TWENTY-FIVE
Malena walked through the door of her apartment. She hadn’t been there all weekend because she had spent the last two nights at Ray’s. Tammy and Philip were finishing up a late breakfast.
“Malena, am I glad to see you. Your girl here has been driving me crazy since you haven’t been around. She really missed you. Are you in and out today, or are you back for good? Please say you’re in,” said Philip.
“Praise the Lord!” she exclaimed. “I’m back for good.”
“Good, ’cause your girl, Tammy, has been a nutcase.”
“Don’t believe him,” Tammy said, trying to defend herself while playfully kicking his leg.
“Well, I missed Tammy too,” Malena said. “Especially last night. Why didn’t y’all come to the party?”
“Well, we, ah . . . well, we lost track of time and were . . . well, you know,” Philip stuttered.
“Gross! You two make me sick. Y’all were more interested in studying anatomy than partying with me,” she joked. They laughed.
“Sorry we missed it, Malena. How was it?”
“Off the hook!”
“I knew it would be. Was Ray there?”
“Of course. We’ve been together all weekend. We left the party early ourselves. We were still trying to catch up.”
“Gross back to you,” Tammy joked.
“Ray? Yeah, he’s the one you dissed my man Anthony for,” Philip teased.
“See, I know you didn’t go there,” Malena said.
“My boy has been sick. But he’s gonna be okay. He met a little cutie himself, about two weeks ago, and they’ve been kickin’ it strong.”
“That’s good to hear.” Malena was glad he’d found someone, because she felt bad about the abrupt way she had stopped seeing him. “I knew he wouldn’t have a problem getting back into the dating game. Anthony’s a good man,” she added.
“What are you doing tonight, hanging out with your sorors?” Tammy asked.
“Nah, girl, we need a break from each other. It seems like we’ve been around one another nonstop way longer than seven weeks. I’m just gonna hang out with Ray. What are y’all doing tonight?”
“We really don’t have any concrete plans.”
“Well, why don’t we couple up? That way Tammy and I can spend time together, and, Philip, you can meet Ray.”
“Oh, good, we have so much catching up to do,” Tammy said.
“Oh, Lord. I don’t know if I’m going. You two will talk nonstop,” said Philip.
“See, you’re starting already,” Tammy said, and stuck her fingers in her glass of water, then flicked water on his face. He retreated, and they started a water fight that ended with them both drenched.
Malena shook her head and walked into her bedroom, lighting candles along the way as she went into the bathroom. She filled her tub with warm water and bubbles. Then she picked out a CD that she hadn’t heard in a long while and put it on. It was a variety of smooth Caribbean melodies. “Oh, now that really hits the spot,” she said aloud. It seemed like it had been so long since she really had time alone. She hadn’t taken a bath in ages, and showers never relaxed her the same way. She undressed and sank into the bubble bath, relaxed, meditated, and reflected on the events of the last two months.
There was a knock at the door of Malena and Tammy’s apartment.
“Oh, good, that’s probably Ray. I’ll get it,” Malena said. When she opened the door Ray stood there with a single pink carnation.
“For me?” Malena asked.
“Of course. I would have gotten you a pink rose, but they were all out. Now give me some suga’ and tell me I’m the man,” Ray joked.
Malena put her arms around his neck and laid a juicy kiss on his lips, and in a dramatic tone said, “Ray, Ray . . . you . . . are . . . the man!” They both giggled and walked into the apartment. “Have a seat on the couch, and I’ll see if Tammy and Phil are ready.”
“Okay, but just one more kiss.” He pulled her by the hand, hugged and kissed her, and said, “You know there’s no return, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You’ve spoiled me, and you can’t undo that. You just have to keep on doing it.”
“I know, and it’s a shame. I’ve created a monster, and I don’t know what to do with you now,” Malena said. She walked toward Tammy’s room and yelled through the door, “Let’s go! Ray’s here!”
“We’ll be out in a second!” Tammy yelled from the other side.
“Okay!” she responded, and walked back over to the couch where Ray was sitting. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“No, I’m straight,” he answered. Malena was glad he declined, because she wasn’t sure whether or not they had any drinks in the refrigerator.
Tammy and Philip came out of the room wearing matching outfits—jeans and Tommy Hilfiger rugbys.
“You two are so corny,” Malena said.
“Ah, you just jealous ’cause we’re styling and you’re not,” Philip joked.
“So, where did you get those shirts from?” Malena asked.
“Philip got them from the PX on base. They were dirt cheap,” Tammy answered.
“Aaaaaah, y’all look too cute,” Malena said, then introduced Ray. “Philip, this is Ray.”
