Chapter 26
“Let’s sing Happy Birthday now because y’all know we’ll forget,” Shyne said.
“True,” Talia agreed. “Y’all didn’t sing for me, and everyone was gone before we remembered.”
“You’re not gonna let us live that down, are you?” Indira questioned.
“No, because how you gon’ have a party for me and forget to sing Happy Birthday?”
“It’s happened to all of us at least once, child. Get over it,” Ma said.
“Daddy, you gon’ let your wife talk to me like that?”
“Don’t put me in it,” he responded, standing behind my mother and wrapping his arms around her.
“This is what it’s like having a big family, huh?”
“Yep, and you may as well get used to it.”
Before he responded, Ramina and Ms. Dawn entered the backyard, followed by Rocky, Rue, Russell, and one of Rue’s younger sisters, Rose. We went to greet them, and I thanked them for coming.
Rowdy spoke with his brothers for a moment before the men continued into the backyard. Ms. Dawn, Ramina, Rue, and Rose fussed over my baby bump. I hadn’t seen Ms. Dawn and Ramina since I started to show, and Rue and Rose had only recently found out I was pregnant.
“You look so cute carrying my nephew or niece,” Ramina cooed.
“Thank you. I hope I can hang on to my cuteness until the end.”
“How is the baby treating you?” Rue asked.
“Most of the time pretty good, but y’all wanna hear something crazy? This baby acts a plum fool when Rowdy’s not around.”
“Sounds like you might be having a Daddy’s girl,” Rue said.
“You think so?” She nodded. “I don’t have a preference, but he or she needs to behave. Acting up before you leave the womb is rude.”
The ladies laughed, and Ms. Dawn said, “When Rowdy’s father suggested his name, I only agreed because he was the same way. Most nights, I thought he would burst through my stomach. The boy was rowdy as all get out.”
“You gon’ talk about me right in my face, Ma?” Rowdy said, holding his heart, pretending to be hurt.
“The truth hurts sometimes, Son. Your name has fit you perfectly since the beginning.”
“Girl or boy, I guess I’d better get ready. Oh, they’re about to serenade me with the birthday song. Feel free to sit anywhere that’s open.”
“Y’all ready?” Shyne shouted. “One, two, three! Happy Birthday to you . . .”
Everyone joined my brother in singing the original birthday song, and of course, Indira had Stevie Wonder’s version cued, and I was serenaded with that before a round of applause.
“Thank you, everyone. My birthday isn’t until next week, so this was very unexpected but much appreciated. This time next year, I’ll be somebody’s mama, so this means a lot to me.”
“This was all your brother’s idea, and we hopped on board,” my father said. “Let’s cut the cake, and I’ll bless the food so we can eat. I’m starving.”
My father waved me onto the deck, where my birthday cake was surrounded by other delicious-looking desserts. He gave me the knife and I began cutting the cake into small squares.
“All done, Daddy.”
“Can I have everyone’s attention?” he said, then waited for everyone to be quiet. “Please close your eyes and bow your heads while I bless the food.”
I did as my father requested and listened while he thanked God for family and friends who were like family. He asked that God bless the food, the hands that prepared it, and that everyone get home safely when they left.
I opened my eyes and immediately began looking around for Rowdy. He’d come to the deck with me to cut the cake and talked with Shyne and Breeze while he waited. I looked around the yard, and he was nowhere to be found.
“Daddy, did you see where Rowdy went?”
My father smiled and said, “He’s right behind you.”
I turned around, and Rowdy was on bended knee, holding a ring box. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
“Baby, the past five months have been the most exciting of my life. When I saw you on the side of the road, I drove past. I had no intention of stopping, but this little voice in my head told me to turn around. I’m so glad I listened because you’re everything I didn’t know I needed.
Being in your presence makes me feel things I didn’t know were possible, and when we’re apart, I can’t wait to be with you again.
Noelani Coryn Townsend, will you marry me? ”
“Oh my God! Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Our family cheered and applauded as Rowdy slowly removed the ring from the box with his free hand, since the other was in a sling.
I held out my hand, and he gently slipped the beautiful pear-shaped diamond ring with a diamond-encrusted band onto my finger.
He then stood and cupped my chin between his index finger and thumb.
“You really wanna marry a nigga?”
I smiled from ear to ear because my man was a little rough around the edges.
“I do, more than anything.”
“I’m ready whenever you are. I love you, Noelani Noble.”
“Ooh, I like the sound of that. I love you too.”
We kissed as if no one was watching while my family took pictures and recorded our special moment.
If life didn’t do anything, it would keep moving, and mine had been on fast forward since Rowdy stepped out of that tow truck.
My early birthday celebration had turned into our engagement party, and we celebrated well into the evening.
Before I could blink, my month off was over. I enjoyed being home, but I missed my students. I prayed that the students and staff would respect my boundaries and not ask about the situation with Kenai.
“You sure you ready to go back?” Rowdy asked as he got ready for physical therapy and work.
His recovery was progressing well, but he still had a long way to go. He couldn’t do much at the shop with only one working arm, but he’d been going regularly for the past few weeks.
“I’m ready. Before, I expected my students to ask questions because they’re teenagers and don’t know any better.
The staff bombarding me was too much. Even with the principal having a staff meeting and explaining the situation to them, they still wouldn’t let up.
I’m hoping things are different now that it’s died down. ”
“If not, you know what to do.”
“I have plenty of sick days, but I want to save them for my maternity leave.”
