Troublemaker

by Trice Hickman

  Ted lowered his voice. “I don’t care where you go, but you’ve got to get out of here.”

  “You mean you really want me to leave?”

  “I’m not going to repeat myself. Get your things and get out of this house.”

  “This is Mom’s house. You can’t put me out.”

  Victoria could hear the slight tremor in Christian’s voice. Ted was the only person whom she knew her son feared, but apparently not as much as she’d thought. He’d just made a bold and disrespectful statement, and she knew it was going to be met with fury from Ted.

  She sucked in an extra breath of air as Ted stepped up to Christian, so close their noses were almost touching. Both men were the same six feet two inches in height, and like Ted, Christian was lean and well built, but with the added advantage of being significantly younger. However, despite Ted’s age, Victoria knew it wasn’t a factor for her husband when it came to protecting those he loved.

  “Watch your step, son.” Ted’s voice was smooth, calm, and hard at the same time, and it put fear in Victoria because she knew what her husband was capable of. She knew that as calm, cool, and reserved as Ted could be, he could also tear up the entire room if he was pushed. And she prayed again that their son wasn’t foolish enough to test fate.

  “C’mon, man. Don’t do this, let it go,” Tyler said as he stepped up beside Christian. “You were wrong and your father has spoken. You need to bounce on up outta here.”

  Uncle Maxx shook his head as he looked at his great nephew. “You been nasty and disrespectful. You better be glad you got understandin’ parents, and if I was you, I’d do ’xactly what your daddy asked ’cause he means business, and ain’t nobody here gonna get they ass kicked tryin’ to defend you.”

  “Just go,” Alexandria said as she raised her head. She looked deeply into Christian’s eyes. “Trust me when I say you need to pack your things and leave, right now.”

  Victoria felt as if she were standing front and center in the middle of a crazy reality television show. This was supposed to be a happy family breakfast buffet, not a standoff between father and son that had the potential of turning physical.

  She knew that Tyler, Uncle Maxx, and Alexandria were all right. Christian was about to be put out of the house. The entire family wanted him gone, and sadly, so did she.

  Christian looked at her with a small plea on his face, and it made her heart feel conflicted. On one hand, she knew it was best for him to leave, especially after the cryptic stare she had seen Alexandria throw his way. But on the other hand, Christian was her baby, and despite his ways, she didn’t want to see him thrown out of the house.

  “Mom, do you want to put me out, too?” Christian asked.

  Victoria bit her bottom lip and nodded as she looked at her son. “You brought this on yourself. Your father is the head of this family and I stand by his wishes, as should you. You need to pack your things.”

  “Fine!” Christian said in a loud, angry voice. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here to this miserable little town in the first place. Everybody always wants to judge me. But that’s all right. I got this.”

  Victoria, as well as everyone else in the room, stood still and quiet as Christian practically stomped his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs in a rage. She thought about all that had transpired in less than an hour, and the more she pondered, the more she went back to what she’d originally felt. Maybe this trip was a good thing after all.

  Christian had shown his ass and had gotten kicked out of the house. This was the first time his family had rejected him and not stood behind him when his behavior clearly dictated they should exercise some tough love. Victoria thought about the fact that this was part of her family’s past behavior that needed to be buried so that new ways of dealing with their family problems could start anew.

  As Victoria walked back to the other side of the buffet that she’d set up on the kitchen island, she continued to think about what she’d just witnessed. I pray this day goes uphill from here, she said to herself. But as she spooned scrambled eggs unto her plate, the pit of her stomach told her that she needed to hold on tight for more bumps in the road.

  Chapter 29

  Samantha

  Samantha was so mad she wanted to spit. She knew that fighting, especially in front of her son, would have been a terrible thing to do, and a horrible example for a young boy who was already trending dangerously to the wild side. But she couldn’t help it. She’d wanted to give Brandy a beat down right there in the kitchen in front of everyone.

  She was glad that her levelheaded husband had stepped in and made her act like she had some sense. “Baby, you know that’s not the example we want to show Chase,” Tyler had whispered into her ear when he’d gently pulled her off to the side.

  “He’s looking at that hoochie mama’s legs and thighs so hard he doesn’t even notice that I’m ready to kick Ms. Thang’s ass.”

  “Kids notice everything, Sam. Whether we think they do or not.”

  Samantha knew Tyler had been right again, and she was glad she hadn’t reacted the way she’d wanted to. She knew she had to control her mouth and her actions, and this practice in self-control was good training for when she came forward to her family with the secret she’d been keeping.

  She put her emotions to the side and joined in as everyone partook in the delicious breakfast that Victoria and Ted had prepared. Despite the physical incident that had nearly just transpired, Samantha was still amazed by how much she was enjoying this trip. She’d known from the beginning that being in Nedine was going to help her family, but she hadn’t anticipated that she’d actually have fun.

  After everyone finished breakfast, she and Tyler let Chase know that he was responsible for cleaning the kitchen.

  “You mean I have to do the dishes and clean this whole kitchen by myself?” Chase said, surprised and slightly annoyed.