“Hey man, what’s up?” Ray said, and stood up to shake Philip’s hand. “I heard a lot about you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“No doubt, man,” Ray responded.
Philip gave him a once-over, and then looked over at Malena. He said, as if it really mattered, “He’s cool!”
“Oh, I already know that,” she said.
“I’m starved. Let’s go!” Tammy said.
“So what’s the plan?” Ray asked.
“We’re gonna get fast food and then see a movie.”
“Cool. What’s playing?”
“We don’t know. We figured we could all decide what we’re going to see once we get there,” Malena answered.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Ray said.
They walked out and began their evening. Malena and Tammy were double-dating again, as they usually did on the weekends. Only this time, Malena was truly satisfied with the man with whom she would be spending the evening.
TWENTY-SIX
While walking to class, Cajen ran into Chancey. They did their sorority call and hugged each other.
“Hey girl,” Cajen said.
“Hey yourself. You look very nice today, almost like you’re glowing. What’s different about you?”
“Do I seem different?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Well, I’ve got a new perspective on life, and I’m not gonna let anything that happened between me and Jason stop me from living it.”
“Well, good for you, and good riddance to him,” Chancey said.
“My words exactly.”
“So, what about your friend, what’s his name?”
“Eric?” Cajen questioned.
“Yeah, Eric.”
“Well, we decided to remain friends. But we’re gonna continue to take it slow and see what happens. We’re both still young. But you know what? He told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him too. And Chancey, I do love him.”
“Cajen, I am so happy you have a friend like Eric in your life.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“So, where are you headed?” Cajen asked.
“Don is parked in front of the Student Center waiting for me. He said he needed to talk.”
“Did it sound like it was a good kind of talk or a bad kind of talk?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s anything too bad.”
“Good, because I don’t want nothing but good news, at least for a little while.”
“Cajen!” a familiar voice yelled from behind them.
They stopped walking and turned around. It was Jason.
“Hey, baby.”
“Can I help you?” Cajen asked nonchalantly.
“Yeah, I just want to apologize for the other night. Baby, that was nothing, for real.”
“Nothing! Jason, that’s your problem. Nothing in life means anything to you. You couldn’t care less about how you affect other people’s lives, and what’s even worse, you don’t even care about your own life.”
“So what you trying to say, Cajen? You through with me?”
“Jason, it was over between us when it began. Just do me two favors: Stay out of my life, and please, by all means, the next time you get a beautiful young lady in bed, show some respect to yourself and to her . . . use a condom!” Cajen felt a rush. The spell was broken. She wasn’t letting Jason control her emotions any longer. Pleased with herself, she turned from him and walked away. Jason was speechless, and he could only stare.
Chancey rolled her eyes at him and caught up with Cajen.
“You go, girl!” she exclaimed.
“Now, that really felt good,” Cajen responded, as they walked down the sidewalk toward the building where Cajen’s class was held.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Chancey and Cajen parted, and Chancey walked to the Student Center. Don’s car was parked in front, but he wasn’t sitting in it. She found him standing in the parking lot, signing autographs for a group of professionally dressed ladies who were probably in their late thirties. Chancey waved hello to him while she put her backpack in his car, and leaned against the front of it. She was used to this routine and knew all too well that his fans weren’t interested in meeting her. They were too concerned with absorbing as much attention from him as they possibly could within the time he was kind enough to share with them.
He said good-bye to the ladies and walked over to Chancey, put his arms around her, and gave her a wet kiss.
“You ready?” he asked.
“So, where are we going?
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. But first I need to blindfold you.”
“You’re joking, right?” she questioned.
“No, really.” He pulled a gold bandanna out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her.
“I’ve already paid my dues as a pledge. I know you’re not trying to haze me too,” Chancey joked. “But seriously, I’m not putting that thing on.”
“But baby, don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do.”
“It’s important that you don’t know where we’re going. I promise you’ll be safe with me. Aren’t you always safe with me?”
“I know I will be.” She hesitated. “Okay, I’ll put it on.”
“Let’s get in the car first.” He opened the door for her and then ran over to the driver’s side and got in. “Now turn around.” Donald seemed so eager and Chancey didn’t want to spoil his excitement, so she didn’t say anything. She just smiled and turned her back to him. He put the blindfold over her eyes. “Can you see?” he asked.
“No, but we’d better hurry up and get there. I’m not gonna to be able to stay like this for long.”
Don started the car and then said, “Okay, we’re not going too far. Here, take my hand.” He took her hand in his and rested it on his knee.
They were both silent the whole way, until finally the car stopped.
“Where are we?” Chancey asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Now, sit tight for a second.”
