The Sunday Brunch Diaries

by Norma L. Jarrett

  “Yeah, I know, but that’s because you all weren’t in them. C’mon. We need to try something different.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Capri said.

  “Okay, but we’ll see how long it lasts,” Angel said.

  “Personally, I love the classics,” Jermane said. “So you know what kind of books I’ll be picking.”

  “Whatever,” Jewel said. “I’ll take any excuse to have a party. Oh, that reminds me, the planning for the art exhibit and reception is coming together splendidly. I have you all down as my guests. There’s only been one glitch.”

  “What’s that?” Jermane asked.

  “Umm, it appears that Grant’s bringing that Tamia woman,” Jewel said with an attitude.

  “You mean his wife?” I said. “I’m almost afraid to ask. Why is that a problem?”

  “Well, I’d planned to be his official escort, of course. Besides, who knows what could happen? One can always ‘trade up.’ Then Capri and I can be in the ‘players’ wives’ club together. I know somewhere in another lifetime I was rich. I’m destined to live the life of the rich and famous,” Jewel said as she pulled out her compact to check her makeup.

  “Okay, keep playing like that. God’s gonna snatch away what you have if you don’t appreciate it,” Angel warned.

  Jewel paused. “Girl, you know I’m playing. Kevin and I are very happy.” She let out a quick laugh and slapped Angel on the wrist lightly.

  “Yeah, okay. Anyway, I do give Grant Hill and his wife major credit for making it this long. So many people in the spotlight are tripping these days. Divorce, rehab, custody battles, jail . . . what in the world is going on?” Angel asked.

  “I’ll tell you what’s happening,” I said. “God is getting tired. He’s starting to sift through the world. He’s allowed this mess to go on for too long.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it,” Angel said.

  “I mean really, money can’t save you from everything. He’s tired of the church tripping, fake ministries, and celebrities thinking they can buy their way out of anything. Look at Michael Vick, Britney Spears, and T.I. Some people want to say they’re being made examples of, but at some point you have to be accountable.” I realized I’d gotten on a roll.

  “Dang, Lexi, calm down. I hear you, though. Just look at the NBA. Some people can’t handle money and fame. God won’t let foolery go on forever. He can’t let the world think that people can do anything without any consequences. He’s been patient long enough,” Capri said. “That’s why I thank God Anthony is responsible. He knows all he has is because of God.”

  “I’ll tell you what other crisis is out of control. What’s up with all the snow skiing? I mean, it’s always been in the NBA, but dang, is the Black woman going out of style?” Angel demanded.

  “Yeah, but I’m starting to see some sisters dating outside their race,” I said. “Before I met Chris, I was thinking about it.”

  Everyone stopped eating and looked at me in disbelief.

  “What? I got a little hyped up after seeing the movie Something New. Besides, true Christians do not discriminate,” I explained as I finished off the last of my chocolate espresso cheesecake.

  “Personally, I love me some chocolate,” Jewel interjected. “Let’s face it. There are certain things that only a Black man understands. I don’t want to have to explain why I tie my hair up at night with my jumbo silky scarf.”

  “Okay, Jewel, you had to take it to another level. On that note, I think it’s time to go,” Capri said.

  I stood up and grabbed my purse. “Yeah, it’s about that time.”

  “What? What did I say?” Jewel asked as she watched everyone head for the door. “And hey, wait a minute. We still have to pay the bill! My husband doesn’t play in the NBA . . . you all, this isn’t funny,” she said as she grabbed the check and ran after them.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dead Weight

  “Add some more weight, man,” Kevin said as he rested on the bench.

  “You sure you can handle all this?” Anthony questioned as he bent down to reach for the weights. “I don’t want to have to call Jewel to come get you.”

  “Man, just spot me.” Kevin repositioned his legs on the floor alongside the bench. After Anthony added the weights, he attempted to lift them. His arms trembled. He raised the bars halfway, but then quickly dropped the weights back to the stand.

