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  “If we lose, I‘ma kick Kyle’s black ass,” Jay responded, “ ’cause this is all his fault.” The three of us headed toward the game court, a little worried about the game and seriously worried about Kyle.

  We’d won the game, with a last-second steal by Malcolm, who passed the ball to Jay for an easy layup. Thank God for small favors, ’cause Malcolm had played terribly until then. Jay had been yelling at him all game and they came close to blows during a time-out.

  Our excitement over our victory was short-lived, ’cause as soon as we headed out to celebrate, we got some really bad news. Kyle’s wife Lisa called Wil on his cell and dropped the news that Kyle had been arrested for attempted murder. Now, you’d have to know Kyle to understand this, but there’s no way in the world he’d try to kill someone. That is, unless Jay was there. It’s really weird, but the two of them feed off each other. You could be around Kyle, and he’d be the calmest person in the world. But if Jay walked into the room, it wouldn’t take much for him to pump Kyle up or vice versa. Without Jay, Kyle was a pussycat, so none of us could believe the charges against him.

  Jay took the news pretty hard. He’d even suggested putting up his house in Jersey to bail Kyle out, but Wil told him Kyle wouldn’t have bail until he saw the judge Monday morning. Jay flipped out. He literally tore apart the men’s room in Penn Station. He and Kyle were always real tight, and he didn’t want to hear that his man would be spending the weekend locked up.

  As for Kyle and me, we had an interesting relationship. He was my man and the whole nine, but up until recently I hated the fact that I was always on the wrong end of his jokes. Now, he’s a funny guy, and always in a good mood. The only problem was, he could take things too far sometimes. He didn’t really mean anything by it, but I’m not gonna lie. Sometimes it hurt. Especially when it was in front of my mother or my girl Rose. At one point I’d told Wil if Kyle joked about me being a super-super senior one more time in front of Ma or Rose, I was gonna punch him in the mouth. Now that I’ve got my degree and a good job, I’m glad I didn’t.

  About three years ago, I graduated college and started working at Nickelodeon. That’s when I noticed the jokes had stopped. Then one day out of the blue, Kyle stopped by my job. I’d just been promoted to assistant department head of one of the Human Resource departments. Kyle walked into my office and sat down with a big grin on his face. Before I could say anything, he handed me a small package and said, “I know I never told you this, but I’m really proud of you. You’ve come a long way in the last two years, and I didn’t want you to think it went unnoticed.”

  Man, when he left my office I had tears in my eyes. I never realized how important having his approval was ’til then. But that’s when I started to understand who he was and why he was joking me about not going to school or having a job. The guy loved me, and he was just showing me tough love. As embarrassing as it was to be on the receiving end of his jokes, it was probably what drove me to finally finish school.

  It was pretty late when I stumbled up the steps to my girlfriend Rose’s apartment. I was tired and a little tipsy from having a few drinks with Jay and Wil after the game, but I was hoping she’d still be up. We hadn’t been intimate in two weeks, and I was definitely in the mood. Maybe a quickie would help me forget that Kyle was in jail. ’Cause the truth is, I was more than a little worried about him.

  Unlocking the door to Rose’s apartment with my key, I tried to enter quietly but was startled by Rose’s loud voice.

  “Where the hell have you been?” she shouted, pushing her reddish brown hair out of her beige freckled face. “Do you know what time it is?”

  “I, I, was with Jay and Wil,” I stammered. “We went out to have a few drinks.”

  “Well, I hope you got some ass from Jay, ’cause ya damn sure ain’t gettin’ none from me.” She got up with an attitude and walked to her bedroom.

  “Damn!” I mumbled, glancing at my watch.

  What the hell was she trippin’ about? I’d told her I’d be over around eleven, and it was only twelve past. Shaking my head, I placed my gym bag on the sofa, hoping I wasn’t going to be sleeping on it. The last thing I wanted was for Rose to be in one of her moods. Her moods always led to arguments, and I hated arguing. For a split second I contemplated walking out before the fireworks started, but leaving wouldn’t solve anything. It probably would have caused another argument. Better to just stick around and face the music.

