Born at Dawn (12 page)

“Here you go, Cynthia. I wanted to personally deliver this to you.” Mitchell Montgomery said smiling from ear to ear. “Luckily you started before the payroll closed.”

Cynthia smiled back at Mitchell. “Thank you, Mr. Montgomery, for everything.”

“Call me Mitch. Any friend of Cheo's is a friend of mine. Please let me thank you for two weeks of excellent service. The bank called to tell me what an excellent job you've been doing as a teller and to open a permanent account with us for all their staffing needs. What have you and Cheo got planned for Valentine's Day?”

Cynthia was dumbfounded by Mitchell's question. Not only were she and Cheo not as close as she'd like to be; she hadn't even realized that it was Valentine's Day. All of her time in Richmond had blurred together and January had somehow turned into February.

“Ummm, we don't really have that type of relationship, Mitch.”

An awkward silence filled the reception area of Office Staff 911.

Quietly she said, “Thank you,” while keeping her eyes glued to the floor to avoid the stares of every other temp in the office awaiting their check.

“Don't spend it all in one place,” Mitchell said. He slid Cynthia her check and handed her the clipboard to sign for it.

“I won't. Have a good day, Mitch,” Cynthia said before walking out of the smoky glass doors of Office Staff 911.

Cynthia paced in front of the doors of 7-Eleven acting out her conversation with Barbara, her only buddy back in the city. It was either call Barbara or call her mother. Cynthia already knew where Mildred stood far as Cynthia's wifely duties were concerned. Barbara was the closest thing Cynthia had to a friend. Their sons' karate class and play dates was no longer the only things that united them. After delivering the inspirational speech that compelled Cynthia to acknowledge how dysfunctional her relationship with Marvin was, Barbara had a new space in Cynthia's heart. Cynthia stuck her hand in her back pocket to make sure her first paycheck was still tucked away safely.

“Collect call from Cynthia Barclay. Do you accept the charges?” the operator asked.

“Yes, I accept the charges.” Barbara waited until she heard the click of the operator disconnecting from the phone before she began to speak. “Cynthia, are you all right? Where are you?”

“That's not important right now.”

“Are you kidding me? Where you are is so important that you've been on the six o'clock news. This is getting serious now.”

“Are you able to talk right now, Barbara?”

“Let me just go into another room. Sean is in here sprawled out across the floor playing checkers with his cousin.”

Cynthia hummed the
Jeopardy!
music in her head as she waited for Barbara to change locations.

“All clear. Go ahead, girl.”

“I'm sorry I had to call you collect, but I need a favor from you, and I can't risk anyone knowing where I am right now. I can't believe he went to the news with this. I don't know if I can trust you, but I guess I'll find out, Barbara. You're the closest thing I have to a friend.”

“Whatever it is, Cynthia, I've got your back.”

Cynthia exhaled, relieved Barbara was willing to help her out. “If I send you some money for the boys, would you be willing to give it to Marvin until I can get on my feet? You absolutely can't tell him you got the money from me.”

“Cynthia, I don't know about this. This sounds kind of dangerous. I mean, what am I supposed to say when he asks me where I got the money from? I don't want to tell any lies.”

“That's none of his business. No, you're right, Barbara. Forget about it. I'll have to figure something else out.”

“Isn't there someone else who can do this?”

“Barbara, I don't have many friends. No one knows where I am right now, and I want to keep it that way. If I contact my mom she's going to try to convince me to behave like a good Christian woman and just pray until Jesus makes a way. It's not like I can call Marvin and offer to send the boys some money and I just can't have my boys doing without.”

“Oh, girl, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“I listened to you and started thinking it was time for me to change this situation. Just forget about it. Forget I ever called you,” Cynthia said her voice wavering.

“No, please, Cynthia. I said it before and I meant it. I really want to help you. What did you have in mind?”

“I just started working, so I was thinking I could send you some money for the boys each time I got paid until I'm able to come back for them.”

“Okay, but there's one problem,” Barbara said in a singsong voice.

“What?”

“Your crazy husband. He really doesn't seem that fond of me. Why would he take a handout from me?”

“Barbara, you have a way with words. You're a lawyer,” Cynthia said trying to shore up Barbara's ego. “Use some of that courtroom magic to convince him to take the money. That shouldn't be hard since you can convince people to give you money.” They both laughed into the telephone.

Barbara jumped aboard Cynthia's runaway train. “You're right; I can think of something. Maybe I'll ambush him at karate. Hopefully he's not with that woman.”