  “Told you, man! You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Anthony said as he popped Kevin with his towel.

  Kevin’s chest heaved in and out. After a few seconds he spoke in between deep breaths. “So what’s up for next weekend? I know all the women are getting together, so we need to plan something.”

  “Well, I got a ton of work to do,” Rex yelled from the treadmill.

  “Man, you always got work to do. I’m talking to the menfolk in this room that have a real life.” Kevin sat up.

  Rex frowned, then just shook his head. He grabbed his bottle of water and took a swig.

  “Well, I gotta game Saturday, so you know what the deal is,” Anthony said.

  “We know, fool, we’re gonna be there, remember? On Friday, my boy’s having a bachelor party. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to one of those,” Kevin said as he wiped his clean-shaven head and forehead with a hand towel.

  “You know Lexi would kill me if she knew I was even thinking about going to something like that,” Chris said as his legs raised the weight on the leg press. “Naw man, I’ll have to pass.”

  “Man, I can see now I’m gonna have to train you on the ‘head of the household concept.’ ” Kevin shook his head. “Newlyweds . . . and this is your first marriage too? You’ll learn. That ‘ honey-do’ routine will get old,” he said as he draped the towel around his neck.

  “Man, that ain’t it. I don’t need to be up in that kinda atmosphere. Besides, that’s never been my thing. Even before I got married. Besides, I’ve got to be careful with the line of work I’m in,” Chris said, pausing between lifts.

  “I’m only going for a minute. It’s for one of my coworkers I’m tight with. Stuff like that’s never interfered with my relationships. I don’t get all caught up like that. It’s those weak brothers who get all messed up over some body parts. Looking is one thing, but touching is another. I wouldn’t go out like that, or hurt Jewel.”

  “Oh, okay. Then I’m sure you’re going to tell her where you’re going, right?” Octavio yelled as he paused between curl-ups. “This is coming from a man who just had to sleep on the porch.”

  “Okay, Marc Anthony, who told you about that?” asked Kevin. “Man, see women always running their mouths. But what Jewel doesn’t know won’t hurt her, and I better not hear about this from any of y’all,” he said as he stood up from the bench.

  “Anyway, Angel and I have plans Friday and Sunday, but I’ll definitely be at the Toyota Center for the game,” Octavio said.

  “Yo, Mr. Conservative, I guess that leaves me and you. You know you’re way too uptight for a brother. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Run a red light?”

  “Rex? He’s the brother on a leash.” Anthony started laughing as he ran over to Chris to slap his hand.

  “Oh, so you all got jokes. Y’all underestimate me. Just for that, what time you want to meet after work?” Rex said as his treadmill slowed to a halt. “I’ve been looking for some stress relief anyway.”

  “Six-thirty. Let’s grab a quick bite from the Fox Sports Grill at the Galleria first, then roll through the bachelor party after that,” Kevin said.

  “Alright, sounds like a plan.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

  “Angel, I may not make it to the Bible class this week,” Octavio said as they walked toward Uptown Sushi.

  “Why not? I thought you said you liked the class,” Angel said while he opened the door to their favorite restaurant. Uptown Sushi had an industrial chic vibe with amber lighting and bar seating. It felt
more like a loft space than a restaurant. It stayed packed thanks to its cool and sexy ambience. Angel looked around and noticed an eclectic mix of Houstonians; she and Octavio frequented the restaurant enough for her to recognize the regulars.

  After they sat down at their table, the waitress walked up and greeted them, then handed them the menu. A few moments later she returned with two waters.

  “I’ll have the sake toro,” Angel told the waitress after she closed the large menu. She noticed how the waitress’s blood red lipstick contrasted with her flawless olive skin and silky black hair. Even in the dim lighting she noticed the explosion of makeup on the woman’s face.

  “Hirame for me,” Octavio said.

  The waitress, relieved that she didn’t have to explain the menu, walked off quickly.

