Zoya #2
He minded his own business, so he wasn’t directly involved in a lot of shit. “Me and my family weren’t always decent. It took a lot for us to get to this place. Especially me and my brother. I’m a firm believer in getting things out there and dealing with the hard truths.”
The world would have been less complicated if we didn’t shy away from the hard truths and the awkward conversations. That few minutes would save years of confusions and secrets.
“I hear you.”
“Whatever it is… I hope you’re able to speak your truth and they receive it well.” I smiled.
“Yeah. How was it staying at my grandparents’ house?” My face told it and he laughed. “It was that bad?”
“It’s beautiful and a humbling experience to see how other people live. Even without the things we have in our regular homes, they’re happy. Your brother is very happy there, too. Would I like to spend the night again, no thank you.”
He chuckled. “That’s always been his safe space.
I remember sitting on the phone with him while he was locked up, and he would talk about going there.
While there were niggas in there with him that was thinking of their first piece of pussy when they got home, he was concerned with going to the countryside and being off grid. ”
“You don’t like visiting there?”
“Nah. I go because I know that is the only way I’ll see my grandparents, but my grandfather could clear a fucking mountain with his snores.”
“Right?! I felt like it was shaking the house.”
We both started laughing hard because at least I wasn’t in this alone. As much as I said I didn’t want to stay there again, I would for that man. He didn’t ask for much, so when he did, I wanted to always come through for him.
“I’m excited to be an uncle, yo.”
I smiled. “Yeah?”
Khaos never gave that he gave a fuck about kids or anything at all.
I respected it because while his brother had all the feelings, this man had none.
At least, I hadn’t seen any of them. The man was strict, and that was something that I noticed with him.
The few times he picked up a call from a woman, he questioned the hell out of her like he wasn’t the one who ghosted her.
“Got to get my little man a red flag.”
Screwing my face up, I went back to struggling with my shoe. “We don’t know the gender, and you are not turning my kid into a gang banger.”
“I better not see him wearing Thomas the Train.”
“Why?”
“That nigga be banging blue.”
“Khaos, okay… let’s walk over to the damn restaurant.” I finally latched my shoe and had heard enough.
Spraying my favorite Cherry Amour perfume from Demosea on, we headed towards the restaurant. Pumpkin said that he was going to shower and change at his grandparents’ house before dinner.
I missed him today.
All he wanted was for me to relax and take everything off my mind and that was what I did. I finished my book, watched a few of my favorite crime shows and fell asleep in the sun. By the time the butler gently nudged me to remind me of dinner, the day had escaped me.
Khaos held my hand as he helped me walk over the rocks that lined the front of the beach front suites. He held me into the golf cart as we headed over to where the restaurant was.
“Do you want children and a wife one day?”
He snorted. “I don’t know.”
“You should know. What if the woman you like ends up knowing she wants those things.”
“I’m not big on planning out my life. Shit could be taken from you that quick.”
“Real.”
Khaos nudged me. “You dark like me.”
“Your brother cannot stand it. I get what you’re saying, but planning is manifesting more life. You don’t have to have your entire plan mapped out, but knowing if you want marriage or children is important. Especially when it comes to the women that you date.”
“There’s only one that I want, but I’m not sure I’m worthy of her.”
“Well, yes. No man deserves any woman.” I held my head in the air, and he mushed me, causing us both to laugh.
“Fuck up, yo.”
“Seriously, whoever she is. Step to her correctly and don’t waste her time. I wasted your brother’s time because I’m like that… when it’s real, you want every moment with them.”
“Real.”
When we arrived at the restaurant, Sharon and Inez were already outside seated.
The restaurant had a dining table set on the shallow part of the beach where Sharon’s wheelchair could be pushed.
One long table was stretched beneath a canopy of palm trees, covered in crisp tan linen that touched the floor.
Woven wooden chairs lined both sides, playing into the beach background.
The centerpieces of coconuts and banana leaves were well done.
Going down the center, tea candles started from the top of the table toward the end.
String lights hung from one tree to the next above us, giving us more light since the sun was starting to set.
The ocean was the entertainment for the night.
The sky had turned into a pink and blue swirl, as the sun sat in the distance just existing.
It didn’t need to do anything because the hues of the sky were the main attraction.
