Love on the Run (21 page)

Read Love on the Run Online

Authors: Zuri Day

41
The drizzle began just before Shayna reached her destination. She turned on the wipers, absentmindedly reflecting that the rain pouring down the windshield mirrored the tears falling on her face. Time had passed, but the leaving still felt as fresh as it did on that unseasonably warm day in December three years ago when Shayna, her mother, Jarrell, Larsen, some cousins, and a few dozen members from the Good Hope South Central AME Church had stood by a flower-strewn grave and bid Willie Jean “Big Mama” Washington a fond farewell. That entire week had gone by in a haze, starting at the moment she'd gotten the call that her grandmother had suffered a heart attack and then getting to the hospital forty-five minutes later only to find out that she was already gone. That night, Big Mama had appeared to Shayna in a dream. In it she hadn't spoken, but had simply patted Shayna's hand, given her a big hug and smile, and then turned and walked across a foggy meadow. Shayna waved and waved, until she could no longer see Big Mama. Upon awakening, there was a hole in her heart. But for the one Willie Jean Washington had called her favorite grandchild even though she was the only one, that last meeting was like manna from heaven, its memory just about the only thing that could bring her solace during that bleak time.
Shayna reached the slab of black granite engraved with roses, a cross, the name and date: W
ILLIE
J
EAN
W
ASHINGTON
, D
ECEMBER
20, 1947–D
ECEMBER
28, 2009, and lastly the inscription: F
OREVER
ALIVE
IN
OUR
HEARTS
. “Hey, Big Mama,” she whispered, kneeling down and placing the dozen pink heart roses against the stone. “Happy birthday. I can't believe it's been three years already. Seems like just yesterday we were over at your friend's house, Miss Josie, remember? Eating your favorite German chocolate and listening to your favorite Billie Holiday. I haven't played her much lately,” Shayna continued, pulling the weeds from around the stone as tears continued to fall. “I guess I don't want to wish a heartache good morning.” Finding a comfortable spot near the smooth, cool slab, Shayna placed a plastic bag she'd found in her back seat on the ground and sat on top of it. The winter rain had stopped as quickly as it had begun, and streaks of sun were trying to pierce the grayish sky. She looked around at this “community” of souls, different markers signaling a life come and gone, the dash in between the dates, Big Mama once told her. Before her death, Shayna had considered graveyards morbid, and wasn't one to watch murder mysteries or horror films. But on the times she'd visited, three in all, she'd felt an overwhelming peace, like now, like her grandmother was right here with her brimming with love.
“I met someone, Big Mama. You remember I broke up with Jarrell, right? Well, my new guy, his name is Michael and he's also my manager. He's gotten me in magazines and on TV, and I even have my own clothing and shoe line. I so wish you were here to meet him, Big Mama,” Shayna said, a tremor to her voice as she tried to replace her tears with happy memories. “But then again, if you were here you'd be dealing with the fact that your daughter is getting ready to have a baby. Yes, Big Mama. Mom is pregnant—can you believe it? I'm trying to be happy for her, but her being with Larsen indirectly keeps me connected to Jay and it's just one big mess. I know you liked Jay, Big Mama, but he changed after you died, became more possessive, controlling, especially after I turned pro. But I remember how well he treated you, how he tried to look after you. You always told me that everybody had some good in them. I guess that's one good thing about Jarrell that I can remember. That he loved you.”
The rain started up again and after a few more moments, Shayna returned to her car. As she opened the door, the phone was ringing. She wasn't totally surprised to see who was on the caller ID.
“Hey, Jay.”
“Hey, Shayna. You know I had to call you today.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Gotta say happy birthday to Miss Willie Jean.” Shayna smiled. “Have you gone to vist the grave yet?”
“I'm here now.”
“Ah, baby. I wish I would have been able to go there with you. You know I loved Big Mama like she was my own, knew her my whole life.”
