by Tiana Laveen
They went through the ceremony, just as rehearsed. The minister asked if there was anything Jessica wished to say. She nodded, then took hold of Kane’s hands. Looking into his eyes, she swallowed. It was obvious she was trying desperately not to cry.
“One day, I agreed to take a new mail route. I had no idea my life would forever change from that day forward. A devastatingly handsome man with bright blue eyes, standing six foot five and—”
“Yes, honey! Whew chile! Sorry, go ’head, Jessica!” someone called out, causing a ruckus of laughter.
“And he made my heart beat so fast… We became friends. He was smart and funny. We had a lot in common but I had no idea of the voyage we were about to go on, and so quickly, too.”
“That’s true. Due to my agoraphobia, we never went past my backyard. Wooo dawg! Lucky you, Jessica! Got you a winner! Adventure awaits!”
The church erupted in more laughter. She rolled her eyes and burst out laughing, then composed herself.
“It got to the point where we were inseparable. Wherever Kane was, I wanted to be, and vice versa. Now, here we are.” She blinked back tears. “Kane, I just want to tell you that I love you more than words can express. Thank you for loving me the way you do… lovin’ me from the inside out.”
Pockets of applause broke as she wiped at the corner of her eye.
“Kane, do you wish to share any words with Jessica?” the minister asked.
“Yes.” He sniffed and took a deep breath.
“Jessica, you made me improve my endgame. Not just in Chess, but in life. My grandfather taught me how to play Chess. Your father had taught you. That’s one of the things that initially brought us together. Two strong men had showed us how to navigate life, and we didn’t even know it until it was time to put those skills into good use.” Jessica nodded in agreement. “The objective of the game of Chess is to checkmate your opponent’s King. Sometimes though, you end in a stalemate. You can’t move… Something is holding you back. Sometimes that something is in your own head. Sometimes, it was something that happened a long time ago, a first or second move at the onset of the match that affected the entire game of life.”
His bride lowered her gaze, showing she needed a minute. They had an understanding… She knew. He knew. They grew.
“In the game of Chess, you lose along the way. Pieces are taken from you. In the game of life, people are taken from you. Many times, far too soon. But the game doesn’t end there. You have to keep playing, keep going, no matter what. Life doesn’t stop just because you stopped playing. It’s going to continue with or without you. You can put on a mask. You can hide. But someone out there still knows who you really are, and if you’re lucky enough, they’ll call you on it, remind you, even when you forget. You gotta stand up and not just exist. You have to play to win.
“You will never win if you never even try. Sometimes life isn’t fair, but really, that makes it all the more special when you not only have a good day, but you’re given a beautiful blessing in the form of a woman. Somebody so special, she sweeps you off your feet. In fact, Jessica here literally swept me off my feet by making me get in her truck under duress with threats of bodily harm while she sucked on a mint and threatened me some more. She then drove me to a gas station out in the middle of nowhere so I couldn’t get away. That, my friends, is how you get a significant other.”
The crowd roared with laughter as Jessica’s eyes bucked and she playfully struck him on the chest.
“Kane, you know dang well that’s not how that happened!” She chortled.
“It was pretty close. But anyway.” His smile faded and he drew thoughtful. “In all seriousness, I knew that this woman loved me the way I loved her. We were equal. She became… vulnerable for me. She made this nobody feel like somebody. Thank you for reminding me who God made me to be. I love you now and forever, baby.”
Emotions ran high. He felt them. The minister stepped forward and they exchanged rings then. Everyone went quiet and you could hear a pin drop.
“Now that Kane Westbrook and Jessica Franco have given themselves to each other by the promises they have exchanged, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Kane, you may kiss your bride.”
‘Your Love is King’ by Sade played as he held her tight and crushed her lips in a kiss. People jumped up and cheered, whistled and laughed. Black and white confetti fell around them, tossed in their direction from the celebrating crowd. He’d forgotten they’d planned to throw it inside, fearing birds and various wildlife would eat it if done right outside the front doors. Moments later, the wedding coordinator was explaining how to leave the sanctuary and reminded everyone that the reception would be held at Shirley Acres on Woerner Rd. in Harris County.
