Chapter 4 #3
She reached over and squeezed my hand.
"If this can help get you ahead, then go."
"I don't like leaving you."
"You ain't leaving me."
She smiled.
"You coming back."
I looked down at our hands.
"I'll only be gone a little while."
"I know."
She reached up and straightened the collar of my T-shirt like she used to when I was little.
"Now stop worrying about me and go see what God got waiting on the other side of that door."
I swallowed hard.
"I love you."
"I love you more."
Kendra cleared her throat dramatically.
"Aight...before both of y'all get to crying again, can we please go? My cousin don't play about people being late."
My mama laughed.
"Girl, go on."
I picked up my bag, leaned down, and kissed my mama on the forehead.
"I'll call the nurses if you need anything."
"I know you will."
"And don't let nobody sneak you no salt."
She rolled her eyes.
"Bye, Nyrobi."
Kendra burst out laughing.
"I like her."
"I know you do."
Together, we stepped out into the hallway.
The hospital room door slowly closed behind us.
I had no idea that the decision I was about to make would change the rest of my life.
The elevator doors opened, and me and Kendra stepped inside.
Neither one of us said much until the doors closed.
She looked over at me.
"You alright?"
I shrugged.
"I'll be better when life quit punching me in the damn face."
She laughed.
"Girl...life ain't done with you yet."
"Please don't tell me that."
"I'm just saying."
The elevator dinged, and we stepped into the lobby. The smell of coffee and hand sanitizer hit me all over again. Kendra held the front door open while we walked outside.
The Florida sun was showing out.
"Damn, it’s hot as hell," I muttered, shielding my eyes.
"It ain't even noon yet,” said Kendra.
We crossed the parking lot toward her little gray Nissan Altima. The paint was faded, one hubcap was missing, and the passenger door had a dent in it.
"Ole betsy holding on," I laughed referring to her car.
She unlocked it.
"This thing still getting me from Point A to Point B."
"It sound like it need prayer."
"It probably do."
I laughed for the first time all day.
"See...there go that laugh."
I slid into the passenger seat while she cranked the car.
The air conditioner came on sounding like somebody vacuuming rocks.
"What the hell was that?"
"My AC."
"Kendra..."
"It work."
"Barely."
"It blow cold eventually."
Eventually.
That damn word had me laughing again.
She pulled out of the hospital parking lot and merged into traffic.
"So..."
I looked over at her.
"So what?"
"When was you gonna tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That all hell broke loose."
I sighed.
"I didn't wanna dump all that on you."
She looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Girl, we've been friends since middle school."
"I know."
"You remember when that girl Tiffanie busted my lip in seventh grade?"
I smiled.
"You hit her with your science book."
"Damn right I did."
"And you got suspended."
"I sure did."
She looked over and grinned.
"And who got suspended right along with me?"
I rolled my eyes.
"I did."
"Exactly."
She pointed at me.
"So stop acting like you gotta carry everything by yourself."
I stared out the window.
"I've been carrying everything for so long...I don't even know how to let somebody help me."
Her smile disappeared.
"I know."
Traffic slowed as we came to a red light. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel.
"You remember your daddy always fussed at us for trying to do everything ourselves?"
A smile found my face.
"He used to call us The Terrible Twins."
"He wasn't lying either."
I laughed.
"We almost burned his grill down."
"Almost?"
She looked at me.
"Girl, we did burn it down."
I covered my face.
"I forgot about that."
"I didn't. Your daddy made us pick up sticks in the backyard all damn afternoon."
"He said if we had enough energy to play with fire, we had enough energy to clean."
We both laughed.
For a few seconds life almost felt normal again.
Kendra looked over once the laughter settled.
"I miss him."
My smile faded.
"Me too."
"I think about him every time I ride down Orange Blossom."
I nodded.
"He would've figured this rent situation out."
"He would've tried."
"No..."
She shook her head.
"He would've figured it out."
I looked out the passenger window before she could see my eyes filling up again.
"Maybe."
She reached over and squeezed my knee.
"He'd be proud of you, you know."
I swallowed hard.
"I hope so."
"I know so."
She let go of my knee and flipped on her blinker.
"Aight..."
She turned into a shopping plaza and parked in front of a little coffee shop.
"We here."
I frowned.
"This don't look like no job."
She smiled.
"It ain't."
"What?"
"My cousin on her lunch break."
I looked at the coffee shop, then back at her.
"So we're meeting her here?"
She nodded.
"I figured it'd be easier for y'all to talk face-to-face before she sends you anywhere."
I took a deep breath.
"You sure she don't mind?"
Kendra smiled as she cut the engine.
"If she didn't wanna help...she wouldn't have came."
We got out and I proceeded to follow Kendra inside.