by Forever Redd
“Karley, calm down. Just listen for a second, damn. I am not leaving as in tomorrow. I am going to wait a month, then try it out. I will be finished with school, and looking for a new job anyway. I need a change of pace. It’s an added bonus to get a fresh start with Jody. I know it’s sudden and I know it appears crazy, but I swear to you I knew he was the man for me from the first conversation. The way the words slid off his tongue and penetrated my ears, he was like, oh, my God! Karley, it was unreal.” I felt like I was riding a magic carpet and being whisked away to my fairy tale ending.
“Do you hear yourself? You been chilling with this guy a little over a month and you think you know him? Think Victoria. Think. Do you remember that night at the block party? Remember how the spades game went?”
I thought back on the spades game.
Karley and I were losing the game. The last hand to be played would determine the winner and just when we were about to win the game, Leon flipped. He jumped up in a blind rage and flipped the whole table over. Then told us to get the fuck on, tossed Karley’s purse at her, and told her to take her trash with her while throwing a napkin at her.
“What are you talking about with that game? That was Leon’s crazy ass that flipped the table over.”
“Exactly my point. Birds of a feather.”
“Um, yet you choose to date the crazy dude?”
“Date him fool, I am not about to uproot myself to go live with him. Besides, I know that about Leon, can you say the same about Jody?”
“Whatever, Karley. I am done with this. I am grown and I don’t have to justify my decisions to anyone. Thank you for your opinion.”
“Vic, don’t do that. Don’t think that I am trying to steal your joy. I just want the best for you, and if that is Jody then so be it. I love you, sis. I wanna see you happy and if this is what you want, then I will help you pack when that times comes.”
“It really is Karley. I want the life of my dreams. When I’m with him, I can breathe. He gives me life.”
“Well, in that case, I want it too.”
*****
Jody
Victoria’s graduation day had finally arrived. She was so excited and all that giggling she was doing was beginning to work my nerves. Every time I turned around, she was smiling. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy seeing my baby smile because I did, but I was just having a moment.
Since it was the day I was going to meet her family, my mom suggested I take that damn pill. I knew I didn’t need it, but I took it just to make my mom happy. I sparked some of the green that I had been distributing here and there and let the herbs calm my nerves.
Showered and dressed, we arrived in downtown Columbia amongst the mass of people coming to celebrate with their loved ones. Victoria and I arrived together and waited outside for everyone else. Karley and Leon were the first to arrive.
Look at this ol’ in love ass nigga. Man, I’ll take yo’ bitch, I thought.
“Leon, what’s up, pimpin’?” I asked while giving him a pound and a half hug.
“Ain’t shit, Big Jody. What we waitin’ on?”
“She got peoples that should be here any minute. You know how black folk do, though.”
“I know that shit right,” Leon replied.
Victoria’s mom and dad finally arrived but late as hell. Victoria made introductions and hurried off to join the rest of the graduates which left me to make nice with her daddy. I wasn’t too much worried about Ma Dukes, I hadn’t met a lady yet that could resist me.
While we waited for the march, Mr. Jamison and I talked about everything under the sun from cars to dogs. “Did you happen to see that Carolina and Clemson game last season?” I asked.
“You know I did. I was glued to the TV. Wait, Carolina or Clemson?”
“Mr. Jamison, with all due respect, sir, I personally think there is only one way to go. Gamecock nation.” I flashed all twenty-two crystals in my mouth in his face. A huge smile spread across his face and he reached out for a pound. Got him, I thought and extended my fist to his.
“Tell me again how you met my daughter.”
Mr. Jamison seemed to open up after we sealed the deal on our choice of college football, but unfortunately, we were missing the ceremony. Mrs. Jamison had to tell us to be quiet the entire time. We heard them call my baby’s name, but we continued to talk.
“You are coming back to the house aren’t ya, Jody? We are having a little something for Vic, family and friends, nothin’ too big.”
