Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Olive
“Mommy, my dad wants to talk to you!” Jo-Jo yelled as he walked into the kitchen with my phone outstretched in his hand.
Jasiel called almost an hour ago and had been on the phone with Jo-Jo since.
It was the perfect opportunity for me to start dinner without hearing the same damn question on repeat about whether dinner is ready.
I tapped the counter for him to put it down. My hands were busy shucking the corn I was preparing for the grill. Jo-Jo hit the speaker button for me.
“Mommy, is the food almost done? I’m starving.” Jo-Jo whined as he leaned into me, hugging me around my waist.
“Starving? You not feeding my son, Olive?” Jasiel asked jokingly.
I smirked as I shook my head. “I did skip the second snack after he came home from camp. My bad. It’s almost done, Jo-Jo. Do you want to eat inside or on the deck?”
“Ooh, outside.” I kissed his head, sending him running off from my affection.
“He a growing boy, Liv. You gotta start keeping snacks around for him to start grabbing on his own.” I rolled my eyes as I placed the fresh corn in the bowl I had in the sink filled with water.
“Did you want to talk to me about Jo-Jo’s snack intake or did you want to have a conversation worth having?”
“Damn, I wanted a check in. Jo-Jo can’t tell me how it’s really going on.”
“It’s going. The camp’s first field trip is Friday. They’re going to the beach. But wait, guess what, Jo-Jo made a friend at camp. She’s a sweetheart who comes with a little sister who is the cutest. You would die laughing at her trying to keep up with them on the jungle gym.”
“A girl?” I chuckled at Jasiel’s quizzical tone as I imagined his raised eyebrow and squinted eyes.
“Yes. I’m not sure how it happened, but here we are. They play even after the camp is over. So, my days have consisted of sitting on a park bench with snacks and shit for them for an extra twenty minutes or so.”
“Damn. So they out here tough already. Well, we wanted this, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. I don’t think I prepared myself for it to be a little girl, but right, here we are.”
We grew quiet as I began to wash the corn next. Since it was just Jo-Jo and me, I only did a couple; some for today and leftovers tomorrow.
After a few more minutes, Jasiel spoke again. “Is that all? How’s work?”
“Work is work. I did meet someone though. Well, kinda. It’s complicated.”
“Wait, not Olive Reed met a man. This I have to hear.”
“Oh hush. Don’t act like I haven’t dated after you.”
“I can’t remember the last one. So, it’s been a while. And why or how is this one complicated?” I shrugged as if he could see me, now cutting the corn.
“It’s the girls’ dad, and I don’t even know his name.”
Jasiel didn’t hesitate to laugh at me.
“Wait, so let me get this straight, you met someone but you don’t know his name? But Jo-Jo hangs out with his girls at the summer camp.”
I laughed before I let out a frustrated groan as Jasiel ran down the information I just shared.
“Yes. Well, the oldest for sure. They’re in the same group. The youngest one is only included during the after camp hangout on the playground. Oh, and I met his dad already. He’s been picking up the girls.”
“Okay. So, why haven’t you asked him his name yet or offered yours?
Don’t be the weird lady who knows all about his family, giving his kids food and shit, but don’t know his name.
Unless I’m missing it and you really want his dad.
And I mean, Liv, you know I’ma support you in whatever but that might be…
” I laughed hard this time as I grabbed the phone and the bowl with the corn and headed outside to put it on my little grill.
“While I appreciate the support, absolutely hell no. I mean he’s not a bad looking man, but c’mon Jasiel, no.
I wouldn’t have spent the last five minutes telling you about the son.
And I don’t know. The first time the opportunity wasn’t there and the second time, I got tongue-tied or something. I can’t explain what happened.”
“Aww damn, Liv, tongue-tied sounds serious as hell. What did Byrdie say about him?”
My mouth had been moving so fast that I didn’t realize I had fucked up the girl code.
“Oh God, she’s going to kill me. Jasiel, you can’t tell her.
I haven’t had a chance yet. The second meeting just happened today.
But I don’t think I’m going to say anything anyway.
Our kids obviously like hanging out with each other.
I can’t ruin that. We still have the thick of summer camp to get through and I need Jo-Jo beating me to the door everyday to get there. ”
“I’m staying out of it, but Olive, the kids hanging out makes it better if you ask me. If I met a woman who had kids and Jo-Jo got along with them and her, that would be my sign that she was the perfect fit.”
