Lessons Learned

by Earl Sewell

  “So, do you like what I have on?” asked Sabrina. She twirled around to give me a good view of her purple cropped jacket and fitted skirt.

  “Yeah, girl. You look hot. I mean, damn. This must be my lucky night. Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming up here?” I asked.

  “I wasn’t going to come until Katina told me that the football team was going to be here. I knew I’d run into you. I just didn’t know if you’d be with some girl.”

  “What would you have done if you saw me with another girl, beat her down or something?” I joked.

  “I am not the type of girl who fights over a boy. If you were with someone, I would have talked to you at another time.”

  “Oh, I see,” I said as I licked my lips. “If I were your man I wouldn’t be worth fighting over.”

  “If you were my husband, I might fight but other than that, no. Would you fight another guy over me if I were your girlfriend?” she asked.

  “I would. Especially if some dude was being disrespectful or if I had to protect you from danger,” I said.

  “You’d really fight over me? That’s so sweet.” Sabrina toyed with my earlobe. When she pulled that tender move, all the noise of the club and the music seemed to disappear. I gazed into Sabrina’s eyes and they were overflowing with anticipation. I pulled her closer to me and brushed my tongue across my lips.

  “You have such succulent lips.”

  “So do you,” I answered. She’d given me clearance to share a magic moment with her. I craned my neck down toward her pausing momentarily before closing my eyes and finally kissing her. When our lips met, she placed her soft hands on my cheeks and sent goosebumps over my body.

  “Whoa,” I said pulling away because the feeling was a little overwhelming. “For a church girl, you certainly know how to get a man worked up. Where did you learn how to kiss like that?” I asked, wanting to know who else she’d been with. I didn’t want to discover that she’d been practicing with the school weirdo.

  “From reading Seventeen magazine. There is all kind of information in it on how to set up the perfect kiss,” she said with a flirtatious glint in her eye.

  “So, am I a good kisser?” I asked.

  “You did good,” she said.

  “Just good?” I asked. I felt a little odd because I’d never thought about reading a magazine to get tips on how to kiss. I just figured I’d learn as I go. At that moment, it was clear to me that Sabrina was a little more advanced than I was.

  “You did fine,” she continued to smile at me.

  “Why did you want to kiss me?” I asked. I wanted her to tell me flat out what was on her mind. I didn’t want to walk around in circles trying to understand what her motives were.

  “Duh, because I wanted to. I’ve liked you for a long time but you never paid attention to me, Mike. Now that I have your attention, I plan on keeping it.”

  “Well, you’ll have all of my attention now,” I said.

  “Good, because I didn’t go through all of this just for you to start ignoring me again at school,” she laughed.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t ignore you,” I said, hoping to ease her concerns. At that moment another slow song came on and we continued to dance.

  I hung out with Sabrina the entire time I was at the club. We danced through a lot of songs but one song in particular stood out in my mind because Sabrina leaned forward, rested her hands on her knees and shook her behind like a pom-pom and I wasn’t mad at her. The church girl had some serious booty-shaking skills. As the night continued on, Sabrina and I talked and kissed until our lips were dry. I didn’t even realize how much time had gone by until the club started getting empty.

  “Oh, snap. It’s midnight?” I said glancing down at my watch.

  “What, are you going to get in trouble or something?” Sabrina asked.

  “Oh, no,” I lied. “I’m just amazed at how quickly the time went by. It’s closing in a few minutes.”

  “Time flies when you’re having fun,” she teased.

  “How are you getting home?” I asked.

  “Katina’s older sister is picking us up.”

  “Your father doesn’t mind you staying out so late on a Sunday night?” I asked as we began walking toward the front door. As we headed out, I saw Marlon, Leena, Ann, Francis and Katina heading in the same direction.

