What's Real

by Daaimah S. Poole

  “How do you know they all are girls?”

  “Because every number I dial, I get a woman’s answering machine.”

  “Really?”

  “I even got a bitch talking in Vietnamese, somebody else that sounded French. I’ll tell you one thing, he does not discriminate.”

  “Was there any black girls?”

  “Not yet, but you know he doesn’t date black girls, no offense.”

  “None taken. Dame told me that. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just . . . it’s hard to say. I just tell you men ain’t shit, they ain’t shit.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I called the number he called the most and the latest at night. I left a message saying that Mr. Carl Stanton would like to send you a floral arrangement, and we need the correct address. When she calls back I’m going to go right to her house and tell her to leave him alone.”

  “You are crazy! Calm down. I’ll come over.”

  I got to the house and you would have thought that Kelly was working for the FBI. She had bills strategically placed around the room. She highlighted and circled dates and times. She put one asterisk next to calls after 11:00 p.m. and two asterisks next to calls that lasted for over fifteen minutes.

  “So what have you come up with?”

  “I’m still waiting for her to call back.”

  “What even made you think to do all this?”

  “I heard it on the radio once. The DJ called a man to see who he would send the roses to. And when the man was cheating he would always send them to the other woman.”

  Kelly’s cell phone rang and she answered, “Hello, Solel Flowers.” She put her cell on speaker. I heard a woman say, “I’m Marisol and you need my address.”

  “Hi. Yes, you are so lucky. The flowers are beautiful. What is your address? Eighteen twenty-two Northwest Terrance Drive? Okay, the flowers will be right there.” She picked up her bag. I didn’t know why I even went with her. I guess I went to make sure she didn’t get mad and beat the girl up or anything.

  We drove to the house. A young Spanish-looking girl came to the door. “Hi, are you Marisol?”

  “Yes, who are you?”

  “I’m Carl’s girlfriend.”

  The girl looked startled then she began crying. “He said you were his housekeeper. I saw you ride by in his car. He said that he doesn’t like white girls and that you keep his place clean for him.”

  “Well, he is lying. I am his girlfriend.”

  “Well, I’m sorry. I feel bad,” she said.

  We left the girl’s house and Kelly called Carl. She screamed, “Who is Marisol? What? No, you listen! I will go home! I don’t have to deal with this.” She hung up her phone. She said that Carl said he was going to call her back.

  “This shit is crazy. Are you going home?” I asked.

  “Hell no! What do I look like? All of them cheat. It is what it is. Please, I’m just going shopping on his ass. I need a few bags and shoes. Don’t you need a few things at my treat?”

  “Okay.”

  “Let’s go to the spa too!”

  We went to this rooftop spa called Cloud Nine. I got a deep tissue massage and it put me right to sleep. Then I got a botanical pedicure, a foot massage, and an aromatic manicure. My facial lasted almost an hour. I felt so good. Kelly had spent about a thousand dollars on our services. She needs to get mad at him more often, so I can get more free services.

  I went home and Damon was sitting on the sofa watching ESPN. It was freezing in the house. “Dame, why do you have the air so cold?”

  He hunched his shoulders at me like he didn’t know why and continued to watch the television. I went to turn the thermostat up and saw that it was on fifty degrees. Damon must have bumped his head. I shook my head. Too much working out, I thought. I started making dinner. All that pampering made me so hungry. I made us turkey chops, string beans, and mashed potatoes. I nibbled off the food. I put bread in the oven. Damon entered the kitchen and gave me a kiss on my neck.

  “What you making, pork chops?” he asked.

  “No, these are turkey chops.”

  “I’m hungry too! Hurry up and finish.”

  “I’m almost finished.”

  “And remember, Janelle, you have to drive with me to Orlando to go to my cousin’s wedding this weekend.”

  “You never said anything about a wedding this weekend.”

  “I did tell you like a month ago.”

  “No, you didn’t, Dame. I got to find something to wear. I don’t have anything to wear to meet your family.”

  “Janelle, it is Wednesday. You can find something by Saturday.”

  “Dame, did you know Carl was cheating on Kelly?”

  “No! Why would you ask something like that?”

  “Because Kelly found all these numbers today and she called the girls.”

  “Stay out of their business, Janelle, I mean it,” he screamed in this ultramean voice.

  “Okay, damn, Damon, calm down, you don’t have to get like that.” I fixed his plate and Damon sat without saying a word.

  “How is your food?”

  “It’s okay. It’s hot in here,” he said as he took off his shirt.

  “I turned the air off.”

  “What! Don’t turn the air down again,” he said angrily.

  “Damon, it was ice-cold in here.” He got up from the table and began walking toward the door. “Where you going?” I asked.

  “I’ll be back.”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Natalie

  I got on the scale this morning and got the shock of my life. I had gained back five of my eleven pounds messing around with Anthony. He always wants to order out and feed me. He got me eating bad again, chilling, not going to workout class, and just being lazy.