“Sounds good. But Jo-Jo hasn’t met him either.”
“Well, make that the next step. It’s important that he and Jo-Jo get along too. Even if nothing happens with you two, playdates are a thing, and just like you’re comfortable with his kids, he needs to be comfortable with Jo-Jo.”
I gnawed on my lip as I took the chicken off, put on the corn, and set a timer to come back and flip it.
“I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation right now. Let’s leave my love life out of check-ins in the future.”
He snickered. “Girl, please. So I ain’t good enough to hear yours but I can dish mine?
Naw, we family, I want it all, even what’s going on with you.
Making sure you’re good plays into you being good for Jo-Jo.
If our check-ins are about your dating life, I definitely want to hear it.
Shit, I’m vetting them muthafuckas too. He gotta be right for you too, Olive. ”
I smiled at the sentiment of Jasiel genuinely wanting to know about my dating life. But it wasn’t necessary. Well, hadn’t been since I didn’t do it often enough for it to have mattered.
“I appreciate it, but you’re absolutely not vetting the men I will potentially date. I will let you meet him of course, but that’s after I vet him for me and Jo-Jo.”
The timer going off had me heading back outside to flip the corn once more.
“Fine, but you already know if he hurts you or him, I’ma fuck him up.” I smiled as I shook my head. I was done with this conversation.
“Bye, Jasiel.”
“What, real shit. You know I fuck with you for real.” I chuckled.
“Anyways, did you finalize the date when you’re coming home?” Jasiel always moved so secretly with his annual vacation dates. He got the allotted days earned and spaced them out over the year so he could come home more than once or twice to see Jo-Jo and Byrdie.
“Olive, I’m sorry. I won’t make it. I put the request in too late and I didn’t get approved in time. And I know, I fucked up, I’m already putting in another one. Hopefully they approve it so I can come home before he goes back to school.” I wanted to be upset, but I knew that wouldn’t fix anything.
“Okay, well, I’ll let Jo-Jo know.”
“Naw, this one is on me, so I got it. I’ma wait another week so I can figure out a good apology gift for him. Again, Olive, I apologize.” Even with Jasiel doing all this, I knew Jo-Jo would still be upset; so mentally I was thinking of a way to make it up to him now.
“Okay, I gotta go.” My mood had shifted drastically. The line got quiet before Jasiel spoke.
“Olive.”
“Yeah, me too.” That was all I had. I hung up and put my attention back on my grill.
“Okay, so parents, as you know, Friday will be the first field trip for the kiddos. Since this one involves leaving the mainland, chaperones are being requested.” It was like every hand went up as soon as the camp counselor said the golden word, chaperone.
There were a few chuckles before she continued.
“Easy, there’ll be a sign up sheet, we just ask that we keep the number to a minimum of three per age group.
For those parents not signing up, we ask that your child or kiddos have a change of clothes, a towel, and sunscreen.
If you can, please send them in their bathing suits.
The basics will be covered, including the ferry ride and lunch.
You are more than welcome to send extra money if you would like, but again, it’s not needed.
We leave earlier than normal that day to catch the ferry.
So please make sure your kiddos are here no later than seven-forty.
If you miss us here, you are more than welcome to drop them at the ferry no later than eight.
Whoever isn’t there by then will be left behind.
We will also be back later since we will be taking the ferry back.
So pick up will be around the four o’clock hour. Any questions?”
The group of parents stood around listening to the counselor giving us a rundown of the scheduled field trip for this Friday. Of course, I was the parent who took off so I could chaperone. I trusted strangers with a lot, but leaving the mainland with my Jo-Jo was out.
“Hi, owner of the ferry here. Since it is a boat ride, some might not know, but please be mindful of sea sickness. It happens more often than not. They have medicine you can send with your child that day, if that’s an approved medication.” I searched around for that voice until I laid eyes on him.
Olive, he’s the owner?
“Ah yes, that brings me to our next order of business, the camp will provide that as well if needed, but only to those children whose parents signed the approval to administer the medication to their kiddos. If not, I was told the staff has natural techniques to help soothe the motion sickness.” The counselor looked to him for confirmation and he nodded.
“Is it too late to sign the form?” I asked as I raised my hand. Did I already sign the form for Jo-Jo? Yes, but I also needed a non-weird reason for him to notice me.
Why, Olive?
I couldn’t answer my own question and I was glad the counselor just went ahead and answered it without calling me out.