  Tyler nodded. “Boy, you act like you have to do hard labor.”

  “It’s gonna feel like it.”

  Samantha looked at her son and shook her head. “You have no idea what hard labor feels like. There’s a heavy-duty dishwasher to help you and an army of cleaning supplies under the sink.”

  “Yeah, but I still have to do all this work by myself. Eight people had breakfast but only one has to clean up. That’s not fair.”

  Samantha shrugged. “Neither is life.”

  “You’re the youngest person in this house,” Tyler said. “So you should have more energy than any of us to get the job done. Now stop complaining and get to cleaning.”

  Chase wasn’t bold or crazy enough to give Tyler any back talk, so he sucked up his attitude and pulled out the cleaning supplies. As Samantha and Tyler walked upstairs to shower and get dressed, she hoped the rest of the day would go as smoothly.

  It was a little after lunchtime, and even though they’d devoured a hearty breakfast, Samantha, Tyler, and Chase were eating again. They were sitting outside the Masonic Lodge, finishing their meal of cheeseburgers, French fries, and chocolate milk shakes before going inside to check out the black history exhibit. For someone so thin, Samantha had always had a ferocious appetite, eating anything she wanted without gaining a pound. She loved that there were dozens of food vendors set up at every celebratory event location throughout town.

  “Are you two ready to check out the exhibit?” Tyler asked as he polished off the last of his shake.

  Samantha wanted to laugh because it was him they were waiting on. She and Chase were fast eaters, but Tyler always took his time. Now that he’d finally finished, they were ready to head inside.

  Samantha was impressed and inspired by the attention to detail and obvious effort that the city’s African American community had put into making sure the town’s celebration included black people who’d made significant contributions in Nedine’s history. Having grown up in D.C.’s “Chocolate City,” she’d always had a healthy appreciation for and knowledge of black history and culture. But as she looked a
t some of the pictures hanging on the walls, which spanned from grainy black and white photos of slaves to a colorful canvas of this year’s NAACP officers, she felt a new kind of pride. The photos showed that struggle could lead to triumph, and Samantha felt the same way about her life.

  If anyone had told her during her late twenties that she’d be happily married with two children, living in a sprawling suburban neighborhood in the South, she would have laughed and told them to stop drinking. Even with the difficulties that lay ahead involving her son, along with the difficult task of revealing her true paternity, Samantha knew that life was good, and that she’d been blessed in spite of herself.

  “This history lesson is better than anything that Chase could learn in school,” Samantha said to Victoria as she watched her son and husband walk around the room, taking in the displays. “I’m so glad he and Tyler are spending this kind of time together, bonding and sharing. This really means a lot and I’m so grateful to you for allowing us to join your family on this trip.”

  “I’m thankful that my beautiful daughter received the vision from our grandma Allene, because that’s what brought us here,” Victoria said, giving Alexandria a big smile.

  Ted nodded in agreement. “Even though we’ve had a few bumps early on, we’re going to put those behind us and enjoy the rest of this weekend. From here on out, it’ll be smooth sailing.”

  Samantha hoped Ted’s words were going to ring true, but as she looked at Alexandria, she wasn’t so sure. Victoria and Ted seemed not to notice that their daughter looked as though her mind was in a different place. Samantha wondered if Alexandria was having one of her visions or if she was simply tired. She wanted to ask, but she also didn’t want to alarm anyone. Just then, Chase and Tyler came up.

  Tyler was smiling and she could see that he had good news.

  “While Chase and I were looking at one of the photos, a guy came up to me who happens to be head of the local Urban League. We started talking, I told him about YFI, and he’s interested in starting a chapter here in Nedine.”

  “That’s great,” Samantha said.

  “My father’s little town is making big connections,” Victoria said with a smile.

  Tyler nodded. “It sure is. As a matter of fact, he invited us to come over to the Urban League office because they’re having a reception that starts in an hour. I figured we could head over there if it doesn’t interfere with your plans for us.”

  “Sure,” Victoria said. “We’re going to stick around here for a while and then take Uncle Maxx to the old neighborhood where he grew up before we head back to the house.”

  “Sounds good,” Samantha said. “We’ll see you later.” She gave Victoria and the rest of the family a hug before following Tyler and Chase out the door.

  Three hours and hundreds of handshakes, smiles, and two slices of pound cake later, they were back at the house. Samantha didn’t realize how tired she was until she kicked off her stiletto sandals and lay atop the cool comforter in her and Tyler’s room.

  “This has been a full day and we still have the evening gala tonight,” Samantha said as she wriggled out of her skirt and summer tank top.

  Tyler pulled off his shorts and polo shirt, then walked over to the bed to lie down beside her. “What time does it start?”

  “At eight.”

  “Good, we’ve got a few hours.”

  Samantha yawned. “Yes, and I’m going to take a nice long power nap to keep me going for tonight.”

  Tyler turned onto his side so that he was facing her. “Sam, I need to talk to you about something.”

  The seriousness in his voice and the intensity in his eyes told her that whatever he wanted to talk about wasn’t going to be good. “Okay, I can tell this is something serious. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s about Chase.”