  “So, what were you saying about the Bible study class?” Angel asked, continuing their conversation.

  “I was just saying that I’m swamped. I’m up to my neck in work. I need that time to finish up a little research. You know we do the job of two or three people there over at the city attorney’s office. So, you may have to go without me this week.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Angel said as she looked him in his eyes. She noticed how his baby-soft lips glistened as his words spilled out. Despite Octavio’s habit of licking his slightly pink lips, they always appeared supple, smooth, and readily kissable. She watched as his hand slid over his buzz-cut hair. She liked his new look, but missed his dark thick waves. “Octavio,” she paused. “What’s going on with you? I’ve known you long enough, you’re not being honest.”

  “Not sure what you’re talking about.” He looked away from her and toward the bar, where patrons swarmed.

  “Every since we started this class, you’ve been acting a little weird, especially since we did those first lessons about family. Octavio, I know it brought up feelings about your childhood in Mexico and your father. But you have to move past the pain. Don’t let it discourage your deliverance. Maybe the time’s right for you to deal with this.”

  “Angel, I hear you, but I don’t want to get into this now.” He sipped on his water and noticed the couple next to them staring a bit. When he and Angel first started dating it seemed that people were always staring at them. Now it seemed a Black woman and a Hispanic man were no longer a novelty. However, every so often a look or stare reminded them of their unique relationship. “Can we just have a nice relaxing meal?”

  Angel sighed and looked away. She refocused her attention on his eyes. “We don’t have to, but you know I’m right. Octavio, if we can make it through all the mess I put you through, we can deal with this. If I had not faced my fears from my previous marriage, we wouldn’t be together now.” She watched his face for permission to continue.

  He sighed and fumbled with his chopsticks. He finally placed them down on the table as a sign of surrender. “Angel, my mom called me a couple of weeks ago. My dad,” he cleared his throat. “My father’s in the hospital. He’s pretty sick. I talked to him for a few minutes. That was the first time we spoke in years. I put him out of my mind a long time ago.”

  Her shoulders deflated and she sat back. “How come you didn’t say anything before now?” She folded her arms, waiting for his response.

  He shrugged his shoulders.

  “So, what did he say? Where is he?”

  “He’s in El Paso. They say he may not have much longer to live. He’s on dialysis. His voice was so, so . . . weak.” Octavio dropped his eyes.

  “Are you going to see him? El Paso isn’t that far.”

  “I don’t know, Angel. It’s weird, he didn’t sound like the man I used to know. I remember his voice as heavy with hate and anger.” He looked around the room to avoid looking Angel in the eye. “Yeah, he was a hateful so-and-so. He treated Mom—well, all of us—really badly.” He spoke slowly and his eyes were distant.

  She could sense his pain. “We don’t have to talk about this now,” Angel offered.

  Octavio’s face softened. He swallowed and reached out for her hand. They locked fingers across the table in the busy restaurant. Octavio looked into her eyes and his mouth relaxed a bit.

  “I’ll be right back.” He shot up from the table and headed toward the restroom.

  Angel watched, resisting the urge to follow him. She prayed silently in her seat, while she waited for him to return.

  After his date with Angel, Octavio headed home and called it a night. It took him a while to doze off as he thought about his father. He tossed and turned. He let out a groan and then a scream. He shot straight up. He grabbed his forehead. His chest and hair were both wringing wet. He rubbed his forehead, then reached down for the gold cross around his neck. As he ran his fingers over it, he tried to piece together his dream. All Octavio remembered was blood, some dirty boots, and a gun. He’d stopped having this particular dream when he was in his twenties. But once he’d spoken to his dad, the dream started again. Octavio’s body was trembling. He looked at the clock; it was 4 a.m. He started to call Angel, but decided to get up and take a shower, thinking it’d be hard to fall back asleep. Before he went to the bathroom, he noticed the slip of paper on his nightstand with the room and phone number of the hospital where his father was. Octavio picked it up and stared at it. Then he put it back down. He got up and headed straight for the shower. While he was in the shower, he tried his best to scrub away his last image of his father. But it didn’t work.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Houston, We Have a Problem

  “Anthony, wake up!” Capri shook her husband, who was passed out on the couch after finishing his workout. She finally slapped him lightly upside his head.