  I had to get back on my missions. One with this diet situation and the other with really posting my resume online. I wanted to get on the Internet and check employment Web sites. The minute I signed on to AOL, baby Anthony began to cry. “Anthony, could you get him out of his crib until I get off the computer?”

  “No, I’m watching television,” he yelled.

  “Anthony, please.”

  “Bring him here,” Anthony said.

  “I’m on the computer. Come get him, Anthony,” I said.

  “Man, I’m tired. If you want me to watch him, come down the steps and bring him to me.”

  I brought him downstairs into the living room and then Anthony said, “Can you get me some juice while you’re down here?” He turned back toward the television. I curled my lip up at him. I went into the kitchen and poured him some juice, slammed it on the floor by his foot, and went back upstairs. Oh, he gets on my nerves, I thought.

  I got on the computer and I posted my resume to a few sites. I hope somebody calls me for a job, because I don’t know how long I can deal with my mom and her clients. I hated washing those women’s hair. They wanted me to wash three and four times. They complained too much, aggravated me. They brought their own special shampoo to the shop and would tell me to use a little. Or another didn’t want too much perm on their edges and wanted me to use a big-tooth comb or their hair was going to fall out. Sometimes I wanted to say shut up and do your own hair.

  I continued to search through job listings and temporary agencies. I wasn’t even sure what kind of work I was looking for. I just wanted anything that paid money. I heard my cell phone ring. I looked around the room for it. It was Tanya.

  “Hey, Natalie, just wanted to check on you.”

  “I’m okay. What have you been up to?”

  “Nothing much. You know Deja’s birthday coming up at the end of the month?”

  “July thirtieth, right?”

  “Yeah, I might need you to take me shopping for the party, okay?”

  “Yeah, just call me when you’re ready. What’s Davon been up to.”

  “His ass is in summer school.”

  “Call me when y
ou need me,” I said.

  “I thought you were on the computer,” Anthony yelled as he entered the bedroom.

  “I am on the computer.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re on the phone running your mouth.”

  “Tanya, I’ll talk to you later,” I said as I ended the conversation.

  “Yeah, I know, your slave master is back. Bye.”

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Tanya

  Deja’s birthday was next week and I was still undecided on where and what kind of party to give her. At a hotel party the kids could go swimming and jump on the bed. And in the morning all I had to do was walk out the door. I didn’t have to clean or any of that. Monica had given her daughter one last year. I went onto the porch and called Deja from down the street.

  “Deja, what kind of party do you want?” I asked her.

  “I want a tea party.”

  A tea party was out. I couldn’t get into all that. “What kind of party do you want other than a tea party? How about Chuck E. Cheese or Fun Zone?”

  “Mommy, I want a skating party.”

  “Okay, I’ll call the skating rink.” She ran back down the street. My mom-mom got mad at me for letting them play outside before twelve. I didn’t care as long as she didn’t go into anybody’s house or run into the street. Davon was outside and was watching her. They weren’t going off the block.

  I called the skating rink. I had to pay ten dollars per kid. They said I couldn’t bring my own food and I had to buy their cake and two pizzas. I didn’t care what they said, I was still bringing my own food in. What are they going to do, take the food away from me? Later on when I get dressed I’m going to go down there and pay.

  I kept all my money in a shoe box under my bed. I didn’t have a bank account.

  I pulled out three hundred. My stash has never gone under a thousand dollars. When Barry was alive he would say you have to have a savings, and then you got to have a backup savings fund. It was something his grandmother taught him. It’s something I have lived by.

  Walei took me shopping today. He was easy money, but he also was a headache. He kept calling me all day long. I wanted to tell him not to call me anymore. Instead I got him to take me and the kids to Great Adventure. He paid for everything. We spent the entire day in the water park and the evening in the regular park. Deja was scared and too short to get on the roller coasters. I had to take her to the kid part of the amusement park.

  Walei was good with the kids, talking to them and buying them whatever they wanted. We took pictures and Davon won three teddy bears. The kids fell asleep during the ride home. They had a really good time. I was really being a good mom. I was nodding off myself, when Walei nudged me and said, “Tanya, I have to talk to you.”

  “Walei, I’m sleeping. What?”

  “I have to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  “I might be leaving. Going back home. I was here on a student F-1 visa. It was an extension visa, good for one year. Unless I find a job and get industrial experience or a petition H-1 visa from an employer or get married, I might be going home. They are going to deport me.”

  “Just tell them you are looking for a job.”

  “Ah, Tanya, no, it’s not that simple.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Nothing, Tanya. I just wanted to let you know.”

  Well I’m not marrying you, I thought.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Tanya

  I had to go shopping for Deja’s party. I wanted everything to be perfect. Natalie took me. I had a few stops to make. I told her I would give her a couple of dollars. She said that she didn’t have anywhere to go. I went to the market and then the dollar store. I ran into Nene. She gave me her number and told me to call her ’cause she had something major to tell me. I finished up my shopping and for some reason Natalie had an attitude with me. I gave her twenty dollars and fed her baby; she better get out of my face.