Jessica swiped her thumb across his mouth, removing a few lipstick stains.
“You look like a clown.” She grinned real sexy like. “Let me get this off you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that, baby. You’ll get it on your dress now.” He motioned towards Melissa and asked for a tissue. After cleaning themselves up, they went to greet their family and friends. The videographer and photographer took a few more shots and footage, then began to pack up to go to the reception hall. One old woman rocked over to them, congratulating them with a big cheery smile on her face.
“Y’all make such a nice lookin’ couple!” the woman stated, her dark eyes pressed into brown skin with wrinkles about the lips.
“Thank you,” they both replied at the same time.
“When y’all gonna start having babies?”
Jessica burst out laughing and offered the old woman another hug.
“I don’t know, Aunt Peggy. We’ll let you know.”
Jessica went on kissing and hugging, laughing with guests as his heart dropped to his gut. Now that the crowd had thinned out some, he saw her…
His mother.
She sat in the far back, wearing a white and black pants suit and a big pretty hat. With a shaky hand, she waved. He slowly waved back. It was over in a flash, for someone stepped in his frame of vision and by the time they moved out of the way, the woman was no longer there. Perhaps he’d imagined the whole thing? Had Alicia slipped him a little something extra in that wine cooler?
“Mom’s here. She came in late. She said she’ll see you at the reception,” his brother Owen stated, breaking into his thoughts.
Well, his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him after all. Jessica appeared to be oblivious to what had transpired as she was caught up in a whirlwind of attention. Alicia, Melissa, and several of her friends were laughing loud and joking with one another.
But then, she took a few steps towards him and whispered in his ear, “I saw your mama come in during our vows. See? She wasn’t ’bout to miss her son gettin’ married. I told you that regardless of what she said, she’d eventually show up.”
“I saw her a moment ago. I’m glad she’s here, but there better not be any nonsense today, Jessica.” His happiness at his mother’s appearance soon faded when he realized what might happen. “I’m not going to have you being disrespected by her.”
“Baby, she ain’t got to like me. I couldn’t care less.” Jessica shrugged. “What I care about is you, how you feel and get on about it. She don’t really dig me, fine, but she loves you, honey, despite some of her ways, and that’s what’s going to see her through. She’s got a wonderful son who will cut her out of his life and I’m sure that is setting in for her. Just gotta pray for some people and live your life, honey. Not waste one precious second on them and their foolishness. Cut ’em loose if they don’t act right, but still wish them the best. Show them how it’s done.” She winked at him and rejoined her silly friends, dancing and cracking up and carrying on. All he wanted to do was grab her, squeeze her and kiss her all over.
Jessica is right. She speaks the Queen’s English. My mother, on the other hand, is a drama queen, threatening to keep her love from me, like som
e King’s ransom. Doesn’t work that way… I gave my bride the crown jewels because she deserved them. If anyone wants to be a royal pain, we will move on without her, no hesitation… build our castle in the air. I will never allow myself, or anyone else for that matter, to keep me shut in and shut off from the world again…
I
AM
SOMEBODY.
…Several months later
“It was too hot in that warehouse was all. I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
Jessica slumped down at Alicia’s kitchen table, not feeling her best. She’d come right over after her shift at Amazon. Her new job was time consuming and mentally strenuous, but she hadn’t seen her friends in a few weeks, and it was long overdue. Alicia was having a little get together with all of their friends and her new boyfriend and some of his pals, too. Melissa was on her way, as usual fashionably late. Jessica had been working like a dog, even harder than she did at the post office, but making far more money. She supposed she couldn’t complain – she enjoyed the work and it kept her busy. Alicia kept shooting her funny looks as she walked past, entering and exiting the kitchen every few minutes.
“You ain’t hot.” The woman sucked her teeth while nursing a beer.