“Mr. Jamison, I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”
The ceremony ended and we went back to the home Victoria grew up in. There were aunts, uncles, and cousins everywhere. It was far from the little something Mr. Jamison had mentioned. As soon as I could get him alone, I was planning on talking to him about his little bird leaving the nest.
After the majority of the guests left, Mr. Jamison and I were able to sit out back and have a private chat. I told him of our plans to cohabitate and asked for his permission.
“Mr. Jamison, I know asking for your daughter to move in with a man isn’t a good look, but I want you to know I love her. From the moment I heard her voice, I knew there was something about her. As we talked on the phone, I heard something in her. When we met, Mr. Jamison, I saw something in her. I know that sounds like game, sir, but it really is the truth. I plan to marry her, and we are going to build, together.”
Mr. Jamison stared off into space for a while. “Ya know, Jody, that same feeling you feel, I felt it Martha. When I saw that woman, I knew in my soul she would be mine, and she was. Now, I can tell Vic cares a great deal for you. I can see it in her eyes. I have seen something similar, but not this. She loves hard, Jody. Don’t hurt her.”
“I would never hurt her, sir.”
“What you two out here talking about?” Victoria asked while stepping toward us.
“We were talking about how you dissed me all night. Did you forget I was here?” I asked giving her the puppy dog eyes.
“Aww, you feeling neglected?” she asked.
Victoria took a seat between her father and me on the back porch, and together we discussed the move and how great our lives would be together. I really did love her and I wanted to spend my every waking moment with her. She made me feel whole. Everything about her was everything I ever wanted or needed and one day we would become one.
Victoria
Three years later.
I hurried around my office making sure I had completed all my tasks and had everything I needed for my extended vacation. My weekend had officially started and there it was Wednesday. My bridal shower was that night. Major “Jody” White was going to make an honest woman out of me.
He still sent shivers down my spine when I heard his voice, and my heart still skipped a beat whenever I saw his face. Really, I loved that man. Everything Jody said he would do, he did. Anything I asked for, he provided. He was great. He cooked, he cleaned, and he did yard work. There was no reason I even had to lift a finger because he did it all. Of course, I handled my womanly duties inside the bedroom and out.
Since I wasn’t quite ready to leave home, Jody had moved back down south. It turned out to be a good idea, since his mom’s health was beginning to decline. He was so attentive.
Due to no traffic, I made it home in no time. I rushed in the house and ran straight to my bathroom to shower. I stripped down and threw on a shower cap to keep my hair tight. The last thing I needed was the mist from the shower to ‘cause my spikes to drop. I could have squeezed in a nut, but time was of the essence, so I figured I better get in do what I needed to do and get on through. After cleaning my body from head to toe, I jumped out of the shower, hurried out of the bathroom to grab my after bath oil, and ran right into Jody. Jody stared at me with that lustful stare, and I already knew what that look meant.
“Nooooo, no. Not now, Jody. I am already late.”
He ignored my plea and began coming closer. Damn, why was he looking at me like
that? I just had that nut on my mind and here he comes. I swore he was outside the door waiting on me to turn the water off. I slowly stepped to the side of the bed in hopes of jumping across it to escape.
“Please, say you want it.”
Damn it, he hitting below the belt. He knew what that did to me to hear those words come out of that sexy mouth. I got sidetracked when he said that, and he ran over and tried to grab me. I jumped on the bed to get away, but he snatched my towel off. I tried to bend over and grab it quickly, but when I did, Jody dove toward the bed. I assume old football moves. He landed face first with my ass high in the air. I wiggled and tried to break free, but there was no escaping. His muffled voice came through loud and clear.
“Be still, ma. I just wanna taste it.”
I obliged and let my future husband do his thang. I mean, how could I say no? Wasn’t nothing like a good tongue-lashing from Mr. Jody. He did this fold of the tongue type thing, right on my clit. I was sure it had to look like a taco, and I loved it. I came in three minutes flat and Jody cleaned me up very well, but I still needed to freshen up Ms. Kitty. The last thing I wanted was to step up in the bridal shower, smelling like cum.