  I went to Monica’s house. She wasn’t home, so I sat and waited for her. Alexis said she had gone to make a run with her old head. He was this married dude that gave her money. Her daughters were upstairs doing each other’s hair and practicing dance moves. They were both home because they got in trouble for fighting the day before.

  The phone rang. I answered it and heard a recorded message saying you have a collect call from Derrick. If you wish to accept, press one. If you wish to deny this collect call, please hang up or press two. Then the recording said the same message in Spanish. I pressed one and accepted the call. I heard a pause and Derrick was on the line. Derrick was Monica’s twin brother. He had gotten locked up for a gun a couple of years ago.

  “What’s up, Tanya? Where’s my twin at?” Derrick asked.

  “With her friend.”

  “How you?”

  “Fine,” I said.

  “Yo, I have been trying to call. Y’all always ain’t home or her line always be busy. She need to get herself some call waiting. So how’s the kids?”

  “They doing good.”

  “Where my nieces at?”

  “Upstairs doing each other’s hair in their room.”

  “Well, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to get one of your cute girlfriends to write me, and I want you to write my bawh, Darnell.”

  “I’m not writing nobody unless they are about to come home.”

  “I know, I know, here he go.” Before I could say no, he had put him on the phone.

  “Yo, who this?”

  “What you mean who this? This is Tanya.”

  “Tanya, where you from?”

  “North Philly.”

  “Where at?”

  “Off of Twenty-ninth Street.”

  “By Lehigh Ave?” he asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I know you.” I got a little scared and asked him how he knew me.

  “You used to go with my brother Jay.”

  “Yeah, we used to deal. How’s he doing?”

  “You know he got killed about six months ago?”

  “No, I hadn’t talked to him in so long. I didn’t know he was dead. Sorry to hear that.”

  “I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”

  “How did he die?” I asked.

  “In a car accident. This guy he was hanging with, this young bawh, was high on some wet and the cops tried to pull them over. The dickhead tried to lose the cops and hit a pole on Girard Avenue.”

  “I heard about that.”

  “Yeah. Well, maybe you can drop me a line or come see me.”

  “I don’t do the jail visits, but I’ll see you when you get home. I’ll hook you up with somebody,” I said.

  “All right then.”

  Derrick got back on the line. “So what’s up, Tanya?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Barry’s brother Moe is upstate tripping. They then put his ass in the psych ward. He lost his fucking mind. He be swinging at shit that ain’t even there.”

  “Moe been crazy. I don’t give a fuck. That nigga killed Barry.”

  “I heard that. I get out in a few weeks.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yup, I’m counting my days down. I’m going to cut hair when I get out.”

  “I’ll tell Monica you called.”

  I hung up the phone and thought about Jay being dead. Everybody I know is dying or getting killed. Shit is fucked up out here. And Moe fucking swinging at shit. He is only getting paid back for taking Barry away.

  I fell asleep on the sofa. Sabrina and Alexis were still upstairs. One of them was in the shower and I heard keys jingling in the door. I thought it was Monica, but it was Lil’ Ron. I was startled.

  “You scared me,” I said.

  “Where is Monica?” he asked.

  I made up a bullshit lie and said that Monica went downtown. He said okay and then walked straight up the steps. He went into Monica’s room. I heard some movement and fumbling above my head. I heard Alexis scream and
then the bathroom door slam. Then he came down the steps and said, “All right then,” and left out.

  I locked the door, went upstairs, and knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Did he see you naked?” I asked.

  “No, he almost did. He always just walks right in the bathroom without knocking. The door be closed, so I don’t know why he still come in.”

  “I don’t like Lil’ Ron,” I said.

  As soon as Monica walked through the door, I said, “Lil’ Ron should not be able to run in and out of your house. You shouldn’t be letting him leave shit here either, especially with your daughters. They are getting big. He almost walked in on Alexis today. You holding his shit?”

  “No, it’s not like that.”

  “Watch your shit, Monica.”

  “I’m good. Lil’ Ron is not keeping anything here and me and my daughters talk. They know if a man tries to touch them they would tell me. He didn’t know they were home today.”

  “Is he still dealing with his baby’s mom?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

  I saw that Monica was getting upset, so I dropped the subject.

  “Um, you dumb-ass bitch.”

  “Mind your business, bitch.”

  “Oh well, when one of your daughters be pregnant and Lil’ Ron is the pop, don’t get mad at me,” I said as I laughed.

  “Yeah, whatever,” she said.

  The skating rink where I had the party was the same place Natalie got her earrings stolen when we were young, like fourteen or fifteen. We were on our way home and these guys pulled up to us in this decent car. We thought they were trying to get with us, ’cause we looked good. We were all happy and thinking we were grown. They asked us if we needed a ride home. We said no and kept walking. Then one of the guys got out and said, “How you doing, baby?” to Natalie and then he snatched her earrings out her ears. The guy jumped back in the car and they pulled off. Natalie’s ears were bleeding really bad. She still has the scars on her earlobes. We used to have some good times. We used to cut school and run home to answer the phone before the school’s automated system called our house.