Donald got out and ran around to the other side of the car and opened the door.
“Okay, Diamond, now give me your hand. It’s gonna be kind of a long walk. As a matter of fact, I’ll carry you,” he said. He picked her up piggyback-style and started walking.
He was right, they walked for quite a while. He finally put her down, and she felt grass under her feet.
“Okay, you can take it off now.”
She took it off and looked around. She stood on the fifty-yard line in the middle of the school’s football stadium. Chancey didn’t understand where Don was going with his surprise, but Don had a look in his eyes that said he knew exactly what he was doing. He grabbed her by the hands and began talking.
“Chancey, I brought you out here because I want you to clearly understand something. Football is a huge part of my life, and pretty soon it’s going to be my livelihood. You know I’ll be spending a great part of my life being out here on fields all over the country, just like this one.”
“I know.”
“I know you do, Diamond, but do you know what comes with this lifestyle? Fans, fame, lots of travel. And you know that there’ll be nights, and sometimes whole weeks at a time, that we won’t see each other, especially during preseason camps.”
“Don, I know. And I also know that you’re probably going to go as a first round draft pick, and that you have no control over what team you’ll be with or where you’re going to live. And if a team suddenly decides to trade you, you’re gonna have to pack up and move, no matter how much you like the city you’re playing in. I know all of this. We’ve discussed it thousands of times.” Chancey was a little irritated. She hated the thought of him leaving and wondered why he decided to choose now to remind her of all of this.
“You’re right, we have, but we’ve only discussed how it would impact me and how I would react to that kind of lifestyle, but we never discussed how you felt about it, or how you would deal with it.”
“Well, I haven’t really thought about it much. I worry mostly about you leaving me at the end of the summer and starting all over without me.”
“What do you mean without you?”
“I mean I know we’ll still be together, but I’ve accepted that the changes would affect your life more than mine, at least for the next three or four years.”
“But what if I don’t want that?”
“What? Us to be together?”
“No, us apart,” he responded. Then he got down on one knee. “Diamond, what I’m wondering is”—he reached in his pocket and pulled out a box—“will you marry me?” He opened the box, and inside was the most splendid engagement ring she had ever seen. She didn’t move or respond, so Donald took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger.
“Oh . . . baby . . . I don’t know what to say,” she finally voiced. “I wasn’t expecting this. Not here! Not now!”
“Say yes!”
This was exactly what Chancey hoped for, but she hesitated. “Well . . .”
“Listen, I’m not talking about getting married tomorrow or next month. I’m talking about a year from now. It’ll give me a chance to feel out my first year in the NFL, and it’ll give you a chance to be with your new sorors and finish up another year of school. Plus you’ll be taking summer classes, right? After you transfer to where I’ll be, maybe it won’t take you four full years to graduate. Chancey, you know how smart you are. But after our year apart, Diamond, I want you to be my wife.” Donald was more sincere than Chancey had ever seen him.
“Donald, there’s something that I want to discuss with you—I’ve wanted to for some time, but I never knew how.”
“What is it, baby?”
“Well . . .” She wasn’t sure how to put it, but decided to be honest. “I don’t like it when you act as if you’re my father. After all, I am a grown woman.”
He laughed. “So, you noticed. I was hoping you wouldn’t.”
“What do you mean you were hoping I wouldn’t? I can’t help but notice. I can’t marry you if you have to feel like you own me.”
“I don’t want to own you, Diamond,” Donald said, shaking his head. “I saw this growing up and promised myself I wouldn’t repeat my father’s behavior with my mother. Your independence is one of the reasons that I love you. I know that you will be able to help me make wise decisions, and I know that you will have my back when it comes to finances and any other important decisions concerning us.”
“But—”
“Listen, I know I can be forceful, but I love you and I’m willing to work on it, baby. Even if it means you pointing it out to me every time I step out of the boundaries that we can set together.”
“But what about the way I dress? Don, I am not one of those glamorous model types. I won’t ever be. Will you ever accept that?”
“You’re beautiful to me. I love you just the way you are. That’s why I want to marry you. So?”
Chancey’s head was spinning. She had always felt in her heart that she and Don would eventually marry, and the sincerity and love she saw in his eyes helped to quell any doubts she had.
“Oh, my God!” she gasped, as the full weight of the decision she was about to make hit her.
“Will you answer me?” he begged.
“I can’t believe you! I was not expecting this, not today. I’m not even dressed appropriately. I’m wearing a T-shirt!”
“You look like a diamond to me. So, will you?”
“What, are you crazy? Of course I will. Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Donald Robinson,” she said, and pulled him close to her and kissed him passionately.