Get Somebody New

by Lewis, Michael

  On the way out the door Alton stopped to give me a kiss. I felt an energy go through me that I’d never felt before.

  “Did you feel that Rachel?”

  “That funny feeling, like a burst of energy?”

  “Yeah, I thought it was just me.”

  “No, I felt it too.”

  “I think that means our souls connected.”

  “Whatever it was, I liked it.”

  “Okay let’s go because if I look at you another second in that dress we won’t make it to mother’s.”

  We made it to his parent’s house about 20 minutes later.

  “Hi Ma, sorry we were running late.”

  “Oh that’s okay. I just put the bread in the oven anyway. Alton I am glad you had the sense to chase this girl down. Nadiah just don’t know how close she was to making me shove that broom stick up her……”

  “Ma!”

  “Ass!” She finished her sentence determinedly.

  “Chile he is so high brow just like his daddy, you will like him. He is going to love you. He loves us beautiful light skinned women.”

  “Mamma you’re gonna have Rachel thinking our family is color struck or something.”

  “Well Alton she has a point. We are beautiful aren’t we?”

  “Baby, I’m just saying that….”

  “Aren’t we?” I asked cutting him off.”

  “Of course you are and I love both of you.”

  “Ain’t he a sweetheart?” his mother asked while poking me gently with her elbow.

  “Yes he is.” I said as I winked back at her.

  Mrs. Allen cooked a delicious dinner of standard southern fare. We had Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese casserole, Sweet Cornbread, Green Beans and Collard greens.

  “Mrs. Allen these collard greens are the best ever. My God they are good!”

  “Thank you, I’ll give you my secret before you go. Girl you know you are alright with me. See Alton this girl knows how to say it the right way.”

  “Huh?” I asked.

  “She is talking about Nadiah.” He answered.

  “Miss Prissy Ass walked in here putting on airs. Heffa talking about ‘Oh Mrs. Allen the CooLards are absolutely wonderful’. I said Coolards? I knew then she wasn’t my cup of tea. She was too proper for me with her fake ass.”

  “Coolards huh? That’s a switch.”

  “Hey Everybody! Alton? Hey son good to see you. Who is this pretty little thing here?” His dad asked as he entered.

  “Oh Dad this is Rachel.”

  “Get out of here! You are a very beautiful young lady.” Mr. Allen said.

  “This time he followed my example and found someone more like his mother. Huh baby?” He said.

  “That’s right. Hollister sit on down, I’ll fix your plate in a sec.” Mrs. Allen answered.

  “Thanks babe.”

  I looked from Alton’s father to Alton at least 4 times. I couldn’t believe how much they looked alike. His father looked only about 10 years older than him. They were virtual twins of each other, but Alton still had some of his mother’s features too. He got his eyes from his dad; whose was the same beautiful golden color. His parents were the warmest, down to earth people I’d ever met.

  “We got a surprise for you too, Alton.”

  “I’ve had enough surprises for today. The hospital people made a mistake and brought Nadiah to the house. She got out of the van and clowned like never before. The grace of God and Rachel kept me from killing her, I’m serious.”

  “That girl is off. I’ve been telling you that. Nobody is naturally that mean unless they are crazy. I know you didn’t do what you should have done to her ass. All she needs is a sound ass whuppin’.”

  “I tried to deal with her like I usually do, but this time she just wouldn’t leave me alone. She wouldn’t go and she just kept on and on. Before I knew it I’d grabbed her by her head and picked her up with both hands. Something in me snapped and I flung her across the yard like a rag doll. She was coming back toward me, but I shocked her because I was coming at her just as fast. I grabbed her with my left hand and had my right hook ready. The next thing I remember was Rachel behind me holding my arm screaming my name.”

  “That girl doesn’t know how close she came to the other side today. I wasn’t going to let Alton do something that could get him in trouble. I’ve never seen him as upset as he was today. He looked like a different person.”

  “I don’t ever want to get that way again. I felt so ashamed of myself for losing control like that.”

  “Excuse me for not being sympathetic, but she was long overdue. God’s knows where to put us and when. She still ain’t safe from me. You think I’m playing? Let me see her out somewhere. I’ll be on the news I promise you. The only reason I didn’t get her when she was here calling me all kinds of bitches outside my house is because I had that baby in here.” Mrs. Allen commented.

  “She did what?”

  “It was a day before the court date. She ran over here thinking she was going to take Paige. My mom didn’t open the door. She stood out in the yard and called my mom out of her name and accused Ma of kidnapping Paige. I came and tried to get her to go home and of course she attacked me. She kicked me in the leg and scratched my face up. When the police came she went into actress mode and said I punched her in the face. They slapped cuffs on her because they knew she was lying. She came to the divorce hearing in an orange jumpsuit.”

  “That’s a shame.” I said.

  “No that’s a damn shame!” His mother corrected.

  I noticed that Hollister had remained quiet when Nadiah’s name came up.

  “She didn’t get along with your father either?”

  “Not after she falsely accused him of making a pass at her.”

  “Evil, Alton. I told you, she’s evil.”

