That he was her soul mate? The reason she was alive right now, and her only hope for a future?
Percy took in a deep breath. I'd love any city where you could wake up in my arms, he thought. But instead he said,
"I want to start over... in Greece. I have the qualifications for medicine, just not the heart. I want to work as a historian in Greek mythology. In my original home, Athens Greece. Be closer to my aging parents. Haven't been there in fifteen years."
Tanya was shocked. He was leaving for Greece? Why was he doing this to her?
Percy looked at her, to gage her reaction. She sniffed a bit and cleared her throat. She gave him a sweet smile, "That's great for you. Can I have my diagnosis? I have to go now, Dr Theodosiou."
Percy's face displayed the pain her statement caused. So she didn't care if he went?
He smiled back slightly and passed her the envelope containing her diagnosis. She could present it anywhere and get a job, without being questioned about her mental situation. A very important note.
Percy stood up and held out his hand. Tanya stood up and shook it.
There was an electric, familiar warmth that radiated when their hands touched. Percy held her hand with firm gentleness as if not wanting to let go.
Tanya knew she was going to cry any minute. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and said as she left the offices, "Thanks for everything, Percy."
She quickly exited, leaving him there standing, looking shocked and sad.
She closed his office door behind him and started to sob profusely as she walked down the hallway. Thanks for nothing.
Later that evening, Tanya lay on her bed as she flipped through her teaching schedule. She was going to start teaching again soon.
That reminds me, she thought. She reached for the envelope containing her diagnosis. She wanted to know exactly what it said, since she'd have to present it to the school principal. The school principal and Aisha, his daughter both knew about her condition but only the principal had known about Percy being a doctor. Aisha, just like Tanya, had thought he was just a new hunky recruit, had practiced her 'feminine wiles' on him, which had only resulted in Percy and Tanya's kiss in her office, for all her trouble.
They had felt so real. His kisses. The way his face had lit up on their date at The Apollo to see The Kings of Comedy live. His lovemaking. It had all felt so... genuine. Tanya was angry at him not because he had done all those things with her, but because she couldn't tell... or dare to ask... if he had any feelings for her.
And now that he was leaving dodge, well that just explained. He was done with Harlem, done with her. Onto the next Lolita, in Greece.
Tanya ripped open the envelope with more vigor than was required. She removed her diagnosis and scanned through it. It pretty much said what he had told her, she was cured, which was true.
She then looked down curiously at the colorful paper that had just fallen out of the envelope as well.
She picked it up. It was a ticket. A ticket to... the Apollo? Tanya frowned. Had Percy intended to put this in the envelope? It was for one person.
Come see Eddie Griffin at The Apollo. Above 18 only. ... And it was for that evening.
Tanya wondered if this was Percy's ticket and he had included it by accident. Perhaps he had gained an obsession for The Apollo ever since she had introduced him to it, that amazing night when they had come home and made love for the first time.
She wondered if she should take it back to his office. He wouldn't want to miss his show. This had nothing to do with their failed relationship. Except for the fact that The Apollo was a special symbol of the time they had first really fallen for each other. The first time she had fallen for him. She didn't know what he felt, after all he had lied to her.
She turned the ticket around and that's when she saw what he had written on the back in pen,
It's for you Tanya. Please go. Begs, Percy. p.s. I love you.
She looked at those last three words and her heart skipped. Then she rolled her eyes. So he wanted her to go alone? Why hadn't he at least offered to come? Yes, she would have refused, but that was the most gentlemanly thing he could have done.
She shrugged and decided not to waste the ticket. Percy probably had many boxes of books to pack up before he walked out of her life. Too busy running away.
Tanya decided she would follow the ticket's instructions and go. She decided on the same red dress she had worn the last time, hoping no one would notice.
"Hey! I remember you! You were that honey in the red dress the other time! And you're in the same. Red. Dress." The guy collecting the tickets at The Apollo entrance engaged in a quick conversation with her. She threw him a chilly smile and he chuckled nervously.
"It's a lovely dress 'specially on you girl. Even if it you worn it before. Say. Where's the white boy? The tall one you came with last time?"
Tanya grabbed her half of the ticket and told the man politely, "I'm now single and available." The old man whooped and started talking again before the line behind her started to grumble and shout.
Tanya giggled and entered the theater, ready to listen to some rehashed Eddie Griffin jokes.
"And you know what I just love? I just love how white people talk about hockey and shit. Shiettt... they should hire some brothas in the NHL, y'all know we got them third hockey sticks!"
The audience howled. Tanya shifted in her seat. Funny, slightly crude joke. She should have laughed like a normal human audience member. But seated there alone, she couldn't.
Her mind was all on Percy. Who was probably cleaning out his office right now and counting down his days to leave Harlem. To leave her.
