by Untamed
“Who you telling? It was like a war zone in there over the stove and the refrigerator. My pops didn’t have a chance,” he said with a chuckle.
“When you’re there, I bet he still doesn’t have a chance,” I joked.
He shrugged. His expression turned solemn. “Actually, I wish he were there. I’d sacrifice all the food for him. He died of a stroke two years ago.”
A gasp escaped me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. That’s what I get for opening my big mouth,” I apologized sorrowfully.
He touched my hand, which caused my words to halt in my throat. “It’s okay. You didn’t know, and I brought him up anyway. I’m at peace with it. He’s in a better place.”
My eyes fluttered up from our hands to meet his gaze, and I smiled at him. “I admire your strength.”
“Shit, I admire yours,” he countered, lightening the mood while soliciting a light blush of shock from me.
“Me?” I asked, pointing to myself.
“Yes, yours,” he replied and took a sip of his soda. “I have to admit I’ve had a good life, so I know the efforts of hard work, but not struggle. I’ve never had to. That’s what makes me admire you. No matter what, you keep on trucking, and you’re a hard worker, too.”
“Hell, I’ve never known a person who didn’t have to struggle. It’s nice to find someone who can actually say their life was good.”
“It’s due to my parents. They were married for thirty-five years before my dad passed. My mom is a retired RN, and my dad was a sergeant in the military for fifteen years before he retired and worked as an IT technician for the remainder of his life. They were the classic couple. They met in high school, got married right after they graduated, and my dad went off into the military. My mom finished nursing school, worked, and tended to us boys, which I’m sure was a feat, especially since we’re all two years apart. My oldest brother, Daniel Jr., is thirty-two, Levi is thirty, and I’m the baby at twenty-eight.”
“Wow. That’s so wonderful. I swear I wish I had a family like that,” I said sadly.
“It is great. My parents raised some great boys, if I do say so myself. Dad taught us to love and respect God first, then family, and to always be a provider, protector, and a loving husband. All of us graduated and are doing well. Daniel went into the military and has a wife and two little boys. They are in living in Germany right now. Levi is a computer systems analyst and lives in Savannah. He’s getting married next year. His fiancée and he have a one-year-old daughter, who is my mom’s pride and joy, especially since she’s a girl. And I pride myself on being the closest to both my mom and dad. You know the baby of the family gets the shine,” he teased. “But enough about me. Tell me about you,” he requested, then bit into his burger.
“When you come from a good background, it’s a little easier to discuss than when you don’t. So how about you just tell me about this opportunity instead?” I said, attempting to skirt the conversation by shoving a French fry in my mouth.
He sat back and stared at me in disbelief. “I just sat here and told you damn near my entire upbringing, and you won’t give me a little bit of info? That’s not even fair. I’m not telling you jack until you give me something,” he joked with a smirk on his face.
“Come on. That’s not fair.” I threw my hands up with laughter. “You told me to meet you here for the info. You’re the one who walked down memory lane.”
“Oh, and your little comment about my ‘chick’ staying in the kitchen didn’t start this whole conversation? You think you’re slick, Lucinda,” he chuckled.
Shaking my head, I shrugged. “My story is nowhere near as nice as yours,” I warned.
“Then tell me what you want. It can’t be all ugly. You turned out to be a good woman.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” I blushed coyly. “Okay, okay,” I caved. “At twenty-one, I’m the oldest of eight children.”
“Wow!” he screeched in sheer amazement. “Eight kids?”
“Yeah. I’m more amazed that my parents aren’t together since it’s obvious that they did enjoy each other,” I said half-jokingly. “Jose is eighteen, Lucy is seventeen, Ana is twelve, Jorge and Emmanuel are twins, and they are ten, Luz is eight, and the baby, Peter, he is seven.”
“I don’t see how your mom does it. To have a twenty-one-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son, that’s like starting over,” he said, shaking his head.