I ran in the bathroom to take a hoe bath when the phone rang.
“It’s Karley,” Jody yelled from outside the door. Damn her on time ass.
“Tell her I need five minutes.”
Jody relayed the message and then I heard him blaming my tardiness on me being fast. Obviously, I wasn’t fast enough if he caught me. I heard him chuckle then say, “That’s your sister,” and with that he hung up.
“What’s your sister?” I asked as I was sliding into my lace front boy shorts.
“She said you always late and you always being fast.”
I grabbed a pair of Seven jeans from the closet along with one of my baby tee creations. This one had a low, rounded cut out collar, frayed bottom, and just enough skin showing for a person to guess if my belly button was pierced. The phrase on my shirt read, Spoken For. It was in all capital letters and spelled out in rhinestones across my chest. I grabbed some Steve Madden peep toe platforms and turned to Jody.
“Tell her you can’t get enough of me and you just had to sample the goods before I left, just in case I thought about finding me another Jody,” I playfully joked.
Jody jumped off the bed dick just swinging, and grabbed me from behind. “Keep playin’ and get fucked up.”
I stared in Jody’s eyes through the mirror. I knew he was kidding but that look said, Ha ha, test me and see.
Jody stared at my reflection and said, “Saturday, you will officially be my wife, but you have been my life since that call to the bank. I love you so much. I would never hurt you, or betray you. You know that, ma, so don’t say that new man shit to me. That ain’t cool.”
I was so overcome with emotion that I began to cry. I had to hurry and now wasn’t the time to get emotional. He just touched me so deeply, and I couldn’t believe I actually had someone in my life that meant as much to me as I meant to them.
I dried my tears, told Jody I loved him too, and hurried out of the house putting on my lip gloss in the process. Karley was outside the car with an unlit blunt in one hand and a lit Newport in the other.
“Damn bitch, done got the coochie tightened up, or loosened up or whatever you and my bro was in there doing,” she began.
I flipped her the bird and got in the passenger side of her 2012 midnight blue Lexus.
Karley started in, “Every time I turn around, y’all…”
“Bitch, drive,” I cut her off midsentence and began my passenger rituals. I grabbed the Rich Homie CD from the console and lit the blunt as we pulled away from the curb.
“So, you ready for this shower? You know yo’ mama invited them people from her job, and Aunt Cherise invited the people from the church.”
I just sighed and nodded my head. Every time those people were around, I had to be all dainty. Wouldn’t want to tarnish the family’s good name.
“Yeah, I know. It’ll be wine sipping, story swapping, and picture showing. Who wants that shit?”
Karley laughed at the comment and said, “Girl, boo. We told the old heads and the holy rollers we only had the place ‘til ten. When they leave, we gon’ turn that muthafucka all the way up.”
I was scared. Karley be on some cool type shit, but when the time came to go in, she went all the way in. I grabbed my Visine as soon as we hit the stoplight. That damn Visine is the best concoction known to man. You be all high and your eyes won’t show the red. I loved that stuff. Now, if they could come up with something quick and simple to clean your urine in less than a day, we would be in the game.
Karley parked the car directly in front of the Clarion Hotel where the conference room had been reserved for the night. We re-glossed our lips, sprayed on some smell good, and threw on our imaginary halos.
Amongst the guests there were a few people from church, the people my mama had invited, some of my cousins, a few people from work and my Aunt Cherise. Now that woman was a character. She kept her hair laid, makeup tight, and her everything matched. She had a gold tooth on the side of her mouth and talked more shit than a bus station’s toilet carried.
She eased up beside me and whispered in my ear, “You know when you get a husband, you need to find you a loyal nigga. Yo’ nigga gon’ do all the shit yo’ husband don’t do. You know I know.”
I turned to face my favorite Aunt and looked at her eyes. “Auntie, you been smoking?”
Auntie did a little two-step to R. Kelly’s Step In The Name Of Love.
“You know it, baby, I’m on that good Kush and alcohol,” she sang while gyrating in my face. I just laughed and walked away.
