“I feel guilty on so many levels, Rock,” she started. “Like, it’s never been my place as a child to go against my parents. I love them. I respect them. But I have gone against them, fussed, raised my voice, borderline disrespected them, for the right reasons, of course, trying to get my mother to take her meds, trying to get my dad to take it seriously and do what I was trying to do - trying to get my brother to care enough to get involved. She listens to him, more than me,” Naomi huffed.
“I feel guilty every time I tell my kid sister that its’ not going to get her, that she’s not susceptible to the condition. But that’s not necessarily true, Rocky. She could get it. Natalie is at the right age for onset, and she’s scared, and I know it. Yet, I try to convince her that she’s gonna be okay. Hell, I feel guilty for being mad about having to raise my damn sister.”
Naomi exhaled, audibly, heavily to the point that her shoulders not only slumped but seemed to cave in.
“Rocky, I have been taking care of Natalie since she was born, and I resent that shit. Then I feel guilty for feeling that way.”
Naomi didn’t want to drink anymore. The tequila was good going down, but it riled in her gut because there was nothing to absorb it, to counteract it. She also didn’t want to feel the plethora of things she was feeling. Noel sat back on the couch and allowed her head to fall back onto the cushion. Her eyes were tilted upwards, but she wasn’t looking at anything in particular. She was tired, though; from the emotional rollercoaster earlier in the day to the emotional floodgate conversation with Racquel, Naomi was tired.
Racquel watched her friend’s eyes begin to close. Rocky had more questions. She wanted to understand what Naomi had been going through. But when Na yawned and started to nestle in on the couch, Rocky decided everything could wait.
“Come on, Naomi,” Racquel said, scooting to the edge of the couch and then standing up. She moved along the couch and reached for Naomi’s hand. Na opened her eyes enough to see Racquel reaching for her. Taking Racquel’s hand into her own, she stood up with Rocky’s assistance. Once Naomi was on her feet, Racquel wrapped her arm around Naomi’s waist and walked her to one of the guest rooms.
“Stay here tonight,” Racquel encouraged, helping Naomi to sit on the bed.
“No, Rock, I don’t want to be in the way,” she sleepily protested, trying to push herself to standing. Naomi was unsuccessful. Her legs weren’t willing.
“You’re staying, end of story,” Racquel insisted, gently pushing Naomi’s shoulder. There was no resistance there. She fell back onto the bed, despite still trying to protest verbally. Racquel bent down and swung Naomi’s legs onto the bed, taking off her shoes. The bed felt so good to Na when she stopped fighting it. She took one of the pillows and tucked it under her head as Racquel spread the cover over her legs.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Na. Love you.”
“Love, you.”
Chapter Five
Mom, mom, please! Don’t go so close. You’re going to fall. Please, mom, please! You’re gonna fall!!
Racquel was in bed when Khalid got home, but she wasn’t asleep. She couldn’t sleep. Racquel’s mind wouldn’t let her. It was consumed with the things Naomi shared with her.
How could I have been so blind, was the question that continued to replay in her mind. She thought about all the time she spent at the Singleton home, cooking in the kitchen with Mrs. Ruby, having dinner, hanging out, spending the night. Rocky had spent about as much time with the Singleton’s then she did at her own home. At least, that’s what it felt like. Their home was her home away from home, and not once had she seen anything that made her suspicious of what Naomi talked about. Nothing. Mrs. Ruby was always happy, incredibly happy. That’s one of the reasons Rocky enjoyed going there so much is because Mrs. Ruby was never sad, unlike her house some time. Like those times when her father couldn’t hide how sad he was or how lonely he was. That didn’t happen very often when Rocky would see her dad down. But when he was, the sadness was pervasive and all-consuming. So, going to the Singleton’s was a reprieve from the sadness.
“What are you so deep in thought about that you didn’t hear your husband come in?” Khalid asked as he leaned his tall frame against the door jamb. He’d been standing there more than a minute watching Racquel.
