Breaking New Grounds

by Amy DeMeritt

  So, all I say is, “Thanks. What happened to your cousin’s baby?”

  “She’s four years old now and she’s still with my grandparents. You’re not suggesting that I should offer to raise her, are you?”

  “No, I was just curious. Congratulations on your graduation. Where are you headed now?”

  “Oh, uh, my parents want to go to The Firepit. Is that ok? I know you bought it and…”

  “Shane, stop. I meant, what are your plans now that you have graduated? And no, I don’t mind if you eat at the restaurant. It’s the best place in town, so you should go enjoy it while you’re still here. I highly recommend the chocolate lava cake for dessert. It’s divine.”

  “Oh, sorry, I misunderstood. Well, thank you. Anyway, you remember I had that internship with the state pathology department, right? Well, my supervisor gave me a great letter of recommendation, so I was able to get a good entry level job back home in Tampa. I’ll basically be doing what I did in my internship.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

  “Really? You’re happy for me?”

  “Yes. I want you to be happy and have a good life.”

  Shuffling on her feet and twisting her hands in front of herself, she quietly asks, “I guess that good life won’t include you ever again?”

  Sadness washes over me, making my limbs tingle in an unpleasant way. I shake my head and look down for a moment, before meeting the pleading look in her light caramel eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t. I’ve been able to forgive you, but I don’t think it’s good for either of us. You said it yourself – you’ll never be able to understand me. People who can’t understand each other can never truly live in peace and harmony. You can tolerate each other but tension will eventually flare up and consequences will result.”

  “I want to understand you though. I want to be your friend. You don’t think I’m capable of learning how to understand you? If you’ve really forgiven me, shouldn’t I get another chance?”

  “Shane, I’ve given you many chances, and I’ve gotten burned every time. This last time seriously hurt my whole family – not just me. What would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you take the risk again?”

  Shane looks down while she runs her fingers through her hair and clasps her hands behind her slim neck. When she looks up, her cheeks are red and she’s crying.

  “No, I wouldn’t give you another chance so you shouldn’t give me one. Ok, well, thanks for the chat. Have a good life, Kayla.”

  She leans in to hug me but pulls back just as quickly. I catch her hand and pull her into me. She wraps her arms around me and breaks down crying harder against my neck, quietly sobbing. I rub her back a few times before placing my hand on the back of her neck.

  “I’m so sorry, Kayla.”

  “I know. Don’t forget the promise you made to me last year. You’re never allowed to get into or stay in a relationship with someone who abuses you in any aspect.”

  “I won’t. And I’ll try to be a better person too. I’m really going to miss you.”

  “Me too.”

  Shane pulls back to look in my eyes and her bottom lip quivers. She visibly swallows and wipes at her eyes.

  “Goodbye, Kayla.”

  “Goodbye, Shane.”

  She quickly walks away, but instead of walking back to her parents and friends, she walks back to the building.

  Susan, Madison’s mom wraps an arm around my waist as she steps up next to me to watch Shane walk inside, and asks, “Was that goodbye?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s probably for the best. Are you ready? The girls want to head home to get ready for the party. Oh, and your friend Josh came by. He didn’t want to interrupt your conversation. He said he’ll see you at the house.”

  “Ok. I’m ready.”

  I knew I would see Shane today, but I hadn’t decided till our eyes locked if I was actually going to talk to her. I had run the conversation over in my head more than a dozen times a week, trying to figure out what I would say if I talked to her. But I’m glad that reality didn’t grasp onto any of those rehearsed conversations. Most of them were nonsense ramblings or angry rants. What actually happened was still frustrating, but it was probably the best way we could have said our final goodbyes. I know I should feel relief that I’ll probably never see Shane again, but all I feel is pain and confusion, which is basically how Shane has always made me feel, even before what she did last year.

  ***

  As I’m taking a sip of lemonade, Alek walks up to me on the deck in a nice black suit, sunglasses, and an earpiece on his left ear, looking very much like a secret service agent.

  “We have another situation at the front gate.” He shows me a live video feed on his cellphone from the body-cam of one of the security guards checking access tickets. “This vehicle has a single occupant and he claims to be ‘close, personal friends’ with you. He does not have one of the digital tickets you sent to each of your approved guests. Do you recognize him?”

  I take the phone from him to get a better view of the driver. His eyes keep darting between the guard and the house while he maintains a smile that makes my skin crawl. He looks to be about thirty with a five-o’clock shadow and he’s wearing a blazer over a white tee shirt.

  “No, I have no idea who he is. Don’t let him on the property, and if he refuses to leave, call the police.”

  “Got it.”

  He pushes the button on his earpiece, and as he walks away, he delivers my orders to the security guard at the gate, for the dozenth time. I exhale hard as I turn to took at the lively party underway in the backyard.

  This is the first major party we have thrown that isn’t mostly family in attendance. This party is for Madison and Sam and their college friends and favorite teachers and their families. The guest list was so vast that we knew we would need to take extra security measures. We set up a digital invite that is like an event ticket with a unique barcode for each guest. No one can get through the front gate unless they can present their ticket at the gate to be scanned by one of the two guards I have stationed there.

