“Your answer, Matt. I need to know,” he said, standing up. “I have a plane to catch.”
“Can I get back with you?” Matthew said, looking uncomfortable.
“I can’t believe this!” Jeremy said. “We were like brothers. Now you seem like a stranger. I give you the happiest news of my life, and you make it sound like I’ve just told you that I’m going to prison or something.”
“Man, you spring this on me and expect me to just agree to all this?” Matthew sighed, shaking his head. “I mean, a black girl? What’s up with that, Jeremy? Is the sex that good?”
Jeremy looked at him and didn’t reply. He took the empty glass back in the kitchen and put it in the sink. His aunt looked at him sadly, and he knew that she had heard every word of their conversation. He could not believe his family. The dialog with Matthew hurt him worse than the one with his father. His father grew up in a different time, and he knew that he had to be tolerant and patient with him somewhat. Matthew was a young man, only one year younger than himself. Jeremy felt that he should know better.
“Thanks for the lemonade, Aunt Rachel,” he said coolly. “It’s been eye opening.”
Jeremy then walked out of the house, never looking back.
CHAPTER 12
FAMILY SECRET
Jeremy packed his bags and prepared to drive to the airport. He had to stop and get gas before he turned in the rental car.
He had said his good-byes to his sisters before they left for school that morning because he knew that he’d be gone before they came home. It had been a good visit, and his only regret was the time he’d spent with Matthew.
As he was putting his bag in the trunk of the car, his mother came to the door. “Jeremy, telephone,” she said.
He wondered who could be calling him from his mom’s phone. He quickly shut the trunk and went inside the house, taking the phone from his mother’s hand.
“Hello?”
“Jeremy, this is Eric.”
“Eric. Hey, man. Where are you?” Jeremy asked, surprised. Eric was Matthew’s younger brother and had always looked up to Jeremy.
“I’ve just gotten out of school for the day. You know I’m a senior, and I only attend half-days now. I have about an hour before I have to be to work. Can we meet up and talk for a few minutes?” he asked.
“Sure, Eric. I have to catch my plane, but I have a little time. Meet me at the McDonald’s on 501 where we used to hang out. I can be there in about ten minutes,” Jeremy instructed.
Jeremy hung up the phone, wondering what was up. Perhaps he could ask Eric to be his best man. He was like a little brother to him. He hoped that Matthew hadn’t already poisoned his mind.
He pulled up in the McDonald’s parking lot and spotted Eric. Unlike Matthew, Eric was the spitting image of his mom, with dark hair and large blue eyes. He was tall and surpassed Jeremy by a couple of inches.
“Jeremy! I’m glad I caught you,” Eric said, greeting him with a wave.
“I’m glad too,” Jeremy said getting out of the car.
“Mom said you came by earlier while I was at school, and I wanted to catch you before you left.”
“Sure, what’s up?” Jeremy asked.
Eric’s expression suddenly changed, and it reminded Jeremy of his mother when she had something serious to say. “I heard that the family is all in an uproar because of your girl. I just want you to know that I support you 100 percent. Mom does too. Dad… well you know how he is, and I think he has totally brainwashed Matthew.”
“I appreciate that, Eric. I am disappointed in Matthew, but hey… I mean, I can’t control other people’s attitudes.” Jeremy shrugged.
Eric studied him a moment. “Doesn’t it bother you that you will alienate your family members? This thing could split the family apart.”
Jeremy wondered what Eric was getting at. “Eric, I’m not responsible for their bad attitudes. I love Aura. I want to marry her. Their only complaint is that she is black. That’s not right. My father has come around, and he’s most important to me. I am sorry everyone else in the family is so uptight, but I deserve happiness just like everyone else.”
“I know that,” Eric said. “It’s just that I’m wondering… how you handle the stares, the bad attitudes. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Nope.”
Jeremy felt that Eric was trying to ask him something but didn’t know how. He looked at his cousin and crossed his arms across his chest.
“Eric, what is this really all about?” Jeremy asked firmly.
“Can we talk in private?” Eric asked, looking uncomfortable, looking around. “Let’s sit in your car.”
Jeremy looked surprised but opened the door and got back in. Eric climbed in on the passenger side.
“Well?” he asked, looking at Eric.
Eric cleared his throat. “There’s this girl… I’ve been seeing her since the tenth grade. I wanted to ask her to the prom, but, you know, I knew that there would be problems, so I didn’t. We both agreed that it would be best. We’ve been kinda sneaking around seeing each other.”
“Why are you two sneaking around, Eric?”
Eric did not meet his gaze but stared out of the window. “She’s black.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Jeremy replied, his voice hard.
“Jeremy, not everybody’s strong like you. My dad would have a fit. She said her family would probably disown her if they found out.”
“Then what do you want me to tell you, Eric?” Jeremy replied. “It seems to me that the two of you are letting other people dictate your relationship. Is that how you want to live?”
“I dunno… I guess I just wanted to ask you if it was really worth all the flack you got from your friends and family. I mean, I’ve dated other girls, and she dates other guys. But I just don’t feel for them like I do for her.”
