Chapter Sixteen
Channing
“Slow your ass down, Channing!” my grandmother yelled at me.
“Grams, chill out. I’m going the speed limit.”
“Well, it feels like you are speeding. I’d like to get to therapy in one piece.”
I shook my head. My grandmother was dramatic as hell, even before the dementia diagnosis. Since then, her moments of irritability kicked it up a notch. I wasn’t sure if she was irritable right now or if she was just being herself. I’d been in the studio working with a familiar client when I got the call from my mother asking me to take her to therapy this morning.
Part of me was a little annoyed that she waited until the day of to ask, but I couldn’t say no to Grams. She was gon’ give me hell today, but knowing that there would be a time when she didn’t know who I was gave me all the reason I needed to take her. I’d deal with her slick mouth and cherish the moments while I could. She and my mama sacrificed so I could live better than they did. While it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, I found significance in every moment with them.
I pulled into the parking lot and up to the door. She tried to get out, but I had the child locks on, causing her to shoot me a glare.
“Don’t look at me like that, woman. I’m just keeping you safe.”
“I’m not a child, Channing. I raised your black ass. I don’t need raising.”
“I hear you.”
I got out and rounded the car to her side. Opening the door, I helped her out and into the building.
“You wait right here,” I said, easing her into a seat. I’m gonna park, and I’ll be right back.”
“Mmm hmm.”
I jogged back out to my car and found a parking space. After a quick check of my email about a session later tonight, I went back inside. As I came through the doors, Grams looked back at me with a smile, letting me know she was up to no good. On the ride over, she’d talked about how pretty her therapist was and how she was gonna hook us up so I could leave these loose ass women alone.
I had to laugh at her.
One, she didn’t know that I had already taken her therapist down. And two, she thought she knew what I needed better than I did. In all honesty, she could have been right. On one hand, I was getting too old to just be fucking with nothing meaningful in mind. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed single life. I didn’t have to answer to anybody. While I didn’t have a bunch of women in rotation, my small little roster hit heavy for me every time.
I would entertain her today, though.
I walked over to where a woman in scrubs was helping her to her feet.
“Dr. Baker, meet my grandson Channing.”
The woman looked up, and her eyes widened as she recognized who I was.
“Ms. Rhythm,” I said, wrapping an arm around Gram’s shoulder. “Had I known you were the therapist she’s been talking about, I would have started bringing her here long ago.”
“You two know each other?” Grams asked.
“We are quite acquainted,” I answered.
I could see Rhythm reeling in her feelings. She swallowed hard and put on a pleasant smile.
“Mr. Watson. It’s nice to see you again.” She turned to Grams. “Are you ready, Mrs. James?”
“As ready as I’m gonna get. How about music today? Channing had me listening to the god-awful rap music he likes on the way over here.”
Rhythm chuckled. “I think I have something you might like. Follow me.”
She walked up ahead of us, and my eyes zeroed in on her ass in those scrubs. If that shit didn’t look fat before, it was looking right and sitting up now. Grams slapped my arm.
“I see you.”
“You’re the one who raved about how pretty she is, Grams. I’m just admiring her—”
“Ass. You’re admiring her ass.”
“It’s a nice ass, Grams.”
“I can hear you,” Rhythm said over her shoulder as we turned the corner.
We entered a room filled with musical instruments. The first thing Grams went to was the old, classic jukebox. She ran her fingers over it and smiled.
“I haven’t listened to one of these in forever,” she said.
Rhythm smiled. “My b—”
She paused for a moment and looked at me. I could tell she almost slipped and said boyfriend but thought better of it.
She cleared her throat and continued. “A friend bought this for me when we first opened. I told them how music helps people stay mentally active and promotes memory recall.”
Grams scanned the music selection before choosing a song. A few seconds later, the sounds of “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by The Temptations came through the speakers.
“This was one of my favorite songs,” she said, turning around. “I was fourteen years old when this song came out. I begged my mama and daddy to let me go to their concert. I’d saved all my babysitting money to buy a ticket.”
“Did they let you go?” I asked.
“Papa said no. He didn’t think a fourteen-year-old girl should be at a concert like that alone. Mama had your uncle John and auntie Mary to look after, and he had to work, so neither of them could take me.”
She giggled as she danced around me and Rhythm.