“I understand, baby, but your mental health is important. If those muthafuckas don’t understand boundaries, I can come up there and make them understand, or you can bring your ass home.”
“I’ll be fine, Rowdy. I need to go. I love you.”
He wrapped his arm around me from behind and kissed my neck.
“I love you too. I’ll see you later.”
I turned around, wrapped my arms around his neck, and gave him a proper goodbye kiss. When I pulled away, he smacked my ass.
“Always trying to get something started. That’s why you’re pregnant now.”
“Whatever. I’m gone.”
Thirty minutes later, I was in my office, sitting at my desk, taking deep breaths.
I didn’t lie to Rowdy. I was ready to come back to work, but I was also nervous about how everyone would treat me.
Some of my co-workers were friends with Kenai, and I was a little concerned about how they’d feel about me killing him.
It’s still hard to believe I took someone’s life.
A tap on my door pulled me from my thoughts. I stood to open it and was relieved to see a friendly face.
“Hey, Yaz. You’re here early.”
I returned to my seat while she closed the door and sat in the chair next to my desk.
“I wanted to check on you before the day started. You sure you’re ready to be back? You know these people around here have no couth.”
“Rowdy asked me the same thing this morning. I’m a little nervous, but I’m ready.”
“If you have any problems with anyone, let me know. I’m about to quit anyway, so I’ll fuck these people up if I need to.”
“I’m sure Bronx will be thrilled when he turns on the news and sees his wife and mother of his children being escorted out of the school in cuffs.”
We laughed but knew Bronx would turn the jail every which way until they released her.
“I’m not worried about these people. If they respect your boundaries, they won’t have to worry about me.”
“I’ll be fine.”
We stood and embraced before she left. For the first half of the day, I went through my emails and paperwork.
After lunch, I called students down who had sent me repeated emails.
There were two other social workers and several counselors who were available for my students to see while I was out, but based on the emails they sent me, they hated them.
After seeing five students who I saw regularly, Ramina poked her head into my office. She wasn’t on my list to see because she had access to me outside of school and we spoke regularly. I was surprised to see her in my office.
“Hey, Ms. T.—”
“You don’t have to be so formal when it’s just us, Mina.”
“I know, but I have to be when we’re at school or I’ll forget. I just came to check on you and see how your day is going. How is my niece or nephew?”
She closed the door and sat down, while I looked at her suspiciously.
“Did your brother send you?”
She smiled innocently. “Maybe.”
“He’s been texting me every hour on the hour for updates. I told him I’m fine and his child is fine, now you can tell him the same. Where are you supposed to be?”
“P.E.”
“Let me write you a pass to class.”
“Wait. I do want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.” I put my pen down and gave her my attention.
“So, there’s this boy that wants to take me out.”
“On a date?”
“Yes, Ms. T. What else would he want to do?”
“Girl, I don’t know. I didn’t know these young boys took girls out on dates. What’s his name?”
“Kendrick. He started school a few weeks late, but we have lunch together.”
“What do you want me to do? You’re almost eighteen. I can’t imagine Rowdy or Ms. Dawn having a problem with you dating.”
“My mother doesn’t, but Rowdy is a different story.”
“You’ve never had a boyfriend?”
“Not really. We never get past the talking stage because I could really only talk to them at school. If they came over, Rowdy would scare them away.”
I shook my head. “Your brother is a mess, but I understand because Shyne’s the same way. I’ll talk to him for you.”
“Yay!” she cheered while clapping.
“Okay. You need to get back to class. Let me write you a pass.”
I quickly scribbled out a pass for her, and she left.
I looked at the time and saw I had ten minutes before my next student was set to arrive.
I stood to head to the bathroom when one of my co-workers appeared at my door.
He stood with his hands folded across his chest, looking down on me, even though I was standing.
“Hiding in your office today?” Alvin questioned in a condescending manner.
Alvin Greer was a counselor and, from the looks of it, a good friend of Kenai’s. If anyone would come to Kenai’s defense, it would be him because he was an asshole just like his friend.
“It’s good to see you too, Alvin. Glad to be back.”
“I would think after killing someone, you’d be too traumatized to help adolescents solve their life problems.”
This nigga!
“Really? It’s been quite the opposite for me. I’m far from traumatized because I saved myself from being where he is right now. Get the fuck outta my office, and don’t come back unless it’s work-related.”
“You’re not wanted around here, Noelani. Everyone else is afraid to say it, but I’m not. You know damn well you led Kenai on—”
“Hold up. I’ll stop you right there because that’s a lie. I don’t know what he told you, but I was never interested in his delusional ass. Get away from me, Alvin. Get out of my office and don’t come back.”
“What are you gonna do? Shoot me?” He unfolded his arms and stuck out his chest.
“If I had my gun on me, you’d already be dead.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s a promise, and that’s the only warning you’ll get.”
Alvin was far from a street nigga, but I suppose in his circle of friends, he may have seemed tough. He would get a bullet to the head just like his friend fucking with me. He slowly backed out of my office, and I sat down, inhaling deeply a few times.
“Rowdy is on his way,” I heard Ramina say, startling me.
“What are you doing back in here? You heard all that?”
“I forgot my folder, and yes, I did. Rowdy heard it too, and he’s on his way.”
“Ramina, are you trying to get my fiancé arrested? You know he’ll come up here and act a damn fool.”
She shrugged. “If he beats that man’s ass, it’ll be worth it. Sorry for cussing.”
“This will not end well.”