“It was him,” Jennifer uttered. “Charles he left the briefcase inside the house.”
“Who is she referring to,” the officer said a glance at Jennifer.
“Vernon. He’s the half brother of my neighbor Vivian, whose house you went to. She had a matter with him a few weeks ago. Someone had broken into her home and Vernon just so happened to show up while the police were there.” Jennifer then turned into Charles laying her head against his chest. “It was Vernon, Charles.”
“Thank you Mrs. Kanjorski,” Charles said. “I’m sure the information you provided is going to help us. Come on, Jennifer, let’s go inside.” Charles then turned and walked away with his arm around Jennifer’s shoulder.
“Anything else you want to share,” the officer asked Mrs. Kanjorski.
“I think that’s all I have,” and Mrs. Kanjorski again gave the officer a couple pats on the arm before heading back across the street to her home.
***
Toni was sitting at Barbara’s bar with a near empty shot of Bourbon in hand and a lot on his mind. “I couldn’t do it,” he stated. “I don’t even know why I reflected on it.”
“I’m assuming you are referring to the gender reassignment you were thinking about having,” Barbara replied.
Toni nods. “I’m not going to change who I am for anyone, not even Vivian.”
“I feel for what you’re going through,” Barbara said sincere in her feelings.
Toni looked at his drink. “God made me this way. Why should I change who I am? I’m going to stay as I am.”
Barbara reached for the bottle of liquor on the counter to pour Toni another shot.
Toni said, “Did you know if I wanted to have children I could give birth?” and he moved the refill of Bourbon into his hands and peered at it.
Barbara looked confused. “Give birth? Do you mean in the sense of actually having a baby or being able to sperm a birth,” and Barbara reached under the bar for a couple mini bags of pork skins, sliding a bag over to Toni.
“If I sleep with a man who understood what I am, there’s a chance I could become impregnated strange as it sounds. I can also produce children during intercourse with a woman,” he said.
Barbara was speechless.
Toni continued. “Though the odds are greater me impregnating a woman. There’s a twenty-five percent chance that it can happen. It’s low, but the possibility is there. I do want to have children someday even if it means adopting.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say,” Barbara responded and moving her head from side to side. “Let me ask you this. Do you have a preference in how you would prefer to have a child? If you prefer to impregnate...I’ll have your baby.”
Toni looked closely at Barbara a minute. Seeing that she was serious he said, “Why would you want my baby? We’re friends. You keep on and you’re going to make me think you have a thing for me.”
“Well actually, you have something that I desire...and I want it.”
Barbara opened the skins without looking at Toni. She tilted her head back and let a few skins fall from the bag into her mouth.
Toni grinned and settling back into the barstool, didn’t know how to process the information. He crossed his arms and just looked at Barbara.
“You’re serious aren’t you? You really like me like that?” he said.
“Yeah, I do. I like the female side of you. Despite the tight panties you wear around your chest,” Barbara said referring to the spandex Toni wore daily. “You have nice size tits. In addition, it’s not like you don’t have the other equipment I prefer.” Barbara didn’t change from being serious.
“How do you know how big my breast are, you’ve never seen them.”
“I don’t care for jugs, and there isn’t that much spandex in the world to hold big boobies down.”
“Whatever, Barbara,” Toni said a little tickled, and smiling some at her silliness. “I’m flattered, but I’ve never looked at you for more than what we are, friends,” Toni replied honestly.
Barbara puckered her brows. “That’s because you haven’t seen me with my clothes off...boom!” she said pointing both her index fingers at Toni.
Toni’s head fell back in laughter he was so tickled.
“So you’re going to pull the, when the light goes out card. I hear you but I truly enjoy just being friends. Besides, I need, or shall I say everyone needs a friend who brings laughter into their world, which you do. I love you for that.”
“Ditto, but seriously Toni, if you really wanted a child and needed an incubator I’m here for you. Now back to Vivian, did you use a condom?”
“No, it was spur-of-the-moment. She protects herself.”
Toni discovered the bag of skins next to his arm. He grabbed them and opened the bag.
“Have you ever played the horses?”
“The horses? Why are you always coming out of left field? What do horses have to do with what we’re talking about?” and Toni fed his mouth skins the same way Barbara did by letting them fall from the bag.
“Answer the question,” Barbara said and then took in some more skins.
“Maybe once, or twice, I don’t care for gambling…what’s your point.”
“When you did play did you bet on a long shot? They do come in, some even win.”
Toni twisted his mouth. “I hear you though I doubt she’s pregnant.”
“How can you be sure? You just stated that there was a twenty-five percent chance it could happen. Two, Vivian was the first woman that you’ve been intimate with. So I’m sure them little worms couldn’t wait to be freed. Lastly, you did have unprotected sex with her.” Barbara kept her sight on Toni for a rebuttal.
“It may have been the first time. Though I wouldn’t run out and buy a stroller,” Toni came back with.
“A stroller? You think I would spend that kind of money on a baby that’s not mine,” she said chuckling some. “But seriously. I read that woman who had their tubes tied in their twenties, that there’s a thirty percent chance of conceiving later in life. I guess having your tubes tied is similar to tying shoestrings. Eventually they will become loose or untied.”
