by Tiana Laveen
“Saint, just stop it,” Osaze chastised, putting his hands on his narrow hips, his discounted, slightly shrunken brown sweater rising up expose his ten-year-old pleather belt. “It’s a nice house and you know it. Why don’t you just tell us what the real problem is?”
Xenia cocked her head to the side, shifted her weight to one leg and gave a ‘sista girl needs an answer, too’ face.
Saint exhaled and slid against the wall.
“If I could tell you, I would have. I don’t know what it is. It just doesn’t feel right. We are supposed to be closer to the city. There is no public transportation close enough here. We can have the best of both worlds if we check out some other areas.”
“What about Little Ireland? It’s even in the Bronx,” Osaze asked as he briefly removed his glasses and gave the lenses a careful blow.
“Too far from the rest of everything, though better than this. Also, there is not enough diversity there. It’s like a little world within a world, not even really a part of the essence of New York. Additionally, it’s like thirty minutes to the train. That would be doable if all the other factors weren’t an issue.”
Osaze nodded in agreement.
“Clearly you had something in mind, Saint?” Xenia was beyond perturbed; the emotions came out loud and clear in the way she was eyeballing him, and once she woman got him alone, she was going to let him have it.
“I swear to you, I really don’t…I’m still trying to figure this out.” Saint ran his hand over his forehead in frustration, massaging it so hard he accidentally caused himself a bit of discomfort. “Yeah, this house is amazing. It really is; it’s just not in the area we need to be in.”
“Perhaps I can help.” Anne joined them, startling Saint. She stood close by, a smile on her face. “I couldn’t help but overhear you. I happen to know of a couple listings, including one in Bedford Park, which has housing in many price ranges, has a diverse population, and is close to the Botanical Gardens. Another neighborhood to consider is Kingsbridge. Kingsbridge has changed quite a bit over the years and I know you wish to have a home with all the bells and whistles. There are a few available there, actually. Not to mention it is close to everything, including the River Plaza Shopping Center… Then, there is also Lincoln Square in Manhattan, of course.”
“Hmmmm…” Saint ran his fingers over his upper lip as he deliberated the possibilities. “Yeah, let’s take a look at Lincoln Square. I know it’s kind of pricey and it can be a bit noisy at times, but it is a nice place if you have a family, and close to everything. I can quickly get to where I need to be. Xenia…” She shot him a look, her expression a bit more relaxed now. “Remember that school you liked? We looked it up online and took a glance when we first got here? The one with the arts program?”
“Yes.”
“That is close to Lincoln Square.”
“Hassani has been tested as gifted in dance and art,” Xenia explained proudly to Osaze. “And this could be the perfect fit for him. He also excels at basketball, and they have a program there for that, too. We stopped by already; although we were unable to speak to the principal, I think we’d like to get him in there.”
“It can be a bit stodgy over there, in Lincoln Square, but it has a lot of the things you want and I need.” Saint turned away, his thoughts racing. “Hey Anne, let’s see what places they have available over there.”
“Okay, great, no problem. Let me make a couple of calls.” The agent disappeared outside the front door, leaving the three inside.
“So.” Osaze clapped his hands. “Not only do I receive the blessing of having my son and his family close to me, back here in New York, I have an artistically inclined grandson to boot. This day is shaping up quite nicely.”
Xenia smiled and took Osaze’s hand as they made their way out of the house, joining the agent, who was still talking on the phone, on the porch.
“A pop, ride over with us. I know you took a cab here.” Saint pointed towards the parked car in front of the house and grasped his cell phone.
“Certainly.” Osaze and Xenia began to walk down the front porch steps. Xenia paused and looked over her shoulder.
“Baby, are you coming?”
“Yeah.” Saint put his phone to his ear. “I just need to call Lawrence right quick.”
She nodded, turned back around and continued on.
“A man.” Saint shot Anne a nervous smile, and moved further away from her, going down the steps and off to the right in the grass. “What’s up?”