“How are you gonna tell me what I am and am not, Alicia? I’m burnin’ up.”
“The air is on full blast and you’re sitting here sweating. The only hotness going on is between yo’ thighs from you and that husband of yours. Kane done got yo’ ass pregnant.” She snickered. “Hold on.” Her friend stormed out the kitchen.
“Pregnant?!” Jessica hollered out. Her life flashed before her eyes at that thought. Alicia began to argue with someone as usual and Jessica shook her head as she heard the lady going clean the hell off.
“Mothafucka, you ain’t no friend of mine! I don’t even know you.”
“You ain’t got to know me!”
“This is my house! She said she ain’t want to be bothered, and neither do I. Over here trying to make a love connection like yo’ name Chuck Woolery. More like Chuck Foolery.”
“Bitch, you crazy!”
“Who you callin’ a bitch?! If I’m a bitch, you a dog named Rover. Go fetch and find yo’ mothafuckin’ hairline. That sucka is dead and buried.”
“Something is wrong with you! You need to go see a doctor.”
“You go see a doctor, mothafucka, and make sure you ask him if these hands is right for you, dusty ass bastard! Side effects include gettin’ knocked tha fuck out!”
Jessica sighed and got to her feet. It was time to be a referee. She could hear Alicia’s new boyfriend trying to break them up, put a stop to the nonsense, but if he knew Alicia like she did, it would take an entire baseball team to put an end to this. Jessica walked into the living room to see people pulling Alicia off of some man she’d never seen before. His eyes were wild as he lay on the floor, cursing and losing his mind, apparently in shock that a woman had knocked his ass to the ground without any fucks to give. As if nothing had happened, Alicia was coming back towards her, yanking her dress down and fixing her hair.
“Now, as for yo’ ass, Jess,” she said out of breath, “you need to take a pregnancy test ’cause you knocked up as sure as I’m Black and sick of all mankind.”
“You need to stop saying that mess, Alicia. Kane and I are in the middle of trying to adopt a two year old girl as you know, so—”
“I don’t care what y’all in the middle of, ’cause I can look at yo’ spread out nose and see you was in the middle of gettin’ ya back blown out too by that big ass white boy better known as my brother-in-law.” She pointed in her face. “Y’all been using protection?”
Jessica swallowed.
“Most of the time.”
“Most of the time ain’t good enough. It only takes one slip up. I know about that first hand. Got twins to prove it. Have you missed a period?”
Jessica sighed and cradled her face.
“I have, but I’ve never been regular consistently anyway, Alicia. The only thing is, I did start thinking I might be last week, but I talked myself out of believing it. Shit. How could I let this happen?”
“Jessica, you’ve been livin’ in La-La-Land. You’re so in love, a newlywed, that you and Kane been living life in a bubble, just doing your thing. It happens. He’s been working hard, you’ve been working hard, and then when you get home to each other, well, it’s on. Go take a piss test, please. I keep some in my house.”
“Where?” She resolved to accept the possibility and bite the bullet.
“Go on in my bathroom, the one in my bedroom, look under the sink and find one. Piss on it. I’ll check on you in five minutes.”
The woman pointed towards the steps where her bedroom was, then headed back out the kitchen with two beers in her hand. Jessica did as instructed. She rummaged through her friend’s belongings until she saw three boxes, all various brands of pregnancy tests. Grabbing one, she read the back of it, then followed the instructions. She sat on the top of the closed toilet and waited…
Soon, there was a knock at the bathroom door.
“Yes? Alicia?”
“What you mean, ‘yes’! Who else would it be?! You know who this is!” Alicia chastised. “What does the test say, Jessica?”
“I haven’t looked yet. I have it turned over,” she stated woefully. Alicia busted in without knocking. Her friend grabbed the damn stick off the sink counter and turned it over. She glared at it. The seconds felt like hours.
“Well?” Jessica’s heart practically burst out of her chest. “What does it say?”