  “Are you kidding me? He’d have a major heart attack if he knew that I was here. I set things up so that I could spend the night at Katina’s house. Her parents are out of town. Her older sister who’s twenty-one wanted to have the house to herself for a few hours so that she could have some privacy with her boyfriend.”

  “Oh, I see,” I said. It was at that moment I reached for my hip to make sure my cell phone was still there. I removed it from the holster to see if I’d gotten any calls and, sure enough, I’d missed about nine calls. All from home.

  “Are you sure everything is okay?” She asked with concern. “You look as if something is very wrong.”

  “No,” I said. “I’m good.” I tried to speak with confidence but I don’t think that I did a good job. Once outside, Katina found her sister who was waiting across the street in her car.

  “I’ll text you when I get back to Katina’s house, okay?” Sabrina said.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Think about me tonight,” she said as she kissed me one more time before turning to walk away.

  “All right, love bird, let’s go. All that girl did was dance with you and kiss you a few times and your nose is wide open,” said Marlon.

  “Don’t hate. It’s not pretty,” I said as I walked back to the car with him.

  I was nervous during the entire ride home because I didn’t know what had jumped off to make my parents call me so much. I didn’t dare get on the phone to call while I was riding home with Marlon and the girls because I would’ve looked like a baby. No sooner than Marlon pulled into my driveway did I tell him to stop the car and let me out. I didn’t want him to drive to the rear of the house where my parents would see his car and possibly walk out and embarrass the hell out of me.

  “Are you sure?” Marlon asked.

  “Yeah, dude. Stop the car and let me out right here. Just back out of the driveway and continue on. I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” I said.

  “Okay. I’ll holla at you later. Don’t forget to wear your football jersey,” he said. I got out of the car and made sure Marlon pulled completely off before walking up the rest of the driveway. As soon as I reached the back of the house, I saw a police car and wondered what in the world Keysha had done now.

  seven

  KEYSHA

  Monday, November 5th

  My alarm clock started buzzing at 6:00 a.m. It was Monday and I had to get ready for school. Once I turned the alarm clock off, I just stared at the ceiling because I didn’t want to move. I didn’t feel like greeting the day or even talking to people. I was in some sort of funky emotional mood that I couldn’t explain. Okay, well, maybe I could explain it.

  I’ll be the first to admit that I’m depressed but I have good reasons to be. Wesley, the love of my life, has moved to a city two-and-a-half hours away from me. The doctor at the emergency room explained to me that I had contact dermatitis most likely caused by soap, shampoo or even the laundry detergent that I’ve been using. After conducting a CAT scan which enabled the doctors to look at my brain to check for any blood clots, they concluded that the reason that I fainted and the reason my hair is falling out is most likely related to all the stress I have been going through. First with Liz Lloyd, and now my mother.

  Liz started off begging me to be her friend when I first came to town. Then when I opened up and trusted her I discovered she really wanted me to be much more than her girlfriend. She invited me out to a party where she secretly drugged me and tried to take advantage of me. I’m thankful that I was able to fight her off because I don’t get down like that. After that episode our relationship changed quicker than she could flip t
he script. I flat out rejected her and she didn’t take it well. Next thing I knew that crazy chick planted ecstasy in my locker at school. The school officials and police found it then pulled me out of my classroom and arrested me. Before I knew anything my entire community had turned against me and was accusing me of being a drug lord. I had to go to court to clear my name.

  I know it sounds strange, but I was happy to learn that my problems were related to stress and not some unexplainable thing with my brain. The emergency-room doctor suggested that I stop using all skin care products and use a milder laundry detergent. She also recommended that I see a dermatologist the first chance I got. Finally, she suggested that I limit the amount of stress in my life as much as possible. I chuckled when she suggested that one because she had no idea how much drama I had to deal with.

