“What exactly are you doing?” The deep voice startled me and I jumped and screamed at the same time. I tried to slide the box back under the bed as quickly as I could without being extremely suspicious.
“Seriously?” I finally said after I realized it was Beau. “Don’t you know what a doorbell is? You almost gave me a heart attack.” I took deep breaths in and out to try to slow my heart rate. I could feel it pounding ridiculously fast against my chest.
“Well, I would’ve knocked if the door wasn’t already open.”
I guessed my mother didn’t close it all the way when she was rushing out of here, which made me even more certain that something was going on.
“What are you doing in here anyway? You know the first rule in a black home is never go in your folks’ bedroom without permission. I don’t care how old you are,” Beau said as he leaped his big self across my parents’ bed.
“If that’s the first rule then why are you making yourself so comfortable in here?” I finally got my heart to calm down and got up off the floor.
“This ain’t my folks’ room.”
I had to admit, as dumb as his logic was, he kind of had a point. I scanned over everything to make sure nothing was too noticeably out of place and then walked out the room.
“What are you doing over here anyway? Shouldn’t you be working for Henry?” I said as Beau followed me out into the living room.
“Dang, a brotha can’t get no love for wanting to come see his favorite cousin, who’s been MIA for eight years, on his day off?” Beau should have really reconsidered this whole chauffeuring thing and tried his hand at acting, because he was always extremely dramatic.
“So you came all the way over here just to kick it with me?”
“Of course. I haven’t seen you in forever. I was tryin’a get up with you.”
“You saw me the other day.” I laughed a little after that comment because we both knew I was going there.
“Whatever, cuz. Go throw some clothes on and let’s go grab something to drink.”
“Beau, it’s like ten in the morning.” I couldn’t imagine any bar being open this early in the day, and if there was, who was that depressed that they needed to drink this early? Then again, this place did tend to drive people to the bottle.
“Then get somethin’ with orange juice in it.”
I wanted to refuse the invitation and get back to the matter at hand, but Beau was about the most fun cousin I had and I really didn’t mind catching up with him. It had been awhile and I missed having him around to joke with. He reminded me a lot of my uncle Bug and that was something I didn’t want to pass up. I went and got dressed as quickly as I could to speed this process up.
Drinking before noon didn’t seem like such a crazy idea after I had two shots of tequila and a beer in me. Laughing, talking, and drinking with my cousin actually felt like old times. Believe it or not, there were moments growing up that I was quite fond of. I loved the nights when Beau, Henry, a few other of my cousins and I would sneak down to the creek and drink beer by a little bonfire. It helped to not make Georgia a complete hellhole for me.
“Can you believe the type of coonery that’s about to go down with this family this weekend?” I slurred a little. I hadn’t drunk tequila since college and I could feel it kicking in.
“Did you expect something different?” Beau smirked and took a swallow of his beer.
“No, not really. I just didn’t think we could fit it in all in one day.” I started laughing extremely hard at my own statement. I couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or just the thought of my family actual playing major event roulette. Whichever one it was, my laughter was becoming uncontrollable.
“I still can’t believe you gettin’ married,” Beau said, not acknowledging me giggling like a hyena.
I took deep breaths to calm myself. I could sense this was about to be a sentimental moment and I wanted to be serious for it. “To be honest with you, Beau, neither can I.” I took a sip of beer and looked down at the modest solitaire diamond engagement ring on my left hand.
“Do you love him?”
“Him who?” I responded without looking up from my hand.
“Your fiancé,” Beau said with a chuckle that sounded like he was trying to mask confusion.
“Oh, yeah, of course. I just kind of let go of the idea of marriage for a while, that’s all.”
We sat in silence for a while, sipping on our beers, waiting for the other to make a move. The closer this weekend got, the more apprehensive I became and I wasn’t sure how any of it would turn out.
“So are we ever gonna meet the cat or he’ll just appear from a puff of smoke at the altar?”
I chuckled at Beau’s comment, although it didn’t really sound like a bad idea. “Ahvi gets into Atlanta around two tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s what’s up. I know everybody can’t wait to meet him.”
Without responding, I ordered us another round of shots and beer. Tomorrow the person I planned to spend the rest of my life with would meet the family I tried so desperately to avoid the past couple years. On top of which we had to deal with funerals and family reunion events all at once. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be able to get through any of it, but at this moment I wasn’t trying to be sober to think about it.
Chapter 15
Henry
I think it was safe to say that I had officially purchased a one-way ticket straight to hell. I didn’t know what I was thinking hooking up with Janette all over again. I knew I wasn’t perfect, but I also wasn’t the type of guy who tried to get his ex-girlfriend back one minute, then slept with her first cousin the next. If this was anybody else maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad, but I think sleeping with family members was an unforgivable offense.
I glanced over at Janette sleeping peacefully with a slight smirk on her face. It was like she had accomplished some big mission and it kind of freaked me out. I tried to slide my arm that she was lying on out from under her so I could go to the bathroom. I needed a game plan on how I was going to fix the situation. I successfully freed most of my arm without waking her, but tried to pull my hand out too quickly and fell hard on the floor.
