“Hey, Dad,” Tamika said eagerly. “How are you?”
“Hey, babe. I’m fine. Happy Fourth of July. How are you?”
“Fine,” Tamika said as the music changed and an upbeat song played.
“Sounds like you found yourself a party to go to.”
“Not mine. It’s Mom’s party or rather her friend’s party.”
“Grace Hunter?”
“Yeah.”
Malcolm laughed. “She’s still around, huh?”
“Apparently. Anyway, she’s having another birthday party. She had three already since we’ve been down here.”
“I believe it, knowing Grace. Is your mom around? Her cell is off again. She’s gotta find a new battery for that phone of hers.”
“She’s around someplace,” Tamika said, then looked around until she spotted her still dancing. “Can she call you back? She’s doing the electric slide right now.”
“The electric slide? Wow, that’s an old one. I’m surprised she remembers how to do it.”
Tamika watched her mother and chuckled. “Actually she looks pretty good out there.”
“So, what do you think about Fraser so far?”
“I haven’t really seen it yet. It’s hot, I know that.”
“Yeah, Georgia definitely gets hot this time of year. So, how’s the cleaning out going?” Malcolm asked.
“Wait, here comes Mom now,” Tamika said as Laura walked over laughing with Keith right beside her. Tamika held her cell phone up. “It’s Dad, he wants to talk to you.”
Laura took the phone as Keith discreetly made himself scarce. “Hello,” she began.
“The electric slide?” Malcolm asked.
“Yeah, how about it? I can’t believe I still know how,” she said, laughing. They talked for a few more minutes and then she gave the phone back to Tamika and walked away.
Her mood had suddenly taken a sharp decline.
She walked through the revelry to Grace’s house and slipped in the kitchen door. Not expecting to see anyone there, she was surprised to see Grace standing at the kitchen counter with a huge fruit bowl on one side and a sheet cake on the other side. Grace looked up, hearing her enter. “Hey, lady of leisure, how’s it going? You having a good time out there?” Grace asked while cutting a cake into equal-size miniature squares.
Laura smiled. “Having a blast. This is exactly what I needed. I haven’t danced so much in years. I’m seriously ready to just have some fun. I’m tired of rules and being responsible. It’s time to just let loose.”
“I hear you, girl. Just don’t let loose too much.”
“Me? Nah, I know exactly what I’m doing.” They cracked up laughing.
At that moment Keith walked in. “Hello, ladies. Grace, you need any help carrying something out?”
“Sure,” she said, pointing at two plates of cake already cut into servable sizes. He picked up the plates, then spared a moment to smile at Laura.
When he walked out, Laura looked at Grace. Grace just shook her head. “Girl, like I said before, if I didn’t know any better I’d say that man has the hots for you, big-time.”
“And like I said before, it’s a good thing you know better, isn’t it? I already have a man who’s driving me crazy with his drama.” She sat down at the counter. “I don’t know, Grace, I guess he’s just bored with me. Hell, I’m bored with me.”
Grace sat down across from her. “So spice things up a bit, get your groove on—within reason, that is.”
“Yeah, easy for you to say.”
“And just as easy for you to do.”
“Don’t mind me. I’m just moaning. I’m fine really.”
“Oh yeah? I don’t know about that, ’cause a few minutes ago you looked like you’d lost your best friend.”
“Actually, I think I just found her again.” They held hands across the counter.
“Come on, enough of this sappy stuff. Let’s go have us some fun.” They stood, hugged, then went back outside.
“Hey,” Keith said, obviously waiting for Laura.
“Hey yourself.”
“So, can we get together and talk? Seems every time I come near, you run away.”
“I do not,” she said slyly.
“Yeah, you do. It’s like you’re afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Keith.”
“So let’s go someplace and talk. I’d like to catch up. See what you’ve been doing all this time.”
“What about your daughter’s mother? Isn’t she here tonight?”
“Actually we don’t exactly travel in the same circles.”
“Oh, I see. Sounds familiar.”
“But, as a matter of fact, she is here tonight, to pick up Jaleesa, so…” he said, then licked his lips and she knew right then that Grace was right. There was an attraction, and to her surprise, at this moment it felt as though it was very much mutual. “So, I’m free and at your disposal.”
“Really? Okay, I guess we can do that talk thing, then,” she said, then glanced around the immediate area, seeing two seats on the deck. “How about over there?”
He looked around, seeing too many people around them.
“Actually, I was thinking that we might need a bit more privacy. You know, for what I’d like to say,” he said, moving in closer to whisper into her ear. “We could go someplace.”
“Mom, can we go now? I’m tired,” Tamika said, walking up to her.
“Sure, honey,” Laura said, looking at Keith regretfully.
“I have an idea. Since Jaleesa’s mother is taking her home, I can have her drop Tamika off too.”
“Or I can take the car and you can get a ride home from your friend.”
Laura looked at Tamika, then at Keith. “You two are extremely helpful but I think I’d better drive Tamika home myself. Thanks anyway, Keith.”
“Mom, come on, this isn’t my first rodeo. You’re having fun, so stay. I’ll be fine driving back. It’s right around the corner. Really, I’ll go straight there and I’ll be there in a few minutes, promise.”
