Authors: Carl Weber
My mother left the room to get the ring. I sat at the table and wondered about what had just happened. It wasn’t easy to digest the fact that my mother was so different from what I had thought my whole life. As a matter of fact, as I looked back, she wasn’t the only one who had surprised me. Anita had turned out to be borderline psycho, Shorty had amazed me with the depth of his love for Donna, and Tanisha turned out to have a secret I would never have expected. All of these people who I thought I knew had turned out to be much more than what I saw. When it came right down to it, I had learned a very valuable life lesson. I’d heard it a million times before, but now I really understood what it meant when they said don’t judge a book by its cover.
As I waited for my mother to return, the phone rang. I paused to see if my mother or the bishop was going to answer it. When it continued to ring, I picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Dante!” It was Shorty, and he sounded frantic.
“Yo, dude, what’s up? What’s wrong?”
“It’s your sister, man. She started bleeding, Dante. She might lose the baby.”
I jumped out of my chair. “Oh my God. What happened? Where is she now?” I questioned rapidly.
“They’re taking her to the hospital—”
I cut him off.
“They? Who’s taking her to the hospital?”
“The paramedics. I’m right behind them.”
“Why aren’t you with her?”
“Because Tanisha’s with her.”
“Tanisha? What the hell is she doing with her?”
“When I found out Donna was bleeding, I went down to your room to get you but you were already gone. Man, I was freaking out, bro, but Tanisha was so cool, calm, and collected, Dante. If it wasn’t for her keeping Donna calm until the paramedics got there, I don’t know what might have happened. Yo, I think she might have saved your sister’s life.”
“Did they say anything? Is she all right? Is the baby all right?”
“The paramedics couldn’t tell. She was crying, but she said she wasn’t in any pain. There was just blood everywhere.”
I said a quick, silent prayer. “What hospital did they take her to?”
“Nassau County Medical Center.”
“Don’t let anything happen to my sister, Shorty. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“I won’t, man. I love that girl.”
I hung up the phone and ran to tell my parents.
By the time we made it from Queens to the hospital on Long Island, Shorty had already spoken to Donna’s doctor, so he explained what he had been told. It was good news. It turned out that Donna was only spotting blood because of all the stress of her wedding day. She had been in the shower when it happened, so the water on her skin had mixed with the blood to make it appear like much more blood than it really was. The doctors examined her internally and did an ultrasound, and the baby was fine. The doctor wanted to put Donna on bed rest until she made it to her last trimester, but we were all relieved that she and the baby were going to be okay.
Shorty filled my parents in on the drama that had unfolded at the hotel once Donna came out of the shower. While they listened, I went into the triage area, where Donna was being held for observation. Hopefully she would be released in a few hours.
“Hey, little sister. You okay? You really had us all scared there for a while.” I kissed her forehead.
“You were scared? How do you think I felt?” she answered, her hand cradling her stomach.
“I know, but the doctor says everything looks good, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be on bed rest, I guess. I might be bored out of my mind, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep this baby.”
I smiled at her and placed a hand on her stomach. My little niece or nephew was going to be fine.
“Where’s Tanisha?” she asked. “And where were you this morning, anyway?”
“Donna, I don’t know if you need to hear about all that right now. You don’t need anything stressing you out. But trust me, as soon as I know you’re feeling better and the baby’s safe, I have some stories to tell you about Tanisha that you’re not gonna believe.”
She glared at me. “You mean about her being a stripper?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?” First Shorty, then my mother, and now Donna; was I the only one who didn’t know about Tanisha?
“She told me on the way over here. You should have seen her this morning, Dante. I don’t know what I would have done if she wasn’t there to keep me calm. Poor Shorty was running around like a chicken with his head cut off, but Tanisha was there for me. You need to stay with that girl, Dante. I need someone like Tanisha to help me out with you two fools.”
I laughed at the image of Shorty in a panic, but my smile quickly faded. “I guess she told you about our fight, huh? I don’t know what to do about her, Donna. Even if I try, I don’t know if she’ll wanna talk to me after how I was last night.”
“Dante, trust me. That girl loves you. Whatever you did, she’ll forgive you. You just have to talk to her.”
My parents and Shorty came into the room just as Donna finished speaking.
“Shorty, where’s Tanisha?” Donna asked.
“She left. She said she didn’t wanna be here when Dante got here, and that she had a lot of things to think about.” The way he answered sounded like an apology.
“Dante, you better go find that girl,” Donna ordered.
“I will. I know where to find her,” I said, knowing exactly where Tanisha would go when she had things on her mind. I kissed Donna once more then turned to leave.
My mother called after me. “Dante, wait.”