“Henry, you okay?” Janette popped up out of her sleep.
“Yup, just clumsy, that’s all.” I hopped up from the floor and put on a pair of basketball shorts. Without saying anything else I headed for the bathroom. I quickly shut the door and locked it. Knowing Janette, she may have come in here and sweet-talked her way into taking a shower together.
I turned the faucet on and splashed water on my face. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and wondered why I was feeling so bad about this. It wasn’t like it was the first time Janette and I had hooked up before. Granted, it was only once and I was drunk as hell, but I didn’t feel this guilty the next day. Maybe it was the fact that Morgan was actually back in town and I knew that I still cared about her in some way. Regardless of whether she was getting married, I felt like this was wrong.
I thought all the conversations I had between Morgan, Beau, and Janette yesterday had my head spinning. I didn’t know what to think about any of it. I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts clearly because everybody was clouding them with theirs. This Morgan situation should not have been this complicated nor this invasive in my life. Why was I going out like this? I was a man who handled my business the way I wanted to handle it, and I thought it was about time I started acting like it. I finally came out of the bathroom and Janette was completely awake.
“So I was thinking we could go get some breakfast. I’m really in the mood for pancakes and you’re all out of mix.” She climbed out of bed and walked toward me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to kiss me.
“Janette, we need to talk.” I dodged her lips, took her hands from around my neck, and sat her on the bed.
“I thought we talked last night.”
“No, you talked. Now it’s my turn.”
She crossed her arms an
d rolled her eyes. I could tell she wasn’t going to be receptive to what I was about to say, but I was going to say it anyway.
“What happened last night, happened. I’m not going to say it was a mistake this time because it seemed like something we both needed. But it can’t happen again.”
“So we’re back to Morgan now?” She got up from the edge of the bed and scrambled to find her clothes.
“This isn’t about Morgan or you for that matter.” I continued to watch her throw on pieces of clothing as she found them.
“Who else would it be about?” She zipped up her skirt and stormed out of the room. I followed her and watched as she tried to find her shoes in the living room.
“It’s about me.” Saying that statement felt cliché and kind of feminine, but it was true. “I just have a lot going on and I don’t need all the extra distractions.”
She finished putting on her shoes and stood up to look me straight in the eyes. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was mad or upset.
“So I’m a distraction now?”
“You as well as other things.” I tried to smooth things out with that line, but by the look on her face, it didn’t work.
“Oh, well, that makes me feel a lot better.”
She grabbed her purse off the floor and stomped past me. I grabbed her by her arm before she was able to get to the door, and stared her in her eyes. I wished I could give her something different, something that could make the situation better, but I couldn’t.
“I hope you can understand.”
“Oh, I understand, Henry.” She snatched her arm from my grasp. “Do what you gotta do and understand that I’m gonna do the same.”
She stormed out and slammed the door behind her. I had no intentions of hurting Janette, but I let out a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed to do was complicate this situation any more by being involved with Morgan’s cousin. I knew they hadn’t had the best relationship and I didn’t want to be the reason for it becoming nonexistent.
I headed to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. I had a feeling this was going to be a long day and I needed a boost to get me through it. I fumbled around in the refrigerator and cabinets to try to see what I could fix for breakfast. I chuckled to myself when I realized I had a taste for pancakes after all. Maybe I should have let Janette go after we hit up IHOP.
I could hear the faint sound of my cell phone ringing in the distance. For whatever idiotic reason, I patted the pockets on my gym shorts to see if it was there. I ran back into my bedroom and began tossing things around until I found it tangled in the sheets.
“Hello. Hello,” I answered out of breath.
“Hey, Henry, this is Don.”
I was excited and nervous to hear this man’s voice on the other end. I calmed my breathing and gathered my thoughts before I responded. “Don, it’s good to hear from you. You have any news for me?” I hated that I sounded eager but I really didn’t want to make small talk. I’d waited in agony for the past few days; now, I just needed to hear the outcome.
“As a matter of fact, I do. My partners really enjoyed meeting you and after much discussion they are interested in doing business with you.”
I hopped out of my bed and began to do a praise dance like old ushers do in church when they catch the Holy Spirit. I tried my best to remain quiet so that Don couldn’t hear my excitement over the phone. “So I got the deal?” I finally said after I stopped dancing.
“Yup, we just gotta go over some paperwork and work out the details, but you got the deal. I’ll actually be passing through this afternoon. If you want I can come by your office.”
“That’ll be perfect.”
“Great. I’ll be there around four.” He hung up the phone before I could respond.
This had just become the greatest day of my life. I tried not to get my hopes up about much ever since my football career didn’t work out, but I was really hoping this venture worked out. This was exactly what I needed to move to the next level and hopefully allow me to do more financially, like get my mama out of that nursing home.
I started to walk toward the bathroom to take a shower when my phone rang again. I picked up without even looking at the caller ID.
“Mission complete, bruh.” I heard Beau slur through my speaker.
