her—not
even from herself. No one cared that she was a minister or therapist. She could dress any kind of way, say what she wanted
and how she wanted to say it, and do whatever she felt like when she was there. The more she thought about how good it felt
to not be under the microscope, the faster she drove to get to Mama Lorraine’s.
“Did you hear me, Mommy?” Xavier asked from the backseat.
“Mommy’s sorry, baby, what did you say?”
“I have a little sister at my daddy’s house.”
“Umph, sorry,” she apologized for driving up on the curb. “A little sister?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even and
interested, and to keep the car on the road at the same time.
“Yeah. Her name is Destiny. Ms. Shawanda is her mommy.”
“Is that so?”
“She can’t talk all that good but she can sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ over and over.”
“That’s cute. How old is she, baby?” she asked, not believing that Emmitt would have another child and not tell her. Let alone
take care of another child, when he was not financially supporting his firstborn.
“She one, but she says she two.”
“Did your daddy tell you that you’re a big brother, or are you saying that you are?”
“No, Daddy didn’t tell me. I just know it.”
“Oh.” She felt relieved.
If Destiny was his daughter he would’ve told Xavier that he was her big brother. Then again, I would’ve thought he would have
told me about this other woman
. “Baby? We’re almost at Mah Mah’s house, let’s play the quiet game until we get there, okay?”
“I’m good at this game, Mommy. I bet I can beat you.”
“We’ll see. 1-2-3 go!”
Xavier was a talker. Charity had to admit that he got it honestly. She loved to talk. She’d always thought that she was either
going to become a talk-show host or a therapist. The latter came easier. Emmitt was also a talker. So, the only way she could
get some peace and quiet was to play the quiet game. She had no idea what she was going to do when Xavier got too old to play.
“Give your grandma a kiss, baby,” Mama Lorraine said to Xavier as he and Charity walked into the house.
“Hey, Mah Mah, I missed you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Where’s Sha-Lai and Raquan?”
“You’re so used to them being here that you think they live here. They’re with they momma. They’ll be here in a minute. Go
put your coat up and tell Mah Mah all about your time with that pappy of yours.”
“Hey, Ma,” Charity said, hugging her mother, more so to keep her quiet. Charity was against speaking bad about Emmitt in front
of Xavier.
“Hey, Cherry,” she returned the hug. “You okay, baby?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m good,” she said, hoping she was convincing. “Have you heard from Iesha?”
“Yeah, she’s on her way. Go on and get your coat off. Your daddy’s in there.”
Charity’s father was lying across the bed watching a movie on his wide-screen floor model television. He moved over to make
room for Xavier and Charity to lie beside him.
“What’chu watching, Pah Pah?” Xavier jumped in the bed beside his grandfather.
“One of the old
Rocky
flicks,” he answered.
Charity lay down on the bed. “Zavey, when your Auntie and I were little, Pah Pah used to show us all of the
Rocky
movies. Didn’t you, Daddy?”
Xavier looked up at his grandfather and said, “Gosh, this movie is old.”
“You better watch it, boy, your grandfather doesn’t like anyone talking about his age.”
“You’re old too, Mommy.”
“Xavier, you’d better stop while you’re ahead,” Mr. Brown said. “You doing all right, baby girl?”
She thought she must be transparent, considering she had not yet been in the house for five minutes and had already been asked
twice if she was okay. “I’m fine, Daddy. I’m just a little tired. That’s all.”
“Pah Pah, I got a new sister at my daddy’s house,” Xavier said proudly.
Charity’s father’s eyes
even from herself. No one cared that she was a minister or therapist. She could dress any kind of way, say what she wanted
and how she wanted to say it, and do whatever she felt like when she was there. The more she thought about how good it felt
to not be under the microscope, the faster she drove to get to Mama Lorraine’s.
“Did you hear me, Mommy?” Xavier asked from the backseat.
“Mommy’s sorry, baby, what did you say?”
“I have a little sister at my daddy’s house.”
“Umph, sorry,” she apologized for driving up on the curb. “A little sister?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even and
interested, and to keep the car on the road at the same time.
“Yeah. Her name is Destiny. Ms. Shawanda is her mommy.”
“Is that so?”
“She can’t talk all that good but she can sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ over and over.”
“That’s cute. How old is she, baby?” she asked, not believing that Emmitt would have another child and not tell her. Let alone
take care of another child, when he was not financially supporting his firstborn.
“She one, but she says she two.”
“Did your daddy tell you that you’re a big brother, or are you saying that you are?”
“No, Daddy didn’t tell me. I just know it.”
“Oh.” She felt relieved.
If Destiny was his daughter he would’ve told Xavier that he was her big brother. Then again, I would’ve thought he would have
told me about this other woman
. “Baby? We’re almost at Mah Mah’s house, let’s play the quiet game until we get there, okay?”
“I’m good at this game, Mommy. I bet I can beat you.”
“We’ll see. 1-2-3 go!”
Xavier was a talker. Charity had to admit that he got it honestly. She loved to talk. She’d always thought that she was either
going to become a talk-show host or a therapist. The latter came easier. Emmitt was also a talker. So, the only way she could
get some peace and quiet was to play the quiet game. She had no idea what she was going to do when Xavier got too old to play.
“Give your grandma a kiss, baby,” Mama Lorraine said to Xavier as he and Charity walked into the house.
“Hey, Mah Mah, I missed you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Where’s Sha-Lai and Raquan?”
“You’re so used to them being here that you think they live here. They’re with they momma. They’ll be here in a minute. Go
put your coat up and tell Mah Mah all about your time with that pappy of yours.”
“Hey, Ma,” Charity said, hugging her mother, more so to keep her quiet. Charity was against speaking bad about Emmitt in front
of Xavier.
“Hey, Cherry,” she returned the hug. “You okay, baby?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m good,” she said, hoping she was convincing. “Have you heard from Iesha?”
“Yeah, she’s on her way. Go on and get your coat off. Your daddy’s in there.”
Charity’s father was lying across the bed watching a movie on his wide-screen floor model television. He moved over to make
room for Xavier and Charity to lie beside him.
“What’chu watching, Pah Pah?” Xavier jumped in the bed beside his grandfather.
“One of the old
Rocky
flicks,” he answered.
Charity lay down on the bed. “Zavey, when your Auntie and I were little, Pah Pah used to show us all of the
Rocky
movies. Didn’t you, Daddy?”
Xavier looked up at his grandfather and said, “Gosh, this movie is old.”
“You better watch it, boy, your grandfather doesn’t like anyone talking about his age.”
“You’re old too, Mommy.”
“Xavier, you’d better stop while you’re ahead,” Mr. Brown said. “You doing all right, baby girl?”
She thought she must be transparent, considering she had not yet been in the house for five minutes and had already been asked
twice if she was okay. “I’m fine, Daddy. I’m just a little tired. That’s all.”
“Pah Pah, I got a new sister at my daddy’s house,” Xavier said proudly.
Charity’s father’s eyes
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