“I don’t know,” Laura said.
“I can’t stop anyplace ’cause I don’t know anybody down here. It’s still mostly daylight and I’ll call you as soon as I get there.”
Laura looked at her, considering the suggestion. It wasn’t as though Tamika couldn’t drive. At sixteen and a half she had her license and she was a very experienced driver. So there’d be no real harm in letting her take the car a few blocks. “Fine, all right, okay,” she said. “Here’re the keys. Be careful, drive slowly, and call me as soon as you get there. No playing on the road and stay off the cell phone, got it?” Tamika nodded excitedly, trying to hold back her eager anticipation. Laura reluctantly handed over the keys and watched Tamika drive off slowly and carefully.
“She’ll be fine,” Keith said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Chapter 15
Tamika
The idea of spending another minute at the old folks’ party was just not going to happen. Watching them dance to the oldies, laughing and talking about the “good old days” while listening to music sung and performed by grandparents was scary. And expecting her to enjoy the whole thing was insane. But she had to admit they were funny, at least for a while. But seriously, she had to get out of there. Enough was definitely enough.
Tamika leaned back and relaxed, enjoying the peace and serenity of the short drive. It was only a few blocks but it was something. And it said a lot that her mother gave her the keys and trusted her at least for a while. The top was down, the breeze was blowing and her music played on the speakers. Now, this was freedom. She still couldn’t believe that her mother allowed her to take the car back to the house.
She wasn’t sure if it had something to do with Jaleesa’s dad or hanging with the oldies, but either way she was thrilled not to still be there.
After about ten minutes on the road the freedom she enjoyed had come to an end as she pulled up in
front of the house and parked behind the other small car. She called her mother and told her that she arrived safely. As soon as she got out of the car and started walking to the front porch, she noticed that the porch light had been turned off. There was also a light on in the living room window and the front door was open. There was someone in the house. Her heart started beating fast. She stepped up on the porch to see a figure out of the corner of her eye.
“Hello?”
“Laura, is that you?” a woman’s voice asked.
“No,” Tamika said, moving closer.
“Tamika, baby, is that you? It’s your aunt Syl.”
“Aunt Sylvia,” Tamika repeated.
“Of course, who else were you expecting? The porch light blew out.”
She looked up at the light, then walked over and saw her aunt Sylvia sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch with a glass of water in one hand and a fan in the other. “Hi, Aunt Syl. Mom didn’t tell me that you were coming back tonight.”
“Honey child, I forgot how hot this place is. Thank God for central air-conditioning. I don’t know how your grandmother and grandfather dealt with it all those years. Hell, I don’t know how I dealt with it for the last two years. I must have been outta my mind.”
“Yeah, I know, it is definitely hot.”
“But it’s hotter inside than it is out here. At least there’s a breeze every once in a while.” She fanned herself as she took a sip of water.
“How’s your sick friend doing?” Tamika asked.
“My sick friend?”
“Yeah, Mom told me that you went to visit a friend.”
Sylvia chuckled. “Honey child, my friend is six foot two and is as healthy as a horse, or should I say stud? You know that’s where I’m moving, don’t you?”
“You’re moving in with a man?” Tamika asked.
“Yes, and why not?”
“Aunt Sylvia!” Tamika said, shocked.
“What? Uh-huh, thought your old auntie was past it, didn’t you? That’ll teach you.”
Tamika looked away. “Actually, I try not to think about things like that. Eww.”
“Really? I thought your mother mentioned that you had a boyfriend, some rapper person.”
“I did, kinda.”
“Kinda? What does that mean? Either you have a boyfriend or you don’t. If you do, then you’d better be cautious and start thinking about it.”
“Justin, that’s his name. He and I broke up, more or less.”
She laughed. “You young people are a trip. In my day there was no question about a breakup, none of that half-stepping.”
“Okay, Justin and I just left it hangin’ before I left. I haven’t called and neither has he. But I’m kinda talking to this guy named Sean now.”
“Sean. I knew a Sean once,” she interrupted, smiling happily.
Tamika smiled too. “Anyway, since it doesn’t look like I’m gonna be heading back home anytime soon, Sean might be coming down here. His grandparents live near here.”
“And you like this Sean?”
Tamika nodded. “Yeah.”
“An actual straight answer. Impressive.”
“So, Aunt Syl, when did you get in?” Tamika asked, awkwardly changing the subject.
“A couple of hours ago. I told your mother that I’d be stopping by this evening. I need to finish packing up the rest of my things tomorrow morning.”
“I guess she forgot.”
“I don’t see how. I reminded her yesterday when I called her. Huh, and they say us old people can’t remember anything. Where is she?” she asked, looking behind Tamika.
“She’s still at a party over at her friend’s house.”
“What friend?”
“Ms. Hunter.”
“Grace Hunter?”
Tamika nodded.
Sylvia started laughing. “Oh Lordy, that’s trouble all over the place. How was the party?”
“Wacked.”
She chuckled. “So I guess you left early.”
“Uh-huh,” Tamika said.
“Not particularly your style, huh?”
