30. Our Day
Our Day
Irushed out the house with Amir and our shit before Islah woke up, and went to Sammy’s shop.
I sat in the chair watching Sammy cut Amir’s hair and chain-smoked blunts back-to-back to the point that Keith came over and handed me a cup.
“You good?” he asked.
“I’m straight,” I said, drinking half the glass he gave me.
Deep down, I was nervous as shit.
What if the shit I put together didn’t come together? What if Kenya and them fuck something up? What if when Islah gets there, she doesn’t like it?
I finished the cup and looked toward Keith. “Fill this up again.”
He nodded and came and got my glass while Sammy laughed.
“Oh shit, is the all-mighty Love nervous?”
All of them, including my son, looked at me.
“Fuck you, and yeah…I’m nervous as hell.”
Sammy and Keith laughed.
“Man, cut that shit out. Everything you did to get to this moment, you have no reason to be nervous.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. It seems we got thrown the dumbest shit. It feels too good to be true that SOMETHING don’t go wrong now.”
“And because of the type of nigga you are, if something does happen, you will fix it before she even knows,” Sammy said, as he turned Amir around in the chair.
I took the cup from Keith and took a small sip this time.
“I hope she likes it. We might should have just flown somewhere like we planned.”
Keith shook his head. “Nah, I think she will like this more.”
I sat there, and we chopped it up. Sammy finished Amir’s hair, then moved over to do my lineup when Islah called.
“Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” Sammy asked.
“Islah is calling.”
“Dad, don’t pick up,” Amir said.
“Yeah, send her a text and tell her you’re doing something with Amir.”
I agreed and did that.
“She’s gonna be pissed,” Sammy said, laughing.
I agreed. “Yeah, but I paid for the truck to drive them around, for them to get their shit touched up, and for the Airbnb they will be getting ready at. I’ma have her parents chill there.”
“Damn, nigga, I have known you since we were in school, and I have never seen you spend the way you have been,” Keith said.
“I know, but my wife is worth it,” I responded.
I ordered us some food, and a few of my niggas stopped by. I let them know what time to slip through for the party. Whole time, Islah was sending me messages and calls that I wasn’t answering, and Kenya was keeping me updated on the decorations.
So far, everything was going good. I just knew me not answering Islah was fuckin’ with her, and I hated that part.
Her girls let me know when they were done and heading to her. I finished my glass and chimed in on the conversation about basketball, then looked at the time.
“Iight, we need to make it out that way. The caterers and DJ should be getting there soon.
My other niggas left while Sammy and Keith got their shit together. Amir came over and sat across from me.
“Dad, do you think Islah has an idea about this?”
I laughed. “Nah, she’s probably too busy being mad that I’m not picking up.”
Once they were ready, we hopped in our cars, and they followed me through traffic to the country. It took longer than I wanted it to, but the caterers were getting set up by the time we got there.
“Wow,” Amir said. “Kenya, Deja, and Renee did a good job on the decorations.”
I nodded. “They damn sure did.”
The foundation was laid, and they set up chairs and made an aisle lined with candles and lil’ lights. There were tents set up in the grass for us to eat under. The DJ was just pulling up, and Keith told him where to sit while I stood off to the side, admiring everything that was done, and smiled.
“We’re almost there,” I mumbled to myself.
Once the sun started to go down, we drove over to the Airbnb, and I let her parents in.
“She should be here soon with her girls. We are going to get dressed real quick,” I said, running past them.
Amir and I went into one room while Sammy and Keith found somewhere to go.
We got into our suits; I tied my tie, then showed Amir how to tie his.
“Is Islah going to try to act like my mom?” he asked.
I smirked. “Has she?”
He shook his head. “No, but things were different then.”
I nodded.
When we finished with his tie, I sat him down on the edge of the bed.
“Islah loves you just like I do, and she will never replace your mom or try to, but she will be an extra person to love you and be there for you like she has been.”
“Are you gonna forget how to be cool and play the game with me when the baby comes?”
I laughed. “Nigga, yo’ daddy that nigga! I’m always cool. And me and you will always have our time. I’m talking guys’ trips and all. Things is gonna go up from here. I promise.”
