Jayd's Legacy

by L. Divine

  “What the hell is that smell?” I ask aloud to anyone who can hear me.

  “The toilet overflowed and flooded the bathroom and hallway. Watch your step,” Jay says, closing the refrigerator door. His face is masked against the smell.

  “Is that my scarf?” I ask.

  “Yes. It was the only one I could find. I’m sure you have plenty more, little miss thugette.”

  “Shut up and give it here. That’s my pink, silk Coach scarf from last spring’s collection!” I yell, snatching it from his face. “Why were you going through my stuff anyway?” I ask, following him from the kitchen and into the living room, where the stench worsens.

  “I was saving your shit, man. Some of the water seeped into the closet where our stuff is. Damn. It’s going to take forever to clear the smell out of the house,” Jay says, taking a seat on the plastic-covered sofa before digging into his homemade burger and fries. Nothing stops these dudes around here from eating, not even the smell of a sewer in our house.

  “Where’s Mama?” I ask, not wanting to stay indoors any longer. And, knowing Mama, she probably went to a neighbor’s house or Netta’s.

  “She’s out back working off some steam. You missed it. Her and daddy had it out,” Jay says, smacking his lips in between bites. “Daddy went back to the church for evening service. I don’t know how he’s going to preach about being holy after what he said to Mama and what she said to him.”

  “Jay, you act like they’ve never argued before,” I say as I take my bags into the dining room and place them behind the china cabinet. “Make sure nobody touches my stuff and that includes you, sticky fingers,” I say, heading through the kitchen and out the back door to find Mama. I need some good advice and now.

  When I get outside, I can hear Mama humming to herself in the back. I go all the way around the garage toward the spirit room. Her and Daddy must’ve had a real good falling out to make her hum.

  “Hi, Mama,” I say, walking over to where she’s kneeling by her herb garden, next to the backhouse. She’s busy pulling weeds and picking fresh herbs.

  “Hey, baby. How’s your Mom?” she asks, turning her cheek up to receive my kiss. I kneel down beside her, gathering the extracted weeds to eventually toss into the garbage can.

  “She’s fine. Rushing off to meet Ras Joe,” I say, thinking about my mom’s crazy behind. I didn’t even get a chance to mention my drama; she was so busy telling me about hers. She wants to call it quits with Ras Joe because he’s getting too possessive. Her problem’s the exact opposite of mine, as usual.

  “That girl. When will she learn to leave those trifling men alone?” Mama says, tugging at the stubborn weeds a bit harder than necessary.

  “Everything all right, Mama?” I ask. “Jay said you and Daddy had a fight.”

  “That old Negro thinks he can just do what he wants, when he wants,” she says, going right into the drama. “I told him to call a plumber hours ago. But, no, he thinks he can fix the damn toilet his own self. He’s cheap, Jayd. Just cheap,” she says, ripping the weeds from the ground. “Now the hall’s soaked with shitty water and the house smells like a sewer.” I feel sorry for Mama sometimes. It must be hard being the matriarch in a house full of men.

  “I’ll help you clean up,” I offer.

  “Oh, no you won’t either,” Mama says, pulling the last of the weeds and looking at me. Despite the anger apparent on her face, she looks at me gently and smiles.

  “This is your grandfather’s mess. Let him figure out a way to clean it up,” she says. “Now, how was your weekend?” she asks, reminding me of my original intention.

  “It was kind of cool, and it kind of sucked,” I say. “Jeremy won’t take me to homecoming and Raheem wants to be friends,” I say, making it short and sweet.

  “Well, you can still go to the dance, but not with Raheem, if that’s what you’re thinking.” How did she read my thoughts before I even realized them myself?

  “No, of course not,” I say, shutting down the possibility. “But, Raheem did say he’s going to be there.”

  “Did you find out what he wants?” she asks, searching for the truth in my eyes.

  “He says he just wants to be friends,” I say, knowing myself that can’t be all. He wants me back and I’d be a fool not to admit it. What else could he have meant by saying I would always be his queen?

