by Earl Sewell
Keysha: WTF Wesley? Answer the damn Q.
Wesley: What do U want me 2 say?
Keysha: How about the truth?
Wesley: Y R we talking about her? We should talk about us.
Keysha: QQ.
Wesley: What?
Keysha: Y did U let her interrupt us at my locker?
Wesley: I was surprised 2 C her. I didn’t know she was here.
Keysha: U R lying 2 me.
Wesley: No I am not.
Keysha: Yeah right.
Wesley: QQ.
Keysha: What?
Wesley: When can I C U again?
Keysha: I don’t have time 2 C U.
Wesley: Y not?
Keysha: I have practice.
Wesley: 4 what?
Keysha: I made the drama club. Got the lead part.
Wesley: Really? Congrats. Did not no dat. Can’t wait 2 C it.
Keysha: QQ.
Wesley: Yeah?
Keysha: How is ur shoulder?
Wesley: Good getting better every day. I C a doctor later in da week.
Keysha: So do I.
Wesley: Y what’s wrong?
Keysha: Folks R making me C a shrink b-cause of U.
Wesley: Huh?
Keysha: I ran away from home 2 C U and U had dat be-huch there kissing all over U and U made me feel really stupid.
Wesley: I did not no U ran away from home 2 C me.
Keysha: Dat is how deeply I used 2 love U. Now I got 2 C a damn shrink b-cause my folks think I am crazy and bipolar.
Wesley: I’m sorry. I did not no.
Keysha: Well now u do. I told my dad our love wuz 2 strong 2 B broken.
Wesley: I still do love U Keysha.
Keysha: Ne-grow please! I heard dat u wuz @ Mr. Submarine getting a rub down!
Wesley: What U got spies now?
Keysha: Well iz it true?
Wesley: QQ.
Keysha: What?
Wesley: Can we just start over?
Keysha: I already have. TTYL.
twenty-one
KEYSHA
Over the next several weeks I focused on school, and concentrated on my homework and my ever-evolving relationship with Antonio. During this same time period my general disgruntlement with Priscilla Grisby continued to grow. On numerous occasions her snide remarks, piss-poor attitude and general dislike of me warranted a good old-fashioned butt-whipping. However, I held back because I was truly trying to be a bigger person than her and didn’t want to be reduced to her level by getting into a scuffle.
Wesley continually stalked me via text messages, phone calls and unwelcome visits to my locker. Oddly enough, he never showed up when Antonio was visiting me. He always managed to come at a time when Antonio wasn’t around. I wasn’t sure if it was purely coincidence or if Wesley had somehow timed his visits. He unyieldingly tried to get me to agree to date him again. I’ll admit that somewhere in my heart there was still a place for him, but I just wasn’t willing to allow my heart to be bruised by him again.
“Wesley. We’ll always be friends,” I told him one day when he was trying particularly hard to win back my affections.
“But I want to be more than just friends. Can’t you see how sorry I am and how hard I’m trying to win you back?”
“Wesley, you really need to stop doing this. You’re starting to get really creepy,” I said, hoping to get him to back off a little.
“Oh, now I’m creepy?” I’d insulted him as well as hurt his feelings.
“Not in a bad way. Just in an ‘I’m concerned’ sort of way.” I tried to clean up my comment to protect his feelings. I don’t know why; I guess I just felt sorry deep inside. Besides, I could tell he was truly struggling with accepting the reality that he’d lost me.
“So are you saying that after all we’ve been through it’s totally over?”
“It’s decision time for you, Wesley. You can continue to come around begging me to date you again and keep on getting your feelings hurt. Or we can just be friends and leave it at that,” I explained to him the best way I knew how.
“You still want me. I know you do. I’m not giving up on us, Keysha.” Wesley frightened me with his response. The phone calls, texts and visits to my locker did not stop. I saw a darker part of him that I’d never seen before.
My relationship with Antonio continued to blossom due to the fact we were spending a large amount of time together working on the play. I enjoyed my interactions with him. As I got to know him, I learned of his ambitions and life goals. He wanted to attend a performing arts school and one day become an actor like Denzel Washington, Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx.
“Those are my favorite male actors,” he said to me one Saturday evening when he and I were out on a date. We’d stopped for a bite to eat at a restaurant after seeing a local production of From the Mississippi Delta at the ETA Creative Arts Theater. We enjoyed the play tremendously. It was about a woman living in a time and a world that denied her the most basic rights. So she journeyed from Mississippi to Chicago and through her journey she gained the strength to appreciate herself not only as a woman, but also as an individual. Antonio and I talked about the play at great length, but then we began discussing some of his favorite actors.
“Jamie Foxx has so many amazing talents. He can sing, play the piano and act. Plus, dude is ripped in the muscle department.”
“I will give you that. Jamie Foxx is nice-looking,” I agreed with him as I took a sip of my iced tea.
“Anyway, I know it’s going to be very hard, but once I break in to acting I want to take on roles that challenge me and push me to my limit.”
“Push you to your limit how?” I inquired.
