No Perfect Affair

by Charmaine Galloway

  45

  Asia

  Was I having a nightmare? I couldn’t believe that Lance had tried stab me. He had put someone up to calling to view a home; then he came and clowned on me. But I was shocked to see Steve come to my rescue. He told me that he had followed me because he wanted to surprise me with flowers to make up for the argument we had the night he came home late. But he had noticed that I was in the home too long, and that’s when he invited himself in, and I’m so glad that he did. But I didn’t know that it would end the way it did. Lance, my ex-lover, was dead, and my husband killed him.

  “Okay, what we are going to do is . . . Umm, I need you to call nine-one-one and tell them that you were being stalked by this man, and I came up to protect you because you told me someone was following you on your way up here.” He breathed in, then said, “No, you can just tell them the truth, that I followed you up here because I wanted to surprise you. I had no clue that this bum, Lance, was going to be here.”

  “Okay, let me get my phone.” I reached into my purse and did what I was told.

  The police came out and asked us again what happened. I didn’t even catch it when Steve mentioned Lance’s name when we were talking. So Lance was right; he did know him. I was going to ask him about the connection later when we got home.

  The news got wind of the death and came out to interview us. The police sealed off the house until they investigated everything. The whole scene happened so fast; I just hoped that Steve didn’t get arrested. I couldn’t wait for it all to be over so I could go home to my kids.

  * * *

  When I got home, I cooked dinner and tried to ease my mind. Since I didn’t know how to cook many different meals, I stuck with what I knew best. I baked some pork chops, green beans, corn on the cob, and biscuits. I just wanted to sit at the dinner table and eat with my family. I was grateful to be alive.

  I told the kids briefly about what had happened; I didn’t want to go into great detail, but I did want to tell them something before someone else told them because it was all over the news. After we ate, I tucked my kids into bed and told them that I loved them. After I got them settled, I got in the shower and let the hot water caress my tense body. I just thought about all the drama I was having in my life. I needed to get out and get a drink—something I knew was a stress reliever.

  When I got out of the shower, I checked my phone because I heard it beep, letting me know that I had a text message. I checked the message. It was from Sasha. She wanted to know if I wanted to join her and Melody for dinner on Saturday. Is hell freezing over? Sasha was actually contacting me. I replied and said sure. Maybe she was finally going to be mature enough to accept my apology so we could move on.

  After I sent the text, I put on my nightwear and sat on the bed where Steve was sitting up watching the football game. I was glad that he wasn’t asleep because I needed some questions answered.

  “Steve, how did you know that guy?”

  He gave me a confused looked that said “what guy?” I knew he wasn’t about to play games with me. “You’re talking about the dude that you were messing around with?”

  “I wasn’t messing around with him . . . Well, I was seeing him when you were locked up. But then, when you got out, I told him that I had feelings for someone else,” I said. When I looked at him, his eyes were wide with shock.

  “So, it was true; you two were together. Why didn’t you tell me?” he wanted to know.

  “He told me that he would kill all of us. And to this day, I still don’t understand why he treated me like he did. I guess he was just plain ol’ crazy.” I shook my head and looked over at Steve. He was silent. “You still haven’t told me how you knew him.”

  “I told you I didn’t know him,” he said without giving me eye contact.

  “So, how did you know his name?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “When you were trying to put an alibi together after you knocked him out, you said his name.”

  “No, I didn’t.” He became fidgety.

  “Yes, you did. I heard what you said.” I was becoming agitated.

  “Well, maybe I said his name because I heard you say his name when I was in the dining room listening to you two argue,” he said.

  “So why didn’t you just say that from the get-go?” I wanted to know. I could tell that Steve was hiding something from me, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

  “Asia, this has been a very stressful day. I just forgot. That’s all,” he said as he picked up the remote, clicked the TV off, and lay down on the bed, leaving me sitting up in the dark.

  Maybe I was making a big deal out of nothing. He did just kill a man. I knew he was stressed out. I crawled into bed, and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. I was exhausted, and I needed that rest.

  46

  Melody

  My mother was a lifesaver. She came down after Sasha told her that I needed her. But Rayn’s father was another story altogether. I couldn’t believe what he was trying to put me through. If it wasn’t for my mother being by my side, I probably would’ve been in jail for murdering my baby’s daddy.

  As I sat down and revisited the moment when Cedrick, Rayn’s father, came in my house, trying to take my daughter from me, I got enraged all over again.

  “Melody, what the hell is going on? Rayn called me crying hysterically last night,” Cedrick boomed after I opened the door. I looked him up and down with my nose turned up. Then, I walked away, leaving him standing there, looking like a fool. He continued ranting. “What is going on with you for my daughter to be up in here while you were trying to harm yo’ self?” He paused and waited for an answer.

  I turned around quickly. “I . . . I was going through a lot, and I was stressed, but I wasn’t going to do anything stupid.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes because I was lying. I still felt horrible about what I had allowed Rayn to see.

  “Please don’t tell me what Rayn said was true. Were you really gonna slice yo’ wrist?” He walked closer to me. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat as my heart thumped against my chest.