When she heard Khalid’s voice, it startled her and drew Racquel out of her own thoughts into the present.
“Oh, hey babe,” she smiled.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Khalid strolled across their bedroom until he reached his wife. Racquel sat up in the bed, inclining herself to him. He leaned down and kissed her lips, reminding Racquel of how much she missed Khalid every time he was away.
“So, what captured your thoughts so intensely,” he asked, lifting Racquel to standing and pulling her in close. He didn’t sit down on their bed in his outside clothes. Nothing external to the two of them would ever grace their marital bed.
“Naomi is here,” Racquel answered, lacing her arms around Khalid’s neck.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes, and no,” Rocky sighed. “She’s got a lot on her mind,” Racquel explained. “Had a little too much to drink, which is why she’s staying tonight.”
“You’re worried about her,” Khalid observed.
“I am,” Racquel sighed. “I wish there was something I could do to take her mind off things, at least for a little while.”
“Well, give it some thought, beloved. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“I hope so,” Racquel replied, resting her head against Khalid’s muscular chest.
“You will because you’re a good friend.”
Racquel held on to her man, feeling his strong arms around her.
“I think I’ve got it,” she said with a smile.
Mom, mom, please! Don’t go so close. You’re going to fall. Please, mom, please! You’re gonna fall!!
The scenario kept repeatedly playing in her mind. Naomi tossed and turned even though her mind was tired, and she was sleeping. But her dreams were continuously plagued.
Mom, mom, please!” She begged, teetering nearly on the edge of the roofline herself, desperately reaching for her mother.
“Weee!” Ruby danced. She was in her own world, closer to the Man upstairs, looking up at the clouds that seemed so close she could just about touch them. She just had a little further to reach. Ruby lifted onto her tiptoes as her heels lifted from what was keeping her planted and safe on solid ground.
“Don’t go so close, mommy, please,” Naomi begged, hot tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. Blinking the blur from her eyes, Naomi scooted closer. She could almost reach her mother with her outstretched hand. Naomi’s fingers tingled and quivered as she stretched beyond her capacity, still refusing to look down because of her fear of heights. But she would do anything to save her mother, moving even closer to the edge herself. Naomi’s heart thumped so hard in her chest; it nearly deafened her inner ear. But she wouldn’t give up. She had to save her even if it meant risking her own life.
You’re going to fall, oh God, mom, you’re scaring me so bad right now, please mom, just back up a little bit, just a little bit, Naomi begged. Even in her dreams, her brow was peppered with sweat, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
“Jesus loves me this, I know! I can almost touch him, Naomi! I can almost touch him!”
Please, mom, please! You’re gonna fall!!
Just a little bit more,” Ruby smiled and stretched as far as her tiptoes would allow, reaching high up to the sky with reckless abandon and no fear. God was with her, and she confidently took the first step to reach the Man upstairs.
“Mommy, NOOOOO!”
“Uh!” Naomi gasped, startled from sleep. Her eyes were wide, and her breathing was jagged. The thundering of her heart quickened even more, and when she felt the coolness on her forehead from the beads of sweat chilled from her swift uprightness, Naomi’s quivering hand swiped at her brow. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and it took Naomi
more than a moment to remember, to orient herself to exactly where she was. Even though her hard thumping heart continued to race as the nightmare didn’t go away when she woke up. And then the pound in her chest was mimicked by the pound in her head—the tequila.
“Ugh,” she moaned as it all registered uncomfortably at the same time. It would take Naomi a while to settle back in, but she wouldn’t sleep as deep, not the second time around.
“Well, good morning sunshine,” Racquel sang as Naomi drug into the kitchen. It wasn’t really morning any longer, as the clock on the stove read noon. But Naomi got the idea. When she awakened, there was a set of pajamas and a housecoat for her to wear, laid out on the chair in the guest room. There were also fresh towels set out for her. The shower and fresh change of clothes did make Naomi feel some better, but it was the warming smell of hot coffee that drew Naomi there.
