“I’m sure you will,” I beamed. “You can do anything you want, with God’s help.”
Travis led me to a bench outside the exhibit and motioned for me to sit down. I wondered what he wanted to say.
“Tell me about your dreams, Charmayne. You know all about mine.”
I thought for a moment. “Well, I want to be able to retire comfortably in the next five years and raise at least two children.”
“Is that all?” Travis seemed surprised.
“No,” I continued. “I also want to open a women’s relief center.”
“What’s that?”
“It will be a place where women who have been broken and abused can come and put their lives back together. They can live there or just attend the career readiness program.” My face and hands became animated as I shared my vision.
“I’m impressed,” responded Travis. “What gave you the idea?”
I looked into the distance, remembering what had birthed my dream. “My father died when I was eighteen, and my mother was totally destitute. She’d never worked and didn’t know where to start. My sister and I both got jobs to help out, but she never really landed on her feet. I worked two jobs all the way through college.”
“Two jobs?”
“Mmm-hmm. I worked on campus during the day and as a mail handler at night for the post office. All that while I attended classes full time.”
Travis laughed. “Guess you didn’t have too much time for partying.”
“No, I didn’t,” I mused. “But it was a good thing. I did well in school, and now I take care of my mother.”
Travis put his arms around me and squeezed me in a loving hug. “You are an amazing woman.”
I hugged him back and felt a warm feeling on the inside. I could’ve stayed in his arms forever.
The Teach a Man to Fish program was having a better response than anyone had ever expected. Entrepreneurs from all over the city were presenting their business plans to Grace Savings and Loan for whatever amount of loan money they could receive. Of course, most of the business plans needed work, and some of the applicants had poor credit histories, but even these were not insurmountable obstacles. We started classes at Grace to instruct individuals on creating business plans and on how to repair their credit.
The stream of applications seemed endless. We hired two new loan officers to help with the load, and as the last phase of the approval process, the applications ended up on my desk. I didn’t usually involve myself in such operational procedures, but the program was my baby, and I didn’t want anything to go wrong.
Randy Haskins, my most productive loan officer, was standing in front of my desk waving a thick folder. I assumed that it was another loan to be approved.
“Charmayne, this applicant is named Travis Moon. I need you to look over his application.”
My eyes widened. Travis and I had been having intimate discussions every night since my mother’s party, and he had not even hinted that he had applied for a loan at Grace. I could’ve helped him dispense with some of the formalities if I thought his application looked good. Travis was someone who had surely turned his life around. He could’ve been the poster boy for the program. He should’ve told me.
I held out my hand for the application. “Let me take a look.”
I first looked at the credit scores page. His credit was better than average, and he didn’t have any collections listed. He didn’t have any credit cards, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I had already seen his business plan, but I flipped to the budget page. It was flawless. Travis was requesting a twenty-thousand-dollar loan to purchase much-needed equipment and supplies. Since he had already invested over ten thousand dollars, it was not an unreasonable request.
Randy asked impatiently, “So do you think he’s a good risk?”
“So far, so good. Did you meet with him face-to-face?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And what did you think?” I was asking because I wasn’t sure I could be objective when it came to Travis.
“I thought that he seemed like an honest hardworking man. He’s probably the best applicant I’ve interviewed since we started the program.”
I responded, “Well, Randy, as long as you have all of your documentation and have all of your i’s dotted and t’s crossed, I think this loan is an acceptable risk.”
“Thank you, Ms. Ellis.”
Randy walked out of my office and I felt my stomach drop. I picked up the telephone and immediately dialed Travis’s number.
“Hello, my love,” said Travis, noticing my number in the caller ID.
My tone was all business. “Hello, Travis.”
“Is there anything wrong?”
“I was just wondering why you would apply for a loan at my bank and not tell me about it.”
“You found out?”
I was starting to get irritated. “Obviously. It was brought to me for an approval.”
“Was it approved?” Travis asked excitedly.
“We’ll get to that in a moment,” I stated, trying to maintain my professional composure. “But first, I need to know why you kept something like this a secret.”
There was a distinct pause before Travis replied. “You’re not my wife yet, Charmayne.”
I didn’t know how I felt about Travis’s words. Part of me knew that he was right—I wasn’t his wife—but another part of me felt he was up to something deceitful.
“You’re right, Travis. But in the future, I’d like a heads-up if you’re going to transact any major business at Grace Savings and Loan. I may be able to help.”
“Not a problem,” said Travis. The smiling tone of his voice calmed my fears.
“By the way . . . your loan was approved.”
“Hallelujah! Glory to God! You won’t regret this,” exclaimed Travis.
“All right, baby. Talk to you later.” I hung up hoping I wouldn’t regret my decision to help Travis.
Even though I felt some apprehension, approving the loan had been a sensible move. It seemed that my entire life had been a series of sensible moves. I’d watched from the sidelines as my sister and my friends fell in and out of love. I was there with the tissues when their hearts were broken, and I helped them avoid the men they’d wanted out of their lives. But that was never for me—I’d chosen to be safe.
