22. Salem
It was getting close to spring, but flowers were already blooming. The Cherokee roses, our state flower, and Koi’s favorite flower had already bloomed. The sweet clove-like fragrance was redolent in the air.
Koi’s eyes were closed as she inhaled the scent. Her hair blew all around her, whipping back and forth. She tugged the hood of her sweater up on her head, but it only blew off again as the helicopter descended.
“Are you excited?” I shouted over the loud rotors of the chopper.
“Yes! I’ve been texting Primrose and Chelsea about it all day long!” she shouted back.
I grabbed her hand as the helicopter landed, and we rushed ahead to meet our pilot.
“Hello. Salem? Koi?” the dark-haired man with aviator shades greeted us.
“Yes,” we replied at the same time.
“I’m John Hall. Welcome to Cherokee Tours. It will be my pleasure to take you on a tour of the city. Now, before we get started, I have a list of housekeeping things I’d like to go over with you all for safety’s sake and to improve your experience.”
We both nodded and listened intently as he went over the rules with us. When we finished, he asked if we had any questions. I told him that we didn’t, and we climbed into the helicopter.
We were going on a one-hour tour over the city, across the Chattahoochee River, over Lake Albree, through downtown and Cherokee Falls, and over the springs. Koi looked at me and clapped her hands together in glee after we buckled in and donned our headsets.
“I’m so excited that I could scream, baby,” Koi declared into her microphone.
“Please don’t. I don’t think John will like that.”
Our pilot chuckled. “If you look down below, you can see Astor Hall and its famous Cherokee Rose swimming pool. The roses are said to blossom in the spring at the bottom of the pool, remain in bloom until the fall, and then they close again before winter. They never die.”
We looked down into the pool and saw the famed roses, along with the mural of the Trail of Tears that told the visual story of the Cherokee tribe being forced from their land.
“Look at the springs below, Salem. Aren’t they beautiful? You can even see people at the springs from up here!” Koi exclaimed. “I’m sorry. I just keep babbling about everything.”
“It’s okay. I love seeing you happy like this, baby,” I replied and grabbed Koi’s hand.
We continued our evening tour of the city, taking in the skyscrapers in downtown Cherokee Springs, the city lights, and the various landmarks that made our city stand out from others.
When we landed on a rooftop an hour later, Koi looked around excitedly. “Is this Lady Chablis?” Koi asked in excitement.
“It is. We’ve got dinner reservations here,” I explained as we unbuckled our seat belts and removed our headsets.
We thanked John for the tour, climbed out, and headed to the other side of the roof where the stairwell was located. I grabbed Koi’s hand in mine, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head.
She wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered sleepily, “Thank you, baby. I think that was the highlight of the year.”
“The year is still new, Koi.”
“Yeah, but I think that I’ll cherish this memory forever.” She yawned.
“You’d better wake your little ass up. This date night ain’t over.”
“I know. You’ve tired me out, baby.”
“Just wait until we get home.”
“Oh my goodness. You’re going to kill me, sir.
” I laughed at her as we headed into the restaurant and to the restrooms. We washed our hands before we were ushered to our table on the balcony, where tables and fireplaces were set up.
“Do you think those fireplaces will keep us warm enough to eat outdoors? The evening temperatures will drop soon, baby.”
“We’ll be fine.”
We sat down and ordered our meals.
“You make me so happy, Salem. I love what you do for me, and sometimes I wonder how I can ever give back.”
“You don’t have to give back, love. Just continue being you.
It’s a privilege to love you, to honor you, and to care for you, Koi.
I used to get angry about not being able to take you out in public.
But when I think about where we are now, how you make me feel, and everything we have to look forward to, I’d do it all again.
I’d sacrifice all the date nights just to have moments like we had today. ”
“Who knew you could be a romantic? A romantic thug.”
I chuckled. “Damn, why I gotta be a thug?”
She twisted her lips as she moved her clasped hands away from her face. “Boy, please. You know your ass was a thug out there pedaling drugs in the streets of Atlanta before you got a fresh start.”
“Hey, since when did we start judging niggas?” I asked with a chuckle.