  My latest drama is centered around my mother who planned to petition the court to get visitation rights. She had a lot of nerve to come over to the house once again unannounced demanding that she see me. I mean, honestly, when I lived with the woman, she was hardly ever around and now all of a sudden she’s fighting her heart out just to see me. Justine was up to something. I could feel it in my bones. I know her all too well and I know that the only thing she is capable of is screwing up the good life that I have with Jordan. The only reason that I could come up with for her wanting to come back into my life is jealousy. She’s jealous that things have worked out for me and now she wants to destroy my happiness. Oh, why is my life so messed up? The only thing going right in my life right now is my grades. I’d managed to pull them up and for the first time in years I was managing a solid B average.

  I tossed back the bed covers, walked over to the window and then opened the mini blinds. The sunlight was blinding but I wasn’t fooled by it because I knew that it was as cold as an ice cube on bare skin outside. I yawned and stretched out my body. I briefly thought about Mike who had gotten into some type of trouble late last night. I remember waking up briefly from my sleep because I heard Barbara chewing him out. But since Mike had been so mean to me lately, I didn’t care about his issues so I went right back to sleep.

  I picked out an outfit to wear then opened my bedroom door and headed toward the bathroom. Just as I was about to enter, I saw Mike come out of his room. He had on long pajama pants and wasn’t wearing a shirt. There were red marks all over his neck and for a moment I thought that he was breaking out in a rash as well but then realized those were passion marks.

  “What’s that all about?” I pointed to his neck. Then curious, I asked, “And what kind of trouble did you get in?”

  “I got into nunya,” Mike said sarcastically.

  “What in the world is nunya?” I asked.

  “It means none of your business.”

  I gave him a nasty look for being so mean. “What has gotten into you lately? Why are you so cranky all of a sudden?” I asked.

  “How long are you going to be in the bathroom?” he asked. He refused to answer my question.

  “Oh, you’re not going to talk to me at all now? Is that it?” I asked.

  “I just asked a simple question. How long are you going to be in the bathroom?” he asked once again as he pointed his finger at me and then at the bathroom door.

  “Okay. Have it your way. But remember this, a hard head makes for a soft ass.” I paused to give him a chance to respond, but he stood solemn. “I won’t be long,” I said as I stepped inside the bathroom and shut the door.

  After I got dressed, I headed downstairs so that I could eat some breakfast before I bundled up and headed off to school. Just as I was about to sit down and eat my cornflakes, Jordan and Barbara entered the kitchen. Jordan was wearing a navy-blue pin-striped suit with a silver shirt-and-tie combination. Barbara was wearing a chalk-striped pantsuit that had a close-fitting cropped jacket and a cream-colored blouse. They were having a heated discussion about Mike.

  “I’m telling you, Mike is pushing his luck with me,” Jordan said as he opened up the refrigerator door.

  “I agree with you. He is pushing his luck but I feel that he did this in order to get back at us,” Barbara added.

  “Get back at us! For what?” Jordan asked.

  Barbara paused to think about what she wanted to say. “I think he’s feeling neglected,” she finally said.

  “There is no way in hell that Mike should feel neglected on any level. He’s got a roof over his head, a closet filled with clothes, a computer, two iPods and an iPhone. The boy doesn’t want for anything,” Jordan argued.

  “Well then he’s just going through some growing pains and we’ll have to handle him with a firmer hand,” Barbara said.

  “I know one thing. The next time he pulls a stunt like the one he did yesterday, I’m going to knock him on his butt,” Jordan said and headed toward the door with Barbara trailing behind him. The two of them eventually exited the house and walked to the garage. I got up from the table, walked over to a window and watched as they drove off in separate cars.

  “Wow,” I uttered to myself. “They didn’t even say ‘Good morning’ to me. Whatever Mike did must have really ticked them off for them to completely ignore me.” I walked back into the kitchen and ate the rest of my cereal. Then I went into the family room to watch music videos until it was time to head to school. A short while later, Mike finally came down from his room. He entered the kitchen and grabbed a box of cereal from the cupboard. Then he walked into the family room where I was, sat in the leather chair near the television and clawed out a fistful of cornflakes.