  “It was an obvious lie because she said he did it during a party we had. She said it happened in the garage. There is a surveillance camera in there that captures the whole garage. The place she said it happened was recorded. We looked at the tape and he never even went in the garage. We didn’t watch to prove him innocent, we knew he hadn’t even been in the garage, but we wanted to show her proof we knew she was lying. My dad would never do anything like that. That’s why he gets quiet when she is mentioned.”

  “I have nothing good to say so I say nothing. I have one good thing to say about her…….she’s gone! Hallelujah.”

  “Uh oh I smell Burberry Touch that means Bo is here.” A female said loudly from the front of the house.

  “Muffin!” Alton shouted loudly. Alton jumped up from the table and bolted out of the kitchen like an Olympic sprinter.

  “That was the surprise I was gonna tell him about. It’s his sister, Marion.”

  Alton walked back into the dining room with a strikingly beautiful woman.

  “Rachel this is my sister Marion. Muff this is Rachel.”

  “Thank God!” She exclaimed.

  “I am glad to finally meet you. I’ve heard plenty about you, trust me.” She continued.

  His sister looked like his mother with subtle features from his dad. Her color was like a perfect tan. Her hair was thick and hung in long curls ending at her waist. She had slanted eyes like his mother and her eyes were hazel as well. She was also tall with legs that went on forever.

  “She is seven years younger than Alton and he took his role as big brother seriously. He really spoiled this girl. Giving her everything she asked for, waiting on her hand and foot, and fighting all her battles.”

  “Oh mama, that’s my Bo! He loves his little sis. Ain’t that right, Bo?”

  “Of course, I do.” Alton responded.

  “Rachel, Marion is a model. She just got back from a photo shoot in Europe.” Alton beamed.

  “That sounds exciting!”

  “It is exciting. People always ask if it’s stressful but it’s not unless you let it be. Those white girls walk around eating half a cracker and a grape for dinne
r and trying to stay rail thin. I don’t have time for that. I’m mindful of what I eat and work out. If I want cake I eat cake.”

  “People want badly to fit into the cookie cutter mold that the media and others force feed us at every opportunity. I work out and eat what I want too.” I replied.

  “Alton, I like this girl already.”

  “Thanks, I love her too.” He responded.

  “Mother did you prepare any CooLard greens this evening? We all love them so much?” Marion asked.

  Everyone erupted in laughter at the running joke.

  Twelve

  Ezekiel Nelson

  Running back and forth to jail was not something I planned on in my relationship with Jazz. The incident with Jamal was not his fault so I didn’t hold that against him. Jazz was blessed because he had done plenty of things to land in jail but just didn’t get caught. He couldn’t continue to rely on that type of luck though. The older one gets the higher the stakes are with more to lose. I understood that he was upset with Marcus, but he could have handled it differently.

  Once I figured he’d been booked I went down to the station and tried to see what to do. I tried to hide my frustration but I didn’t do it very well.

  “I messed up, I know. I let you down Zeke, but I’m gonna fix this.”

  “Jazz you have your way of handling things, but you have to make better decisions. Fighting isn’t the way to handle everything.”

  “I know that. He just made me so damn mad. He had it coming.”

  “Did what I said totally miss you? You are still rationalizing your actions. You aren’t going to change anything until you see that it was wrong.”

  “I see your point, but I disagree with you. You have no idea how that could have exploded on me. “

  “Whatever. What are you gonna do to get out of here.”

  “If you’re gonna get an attitude because I won’t sit and let you lecture and scold me like a goddamned child then you can go home. I don’t need to be told over and over by you how I was wrong to do what I did. Obviously I did something wrong because I’m here.”

  “Jazz every minute you spend in here is time you are away from me. I worry about you in here because I know you don’t belong in here. You are better than this.”

  “Zeke I know it’s hard to face, but I am a street nigga, a thug and that’s all I’m ever gonna be. I was born in prison. Hustling is the only life I know. I was crazy to ever think I could do anything with my life. We are from different worlds. The crazy part is when I was on the street I never ended up in here. So maybe that’s where I belong.”

  “Maybe so Jazz, anyway I need to get the ball rolling. Give me a few hours.”

  “Hold up Zeke. What was that shit supposed to mean?”

  “What?”

  “Maybe so, Jazz? What are you trying to say? Are these your true feelings coming out? Was I the hood nigga you decided to take on as a project for your good deed? Well this dumb, uneducated thug thanks you, but I don’t need yours or anyone else’s pity, you understand?”

  When Jazz spoke to me like that, I was simply dumbfounded. What could I say to that? He felt under attack and decided he needed to turn against me. His words hurt me more than they angered me because they were a complete blindside.

  “You are so fucking far off the mark. You always feel like you need to prove something to somebody.”

  “Zeke what are…?”

  “Shut the hell up! You said a mouthful so I’m gonna respond!”

  “So you’ve had to fight who hasn’t? In case you bothered to look I am not your damn enemy. If you could take a break from trying to fight the universe you would realize when someone loves you more than anything in the world. Stop being such a jerk for just a moment will you?”

  I felt tears forming so I left in a hurry before they started.

  I called the one person that might possibly untangle the confusion in my mind.