Toni looked at Barbara and the last skin he was about to put in his mouth, threw it at her. “Get the hell out of here,” he laughed. “You just made that up.”
Barbara laughed too. “So, it sounded like something that could happen,” and they continued to laugh.
Toni then lifted his drink and took a swig. It hadn’t crossed his mind that he may have fathered a child with Vivian.
After a few seconds he looked at Barbara. “In all seriousness, I know that I moved on but the door will always be open for her return, even if I’m with someone.”
“Damnnn...if I didn’t know any better I’d think you fell in love,” and Barbara grinned.
“I did. This isn’t over, Barbara.”
“Wow. I guess the cliché love at first sight has changed to in love at first sight” and Barbara smile dwindled after seeing the gloomy look on Toni’s face and to bring them back to a happy disposition she joked. “Well, if you ever decided to get pregnant and it’s a boy, I would name him after the first thing he sees, Dick.”
“Ooh...that’s not funny Barbara,” Toni said, but was a little tickled. “You know what’s going down after that,” and he rose from the barstool.
“I know you’re about to leave, but hold on, maybe this will cheer you up.”
Barbara reached under the bar and removed a new sign she made that read, NO CHARGE FOR THE MENTALLY CHARGED and she placed it on the counter.
Toni shook his head at the sign. “You are sick. The things you come up with. You should consider turning yourself in. But on a more serious note, I need to go,” and he turned and walked toward the stairs.
Toni reached the top step and resumed in slow strides toward the living room and to the door.
“I’m going to head on home,” he said and stepped out into the still night.
“I hope it gets
better for you...really,” Barbara said and closed the door behind him.
Toni walked the few feet over to his car with one thing on his mind; Vivian.
***
“Hey Robin,” a cheery, upbeat Vivian said. “Jacqueline’s not here today. I’m going to take care of you.”
Vivian had just walked out of her office anticipating Robin’s arrival. Normally when a stylist takes a day off clients would be taken care of by another stylist. However, there were certain clients that Vivian preferred to take care of and Robin was one of them.
“I want to apologize again for what happened a few weeks ago,” Vivian said.
Robin removed her green jacket revealing a lime silk top.
“Girl, I’m fine. That cut healed in no time, barely left a scar.”
The black hip hugging jeans Robin was wearing fit snuggly on her. She had sexy long legs viewers rarely got to see. The two inch heels she was wearing made her a little taller than her already five eight frame was. She took a seat at one of the shampoo bowls. Vivian placed a flowery wash gown around her tying it in the back. Robin then leaned her head back against the black ceramic bowl.
“I’ll have you ready in no time,” Vivian said wetting Robin’s hair. “I know you’re a busy woman.”
After Robin’s hair was good and wet Vivian towel patted it and then applied some shampoo that she worked into lather and then began massaging into Robin’s scalp.
“Did you find out who threw the brick into your salon?”
Vivian glanced out the corner of her eyes. Patricia was closest to her, three shampoo bowls away attending to a client.
“I’ve got an idea of who it was,” Vivian replied softly.
“And what’s going on with you? If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were glowing after I walked in here.”
Wow, is it noticeable. Vivian waited a few seconds before uttering, “Robin you won’t believe the news I received a month ago.” Vivian again looked around to make sure no one heard her conversation.
“What.”
“I’m pregnant.”
“Are you serious,” Robin responded back in a whisper.
“Girl I’ve been coming and going since finding out.”
Vivian began rinsing the shampoo out of Robin’s hair.
“Ooh...that water feels good on my scalp.” Robin took in the warm soothing sensation to her scalp before saying, “Your pregnancy wouldn’t have anything to do with that brick that was thrown through your window?”
“Uh umm I’m too old for baby mama drama. That brick being thrown is a whole other story.”
Vivian looked off in the distance as she worked up another shampoo wash. She then gave a good sudsy finger massage to the back of Robin’s head.
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do?” Vivian said.
“You’re thinking about aborting.”
“Robin if you knew the story you probably would have aborted by now.”
“You weren’t raped were you?”
“No.”
“Well outside of your old age,” she teased, “What would make you consider aborting.”
Again, Vivian looked at her surroundings. “I can trust you, right Robin.”
“Vi...,”
“Oh Lord please do not call me that. If my best friend heard you call me Vi, she’d think I traded her in.”
Robin smiled and said, “You don’t have to worry about me repeating anything you tell me.”
“Girl Scout honors.”
“You can throw in the Brownies and Cadets. I won’t say anything.”
“The guy I was seeing is a hermaphrodite.” Vivian’s eyes shifted from left to right for anyone in hearing distance.
“You’re kidding me,” a surprised Robin responded. “Did you know that before you slept with him?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You mean you didn’t check out the package.”
“Girl, I didn’t pay any attention. It was one of those moments. We had been seeing each other and he was sweeping me away. It happens.”
Robin was baffled. “How did you not feel something was different?” Robin’s dimples became more indented as she tried to picture what a hermaphrodite might look like.