“I couldn’t let them keep me away though. Honey, I used to love me some David Ruffin. In my mind, that was my husband, and I had to see my man. I snuck out and went to the concert anyway. I had the time of my life. It was worth being on punishment when I got caught sneaking back in.”
I shook my head. “Not you out here being a menace, Grams.”
She laughed as she grabbed Rhythm’s hands, pulling her in to dance with her. She didn’t hesitate to fall in step along with her. I leaned against the wall, watching them. It made my heart smile to see her in a good space. Pulling out my phone, I shot a quick video and sent it to my mother.
When we first learned of her condition, Mom took it the hardest. It had been her and Grams for the longest, and she couldn’t fathom going to check on her one day and Grams not know who she was. She cried in my arms for the longest time that day.
The more it progressed, the more she called me in tears. I’d hired one of the best aides I could find, to come help her at the house a few days a week to lighten her load.
I dedicated every Sunday to spending time with them. Koda and I would go over early that morning and just chill the entire day.
She and my grams had a special relationship. Grams would sneak her shit she wasn’t supposed to have, and in turn, Koda laid up on her like a big ass baby, showing her love. I prayed that even when her memory faded, she would still be able to sense the love she had for the people that loved her most.
I could see why my mother loved having Rhythm as Gram’s therapist. She sang her praises all the time. Watching her with my grandmother did something to me.
It showed a softer side to her. Well, maybe not a softer side, because I didn’t know much about her. I guess I was just learning something new, and it intrigued me.
She was soft, gentle, and extremely caring. She had patience and was so encouraging. Grams didn’t give her any shit either.
Currently, we were out at lunch at a little bistro not too far from the therapy center. I thought it was weird until she revealed that it had become a common part of Gram’s therapy.
With her condition worsening, we avoided public dining as much as possible as not to overwhelm her. If too much was going on around us, Grams got irritable and distracted, sometimes refusing to eat.
There had been plenty of times she demanded we take her home.
“How do you get her to stay so calm?” I asked quietly as we ate.
Rhythm grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. She turned to me with a pleasant smile.
“Well, it’s helpful to choose restaurants that have a quiet, calming atmosphere with very little distractions. This can help her stay focused on eating. You see how quiet this place is? Not too much noise, not too many people. It’s a great place to have a nice meal and a nice conversation to keep her engaged.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. Any other tips?”
“Consider going out during off-peak hours. You can also ask for a table in a quieter area, away from the high-traffic zones.”
“What about helping her with eating? They told us it might get difficult over time.”
“Unfortunately, that is a downside. You can always help her by cutting her food into smaller, more manageable pieces. If she has trouble using utensils, consider bringing adaptive utensils from home that she’s more comfortable with. Whenever we have lunch, I bring some just in case she has trouble.”
I smiled. “That’s thoughtful of you. I never thought about that. I mean, I don’t know many people that carry around utensils for the hell of it, but that makes sense.”
“It’s all about making sure she’s comfortable. She may have dementia, but she can still have meaningful experiences. Everybody loves a good meal. Take her out. Engage her in conversation about the meal, reminisce about past dining experiences, or talk about the different flavors and textures of the food. It’ll keep her focused and make the outing more pleasant. Just because she’s sick doesn’t mean you have to treat her like she’s sick.”
I nodded. I looked over at Grams who was eating and humming a tune to herself with a pleasant smile on her face. It was almost like she was in her own little world right now. It saddened me. I guess it showed on my face. Rhythm reached out and grabbed my hand.
“I’m sure you all are doing your best,” she said softly. “If you ever need anything, if it ever gets overwhelming… we have plenty of resources to help families. You aren’t in this alone.”
I squeezed her hand. Pulling it to my lips, I kissed it.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
We stared at each other for a moment. For a second, she wasn’t just the woman I’d dicked down a few weeks ago or had cumming against my fingers at her nigga’s listening party. She smiled softly at me, and I smiled back. It wasn’t until Grams interrupted us did we release hands.
“Don’t you two look cute,” she said, finally acknowledging us again. “Are you single, Dr. Baker?”
Rhythm tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Um… technically, yes.”
“My Channing here could use a wife.”
“Grams,” I said firmly.
“Oh, hush!” She waved me off. “I’m doing you a favor.”
“I don’t need help finding a woman, woman.”
“I don’t see you with one.”
Rhythm snickered and covered her mouth. “My bad.”