  Why did people continue to bring that up? I was sick of hearing it. “I said I wasn’t gonna do nothing stupid,” I snapped.

  “Who do you think you’re fooling? You can’t even look me in the eyes. I know you’re lying,” he snapped back.

  “Look, I don’t have to explain a got-damn thing to you.” I walked away from him, hoping that the conversation was over. I slouched down on the sofa with an attitude that screamed leave me the hell alone! I wanted him to leave before I got heated. I was not in the mood to be criticized by my baby’s daddy.

  “You do have to explain, especially if you’ve got my daughter around this crazy shit. You think it’s all right that she’s so messed up because she thinks her mother doesn’t want to live. She thinks that you were trying to kill yourself. She said that you have been closed up in your room and not giving her any attention,” he bellowed in his deep voice as he stood over me.

  My body shook from the bass in his voice and from the words that he said. Tears formed behind my lids as the memory of that night flooded my mind. My poor baby; I probably ruined her for life. “Cedrick, I really don’t feel like talking right now. Did you come her to take Rayn out to dinner or something?” It would’ve been nice for Rayn to get some fresh air to get her mind off of everything that had been going on.

  “As a matter of fact, yes . . . I came to get Rayn, but we’ll be doing more than having dinner. Melody, I’m going to take her with me. I think that, right now, my home is more stable for her.”

  I glared at him. “Oh, okay. You can have her for the weekend. She would enjoy that.”

  “No, Melody. I ain’t talking about just for the weekend. I’m going to take her to live with me until you get yourself together—however long that may take.” He took a few steps back from me and interlocked his hands in front of him.

  “You’ve got to be shitting m
e. You really think I’m going to let you take my daughter?” I stood up and jabbed my finger in his face as I spoke to him, venom lacing my voice. “Rayn has been my priority ever since she was born. If you think you’re gonna come up in here and take her from me, you better think again. Just because I had a little fuckup doesn’t mean I’m not a good mother. I would never harm my daughter. I want you to go now!” That man hadn’t spent quality time with Rayn in who knows how long. He was the type of father that would buy whatever was needed to keep her happy, but he barely spent time with her. Now he was trying to act like he was father of the year. It was time for him to dismiss himself with that bullshit.

  “Melody, I’m not leaving without her. I just want to—”

  “Oh, you are going to get the hell out of here, and Rayn will not be going with yo’ ass.” I walked over to the door and opened it. That was when I saw my mother standing there.

  “Um . . . Hey, Mom,” I said in shock. I didn’t know she was coming to visit.

  “Hey, Melody,” she said as she walked in and gave me a tight hug. From the way she looked at me and from the way she held me in her arms, I knew that she knew what was going on with me. I didn’t know how much she knew, but she knew something.

  “Hi, Ms. Dickson,” Cedrick said as he walked over to give my mother a hug.

  I cleared my throat. “Oh, yeah, Mom, gon’ ’head and get yo’ little hug from him because he was on his way out.” I rolled my eyes and motioned for Cedrick to get to stepping.

  I wished it was that easy, but it wasn’t. He pulled my mother to the side and told her what Rayn told him and that he wanted to take her for a while. But my mother talked to him and asked if he could just take her for the weekend because she wanted to see her while she was in town. He agreed. After he left, my mother and I sat down and talked about the hell my life had been over the past few weeks.

  “Melody, I’m so sorry that you lost the man that you loved so dearly. I know you’re hurting, but you have to get it together, baby. You have to be strong. You have a daughter that is watching you. You are her provider. She looks up to you, and she loves you to death. If something would happen to you, what do you think that would do to her?” My mom pleaded with me with her eyes.

  Tears formed in my own eyes, blocking my vision. “Mom, I didn’t plan to get that razor out. I don’t know what I was thinking. I . . . I just wanted the pain to go away. I know that was a stupid thing to do because Rayn is my heart, and I would never want her to see me like that. I’m so stupid,” I cried out. My heart ached from mourning the loss of Rodney and for disappointing my daughter.

  “Baby, it’s going to be okay. I will stay here with you until you get over this thing. Your emotions are all crazy because you are pregnant. I promise things will get better. You have to get back in a positive state of mind so that you can have a healthy baby.” Mom held my head close to her chest as she talked to me.

  I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. “I didn’t even get to say good-bye to him. I couldn’t even see him for the last time. Once I got to the funeral, the casket was closed.” I blinked out more tears.

  “Baby, maybe it wasn’t meant for you to see him like that. Maybe God wanted you to remember him the way he was when you last saw him alive. You know that it’s not good to see a corpse while you’re pregnant.”

  I just shook my head. She couldn’t understand the pain I was going through because she wasn’t me. I was done talking about it. I knew I had to get it together for my kids . . . but how? How was I going to get over the fact that I would give birth to a fatherless child?

  47

  Sasha

  I didn’t want to leave my mother at home to care for herself, but after a week, I had to get home and get back to work. She was doing much better. Even though she was still healing from her accident, she was able to get around in her home okay, and she looked good. She had decided to see a doctor for her schizophrenia. I was shocked that she didn’t take it too hard, but I knew deep down that she knew she was ill. I’m just glad that she was no longer in denial, and she was about to start her treatment process. They gave her medications, and so far, her body reacted well to it.