“A woman? What woman?”

“I didn't catch her name. I overheard him say to the girl at the desk she was a friend from work, but they looked very comfortable for friends.”

Cynthia relaxed into the phone bank at the side of the gas station, racking her brain to figure out whether Antoinette or Jade had stepped up to the plate that quickly. Antoinette was not a viable option for Marvin, he was never into big girls, but if he was as desperate as Keith said, then he could easily take her on. Jade, on the other hand, was more his speed: nice eyes and thick thighs. She never met a man she ever said no to, Cynthia figured, based on all the cleavage she had exposed every time Cynthia visited the garage.

“You know what, right now Marvin can't be my issue,” Cynthia stated after coming to the realization that if her disappearance hadn't caused him to change worrying about him wouldn't either. “I'll call you back with all of the Western Union details, and I'll include the fee for the collect calls. Thank you so much, Barbara.”

“Don't hesitate to call me. Whatever it is, I've got your back,” Barbara said definitively before hanging up.

Cynthia hung up the phone and leaned against it for support. Her knees still felt weak when she thought about her babies alone without her.

After talking to Barbara, Cynthia returned to her apartment to celebrate what remained of Valentine's Day. She clipped the stems of a bouquet of flowers she'd purchased from the flower shop on her ride home. She danced slowly around the apartment to what had once been her and Marvin's song, “Lovin' You” by Minnie Riperton. She wondered who he was loving on right now. A soft rap on her front door interrupted her musings.

“Who is it?”

“Cheo.”

In no mood for company Cynthia contorted her mouth into a scowl before opening the door. The sight of Cheo's warm skin juxtaposed against the stark white button-down shirt was enough to melt that scowl away. She indulged in every detail from the deep curl of his black hair to the three open buttons on his shirt that revealed a bit of his chiseled chest down to the pressed beige cargos slightly draped over a pair of white and burgundy Adidas Samoas.

“Happy Valentine's Day.” He causally leaned on the frame of her apartment door and drew a bouquet of blue roses and orange Asiatic lilies from behind his back. “Would you be mine?”

Blushing, Cynthia covered her mouth. “Cheo, I don't know what to say.”

“Say you'll come out with me. Let's have dinner.”

Cynthia bit down on her lip and contemplated her options: an evening alone with Minnie Riperton and memories of the good old days with Marvin or chow down with Cheo.

“Well?” he implored.

“Can I go dressed like this?” She waved up and down her body. He looked pretty casual, but she had no idea whether her peach tee and mint jeans would work out.

“I don't see why not.”

“Come inside while I change my shoes and slip on a jacket.”

Within a few minutes, Cynthia emerged from her bedroom in nude pumps, and white peplum-cut leather jacket. She could hear Cheo let out a low moan. She hoped that indicated she was the right blend a casual and sexy.

“I'm ready,” she announced.

“Yes, you are,” Cheo said, grabbing her hand tightly.

He led her by the hand to his sedan, creating a sense of safety and security Cynthia didn't realize she'd missed or longed for.

The fifteen-minute ride to the restaurant was mostly silent with brief interludes of small talk. Cynthia didn't want her confusion to turn this event into something sour.

When they pulled up in front of the Avalon Restaurant and Bar, Cynthia watched the couples walking in hand in hand and arm in arm snuggled against each other. She wasn't sure what Cheo was expecting to get out of this date, nor had she figured out how far she was comfortable going. As if he could read her mind, Cheo cupped her hand in his.

“It's just a dinner between friends,” he stated in a reassuring tone.

Her palms were sweating and her heart was swelling. Cynthia doubted that she was supposed to be this excited about having dinner with a friend.

Like a true gentleman, Cheo opened the door for her and lead her through the white-trim doors of Avalon. He waved at the manager who was in the middle of a dispute with a customer about the bill as the hostess led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant.

“Mr. Rivera, your server will be with you momentarily.”

“Thank you.”

Once the hostess reached her post, Cynthia lit into him. “Mr. Rivera, do you entertain your friends here often?”

“I most certainly do,” he said innocently. “The hostess works the day shift in the mailroom of the
Sun
and gives me a discount whenever I come around. What do you think of the place? They have a great menu. Order whatever you'd like.”

Cynthia scanned the place; the brown mahogany booths and the incandescent lighting were perfectly suited for the warm atmosphere. If this were her own place, she'd paint the walls a coral pink to offset the brown and add a little ambiance.

“It's nice. I guess.” She shrugged.