  “Capri, what are you doing?” He turned to face her with his eyes half closed. He smacked his lips.

  “You need to get up and go upstairs!”

  “Okay, alright. It’s not that serious—what’s wrong with you?” he said as he sat up.

  “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me? I’ve been working hard all week and I was looking forward to some stress relief!”

  “What? Why didn’t you say something? I would have skipped my workout tonight. I can’t read your mind.”

  “You know I understand basketball is a priority, but unless I make plans, you never seem to want to do anything. You seem all geeked up whenever we have to go to those players’ association socials or when you want me to go to the players’ wives functions. Or even those boring-behind fundraisers. Anthony, I just want to have some fun away from all of that. Just you and me.” She pulled on his arm like a little girl.

  “Couples time?” he said as he rubbed his head.

  “Yes, Anthony,” she said as she popped him upside the head again. “Couples time—Anthony, what’s the deal? Can a sister get some lovin’?”

  “Whoa, easy, sweetie. I’ve never seen you this determined before.”

  “That’s because I’ve never had to be! What’s up? You got a little something on the side?” Her New York attitude came out as she backed up and threw her hands open.

  “Capri, I swear to God, that’s not it,” he said with his eyes now squarely focused on hers.

  “Well, what is it?” she said as she looked him in the face with her arms folded. “I know it can’t be me, because I look the same as when we got married, even better, I might add. Is this about me not coming to your games?” She placed her hands on her hips.

  “Yes, I mean no. What I mean is yeah, you still got it going on and no, this isn’t about you missing games,” he said as he grabbed her and sat her on his lap.

  She was already melting at his touch. “I know if Jermane and Rex can have a hot relationship, then we got to step up our game. Think about it, Rex . . . handling his business. You know how uptight they usually are. Anyway, you can’t blame it on basketball, because we’ve never had these issues.”

  “Okay, okay.” He started laughing. “I’m going to take a shower and by the time I get out, you better be ready and under those covers,” he said
as he ran his hand across her layered bangs.

  “That’s more like it,” she purred. She jumped up and didn’t bother to look behind to see if he was following her.

  “Are you kidding me?” Capri sat up and rolled over on her back. “This really can’t be happening.” She placed her hand on her forehead.

  “Babe, I don’t know. You know this has never happened before.” He stared at the ceiling. “Let’s just wait a minute and try again,” he said slowly.

  “Anthony, all I can say is that nothing better be going on, or you’re gonna see my East Coast coming out.”

  “Just cool out, Capri.” His voice was a bit louder. “I guess I’m just a little tired.”

  “We’ve been trying this for the past forty-five minutes. Forget it, Anthony. You better make an appointment with the doctor first thing in the morning. You better come up with some reasonable explanation, or it’s going to be on.”

  “Maybe it’s the pressure from the games. This is the closest we’ve gotten to the playoffs and it’s just a lot of pressure. Maybe that’s it,” he pleaded.

  “Well, you better go do some yoga or something, because this is all out of order!” She got up, put on her robe, and headed downstairs for a pint of ice cream.

  Anthony stayed in the bed and began to hit his forehead with his balled fist. “Ah man . . . This is messed up. This is so messed up.” While his wife escaped downstairs he slid to the floor and whispered a quick prayer:

  God, I love my wife. She would never understand the real issue. If I’m being selfish forgive me. Lord, I can’t be perfect all the time. Just don’t let this be something that destroys us. Even in my weakest moments, Capri’s never doubted my manhood. I’m going to trust that we’ll be fine. Even though I may not be making all the right choices, Lord, I have to rely on Your grace and mercy. Thank You for loving me in spite of myself. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN