BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  "Yes it was, for good reason. Your wife... just floored them all! She's here... you were right... I'm telling you now, the lady's got one helluva voice... and if I know my brother, he's not going to be willing to let her go."

  Shawn was quiet, thinking. "What did she sing?" He asked out of curiosity.

  "Whitney Houston's old song, 'All the man that I need.' Her heart and soul was in every line. Now what?"

  "Tell me the jest of it."

  Paul explained how it worked.

  "So you're telling me, she's going to have to come back and perform until she loses."

  Paul laughed shaking his head, "I'm sorry my friend, losing? Not gonna happen. What do you want me to do?"

  "Nothing... when's the next performance?"

  "The next performance will be Thursday night, he has four winners now for singing, all four will compete Thursday."

  "All right... thanks for calling me right away. By the way, how does she look?"

  "Like a star... you my friend... are in trouble. Bruce is going to hound her."

  Shawn laughed, "Yeah... I'm not worried about Bruce. I'll see you next week." Shawn hung up and went back to work in the basement. His mind was on his wife. That was the reason he couldn't reach them at 9:30... they were at the club. Sylvia was singing. Shawn slipped off into a day dream, wondering what she was wearing. He turned suddenly and went to his stack of music, finding Whitney Houston, he looked for the song, after finding it... he put it on, needing to listen to it.

  As each of the lyrics was sang, Shawn smiled... because in his heart, although he missed this one... he knew she sang that song with him on her mind. Fact or fiction, maybe it was just what he wanted to believe... either way... his wife was coming home.

  "I gotcha darlin'... I gotcha!"

  Chapter 107

  Sylvia rinsed her face again leaning over her mother's bathroom sink, trying to reason with herself on why she continued to put herself through these visits with her mother, who took liberty at making her feel uncomfortable for crimes she felt had been committed against her. Sylvia's mother had a cool manner about her when she was not pleased, that was upsetting to her. She and Meribel had parted that morning, with her going to visit family while Sylvia stopped in with her mother. The cool reception made her regret the decision to visit. She didn't understand her mother sometimes. She was the only one of her three children that even bothered to come visit her. And because of that, it was Sylvia, who was always subjected to some type of displeasure. Just earlier when she arrived, she hadn't even gotten in the door before her mother started in on her. She had been down at the door waiting for Lydia to come let her in when she made it down the stairs and opened the door gazing at her dispassionately.

  "What you want?"

  Just with those three words coupled with the look on her face, was enough to drain Sylvia of all energy. She stood stunned, uncertain of what had brought it on this time.

  "Mama, I've come to visit with you." Sylvia had said right away.

  "I see, and you just now getting to Chicago?" She had asked her, her expression saying loud and clear that she knew otherwise. Sylvia hesitated to answer, but forced out. "No... I've been here all week pretty much. You gonna let me in?"

  "Don't do me no favors, I don't need you visiting me because your conscience bothering you."

  "Mama please..." Sylvia whimpered, "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be. Are you gonna let me in or not?"

  "Em hm, I suppose, seeing as how you done gone and did everything else, putting me last - but I'm use to that place in my kid's life." She bit out turning to lead the way up. Sylvia rolled her eyes tiredly behind her back as she locked the door and followed her mother up.

  "Talked to your husband... he been looking for you." She had further stated once they made it into the apartment, locking the upstairs door after closing the bar gate.

  "I spoke with him yesterday."

  "Em hm, I suppose that's why you here today, he must of told you to come and see me, you needn't have bothered."

  "Mama he told me no such thing."

  "Anyway, you been married what - all of a week?"

  "Yeah mama."

  "Emph! You must be happy, since he don't know where you at?" She commented sarcastically. "I can't believe at 38 years old you let that man get you pregnant! You ain't learned nothin'! Free and clear, no responsibilities to no one, and you gone go and let something like that happen! I'm here to tell you - here all by myself - don't nobody ever check to see if I'm okay... but you got time to get pregnant and tie yourself up again for the next 18 years! You need to grow up and wake up! But if it ain't happen by now, it ain't gone happen!" She fussed.

  Sylvia stood a moment staring at her, feeling the gradual beat down of her words, taking a deep breath, her comment in return had been. "I have to use the bathroom." And went straight to it. Where she stood now staring at herself in the mirror after rinsing her face for the third time.

  She could hear her mother banging around in the kitchen, the closing of cabinets extra loud letting her know she was not in a good mood.

  "YOU WANT SOMETHING TO EAT!?" She heard her mother yell from the kitchen to her.

  "NO - I HAD BREAKFAST ALREADY!"

  Another bang of the cabinets followed that statement.

  This was why it took her so long to muster the energy to visit her mother. Every time was a serious trial to her nervous system. She knew she needed to do it, after all, she hadn't been to see her since the attack, since she'd conceived their Jesse James. That one high point made her smile, she caressed her thickening waist. "I want you. I don't care what she says, so pay her no attention. She's just a grouchy ol'lady who ain't never satisfied with nothin' yo'mama do. Although, I shouldn't have waited so long to come and see her. Now - I have to pay the price. So... you go'ta sleep, cause this could get ugly." She looked at the door about to go out of it, and instead, turned and leaned back against it, holding out until the last minute.

  "YOU OKAY IN THERE? YOU SICK?!"

  "NOOO - BE OUT IN A MINUTE." Sylvia called back with her eyes closed.

  She smiled thinking about last night. Another proud moment for her. No regrets now. She'd finally done that one thing she'd always wanted to do, and despite her mother telling her most of her life that she couldn't sing, many others - those of a live audience, thought otherwise. She could still hear the applause. She could still see Meribel standing, whistling and cheering. Bruce the owner hadn't wanted her to leave the club last night. He'd tried to get her to stay and talk to him about why she had gone so long in her life to just now get up on a stage. Not wanting to stay back in his office, but needing to get back to Meribel so that they could leave, she'd only said, "This is nothing serious... just something I wanted to do at least once. I'm happy now."

  "You must be joking?" Bruce had said to her. "A voice like that? Oh I'm sorry, this is indeed serious, really serious... you need a manager." He'd stated right away, followed by, "And I think I'm perfect for the job... with the connections I have, I don't doubt for a moment that I could get you a recording contract." He said pacing in his office where he'd led her after finally pulling her off the stage.

  "I'm sorry but - I'm not interested in that. I have to go, I have someone waiting for me out front."

  "Hey... now wait a minute. Is it a man or woman waiting?"

  "My sister-in-law." She had answered.

  "Shit... you're married?"

  Sylvia held her ring finger up flickering her sparkling diamond at him. "Very married... I have to go."

  "Okay okay - wait... at least give me your number so I can contact you." He had pushed. "You will be back next week for the next contest won't you? I mean, we did mention that in the ad, I don't want to have to have another singing contest, it would throw us off schedule."

  Sylvia stared at him a moment.

  "Yes... I'll be back Thursday... but I'm not promising anything after that."

  "Okay... your number?" He dashed to his desk, gra
bbing a pen and pad.

  Again Sylvia stared at him unsure. He had a Billy Bob Thornton look about him, just better looking. Hair a paler blonde, his skin very tan, standing at about 5'9 - on the thick side, not overweight - just healthy, his clothes fit him well enough to make him reasonably attractive.

  "Number?" He repeated waiting.

  "I don't think that's a good idea. As I said, I'll be back Thursday... I better go." She'd turned and quickly left before he could stop her. She knew he'd not been happy for her to leave but there was little he could do to stop her. Once she'd gotten back to Meribel, they'd gone back to their hotel excited, gabbing 65 miles lip speed, hyped and buzzing from the successful night out. They'd ended the night sitting in their pyjamas on the bed eating barbecue rib tips, laughing and giggling like two teenagers. Meribel suddenly remembering that Shawn had asked her to turn the phone back on at 9:30. By the time she remembered, it was well past midnight. The sudden expression on her face was what had alerted Sylvia.

  "What?" She had asked her.