  “Alton, what do you make of that? I mean he talked to me like a complete stranger.”

  “Zeke I think he has an inferiority complex. He felt like you were judging him when you pointed out his wrongdoing. He’s never had anyone tell him fighting was wrong. He always resorts to violence when he’s upset because that’s the only thing he knows to do. Telling him he is wrong for it is almost like telling him he is wrong for walking or breathing because it is so much a part of who he is.”

  “Lord knows I didn’t mean to make him feel like that. I just had to get out of there because…. Never mind.”

  “Never mind? You were about to what?”

  “That’s okay I thought about it but I don’t want to finish that sentence.”

  “Zeke, did he make you cry? He did didn’t he?”

  “Just let it go Alton.”

  “Zeke you already told me. You know you can’t tell me to let it go.”

  “This must be him, it’s collect.” I said after hearing the beep and seeing the call waiting caller ID screen.

  “Well go ahead and talk. Call me back when you get done and don’t think I’m gonna forget.” Alton replied.

  “Hello?”

  “You have a collect call from the DeKalb Jail. Will you accept the charges?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry babe.” The voice faintly whispered.

  “Jazz?”

  “Yeah. Zeke I’m sorry and I didn’t mean that shit I said. I don’t know why I said it. Guess I was mad and took it out on you. I’m so sorry Zeke.”

  “Apology accepted. Jazz I wasn’t judging you. I’d never do that. I’m sorry if it came off that way.”

  “I’ll never forgive myself for making you cry. I know you cried when you left here and you can’t tell me you didn’t.”

  “No comment.”

  “I called my lawyer Mr. Hamlin. He said he wouldn’t be able to get to me until tomorrow.”

  “I already talked to Randall Craven.”

  “Randall Craven, the big celebrity lawyer?”

  “Yes. He will take the case, but I told him I needed to talk to you first.”

  “How much is he charging? I got about six hundred grand in savings. This is a bullshit case.”

  “Don’t worry about the money. He is a family friend.”

  “Family friend, you didn’t date him did you?”

  “No he and Alton went to college together. They are close friends.”

  “Tell him O.K. How soon do you think he can make something happen?”

  “He is just waiting for me to call him back. Hold on, I’ll do a conference call with him.”

  I called Randall and conferenced him in. After hearing the particulars Randall said he’d call me back in a few minutes. I figured it would take a couple of hours for him to untangle that web so I decided to take a shower. As soon as the water got hot, my doorbell rang. I considered not answering the door, but was glad I didn’t because it turned out to be Randall.

  “Randall what are you doing here? You better be glad I decided to answer the door. Come on in. I was just getting in the shower.”

  “I’m sorry about not calling Zeke. I was in the car when I talked to you and Jazz. I called down there and it was nothing. It took all of about 5 minutes to straighten out. They offered to change it to simple assault, but I told them I wasn’t wasting my time just so they can get an extra conviction. I got everything dropped.”

  “That was quick. I thought it would be at least a few hours.”

  “Zeke you know I get things done.”

  “Yeah I see. Thanks for your help. I guess I’d better go get him.”

  “You don’t have to leave yet. It’s going to take them a while to process him out. Besides, I want to talk to you for a minute.”

  “Okay. You want something to drink?”

  “Some water if you got it. I talked to Alton today.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Zeke what are you doing wasting your time with this Jazz character?”

  “I�
�m not wasting my time.”

  “Come on Zeke. I’ve known you for years and I’ve never known you to go for the thug type. You like the finer things and you know it.”

  “Who says he is not a finer thing?”

  “Look where he is Zeke.”

  “Why are you so concerned about me all of a sudden?”

  “I don’t want to see you get hurt and I think you deserve better than this.”

  “He treats me very well. Hold that thought. I just threw these shorts on to answer the door so I need to go change real quick.”

  “Alright.”

  Randall was amusing trying to act like my big brother all of a sudden. I had a huge crush on Randall when I was in high school. Actually it was the first time I met Randall that I knew without a doubt that I was gay. Alton had come home for Spring Break from Princeton and brought his roommate Randall home with him. After meeting Randall I couldn’t get him off my mind. The same weekend I came out to Alton. He was fine back then and only got finer with age. He played college basketball with Alton and was drafted by the NY Knicks. An injury cut his career short after only 5 years. He then decided to go to law school at Columbia.

  Randall is 6’5” and 200 lbs. His weight hasn’t changed since his college days. The color of dark, sweet, licorice with eyes to match, he is good looking by any standard. His voice drips from his full lips like auditory gold. His eyebrows are thick and straight lying flat above his wide, almond-shaped eyes on his perfectly raised brow. His prominent but slim nose is positioned perfectly between his high cheekbones and completes the picture.

  My clothes were on my bed so I stepped out of my shorts as soon as I closed the door. Since that wasn’t gonna be a “commando” type day I grabbed a pair of bright red form fitting briefs. The package said they hugged your body, which sold me. I was in a severe dry spell when I bought them and needed something to hug my body. Just as I stepped into the underwear the bedroom door opened. Randall stood in the doorway grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

  “I’ll be out in a minute and then we can go get Jazz.”