Amir nodded and hugged me just as Keith knocked on the door.
“Come on, I think we need to leave before they get here.”
Amir and I walked out of the room and down to the living room. Islah’s parents smiled at us, and her mom adjusted our ties.
“Y’all men look great…and you, lil’ man, you are showing them how to wear it.”
Amir nodded. “I thought I would.”
We laughed, and I assured them that Islah would be there soon, and we left out and passed them at the light down the road.
Back at the wedding spot, the DJ was spinning some fire shit as he practiced, and the food smelled so damn good. The preacher and some people I told to slide through were pulling up and taking their seats.
We went around and lit all the damn candles that were sitting out just in time for Kenya to tell me they were pulling up.
“They are here!” I yelled out, and my heart started beating in my ears.
I took a few deep breaths as Keith pulled me to the side.
“It’s time, my boy, you ’bout to become a man, low-key.”
I tried to laugh, but my nerves wouldn’t let me. Then Kenya walked up to us.
“She looks amazing,” she said with a smile. That made my heart beat even more.
I nodded, and Keith told Kenya I was nervous.
“When you see her, all of that will go away. We got this. We are about to walk down the aisle, then Amir, when you hear your song, then you come.”
I nodded, and they walked off.
I thought I would have some more time to get my thoughts together, but nah. Kenya got shit started.
The DJ played a sax instrumental of “We Belong Together,” and I watched from the side as her girls and my niggas walked down the aisle, followed by my son.
Then, I made my way around, heard the music switch to “Back to You,” and I started to walk down the aisle.
As I made it to the front, standing with our people and the preacher, the sun dipped lower, and a slight breeze came through just as the driver of the truck walked around, opened the back door, and helped Islah and her parents out.
Kenya was right. All my nerves went away when I saw her. She was breathtaking in her cream-colored, flowy dress. My eyes started to water as the music changed to “I’m So Into You," and Islah started to walk toward me with a smile on her face.
Once her parents reached me, her father shook my hand while her mother hugged me, and then, for the first time all damn day, I took Islah’s hand into mine, and we stepped in front of the preacher.
As the preacher talked, I zoned out, staring at her. She looked like a goddess as she smiled back at me.
I was so into her that Keith had to tap me, and I had to ask the preacher to repeat himself when he asked me if I took Islah as my wife.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was lost staring at her. I do… You know I do, mamas.”
The preacher looked at Islah and asked if she took me to be her husband.
“I do!” she said with a huge smile.
The preacher then looked at me for my vows, and I cleared my throat.
“Islah, my mamas. I never get tired of telling you that I love you. I have gone through life feeling like that nigga, but knowing my life was missing something, and it was you. You, Amir, and our child… I have grown so much because of you. I think differently because of you. I love so much harder because of you. I picked this spot on this damn slab of concrete because this foundation is the foundation of our next home.”
Islah’s mouth dropped, and I continued. “I wanted to get married here with our closest people around, with God over top of us cause our foundation will forever be this strong. I have spent days on the road for you. It’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I love you, my wife.”
Islah opened her mouth to speak and cried for a few seconds. Kenya helped her not mess up her makeup. She finally took a deep breath and grabbed my hands.
“Love, my heart. You came into my life when I was healing and helped me see how strong I was, but at the same time, what it was like to be cared for by a real man. You were gentle with me, you loved on me, and in my darkest time…you saved me. You showed me that the things I wanted in life were never too much, just with the wrong person, and I am so thankful that you are my person. In this life and the next, I will be by your side because you were by mine; right or wrong, you did your big one for me. I love you, my husband.”
Amir handed us our rings, and we placed them on each other’s fingers.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Love Mayer. You may kiss your bride,” the preacher said.
I took Islah into my arms, bent her back while grabbing a handful of her ass, and kissed her like our people and Amir weren’t around.
Everybody clapped and cheered for us as I stood her back up, and we walked up the aisle and got into the truck, and the driver pulled off.
“What the hell?” Islah yelled out. “How the hell did you put this together?”
“I made a lot of calls and got ya girls to help. I hope you weren’t mad at me today.”
“Oh, I was,” she said, laughing. “I thought you were mad at me, but in the end, it was all worth it.”