“No, definitely not,” she said, then paused. “It was a’ight, I guess, if you like that kind of thing. It just wasn’t me. I wasn’t feeling it. When I left they were tearing the roof off the sucker with a flashlight.”
Sylvia started laughing. “Ah yes, the Funkadelics.”
“The what?” she asked.
“The Funkadelics. I don’t think you’re ready for them just yet.”
“So you know who they are, huh?”
“Oh yeah. Many a night I tore a few roofs off the mother myself.”
“What?”
Sylvia chuckled. “Never mind, you had to be there. You see, I wasn’t always in my seventies, you know, honey child.”
“Anyway, Mom gave me the car keys so I left.”
“I get the picture,” Sylvia said, smiling and chuckling. “Was your mom having a good time?”
“Yeah, she was tripping, dancing and joking around. I think there were more of her old friends there too.”
“Well, she’s allowed.”
“So, why did you say that’s trouble all over the place?” Tamika asked.
“Still waters run deep.”
“Huh? I don’t get it.”
“You gotta understand, your mother was just as sweet and quiet as you please growing up. She was a good girl, didn’t get into any trouble, even helped her parents like she should. Listened and obeyed and did exactly what was expected of her, for the most part anyway. But when she came home from college that first year it was like she was a different person. Together with Grace they caused some kind of trouble that one summer. They were hell on wheels.”
“Mom? My mom?” Tamika said, finding it hard to believe.
“She wasn’t always your mom. Now, Grace is bad enough by herself already, but you put those two together and you’re just asking for it.”
Tamika couldn’t believe what she was hearing. At first she thought that her great-aunt was just exaggerating or just talking. She was known to do that.
“So, what happened after that?”
“Nothing. She sowed her wild oats and that’s it. She went right back to her old self. That’s when she met your father. She settled right down, never heard a peep from her since.”
“Until now,” Tamika said.
“Well, that remains to be seen.”
“So, what exactly did she do?” Tamika asked.
“For that you need to ask her.”
“She’s not gonna tell me.”
“She might. I don’t see why not.”
“She won’t, no way. We don’t talk.”
“What do you mean you don’t talk?”
“We don’t talk.” Tamika still didn’t clarify.
“Well, that doesn’t make any sense. Of course you talk. You have to talk.”
“Well, we talk. I mean, I talk but she doesn’t listen.”
“So you talk and she doesn’t listen and I bet if I ask her, then she’d tell me that she talks and you don’t listen to her.”
“I listen,” Tamika protested.
“That’s what you say. What does she say? Sounds like a lot of she said, she said to me.”
“Huh?”
Sylvia chuckled. “Never mind, this ought to be an interesting summer.”
Tamika didn’t get it so she chalked the whole thing up to her aunt’s momentary delusional insanity. Just then the sky exploded. They both looked up as firecrackers lit up the surrounding area. Then, like a chain reaction, they saw fireworks in another direction. The display lasting for twenty minutes, they sat out enjoying the spectacular splendor in the sky.
“Bet you haven’t seen anything like that.”
“We used to go to the fireworks in the city.”
“You used to? Why’d you stop?”
“I usually hang with my friends,” Tamika said, seeing the irony. She’d hang out with her friends while her moth
er stayed home, and tonight it was the exact opposite. “So, you staying over tonight, right?”
“Might as well. Don’t look like I’m gonna be doing any packing this late,” she said, then stood up and stretched. “All right, I gonna get me upstairs. The bedroom air conditioner must have cooled the room by now. Are you coming in now?” she asked as she stopped and turned.
“In a little bit,” Tamika said, deciding to sit out and enjoy the breeze starting to blow.
“All right. Don’t stay out too late, there’s a storm coming.”
“Okay.” Tamika stayed out sitting on the porch rail.
She was thinking about her mother and what she had done that summer. Whatever it was it must have been something. She smiled at the possibility, hoping that one day she’d find out.
A half hour later, still not tired, she went in and sat at the table checking her digital photos. Some were really pretty good. Afterward she went online to see the particulars of the National Geographic’s amateur photo submission requirements. They didn’t seem too difficult, but they asked for professional-quality work, something she wasn’t sure she could pull off. She continued on other sites, surfing in general.
Curiously she typed in Fraser, and was surprised that a town so small actually had a Web site. She read the town’s history, schedule of events and even about the big Independence Day fair and celebration. The history was just as her mother told her from way back with her ancestor General Joseph Fraser and his family. She couldn’t believe it. Suddenly she felt kind of proud to be connected. Having a whole town named after you was definitely impressive.
There was a map showing the main street, schools and stores and, of course, the town hall. She started going through the local people with the help of her mother’s yearbooks. She looked up Grace Hunter and found out that she worked for the local newspaper that her father, the mayor, owned. Then, not surprisingly, Keith Tyler had been a local hero. He was a professional football player but had resigned because of medical and personal problems.
A half hour later she decided to quit when she heard the rumble of thunder in the distance moving closer. Her aunt Sylvia was right, there was a storm coming, and the last thing she needed was for her laptop, her only link to the civilized world, to get fried from a lightning strike or a power surge.
She Said, She Said Page 13