“Hell, everyone who doesn’t know us swears Nadia is her child because she just kept having children,” I kidded. “But, jokes aside, she manages well. She’s the person I admire because I’m about to go crazy trying to provide for one child. How she manages seven is beyond me.”
“I feel you on that,” he agreed, eating his chili dog.
“My dad—and I use that term loosely—left my mom when Peter was four years old. He ran off with this chick named Maria, who is now his wife. That woman—and I use that term loosely as well—is only two years older than me. Now where they do that at? Anyway, they have a one-year-old daughter named Eva together, and Maria has a four-year-old daughter named Rosemary. So in all, I have eight siblings and one stepsister. My mom works as a housekeeper by day and a CNA by night. My dad is a local truck driver. He makes decent money, and we were doing okay up until he left. He’s more focused on his new family and doesn’t think about my siblings at home, or me, for that matter,” I shared.
He shook his head. “I just can’t see it. After all those years and children, that in itself is enough for a man to stick beside his woman. My mom used to tell me all the time that having a baby is as close to death as you can get without dying. To me, I figure if a woman, especially your wife, loves you enough to bear your kids, especially eight of them, that should stand for something.”
“Your mom is a wise woman, and I agree with her. As for my parents, I don’t know all the details, but I know my mom loved my dad. I noticed the arguments and the shift in the household. When your parents don’t get along, you can tell it. My dad cheated, and when my mom found out, she lost it. I’m not sure if they tried to make it work, but the next thing I knew, he moved out, they got a divorce, and he married Maria.”
“Damn,” Aldris said, sounding disheartened. “Tell me about this Raul character, Nadia’s dad,” Aldris requested with a scowl on his face, yet obviously wanting to change the subject. “Has everything worked out on that end?”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “I know you were trying to spare me, but I was enjoying myself until that puto’s name came up. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but it would be so much easier if foresight were twenty-twenty instead,” I said as he cracked an apologetic smile. “I have no doubt in my mind that he plotted that whole scenario to get fired from his job so that he wouldn’t be able to pay child support. I haven’t confirmed it, but it’s the only logical reason. But he got a nice surprise, because he’s not getting out until he’s all caught up with his payments. I wish I had the mindset then that I have now. I never would’ve messed with Raul to begin with. It was a high school love, and we were doing things we shouldn’t have at that age, and like so many other young girls, I got caught up. Unfortunately, Raul proved to be like so many other young boys: irresponsible,” I explained between bites of food.
Aldris shook his head. “So many young men are so misguided these days. Guys like that are so quick to defend their mothers and then go out there, make a baby, and leave their child and the mother to fend for themselves. It makes no sense to me. That’s why I volunteer as a big brother for the Boys Club. A couple times out of the month, I meet up with Raheem, my little brother, and I take him places so we can have fun and have serious talks. Since I don’t have a son, I feel like that is my way of making sure one young man grows up to be a real man.”
I was taken aback. I had no idea that he was a big brother. “You’re just an all-around good guy, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say that. Just because I haven’t been caught up doesn’t mean I wasn’
t out there doing what it takes to make a child. Trust me. I could’ve easily been a high school boy with a child.”
“But you would’ve handled your responsibility,” I interjected.
“Very true.”
“Well, anyway, why don’t you tell me how you got into the health insurance business?” I asked, ready to move on from that topic.
“I’d always been curious about the medical field because my mom is a nurse, but the politics of the health care industry are what really interest me. I went to college and received my bachelor’s and master’s in health care management. I started out as an account representative for United Cignal and then moved over to National Cross HealthCare and worked up to be a manager. What about you?”
“Job hunting to get out of my mom’s house with Nadia is how I ended up at National Cross,” I clowned, though I was being serious.
“Lucinda, you keep it real all the time. There ain’t no cutting corners with you, I see,” he declared, rolling with laughter.