Their server placed two glasses of water with a lemon in front of each of them.

“Give us a few more minutes.” Cheo dismissed the waiter. “I know the restaurants are much fancier than this in New York.”

“It really doesn't matter how fancy the restaurant is. It's all about who you're with,” she replied before taking a sip of her water.

“Am I good company?” he asked then raised his hand. “Don't answer that. Let's enjoy the evening.” Cheo signaled for the waiter to return. “Do you know what you want?”

Cynthia shrugged. Nothing really stood out to her except for the glow of Cheo's eyes.

“Let's have the fried Brussels sprouts with butter roasted pine nuts, the barbecue shrimp, and the truffled skirt steak,” he said to the waiter. “How does that sound to you?” he asked Cynthia.

“I trust you, Cheo.”

With the glowing stamp of approval on their order the waiter scooted off to the kitchen.

“Do you really trust me? It seems like you're holding back.” He leaned in closer to the table. “Cynthia, I can't pretend I'm not attracted to you. I don't want to just be your friend.”

Her mouth fell open at his confession. She'd noticed what she thought was longing in his eyes and felt the temperature of her body rise every time she laid eyes on him but this was more than she was prepared to handle.

“I want to. There aren't words to describe what I want to be for you,” he whispered before he reached over the table and kissed her.

The touch of his lips was enough to set off every alarm in her body. She exhaled and took a sip of her water. What was the likelihood that Prince Charming would show up while she was still married?

“I haven't been with a woman in a year.”

Cynthia raised her eyebrow at Cheo in disbelief.

“Seriously, Cynthia, I haven't met a woman I felt this energy with, and I don't believe in casually sleeping around. I mean it when I tell you I haven't been with a woman in a year.” Cheo placed his hands on top of hers. Nothing but warmth radiated from his hands.

“Cheo, I'm not what you need,” Cynthia said empathically easing her hands from under his grip.

“But you're what I want.”

Cynthia dangled her leg over the side of the plastic lounge chair by the pool watching Cheo swim laps. It was the eve of Cheo's departure to Bermuda to take photos of the Bermuda Jazz festival for his latest release,
One Love,
a musical travel guide of the Caribbean. This would be the first time that they would be separated in the two months since their first date on Valentine's Day.

Cynthia saw Cheo's head bob to the surface of the water then his sculpted body popped out of the pool. According to Cheo they just had to take advantage of the unusually high eighty-six degree temperature this spring. She adjusted the chair beside her so he could lay his head in her lap and lounge in the chair as well. They watched the sun go down, the moon rise, and stars come alive.

Slowly, Cheo was able to get the walls of Jericho that surrounded her heart to come down.

Seemingly from out of nowhere Cheo asked, “You know what I miss most about my mother?”

“What?”

“Her
gandules.
”

Cynthia looked down into Cheo's eyes quizzically.

“Beans. But not just her beans. I miss her cooking period. Even after the cancer got bad, she would still make my favorite meal,
pastelles y arroz con gandules
whenever I came over. That's no easy meal to prepare when you're well.
Ah, la amor de un madre, tu sabe.
”

“No
sabe.
I have no clue what you are talking about.”

“If you want to say I don't know it's
Yo no sé not no sabe,
” Cheo said, enunciating every word. “
La amor de un madre
means the love of a mother,” he said making extravagant hand gestures. “There's nothing like it, especially for her son. I'm sure a mother loves her children whether it's a girl or a boy, but there is something special about the love shared between a mother and a son. I've never discussed my mother with any woman I've been with, but you're the first woman to fill her
chanclas
so to speak without stomping around in my life and damaging her memory.”

Cynthia lifted her head toward the sky in an effort to suppress the tears forming. His words hit her where she was weak. The tears leaped out of her eyes like a runner jumping over hurdles and landed right on Cheo's face.

“
Mi amor,
are you all right?”

Cynthia cradled his face and envisioned her own sons alone staring at the Harlem sky wondering where their mother was.

“Cheo,” she said, sniffing, “I'm fine. Your words touched my heart. You're right, there's nothing like the love of a mother.” Cynthia kissed Cheo on the cheek and motioned for him to rise. “I'll miss you. Have a safe flight.”

“You're leaving me already?”

“You know I have to work in the morning. Mitch hasn't given me a break since you asked him to hire me. If he keeps this up, I may have to ask you to tell him to fire me.” She laughed, slapping Cheo on the shoulder. She pulled her peach cover-up over her bathing suit before walking away.