We went back to the Airbnb, and I had something for us to change into. I went into one room to change while she went into the other. I got dressed in front of the mirror. As I looked at myself, my wedding ring caught the light and danced in it.
I smiled. A nigga was a married man now.
I walked out of the room at the same time as Islah, and she stood there staring at me.
“Once again,” I said, walking up to her. “You are breathtaking, mamas.”
She kissed me as she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I can’t believe we finally did it,” she expressed.
I nodded. “Man, I thought everything was going to go wrong today for some reason, but I am so glad that it didn’t. I couldn’t wait any longer to make you my wife.”
“Good,” she said. “I didn’t want to wait, and then the house that you are building—”
“We are building,” I said, cutting her off. “I don’t care if you want to live in the city or out here. I want you to be comfortable and relaxed.”
I looked down at her growing belly and rubbed it.
“Before you know it, our lil’ one will be here.”
Islah smiled harder.
“Thank you for not giving up on me,” she said softly.
I kissed her. “Come on, let’s get to our party.”
We walked out, and the driver took us back to my land, and when we got there, both of our mouths dropped.
“Man, Kenya and them need to open a design business or some shit,” I expressed.
They had changed everything from before. The tables that were sitting in the grass were brought up on the concrete and put to one side. They created a dance floor and had more lights and candles all around.
We hopped out, and Amir ran up to us. “Dad, Islah, it’s lit out here!”
He pulled us up the foundation, and the gang was pulling up.
My niggas, Katie, and some of my family walked up to us and showed me and Islah love, giving hugs, dropping off money, weed, bottles, and other gifts.
The DJ played our song and hopped on the mic.
“Iight, y’all move outta the way, let Mr. and Mrs. Mayer take to the floor.
Everybody cleared the way, getting settled at their tables or standing in line to get food. I didn’t care tho’, the dance was for us.
I held Islah close in my arms as we danced around in circles. I gave her soft kisses on her neck in between us talking about nothing special.
Her smile never left her face. In fact, I think it got bigger as the night went on.
Once the song was over, I had Islah take a seat, and I went to fix our plates while talking to a few people in passing.
It’s crazy how my people never thought I would get married and always thought I’d be the nigga that kept bitches in rotation.
I laughed them off as I walked back to the table.
“When you meet the right one,” I yelled out, “they change everything.”
We ate together while people came by to speak to us, when I had a thought.
“Fuck,” I yelled out. “I forgot a damn cake.”
“It’s okay, baby, you did a lot. Missing a cake is okay.”
Deja stood up. “Y’all are not missing a cake.”
Me and Islah looked confused.
Deja walked away from the table and over to the caterers for a second, and walked back over to us.
“We got y’all a cake,” she said.
We looked back at the caterers and saw them bringing out a two-story cream-colored cake with Mr. and Mrs. Mayer on top.
The cake was classy and elegant. Something I knew Islah had to have told them that she liked or was in that damn binder she had.
Islah stood up from the table, walked around, hugged Deja, and called Kenya and Renee over for a hug.
“Thank y’all so much,” she said to them. “Y’all are amazing friends—fuck that, y’all are the sisters I never knew I needed.”
“Same here!” Kenya said. “This bond we have is everlasting. I love y’all girls.”
The way the rest of the night went, it was nothing that I could have planned. We partied hard.
Her parents partied with us, and Amir even stayed up. I’m not even a nigga that danced, but I hit my lil’ one-two on the floor a few times, feeling like the black Leonardo DiCaprio.
I even stopped everything in the middle of the party and gifted Islah the custom Mrs. necklace with the purple and pink diamonds that she picked out.
By the time we made it back to the crib, I carried Amir in, then came back out and got Islah. Once we got to our room, she held me, and I helped her before taking her hand and leading her to the bathroom.
As I turned on some of the songs that we had just danced to, she turned on the water with a smile on her face as she stood in the middle of the shower, letting the water run all over her hourglass body.
“Mr. Mayer?” she said softly.
I leaned on the sink, looking her up and down, licking my lips.
“Yes, ma’am, Mrs. Mayer,” I responded.
“I am ready for you.”
I nodded as I walked into the shower. I was ready for her, too.