I shrugged. “I am how I am, and that is straight up. What you see is what you get over here. I told you our lives were very different. Your life was so clean-cut, planned, and organized. Mine was on the other end of the spectrum. I appreciate your kindness, though. You’re a cool dude. That’s why I’m surprised that you don’t have a chick.”
He sighed and gazed off as he finished up his burger. I bit my chili dog, observing him quietly. What I said affected him, and I wanted to know what it was since he wanted us to have this personal conversation. “Oh, so I’ve finally hit a nerve that Mr. Aldris doesn’t want me to touch. Since you playing a hundred and one questions today, you’re going to have to spill it,” I told him matter-of-factly.
Returning his gaze to my direction, he released a slow, deliberate groan and conceded. “I did ask for it, huh?”
“Yep, it was you who said you weren’t telling me jack until I gave you something. I believe that was the same Aldris who sits here. I’m not listening to anything else until you spill your beans.”
“Now that’s not fair,” he chuckled.
“Oh yes, turnabout is always fair play,” I playfully protested.
He wiped his hands, then leaned back, preparing to tell me the story. “I had a woman. Her name was Jennifer. We went to the same college, and we met while I was working on my master’s degree. I can’t even speak a bad word about her. She was beautiful, educated, and she loved me like no other woman I’d ever known besides my mom,” he said, getting quiet.
“What happened?” I pressed. “You’re a good dude, and she sounds like she was a good chick.”
He took a sip of his Coke and continued. “Me,” he admitted honestly. “I cheated on her. I cheated a lot. Hell, I was young, in the prime of my life, and I wasn’t ready for a relationship. Anyone with a pretty face, a nice waist, and a fat ass caught my eye. I’m not excusing my actions. I’m just trying to let you know where my mind was at back then. After two years of dating, my mom said I should marry her. Hell, Jennifer was hinting around it herself, even though she’d caught me cheating once before. She forgave me like a lot of women normally do, so I felt pressured to ask her to marry me, and of course, she said yes. We even moved in together. I swear I tried my best to fly the straight and narrow path, but after three months, I was on the prowl again. She caught me twice with the same girl, once at a restaurant and the next time in our bed. That was the last straw for her. She took my ring off and moved out. A month later, she transferred to another college back in her home state of Virginia, and she’s never spoken to me since.
“I felt like shit afterward. No other woman satisfied me, nor did they do any of the things she would do for me, and I realized for the first time what I really had in her. Right then and there, I vowed never to treat another woman like that in my life, and I haven’t. But like you said, turnabout is fair play, or as I’d like to say, karma is a bitch. The last two females I was in a relationship with only lasted between three and six months, and both of them dogged me out. Funny thing is, last year, I heard from one of our old college buddies that Jennifer is married and pregnant with her first child, and to this very day, she can’t stand the sound of my name. So that’s my story.”
Most females would probably be upset with him about his past, but I wasn’t. Truth be told, all of us have to grow into maturity in different areas in our life, and a lot of times, someone else gets hurt in the process. That’s why I tried to work with Raul for as long as I did. I tried to give him time to accept his responsibility, but for Nadia’s welfare, I could no longer wait. Besides, there’s a difference between someone wanting to and making an effort to change, and someone who was just being an ass. Raul wasn’t trying to change, but Aldris did. That’s the difference.
“I really respect that about you. It’s honorable. It takes a strong man to admit his shortcomings and work to fix them. Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven.”
He smiled. “I like that. I might have to cop that from you.”
“Go ahead. I’m sure I copped it from somebody,” I giggled.
“Thanks for not judging me based on that, too,” he said sincerely.
I rolled my eyes. “Hey, I owed you one.”
He gave a knowing chuckle and put his hand up as if to say, “Let’s not get on that subject.”
“Don’t mention it.”
To lighten the mood, I teased him. “Could you mention to me why you had me meet you here in the first place? That would be nice.”
“You are a handful! I swear to God, woman,” he said as we shared a laugh. “But check it. My homegirl Suzette Hall is the office manager for the Doctors of Orthopedic Medicine.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of them. They are like ranked in the top ten in the nation of orthopedic doctors,” I added.