  I flew my personal body guards, Alek and Niko in from California, as well as a dozen more guards from the same agency that I’ve worked with before. Some are stationed in the house to make sure no one tries to break into any of the locked rooms or steal anything. Some are stationed near the vehicles to make sure no one tries to break into any of them. And some are wandering around the party. So far, the only issue we’ve had is the dozen or more cars I have had to send away because they didn’t have tickets. They’re most likely paparazzi or fans, neither of which I want to allow in and risk them ruining this day for my wives.

  This is a big day for them and they deserve to be able to enjoy it as much as possible. And as I look over the party and spot them in the middle of a large group, I can tell they are having a blast. I’ve been stressed since the moment we got back to the house and have been pulled in many directions trying to make sure the caterers are ready and ensure the security measures are in place. Every detail about this party has been very demanding, but at least they look happy.

  We have large canopies set up with caterers cooking and serving an assortment of fine fare, bars being tended by a handful of men and woman making and serving drinks, and tables and chairs for eating and relaxing. We have a stage with a DJ keeping the music flowing. We have a paid lifeguard watching over the swimming pool and hot tub. We have a couple of photographers to take fun photos for our guests. We even have a few arcade style games and activities. It’s a great party and everyone is having fun.

  I’m so proud of Sam and Madison. They’ve been working so hard for the past four years between school and running our merchandise business and the online dance channel. They’ve also collaborated with Giz Anderson and Mia Chang on several songs and music videos, many of which they recorded and edited themselves. Between all of that, they’ve also helped with the squad’s events and were in ou
r “A Love Affair in Paris” dance show last year.

  It feels really good to see their happiness and help them celebrate such amazing accomplishments. But I know that even though we’re celebrating the completion of their college degrees, this is by no means the completion of their success. This is only the beginning. Both of them are going to do so much and I feel so blessed to be apart of it. I feel so indescribably honored to have such remarkable wives.

  I really am so proud of them – all of my wives. Jaime and Symone graduated from college about six or seven years ago. Shannon graduated five years ago with a degree in nursing, but three years ago, she and Awenasa started taking online courses for their bachelor’s degree in natural medicine, which they’ll finish in about a year. The program also included an associate’s in business management, which they finished last year.

  Even with as much as I have personally accomplished in my career over the past few years, I’m still more blown away by everything my wives have accomplished.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sequoia sits down next to me on the natural log bench on her back porch and hands me a cup of tea. She wraps an arm around my shoulders and gives my bicep a squeeze.

  “Good morning, Mighty Wolf. What’s on your mind?”

  “Just thinking about life. Do you remember when I was fifteen, and you found me out here one morning just like this?”

  “I remember, and your answer was the same back then. You were thinking about life. What about life is on your mind this time?”

  “All of it. Back then, I remember sitting here staring at the woods and dreaming about what my life would be like with Awenasa. We wanted a bunch of kids, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for a career. I pictured us having a simple house that backed to the woods and we’d barely be scraping by, but we’d have so much love that we’d be happy in our humble life. We’d teach our kids the ways of our people and how to love and respect all life. It’s amazing how differently everything turned out.”

  “Yes, it is. I’m very proud of you. By living with a pure and open heart, you have done so much good in your life, and you are still so young. I can’t wait to see what new growth sprouts out of that beautiful heart of yours.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “Does my career choice ever bother you?”

  “No, sweetie. I’m very proud of everything you do.”

  “Even the sex scenes in my movies?”

  She releases a small laugh and rubs her hand over my head. “That doesn’t bother me at all. Humans are sexual beings. Trying to deny that or hide it is foolishness. You know our people have always been very comfortable with expressing our sexuality. The colonials brought the practice of demonizing public sexual expression, but I do not agree with it. I know you are loyal to your wives and what you do on screen is only work. I also know how difficult it was for you to accept those roles. I know you don’t accept the roles out of some perverse desire to be with other women. Why are you asking me that?”

  I take a sip of the delicious hot tea she brought me. I swallow and take a deep breath, trying to push my insecurities down so they don’t make me emotional.

  “I guess I’m wondering if having my name attached to the cultural center might bother some people because of what I do. I don’t want to dishonor or taint the image of our people.”

  “There are some within the tribe with the same concerns, but for the most part, your tribe supports you and is very proud of you. You’ve done a great deal of service for our tribe and others across the country, directly and indirectly. Since you’ve become famous, reservations tourists’ visits have steadily increased and artists are selling more of their wares than in decades. Elsu’s jewelry sales have multiplied tenfold since your first movie. His jewelry has been featured in magazines and bought and worn by other celebrities and he has been signed by a high-end jewelry company to design a few pieces for them. You did that. Because you were willing to step out into the spotlight, you shone a light on his talent. And that’s just one person, but there are countless stories like that, within and outside of our reservation.”