“We’re in a meeting, but everything is fine,” Lawrence reassured.
Saint scratched the side of his nose with his knuckle, his nerves bundling up like entangled television cables, but he didn’t have a clue as to why.
“Hey, we’re over here looking at houses, and I feel like something is trying to lead me to where I need to be. Like…some magnetic pull.”
“Hmmm, well, you stated you needed to get back home, so now that you are there, it seems you are tuning in to what you and your family would most benefit from.”
“But…can I trust it? I mean…” Saint huffed, walking farther away. “Is this just me wanting to be in the damn city? Because I hate the burbs in New York, man…I really do, but I can’t have my family around areas that may not be the safest, you know. I’m trying to find a compromise… It’s deeper than that though.” He worked his thoughts over and over in his head, figuring out the bits and pieces as he went along.
“Hold on a sec,” Lawrence said. Saint could hear the man shuffling around, and muffled voices. “Guys, I’ll be right back. I need to take this call privately.” A few moments later, he heard a door close and Lawrence’s footsteps, as if he were walking up the hallway that led from the conference room to his office.
“Yes, it’s deeper than that,” Lawrence finally offered. “You will know when it’s right, Saint and yes, you do have to consider Xenia, Hassani, Dakarai and Isis. You also need to be fairly close to whatever location you put us in. You will find something and I think you already know that you will, probably later today actually.”
“I hope so. I’m driving my wife crazy, shit, and I’m not usually this indecisive… Well, thanks, man. Keep your phone on, I may be calling back.”
“Sure thing.”
Saint ended the call and made his way back towards the agent’s car.
Yeah…I’m about to find exactly what we need. He paused and sent a silent prayer.
Look, I’m asking…show me where I and my family need to be. I feel this is important, so just lead the way and I will do as You wish.
*
Osaze couldn’t help but sniff his own son as a mother lion does their cub. They sat in the back of the car, while Xenia sat up front chatting away with the realtor, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Saint. He also didn’t miss the purple zither of smoke that cascaded out of the man’s mouth, though he tried to cloak it from Anne by covering his lips with his large hand. Saint was brimming with the distinct aroma of new beginnings. Something monumental was going on, revolting and bubbling within his son, something dangerously huge, and one tiny whisper would bring the whole thing crashing down. He was elated when he’d received a call two weeks earlier from his boy, who told him he was coming back to New York. For good. He missed him so badly; it hurt almost more than his previous ulcers.
No doubt this would give him exactly what he needed, the extra time to cultivate and nurture the fractured yet mending relationship with his only child. He had a brand new lease on life—a wonderful wife, with whom he was enjoying the fruits of new marriage, and to top it all off, his daughter-in-law and grandchildren would be regular guests in his home. With all of his elation, he hadn’t taken a closer look at the strange yet wonderful events unfolding right before him. If he would have, he’d have realized there was much more at play.
Saint slicked a cigar out of a small, slender leather case he’d pulled from his jacket and ran it under his nostrils, causing them to flair and his lips to curve in
a sinister grin as he no doubt made plans to light up as soon as possible.
“Why are you staring at me?” Saint whispered, his tone gruff.
“Because something is going on with my son, and I want to know what it is,” Osaze whispered back. He cast his sights up front, ensuring Xenia and the white woman were still engrossed in their conversation.
“Right, and that’s why I said I always wanted a front bay window, because of the light it brings in, the ambiance,” Xenia explained happily to the lady, both of their heads bobbing about as their home interior and design discussion continued on. Saint looked up from his lap, at the back of his wife’s head. Both ladies remained completely oblivious to what was going on behind them.
“I’m here for a reason, can’t figure it all out just yet…”
The two men were quiet for a few moments.
“Saint, when we get out of this car, I want you to listen to the heartbeat of the city.” He coughed into his hand, feeling led to deliver the important words he was sharing. “I want you to take it in,” he pointed down at the floor of the car, “to inhale what is around you. The city called you home, so listen to what it has to say.”