As she sauntered away Cheo called out, “I can't wait until the day when you don't have to leave me.”

Cynthia had to get away from Cheo before she broke down and spilled all the beans. She highly doubted he would be as enamored as he was if he knew she was on the run from an abusive husband and had two kids. It was too late to call Keith, but she had to know if everything was all right. Cynthia dried off and changed into a smoky gray velour suit and walked to the 7-Eleven down the road to call Barbara.

“Yes, I'll accept the charges,” Barbara moaned. “Cynthia, do you know what time it is?”

“I'm sorry, Barbara. Cheo was talking to me about his mother, then I started to miss the boys, and you're the only way I can have access to them.”

“Who's this Cheo character? I've never heard you mention him before.”

“He's just my neighbor,” Cynthia said, smiling playfully. “He's a good guy.”

“Don't get sidetracked by this guy. Remember why you're there. You're not there to frolic with the foreign exchange student who lives down the hall from you. You're supposed to be establishing a safe home for you and your sons,” Barbara said sternly.

“I know, which is why I was calling, just to check if you've seen them or anything.”

“I've only seen them in passing at the dojo. I've been using the money you send to pay for their classes because Marvin won't take a thing from me. He won't even allow the boys to come over and play with Sean, and I'm sorry, Cynthia, but I can't send Sean over there to the devil's lair and you're not there.”

“I understand. I'm sorry I woke you.”

“Don't be. Anytime you need me, I'm here. When do you plan on getting a cell phone?”

“I'm trying to stay off the grid. I don't want Marvin tracking me down until he gets out of my system,” Cynthia said scoping out her surroundings. The mere thought of Marvin catching her had her sweating like a crackhead going through withdrawal.

“Why don't you try a prepaid cell from MetroPCS or something like that? The police can't even track those.” She paused momentarily. “I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did he get into your system in the first place?”

Cynthia rolled her eyes as she recalled the first time she met Marvin at a party her college roommates were throwing. She inhaled and could still smell his cologne, Fahrenheit.

“Cynthia, are you there? If it's too much to go into you don't have to.”

“No, it's not too much. I met Marvin at a party while I was in college. He hounded me all night for a dance. I rejected him each time until one of my roommates put in a good word for him. His arms wrapped perfectly around my waist. My mother warned me about him. She said he was good for nothing, but the way I felt in his arms, I just knew she had to be wrong. On our first date, he took me to an African restaurant, and we walked through Mount Morris Park hand in hand. We danced under a thick of trees to a soloist in the park playing the saxophone. ‘Please don't let me go. In your arms I feel like a man,' he whispered into my ear.”

The corners of Cynthia's eyes became wet. Marvin's square jaw, brown almost black eyes, and thick frame began to manifest.

“He promised me that every day we would dance. For the first time ever in my life, I felt like a woman. He aroused something in me and every time we were apart, something inside of me cried out for him. Things were fine until he lost his job and his mother in the same month. We'd just moved in together. My mother temporarily disowned me and we were all we had. I just wasn't enough.”

“Nothing can heal a broken heart but Jesus,” Barbara interjected.

“Then the drinking started, and then the fighting started. And I . . . I . . . I promised him I wouldn't turn my back on him.” Cynthia wailed into the phone.

“Hey, hey, Cynthia, get a hold of yourself,” Barbara shouted. “He beat you. You did not turn your back on him. You finally got the courage to save yourself. Self-preservation is the only thing that keeps a species going.”

“I should have been more supportive,” Cynthia said chastising herself.

“Right now you need to think about how you can be supportive to Keith and James who witnessed him demoralize, demean, and disfigure you. How much longer do you think it will be before you're ready to get the boys?”

“I don't know. I'm still just temping.”

“Come on, Cynthia. You've got to get yourself together. No judge is going to award you custody without a full-time job, and time is a major factor. You've been gone for four months and the more time that elapses without you being accounted for, it weakens your case.”

Cynthia drummed her fingers on the top of the pay phone. “I know, I know. I'm going to get it together soon. Good night, Barbara.”

“Good night, Cynthia. God bless you. I'm praying for you.”

Cynthia hung up the phone and let her hand linger on the receiver. She felt the tears coming. Cynthia wondered if prayer could reach her
. I don't even think you can still see me, Lord.
Cynthia put her hands together to form a cup and covered her face to prevent the tears from breaking through. The five-block walk back to her building seemed like miles. All she wanted now was for someone to hold her, and Cheo wasn't going to be home until Monday evening.