Chapter Eight
Channing
“She won’t come out of the bathroom. Every time I try to open the door, she screams at me to get out of her house.”
I listened to Raven, my grandmother’s aide, crying on the other end of my phone. I’d sent my mother on a much-needed spa day and told her aide to call me if there was a problem. She was under no circumstance to call my mother.
I ran my hand down my head. “All right, I’m coming. Just let her stay in there and don’t bother her.”
“Are you sure I shouldn’t call the paramedics?”
“What did I say? I’m coming.”
“Okay, Mr. Watson.”
I hung up the phone and stepped back into the studio to grab my keys. I was working with Imani today on a new track for her third album. Prince Cole was with her since he was featured on the song.
I got an inkling that there was something going on between those two every time I saw them together, which was often. I’d heard the talk of their label trying to push them together. From the outside looking in, they definitely looked like a couple.
The chemistry was there. She was always affectionate with him, and he didn’t seem to mind. Today, there seemed to be a little tension. Whatever was going on outside of the studio, they’d brought it inside, and it was fucking shit up.
She had an attitude, and he couldn’t seem to catch the beat to save his life. Dipping out on this session had been heavy on my mind, and now I had an excuse.
“Aye, we gotta cut this short. I have to go check on my grandmother. I don’t know if or when I’ll be back today.”
Imani sat up straight. “Well maybe we can work in your studio tonight? I really wanna get this track done.”
Prince came out of the booth as she finished speaking.
I shook my head. “Nah, not today. This is personal. Speaking of personal, I don’t know what type of shit you two have going on, but fix that shit before you come back in my session. Y’all wasted a lot of my time today. All that outside shit… leave it outside. When you step in here, you come prepared to work.”
Imani pouted. “I apologize,” she said softly.
Prince extended his hand. “My bad, big dawg. I got some shit going on at home that I’m trying to fix—”
Imani scoffed as she threw him a glare.
“Whatever it is, handle it. I’ll holla at y’all later.”
Without another word, I grabbed my bag and left the studio. My mother only lived about twenty minutes away. Much to my surprise, traffic wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. When I pulled in the yard, I could see the aide looking out the window. Climbing out of the car, I headed up the front steps. She immediately opened the door to let me in.
“Is she still in there?” I asked.
“She is. She’s quite irritable.”
“What happened?”
“She was asleep when your mother left, and I didn’t want to bother her. I made lunch, and I went to check on her. She was in the bathroom already. When I asked if she was okay, she started yelling. I wasn’t sure if it was because she couldn’t see me or didn’t recognize my voice, but she had a fit.”
I shook my head. “This isn’t your normal day. That might be it. Wait out here.”
I should have known better than to interrupt the routine we had her on. I headed into Grams’ room and knocked on the bathroom door.
“Grams… open up.”
She sounded frantic as she asked, “Channing? Is that you?”
“It’s me.”
I heard the door unlock. When it opened, she rushed into my arms and hugged me. I opened my mouth to speak, but she began to cry. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly.
“I got you,” I said, stroking her back.
“I was scared. I called for your mama, and she didn’t answer.”
“I sent Ma to the spa for the day, Grams. Raven is here with you.”
“Raven?” She looked up and over at Raven who stood timidly in the bedroom doorway. “She… she didn’t sound like herself. She’s not supposed to be here today, Channing. It’s on my calendar. She’s supposed to be here tomorrow.”
“I know, Grams. That’s my fault. I should have talked to you about it first.”
She pulled away from me and wrapped her arms around herself.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I must have scared you.”
Raven shook her head. “No, ma’am. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Grams walked over to her bed and sat down. “I think you and Shey need to put me in a nursing home, Channing,” she said.
“Absolutely not,” I said firmly. “I’m not putting you in a nursing home, Grams. You want me to go to jail? ’Cause that’s gonna happen if I have to break my foot off in somebody’s ass for mistreating you. You’re staying here, and if Ma can’t handle it, you can move in with me. I can always work from home.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you putting your life on hold for me.
This disease is only going to get worse. At some point, I won’t know who you are, and I don’t want you or Shey to have to deal with the heartbreak that brings. I already hear her crying. You’ve taken excellent care of your mother and I for years now. You should be dating… getting married and starting a family. You shouldn’t burden yourself with taking care of an old woman.”
I stepped in front of her and stooped so that I was at eye level with her.