Eddie Griffin walked back and forth with his tiny body, making people pee in their pants. Then he suddenly stopped and looked at his watch,
"You know I love white people," the audience laughed knowingly, since his repertoire claimed otherwise. He continued, "But if one more white boy comes up to me and talks about can I interrupt your stand up to propose to my girlfriend? Happened in San Fran. So obviously girlfriend was a dude."
Tanya face palmed.
"Now y'all won't believe I got another white boy in my schedule. He emailed me a month ago, knew I was coming to town and wanted to use this opportunity to say something to his girl. Okay we in Harlem. If his girl's a sexy sista. Imma cut him off and tell him to go back to the Midwest. No more coming to Harlem, takin' our resources."
The audience and Tanya laughed. Eddie Griffin was crazy.
"Okay so y'all give some minutes to Percy Theo... Theo-something. Geez. Dude, where you from with that crazy ass name, Iran?"
Percy grimaced as he walked onto the stage, from backstage where had been waiting.
The audience clapped and laughed, some women wolf whistled seductively at him. What a hunk! Who was the lucky girl?!!
Eddie Griffin stood on his toes and patted Percy on the back. Only way he could reach him. Percy smiled gratefully at the famous comedian who gave him the mike and stepped aside.
He looked out to the audience, looking for... her. The audience was too large.
When he brought the mike to his mouth, Eddie Griffin interrupted, "Yo, dude. Wait a minute. Let your girl stand up... what's her name?"
Percy spoke into the mike, "Tanya Whitford..."
Some girls jokingly stood up, wanting to claim the hunk. The audience chuckled, and when the crazy girls sat down again, one remained standing.
A very shocked Tanya Whitford. Everyone turned to look at her. She was staring straight at Percy, her face a mixture of shock, happiness and forced anger.
He took in a deep breath as he saw his gorgeous soul mate standing there.
Eddie Griffin looked at her then at him, "What. Her? That's Tanya? Oh hell naw! Dude I. Hate. You."
The audience laughed. Tanya was a tall, gorgeous brown skinned woman with box braids. They could all see that from a mile away.
The guys were now looking at the 'white dude' on stage thinking... dayumm! Du
de, we totally get you!
Then they all went quiet anticipating what Percy was going to say. Tanya's eyes were twinkling. She couldn't believe it. What the heck was Percy doing?
He cleared his throat. He had never really spoken to a large audience before. Let alone a black audience who had come here for scathing comedy, not some soppy interracial romance.
He continued anyway, looking straight at the curvy lady in the red minidress, who was standing quite awkwardly and shyly,
"Miss Tanya Whitford has absolutely no reason for liking me right now."
The audience hushed, now very curious.
"I was not supposed to fall in love with her. But I did. I lied to her... about who and what I was, thinking she would not respond to my advances if I told her I was... what I was.
"That... and in my world I was doing the right thing. Playing a role, to help her heal."
The audience was absolutely confused right now. Playing roles? Lying? What?
Tanya however completely understood what he was talking about and held his gaze as he trudged on,
"I had the best moments of my life with her, and somewhere, sometime in our laughter, I must have told her I loved her. I'm here to tell her I was not playing a role, whenever I said that. I was being me, Percy Theodosiou, the doctor.
"I want her to understand that I cannot take back what I did, and I might never fathom the pain I caused her, or the humiliation. I want her to know that, I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. But I don't want that grief to be the only feeling that I hold there. My heart'll have to make space for the ever growing love I have for her. A feeling I cannot just store and box away. I-"
Eddie Griffin interrupted, "Dude can I write that shit down? Real deep!" He was trying to keep the comedic aspect of the show but the audience told him to shush, which stunned the top-billing comedian. They hadn't even laughed. They were all looking at Percy, whose earnest, gentle eyes and unsure voice betrayed his tall, muscular frame.
"I love you Tanya and I want you to know that if you feel the same love for me, after all I've done, I have two plane tickets waiting to take us to Athens, Greece... a place I know you're familiar with from your teachings. Where it all began for the Greek gods. But forget about Greek gods. A place where two human beings can come together, love each other and start a new life. Start a family."
Percy bit his lip as he watched for Tanya's reaction. She held her hand up to her mouth and a few tears rolled down her cheek.
Some women in the audience were sobbing too, and they didn't know why. One husband nudged his wife, "He ain't talking to you boo. Plus, you have me..." The woman looked at her potbellied hubby and sobbed even more. Percy sure as hell wasn't talking to her. But still... this was so unbelievable and sweet. She was now living vicariously through this lucky Tanya bitch.
Percy lowered the mike from his mouth and Eddie Griffin walked up to him and said softly, "Anything else you need to say to your girl?" Percy nodded. He did have something else to say. Something to ask.