  “Girl, you’d better be careful,” Mama says, getting up from the ground and dusting off her outside work dress. “You’ve got two very powerful men after your heart,” she says. “The last thing you want to do is pit the two of them against each other,” she says, turning around and walking toward the house. “I recommend you find someone more amicable to go with. That way, you’ll keep both of them at bay and yourself out the line of fire,” she says before retiring for the evening.

  Mama’s right about one thing for sure. I don’t want to pit them against one another. That’s what happened with KJ and Jeremy, and that ended up really bad. I have to be careful with both of them. But, right now I have to do the crapload of homework I’ve put off all weekend before going to bed. The drama just never stops.

  As I step out the door wearing my perfect red dress, a man’s hand grabs mine, leading me onto the dance floor. The smooth sounds of Dexter Gordon play in the background, providing the beat to our one-two sway.

  As we glide across the dance floor, with other couples in tune with the beat as well, he comes to a halt, dipping me back, and then pulling me up slowly into a breathtaking, deep kiss. When I pull back to look my dance partner in the eyes, they’re familiar and powerful, but not belonging to whom I expect.

  “Jayd, you want me to boil you some water?” Bryan says, reminding me the bathroom’s off-limits this morning and I’ll have to wash up in the kitchen sink. I went over to our neighbor’s house last night to take a shower.

  What the hell am I doing dreaming about Raheem? This isn’t getting any better, and I’m sure today’s just going to get worse. I have to get to Nigel before Misty gets wind of it, or else this thing with Raheem could get bigger than it needs to.

  7

  Misery Loves Company

  “You busy smilin’, smilin’, grinnin’ in my face/ Whole time tryna take my place.”

  —ANGIE STONE

  It’s the week before homecoming and people are naturally starting to set up their dates for the dance. It’s weird having a boyfriend and no date. And, not only do I have a boyfriend; he’s the most popular cat up here. So, how can any date I choose top him? Because of yesterday’s at-home excitement, I wasn’t able to call my girls last night and tell them the news. I know Nellie’s going to flip when I tell her Jeremy’s not taking me to the dance.

  It was hard getting dressed in the kitchen this morning. It’s cold as hell in there and there’s no mirror. I kept running back and forth between the kitchen for the sink, the living room for the heat, and the dining room for the mirror. It’s actually a relief to ride on the bus this morning. The house is still a mess and I’m glad I’m not on the clean-up crew for today. I’m sure I’ll have enough shit shoveling to do once I hit campus.

  When I finally reach school, Jeremy’s waiting for me at the bus stop like clockwork. One good thing about him is he sure is punctual.

  “Good morning, Lady J,” he says, reaching over the passenger’s seat and pushing the door open for me to get in.

  “How are you this morning?” I say, throwing my backpack in the backseat before getting in. Neither one of us tries to kiss the other. I guess he feels the tension in the car as much as I do. Why do relationships have to be so hard?

  “So, how was your night?” Jeremy asks, making small talk. At least he’s making an effort. I really don’t have anything else to say to him unless he’s changed his mind. Otherwise, I need to concentrate on getting a date and fast.

  “I did homework all night,” I say, leaving out the gory details of my evening. I doubt he’d understand what it means to have the only bathroom in a house ful
l of people break down, since there are five bathrooms in his house. “What about you?” I ask as he pulls into the parking lot.

  “It was cool. I had an English paper to write for Mrs. Bennett. So, I was up all night working too,” he says. “Jayd, are we cool?” he asks, taking the key out of the ignition and turning to give me his full attention.

  “Sure we are, aren’t we?” I answer. I want him to feel bad for leaving me hanging like this, but I don’t want to go too far.

  “I’m definitely cool. You’re the one with the attitude,” he says, opening the car door and getting out.

  “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” I ask, getting out with as much attitude as he’s accused me of having.

  “Whatever, Jayd. I’m just trying to break the ice without all the mind games,” he says. People are rushing up the steps to campus, paying no attention to our spat.

  “What mind games?” I ask, knowing exactly what he’s talking about. Maman Marie’s ways are not proving to be too successful for me. Well, I guess they weren’t all that successful for her either. This is what I get for trying to act after reading only half her story.