Maybe that was the problem. Maybe I needed to follow the advice I’d given so many times. I was always telling someone to “step out on faith” or “let go and let God do it.” It sounded so easy when I was telling it to someone else, but I didn’t know if I even believed my own rhetoric.
At a little after five o’clock my receptionist, Donna, knocked on my office door. She was grinning from ear to ear, and I was sure that she was about to tell me why in the next ten seconds.
She whispered loudly, “Ms. Ellis, there is a man here for you.”
“Thank you. I’ll be out shortly,” I replied blandly. I hid my excitement at Travis’s surprise visit because I didn’t want to feed Donna’s curiosity.
“Is he a date?” asked Donna. I was almost offended by her nosiness. Did she forget that I was her boss?
I frowned and responded, “He’s a friend.”
Donna continued unashamed. “But didn’t he used to be a janitor here?”
“Yes.”
Donna stood at my desk for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say more. In my opinion, there was nothing left to say.
I asked, “Is there anything else, Donna?”
“No, I guess not,” she replied, disappointment lacing her voice.
Donna turned and left my office. I knew that by the end of the next day, the entire company would know that the president of the bank was dating an ex-janitor. I had no idea how my peers would react to the news, and I didn’t really care.
I smiled at Travis as I finally emerged from my office. He was dressed to impress in the same suit that he’d worn to my mother’s birthday party. Even though I loved him in that suit
, I would’ve liked some variety. We were going to have to make a shopping trip one day.
We drove separately to a little Chinese restaurant that was one of my favorites. It was quiet, secluded, and rarely frequented by anyone I knew. Plus they served the best shrimp egg foo yung I’d ever eaten.
When we got to the restaurant, Travis’s friends were waiting for us in the vestibule. I looked forward to conversing with someone from Travis’s circle. Travis and his friend hugged and gave each other one of those intricate handshakes while we women watched with amusement.
Travis introduced us. “Charmayne, this is my oldest friend, Les, and his wife, Anna.”
Les was just as fine as Travis, but unlike Travis with his raw masculinity, Les was what I called a pretty boy. His skin was light and creamy like butter, and he had the most captivating green eyes. His hands sparkled with several diamond rings. I wondered if fine men always ran in packs.
Compared with her husband, Anna was as plain as they come. She was petite and mousy. Her hair was dull and lifeless, but it was obvious that she’d attempted to style it. And while her husband was all flash, she wasn’t wearing any jewelry except a plain gold wedding band.
When we got settled into the table, Travis announced, “I want you all to be the first to know that today my application for a twenty-thousand-dollar small-business loan was approved!”
“Well, all right, man! Congratulations!” exclaimed Les before I got the chance to say anything.
Travis continued, “I was afraid at first that they wouldn’t even give me the loan, because of my background. I couldn’t have done it without my lady here, and Jesus! He’s able!”
I did my best imitation of a church organ and said, “You betta testify!”
We enjoyed a lively dinner, with Travis and Les talking mostly about their high school glory days. Apparently they had been quite the players. From the way they talked, it was amazing to me that anyone had been able to get Les to settle down, especially the demure and homely Anna.
At the end of dinner Travis and I parted ways with Les and Anna. They were going to visit with her family for a couple of days. We promised to get together again before they went back home to Detroit.
Travis walked me to my car. “Are you ready to go home?” he asked.
“Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Well, it’s so nice out tonight, and you know winter will be here before you know it. I was thinking we could go down to the lake.”
I smiled, thinking of the romantic possibilities. “I’d like that.”
Travis insisted that we ride together in my car. He turned the radio dial to a rhythm-and-blues station. He hummed along to an old DeBarge classic.
“You’re in a great mood,” I remarked.
“Girl, you just don’t know! It’s like my life is finally coming together. I’ve never felt so sure of myself.”
Once we got to the lake, Travis found a huge rock for us to sit on. I looked out over the water and could tell that an autumn storm was brewing. The waves were crashing across the pier and making the docked boats bob up and down like apples in a barrel. The storm was a way off, though, because the air was still warm and muggy. It was already October, but it felt like July.
I was so caught up in the wonderful view of the lake that I jumped when Travis grabbed both my hands in his. The action was surprising yet tender. His eyes were sparkling with what I presumed was joy over his loan approval. I smiled up at him proudly and lovingly.
“God is good,” he said.
“Yes, He is,” I replied.
Travis let my hands go and lifted his arms toward heaven in a miniature praise. I nodded in agreement.
“Charmayne, do you realize that you have been the answer to my prayers? Since I’ve met you, only good things have happened in my life.”
“It’s not me, baby. It’s your season.”
“I wanted to do this all on my own. Like I landed my first real client on my own. I want you to know that I can be a provider for you—felony record and all. The Lord has just been granting my every request.”
Next, Travis reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. I felt my heart begin to race. The look that Travis was seeing on my face at that moment was true astonishment. Travis took my hands again—I was sure that he could feel them trembling.
