Finding Opa!

by Nelson, Latrivia

  “Hey Hunter, are you going to introduce us or what?” A man asked, who was about his age in a pair of jeans and white linen shirt, opened at the top to show his gold chain.

  Hunter smiled and turned around. “This is Stacey Bryant everyone,” he said, opening the door. “These are my cousins, Alexio, Christos, Castor and the young guy over there in the corner is Markos.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Alexio, the oldest and most attractive of the cousins said, offering his hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” Stacey said, shaking his hand gracefully.

  “Why are you here with this loser?” Markos asked Stacey playfully.

  Everyone laughed. Hunter pulled Stacey inside the doorway and stuck his head back out. “She’s my fiancée, you idiot. She’ll be around a lot, so be nice.”

  The men’s faces went blank. As they pushed up to the door to get a second look, Hunter closed it tight behind him.

  “I thought you had a small family?” Stacey said, quietly observing the droves of people moving around the house.

  “My mom and dad have four kids, like I told you. But I have a host of uncles and aunts, and they’re all here.” Kissing her forehead, he took her hand and led her into the house.

  It was a beautiful home with Greek décor throughout, though Stacey expected nothing less. An open-concept floor plan and wall-to floor-windows gave it a modern and eclectic flare, but the old world designs and use of blue and white made it feel like they had walked back into Greece.

  The first person to greet them as they entered the house was Mrs. Fourakis. As she quickly passed by the hall, headed to the kitchen, she turned on her heels and came back. In a flowery apron over her St. John lavender-colored suit, she walked down the tiled hallway to them.

  “Hunter?!” she said with her eyes on Stacey. Her voice boomed through the narrow corridor. “I’m so glad that you made it. I was starting to get worried.”

  “How could I miss today, huh?” he asked with his arms opened wide to receive her. Hugging her as she came to him, he kissed her forehead as well. “Ma, I’d like to introduce you to Stacey Lane Bryant,” Hunter said proudly.

  Mrs. Fourakis eyes were bright with curiosity. Looking Stacey up and down, she finally offered her hand. “Ti kanis? Very nice to meet you, Ms. Bryant.”

  Mrs. Fourakis was a plump woman with a dark olive complexion, big brunette curls with streaks of silver, deep-set brown eyes and fuchsia pink lips. Her rosy cheeks were sprinkled with blush and eyes decorated with lavender shadow. Dripped in diamonds and gold, she smelled of expensive cologne and hair spray. On her feet, she wore a comfortable pair of flats that did nothing to hide her swollen ankles.

  “Please, call me Stacey,” Stacey said, shaking her hand and looking her up and down as well. Her smile was cordial, but she was already on guard. “And I’m doing fine. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “I hope that it was good,” Mrs. Fourakis said jokingly, looking at her son. “You two come in and make yourselves at home. Hunter you’re standing around like a guest in your own home. Come. Come.” She led them through the house to the dining room table that had been leafed just for the occasion. Several people were already sitting while Rhea and Hanna set the table.

  Everyone looked up as Hunter and Stacey walked through the arched doorway. With her hands clasped together and a painted-on smile, Mrs. Fourakis turned to the couple and introduced them. “Everyone this is Stacey Bryant,” she said, motioning back to Stacey, who stood with her left arm locked to Hunter.

  No one knew exactly what to say. They all sat in surprise, glancing back and forth between Hunter and his date. Hunter raised his brow and escorted Stacey to her seat. As she sat down, Mrs. Fourakis’ gift bag fell out of her hand and revealed the diamond engagement ring on her finger.

  Rhea glanced over and gasped. Looking at her mother, she nodded her head Stacey’s way. Mrs. Fourakis walked back over and looked down at Stacey’s hand. Putting her hand to her chest, she looked over at Hunter.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Mrs. Fourakis asked.

  Hunter cleared his throat and sat down beside Stacey. “I was going to tell everyone at once. But yes, Stacey is my fiancée.”