  “You know what games,” he says, getting both our backpacks out of the backseat and closing the car door. “All this noise about you going with someone else,” he says, walking toward the stairs ahead of me. “You just said that to get a rise out of me,” he says, walking backward to face me. He looks so adorable when he thinks he’s got me.

  “Oh, Jeremy,” I say, catching up to him and pushing him, making him slightly lose his footing. “I am going to the dance with someone else. So, you can keep your chauffeur service to yourself. I won’t need it or you,” I say, not giving in to what he thinks he knows.

  “All right, Lady J. We’ll see when the night comes. Just remember, there are no hard feelings on my end. And, if you need me I’m there for you,” he says, smiling like he’s won the battle. But, the war has just begun.

  When we get up to campus, Jeremy walks me to my locker and we go our separate ways. My girls aren’t here yet. Maybe there’s traffic on the 91 or something. I try calling Nigel, but his voice mail’s picking up. Maybe he can take me to the dance. He’s neutral enough and he’s the star quarterback, definitely a good runner-up to Jeremy. I also need Nigel to keep his mouth shut about our late-night session. I don’t see why my at-home life has to mingle with my life at school any more than it already does. I just hope I can get Nigel to see it my way.

  When the bell for break rings, I bolt out of English class to find Nellie and Mickey and look for Nigel as well. South Central is closer to the English hall than my locker, so I figure I can save time by checking there first. Luckily, my girls are already posted at their usual spot, by the vending machines.

  “Wait just a minute, Jayd,” Nellie says, adjusting to my very unpleasant news. “You mean to tell me you’re dating one of the most popular dudes up here and he’s not into dances? What’s the point of having a man at all if he can’t even take you to a school dance?” she says, sounding hella pissed.

  “That’s not why I’m with him, Nellie,” I say, opening my bottled water and taking a sip. It’s too hot to be out here defending myself against my girls. I wanted help, not more aggravation.

  “Well, then why are you dating him, because I don’t understand the purpose. Y’all seem to be a perfectly mixed match couple,” Mickey says, smacking on some hot Poli Seeds, making me wish I had a bag myself.

  “Speaking of which, here comes the oddest couple of them all.” The only two people I see coming over our way are Misty and KJ, and I know Nellie can’t be talking about them. A couple?

  “Nellie, who are you referring to?” She and Mickey exchange a look that tells me I’m the one way out of the loop.

  “Oh, you haven’t heard,” Nellie says. “Misty asked KJ to homecoming and he said yes,” she says, passing me a Kleenex from her purse as if I’m about to let loose a flood of tears.

  “What!” I exclaim with more emotion than I expected. “Just last week he was running from the broad. Now they’re going to the first major dance of the year together? What the hell?”

  “Why do you care? You chose Jeremy over him, remember?” Nellie says, violating our verbal agreement. But, she’s got a good point. Why do I care? I should be happy for them. They deserve each other. But, I don’t need Nellie rubbing it in my face.

  “What happened to you not giving me any lip due to the fact I’m sacrificing my time and energy managing your princess campaign?” I retort, looking past Nellie to KJ and Misty approaching us. He does look nice today, as usual. I can only imagine how good he’s going to look at the dance. The whole point of going is to dress up with the ones you love, or love to hang out with.

  “Maybe you should’ve waited until after the dance to break up with KJ,” Mickey says, rubbing salt into my wounded pride.

  “Shut up Mickey,” I respond as KJ approaches us. But, true, we would have made a lovely homecoming picture.

  “Hey, Jayd. How’s the White boy?” KJ asks, with his hackling hen right by his side.

  “He’s just fine, KJ. Thanks for asking,” I reluctantly answer. KJ’s exceptionally cocky this morning and smiling way too big and bright. I know he’s only taking Misty to the dance to piss me off. What an ass.

  “I hope you don’t mind us going to the dance together,” Misty says, practically gushing with joy. “I heard you don’t have a date yourself, being that the Weiner boys are known for not going to dances. You really should’ve done your research before dating one of them.” She knows too much of everyone’s business and I know this heffa’s not trying to rub some shit in.