“He seemed a little shy so I turned off the light as he was undressing. You know how some men do with little dicks, turn their back. I thought he might have one.”
Vivian began rinsing the shampoo out of Robin’s hair.
Robin enjoying the warm water to her scalp again said, “So when did you actually find out?”
“After we descended from cloud nine and I laid my hand on his chest. I was in another world, began running my hand over his chest when I came across his breast.”
Robin’s face displayed a mix of shock and revulsion.
Vivian said, “Shit...them jokers was almost as big as mine.”
Vivian’s disclosure had Robin rapidly sitting up from her hair being rinsed. Water from her head was dripping on her and the floor. The swift movement also had Patricia looking at them as she was reaching for a shower cap to place over her clients head.
“Robin if you don’t lean your head back in this sink wetting up my floor you better.”
Vivian was a little tickled at how Robin responded even though she wasn’t trying to make her laugh.
Robin leaned back against the shampoo bowl. “Girl that would have shocked me,” she said and still tickled. “I’m sure it blew your mind.”
“You know it did. He tried to explain and I listened until he said that he had a vagina, too.”
“Shut up!” Robin said laughing all over again. “I’m sorry. I know this is serious matter, but it’s also funny. I’m really sorry for laughing.”
Vivian squeezed some conditioner in the palm of her hand and began massaging it in Robin’s hair.
“You fell in love with him didn’t you,” Robin asked.
Patricia looked over at them. What in the world is she telling her. Don’t you know news reporters tell everything? That’s why they become reporters because they can’t shut up. I hope its jokes and nothing personal. It may not be on the news, but somebody else is going to know whatever you’re telling her.
“I don’t know about in love, but I had started to care a great deal about him. It’s crazy because we haven’t known each other that long. Even so Robin, I feel like I was tricked.”
“On the outside looking in I would agree that you were mislead. Though, you did consent to have sex with him. I don’t think there is a law that you have to tell someone if you’re a hermaphrodite.”
Vivian while massaging the conditioner into Robin’s head began to immerse in deep thought. She then without looking reached for a plastic shower cap to put over Robin’s head.
Patricia looked over at them again and saw Vivian in a bottomless state. It’s something personal, she concluded. I hope you don’t regret whatever you told her.
Robin said, “Wow. I can’t even dream of what I would do in this situation. One thing’s for sure, we can’t help the way that we’re born. It’s not like he had a sex change and kept it from you. All I can say Vivian is to think hard before making a decision. I’ve known people to abort and when they decide they want kids for some reason can’t have them. Or something ends up happening to their child after it’s born.”
“Come on,” Vivian said tapping Robin on the shoulder. She then led her to an open dryer.
***
Toni as he lounged on the sofa with his arms crossed looking aimlessly at the television thought about Vivian. It had been over a month since he last tried to reach out to her. He thought his feelings for her had diminished some, but something was pulling at his heart to call her.
“She probably isn’t going to answer,” he said. He looked at his cell phone on the table in front of him. “God…I need you to intervene,” he said with the urge to attempt another call to her.
Vivian was doing the same. After coming home from her salon she had fixed her
self dinner and then took to the living room to relax. She found herself glancing from the television to the cordless over on the end table and contemplating a call to Toni. Vivian had thought about what both Jennifer and Robin had said about aborting. She was now afraid to follow through with her intention out of fear she wouldn’t be able to have children sometime in the future.
Vivian closed her eyes and forced herself to see Toni as he is. The bare imaged made her cringed a bit. God give me strength she uttered and inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He’s just different she told herself. This time when she pictured Toni she looked at him from waist up. She forced herself to stay focused on his upper torso. Toni, Toni, Toni, this is new for me. Vivian then smiled some. So does this makes me gay or a lesbian and she moved her head from side to side, as she began to accept Toni. She smiled again looking at the lower part of him again. Umm, small as it is…it’s still power house. I guess I was a little hard on you. Could you ever forgive me?
Instead of listening to her heart and picking up her cell phone to call Toni, she rose and headed to the kitchen for tea.
Toni had taking his wanting to talk to Vivian a stepped further. He actually picked his cell phone up and after locating her name just looked at it. Shortly after they started dating he had changed Vivian’s name in his phone to PRINCESS.
“Forget it, she’s not going to answer,” he said and then slid his phone into the front pocket of the jeans he had on. Toni then rose from his sofa and prepared to go grab a cup of Mocha from Starbucks.
While Vivian was pouring hot water into a cup her home phone rang. She lifted the cordless on the counter and looked at the name of the person calling.
“I meant to call you,” she said and then hit the answer button. “Hey Jen, what’s going on” and she opened one of her cabinets for her teabags.
“What are you up to?” Jennifer said and sounding as if she was a little under the weather.
“Making me a cup of tea, are you okay? You sound a bit hoarse.”
“I’ve had better days. Vi, you mind riding with me to get some coffee from Starbucks. I went to make me some coffee and we’re just about out of it. I don’t know why I didn’t buy two bags the last time I was there. You know Charles love it to.”
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