I stopped and looked at my mother. She came closer and slipped something into my hand. I looked down at the small box then back at my mother, who was smiling. “Just follow your heart, Dante. Whatever you do, we’ll all support you.” She kissed me on the cheek then nudged me toward the door. “Now go find Tanisha.”
I found Tanisha exactly where I had expected—the observation deck of the Empire State Building. She was standing by herself in a corner, gazing out the window, looking every bit as exhausted as I felt. I wondered if she had slept at all last night. I knew I hadn’t.
“Pretty view, huh?” I asked quietly as I approached her.
“Dante…” Her eyes were wet with tears. She quickly tried to wipe them.
I didn’t know where to start, so I just held out my hand to her. She took my hand, and I hugged her. She cried on my shoulder for a long time before either one of us spoke. When she finally stepped back, wiping her eyes, she said, “I’m sorry.”
I placed my finger on her lips. “Shhh.
I’m
the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like I did last night. I just got jealous and I felt betrayed.”
“Dante, I wanted to tell you…I was so scared you wouldn’t want to be with me if you knew. I just didn’t wanna mess things up.”
“It’s okay, baby. I shouldn’t have gone off the way I did. I didn’t even give you a chance to explain anything. I love you, Tanisha. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”
“I love you, Dante, and I want this to work.”
“Do you love me enough to marry me?” I pulled out the ring my mother had given me. I hadn’t planned on giving her the ring then but it just seemed like the right time.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“But what about your mother? Your father’s election?”
“My mother’s the one who gave me the ring. She wants me to marry you.”
She stared at me in disbelief for a few seconds then said, “Then yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She jumped up in the air and wrapped her arms around my neck. Our kiss left no question about the feelings that we shared for each other. I wrapped her in my arms and held her tightly, thinking I would never let her go. I had faith that we would be able to work through everything. It was only a matter of time before we’d be walking down the aisle.
When I was growing up, I was never sure I would get married, but if I did, I wanted it to be on a warm summer day. On this Saturday at the end of August, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, and it was the happiest day of my life—the day I was to become Mrs. Dante Wilson. My wedding was like a fairy tale, kind of like the marriage of Princess Diana to Prince Charles, only ghetto style. First Lady Wilson even rented a gold and white carriage to be driven from the church down Merrick Boulevard to Antun’s catering hall.
I was standing in the bridal chamber, admiring myself in the full-length mirror. My dress was simple yet chic, and although not too revealing, it showed my figure well. I was shocked when Dante’s mother told me at the dress shop that she approved. Then again, she did pick it out. I hate to say this, but my wedding was bigger than Donna’s. Much bigger. She said there were almost six hundred people invited to our wedding. Most of them I didn’t know, but I guess that’s what happens when you give the first lady time to plan.
Earlier, when I peeked out into the sanctuary, I saw photographers, video cameras, and news reporters everywhere. There was even a man from
Jet
magazine who was going to take our picture for their “Society World” section. Of course, most of this attention was not for me, but for Bishop Wilson, whose campaign for borough president was running stronger than ever as Election Day approached, but I didn’t mind accepting some of the reflection off his spotlight.
I saw Aubrey standing in a small white tux next to Donna’s husband. My brother waved at me and smiled. I think he was almost as happy as I was on this day. Dante had been so good to him, and I know Aubrey was looking forward to having a strong man in his life. I smiled back and blew Aubrey a kiss. White roses and corsages flashed by my eyes in a blur as I closed the door.
I turned to Natasha, my bridesmaid. She looked gorgeous in her peach-colored satin dress. “I can’t believe how wonderful my new mother-in-law has been. She’s footed the entire bill and has attended to all the details,” I told her.
“And to think we thought she was a—”
I cut her off. “Natasha, we in church.”
“Oops. My bad.” She covered her mouth. “Here, let me help you with that veil.”
She pinned the veil with its long train to my head, then stepped back to admire her work. She nodded. “There you go. You look good. You look like a beautiful baby doll. If only those girls from the club could see you now.”
I turned toward the full-length mirror to see for myself. She was right. My hair fell below my shoulders in banana curls, and with the simple white gown and veil, it made me look more innocent than I had ever seen myself. I guess love does that for you.
The door swung open and Donna came waddling in, round belly and all, holding her hand on the small of her back. In spite of her wide girth, she looked beautiful in her gown. She’d just been taken off bed rest, and I was so happy she was able to be at the wedding as my matron of honor. She had been my biggest supporter in the Wilson household from the day I met her.
“Donna, you look glowing,” I said as I hugged her.
“Girl, I’m miserable.” She wiped beads of sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief she was carrying. “I feel like this baby’s gonna drop any minute. I hope it doesn’t come during the wedding.”
“Hush your mouth. Don’t be jinxing my wedding. Your baby isn’t due for six more weeks.” I pulled out a chair so she could sit.