  “That is gross,” I complained. “Why would you do that? Other people around here have to eat, too, you know.”

  “What?” Mike asked as he shoved more cornflakes in his mouth.

  “That’s unsanitary, Mike. Have you even washed your hands?” I asked.

  “No,” he said and grabbed another fistful.

  “Okay, you are really tripping,” I said as I stood up and headed toward the front door. I’d noticed that it was just about time for me to start walking to school.

  “Whatever, Keysha,” he said as he chomped on his food.

  “Where were you last night?” I asked again as I sat down on one of the steps and began putting on my shoes.

  “Out with some friends,” he answered.

  “How late were you out?” I asked.

  “Late,” he answered.

  Once I had my shoes on, I stood up to face him. I was waiting for him to tell me exactly what time he’d come home.

  “Okay, I was out really late. But I certainly didn’t expect them to call the police,” Mike admitted.

  “The police?” I asked completely shocked because I had no idea that they’d gone that far.

  “You mean, you didn’t know?” he asked, sort of surprised.

  “No. I had no idea. When I got home I was so tired that I went to bed early,” I said.

  “Well, they freaked completely out when they came home and I was gone. They totally overreacted,” Mike said and he came toward me to sit on the step and put on his shoes. “They called the police because they thought something major had happened to me. Barbara was almost in hysterics. Her imagination ran wild on her. She thought that I’d been hit by a car or something and was in a hospital. How she came up with that one I’ll never know. So she was calling around to area hospitals to see if I’d been admitted.”

  “Why didn’t you leave a note or call to check in?” I asked as I put on my coat and opened the door.

  “I don’t know. I just didn’t. But I didn’t think they’d flip out like that,” Mike said as he grabbed his coat and followed me out the door.

  “So, what did they say when you got home?” I asked as I watched Mike lock the door.

  “Well, once the cops left, they both let loose on me. Dad was shouting at me and calling me irresponsible and Mom was backing him up. I felt as if they were double-teaming me. Jordan kept asking me, ‘What were you thinking?’ Then Mom asked, ‘Where have you been all of this time?
’ and I told her out dancing with some friends like it’s against the law to hang out with friends. Then Jordan says, ‘You’re skating on thin ice, boy’ and I was like, ‘What? I answered your question.’”

  “Wow, Mike. That’s just not like you,” I said.

  “You know, they didn’t even ask me if I had a good time. They’re so controlling. They want to control every part of my life and I’m not going to let them. I’m a straight-A student. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t have a bunch of babies all over the place and I’ve never been in trouble with the police. I’m like the perfect son because I’ve always followed their rules. But the minute I try to do something for me and make my own decision, I’m suddenly treated like the worst kid in the world. Give me a break. It’s not like I was out smoking crack cocaine or robbing people. I was just at a dance club with some friends.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, but next time maybe you should leave a note or something,” I suggested.

  “They didn’t leave me a note or even call me when they rushed you off to the emergency room. Hell, they didn’t offer to take me with y’all. They just took off,” Mike griped.

  “It was an emergency, Mike. They were trying to make sure that I was okay. It’s not the same.” I tried getting him to understand the circumstances a little better.

  “That’s the problem. I’m so tired of everything always being about you!” Mike snarled at me. His fury surprised me. I didn’t anticipate that type of explosive reaction from him.

  “It’s not always about me. Why would you say that?” I stopped walking alongside him.

  “Maybe and maybe not. But I do know this, if you get into another jam, don’t look for any more help from me.” Mike turned his back to me and continued on.

  I stood there on the sidewalk completely perplexed by his cruel attitude toward me. I hadn’t done anything to Mike to cause him to have such deep resentment for me. As I continued to walk to school alone and think about what Mike had said, I came to the conclusion that he must be going through some type of male hormonal imbalance. It was the only thing that I could think of that would explain why he was switching from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.