  Samantha shot up in the bed. She’d been sleepy only moments ago, but now she was on full alert. Her heart started beating fast and she had to remind herself to breathe. “What’s happened now?”

  “Several things. Not just what’s going on at the moment, but what’s happened in the past.”

  Samantha sat in the middle of the bed looking stunned as Tyler told her about the other two pregnancy scares their son had experienced last year. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that Tyler was making it up as a practical joke. But she knew her husband didn’t play around like that, and nothing about what he was telling her was remotely funny.

  “I wanted to tell you,” he continued. “But I didn’t know how.”

  “How about, ‘Guess what, Sam, our son just got a girl pregnant!’ ”

  “It wasn’t that easy.”

  “And why the hell not?”

  “Because I’ve always told Chase that he can come to me, man-to-man, and tell me anything in confidence. I want him to trust in my word, Sam.”

  Samantha shook her head. “But he’s not a man. He’s a child. Our child.”

  “He’s growing into a man, and what he’s facing right now is a grown-up situation and responsibility.”

  “I don’t care what kind of trouble Chase finds himself in, I’m his mother and I deserved to know what was going on. How could you have stood by, knowing he’d gotten two girls pregnant, and not say a word to me?” Samantha was incredulous. She hopped off the bed and started pacing the floor. “This is the reason why LaMonica is pregnant right now.”

  Tyler stood to his feet, too. “You think that because I didn’t tell you about the others, this is the reason Chase is in this situation? You can’t mean that.”

  “I absolutely do. If I had known about the others I would’ve done something to put a stop to him going out and getting another girl pregnant.”

  “If you had known about the others you would’ve done exactly what you did two weeks ago, which was get upset, start yelling, and then worry yourself into a glass of wine.”

  Samantha glared at him. “Did Chase come to you about this before he sat down with both of us?”

  Tyler nodded.

  “This is fucking unbelievable. How long did you know before our little sham of a family meeting?”

  “He told me that morning, after you’d gone to work,” Tyler let out a heavy breath. “This made his third strike, and I told him it was time for us to handle his mistakes as a family. If I could change things I would. I’d have told you last year after I found out about the first girl. But I can’t go back in time, Sam. All I can do is move forward.

  “And I promise you here and now, from this point on you won’t ever have to worry about me keeping anything from you. We’re a family, and I want us to be strong for each other.”

  They stood far apart in silence for several minutes, Tyler looking at her, Samantha looking up at the ceiling. Her head was swimming with painful realizations.

  “Say something?” Tyler said.

  “I feel so empty right now.”

  “Baby, I’m sorry.” Tyler walked to her and took her into his arms. “Please forgive me.”

  Samantha laid her head on his shoulder. “I guess it’s me who should ask for forgiveness. Neither you nor Chase trusted me with the truth because you were afraid I’d go off, and that’s not right. I have to own up to my shit and start controlling my actions . . . and my mouth.”

  “Yeah, you do,” Tyler said with a chuckle. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry.”

  “What you did is exactly what I’ve done for years. I’ve held on to a secret that affects other people, all because I wanted to protect them from hurt. But now I know it’s best to tell people the truth, show them love, and then get through it together, like you said, as a family.”

  Tyler pulled back and stared at her. “Have you been reading self-help books?”

  If the situation weren’t so serious Samantha would have either laughed or felt offended. “What? I can’t be deep and thought-provoking?”

  “That’s just such a healthy approach. I’m proud of you, baby.”

  Samantha was actu
ally surprised and proud of herself, too. “Thank you, I’m learning.”

  The truth was, taking in the exhibit at the Masonic Lodge, which had featured several pictures of Victoria’s grandfather and father, and then hearing a historian talk about the legacy they’d built, had inspired Samantha. And now, standing in the room that John Small had once slept in, in a house steeped in history and a lifetime of love, family, and dreams, she felt hopeful.

  Samantha placed her head back on Tyler’s shoulder and smiled. “We both dug up and then buried our past, and now we can move on with a new beginning.”

  Chapter 30

  Alexandria

  Alexandria and her family, sans Christian, were standing among the large crowd assembled at the Masonic Lodge, which was located on the south side of town and home to most of Nedine’s black residents. The unassuming structure, which had undergone several expansions through the years, and most recently a complete renovation, was a time-honored gathering place for the African American community.

  More than two hundred people were milling around, inside and out, all there as part of the town’s Flower Festival activities which had been organized to observe and pay homage to Nedine’s black residents, community leaders and business owners who’d done extraordinary things in the name of progress.

  “Ali, even though this morning started off a little rocky, things are looking up. This is turning out to be a great day,” PJ said as he stood beside Alexandria and her parents.

  As her family, local townspeople, and tourists enjoyed the artful history displays, historical photos, and abundant food stations throughout the room, Alexandria thought about the conversation that she and Grandma Allene had had last night. There were some things that were simply out of her control, and even if she could use her abilities to intervene and change them, it was best to step back, watch, and let things take their own course.