Mia looked at me for a moment. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said as I spotted Reggie watching us from the corner with an obvious smirk on his drunken face.
“Look, I’ll see you later,” I said as I made my way to the front door.
We were to stay over at Mia’s mother’s house. She had already given me a spare key to her house. I got back late that night and tried my best to be quiet as I made my way up the stairs to the bedroom where my overnight bag lay. Everyone was asleep. I didn’t see Mia and the TV was off. I didn’t want anyone to see me either; I looked like a wild man. My eyes were bloodshot because the drive and the day’s events had finally caught up with me. And . . . Meshell, whose house I had just left, had tried to wear me out. She couldn’t get enough.
I located the bedroom at the end of the hallway, went in and somehow managed to change into my pajama bottoms. I did remember to at least pack those. At home I usually slept in my Calvin’s. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
The next morning I probably would have slept the day away, but I was awakened by a gentle, timid knock at my door. It was Mia. I had propped myself up on two elbows and still had the sheet wrapped around me when Mia stuck her head in and asked if she could come in. I nodded.
“Hi, sleepyhead,” she said as she entered slowly and came over to sit by me on the bed.
“Hi,” I said. This girl always made me feel uneasy when we were alone. I didn’t know if I should cover up my exposed upper body or not.
“I wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready,” she said.
If she was uncomfortable with me being half naked, she didn’t show it.
“Listen, Christian, I wanted to say thank you for all you have done for me. I couldn’t have gotten through all this without you.” She then leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Mia, I would do anything for you. You know that. You are a good friend, just like Brice.”
Mia sat there as though she were letting this sink in for a while. Then I saw her staring at my bare chest.
“Where did you get that? That is sooo beautiful.”
She was referring to a gold cross that I always wore around my neck.
“That is really beautiful,” she said again as she gently lifted it up to get a better look. As she placed it back on my chest, her finger lingered there for a few seconds and I felt chills.
I coughed. “Huh, it belonged to my Moms. She wore it to church every Sunday. So when she passed, I received it. I wear it all the time. It never comes off.”
“Well, I had better help Mama set the table. Come down when you’re ready.”
After she had left and closed the door, I slowly laid back down. Not one lady I had slept with had ever even asked about my cross. Never. And I had slept with many. But Mia noticed.
I finally made it downstairs, after showering and dressing in jeans, sneakers and sweatshirt, and I had a delicious breakfast of grits, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and orange juice and coffee. I hadn’t realized I was so hungry.
The remainder of the morning was spent back over at Mia’s aunt Ruth’s. Finally, at around one o’clock, Brice arrived. He looked like he had been through hell and back. He had a day-old beard and bloodshot eyes. Brice looked horrible. As soon as Mia saw him, she ran into his arms. He held her and told her how sorry he was. We spoke and talked for a while, but for the rest of the evening they were inseparable.
That night we half watched a football game on TV at Mia’s house and basically crashed. The funeral was the next day, so everyone retired to bed rather early. We were all emotionally and physically drained by then anyway. I was the last to hit the sack because I felt restless and nervous for some reason. I turned off the TV about an hour after everyone else had gone up to bed. I lay in bed in the bedroom that Mia used to sleep in as a little girl and thought. Thought about my life up until that point in time.
Brice and Mia were next door in the guest bedroom because it was larger. I had lain in bed for what seemed like hours. The house was in total darkness and complete silence. Suddenly, I heard Mia crying softly in the stillness of the night. Evidently their bed faced the wall of the bed that I slept in. As I listened closer, I realized Mia wasn’t crying, but that what I heard were cries of ecstasy. I heard Mia softly moaning as Brice made love to her. I guess they were trying to be quiet, but the house was quiet and sound traveled. The sounds got louder and more urgent.
I heard Brice whispering something to her. I heard Mia calling out his name. And then more moaning and groaning. I fell asleep with images of Mia opening her silky legs to be entered and the cries of unborn babies. Babies that called me Daddy.
18
Mia
I
still can’t believe that Uncle Larry is gone. He was always my sunshine on a rainy day. After Daddy died, he was there for me and Mama and was a constant reminder of Daddy to me, since they looked so much alike and had that same fun-loving, compassionate nature. So many people tell me that I’m just like them; I take that as a compliment.
Uncle Larry once told me that Daddy would be so proud of me and what I’m doing with my life. He was always making me feel good about myself and my accomplishments, such as graduating with honors from Booker T. Washington High School and being accepted into college on scholarship.
To be honest, he wasn’t that thrilled about my quick marriage to Brice. Uncle Larry thought I was too young to marry. I still remember that conversation as if it took place yesterday. I was sitting on the sofa at Mama’s house, drinking a soda and watching
Ricki Lake
when Uncle Larry dropped by. I heard him and Mama in the kitchen whispering, so I was sure I was the topic of that whispered conversation. I continued to watch
Ricki Lake
. Uncle Larry finally appeared around the corner dressed in his usual khaki pants, work-shirt, cap and a big smile just for me.
“Hey, sweetpea”—that was a nickname that had stuck with me since birth—“what’s this I hear about you getting married on me?”
I turned away from the show, whose topic of the day was Men Who Control Their Women Too Much, and gave Uncle Larry my full attention.
“Mama couldn’t wait to call and tell you, could she?”
“Ahhh now, sweetpea, don’t be like that.You know your mama is only looking out for your well-being, and you should have been the one calling me.”
I just looked at him for a second and then smiled. I couldn’t be upset with him. Uncle Larry was my favorite uncle.
“Well . . .?”