It was true. Big Mama used to parent all of the children in the neighborhood, and she'd send Jarrell to the store for her unlikely favorite, Jolly Ranchers. Jarrell's mother often worked overtime, so Jarrell was a regular for Big Mama's spaghetti, meatloaf, or fried chicken dinners and would always make her smile by asking for seconds, sometimes thirds. After that, they'd entertain her with talent shows in the living room: Shayna singing—translated: butchering—“Butterfly” by Mariah Carey, Jarrell rapping Biggie's “Hypnotize,” and their teaming up for Puff Daddy and Faith Evans's “I'll Be Missing You.”
“Hey, remember that time I stole those cookies that Big Mama made and sold them to the neighborhood kids?”
“Ha! How could I forget that one?”
“Big Mama was ready to whup me until she saw my profit. That wrongdoing ended up being the basis for my first business. She's probably the reason I sold sweets instead of drugs.”
The two continued to chat about old times. Shayna had forgotten just how funny Jarrell could be, not to mention how much at one time their lives had been intertwined. Before she knew it, an hour had gone by. She started her car and hurried out of the cemetery.
“I need to run, Jay. I was supposed to be at Michael's office by now.”
“All right, Shay. When are you coming down here?”
“I don't know. But tell Mom I'll call her later.”
They ended the call. Shayna headed downtown, thinking of Jarrell. Before being lovers, they'd been the best of friends. A part of her would always love him. “I hope you're happy,” Shayna said aloud, thinking that maybe it was time she visited her mother in Vegas. And for the first time in a long time, she even looked forward to seeing Jarrell again.
42
A jazzy rendition of “White Christmas” could be heard playing just beyond the door as Michael and Shayna reached his mother's house. They'd awakened to a bright and shiny Christmas morning and while they'd agreed to exchange gifts at his mother's house, they'd given each other an extended morning present of the physical kind. It had both of their moods chipper, had made Shayna's cheeks glow, and put a little extra pep in Michael's steps.
“So nice to finally meet you,” Jackie said, once her son and friend had stepped inside and she'd given him a hug. She embraced Shayna as well before stepping back to look at her. “You're shorter than I imagined. Who would have thought it'd be a short cup of chocolate to tame my son?”
Michael groaned. “Ah, here we go.”
“It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Morgan.”
“Please. Call me Jackie.”
“Come over here and meet my father,” Michael said, taking Shayna's hand.
Shayna walked with Michael over to the fireplace. She looked at the painting, an older, darker version of Michael and Troy, and was immediately struck with the intense, kind eyes of Michael's father even as she realized that Gregory got his good looks from his mother's side.
“This is Samuel Morgan,” Michael said, reaching up to stroke the frame that contained the exquisitely painted image. “My father and one of the finest men I ever knew.”
“You look like him.” Michael nodded. Shayna stepped closer to him and said, “I bet you still miss him.”
“Every single day.”
He and Shayna eyed the painting for another silent moment. Finally, Shayna whispered, “It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Morgan.”
Michael smiled, kissed her temple, and led her to the kitchen, where his mother and one of her friends were cooking up dinner. On the way, they noticed that Gregory was out on the patio with his date. After a quick hello, they joined Jackie and her two women friends, one widowed, the other divorced with a child overseas, from the old neighborhood. Thankfully, Jackie had agreed to Michael's request not to invite her best friend, Mary. He knew that Mary coming meant Alison's presence as well and with the way she kept bugging his mother for his cell number, seeing her again this lifetime might be too soon. He and Shayna had just joined the other guests, who were chatting while munching on vegetable sticks, when in walked a surprise: Troy. Alone.
Jackie made a big show of looking behind him. “Where's she at?”
“Who?” Troy walked over to the stove and lifted up the lid on a pot of chicken and dumplings before opening the oven to find a roasting duck, winter vegetables, and a chocolate cake.
“Your latest arm candy,” Jackie replied, walking over and swatting Troy away from the oven before closing the door. “Where is she?”
“I'll be his arm candy,” Jackie's widowed neighbor said. “What do they call 'em these days? Tigers?”
“Cougars,” offered the Navy officer's mom. Her only child was the same age as Michael, and the mother's friendship had ridden the coattails of the sons.
“Yeah, honey. Get me some of those five-inch pumps.”
