Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
As a kid I used to wonder why it seemed like other races that went through terrible things, like Jews during the Holocaust and Mexicans fleeing gang infested cities, would come over here and fare better than us. Mama said it was because the White man gave them loans and more opportunities. Grandma said it wasn’t that but because they banded together, and held each other accountable. I bet it was all of those reasons, and probably a few more, too.
When I think about me and Lennox, I see the struggle—I see the fight. I see the reasons why we drifted apart, and the reasons why we drifted right back together. Some things, like struggle and survival, are just in our makeup. They make us who we are. They are just meant to be. That man is my other half. We are amazing alone, incredible together. This morning, I thought I was waking up next to my soulmate. He made love to me so good, I slept like a rock.
I woke up this mornin’ happy, but soon, I was just confused. I feel like my man is hurt and wants to hurt someone else. I feel like he took my not speaking to him about the terrible thing that happened as some sort of a challenge. I may have made things worse… by just trying to protect him. Lennox doesn’t want protection from a woman or even another guy, and he isn’t a very patient man. I’ve learned that the hard way. Seems he wants to save me from the world, but I’m not makin’ it easy on bein’ saved. He wants to make my life like heaven, but now I am wondering, ‘Where the hell is Lennox?!’
Sitting on her comfortable cream loveseat in the living room, Nadia kept her phone close to her ear as she waited for her brother to get back on the line. Nelson put her on hold. He always had this spastic energy, never able to keep still. He wasn’t much of a phone talker either, but he’d try.
It was a bit dark in the room, just as she liked it, but she had turned on one floor lamp with a purple light, to keep it somewhat dim. She yawned, digging her toes into the plush cream carpet, then noted the time. Lennox still hadn’t returned. Her troubled spirit beat drums and screamed. In her heart, she knew it would be awhile. They needed to talk, as soon as possible.
“I’m back,” Nelson stated, followed by a cough. “I’m watchin’ on old game from last year and needed to find the remote to turn it down. I could barely hear you.”
“What game?”
“Boston Celtics playin’ the Dallas Mavericks.” She could hear the basketball game playing in the background, but it didn’t seem like he’d turned it down at all.
“They’re always neck ’n neck most games, ain’t they? I haven’t followed in a while.”
“Yeah, pretty much. They both play hard.”
“Hmmm. I haven’t watched sports of any kind in a long while. What are your plans tonight?”
“Cherrie ’sposed to come by soon with some chicken wings.”
“Oh, y’all talking again?” Cherrie was Nelson’ ex-wife, but they seemed to spend more time together after the divorce than before.
“Yeah, we been talkin’. She can’t get enough Nelson the Great!” He cackled, causing her to roll her eyes. “That lil’ piece of paper don’t mean nothin’ to me. I get more pussy from her now than I did when we was in so-called wedded bliss.”
“Where is she getting the wings from? Got my mouth watering now, too.” She glanced at her front door, distressed that she still hadn’t heard the bell ring or a knock.
“Wing Boss.”
“Nice. Uh, Nelson, Mama brought you up this morning. She sent me a text message. Now, I ain’t gonna say what it said, but she basically implied that you are ignoring her calls. I know I have my nerve because I ignore her calls sometimes, too. Regardless of that, when was the last time you spoke to Mama?”
“Oh, I’d say… shit. Let me think. Uh, probably three days ago. Naw… it was five days ago. Yeah, it was five days ago. I’ve been working double shifts so the time has gotten away from me. Duty calls. Ain’t nobody else gonna pay this mortgage but me.” He was an EMT, and still helped financially with his ex-wife’s daughter from a prior relationship. Nelson was all about saving money though—they had that in common. “Mama don’t care about me comin’ there or callin’ her no way.”
“Nelson, now you know that’s not true.”
“I bet if I sat right in front of her face at the kitchen table this very second, she wouldn’t even look up from her newspaper to know I was there. Who the hell still reads a damn newspaper? Mama. That’s who. Maybe when I was a lil’ boy, I shoulda asked God to be reincarnated as a newspaper so she coulda paid attention to me, too.” He laughed even harder, a forced sound this time—to cover the pain. She knew all about that. “You done asked all this shit about me, then about mama. What about you? What’s been goin’ on with my sister since you left the club and all of that, school girl?”