  I brought my laptop with me so that when she was resting, I could work on my novel. Being signed to a publishing company was very rewarding, but it could also be very stressful because I had to meet deadlines. I had to work and take care of everything around my house, and even on days that I was tired, I still had to get my word count in. I’m glad I didn’t have kids because that would be a lot to balance. I thought I had a whole lot of stories in my mind, but as I wrote this second book, I was getting writer’s block. I would sit at my computer and think hard about what I should write. I did outlines for each chapter, but I only outlined the action parts of the chapter. It was becoming tough for me to fill in the paragraphs with things that would come before and after the action.

  My editor was a lifesaver. Even though we had never met because we lived in different states, we really connected over the phone. She helped me better myself as a writer. She would tell me where I needed to improve, and I would try to work on what she pointed out. If it wasn’t for her, I would have lost my mind. But when I was feeling frustrated, she would read a scene in my book, and then ask me what I think needed to be done. That helped me out so much because, after hearing someone else read my work to me, I could envision what needed to be changed.

  * * *

  I turned the key to the door of my apartment. After being gone for a week, I walked into a mess trap. I must have had food in the garbage because once I smelled the stench from the kitchen, I wanted to pass out. I had stuff everywhere because I had rushed to be by my mother’s side after my aunt told me she was in the hospital. I pulled the trash bag out of the can, tied it up, and walked it out to the Dumpster. Then, I emptied my suitcase and put a load of clothes in the washer. I wasn’t in the cleaning mood, but I managed to get the dust mop and rag and went to work. As I was cleaning. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket.

  “Hello.”

  “Damn, girl, are you coming or not? We’re hungry,” Melody whined.

  Oh my God! I had seriously forgotten about our dinner date. “Girl, I’m on my way, but y’all can go ahead and order. I’m leaving home now.” I hung up and didn’t give her time to respond because I knew she was going to have a fit that I wasn’t close.

  As I walked into the restaurant, I saw that both Melody and Asia were digging into their food. I was also happy that the restaurant wasn’t too packed, which meant it wouldn’t take long for me to get my order in.

  “Dang, y’all heffas could’ve waited for me,” I smiled as I took my seat at the table.

  “Girl, gon’. I told you we were ready to eat. What took you so long anyway?” Melody wanted to know.

  “When I got back from Michigan, I decided to start cleaning because my house was a mess, and it slipped my mind that we had a dinner date,” I confessed. I picked up the menu to see what I wanted to order. I loved Ruby’s Kitchen; they had the best soul food in town. I decided to order the fried catfish and fried potatoes and onions.

  “How is Aunt Arlene doing?” Asia asked as she stuffed a forkful of food in her mouth.

  “Yeah, is she recovering well?” Melody asked.

  “She’s doing okay. She still has pain every so often, but after she takes her pills, she’s fine. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia.”

  “Wow,” was all Melody said with sympathy in her eyes.

  “What!” Asia said with wide eyes. I had never told her about how my mom treated me as a child, so she had no clue.

  “Is there a cure for that?” Melody wanted to know.

  “She’s taking medication that will help her body cope better with the disorder. There are many people that live long and healthy lives. I think she’ll be fine. But I’ll take more trips to see her. I’m just glad she’s now receiving the medications that she needs.”

  We talked a little more about my mother; the
n Asia started talking about the situation she was in. She was telling us that her ex-boyfriend was stalking her and peeping in her windows; then she admitted that he was the same guy that Steve killed to protect her. I was in shock to know that the man that was killed was the same man that she was with because she never introduced us to him. But he was the same guy that I saw Steve kissing at her wedding. I needed to let her know because that whole situation was fucked up.

  “Asia, I’ve got something to tell you. I know you are about to be mad at me, but I think that it’s time for me to tell you something that I knew about your husband from day one,” I said as I took a sip of well-needed vodka from my glass.

  She glared at me as if she was saying, “Heffa, if you’ve been holding something foul from me, I’m going to whip yo’ ass!”

  I took another sip of my drink and told her my truth. “The day of your wedding, I saw your husband kissing a man in the parking lot in broad daylight,” I spit out.

  Melody choked on her food and took a sip of her water. Then she stared at me before turning to look at Asia.

  Asia was silent as she looked deep into my eyes, almost as if she was trying to set me on fire with hers.

  “You know, back then, we were feuding, and I didn’t care to tell you what I knew. I kinda took it as payback for you setting me up with a man that you had dealt with in the past. You knew you were wrong for that, and I was wrong for keeping this from you. But when I saw that the man on the news was the one that your husband kissed, and then killed, I had to tell you. So, I guess . . . you know . . . You can say that we’re even.” I gave her a little smirk that said that there was no love lost. We were now cool.

  The next thing I knew, I was picking my face up off of the floor. It all happened so fast. Asia got up from her seat and punched me hard, straight in the jaw. I fell back in my seat and hit the floor. She had a mean punch for a white girl. I stood from the floor after Melody helped me up and rubbed my jaw where it stung.