“Are you drunk this early in the day?” I shouldn’t have been surprised that Beau had already been drinking or still drunk from whatever he got into last night. This is why Negroes should not have days off. They don’t know how to act.
“Of course I am. It’s my day off,” he said, proving my point. “Besides, how else was I supposed to get the information?”
“Information about what?” I was beginning to become irritated. I didn’t have time for Beau’s antics today. I needed to get my mind right for this meeting with Don.
“About your competition. Morgan’s fiancé comes in tomorrow at two. You still down?”
It finally dawned on me what he was talking about. I had completely forgotten about the plan to check out this dude before she brought him home. I sat on the phone, silent, contemplating if I still wanted to go through with it. Maybe I should let this whole Morgan thing go. My business is about to really take off, I made the mistake of sleeping with her cousin, and she already told me she just wants to be friends. Maybe it isn’t worth all this trouble. Maybe I should just let her get married and be happy.
“Yo, Henry. You in or out, man?”
“I’m in. See you tomorrow.”
Chapter 16
Morgan
I popped up from out my sleep and looked at the clock on my nightstand. It flashed 4:15 and I couldn’t tell if it was the afternoon or the middle of the night. I remembered, vaguely, leaving the bar with Beau, and we went down to the creek and continued drinking. I didn’t remember how I ended up in my bed, but I was thankful that I was here and not in a ditch somewhere. I was pretty sure Beau was the one who brought me home and placed me in my bed. Thank God for cousins who care, even though this is kind of his fault.
I slowly got up and stumbled my way to the bathroom. Everything in the house was blurry and I thought I was seeing double. I finally made it to my bathroom and rested here for what seemed like hours. Only when I was drunk was the restroom my favorite place to be. After sitting and taking the longest pee I thought anyone had ever taken, I got up and tried to make my way back to my room. All I wanted to do was continue to sleep this off. I was never a heavy drinker and I didn’t know what made me think I could hang with Beau today. Beau had been drinking moonshine since he was seven years old. Our uncle Foot used to make it in his garage. His real name was John but everyone called him Foot because he had one foot bigger than the other, so he walked with a limp. Beau used to go to his house and help make the moonshine just so he could get a sip when it was ready. I hadn’t had anything stronger than a few glasses of wine since college. Again, I didn’t know why I thought I could hang with Beau.
I moved slowly along the wall to guide myself back to my room when I heard my parents arguing about something in their bedroom. I stopped and looked at my bed and debated whether I wanted to go be nosey or forget about it and crawl back into the one thing that understood me the most right now. My need to be nosey outweighed my need for recovery. I continued to creep along the wall until I reached my parents’ bedroom door. I wasn’t sure if they got thicker doors or my hearing was chopped and screwed because I was still drunk, but it was definitely hard to hear.
“What is the problem?” I could hear my dad say.
“The problem is that if we don’t do this the right way it can backfire in our faces.”
I had no idea what they were talking about but it sounded intense. I put my ear closer to the door so I could hear more.
“Juanita, maybe it’s time that she knows. I mean what will it change?”
“Everything. Our whole lives that we built could turn upside down. Do you want that? Do you want to lose the one thing we were so fortunate to gain?”
&
nbsp; A piece of me wanted to open the door and ask them what the hell they were talking about, but it was taking all my strength and energy to lean against this door. I continued to listen but certain things were muffled.
“Nita, I know we promised him, but don’t you think that promise is null and void?”
“I think we should see how it plays out. We’ve waited this long.”
My parents’ back and forth was like a mental tennis match in my head. It was making me even dizzier than the tequila, but I couldn’t seem to tear myself away from the door and go back to my room. What were they talking about? What promise did they make and who were they keeping something from? It sounded juicy and if I was sober I would have figured it out by now.
“Tell me what she said again,” my father continued.
“She said in order for it to be executed legally, we all have to be there. All of us.”
“And you are sure this is the way you want to handle it?”
The talking stopped and for a minute I thought there was something wrong with my ears. I took my ear off the door and tested them by holding my nose and humming softly. When I was satisfied, I put my ear back to the door. I’ll give it a few more seconds before I decide to finally take my butt back to my bed.
“I think it is the way it should be handled,” I finally heard my mother say.
“Okay, Juanita. This is on you. Let the record show that every time we do anything like this, I take your lead.”
“Well, we have benefited from my lead so far so this time shouldn’t be any different.”
I felt like this conversation was winding down, and I was feeling nauseous, so I crept back to my room. I lay down on my stomach and tried to leave one foot on the floor because the room would not stop spinning. I wished I was sober so I could make sense of what my parents were talking about. Curse Beau and his bright ideas. I felt like it was something important and I needed to figure out what. Unfortunately, I was too busy trying not to vomit. Who were they talking about? What were they talking about? I wondered if there was something I could do to help. I closed my eyes and began to drift back to sleep. I hoped I could remember this tomorrow because it definitely seemed like it was important. Lord, just make the room stop spinning.
All in a Day Page 8
