I said when I reached the nurses’ station.
“What’s her name?” The nurse asked, typing into her computer. “Um, Cynthia Moore. I mean, Johnson. Cynthia Johnson.” I said, tapping on the surface with my nails.
“Yes. She’s in room 303 on the third floor.” The nurse replied. “Thanks!” I hurried for the elevator. When I got the call that my mother had had a stroke, I dropped everything, and ra
ced to Sonoma General Hospital. Frantically pressing the elevator button, naturally, I feared the worst. I looked up, and watched as the elevator numbers lit up one by one, starting from the sixth floor. I sighed, and then looked around for the stairs. Rushing back to the nurses’ station, I ignored the woman that now stood there, and addressed the same nurse that I spoke to earlier. “Can you please point me towards the stairs?” I asked frustrated.
“Excuse you! I was here first!” The longhaired woman said with a Spanish accent.
“I’m sorry, but…” I tried to say.
“No!” The woman said, cutting me off. She then turned to the nurse, and completely disregarded my presence. “My friend,” she motioned to a pregnant woman sitting on the bench, doubling over in pain. “Is in labor, and she needs a doctor quick!” She said. Just then, the nurse jumped up from her seat, rushed from behind the counter, and was by the woman’s side in no time.
“I need a wheelchair here!” The nurse yelled to no one in particular. Then, a few more nurses emerged from behind the desk, and one quickly brought in a wheelchair. I stood by, and watched, as the pregnant woman suffered in agony, while her friend rubbed her back. I could not shake the feeling that the pregnant woman looked vaguely familiar. Dismissing the feeling, I remembered my mother, and turned to search for the stairs. Before I rounded the corner, I heard the pregnant woman cry out an all too familiar name.
“Nena! I need my sister. Please call her for me Starr! Please! Ow!” I stopped, then slowly turned around, and watched the nurses wheel the pregnant woman away, with her friend following closely behind.
“I will hon! I’m calling her right now chica!” The Spanish woman said, pulling out her cell phone.