“Have you ever seen the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks?” Antonio asked.
“Is that the movie where his plane crashed on an island?” I hoped I’d recalled the right film.
“Yes. And the only thing he had to act with was a freaking volleyball he named Wilson. It is nothing short of amazing the way he carried that entire film. He did it all through body language and narration.”
“I didn’t realize you were so passionate about acting,” I said, pleasantly surprised. He was most certainly different from any guy I’d ever dated.
“It’s not just acting. It’s about the performing arts as a whole,” Antonio said, making gestures with his hands.
“So where does all of your passion come from?” I asked just as our waitress set the food we’d ordered before us. I’d ordered a turkey club sandwich and Antonio had ordered spicy buffalo wings. I immediately started eating, but Antonio bowed his head and said a quick prayer. I stopped eating until he was done.
“My parents were both in theater. My mom used to be an Alvin Ailey dancer before she got arthritis, which has slowed her down considerably. My father is a director at the Goodman Theater downtown.”
“How come you never told me any of this?” I was disappointed about not knowing this.
“I don’t like to talk about it because then people may get the impression that the school is playing favoritism by giving me lead parts in the school play,” he answered as he dabbed the corners of his mouth for buffalo sauce trapped there from his wings.
“I’ve never been to a professional stage play before,” I admitted.
“Really? Oh, wow. They are so much fun. In fact, I should take you to see the Blue Man Group. It’s playing at one of the theaters in the city.”
“I’ve seen the commercials for that production. It looks so exciting,” I said, feeling giddy at the idea of going places I’d never even considered.
“I’ve seen it before. You’d love it, Keysha. I just know you would. But you know what is truly amazing to me?”
“No. What?” I asked.
“You.”
“Me?” I laughed. “What’s so amazing about me?”
“Growing up, my parents were always taking me to some production. And I’ve seen my fair share of good actors and bad ones. For you to have no formal training and be a
s good as you are is a gift. You should seriously consider learning all that you can about the craft. I can see your name on the movie billboard—The Drama in Her Life, starring Keysha Kendall.” I laughed, but somewhere deep inside of me, I liked the sound of it.
When Antonio dropped me off after dinner he pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. He opened up the car door for me.
“It’s okay. I can let myself in,” I said teasingly.
“Nope. Your dad really grilled me when I came to pick you up, so I want to make sure he knows that I’ve returned you home safe and sound.”
“You really don’t have to do that. Jordan is very overprotective of me,” I said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. No sooner had I said that than the floodlights came on and Jordan unlocked the door.
“Hello, sir,” Antonio greeted him right away.
“Antonio.” Jordan eyed him suspiciously.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’ve returned Keysha home. Safe and sound.” Antonio grinned.
Jordan hesitated, but then smiled and said, “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you later,” Antonio said to me as he walked back to his car. As I stepped inside I became irritated because I didn’t get a good-night kiss.
The night of the show had finally arrived and I was a nervous wreck. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and kept going over and over my lines in my head, making sure I hadn’t had some type of bizarre memory lapse. Just as I was finishing up in the bathroom I heard a knock at the door.
“Mike, leave me alone,” I shouted through the door.
“It’s not Mike, honey.” I heard the voice of Grandmother Katie and immediately flung the door open.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I hugged her. I inhaled her sweet-scented perfume as she embraced me tightly.
“You knew I couldn’t let you have your very first stage performance and not be there. Come on. You know me better than that.” She smiled at me.
“I’m so happy to see you, but I’m also so unbelievably nervous. My stomach is doing all sorts of weird things.”
“You just have a case of the jitters, that’s all. Every performer gets them, but the moment you step out onto the stage and the lights come up, amazingly that panicky feeling vanishes into thin air.”
“I hope you’re right because right now I feel like I don’t even know my own name.”
“You’ll be just fine, honey. I’ll be sitting out there in the audience watching you and cheering you on.” Grandmother Katie stepped back to take a good look at me. “My grandbaby. An Oscar-winning actress.”
“I don’t know about all of that.” I laughed nervously.
“You just never know what life has in store for you,” she said as Barbara came up the stairs behind her.
“How are you doing, Keysha?” she asked.
“Okay,” I answered.
“Are you just about ready for me to drive you up to the school?” Barbara asked.
“Yeah. Just let me grab my purse from my bedroom and I’ll be right down. Oh, do you have your tickets?” I inquired, wanting to be sure that I’d given them to her.
“Yes, I’ve got them.”
“Be sure to sit in the center seats so you’ll be able to see everything,” I reminded her.
When I walked downstairs and into the family room, Jordan, Mike and Sabrina were there to wish me luck and offer me their support. I hugged them all before leaving with Barbara.
“Maya, I can’t believe this night has actually arrived,” I said, taking her hand into my own. I squeezed it to show her just how intensely excited I was.
“I know. I’m feeling nervous as well, but we’re going to knock them dead,” she assured me.