“Right,” he concurred. “Their practice has grown tremendously, and they’ve decided to start an at-home claims processing center where people work on their claims at night. She called me because she needs three full-time employees and three part-time employees to hire.”
“What?” I asked in amazement.
“Yep. Potential candidates have to have at least two years of experience and have to be willing to work between the hours of five p.m. and six a.m. Full-time is forty hours a week, and part-time is a minimum of twenty-five hours, no more than thirty-five hours per week. If you’re full-time, you can get benefits, and get this, the starting pay is $17.50 per hour. Plus, you get paid once a week, and she’s doing immediate hiring, so you don’t have to wait to work,” he explained excitedly.
“You’ve got to be shitting me!” I nearly climbed out of my seat.
“No, I’m not, and here’s the best part: I told her about you and asked her to keep a full-time and part-time position available. She promised that she would. In fact, I bragged on you so much that she promised me that if you interviewed with her and she hired you, she’d pay you $18.50 per hour.”
Without warning, I jumped up and hugged him, nearly knocking him over. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Oh God! I can’t believe this! I’m so nervous and excited,” I said, squeezing him tight.
He hugged me back. “You’re very welcome.”
I noticed the other patrons looking at us as if we were crazy, so I eased back in my seat. I pushed my other chili dog back and waved my hands. “I’m so jacked up on adrenaline right now I can’t even eat.”
“See why I wanted to relax, eat, and then discuss it?” he asked, and I nodded. “I have her office number, and she’s expecting your call tomorrow to set up an interview. You must have a desktop computer, and she gave me a list of all the necessary computer capabilities. Oh yeah, and as far as you getting fired, don’t mention that to her. I told her you had to quit because you were going to college during the day to get your degree. I have you covered.”
My mind was racing a mile a minute. I couldn’t believe how Aldris had come through for me. This dude was freaking awesome. See what happens when I step as
ide and let God direct my path? Here I was fired from one job and quitting the other, and now I was in college and on my way to a decent-paying job during the hours I needed. Yes, I was claiming it. I even had enough money to buy a computer thanks to my gig at Club Moet.
“Wow, this is so awesome! You’re awesome, and I can’t thank you enough,” I said, taking the contact information from Aldris as well as the computer requirements. I looked at the specifications and realized it was Greek to me. “Um, I have to go buy a computer, and since your dad was an IT guy, do you know what any of this means?”
“I know what all of it means. I’m great with computers. It runs in the family,” he said, looking at the list. “This is talking about your memory and drives—” he began as he pointed to one of the items on the list.
“Look, dude, I have no idea about drives and stuff. RAM and cleaning out cookies is about the extent of this chick’s IT skills. If you don’t mind . . . I mean, if you have some time today, would you mind going with me to pick out a good computer?” I interrupted.
“That depends on two things.”
I furrowed my brow. “It depends on what?”
“First, it depends on if you can stop calling me a dude and yourself a chick. I’m all for slang, but there’s just something about when you say that you’re a chick, I don’t know, you make it sound like you think you’re unworthy of being called a woman. And that is definitely not the case. I’m a man and you, Miss Lady, are definitely one hell of a woman,” he clarified with a sweet compliment.
He caught me so off guard that I gave a casual shrug at first. “I never really thought about it. I guess in a way you’re right. That’s just my expression because I’m just a down-ass, round-the-way kinda chick.”
He snapped his fingers. “That’s it! See what I mean? You’re not just that. Okay, yeah, you are cool and down, but you are more than that. Don’t put yourself in a box like that, because you’re a woman first who is cool and down.”
Blushing intensely, I glanced away momentarily to regain my composure. “Okay, I get your point. I can feel you on that.” I wasn’t offended, because he made a lot of sense. Accepting what he’d said and moving on, I asked, “What else does it depend on?”