Saint nodded but kept silent. Osaze observed his child grip that cigar a bit tighter, no doubt wanting to light it up right then and there versus waiting for a future celebratory moment. Saint stretched his legs and sighed, as if in the throes of fighting and having fits with his own hidden, mysterious deliberations…
*
Moments later, they were looking at two properties in the area that, according to Anne that fit the bill. Saint didn’t think he’d be moving back to Manhattan, but based on his gut and what he was seeing, it seemed to be the best bet. The area had the best of both worlds, and besides, he’d lived there before he met Xenia, and they had begun their life together in Manhattan. Flashes of making love to her hard and furious inside of his Lexus in the garage, the sounds of the city filtering through the partially cracked window as he lunged deep within her, spun in his mind. Her baked cinnamon arms here, her sweet thighs there, her high heels barely hanging onto her foot as her legs stuck straight in the air…
Damn. Yeah, Manhattan is welcoming me home…
His old penthouse had been fucking fantastic, his own private den, hidden away from the world. That property wouldn’t have been suitable for children, however. It had ‘Bachelor Pad’ written all over it, but at least he knew the area well, he knew what to expect. Still, he hadn’t put it on his radar as a possible relocation spot, until right then. As soon as his foot hit the concrete of Broadway and Columbus Avenue, heat flushed through him from head to toe. He surmised that, to a middle-aged woman, this was what a hot flash felt like.
“Are you okay?” Xenia whispered in his ear. Sweat beads bubbled across his brow. She gently swiped her finger across his face, concern growing in her eyes.
“Yes, baby, I’m fine.” He offered a slight smile, then followed her, Osaze and Anne to the property in question.
“ABC Studios are close by, as well as Lincoln Square Farmers Market. Dr. Aknaten, I was explaining to your wife earlier that this is also close to the New York Institute of Technology.” Anne motioned to unlock the door.
“Yeah, but Central Park is the best, the kids will love it there. It’s only minutes away, Xenia,” Osaze chimed in, a proud smile on his face. Anne nodded in agreement.
Yeah, this isn’t terribly far from Dad, either…
The green door, made of iron overlay, swung open and they were immediately greeted by a large foyer area with shiny wooden floors that looked so glossy, they appeared wet to the touch.
“Whoa…” Xenia gave a lopsided smile as she turned the corner, then looked up at the ceiling. “This is…unbelievable.” Her fingers glided against the wall. Saint’s heart palpitated; he instantly felt the connection with the home. The damn place sucked him in, kissed his head and said, ‘Welcome home, mothafucka…’
Clearing his throat, he maintained a shredded thread of his cool.
“This is a multi-family house, right?”
“That is correct.” Anne’s heels clicked as she walked over to the window and pushed two sheer white panels of curtain open, exposing the city to them all. The damn view was magnificent. On one side, big buildings could be seen until they faded into a long frozen parade of black and gray. On the other, it looked like your typical neighborhood, filled with people walking their dogs, storefronts, and cars slowly cruising down the street.
“Is it zoned to be made into a single family? I would want the entire thing…”
Xenia shot him a look, knowing her man well. She knew he was the one now jonesing, hard as a rock for the fucking place as if it had a pussy, breasts and ass.
“Yes it is. You would of course have to receive the proper permits, but you are allowed to knock down specific walls, make renovations as you see fit, and so on and so forth. You could pretty much do as you like.”
“Five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, three half baths…” Saint continued to look around and down at the sheet Anne gave him, listing the details. “And this open area could be turned into a sixth bedroom… We’d want that…” He sucked his bottom lip as he tossed his plans around in his mind. The shit was fucking fantastic. He prized the possible grand play area already. He could envision his children playing, laughing and carrying on all around the place. He could clearly imagine himself and Xenia having a romantic glass of wine together, all alone in the dining room, a perfect evening set for two. He knew where their rooms would be, how they’d look…almost like déjà vu.