  Everything she said is very touching, and as true as it may be that I’ve had a positive impact on the financial wellbeing of other indigenous people, I still feel a great deal of doubt that I have the support she says I do. After we added Jaime and Symone to our family, I lost the love and support of some of the tribal council members and other members of the tribe. Some people have publicly accused me of paying for the cultural center as a way to buy back the support I lost, even though we secured the funds through donations at a big gala Hayley organized. But this cultural center isn’t about me. It’s about all indigenous people. It’s about the land we were born from, our history, and our future. I hope those who have aligned themselves as my enemies can see past their hatred for me and see the good that the cultural center can do for our people.

  Sequoia squeezes my bicep, and quietly asks, “Are you ready to have breakfast so we can get to the ground-breaking ceremony?”

  “Yeah, breakfast sounds good.”

  The house is loud with talking and laughter while everyone works to get the table set and food brought to the dining room table to eat.

  As my mom is setting a large platter of breakfast hash on the table, she says, “Good morning, angel.”

  “Good morning. Breakfast looks great. Do you need me to do anything?”

  “No, we’re ready to eat.”

  I take a seat in the empty chair next to Awenasa and lean over to give her and Helaku a kiss. Helaku smiles really big and grabs my ear, pulling me in closer.

  “Mom Ayla, kiss.”

  I laugh a little and give him another kiss. “I love you, Son.”

  “Love Mom Ayla. Kiss.”

  I give him another kiss and nibble on his cheeks and neck, making him giggle and squeal. As I release him, he lays his head on Awenasa’s chest with an adorable smile. Awenasa rubs her hand over his head and gives him a kiss on top of his head. He suddenly lifts his head and grabs her face, pulling her down to smoosh his mouth against hers. She laughs against his lips, and he smiles as he pulls back.

  “Love Mom. Kiss.”

  This has been Helaku’s favorite sentence for the past couple of weeks and we absolutely love it.

  Breakfast is really great. The food is delicious but sitting around with my whole family is really amazing. There are several conversations going at once, but everyone seems to be able to keep up with each other and interacts with each of the conversations going on. It’s pretty entertaining to watch.

  After eating a good hearty breakfast, and helping clean up, we get ready for the day. This is a very special occasion, so we end up dressing pretty nice. My wives are wearing beautiful summer dresses, and I’m in a pair of black with light gray pinstripe pants that hug my hips and ass, and a nice black V-neck short sleeve top with a fine waffle texture. Our baby girls are in adorable dresses and Helaku is in a cream, light blue, and brown plaid shirt and a pair of brown khaki pants.

  The location for the cultural center is on a fresh piece of land that hasn’t been built on yet, so there’s not a paved road to the location yet. Sequoia and Tahoma lead our large caravan of vehicles through town, then pull off onto a dirt road that I would have missed if I didn’t have someone to follow. We park in a dirt lot and Hayley and Sorina come rushing over to us with huge smiles on their faces. They’re both dressed in women’s business suits and look really nice.

  “You are glowing, Hayley. Come here.”

  I pull Hayley into a hug and kiss her cheek. She returns my embrace, and says, “I can’t believe we’re finally doing this.”

  “Were your parents able to make it?”

  “Yeah, they’re on their way from the hotel. Oh, come here. Someone else is here too.”

  As we turn, we come face to face with Jess and Allie with their baby girl in Allie’s arms. I smile really big and leap forward, throwing my arms arou
nd them.

  “I had no idea you were coming.” I give both of them a kiss on the cheek and pull back to look at their baby girl for the first time in person. “Hello, Chelsey. It’s nice to finally meet you. You’re absolutely beautiful. Your green eyes are gorgeous, just like your mommy’s. Can I hold her?” Allie gives me a very happy proud smile and nods as she hands her baby girl over to me. “You know, you’re probably going to marry one of my kids when you’re older.”

  Allie and Jess laugh hard and Allie gently smacks my arm. “Don’t you dare rush her life like that. I want her to stay tiny and dependent on us for as long as possible.”

  “Oh, I’m not rushing it. I want all of the babies to stay like this too. You look fantastic, by the way.”

  Allie’s cheeks blush and she looks down at herself for a moment. “Thank you. It has been hard to lose the baby weight, but I’m almost back to my original size.”

  “Oh, she’s so beautiful. Kayla, let me hold her.”

  Jaime has a giant smile on her face as she holds her hands out to me. I give Chelsey a kiss on the forehead then pass her to Jaime.

  “She looks just like you, Allie.”

  “Thank you. We’re anxious to have another one, but the doctor said we should wait eighteen months or the baby would be at a greater risk of being born prematurely.”

  Jaime looks up at Jess with a small laugh. “Well, you could make Jess get over her pregnancy fears and have her carry your second child.”

  Jess gives Jaime a pouty defiant look, saying, “I don’t see you jumping to the front of the line to have a baby.”

  Jaime shakes her head and rubs Chelsey’s torso with a smile. “I’m going to have a baby. I just don’t know when. We have to wait to see what happens with Sam.”