“Please,” Jackie dryly replied. “I don't need a visual.”
Troy walked over and playfully hugged the woman who'd been his neighbor and sometimes babysitter from the time he was born until he was twelve years old. “You can be my date anytime, Miss Linda. But Mom is the jealous type. We might have to keep it on the low.”
Shayna came around the corner. “Do you need any help, Mrs. Morgan? I mean, Jackie.”
“Sure do. I was just getting ready to make the salad.”
A short time later, Jackie's dining room was filled with the sound of clinking silver hitting china and laughter all around.
“Remember that time when Michael and Otis thought they were going to run away? They got as far as the freeway before the cops brought them home.”
“You were arrested?” Shayna asked in surprise. Somehow she couldn't imagine her man behind bars.
“He should have been,” Jackie replied. “But no. Linda's cousin is a policeman. We sent him to instill the fear of God in them, which he did.”
Linda shook her head at the memory. “For about five minutes. After that, they wanted to ride around and show off in the squad car.”
“Which they did, even managing to handcuff one of their friends to the fence and then lose the key.”
“Perry, Linda's cousin, just locked Michael up beside him. They didn't get loosed until Sam got home.”
“Trust me, after that I'd rather have been in handcuffs,” Michael said.
The afternoon passed quickly. Shayna loved watching the easy camaraderie between Jackie and her sons, and the brothers with each other. Aside from the time at her grandmother's, she'd never witnessed such familial love and was appreciative of how much Jackie made sure she felt a part of the Morgan clan. When the time for gift-giving arrived, Shayna was surprised to see that all of the brothers had purchased her a gift.
“Michael didn't tell me that we were all exchanging,” she chided, offering Michael a stern look.
“Don't worry about it,” Jackie admonished. “It's a family tradition.”
A collective breath was held when Michael handed Shayna a small, wrapped box. She tore open the paper and instantly recognized the blue box. With slightly shaky hands, she opened it to reveal a pair of perfectly cut yellow diamonds. “They're beautiful,” Shayna exclaimed with tears in her eyes. She showed around the box to the women before reaching up to replace the earrings she wore with this holiday gift.
“The diamonds are lovely, son,” Jackie said, already loving the spunky young woman who seemed to fit her son to a tee. “But I can think of another setting with a more . . . forever kind of message. If you know what I mean.”
43
Michael knew exactly what his mother was talking about and if he hadn't, he surely did now, after just getting off the phone with her. Shayna had gone over to Brittney's cousin's house to exchange gifts with Talisha and Brittney. Michael and Shayna were meeting back up tonight and heading to Vegas the following morning to meet Shayna's mom. It was hard to believe that this time last year he was juggling a dozen women and now he was getting ready to meet a potential mother-in-law. That is, if his mother had her way. He mixed himself a cocktail and thought about what his mother had said, starting right into her case as soon as he answered the phone.
 
 
“Can you talk?” Michael said yes. “I like her, Michael. She kinda reminds me of me at her age.”
“How's that?”
“She has a sparkly personality, but I detect a shyness, and a bit of a sadness about her. Am I right?”
“You always could read people, Mom.” Michael relayed to Jackie about how Shayna's father's absence and her mother's competitive indifference had affected Shayna's personality and outlook on life. “Most of the children on her block were being raised by single moms. But for whatever reason, Shayna has really missed not knowing her dad, or having him around.”
“I always wondered how those mothers did it. You boys were basically grown when Sam passed and it was still a struggle. Had it not been for his strong hand before he left, who knows how y'all would have turned out.”
“Probably like a lot of our friends.” While the Morgan brothers and a few others had gotten out of their middle-class surrounded by lower-class neighborhood, the widowed neighbor's children had had their share of problems. Even now, her daughter was on probation for passing bad checks.
“I wish Dad were here to meet Shayna.”
“Me, too, son. I miss him every day.”
“Do you think you'll ever marry again, Mama?”
“You do, then I will . . . okay?”
“Ha! Okay, Mama.”