  I followed her into her bedroom, where she made a point of taking off her robe as slowly and seductively as she could, all the while refusing to look me in the eyes. Damn, even angry she was fine. Rose was tall with a thin waist and a shapely body, and believe me, she knew how to use it. Her naked flesh made my manhood spring to attention. Sitting on the bed, she cracked a smile when she saw the large lump in my pants. I exhaled softly, relieved. She was only teasing me. She was completely naked under her robe, which meant she was going to give me some tonight. Rose always wore night-gowns to bed unless she was gonna give me some. The only real question was how much was it gonna cost me.

  I hated the idea that Rose always asked me for money when we were about to make love and it really pissed me off that she would hold out on me until I gave it to her. But I loved her. She’d been by my side back when I was unemployed and going through some pretty rough times. I planned on marrying her someday so eventually my money was gonna be hers anyway. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. I just wished I could get my boys to understand that. I really didn’t appreciate how they had labeled her a gold digger. I was sick of hearing them tell me how I was being played. Shit, they were married and kicked out way more loot to their wives than I ever gave to Rose.

  “Did you get paid on Friday?” Rose tried to make the question sound innocent.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Fifty-eight dollars’ worth of long-distance phone calls, that’s why. Damn, can’t your boy Jay call you sometimes?”

  Jay lived in New Jersey, right over the George Washington Bridge. He wasn’t far by car, but it was still a long-distance call. So I didn’t answer Rose. I just reached in my pocket and pulled out my wallet. She knew that Jay called me as much, if not more, than I called him, but she’d been trying to drive a wedge between my friends and me for years. And although I didn’t think my friends took their oath seriously anymore, we had all pledged as kids that no woman would ever come between us.

  “Oh, and another thing. Why the hell does your mother keep calling my fucking house collect?” Rose picked up the phone bill from her dresser and read it out loud. “Thirty collect calls last month. I know that’s your mother, Allen, but she lives five fizcking minutes away. It’s a local call, for Christ’s sake! You need to talk to her. She’s becoming a real pain in the ass.”

  All I could do was look at her and shrug my shoulders. I knew my mother was a pain in the ass. Hell, so was Rose. But I wasn’t about to confront her. No way, not me, not Allen, not in this lifetime. She’d kick my ass. Even though I was thirty-six years old, my mother would still threaten me with a beatin’ whenever she felt the need. My problem was that I’d lived in Ma’s house so long that I never established an adult relationship with her. So she treated me like a child. For years I’d tried to talk to her about it, but she’d just start screamin’ and cussin’ every time I brought it up. After a while, I stopped bringing it up. All I wanted was for everyone to be happy and enjoy life like I did. Truth is, I’d do anything to avoid a fight.

  “How much did the calls come to?” I asked.

  “Sixty-five dollars. This shit is ridiculous!” Rose placed her hand on her hip as I opened my wallet.

  “And don’t forget the long-distance calls, either.”

  I handed her three fifty-dollar bills without a word. I was positive she was lying about the amounts, but it wasn’t worth the argument.

  “See, you could be putting this money down on my ring.” She huffed loudly, grabbing hold of my shirt. “Allen, do you love me?”

/>   “You know I do, baby.” I wrapped my arms around her waist, looking for a sign that it was all right to kiss her.

  “Then how come you haven’t asked me to marry you?” She lowered her head and batted her eyelashes. “All your friends are married. What makes their women more deserving than me?”

  “No one’s more deserving than you, Rose.” I stroked her hair gently. “All my life I’ve been a fuck-up. I’m thirty-six years old now. It took me ‘til I was thirty-three to get my shit together and get a real job. I just wanna make sure I can take care of myself before I start tryin’ ta take care of someone else. I promise you you’re gonna get your ring. I just need a little more time.”

  “I’m gonna hold you to that.” She kissed me softly.

  “You do that.”

  “Can I have some money to get my hair and nails done?” She kissed my neck, running her tongue all the way up to my ear. She slowly unbuttoned my shirt, kissing her way down past my nipples, stopping at my belly button.