“Don’t apologize, honey,” Grams said. “He needs to let go of them lil fast tailed girls I know he has in his bed. He’s just like his grandfather. I know because I was the fast tailed girl. He talked me right out of my panties, chile.”
I rubbed my temples. “Grams, I didn’t need to know that.”
She scoffed. “How do you think your mama got here? It sure as hell wasn’t no stork. As my only grandchild, it’s your duty to make me a great grandma before I leave this earth.”
“Do you want children?” Rhythm asked.
“I do.”
“Do you wanna get married?”
I looked at Grams, and she snapped her fingers.
“I didn’t ask you the question, boy,” she sassed.
I rolled my eyes. “One of these days,” I answered. “If I found the right woman, I’d settle down, get married, and give this lady the great grands she deserves.”
Rhythm’s facial expression was one of surprise. I was sure that, given our history, she wasn’t expecting that as a response. I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“There’s more to me than good dick, love.”
She blushed as I pulled away with a grin on my face.
“Duly noted.”
We went back to eating. This time, Grams dominated the conversation by telling Rhythm embarrassing stories about me as a kid. She thought the shit was funny. She kept slapping and touching my arm as she laughed, and that shit made my dick twitch. My attraction to her had only heightened by watching her with my grandmother. If she knew like I knew, she’d stop while she was ahead.
We made it back to the center around twelve thirty. While Grams waited in the car, I walked Rhythm to the door. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I peered down at her.
“I um… I just wanna thank you for all you do here. This shit has been rough, you know.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“Grams seems to adore you, though. She doesn’t raise hell like she tends to do.”
Rhythm giggled. “I adore her too. She’s one of my favorite clients. She reminds me a lot of my grandmother back home.”
“So she’s sassy as a muthafucka too?”
She laughed. “Very.” She looked up at me, the smile still on her face. “You should bring her again. Give your mom a break.”
“What? You like seeing my face?”
She playfully rolled her eyes. “Boy, bye.”
I chuckled. “Nah, for real. I can do that. It was nice spending time with you and getting to know you a little.”
She smirked. “You mean you enjoyed my company without having me cumming all over myself?”
“Make no mistake, love. It can always be that. You won’t always be at work. You have my number. Tell me you need to cum, and I’ll make that happen.”
The smile slowly dropped from her face. Her eyes perused my frame like she was thinking about it.
“Don’t think too hard,” I said, stepping closer to her. Cupping her chin, I pecked her lips. “I’ll see you around, love.”
She simply nodded as she backed away from me and headed into the building. I watched until she disappeared. The sound of my horn blaring broke my concentration. I turned to see Grams rolling down the window.
“Come on here before you make me miss my stories, boy!”
I shook my head as I headed back to the car and climbed in. She gave me a heavy side-eye as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“What, lady?”
“Mmm hmm… I see you. You are trying to get in that girl’s drawers.”
I chuckled. Little did she know, I’d already gotten the drawers.
We drove back to my mother’s with her listening to some old school music and singing along. When we walked into the house, my mother came around the corner with a basket of laundry in her hands. She set it down and came to hug me.
“Hey, baby. Hey, Ma. How was therapy?”
“He’s trying to sleep with my therapist,” Grams answered, bypassing us and going down the hall to her room.
“You’re messy as hell, Grams!” I called after her.
I turned back to my mother who was looking at me with her arms crossed.
“What?”
“Are you trying to sleep with the therapist, Channing?”
I kissed my teeth and chuckled. “Follow your mama up if you want to.”
She shook her head. “Seriously, how was therapy?”
“It was great. She sang. She danced. She ate good. She had a good day.”
She covered her heart and heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
“Grams is gonna be good, Ma. Even when she isn’t, she’s got us, so she’ll still be good.”
“I know, baby. It’s just hard.”
“I can take her anytime you need me to.”
“No, no. I love having her here. She keeps me company most days. I wanna enjoy the time we have with her while we can.”
I nodded, though she couldn’t see me. Kissing the top of her forehead, I gave her a squeeze. Shey Watson was one of the strongest women I knew, but even the strong had weaknesses and breaking points.
That made me think about Rhythm. I wondered what her breaking point would be with Raheem’s ass.
The man was a talented artist with the potential to be one of the greats. He was fucking up royally with her, though. He could keep at it though.
The more he fucked up, the easier it would be to take his woman right from under him.