I greeted my mom and her coworkers with friendly hugs and brief conversation. My mom and I didn’t have the greatest of relationships. Because of work, she was gone a lot during my childhood. Then eventually, she decided to leave my daddy. I decided to stay with him. We hadn’t been close since.
I had enough of the fake smiles, and I decided to move on. I ended every conversation the same way, “Okay, thank you so much for coming. It was really good to see you. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go speak with them over there.”
I did get a few minutes to finally take note of the decorated conference room. There were red and white flowers in large vases in each of the corners of the room. Chandeliers hung from the massive ceiling with small glass drops hanging almost to the table on the white linen tablecloths. A red cloth was on the gift table with a Congratulations banner hanging directly above it.
Karley announced that we would be serving dinner, then opening the gifts, and I couldn’t have been happier. Gifts then goodbyes. Couldn’t beat it. Great, no cheesy games. Quick and simple was all I needed. Those people were starting to blow my high.
I felt the vibration in my back pocket letting me know I had some sort of alert. The screen of my Android said 1 New Message. I clicked on the little envelope and blushed.
Jody: Aye ma. A nigga missing his queen. I’m lookin at deez niggas like wtf, I wanna be lookin at u.
See, that’s why I loved my Jody. No matter what, he would always recognized his queen. He made me feel so secure, so him stepping out was never a thought. Sure, I had ninety-nine problems, but a bitch wasn’t one.
I had to step away from the excitement to call my baby. I slipped out onto the balcony and observed the hustle and bustle of Five Points as I placed my call to mister. He picked up after the third ring. Male voices could be heard yelling and talking shit about who was going to win the game.
“Yoooo,” Jody answered in his southern drawl that got me going every time.
“Hey, Daddy,” I sang into the receiver.
“Hey, ma. You havin’ a good time? Bet not be no naked niggas walkin’ through there.” Jody warned.
“Boy, bye. Ain’t no naked nothings up in this place. If anything, I should be saying the same thing to you. Where those big booty bitches at?”
Jody laughed out loud and then claimed I was the only big booty bitch he needed.
“Yeah? Okay, I got yo’ bitch.”
We both laughed right before Karley came out the sliding patio doors.
“Is that Jody?” she interrupted. “Ask him where Leon at? Tell him there bet not be no hoes with no clothes on over there, or I’m coming in blasting.”
I just stood there with my phone extended toward Karley’s mouth so Jody could relay the message to Leon.
“Tell her Leon said he loves her, and I love you, ma. Go enjoy your party and I will see you at home. And baby, don’t come home smelling like you had too much fun, ya dig?”
I told that fool, likewise.
Dinner was simple, stuffed chicken breasts, grilled veggies, wild rice, or herbed potatoes, rolls and an assortment of desserts. The food was slamming. I wasn’t sure who catered it, but wow.
After dinner, I took a seat on my makeshift throne and began to open each gift and read every card out loud. The first gift was from the head of the Youth Ministry. She gave me a sterling silver trifold picture frame with ‘Mr. and Mrs. Major White, September 21, 2013’ engraved on the bottom.
Next was a gift card for $100 to be used at Bed Bath and Beyond from my aunt, Cherise. I got some towels from one of the church ladies, some cash here and there, and the last box I opened contained a pair of satin crotchless panties and some feathery panties. The card attached read, Marriage is as easy as a lifting a Buick off a penny. Not impossible, but with the right equipment, anything can be done. Best Wishes and stay freaky. I do. Signed: Mary Belle Thompkins.
My face had to have turned three shades of red. Now that wasn’t a bad gift, actually.
Oh yes, I’m ‘bout to get it. Somebody getting a private dance tonight, I thought.
Karley took the card from my hands and read it out loud for the nosey people curious to know who bought me such a sexy gift.
Mary Belle Thompkins was the mother of our church. The oldest living member still around. She had to be at least ninety years old.
“What?” she asked. “Me and the good Deacon been married sixty some odd years. How y’all think we kept it together?”