“It’s all good. You’re my thug.”
“And you’re my little nerd.”
“Wait a minute. I’ve never been called that.”
“You know your little corny, artsy ass is a nerd, baby.”
“Whatever. You love this little nerd.”
“I do.” I stared at her for several seconds before I spoke again. “Do you have any regrets?” I asked as the server came and brought our wine and glasses.
She waited until after the server left before she replied. “About what?”
“Us. The school. Anything.”
Koi sighed and dropped her hands in her lap.
“I try not to have regrets, but I often have them. The only regret that I have right now is not making a stand for our love sooner. I should have gone to the dean and been honest about what happened between us on the island. I’m sure that we could have gotten your classes switched. ”
“Which is what I didn’t want. I welcomed the challenge of being in your class, learning from you, and learning about myself.
Being in that class with you and not being able to pursue you at first taught me a valuable lesson in self-discipline.
It taught me restraint, but it also made me want you that much more.
“Anyway, you should never have regrets. It might not always be easy to go through some things, but those things we consider mistakes only serve to help us grow in the end. Learn from them, challenge yourself, and become the best version of you that you can be.”
“I know you’re right. Do you have any regrets?”
“Hell nah.”
“Not even about not pursuing me sooner?”
I shook my head. “You needed time to grow and to come into the knowledge that you and I were meant to be. If I had approached you sooner, then I would have pushed you away, and it would have been harder to reach you. I love you, girl, and I don’t regret a damn thing.”
We talked for a while longer as we waited for the server to return with our meals.
“How’s everything coming along with the center?” she asked me as we dug into our meals.
“Everything’s going great. We’re getting a lot of referrals, donations, and I’m feeling good about the work we do.
Some of the men come through our doors, doubtful about what they can accomplish or if we’ll be able to help them.
But after two weeks, their minds have drastically changed. I’m blessed to be a part of that.”
“I’m proud of you, baby. Sitting back watching you achieve your dreams and help others is so rewarding and fulfilling. I feel good. I have an amazing man by my side, we have a beautiful home, and we’re building our future.”
“We’ll be building our future when I pop my seed in you. I plan to keep you barefoot and pregnant. You’ll be walking around doing your art with a belly as big as a beach ball.”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“What?”
“How many babies do you think I’m carrying in this body, sir?”
“Man, I was an only child. I’m planning on having at least twelve kids.”
She spit out her wine, her eyes bulged, and her forehead scrunched up. “Have you lost your damn mind, Salem?”
“Nah.”
“Are you having multiple wives?”
“Nope.”
“Are you planning to adopt?”
“It was not on my list.”
“Then how in the hell do you think that I’m about to have that many kids?”
I reached for her hand. Koi stood, walked around the table, and took it. She sat on my lap, and I nuzzled her neck. Pulling her plate across the table, I fed her.
“I was just teasing you, ma. But one day, you will be my wife. And one day, you will be big and beautiful with my babies.”
She chewed the salmon that I fed her slowly. When she finished, she looked at me. “How many?”
I shrugged. “God willing, I hope we can have two or three. I don’t want just one because I remember what it was like being an only child. That shit can be lonely as hell.”
“I know.”
“You had a sister and brother.”
“Yeah, but they were twelve and fourteen years older than me. It was just like being an only child.”
I placed my hand on her belly as I fed her another bite of her meal. “I can’t wait to fill you up, girl.”
“I bet you can’t. I’m not ready to have a baby anytime soon.”
“Me either. I just want to enjoy you for as long as I can.”
She leaned in and kissed my lips. Hovering inches away from me, she stared into my eyes. “Same here, baby. We can wait for the kids. But I think it’ll be fun practicing.”
“Want to go home and get started?” I teased, holding her fork away from her.
She grabbed my hand and replied, “No, sir. You’re going to give me all the date nights.”
I fed her and laughed. “You get everything your heart desires, woman.”
The love I had for this woman was incredible and knew no bounds. I wouldn’t have imagined we would be here in a million years when I thought back to when I first met her. But I was glad that fate had brought us together.
Everything I did from that moment on would be to bring her pleasure, protect her, and enhance her life.