"Tanya Whitford, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?" This is it, he thought. If she says no, the stage should do its best to collapse and take me down.
Tanya was now walking up to the stage, wiping away tears. The audience was anxious. She hadn't yet said yes.
When she got to the bottom of the stage, she held out her hand and Percy pulled her up.
They both stood face to face and Tanya nodded slowly. Then faster. Then she whispered a jubilant, "Yes."
Percy dropped the mike and took her into his arms, lifting her up and holding her tightly. Tanya then slid down his body deftly and their mouths met in a kiss of atomic proportions.
The audience stood up and cheered for the longest, loudest time.
Outside The Apollo two passer-bys heard the cheers and the woman said to the man, "Wow! You gotta get us tickets to Eddie Griffin next time!"
If only they knew who and what the cheers were really for.
Inside, on the stage, a man and a woman were able to ask for forgiveness and be forgiven, love and be loved right back.
That was the true test of any relationship.
Human or Greek god.
---
3 YEARS LATER
Allure Bar,
Times Square, New York
Donyelle poured the patron another shot and handed it to him. He winked back at her. She sighed.
Ever since moving to the heart of New York she found that she could not go anywhere without being propositioned or winked at. Harlem had pushy guys, but this area had over-confident, cocky white guys with a point to prove.
She had moved here when she had attained a scholarship to study at New York Arts Academy. Something she had been working on for a long time. Only Morris knew how much she had wanted this.
She felt her heart drop as she thought about Morris. Her thoughts of him were becoming less and less frequent, it had been 3 years since his death.
She felt guilty when she was having fun, out with her multicultural set of friends. Morris should have been there, with her. Kissing her, pinching her.
Then one of her friends Sara, a bubbly blonde from Minnesota, would notice her sadness and nudge, telling her to move on.
But how could she? Whenever she looked into Marissa's beautiful eyes she saw Morris staring right back at her. Haunting her.
She couldn't just move on. Not just like that.
Sara tried her very best to set Donyelle up with all sorts of guys, and they had all been failures so far. Now they were about to graduate and go out into the real world, yet Donyelle still had not met anyone she felt was worthy.
"One Bloody Mary please!" A chirpy voice said as Sara sidled to the busy counter, pushing some college guys over. They looked at her irritably and left the counter, where they had been positioned perfectly just to stare at the hot black chick.
Donyelle looked at her best friend exasperatedly, "Sara! You don't just shove people away from a counter..." as she poured her friend a drink. Donyelle's boss looked over at her curiously. He didn't like it when his bar ladies had their friends over.
Sara twirled her hair and ignored her friend's scolding, "Okay seriously. Donyelle, there's this guy that goes to Metropolitan..."
"Sara! I told you! No more dates for me. And don't make it so obvious we're chatting," Donyelle said as she looked at her suspicious boss through the corner of her eye. A thin white guy with bald head and impeccable fashion sense, he was looking to see if Donyelle would give her friend a free drink.
Which was against the rules.
Donyelle held her hand out for Sara's money. Sara giggled and dropped some coins in Donyelle's hand. Way less than what she was supposed to pay. Also, a piece of paper with a number on it.
"Call him. You won't regret it!" Sara said excitedly as she downed her cocktail in record time.
Donyelle looked at the name and number curiously. Duncan.
"Is he white?" Donyelle asked cautiously. She had to ask these things. Her friend Sara seemed to think that was the only race of guys out there for her.
"Errrm. Not exactly, half Irish, half Scottish-American." Sara said, with a mischievous smile.
Donyelle rolled her eyes, "So which part is supposed to be the ethnic part?"
Sara laughed as she slid the empty glass back to her friend, "Stop being racialistic and call him. You have this whole weekend to get to know him. Tell me how it works out on Monday. I'll be in Minnesota over the weekend. Ciao hun." She leaned over the counter and kissed her friend's cheek.
Before Donyelle could object she found herself staring at the number. 'Duncan' was a preppy, by the sounds of it. Who names their son 'Duncan' unless he wears pink blazers and plays polo with the lads?
As it turns out, Duncan was a tattoo artist obsessed with Asian/African culture and liberal politics.
He also had brunette hair and sharp green eyes. A striking combination if Donyelle ever saw one.
However there was one flaw.
He was a motor-mouth. Something Donyelle noticed on their first date.
They sat across from each other and from 9 to 10 pm he talked about the Cambodian Revolution of 1972.
They ordered salad. Duncan talked. They ordered steak. He was still talking. They ordered dessert. He was now on the topic of Iran and how he believed Benazir Bhutto was killed by her own people.
He was extremely good-looking. Tall, muscular enough for a college student and he had those rare green eyes.
A Greek God In Harlem Page 9