“I ain’t jinxing your wedding, but I will give you a word of advice. Don’t ever get pregnant during the summertime.”
I laughed. “I don’t care when I get pregnant. I wanna have lots and lots of Dante’s babies.”
As we laughed, there was a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” I called out.
“It’s Aubrey,” my brother answered from the hallway. “I got a surprise for you.”
“Come on in, Aubrey.”
When the door opened, my mouth flew open. Standing in the doorway, holding Aubrey’s hand, was my mother. Aubrey was smiling so hard he looked like his face would crack. I was in shock. Even with nearly six hundred guests, she was the last person I expected to see. I had spent so many months refusing to visit her in jail, but in my heart I knew I couldn’t stay angry with her forever. As my wedding day approached, I had even considered going to see her. No matter how angry or hurt I had been, it just didn’t feel right getting married without letting her know. I had never built up the courage to go see her, so I was overjoyed now that she was actually there.
“Momma!” I jumped up and ran to her.
“Tanisha!” She held me tightly as we both cried.
When I finally recovered from the shock of seeing my mother on my wedding day, I asked, “Momma, how’d you get here? How’d you know about this? How’d—”
My mother laughed. “Slow down, Tanisha. I’m here, and that’s all that matters right now.” She reached out and placed her hand gently on my cheek. “I can’t believe this is you. Baby, you’re beautiful.”
“I can’t believe
you’re
looking so good, Momma. Look at you. You done gained all your weight back.” I stepped back and admired her transformation. She was looking so healthy I wanted to cry. For one, it wasn’t unusual for her to get down to a size 3 when she was using that stuff. Even her hair had grown out and was pulled into a nice upswept style to complement her elegant chiffon dress.
“Um, Tanisha?” Donna’s voice surprised me. I was so taken aback by my mother’s arrival that I had forgotten there were other people in the room.
“Oh, Donna, I’m sorry. Let me introduce you to my mother, Marlene. Ma, this is Dante’s sister, Donna. As you can see, she’s going to have a baby”—I patted Donna’s stomach—“and I can’t wait to be an auntie.”
“Pleased to meet you, Donna.” My mother reached out to shake Donna’s hand, but Donna pulled her in for an embrace.
“Welcome to the family, Marlene.”
“You know Natasha,” I said to my mother when Donna released her.
“How you doing, Marlene?”
“Fine, Natasha. I’m just glad to be home.”
“I know that’s right.”
Donna and Natasha both managed to quickly find excuses to leave my mother and me alone. “Come on, Aubrey,” Donna said. “Let’s go find my brother and see how nervous he is.”
When we were alone, I led my mother to sit next to me on the small love seat in the corner. I stared at her in amazement for a moment before I finally said, “I missed you, Momma. And I really can’t believe you’re here.”
“I know,” she answered. “I wasn’t so sure I would make it here myself.”
“I thought you weren’t getting out for another few weeks.”
“I got an early release for good behavior.”
“But how did you know about the wedding?” I asked in total confusion.
“Dante. He’s been visiting me for quite a while now.”
I was amazed. “He’s been visiting you?”
“Yeah. He was coming every week to tell me about you and Aubrey. He’s a good man, Tanisha. You’re lucky to have him.”
“I know,” I told her.
“Look, I know you might not believe me, but I love you and Aubrey more than anything in this world. Dante’s updates were the only thing that kept me going while I was locked up.”
I felt terrible. I hadn’t been able to set aside my pain and visit my mother, who was also obviously suffering. Her addiction had stolen so much from all of us, but I had reached a point where I started blaming her, rather than her addiction. She needed help, and I had turned my back on her. My guilt, though, was soon overshadowed by an overwhelming love for my mother, and also for Dante, who had stood by her side when I didn’t have the strength.
I held her hand and cried as I apologized. “Momma, I said some terrible things to you at the jail, and then I wasn’t there to visit you even once.”
“It’s all right, baby. That’s what helped me get my head together. I’m finally seeing life as it really is for the first time in…” She stopped. I think she and I were both overwhelmed as we realized just how long our lives had been in chaos because of her addiction. “Anyhow, this is the first time since you were twelve that I’ve been without drugs for more than a few days.”
I hugged her tightly. “I didn’t know you were getting out or I would have invited you.”
“That doesn’t matter. I’m here, and I love you, baby girl.”
We obviously had so much to talk about, but she was right. All that mattered now was that she was here with me.
“I love you, too, Ma. You’ve made my day. Now everything will be perfect.”
“Well, I’m going to have my son march me into the church. I’m going to sit in the front row as the mother of the bride.”
She gave me one more hug then left the room to find my brother. I watched her leave, still amazed that she was at my wedding and that it was Dante who had gotten her here. Things were definitely looking up, and I couldn’t wait to walk down that aisle and become the wife of the most wonderful man in the world.