  “You’re getting married?” Mrs. Fourakis looked over at Hanna, who took off her mittens after she sat down the hot potatoes. “Did you know about this?”

  “No,” Hanna said with a grin. She nodded at Stacey. “But I think it’s wonderful. Congratulations, Hunter. You’re very lucky.”

  “Thanks, sis,” Hunter said, looking over at his mother, who appeared peaked.

  “Maybe at dinner, you can tell us how you too met and how this all came about,” Paris said with a snobbish grin. He looked down his nose at Stacey slyly as he reached for his water.

  “Maybe…Maybe not…We’ll see,” Hunter said, drawing Paris’ attention. “It will depend on how you behave.”

  Before another word could be uttered by anyone, Hunter’s father pushed through the crowd that was gathering at the entrance and walked inside. Wearing khakis and black linen shirt, he snatched off his hat, revealing his shiny bald spot and walked up to his son. Pointing his short, stubby finger up at his son, he growled. “I want to talk to you now,” he said, ignoring Stacey.

  “Fine.” Hunter stood back up. “I trust that you won’t try to run her off while I’m gone,” Hunter said to the collective group. No one answered. That was their exact intention. “Will you be alright?” he asked Stacey. There was no way he was going to leave her if she felt uncomfortable.

  Stacey patted him. “Oh, I’ll be fine,” she said, locking eyes with Paris.

  Rubbing Stacey’s back, he clenched his jaw and followed his father out of the dining room.

  Stacey pointed at the water jug. “Would you mind passing me the water, please?” she asked Rhea, who looked as unpleased as her father and brother.

  Pushing the water over to Stacey, Rhea tried to smile. “So, I’ve heard through the grapevine that you are a writer.”

  “I am,” Stacey said, ready to battle.

  “What do you write?” Rhea asked.

  “Romance.”

  “Are you any good at it?” Paris asked, jumping into the conversation.

  “They already know that you’re a bestselling author,” Hanna stepped in. Sitting in Hunter’s seat, she took the jug and poured Stacey some water. “Ignore them. They’re wolves.”

  “So, I’ve heard,” Stacey said, sipping her water. “Mrs. Fourakis, you really do have a beautiful home.”

  Mrs. Fourakis snapped out of her daze and went to have a seat at the end of the table near Stacey. “Thank you, dear,” she said flatly.

  ***

  Hunter closed the door behind him and his father, shutting out the men who stood outside to hear. Watching the old man pace back and forth in front of his credenza, Hunter finally sighed. “Papa, what is it?”

  “How dare you bring that woman into this house and embarrass your blessed mother on her day!” Dr. Fourakis spit out. Sweat started to form on his meaty forehead. He patted it with his handkerchief and stuck the cloth in his back pocket.

  “Are you serious?” Hunter asked in a raised voice. “That woman is my fiancée.” He pointed toward the door.

  “And this is how you tell the family?”

  “I just asked her not even two nights ago. I didn’t know I had to call and get permission from you first,” Hunter snapped.

  “You can’t marry a black woman. You are a Fourakis. You have to marry Greek.”

  “I know who I am, and yes, I will marry her! Dammit, I’m a grown man!” Hunter said growling.

  ***

  The news quickly spread through the house that Hunter had arrived and brought his new fiancée with him. Everyone who had gathered outside in the back near the dock, near the television in the entertainment room and out front on the porch found their way to the dining room to see his mysterious black woman and the ring that rested on her hand. Sitting around like children waiting on
a nighttime story, they watched on quietly with pleasant smiles and wide eyes. However, no one was happy.

  Hunter’s older sister was the first to attack. Chomping at the bit, she waited until she had an audience before she began her sneaky interrogation. “So how did your family take the news about the marriage?” Rhea asked, taking her seat beside Paris.

  As if Rhea had not said anything at all, Stacey lazily looked over at Mrs. Fourakis, who was obviously having a breakdown, and felt a tinge of guilt for the woman’s grief. “Do you need any help in the kitchen, Mrs. Fourakis?” Stacey offered.