I kissed Mommy and went to my seat, as Khaos held it out for me. He went to kiss his mother and then Inez, but she waved him away.
“You look cute,” she complimented me, which was a great start. Maybe she was trying to play nice.
“Thank you. You do, too.”
Inez was so beautiful. Her rich brown skin glowed beneath the warm string lights above her.
Her curly hair was brushed back into a neat bun, but from the waves on top of her hair, I could tell she had beautiful curly hair.
She was this stunning without make up, just lip gloss on her thick lips, and a little mascara.
Even with how put together she looked tonight; I could see the weariness under her eyes.
The drug use was very evident from the way she kept her arms down to hide the marks from it.
The green strapless dress she wore was loose, and she kept pulling at it.
It was a start for tonight and I prayed that she would find herself again.
“He just arrived.” Khaos looked down at his phone.
I sat up, excited to see my man after not seeing him all day. A bitch was down bad behind that man. I went from ignoring him during most of our interactions, to now wanting to wear his skin around me.
From where I sat at the table, I saw Gerald when he entered the restaurant.
Everything slow down when I watched him walk through the restaurant and straight to our table.
He wore a beige knit polo shirt that hugged his arms, and a pair of linen pants.
On his feet, he wore a pair of Hermes Chypre slides.
I was ready to suck off this water bottle with how good that man was looking. When got out to the deck, he looked at the table and smiled at me. He made his rounds around the table, kissing his mother and Inez, and then came to me.
“Hi Ms. Lawyer Lady,” he played too many games, but I’d let this man call me Barney with how sexy he was.
“Hi, Pumpkin.”
Gently, he took my face in his hands and kissed my lips a few times. “You look fucking beautiful, Dear.”
“This old thing… something I just threw on.”
“Then you need to take my card and buy more… might rip this shit off you,” his beard brushed against my ear, as he spoke into it.
Naturally, his hand went right to my stomach. When we slept, he kept his hand on my stomach like it was going to run away. I understood that fear. Until I heard the heartbeat and saw the screen, I was convinced this baby wouldn’t last.
“Mommy! Eh! Eh!” Sharon screamed, as she tried to take her brake from her wheelchair when Goon’s grandmother came out from the restaurant.
Tears poured down both of their faces, as her mother rushed over to her. “Stay right deh so. Nuh come to mi,” she told her daughter.
Khaos held his arm out so his grandmother could hold onto him. She kissed his face and gave him a tight squeeze.
“Mommy, mi fi come to yuh,” Sharon sobbed, as she held her arms out for her mother. I couldn’t imagine how she felt not seeing her mother all this time.
Actually, I could imagine how she felt. It had been so long since I lost my mother that I was starting to forget what she looked like. Her gestures and mannerisms came and went. Life moved on and we held onto the pieces of them, but eventually those left us too.
Her mother came over to her and hugged her tightly, kissing her on the face and holding onto her like she never wanted to let her go. She stepped back to take a look at her, and then she hugged her again.
Sharon draped her throw over her leg because she was self-conscious about it. Whenever we were in public, she wore a throw draped over it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked between her boys.
Khaos didn’t know about the surprise. “Just as much a surprise to me… how did you get this old woman from her hill?”
His grandmother smiled and swatted him. It reminded me of when Sharon playfully swatted them. “Bwoy, come ere.”
Khaos gave his grandmother the biggest hug. I could see that grown man melt into that little woman’s arms. Their grandparents were very important to them and played a vital role in their lives.
“Mi know she dat gyal better greet har granny.” She stood with her hand on her bony hip, as she looked at Inez.
“Hi Grandma.” She pushed out from the chair and walked over towards her grandmother. Before she could embrace her, she held her arms out and looked at them, kissing her teeth and hugging her tightly.
I couldn’t make out what she was saying to her, but Inez was nodding and listening to every word she said.
“Deddy!” Sharon screamed out louder.
Her father rushed over towards his daughter and held her face. It was like he was staring at her for the first time again. He kissed her cheeks and hugged her while talking to her. Sharon was a ball of mess, and I couldn’t blame her.
Gerald had made this possible for her. He had brought her back home and allowed her to be with her parents again. This was something she never thought was possible, and it was.