Alicia placed it down on the counter, right side up. Jessica let her gaze travel to it…
“Looks like you better call yo’ husband. He about to be a daddy sooner than he thought…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Removal of the Mask
…Six months later
You are born as broken onyx glass…
Bits and pieces of you are scattered about like confetti that has fallen from the sky, only your presence is celebrated by few. No one dares to walk close to you for fear of being cut on your jagged, ugly edges. You shine like disjointed specks of ebony diamonds against the backdrop of the comely yet cruel world that spit you out, stomped on you, and left you for dead. Then, the wind starts to blow…
Tiny fragments of you gather together in the storm’s rough embrace. Your pieces recognize one another… You desire to put yourself back together again, no matter how long it takes. You’re drawn to one another like magnets, piece by piece, until you finally have put yourself whole. The wind shifts, fizzles and leaves you. You are now complete. When people look at you, they no longer see the broken pieces of a black soul dipped in the essence of their own perceptions. Instead, they see the truth – their own reflection looking back at them. The nobody has become everybody…
Dahlia sat between her mother’s legs on the massive bed, her thick curls were parted down the middle with a wide tooth comb. Jessica tried to get comfortable to no avail as she did the little girl’s hair, her bulging pregnant stomach barely leaving room for the tiny girl to lean back and twirl her doll around. She managed to place two baby blue bows on either side of the toddler’s hair, all smooth now with coconut and Indian hemp oil.
“Look in the mirror, baby. You like that?” Jessica asked, handing the baby a gold ‘Lion King’ mirror.
“Puuty, Mommy!”
“You are so pretty!”
Dahlia, the young child she and Kane had adopted a couple months prior bounced about with excitement. Lifting Dahlia up in the air, she deposited her feet on the floor. The little one rocked from right to left, her chunky black legs barely stable as she tried to dance to ‘Crazy In Love’, by Beyoncé ft. JAY-Z. The little girl’s light blue frilly dress swayed and her face lit up, her mouth nothing but pink gums and a lovely smile. Kane walked in the bedroom, a towel around his head and an even bigger smile than Dahlia’s. He’d just finished washing his hair.
He tos
sed the towel down onto the dresser, his long hair falling over his shoulders and back, and picked their tiny princess up into his arms. He danced with her, spinning her around and around, making her giggle. Jessica sat back on the bed, flexing her toes and breathing hard. This last month of her pregnancy had been trying to say the least. Kane Jr. was due in a few short weeks.
“Crazy in love!” Kane sang.
The two were having the time of their lives. Minutes later, he put the little girl down with her toys, then walked over to the bed and gave her the perfect kiss. Running his hand along her bulging belly, he began to kiss her neck. Jessica could sense him reluctantly pulled away, wanting more, but there was so much to do. “What time is everyone coming over?”
“Kane, boy, I have told you this three times. Three o’clock, baby. That’s when the baby shower is but we’ve got to be ready before that.” He headed to the walk-in closet.
“I finished putting together Dahlia’s rocking horse and Kane’s room is all painted now,” he said. When he returned to her, he was slipping on a white shirt.
“I figured you were up late.” She yawned. “You’ve been busy.”
“Had to. I gotta head to Pensacola tomorrow, but I’ll be back in less than twenty-four hours.” He glanced at his phone. “Melissa just sent me a text. The caterers will be here at 2:30 p.m. and she has the gender reveal balloon. I guess she doesn’t know we’re already aware it’s a boy.” He chuckled.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell her after she went through all the trouble. She’s been planning this thing for months. The doctor accidentally told me at the last appointment, so not much we can do about that.” She shrugged and laughed. “Kane, just play it off… act surprised.”
“I will. I’ve rehearsed. See? Here’s my surprised face!” He made a silly expression and waved his arms about. She shook her head at him and grinned. On a sigh, she got to her feet and scooped Dahlia up in her arms. “Come on, you. It’s snack time, baby doll. Then Mommy needs to get dressed.” She headed towards the door. “Oh, and please don’t say anything about Alicia’s boyfriend, well, now fiancé. Don’t even bring him up.”