  “No…no.” Mrs. Fourakis smiled. “We have nearly finished. We just have to add a few minor touches, and we’ll be ready to have our Mother’s Day dinner.” She ran her hand over the linen tablecloth. “Did you get a chance to see your mother for Mother’s Day and tell her the good news?” Tears formed at the sides of her eyes. She wiped them quickly.

  “No, my mother passed away when I was a young girl,” Stacey said, scooting up to the table. “Hunter is lucky to have such a caring woman in his life. You did all of this on your day. How thoughtful.” She looked over the large feast.

  “You don’t have a large family?” Paris asked. “I thought all blacks had large families.”

  “We Greek women love to cook,” Mrs. Fourakis interrupted, warming up to Stacey. “Do you like to cook?”

  “Not particularly, but I am getting better at it.” Stacey cut her eyes at Paris. She would get to him in just a minute.

  “Well, if you are going to be married to a Greek man, you have to learn how to cook Greek foods.”

  “I’m sure.” Stacey turned to Paris with a razor sharp tongue. “Paris Fourakis, right? The name sounds familiar. What field of medicine?” She tilted her head and put her index finger on her lip.

  “Pain management,” he answered.

  “One of my lawyers, who has had me on retainer forever, uses your practice. Douglas Jackson. Do you know him?” Stacey asked with a smile.

  “Everyone knows Douglas. He’s one of the best legal minds in the city,” Paris answered.

  “And a black man,” Stacey said, winking. “I’m sure the next time that I speak with him, I’ll make sure to tell him that I met you. Did you know that he’s the president of the NAACP in the greater Seattle area? His entire family is practically card-carrying, lifetime members. His father is one of the best civil rights lawyers on the west coast. He moved up here from LA.”

  Paris understood the threat. Douglas had referred countless people to his practice over the years. To have the man come out publicly against him would ruin his business.

  Stacey knew that she had made her point. “Why don’t you ask him on his next visit if he has a large family and tell him about your little theory. I’m sure he’ll be quite interested to hear what you have to say?” Seeing that Paris had been muzzled, Stacey turned back to Mrs. Fourakis. “I was married before. He passed away around the same time that Corina did. He died in the rain in a car accident headed to a book signing.”

  “I am so sorry to hear that. What did he do for a living?” Mrs. Fourakis asked, patting Stacey’s hand.

  “He was one of the country’s leading astrophysicists. He was a member of the launch team that sent the first aircraft to Mars a few years back.” Stacey sighed and looked up at the chandelier above her. “He was a good man.”

  The room buzzed with intrigue. Mars? Who was this woman? Suddenly, medicine didn’t sound as important as space travel.

  Stacey looked around and continued. “And to answer your question…Rhea. It is Rhea, isn’t it? I haven’t told my family, which only consists of my father. He’s back in Harlem. I plan to take Hunter to see him while I’m out there next month.”

  “Oh, how wonderful,” Mrs. Fourakis said, picking up on Stacey’s ability to control the room with ease. Everyone had suddenly gone docile.

  Still in shock, Rhea didn’t respond. Instead, she looked over at her brother who had gone pale. Evidently this Douglas person had some serious clout in Paris’ life. This was the first time in years she had seen him speechless.

  “Yes, I’m going to sign my rights over to ParaWorld for my first book, Love Knocks.” Stacey leaned over theatrically. “We finally settled at six point five million dollars last week. It was such a relief to get that over with.” She turned back to Paris. “Douglas will be handling some of the legal components of the deal.”

  Stacey had one intention, to make them see that they were all just people and that no one in the room was any better than she. She knew that it went completely against her current humble way of life to boast on such a ridiculous level, but she also knew that sometimes in order to win, one had to fight fire with fire.

  “That’s your book?” A woman said from across the room. “I see that book every time that I’m in the bookstore.”