  “Mmm, that’s the spot,” I whispered. “Keep going.”

  If there was one thing Rose knew how to do, it was please a man. And if there was one thing I wanted at that particular moment, it was for her to please me, and I was willing to pay for her hair and nails to get it done.

  “W-Will a hundred do it?” I asked as she massaged my manhood through my pants. Somehow I pulled out two more fifties from my wallet.

  “Thank you,” she said, slowly unhooking my belt buckle.

  Rose shoved my arm off her chest when the phone rang. I could hear her fumbling on the nightstand trying to find the receiver in the dark. I probably should have got up and answered the phone myself. I’d just been lying there with my eyes closed. I hadn’t been able to sleep at all. I kept dreaming about Kyle being in prison and some big guy named Bubba chasing him.

  “Hello?” Rose answered groggily, but was wide awake within seconds. “Damn it!” she shouted in my ear as she tapped the phone against my head. Pain shot through my skull, and I sprung up like a disoriented jack-in-the-box.

  “Your mother’s on the phone.” She shoved the phone at me angrily.

  “Hello,” I sighed.

  “We have a collect call from Mrs. Audrey Jackson, will you pay?”

  “Yes, operator, I’ll pay.”

  “You damn right you’re gonna pay.” Rose switched on the light and glared at me.

  “Ma, what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t find my blood pressure medicine.”

  “It’s in the medicine cabinet,” I said automatically. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. My mother was looking for attention.

  “No it ain’t, I just looked in there,” Ma insisted.

  “What time is it, Ma?”

  Rose shoved the digital clock in my face. Shit! I didn’t realize it was that late.

  “Ma, it’s three in the morning. You don’t have to take your medicine till nine o’clock.”

  “You don’t think I know that? My feet been swellin’ so bad I thought I’d take it early.”

  “Look, Ma, the blood pressure medicine is in the medicine cabinet, okay?”

  “Allen Hershel Jackson, didn’t I tell you the damn blood pressure medicine wasn’t there?” Ma’s voice was so loud Rose could hear each syllable clearly, and let me know it by rolling her eyes.

  “Yes, Ma, you did tell me,” I mumbled.

  “Now you get your black ass out of that damn bed, and come home and help me find it!!”

  “Yes, Ma.”

  “I know you’re not going home,” Rose huffed as I hung up the phone.

  I pulled the covers back and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing my eyes. I didn’t even look at Rose, ’cause I already knew she had her arms folded and her lip poked out. I was in a catch-22. If I stayed with Rose, Ma would probably call an ambulance and go to the hospital just to make me feel like I’d neglected her. And if I went home to Ma, it would probably cost me another hundred to keep Rose’s trap shut. I decided Rose could probably use a new pair of shoes or earrings.

  “Allen, I asked you a question. Are you going home?”

  I just nodded.

  “You know she’s just doing this for attention, don’t you?”

  I nodded again, then stood up and gathered my clothes.

  “Let me tell you somethin’, Allen! I’m sick of your mother interfering with our quality time. It’s bad enough you live with her.” Rose sucked her teeth.

  “That’s my mother, Rose. She needs me to take care of her.” I put on my pants calmly.

  “You ever think about putting that old lady in a home?”

  I spun around, glaring at her with my teeth clenched. “Don’t even go there.”

  Rose jumped back as if I’d scared her. She’d rarely seen this side of me, so I think she figured she better back off a bit. A good thing for me. It probably saved me a hundred bucks.

  “I’m sorry, Allen. I was just concerned about where she’s gonna live when we get married. She not going to live with us, is she?”

  I was sick of all her damn questions, so I didn’t answer. I just finished dressing.

  “Allen did you hear me?”

  “Rose, I gotta go. Let’s talk about this after church, okay?” I left the room, trying to avoid the argument that would soon be unavoidable. What would I do with my mother once I was married?

  When I walked out the door I could hear Rose yelling, “She’s playin’ you for a fool, Allen!”

  I wanted to yell back, “So are you!” but I just kept on walking.