“Do you like it, baby?” he whispered in her direction, pulling himself back from his wet dream. What if she hated it? What if she wanted to look at something else instead? He had to prepare himself for that, too. He couldn’t have the woman being unhappy, stuck in a place that made her even more homesick than she possibly already was.
“I love it,” she mouthed, sealing it with a wink and blown kiss. A light laugh escaped his lips as he nodded to her. His heart beat a bit slower from her confirmation. He swallowed, then had a notion to turn around, face the front of the place. There it was…a humongous bay window practically the size of the entire front wall. Xenia would get what she wanted…
They went up the first flight of steps and discovered two large bedrooms with picturesque French doors.
“Oh my goodness, Saint… Isis would love this, I just know she would.” She entered the hexagon shaped room at the corner of the house. “We could make it look just like a doll house! Put a canopy bed there,” she pointed across the room. “That big, pink rug with the cream fringe she loves…” Xenia placed her hands over her mouth, covering her buoyant grin.
“She wouldn’t be on the same floor as us anymore, though.” Saint hated to dash Xenia’s plans, but he didn’t care for that notion. “Anne, on the top floor,” he said, pointing towards the ceiling, “there are two bedrooms, correct?”
“Yes. The largest bedroom is on the third floor; it takes up practically half of the square footage of that floor. There is a half bath, a full hallway bathroom and a bathroom inside the master suite. All of the bathrooms are updated, really beautiful actually. The other bedroom is also very nice, if you were concerned about having your daughter on another level of the house.”
“Can we take a look?” Xenia asked, pointing to the staircase with urgency, as if itching to find out if it was just as fabulous as the one she’d fallen in love with.
“Of course!” Anne said cheerfully as she led them away.
“Oh…my…God!” Xenia clasped her hands over her mouth. “Saint!” she said between excited gasps. “Look at this bedroom! Look at this closet!” She moved around the area, and he was certain she was going to pass out from excitement. “This thing is two times larger than the one we have even now in L.A.!”
“Yeah.” Saint smirked as he pushed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Now this is what I call a damn bedroom. It looks like a huge dance stud
io…so many possibilities.” They walked into the double ‘His and Hers’ closet, which was almost the same size as their entire bedroom in L.A, all by itself.
I can turn half of this into our new red room… Yeah, me and the Missus need a place to play. This one will be bigger and better.
The thoughts steeped inside of him like marinating tea leaves, and he couldn’t help but grin at the naughty notion as they brewed.
“How many square feet is this house?” Osaze asked. Saint had almost forgotten his father was with him; he’d remained so quiet.
“Sir, it is almost 5,836 sq.ft.”
“Oh yeah!” Saint laughed. “You can’t get shit like this easily in Manhattan. Land here is at a premium. They don’t make houses this big here anymore. I notice there is no price on this sheet, Anne.” Saint’s brow shot up as he held up the piece of paper. The woman turned to him and grinned sheepishly.
“We only show it to serious buyers, and it hasn’t been available long but the asking price is, $6,102,500.00”
“That’s better than I thought it would be actually…I am assuming because it needs a bit of work but I still wish to negotiate.”
“Why, of course.” She nodded and turned away. “The previous owner was a surgeon. The house had been in her family for five generations. It was well maintained for the most part, and had been rented out as apartments. It originally was a single-family mansion and it would be nice to see it returned as such, I’m sure. Another great feature is the backyard. It’s not particularly large, but there is plenty of room for children to play, even for a small pool. It is also fenced.”
“Oh good,” Xenia blurted. “I thought with us moving to the city versus the outskirts, we’d not have one at all.”
“Now, backyards are rare over here, that is true, but some of them do exist, and this property has one. Would you like to take a look?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“You two go on, I want to look at the other bedrooms,” Saint stated, encouraging Xenia to leave. She paused, seemingly trying to read his mind. Then, her face cracked with an all-knowing smile as she and Anne went back down the steps.