“It’s true. I met this Marine, Brice Matthew,” I said as a faint smile crept across my face from just thinking about him. “I love him so much, Uncle Larry, and we are getting married in a few days.”
“Were you planning on informing your dear old uncle of this major event in your life?”
I just shrugged and looked away.
“Baby, what’s the rush? You don’t really know this man, and he is eight years older than you.”
“I love him and I know all I need to know. I see Mama didn’t leave out any of the details.”
Uncle Larry took his cap off and sat down on the love seat directly across from me.
“Mia, we are just concerned about you, that’s all. We don’t want you to rush into anything that you’ll regret later. You are known to leap first and look later.”
“Uncle Larry, you don’t understand. I love Brice so much. For the longest time, I have been looking for someone who could complete me and make me whole. I just know that he is my soul mate in life. We were meant to be together. We have so much in common, and he treats me so special. I feel like a queen when I’m with him. And age, age is nothing but a number. I have never felt anything like this with the boys I dated in the past.”
He sat there silently, gave me his undivided attention and stared intensely at me as I went on and on about Brice, the man of my dreams. I was trying my best to convince him that this marriage would work and was not a mistake. I wanted, no needed, his approval probably more than Mama’s.
He finally scratched his head and said, “I see you’ve put a lot of thought into this.You aren’t jumping in blindly. I don’t know about all of this destiny, fate stuff, but you have always been the romantic. Marriage is hard work, Mia. It’s not a game, and it’s not about playing house. It’s not something you can step into lightly.You take your vows seriously. It’s for better or for worse. And sometimes there may be more worse than better. Matthew . . . I vaguely remember or have heard of that family. They live over on Washington Street, don’t they?”
I nodded my head.
“Mia, I know your mama and me would like to keep you as an innocent child for as long as we can and shield you from the cruel world. Lord knows, you have seen and been through enough already. Sometimes I forget that you have grown into a beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman right before my eyes. Girl, I remember when you were knee high to a tadpole, running around in diapers, sucking on a pacifier.Your father would be so proud of you, but I know that he is looking down on you and he’s proud.
“I can’t tell you what to do or what not to do.You’re grown, but I’m not going to lie. I wish you would give this marriage thing some time. What’s the rush? If you love him so much and he loves you so much, then that love will still be there six months, a year from now. Get to know each other a little better first.”
“We don’t want to wait. I don’t want anyone else and neither does he. We know this is right.”
“Okay. You are headstrong just like me, so I can’t be mad. You’re going to do exactly what you want to anyhow. If he makes you happy, you tell this Brice that we welcome him into the family and he better not hurt my sweetpea in any way, form or fashion.You hear me?”
“Yes, sir, I hear you.” We both smiled, and Uncle Larry stood up to give me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“I love you, baby.You bring Brice by the house and let me meet the man who has stolen my baby girl away.”
“Okay, I’ll do that. But he hasn’t stolen me away. I’ll always be your sweetpea, no matter what.”
“I guess you’ll be moving to North Carolina, then.”
“Yes, but don’t worry about school. I’ll just transfer to a university there. I am going to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in education. Don’t worry about that.”
“You better! Mia, I give you my blessing. Brice is a lucky man, and I hope he knows that.”
That was that. After Uncle Larry gave us his blessing, Mama finally came around too. She really valued his opinion and respected him. Plans were finalized, Uncle Larry gave me away with a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes, and Brice and I were married. When the preacher pronounced us man and wife, I was the happiest lady in the world because I had searched high and low to find the one for me and I thought I had found my black knight.
We left for North Carolina right after the funeral. I really hated to leave Mama and everyone behind. So many relatives and friends came out to the funeral service because Uncle Larry had so many people who loved him. I still can’t get over how Brice and Christian were supportive. I couldn’t have gotten through this without them, especially Christian.
Christian never ceases to amaze me. Christian and Brice are alike in many ways, yet Christian has this tender, compassionate side that he keeps hidden. I’m not a psychiatrist or anything, but I feel that he never got over the death of his mother. I mean, he wears this beautiful cross next to his heart that belonged to his mother, which he hasn’t taken off since the day she died.
Yes, Brice and Christian have quite a rare bond and commitment to each other. I think it is wonderful, great, for two black men to have a strong bond. In this day and age, an unconditional love for each other is uplifting. Sometimes I think they can read each other’s minds; I know they can finish each other’s sentences. Brice would do anything for Christian, and vice versa. Actually, I sorta envy their relationship. I don’t have a girlfriend or cousin or anyone who is that close to me.
But getting back to Christian. He was unbelievable. He drove me to Atlanta and did whatever was needed once we got there. I never heard him complain, not even once. I have to do something special for him now that we are back, maybe cook dinner for him or buy him a CD. Well, probably not cook. Brice has him thinking that I’m the worst cook in the world. Christian would probably be afraid to eat anything I made. Brice was there for me as well, but sometimes I feel that his job comes before me.
Christian is so fine and he doesn’t even know it. Ummmm. He should find himself someone nice and settle down like me and Brice. I had gone into his room, my old bedroom, where he was sleeping, to thank him for everything when we were still in Georgia, and I woke him up. The brotha was fine. When I came in he was propped up in bed showing off that broad, muscle-toned, flat-as-an-ironing-board stomach of his. He was lying back with his legs spread open with only a thin sheet partially covering him from the waist down, and he had this sexy, sleepy look in his eyes. I thought at that moment,
Damn, just rub a little oil on him and he could be this month’s
Playgirl
centerfold
. Yeah, the brotha is definitely fine. I could only imagine what was underneath the sheet.