“If you love someone, Eric, then of course it’s worth it. You have to make that decision though.”
“This is South Carolina, Jeremy, not New York. I know guys who’ve gotten beaten up for messing with black girls. White girls have been disowned for messing with black guys. There is just so much negativity around interracial dating.”
“If you love her, you’ll figure out what’s best for the both of you. You are about to graduate. Are you going to college?”
“I want to do electrician work,” Eric said. “I’m a hands-on kinda guy. Nadine, well she does hair. She wants to open her own shop. I figured we’d lay low until we both graduate and then just tell our folks.”
Jeremy looked at him. “Well, it seems that you have this all figured out. What about Matthew and your dad?”
“I don’t know. I guess that’s another reason why I wanted to talk to you. How did you change your dad’s mind?”
“Well I just had to stand firm. I mean, Uncle Matt and Pop may be brothers, but they are different as night and day. What worked for me might not work for you. When your father found out about Aura, he said that he’d rather I’d been gay.”
Eric shook his head. “I guess there’s no hope for me then.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Eric. He’ll have to show you respect if you look him in the eye as a man and stand your ground. Even if he doesn’t accept it, what can he do about it? He’s bound to come around eventually, especially once you two decide to get married and have a family.”
Eric laughed nervously. “That’s just it.”
“What?” Jeremy asked.
Eric fell back against the seat and closed his eyes.
“She’s pregnant.”
Aura sat at her desk going over the spreadsheet for the month’s deposits. As the receivables accountant for St. Andrew Medical Center, she was responsible for making sure the deposits matched the postings to the patients’ accounts to the penny, and something was off. The fact that she h
ad been out of the office for a week didn’t help matters.
The phone rang, and she glanced up to see that it was the front desk.
“Aura Vanderleigh,” she said, picking it up.
“You have a visitor, Aura,” Jackie, the receptionist, said.
“Okay, I’ll be right up.”
Aura walked to the front and was surprised to see Jeremy with a dozen roses.
“Hey, babe!” he said, grinning.
“I thought you weren’t going to be in until tonight!” she exclaimed.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked, kissing her.
“Of course,” she replied.
She looked at Jackie, who was staring with her mouth open.
“Jackie, this is my fiancé, Jeremy,” she said, smiling at the petite blonde.
“I came by to take you to lunch,” he said. “I hate plane food, and I’m hungry.”
“Great! Let me get my bag, but I’ve got to be back in an hour,” she said, taking the vase of flowers.
By the time she had gathered her pocketbook and locked her computer, a small crowd had gathered in the reception area. This was the reason she had never asked Jeremy to come to her job before! She looked at the crowd of about eight people and shook her head.
“What’s this all about?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“We just want to see what you’ve been hiding in the closet,” Sandra, one of the managers, replied.
Several other people had gotten up from their desks and had come up front into the reception area.
“Let’s go,” she said to Jeremy, trying not to lose her temper. “Before we cause a fire hazard.”
“I missed you, babe,” Jeremy said as they sat in a booth in the deli across from her office.
“I missed you too,” she said, squeezing his hand.
He told her about his visit home, Matthew’s reaction to their engagement, and Eric’s situation.
“What do you think your uncle will say?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Eric’s pretty freaked out about it. I mean, he’s heard how his father and brother feel about me and you. Just think what’ll happen now that they have a grandchild by a black girl on the way. He’s already planning on moving in with her after graduation,” Jeremy said.
“Wow, her parents won’t mind?” Aura asked.
“According to Eric, they’re worse than his dad. She’s moving in with her sister who has a two-bedroom apartment. Eventually though, they are going to have to get their own place. It’ll be pretty crowded with a baby.”
“Well you know I told you about Grandma,” Aura said “She wants you to come to dinner. Shall I call and tell her that you’re back?”
“I’m not scared of your grandma after all I’ve already faced,” Jeremy said, chuckling. “Bring it on.”
“Even though she says that you look gay and that she believes you to be a closet bisexual?”
“I didn’t stutter… Bring it on!” he replied firmly.
“And she thinks that white folks from South Carolina drive pickup trucks, have gun racks, and drink moonshine.”
Jeremy started laughing. “Well, my Uncle Matt has a pickup truck. I’ll have to check on the still for the moonshine when I go back home.”
“Jeremy, she’s ridiculous! How can you laugh?” Aura asked, shaking her head, though she was laughing too.
“Because she’s an old lady who grew up during a time of segregation, and I can cut her some slack… unlike my cousin,” he said, the smile leaving his face. “I asked Eric to be my best man, and he agreed.”
“That is, if his father allows him to live, right?” Aura quipped. “Are Matthew and Eric your uncle’s only children?”
“No, Eric is the baby, and Nathan is the middle child. He’s married, but they don’t have any children. It appears that Eric will produce the first grandchild.”
“That should prove interesting.” Aura smirked.
“Yeah, I know. Eric says they’re not telling until after graduation. That’s a few weeks from now.”
Aura returned to her office, and Jeremy agreed to meet her at her parents’ house and face the Grandmother at seven o’clock.
Jackie came over to her desk when she returned from lunch. Aura looked at her as she leaned down and inhaled her roses. “These are nice,” she said, making small talk.
“Yes, they are,” Aura said.
“So,” Jackie continued, looking at her slyly. “How’d you pull that off?”
“Pull what off?” Aura asked.
“You know… how’d you rope him in?”
Aura paused, not knowing exactly how to answer that question. Finally she said, “I didn’t rope him in. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
“Oh,” Jackie replied and stared at her a moment. Aura could see the wheels turning in her head.
“Okay, Jackie, why don’t you just ask me or say what’s really on your mind.”
“Does he have any brothers?” she asked, grinning.
Aura laughed. “No, just two sisters.”
“Damn! I was hoping,” Jackie said and walked out of the office.
Aura felt that she didn’t ask her what she really wanted to, but she was glad that she had left her office. She got up and went into the storage area to get a binder. As she was looking on the shelves in the back of the closet, someone else came into the storage room.
“Did you see that hunk that came in to see Aura?” It was Jackie’s voice.
“Girl, I did. What do you think is going on there?” Aura recognized that voice. It was Evelyn from Customer Service.
“I don’t know,” Jackie replied. “I don’t believe that he’s in love with her for one minute. Maybe he needs a green card or something.”
Evelyn laughed. “I’d love to help him out myself. God, he’s delicious looking.”
“Yeah, girl. I’d like a piece of that apple dumpling,” Jackie said, laughing.
“I betcha it has something to do with immigration. A guy with those looks… especially a white guy wouldn’t have picked a girl like her because of love,” Jackie whispered. “She’s getting married in September. That’s mighty quick. He probably paid her a pretty penny to do it, I bet.”
Aura couldn’t listen any longer. She came from the back of the room, and they looked at her, realizing she’d heard everything they said.
Aura stared them down a moment before she decided to speak.
“The last time I checked, South Carolina was a part of the United States,” she said. “That’s Jeremy’s birthplace. Second of all, I’m getting married in September because he didn’t want to wait longer than that. Contrary to what you haters may think, he loves me, and I love him.”
She walked out of the storage area, slamming the door behind her.
CHAPTER 13
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Jeremy took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell of Aura’s parents. While he had sounded confident to Aura about meeting her grandmother, truth be told, he had butterflies in his stomach. Never let them see you sweat! he thought to himself.
Aura opened the door smiling. “Are you sure you want to come in?” she asked, teasing.
“Sure do,” he said, more confidently than he felt.
He had taken great pains with his dress. His hair was parted in the middle the way Aura liked it, longer in the front than the back. He wore a baby-blue oxford shirt and black slacks. Aura looked him over. “You look mighty sexy,” she whispered, squeezing his arm.
“But will I look manly enough for you know who?” he whispered back as she led him into the den.
Jeremy saw a small, gray-haired woman sitting on the sofa, and Aura introduced her as her grandmother. She did not smile but stared at him for a moment, her eyes roaming over him.
“Hel
lo, Mrs. Vanderleigh,” he said, offering his hand. She continued to stare but did not reply or make any attempt to shake his hand.
Jeremy let his hand fall to his side and looked at Aura.
“Grandma, mind your manners,” she said through clenched teeth.
“I’m seventy-five years old,” her grandmother said. “I knew my manners before your daddy was thought of, so I don’t need you to school me, missy.”
She focused back on Jeremy again, giving him another thorough look. Her eyes locked with his, and he saw them narrow in disapproval.
“Well, boy, what do you have to say for yourself? I hear you want to marry my granddaughter. Why is that?” Gracie asked.
Jeremy sat on the sofa next to her. “I love her.”
“Love? What is love?” Gracie said, waving her hand in a dismissive fashion. “Aura, why don’t you leave us alone for a minute. Go help your mother in the kitchen!” Gracie said, looking at her granddaughter.
Aura started to protest, but Jeremy spoke up. “That’s all right, Aura. I’m a big boy. I’ll be all right.”
Aura hesitated but then went into the kitchen as she was told, though she strained to hear what was being said.
Gracie Vanderleigh turned back to Jeremy. “Answer my question.”
“I want to marry her because I love her,” he said simply.
“Right!” Gracie said with disbelief. “What she needs is a good black man, someone who’ll make her happy and keep her satisfied.”
“I’m not black, but I know I can make her happy and keep her satisfied,” Jeremy responded coolly.
“You look soft to me,” Gracie replied “You’re just a little too pretty to be a man. What is it about my granddaughter that you’re attracted to? Why not stay with your own kind, boy?”
“First, I can’t help how I look,” Jeremy said. “It’s a blessing and a curse. I make a living based on my looks. I have to work hard every day to maintain this look because I’m getting older. I don’t expect to do this the rest of my life. I love Aura because she sees beyond my outer shell. Aura is the woman I fell in love with. Her color doesn’t stop me from loving her.”
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