  Stacey smiled proudly. “That’s me, but after Drew’s death, I completely shut out the outside world. Now, with Hunter’s help, I’m reintegrating. No pun intended.” She grinned and pushed the water jug to Mrs. Fourakis, who took the jug and poured herself a glass of water. “He’s a great man, and he cares an awful lot about you. That is why today was so important for him. He’s seeking something that only you can give, Mrs. Fourakis.”

  “What is that dear,” Mrs. Fourakis asked.

  Stacey leaned in and whispered to make sure that no one else could hear her. “Your blessing, of course.”

  Stacey knew that she had made her point, and with Hunter never being the wiser. She had, after all, been the wife of an astrophysicist and entertained the governor, senators and other doctors of prestige at her own home. If there was one thing she could do, it was hold her own.

  ***

  “Think of what you are doing to your family? To mix cultures like this, it’s absurd,” Dr. Fourakis battled Hunter.

  “Cultures my ass. We had the same conversation about Corina and how she wasn’t good enough because her father drove a taxi!” Hunter put up his hands. He was done with the miserable man and this miserable conversation. “Don’t you see that I don’t need your approval? You will need me long before I need you. And since you can’t accept her, then you won’t be seeing me.”

  “This is the road you have chosen?” Dr. Fourakis exploded. “To walk away from everything you have been taught to be with some black romance writer?”

  “Yes, it is. She is my life now – not you. Now, I’m going to get my fiancée and get the hell out of here. You can explain to Mom why her Mother’s Day was ruined and why you just lost a son,” Hunter said, grinding his teeth.

  “I did what you did once. I started to accept this culture and forget my own. That is how you and your sister ended up with American names instead of strong Greek names. It’s why you are so full of these American ideas about family, marriage and life. But trust me, boy. You will come running back to your Greek heritage long before this world bends to your will. This marriage will never work. It should never happen,” Dr. Fourakis said angrily.

  Hunter walked to the door and stopped. Turning around, he shook his head. “She’s carrying your only grandchild. It’s a shame that you’ll never see him. You would rather hold on to your culture than embrace your family. The only thing I see here is a tragic old man.” Opening the door, he pushed past the men who eavesdropped outside and went to the dining room to collect Stacey.

  As he entered, Mrs. Fourakis and Stacey were laughing along with the rest of the room. And to think that he was actually worried about leaving her alone. Walking up to the table, he kissed his mother on the head and then leaned over to Stacey’s ear. “We’re leaving now,” he said, grabbing her hand gently.

  “But we just got here.” Stacey looked up confused.

  Dr. Fourakis came barreling back through the door and made eye contact with his wife, who looked over at him angrily. Now Hunter was leaving? “What have you said to him?” she asked, standing up.

  All eyes turned to Dr. Fourakis. “I told him the truth. Th
is marriage can never be. But now I know why he wants to do it so badly.” He looked over at Stacey. “She’s pregnant.”

  Hunter helped Stacey with her purse and ignored his father. Pushing her seat up, he headed with his fiancée out through the back way. He’d get out of this place if it was the last thing that he did.

  “Pregnant?” Mrs. Fourakis said with tears in her eyes. Turning to Hunter, she pleaded. “Wait! Wait! Please!”

  Hunter stopped and turned around with Stacey locked in his embrace. This was his mother. He could stand to scream at the old man all day, but there was no way he could be too cruel to his loving mother.

  Mrs. Fourakis moved from the table over to him quickly. “Don’t go,” she said, touching his face. “I know what troubles we put you through with Corina, but as your mother I promise, you will not face them this time.” She looked over at Stacey. Tears ran down her cheeks. “I have no grandchildren. Not one. If what my husband is saying is remotely true, then you have both given me the best mother’s day gift I could ask for.” She motioned back at the table. “Please…don’t go. You are welcome in my home. You are my son. She’s is your future wife. You are welcome here.” Her voice cracked with pain. Tugging at her son’s arm, she tried to get him to sit as the tears rushed down her face.