  "Oh no... I was suppose to turn my phone back on at 9:30 tonight, Shawn was going to call you again."

  "Oh Nooooo! Oh No! Oh Meribel!" Sylvia had exclaimed, falling back on the bed.

  "Sorry girlfriend, at the time, you were back stage getting ready to perform, you wouldn't have been able to talk to him anyway."

  "I know... but still." She was laying on her back and turned her head to look over at Meribel, who was sitting on her bed, crunching the grizzle from her rib tips. "You know when I was on stage, singing that song... all I could see... was him. Not the audience, just him. You know what, that song... it's so true of him, of what he's done to me. He makes me feel, so - so giddy - and - nervous - and - excited - and - heated and - and I get all jumpy inside, like... when I heard him on the phone." She closed her eyes replaying the sound of him in her head. She smiled, "He has the sexiest - phone voice on earth I swear!" She laughed out, kicking into the air like a young adolescent discovering love for the first time.

  Meribel was laughing at her, "Em hm, that's why you ran crying to the bathroom."

  Sylvia flipped to her side, bracing her cheek against the palm of her hand. "I couldn't help it. He's never... ever neglected to say, that he loves me. I can't stand him being upset with me, it does something to me to know he's mad at me."

  "Then why don't you go home?" Meribel asked, laying on her stomach across the bed facing Sylvia across the way.

  "Because... I can't... until I do these things and..." She stopped there, thinking, "...let me ask you something. You ever fear, that maybe - Derrick might get bored with you? That - you be so predictable, that he might grow tired of you?"

  "I'm afraid that that's exactly where we are right now. Boring and predictable. Plus I'm fat!"

  "Would you stop saying that... you are not fat!"

  "Excuse me honey... my ass can only fit in a size 16! When we first got together, I wore a size 10! I hadn't gained any weight until after Shawn2 - that lil'motherfucker's responsible for a lot of shit going wrong!"

  Sylvia cracked up laughing, "That's wrong! That's too wrong! No you did not! You aught to be ashamed of yourself!"

  Meribel grinned, "I know... I'm just playing, I love that boy... but he something else. His lil'ass so perfect to blame shit on. Anyway... is that what you're afraid of with Shawn? That he's going to get bored with you?"

  "Everything has happened so fast with us." She was chewing on her lip thinking about the times they'd spent together, his pursuit of her, "I don't get it Meribel? Look at him. Why does a man like that... want me? He says things to me all the time like I'm so special... but I'm not. I can't help but wonder, if I give in completely, and show him how much I truly love him... he'll... he'll just... get bored... maybe... lose interest." Sylvia admitted one of her fears.

  Meribel's cheek was leaning against her palm, thinking and staring at Sylvia when she suddenly centered herself, clasping her hands before her, chipping at her nail polish she quoted from memory, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and the psychological correctness that the world dictates, as to whom your heart should be inclined, the heart does not understand, that type of logic, it does not know, nor has it heard that it should be so. The heart cannot see, it can only feel... to no rules, will it abide, for it seeks only that one... who stirs it, grips it, and makes it pound - for the reasoning of the world in it the heart cannot be found. The heart... will love whom it will."

  "Oh my god... that was beautiful... who said that?" Sylvia asked in awe.

  Meribel smiled. "My husband... to me. He always use to write me poetry with words like that. He said that one to me again when we married. Every now and then, I'd get down, I'd find it, and read it again." She gazed over at Sylvia smiling, "As you can tell... I've memorized it. Point is... it is not up to the mind to reason with why one person, loves another, especially if in the eyes of the world... the match... does not match. All you need to hold onto - is... that Shawn Everett McPherson loves you!Everything else, what people say, what they think... don't mean a thing."

  Flying on that memory, Sylvia smiled to herself, and turned back to the door opening it to face her mother.