Maya and I walked backstage, where there was a flurry of activity. The stage crew was making final adjustments to the set. Folks were buzzing around looking for their costumes and trying to find someone to help them put on their makeup. Maya led me into our dressing room, where I sat down, took a few deep breaths and began to prepare. An hour later, I was in full costume and standing backstage peering out into the theater, which was filling up very rapidly.
“You shouldn’t peep out at the audience.” Antonio came up from behind and startled me.
“Jeez, you scared the crap out of me!” I said as I placed one hand over my heart.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he apologized as I adjusted his wardrobe.
“You look magnificent, baby,” I said as I gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Hey, you two, everyone is looking for you down in the casting room,” Maya said as she approached.
Antonio and I went into the casting room for some last-minute instructions before the show. A short while later I was sitting on the sofa, cloaked from view by the giant black stage curtains. I clenched my fists a few times in an effort to calm my nerves. I heard the announcer welcome our guests to the show and finally, the curtains were drawn back and the audience began clapping. The opening scene went off without a hitch. The audience laughed at the funny parts and everyone remembered their lines. During the second scene one of the cast members, whose part was to behave like an over-the-top disc jockey, lost his wig. However, he made light of it by picking it up, putting it back on lopsided and continuing on. The audience loved it. When Antonio and I kissed each other there was a loud chorus of oohs and aahs from the spectators.
When the show concluded, everyone was called out onto the stage by name. When my name was called, I heard Jordan’s voice roar above everyone else’s. I looked up into the crowded stands and saw him, Barbara, Grandmother Katie, Mike and Sabrina all waving at me. My heart was filled with so much happiness and I was so overcome with joy that I started crying. I couldn’t help it. I’d never achieved anything like this in my entire life and it was a very defining moment of sorts. The clapping and the cheering continued as the curtains were drawn to a close. As soon as we were all hidden from sight, our voices erupted in jubilation. All of the actors and actresses formed a giant circle and began jumping around. Even Priscilla was happy about the performance and didn’t give me any grief.
The cast came out into the hallway to meet parents, guests and friends who’d come out. Jordan gave me flowers and each member of my family gave me a big hug. Others who were there congratulated me and expressed how pleased they were with my performance. As I was mingling with the mob of people gathered in the hallway, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. When I turned around I saw Wesley. I was so excited that I gave him a giant hug and a kiss on the cheek. In doing so I inhaled the unmistakable scent of alcohol. I wrinkled my nose and turned my head in the opposite direction.
“You were incredible, Keysha!” Wesley congratulated me.
“Thank you,” I said, turning back and looking into his eyes, which appeared to be glassed over.
“How have you been?” he asked.
“Good,” I answered as someone passing by gave me the thumbs-up for my performance. I smiled at them and then turned my attention back to Wesley.
“I know this is probably not a very good time to ask, but I was wondering if you had a date for the—”
“Keysha.” I turned around and saw Antonio approaching me with his mom and dad.
“Antonio,” I called out and hugged him.
“This is my mom, Leslie, and this is my dad, Ray.” I gave both of them a hug and thanked them for coming.
“You guys did a spectacular job,” said Antonio’s father, who was clearly very proud of him.
“Before I forget, I want to ask you something,” Antonio said and took my hands into his.
“What?” I smiled at him so hard my cheeks ached.
“Will you go to prom with me?”
“Wait, what did he just ask you?” Wesley interrupted. I looked at Wesley and then back at Antonio. I hesitated because I felt sort of odd. But I wasn’t about to let Wesley ruin my moment.
“Keysha, you’re supposed to say—”
“Yes, Antonio. I’d be
happy to go to prom with you,” I said.
“Get away from my girl!” Wesley growled like a wounded wolf. In his rage he swung his fist, intending to hit Antonio, but since his right arm was still in a sling and he was intoxicated, he only succeeded in knocking himself off balance and tumbling to the floor.
twenty-two
WESLEY
When I awoke the following morning, I had a massive headache, which was without question due to a hangover. I barely remember coming into the house and getting in my bed. I do remember tumbling over the garden hose, which I’d forgotten to coil back up onto its spindle.
I groaned as I turned my back toward the window because the sunlight coming in was too bright. I rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand, hoping and praying it would make my head stop hurting. I glanced at my cell phone, which had fallen to the floor. I reached out, picked it up and noticed I had a text message.
Keysha: I’m worried about you. Call me.
“Yeah, right,” I grumbled as I set the phone on a nearby nightstand. “You don’t care about me, Keysha. If you did, you would’ve given me another chance. You knew how much I needed you, yet you turned your back on me. Go to hell!”
I needed aspirin because rubbing my forehead wasn’t cutting it. I pulled myself to an upright position and sat on the edge of the bed. I felt a little light-headed. After I collected myself, I grabbed my cell phone and walked down the hall toward the bathroom. I opened the medicine cabinet and removed a bottle of extra strength Tylenol. I filled a Dixie cup with water then swallowed two pills. I closed the lid on the toilet, sat down and then rested my elbows on my knees. I slumped my head between my shoulders and meditated on my life.