  The ride home was short, and the only thing I could think about was Kyle sitting in that jail. I just wished there was a way to contact him and make sure he was all right. That dream had seemed so real.

  I walked into the house to find Ma snoring on the couch. The TV was on. I turned it off and sat down on the sofa next to her. I gently shook her until she woke from her sleep. Ma was a short, heavyset, light-skinned woman in her late sixties. She was never seen anywhere without one of many wigs or hats to hide her gray hair.

  “Hey, baby,” she said, smiling. Ma had a beautiful smile.

  “Hi, Ma. Come on, let’s go ta bed.”

  I helped Ma get up off the sofa and we both walked up the stairs to the bedrooms.

  “Lemme go see if I can find your blood pressure medicine, Ma.”

  “That’s okay, baby, I found it right after you hung up.”

  I threw Ma an I-can’t-believe-you look. She’d played me just like Rose had said.

  “Where’d you find it?”

  “You know, it’s the funniest thing. Them pills were right in that medicine cabinet, just like you said. I don’t know how I missed ‘em.’

  “Neither do I, Ma. Neither do I.” I shook my head.

  I made sure Ma got in bed. then walked downstairs to turn off the lights before going to bed myself. I thought about going back over to Rose’s, but changed my mind when I looked at the clock.

  “Allen? Allen, come up here a minute,” Ma called down the stairs.

  I knew whatever she wanted was something stupid, but I ran up the stairs anyway.

  “What, Ma?”

  “You not going back over to Rose’s, are you, son?”

  “No, Ma.”

  She smiled.

  “How come that girl ain’t had no baby by you yet?”

  “Ma, I told you ten times. Rose doesn’t wanna have a baby ’til we’re married and can afford a house.”

  “Well, what the hell you waitin’ for? I’m not gettin’ any younger Allen, and you my only child. I would like to leave this here world knowin’ my grandchildren.”

  “You mean that, Ma? You okay with me getting married?”

  She was silent for a few seconds before she shook her head. “I guess I ain’t got no choice. Rose is a nice girl. I just wish you wouldn’t give her all your money.”

  Both of us were silent as I tried to figure out who told her I was giving Rose money. It had to be Kyle or Jay. Wil wouldn’t d
o that type of thing. Damn, I hated when they got in my business.

  “What about you, Ma? Where you gonna stay when I get married?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Same place I always stayed. With you.” She laughed as if I should have already known the answer. My stomach got queasy just thinking about it. I’d taken care of my mother since my father’s death when I was fourteen. I’d always hoped that when I got married, Ma would cut the apron strings. It wasn’t like she couldn’t take care of herself. Hell, I was taking care of her, and she would go to her friends’ houses and clean like she was getting paid.

  “Good night, Ma.”

  “Good night, son. Sweet dreams.” I walked into the bathroom for some antacid. I took the medicine and went to bed, trying to think of a good way to tell Rose that my mother would probably be going on our honeymoon.

  3

  Wil

  I walked into the bedroom of my Rosedale home to find my wife Diane, who was trying to rock our crying eighteen-month-old son Teddy to sleep. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face, and I could see she was exhausted. Diane worked hard with Teddy, and I loved her for that. I was thinking about getting her a nanny when our second child was born in two months. She would probably need the extra help. I wanted to make sure our children had all the nurturing and love in the world.

  I’d met Diane by coincidence a little over eight years ago. At the time, I was working in sales for Johnson & Johnson products, while Diane was the supervisor in the shipping department, which was housed in another building. She had a reputation for being a real pain in the ass, and everyone from my department tried their best to avoid dealing with her. But one day I had this obnoxious client on the line, and he was demanding next-day shipping. The guy was buying almost a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of products and was threatening to cancel. I didn’t wanna lose my job or my commission, so I called up my usual contact in the shipping department. She told me there was nothing she could do with an order that big without approval from her supervisor. Enter Diane, the tiger lady, who turned out to be a cute little kitten. I explained the situation to her, and without giving it a second thought, she approved the shipping request.