The two chatted for a while longer and when Michael ended the call, he thought about everything his mother had shared, especially her last comment: “Baby, if you love her you'd better do like that girl Beyoncé said and put a ring on it.”
Michael laughed out loud as he dialed his brother Troy. Time to find out what had his playboy youngest riding solo. “Hey, man,” he said once his brother had answered. “How is it that you ended up the lone ranger today?”
“No big deal,” Troy replied. “I'd asked this one sistah if she wanted to join me and she said that she would. Then about fifteen minutes before I was supposed to pick her up, she called and canceled.”
“What? Someone had the nerve to cancel on you?”
“I know—can you believe it?”
“What's the world coming to?”
“It's getting hard out here for a pimp.”
“Ha!”
“On another note, I like your girl, Shayna. She seems real cool.”
“Yes, she made it through an afternoon with Jackie Morgan, got her approval. That's not always easy.”
“You know I still have her ex's info on file. Let me know if you ever want me to do something with it.”
“Wasn't much there, just the personal stuff about jobs, his family. I could have Googled and found that out.”
“Oh, so now we've got jokes, huh? Bottom line is that the dude was pretty clean. So was his brother, Larsen.”
“I didn't know you checked him, too.”
“Then you need to Google the fact on how thorough the people who work for me are. Even if it's family, I put my stamp on anything connected to Morgan Security. And it's got to be top notch, believe that.”
“I appreciate it, man.” Michael smiled, grateful to have the type of relationship he did with his brothers. “Hey, what's Gregory doing tonight?”
“I don't know, but he left the house rather quietly. Might be making a house call if you know what I mean.”
“Or somebody might be at his house.”
“You want to pay him a surprise visit?”
“Yeah. Why don't you come over and we'll ride together. If he's not home, we'll go out and see what kind of trouble you can get into.”
“Me? What about you?”
“Naw, man. When it comes to trouble . . . I'm good.”
“Oh, Shayna's got it like that, huh?”
“Yes, Troy. It's like that.”
“Ooh, girl, I'm so jealous,” Brittney said. She, Shayna, and Talisha were hanging out on her cousin's screened-in patio.
“Cameron got me”—Talisha used air quotes—“a trip to Hawaii. Y'all know his ass has been wanting to visit there for years!”
“I think it's a very romantic present,” Shayna countered. “Who knows? While there he may even propose.”
“She's right,” Brittney added. “Cameron has shown a romantic streak over the years.”
“I know. . . . I'm sounding ungrateful, huh?”
Shayna laughed. “You think?” She looked at Brittney, proudly sporting the leather jacket that Shayna had bought her. “What about you, Britt? Don't you think it's time to finally get back into the dating game, and let DeVaughn hit it?”
The last serious relationship for Brittney had ended when the “legally separated” attorney went back to his wife. “I'm focused on my career right now,” she answered truthfully. “There will be plenty of time later for kicking it with my boo.”
“Speaking of,” Shayna said, looking at her watch and rising. “I'd better go. Michael and I leave first thing tomorrow for Vegas.”
Brittney gave Shayna a look. “That should be interesting.”
“Very,” Shayna admitted. “But he's not meeting Mom right away. He has friends there, and after a couple days on our own, we're going to spend the next two hanging out with them. As far as Mom knows, we're not getting there until the twenty-ninth.”
“Do you think it's going to be okay for Michael and Jarrell to be in the same room? Remember they almost went to blows the first time, at the Beverly Hilton.”
“Michael has promised to be on his best behavior, and according to Mom, Jarrell has moved on, too. So I hope so.”
“Girl, I still can't believe your mom is having a baby. So how will that go? When you have a child, his or her uncle will probably not be more than five years old! Ha!”
“It will be some kind of madness, but you're getting ahead of yourself. There's the small matter of something called a wedding before I entertain a baby. Let's do first things first.”
“So you'd say yes if Michael asked you?” Talisha asked. “Considering all of the women he's had and all of the splits still sniffing around him, you'd have no reservations?”
“No reservations,” Shayna said. “After seeing the way he treated his mother, I'd say yes in a heartbeat, with no doubt at all.”

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