“Morning,” she mumbled, her voice raspy, and her eyes held tight. The brightness of the sun, combined with the opened blinds, was an assault on Naomi’s visual senses. It made her head throb a bit more.
“Are you hungry?” Racquel asked. She was way too bright-eyed and bubbly for Naomi’s liking.
“Uhn uhn,” Naomi groaned.
“But a good breakfast and some fresh coffee are actually what you need to deal with what I presume is a hangover.”
“I don’t think my stomach can handle it,” Naomi protested.
“Well, we’re going to see,” Racquel chimed. “I need you to get it together for our girls’ day out.”
Naomi’s brow furrowed, and the frown infiltrated her mouth.
“I don’t think I’m up for all of that.”
“Excuse me?” Racquel quipped, cranking her neck, and sliding a hand up her ample hip. “What woman refuses a day at a luxurious spa, with facial, deep massage, mani, and Pedi, all paid for by her best friend?”
“Not many?” Naomi questioned jokingly.
“Not any,” Racquel corrected. “So, let me get you right so we can get right together.”
Naomi acquiesced as Racquel moved around the kitchen, preparing to cook breakfast. But before commencing, Rocky went to the cupboard and retrieved two coffee mugs. She poured a cup of the hot liquid for both of them and added a little something extra for Naomi.
“My head hurts, Rocky. Why are you putting Kahlua in my coffee?”
“Because, Na, not only does a hearty breakfast and staying hydrated reduce the hangover, a little drink in the morning bolsters it,” she explained. “Trust me. Drink your coffee while I work these pans.”
Naomi did as Rocky suggested, sipping her spiked coffee.
“Is Khalid here,” Naomi asked, conscious of herself in the bathrobe.
“No, he left early this morning, handling business.”
“The way you’re smiling and flitting around this kitchen, it sounds like he handled business in more than one way,” Naomi sassed.
“Mmhmm,” Racquel hummed. “So, mind your own,” she continued. “Business that is.” The girls laughed.
“Girl, if I only had some,” Naomi sighed.
“Tareef, honey, ain’t that your business?”
“I thought I explained that to you last night,” Naomi replied. “I for real want that to be my business, but I’m not sure how that’s working out.”
“Well, if it's supposed to be, then it will, Na.”
“The question is if it is supposed to be or I just want it to be.”
Naomi continued to drink her coffee as Racquel whipped up pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, fresh fruit, and orange juice. When she was done, she laid out the food self-service style with plates, napkins, and cutlery.
“About all that stuff I was saying last night,” Naomi began.
“What about it?”
“I didn’t mean to dump my troubles at your front door.”
“Isn’t that what friends are for, Naomi? To help shoulder each other’s burdens?”
“Yea, but I feel bad,” she continued. “You lost your parent, and here I am with the audacity to complain about mine?”
Racquel sat her fork on the edge of the plate and made sure she held Naomi’s eyes with her own as she spoke. “I need you to listen to me, and not just hear me but listen because I don’t want to have to repeat this again.”
Naomi knew she was in for some loving chastisement and braced herself for it.
“We all have our own situations, our own crosses to bear. Now, I’m not trying to go all religious or anything like that, but I believe it’s true. We all have our own stories, our own mountains to climb, our own situations. One cannot be compared to the other nor completely understood by another person. But that’s why we have people around us who are willing to support, and I don’t mean saying dumb shit like ‘I understand’ because no two situations are alike. No two people are alike, so no one else, even if they have gone through something similar, can completely understand what another person is going through. So, you won’t hear me say that. What you will hear me say is whatever you need me to do, I’m here. Whatever you need from me, I am here. If all you need for me to do is listen without comment or judgment, that’s why I’m here. And if you need a distraction like pampering at the damn spa, then guess what?”
“You’re here for that, too.”
“Good, then we don’t have to travel down that road again,” Racquel smiled. “Now, eat up cause honey, we have an appointment.”
Chapter Six
“Welcome back, Mrs. Ali,” the receptionist greeted as the two ladies entered Tranquility Reigns Spa.
