16. Jones
Jones
The children were invited to enjoy multiple inflatables, a petting zoo, storytelling, and pony rides.
For the teens, and even the adults, there were Double-Dutch lessons, sack races, and roller skating.
For the culturally minded there was a mini-museum of African American history, black history trivia, and quilt-making.
There were also various stages set up throughout the lodge’s property. One was for people to try their hands at spoken word. Another was headed up by Church’s mom, Alisha. She taught “Chicago-style” stepping. There was a gospel choir, a DJ, and another that offered West-African dance lessons.
Then there were the vendors who offered everything from handcrafted jewelry, to bags and purses, to artwork, to kaftans, to baatis, to head wraps, and baked goods. It was in the vendor area that Lex and I helped Church and Mari set up their table.
Once the crowd started to descend on the Apple Head products, Lex and I became “do boys.” We were fetching, bagging up orders, and answering questions just as much as Church and Mari were.
Two months after the rumors about me being the father of both Jenna and Kylena’s babies started, I noticed that no one acted weird about me helping them.
Church wasn’t receiving any pitying looks, and I didn’t hear any whispers.
I figured the worst had passed, and we’d gotten through it.
Collins, Perkins, and Bailey showed up after we’d been at it for about an hour, and the line had never let up.
“Oh, we came to help,” Collins told her. “But we see you two already have help.”
“Don’t let that stop you, sis,” I told her. “Step up here and bag the merchandise so I can open up some more cases of the moisture mask.”
“Sis?” Perkins repeated.
I made eye contact with her. Of all of church’s family members, Perkins was the hardest to win over. She never really did fuck with me, and the whole pregnant project-twins shit with Jenna and Kylena caused her to double down on her dislike.
Bailey sucked her teeth. “I don’t know why you don’t want to accept it.”
Church briefly looked away from the tablet where she was calculating a customer’s order to make eye contact with her eldest sister.
She gave Perkins a half pout, half smile.
“You know I love you, Perk. But I’ma have to just rip the band-aid off with this one.
Jones is my man. He calls Collins and Bailey sis.
You’re the only one he doesn’t call that. ”
She turned her attention back to the customer, but I spoke. “Come on and get you some of this,” I teased with my arms open for a hug.
“I’m holding my breath,” Church said.
“Go ’head, Perk. You know you wanna,” Collins teased. She was the only one I’d ever really seen give Perkins the business. I figured that was because they were the closest in age.
“Come on, Perkins. Let’s dead this shit. I hope I’ve proved to you by now that I’m all about Church.” My arms remained open and waiting for her.
“You know that boy ain’t never coming up off that girl,” Bailey said.
“Damn sure ain’t,” I agreed with a shake of my head.
Perkins stomped her foot like the spoiled brat she was then fell into my open arms. She let me hug her, but she didn’t hug me back, standing there all stiff and shit.
She didn’t know me. I didn’t care. And to prove how much I didn’t care that she wouldn’t hug me back, before I released her, I placed a big, loud peck on her cheek.
Church cracked up. I walked over to her and duplicated the kiss I’d just given Perkins, firmly placing my lips on her cheek.
“Oh, okay. Y’all out here claiming each other publicly. We see you!” the customer that Mari was helping called out.
Everybody in earshot laughed. Mari smiled big at me.
“They’re cute together,” I heard somebody whisper.
“She must have a super coochie to get him to settle down,” somebody else said.
“But look at how he looks at her.”
I pretended not to hear any of the snippets of conversations that I heard. I kept my expression blank and continued to serve the customers. But inside of myself, I felt some kind of way, like maybe I was finally outpacing my reputation, like maybe I had finally lived down my days as the town bop.
It wasn’t even noon before Church and Mari were announcing that they were sold out of products. The four of us broke down the area and decided to explore what the festival had to offer.
“I want barbecue,” Mari announced. “It smells so good.”
“It does smell good as hell,” Lex agreed.
As we made our way to the grill area, we passed the spoken word stage.
“Oh my gosh!” Mari exclaimed. “Is that Jenna up there?”
“Jenna does spoken word?” Lex seemed genuinely confused.
“I guess so.” Mari stopped walking. “Let’s hear what she has to say.”
Jenna placed the microphone to her mouth just as the bass player on stage with her started to strum a tune.