“You helped carry the burden of raising me when your own child was grown. You pushed me to follow my dreams of producing music, and look where I’m at. Ain’t no way in hell I’d ever push you or my mama off on somebody in a nursing home. I got you, both of you. That’s for life.”
I kissed her cheek and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She cried softly against me. I could hear Raven sniffling at the door. This shit was hard, but I had to be mentally equipped to deal with it. I made a mental note to further dig into her diagnosis. I knew I’d never be fully prepared for everything, but the more I knew, the better I could handle it.
I ended up staying with Grams until well after my mama got home. She looked so relaxed that I couldn’t bring myself to drop today’s episode on her.
I told Raven not to mention it and Grams that it would just be between us. Of course, she asked what I was doing at the house when I was supposed to be at work.
I simply told her it was on my spirit to spend time with Grams today. She eyed me skeptically but didn’t question me further. I ended up cooking dinner for them and staying to clean the kitchen. Grams was tired and ready for bed, so Raven went to help her get situated in the shower.
As I washed the dishes, my mama dried them off. Our routine was quiet for a while before she nudged me.
“What’s up?” I asked, looking down at her short frame.
“You’re gonna make some lucky woman a very happy wife one day, Channing.”
I chuckled. “You think so?”
“I know so. I’ll be taking the credit for that.”
“Yeah, woman. That’s all you.”
She giggled. “I don’t know if I say it enough, but I’m very proud of you. You are every bit of the man I’d hoped you’d be.”
She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek.
“Thank you, Ma.”
“But…”
I rolled my eyes. “But what?”
“When are you gonna make me a grandma? I always wished I’d had more children. I feel like I should be swimming in grandkids by now.”
“First of all, you got all you needed when you had me, okay? I’d hate to have to bust your other kids in their shit.”
She slapped my arm. “Watch your mouth, boy.”
I grinned. “Imagine how much you’d have to say that if I had siblings. And don’t let us get to fighting.”
“I’d be whupping ass, too.”
We shared a laugh, but then her face turned serious.
“I wasn’t joking about the grandkids. Now I’m not saying go out here and impregnate a bunch of women with your lil ding-a-ling. I want you to have a wife. Is there not anybody special in your life?”
“Not at the moment.”
“So you mean to tell me that none of those women you entertain are wifey material?”
“I ain’t say all that. I just wouldn’t wife them.”
“But you’d sleep with them?”
“I have needs, Ma.”
She kissed her teeth. “Hell, I have needs too, Channing.”
“Aht! I don’t wanna think about that!
She laughed. “You realize I had to be doing the nasty for you to be here, right?”
“That was before my time and that ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
She shook her head. “Whatever. I’m serious. Don’t make any woman a mother that you wouldn’t make your wife.”
“I strap up, so ain’t no babies coming before I want them if I can help it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“If it makes you feel better, there is somebody I’m interested in.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Who?”
“Dr. Baker.”
“Dr. Baker? Mama’s Dr. Baker? As in Dr. Baker from The Baker Method?”
“Yes, woman.”
She frowned. “When did you even meet her?”
“You in my business?”
She smacked my arm. “Channing Watson.”
I laughed. “The day I changed your tire. I went inside to wash my hands and literally ran into her.”
“Mmm hmm. Dr. Baker is nice. She’s a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. I like her, and I’d like her for you.”
“I’ma work on that, then.”
“Don’t be out here playing with people’s hearts, Channing. If you are gonna pursue that woman, go into it with good intentions, not just getting your dick wet.”
I frowned as I handed her the last dish. “Please don’t say that word again.”
“Dick. Dick. Dick. You pissed on me enough for me to be able to say it around you.”
I shook my head as I dried my hands. “I’m about to go. You’ve scorned me enough for one evening. I’m gonna bring Koda by in the morning. I think Grams would enjoy her company.”
“That’s fine. Thank you for the spa day and spending time with Mama. And, of course, thank you for dinner.”
“It was nothing.” I pulled her in for a hug and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Before leaving the house, I went to say goodnight to Grams. Raven was just helping her into bed.
“Good night, old woman,” I said, leaning in to kiss her temple.
“Good night, baby. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Good night, Raven.”
“Good night, Mr. Watson.”
I left the room and headed out of the house. It was pushing nine, and a nigga was tired as hell. All I wanted to do was hop in my shower, climb in my bed, and watch TV until TV was watching me.