Naomi stood a step back as Racquel and the receptionist spoke. Thankfully, her head felt a lot better. Racquel’s combination of home remedies worked wonders. Although they had not progressed into the actual spa, she already felt a shift in her energy. The calming colors on the wall in the lobby, the plants, waterfall, and aromatics all contributed to that shift.
If you ladies would like to follow me,” she said, leaving from behind her workstation and stepping out into the main hallway.
“Welcome back? How often are you at the spa, telling me you’re hard at work?” Naomi asked as they continued to follow the receptionist.
“Not that often,” Racquel smiled. “But Khalid and I were here a couple of weeks ago, on a midnight rendezvous.”
“Eww, ya’ll nasty,” Naomi teased.
“We are,” Rocky giggled. “but that’s what it’s called, Midnight Rendezvous, it’s a couple’s thing they do a few times a month.”
“Sounds amazing,” Naomi mused, wishing she could do something like that with the man of her dreams.
“It is, girl,” Racquel confirmed. “Couples massages with hot wax, rocks, feathers, whatever you like, and then the masseuse’s leave the room to let you finish on your own kind of amazing.”
“That sounds all kind of good, and devilish right about now,” Naomi smiled.
“It was,” Racquel said with a wink and a wicked smile.
“Here we are, ladies,” the receptionist commented, stopping at an extravagant door at the end of the hallway. “There is a dressing room to your left. When you finish changing, return to the lobby area. Have some tea and start your relaxation. An attendant will be with you shortly after that. Enjoy.”
The ladies passed through the door, and on the other side was the beginning of tranquility. The room colors were even more cooling and more calming than those in the lobby. Naomi could smell lemongrass essential oil permeating the atmosphere. White noise filters impacted the acoustics in the space. They changed into the luxurious bathrobes and slippers and returned to the inner lobby where there were several varieties of warm teas to choose from and chaise loungers to relax on. After the ladies finished their tea, an attendant arrived.
“We are so glad you are with us today. First on our achieving tranquility agenda is a mud bath, followed by our warm spring water refresher, stone massage, facial, and then we’ll finish with a manicure and pedicure. There will be light refreshments serve
d after your stone and deep tissue massages, and then after everything is complete, there will be time for you to relax further in the sauna and jacuzzi.”
“Sounds exhausting and delightful,” Naomi smiled.
“We may need someone to drive us home after all of this, girl.”
“You might,” the attendant chimed in. “It’s happened before.”
“I can imagine,” Naomi agreed.
“We’ll let’s get started, shall we?”
There were several rooms off the inner lobby.
“I’ve never had a mud bath before,” Naomi mentioned as they walked into the room. There were several oversized sunken tubs filled with therapeutic mud in a semicircle. In the center was an abstract fountain with shifting colors offered as a focal point.
“Then we’ll both experience it together for the first time,” Racquel replied.
“You can place your robes on the benches next to your baths. Champagne will be brought out in just a few minutes.”
Although neither one of the girls was unnaturally self-conscious about their bodies, they both appreciated the fact that they had the mudroom to themselves.
“How do we get in, just dive?” Naomi asked, looking down into the bath. The bottom was obscure because of the thickness of the substance inside.
Racquel wasn’t sure either. Standing on the edge, she extended her foot and dipped her toe in.
“It’s warm, she said, surprised. Extending her foot further, she stepped into the tub.”
“There are steps,” she said as she descended into the tub. Naomi followed suit, feeling first the temperature and thickness of the mud and then finding the solidness of the step underneath her foot. As she descended neck-deep into the mud, she felt along the wall. There was a ledge that extended long enough to stretch her legs on. When she got comfortable, Naomi could tell Racquel found the resting ledge, too.
“This is so weird but also kind of grounding,” Rocky replied as she settled in on the ledge.
“Now, I understand why children play in mud,” Naomi commented.
Tareef (The Brothers Ali Book 4) Page 4