“I liked to play. My girl and I liked to play.
Sometimes, we played all day. Sometimes we played all night.
We liked it when we had a friend to play with.
Two is cool. But three is where we liked to be.
We liked to play. Two girls. One guy.
Why try?
To hide what makes you feel best?
Why settle for less?
My girl loves me. She wants me to be happy.
So, we played.
We made sure we found the right third.
A herb. A nerd. Thought he was wise.
Not really. Not when we put these kitties on him.
Made him meow.
Then Pow!
He shot his shot. Not into one club. But into two.
Who knew what that sperm do?
It fertilized. It realized. It monetized.
A lifetime. Two lifetimes. Two for one.
It sure was fun.
Now we’re mommies to his daddy.
Real life to his whimsy.
They’ll call us mommy. We call him Timi.
Thank you!”
Church’s jaw hit the floor. “Did she just say that Timi is the father of their babies?”
Mari’s mouth was as wide open as Church’s. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
“That’s what I heard.” I was nonchalant about it.
“Who the hell is Timi?” Lex questioned.
“My wack-ass ex,” Church told him.
“Frick and Frack are pregnant by your ex?” Lex threw up his hands. “This town is too fucking small.”
Church turned to me. “And he tried to talk shit to us at the ribbon cutting on the Humanity for Community house. Acting like he was so superior.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “Fuck him. Let’s go get that barbecue. My stomach is touching my back.”
After we’d eaten, explored, and participated in everything we wanted to participate in, I led Church to my truck. “Let’s take a drive,” I told her.
We stayed on the lodge’s property, but I drove around to the back acreage.
I loved the untouched back acreage. It was just wide-open space, unsullied land for as far as the eye could see, with uninterrupted views of the Cascada Noir mountain range.
I stopped my truck not too far away from the folding table and chairs that had been set up in the middle of the field.
The table was set with a gauzy white tablecloth that danced with every gust of wind that hit it.
There was a galvanized ice bucket atop the tablecloth, along with two covered trays and two champagne flutes.
I’d only entrusted Bright with my idea. I hadn’t even told Lex, because I didn’t trust him not to tell Mari.
Lex was gone off Mari. He told that girl everything, so I only told Bright.
He’d incorporated Bailey, and they’d set everything up for me.
I parked, got out, and walked around to the passenger’s side to get her out. “What is this?” she asked as I took her hand to help her down.
“Come on, and I’ll show you.” The two of us walked over to the table. “Sit down.” I gestured to the chair closest to her.
She did a 360-degree turn before sitting. “The view is beautiful.”
“I thought so, too.” I sat down across from her. “When my aunt Beverly and uncle Bradford told me that they were gifting me five acres of land on their property, I drove around, knowing exactly what I was looking for.”
“They gifted you land?” Her eyes were wider than saucers. “That’s huge. I’ve only ever known them to gift land to their sons.”
“I know. Unc said that he wanted me to understand how proud they were of me for turning my shit around. When Bright told him that I’d passed both of my certifications and applied for my business license, they realized that I actually was serious.
Plus, they knew that I’d been looking at land and couldn’t find what I wanted.
” I waved my arms in a gesture that included everything we could see with our eyes. “This is where I’m building my house.”
Her mouth fell open. “Right here? On five acres of land?” She took a breath, rested her elbows on the table, then rested her chin in her hands. She looked at me with admiration and what felt like trust. “I’ll bet it’s gonna be gorgeous.”
“I’ma do my best.” I cleared my throat because I felt myself getting a little choked up at her reaction.
Church believed in me. That shit caused my heart to crash out inside of my chest. “Uh, let’s celebrate.
” I reached into the ice bucket and pulled out three unlabeled bottles.
I picked up the first bottle. “Tequila.” I picked out the second bottle.
“Agave nectar.” I picked up the third bottle.
“Watermelon juice.” It was the ingredients of her signature drink.
Her eyes blinked rapidly. “You remembered my drink? You really do love me.”
“Pretty mama,” I called her by the name of the drink. “This is the site where I plan to build my future. Everything isn’t clear yet. But one thing I definitely see is you for me. You know you got my heart over there in your purse.”
She chuckled.
“I love you, Church.”
“I love you, too.”