  “You’re a trifling little bitch, you know that, Misty?” Mickey says. “You have absolutely no shame in dating Jayd’s leftovers, do you?” she says, looking Misty up and down like she’s ready to throw blows on her. “No offense, KJ,” Mickey says, not meaning to burn bridges with him. It’s Misty she’s after this morning.

  “Whatever, Mickey. Is your man bringing you, or does his anklet only allow him to go to work and back?” Misty retorts, setting Mickey way the hell off.

  “You know what, Misty? I’ve had about enough of your petty little games. I should’ve whipped your ass better when I had the chance,” Mickey says, putting her bag of Poli Seeds in her purse and handing it to a shocked Nellie. I’m just waiting to see what’s going to happen next.

  “OK, you two. That’s enough,” Nellie says. “Y’all are causing negative attention and I have a crown to win. And, we all want me to win, right?” Nellie can be so full of herself sometimes. But, she’s right. We are causing an embarrassing scene.

  “Not that I agree with any of y’all right about now,” I say, briefly recovering from the shock of Misty’s dream coming true. “But, we need to chill. It’s just not that serious,” I say, even though I know it is that serious. How can a person who does so much foul shit get a date with my ex?

  “Jayd, you need to check this trick,” Mickey says, retrieving her purse from Nellie. “Some people never learn their lesson without a full beat-down. Later, KJ,” Mickey says as she stands to go, leaving Nellie and me to deal with Misty and KJ.

  “KJ, I would’ve gone to the dance with you if I’d known you were that desperate,” Nellie says, biting into Misty in her own way.

  “OK, catty ladies. Really, it’s just a dance. We’re not a couple or anything,” KJ says, instantly wiping the smile off Misty’s face.

  “Whatever, KJ. We know dudes got a thing for overly large asses,” I say, feeling a little relief after letting that one slip. Misty, like most of us, uses whatever assets she’s got to get a man. And, lucky for her she’s got that cute, thick J Lo thing going on. But, her attitude is what keeps her eternally single.

  “Don’t hate, Jayd. If you were with a Black man, you’d understand the true value of all of this,” she says, outlining her voluptuous body, before turning her head, ponytail in tow, and walking across the courtyard to the cafeteria. KJ, enjoyi
ng the show and Misty’s departure, turns back to Nellie and me, but we’ve both had enough of this scene.

  “KJ, what are you thinking going to the dance with her?” I say, ready to explode. I’m sick of the drama this brotha carries with him. And, most of all, I hate that I’m still involved in it.

  “Why are you worried about who I go to the dance with?” he asks, obviously pleased with my reaction. He then leans up against the vending machine, in between Nellie and me. The games never end with KJ.

  “I’m not worried about it,” I say, wishing he’d back up off me. For some reason, his cologne’s bothering me this morning, making me want to sneeze. “But, Misty?”

  “But, Jeremy?” he says, mocking me. Nellie’s getting a kick out of me sweating. “And, what’s this I hear about him not taking you to the dance?” How does Misty get her information so quickly? That girl’s like Google for South Bay High.

  “He’s cool on dances and I respect that,” I say, defending my man. It’s one thing for me to criticize his decision. But, it’s an entirely different situation when someone else does it, especially KJ. “Besides, I’ve got another date,” I say.

  “Oh, really?” KJ says, stepping back to look at me lie to his face. “And, who might this other man be?” KJ asks. Right on cue, Nigel walks up to the courtyard, heading straight for us. Thank God.

  “Here he comes now,” I say, quickly leaving the vending machines to meet Nigel halfway. He doesn’t know he’s my date yet. But, first things first. I have to make sure he keeps his mouth shut about Friday night until further notice.

  “What’s up, Jayd?” he says, opening his arms to give me a hug. “Long time no see,” he says, almost sharing the exact info I want him to keep on the low.

  “What’s up, man?” I say, walking right into his embrace. “Could you please not say anything about our session?” I whisper. I can feel everyone’s eyes on us, especially KJ’s.