  * * *

  Jake was a nervous wreck getting ready for the funeral. He could hear Derrick's three younger kids upstairs in Angela's room with her. They had the stereo on, talking loud over the music, and one of them was dancing... no doubt, Shawn2. He had to smile as he stood shaving, the boy may look like Shawn, but he was him all the way in character, however - with a hip hop twist. He loved to dance, and could. He loved himself, and by the sounds of it, girls were on his mind. He sure hoped his brother was ready for that one, because he was going to be a humdinger to raise. His other nephews were present as well. Derrick Junior for one, he loved his nephews, they were incredible young men, especially that one. Upon arrival, he was already dressed smartly in his black suit, the kid had the smoothness and charm of Sam Cooke, choosing to wear Italians suits, the cut of which did nothing but flatter his broad build and narrow hips, and bow legs. He'd walked in the house and searched him out right away. Something about him was so much more mature than the others, he wasn't sure why he was, perhaps having to do with being black among Spanish/white siblings, he acted as if he was grateful to them for letting him be in the midst of them. Which was ridiculous, because they all loved him as if he had been a true blood McPherson, as far as all were concerned, he was... from the moment his brother decided to give him his name, that was that.

  "How you doing tio?" He'd asked.

  "Coping. What are you doing here? It's not necessary for you to be here you know. It's not like you don't have more important places to be." Jake had stated, at the time, he'd been sitting on the sofa shining his shoes. That was something else his father had drilled into them, spit shined shoes - all three of them knew how to make them glossy, and would wear them no other way.

  "Tio, nothing in the world more important than family, being a support to them when they need it. That's why I'm here."

  "That and your grandma!" Jake declared with a shake of his head.

  DJ chuckled, "Come on now, you know how grandma is when she gets something in her head. If she calls me, I'm coming."

  "Any sign of trouble, I want you out of there... you hear me?"

  "Hey... I'm not worried tio."

  "I am, because her family are a bunch of bigots and racist. I don't want any violence, but if one of them makes one wrong move towards you, or says the wrong thing, it's not gonna be pretty. They'll pray I get to them before your Uncle Shawn does."

  "Don't worry about me, they won't be the first incident of racism I've had to deal with. Trust me, I'll have to guard my dad more so than Tio Shawn, because you two think he won't react, but about me... my dad will knock the shit out'ah anybody, believe me... he's done it before." DJ laughed, thinking about his mild mannered father. Silent and deadly. That's the problem most persons had with him, they'd mistake his kindness and need to keep peace for weak
ness. Not so... he had a trigger... not too many had ever pressed it, but the few who did, regretted it.

  Marcus and Luis had come down not long after DJ, all three talking to him, trying to build him up, lending him their support. Derrick had been upstairs talking to Shawn. All four of them stopped to listen as Derrick had raised his voice at Shawn for something, each locked eyes on the other, as Shawn's reply to Derrick came low, they were unable to understand what he said back. Jake asked them, "What's that about?"

  "Dad's wantin' mom to come home. Tio Shawn spoke to her yesterday and for whatever reason, dads not happy with the outcome. Women! I'm never getting married!" This comment came from Marcus.

  "That makes the two of us." Jake had added to that, turning red as Vivian came to mind, he couldn't believe what little control he had over occurrences like that. Feeling uncomfortable with the thought as if they could read his mind, he stood, finished with shining his shoes and said, "I better get in the shower."

  Done showering, done shaving, he slapped on his favorite cologne, 'Realm - by Erox' and donned his suit. He could still hear his brother's up stairs talking, mainly Shawn now. Derrick and Shawn didn't argue much, because usually Shawn could wear him down with his own brand of reasoning until Derrick wished they'd never begun. By the sounds of it, the same was going on now. He was heading up the stairs from the basement when the phone rang.

  Shawn answered it in the living-room. The two of them had worked their asses off the day before. They'd built the frame of the office that would be off of the kitchen, and closed it in and rebuilt the door. The wiring had been run, electrical boxes put into place, insulation added and sheet rock up with the wires hanging from the ceiling and out of the prepped outlets that they would take care of later.

  It was his mother on the phone, they were on their way, the boys - his boys were with them. That was a surprise, he hadn't expected his sons to be there. He stood stunned with Shawn before him asking for a second time, "Hey... you ready?"