“Charmayne . . . you are a wonderful woman. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and I’m sure everything Jesus ever wanted me to have.”
Travis took an expensive-looking ring out of the little box and placed it on my finger.
“And now, I’m officially asking you to be my wife.”
I stared down at the ring, my eyes blinking rapidly to try to slow the tears. The ring was clearly an heirloom, but it had an ageless beauty. In the center of the gold band there was a large princess-cut diamond surrounded by at least a dozen smaller diamonds.
“It’s b-beautiful,” I stammered.
Travis beamed with pride. “It was my grandmother’s ring. I know she would be proud for you to wear it.”
I was filled with joy and apprehension. I wanted to just say yes with total abandon, but something inside kept telling me that it was all too good to be real.
But it was real! I finally had the one thing I’d always dreamed of having—the love of a man. The ring on my finger was not a mirage, and the pleading in Travis’s eyes was not my imagination.
“So will you be my bride?” he asked again.
“Y-yes.”
Travis clapped his hands together gleefully. “Thank you, Jesus!” he shouted as if he wanted the angels in heaven to hear him.
And that settled it. I was marrying Travis—the man of my dreams. And what could be wrong with a man who thanked Jesus for having me?
CHAPTER Sixteen
Past
The first person I shared my news with was Lynette, and she was giddily happy for me. We screamed, yelled, and cried, and then we screamed some more. She almost seemed happier than I was, although I didn’t know if that was possible. I was literally ecstatic.
Telling Mama was more of a challenge. Her only response was, “So you marrying that pretty boy, huh?” I couldn’t tell if she was for or against my decision, but she seemed content not to try to talk me out of it. I guess she’d been trying to push me off on a man for so long that just about any man would do—even a pretty boy.
I didn’t call my sister; she called me. I knew that Mama would tell her before I got the chance.
When I picked up the phone, Dayna said, “So what color will the bridal party be wearing? I’m thinking a peach or rose.”
I laughed. “Well, hello to you, too.”
“You can dispense with all the pleasantries. We’ve got a wedding to plan. As the matron of honor, I think my dress should be stunning. I am the matron of honor, right?”
I actually was thinking of asking Lynette to be my matron of honor, but that was something I had plenty of time to decide.
“I don’t know, Dayna. Do we have to talk about this right now?”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Dayna spat indignantly. “I’m your only sister! What is there to decide?”
“Right now, I’m deciding to get off the phone. I’m having company later.”
“Company? You think it’s wise to have your man all up in your house before you get married? Fornication is still a sin.”
I shook my head and laughed. “For your information, Lynette and Jonathan are coming over for dinner. They want to get to know my fiancé.”
“And you didn’t invite me and Ronald?”
“Maybe next time, Dayna. I’ll call you later on, okay?”
Dayna did not reply. I knew she’d hung up because I heard the dial tone after a few moments of silence.
Travis was nervous about having dinner with my friends. He’d already met both Lynette and Jonathan, but he wanted them to accept his friendship. Travis knew how important Lynette was in my life, and for some reason he felt that
he had something to prove to her.
I also wanted the evening to be a success, so I pulled out my entire arsenal of recipes. I prepared a salad with three different kinds of lettuce, carrot slivers, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, olives, and my own secret sweet-and-tangy salad dressing. For the main course, we were to dine on stuffed chicken Parmesan with homemade marinara sauce and angel-hair pasta. And for dessert, a specially prepared tiramisu.
Lynette and Jonathan arrived just as I was putting the finishing touches on dinner. Travis answered the door to my home, looking fine as ever in a thick black turtleneck and dress slacks. I gave him a smile of encouragement, and he seemed to relax a little.
“Lynette and Jonathan! Come on in,” said Travis.
“Hey, Travis!” exclaimed Lynette as if she’d known him for years.
Jonathan said, “It’s good seeing you, man.”
Lynette pushed past Travis and Jonathan and came directly into the kitchen. She snatched my hand viciously to take a close look at my ring. She squealed with pleasure.
“This is what? About one and a half carats?”
“Just about.”
“Go ’head girl! How did he afford to pay for this?”
“It was his grandmother’s ring.”
Lynette followed me back out to the living room. Both men stood up, and Jonathan gave me a hug.
I said, “Don’t stop chatting on account of us. Dinner is just about ready.”
“Honey, we were just talking about romantic honeymoon spots. How does Saint Thomas sound?” asked Travis.
Lynette nudged me suggestively and said, “It sounds romantic.”
I replied, “It sounds great, Travis. I love Saint Thomas. I went there on a cruise once. They have some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.”
“Well, Saint Thomas it is.”
Jonathan said, “Man, that’s going to cost a grip.”
“That’s all right,” I beamed. “Travis landed his first huge client.”
Jonathan asked, “What is it that you do?”
“Well, I started off doing air-conditioning and ventilation systems along with general maintenance for corporations. But while I was working during the day, all my mother’s friends and the elderly saints in the church would ask me to take care of repairs in their homes. When my side income surpassed my paycheck, I knew that there was a market for my services.”
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