All That Matters (2 page)

‘Where your boys…I didn’t see them when I come up.’

‘Matt has them out back Tye loves running around now so he let him loose. I swear since he started walking I can’t keep up with him.’

‘Hey…we have to let little man grow let me go put these in the back your moms out front.’

‘Great I’ve been waiting on her…I’ll go see if she needs help…where is Nanny K?’ Ashley asked as she retreated out the front door.

‘I think she went over to my parent’s place my mom want her to rest up some.’

‘That’s good she would just want to do everything herself here…I’ll be back in a sec to help with those let me go see my mom.’

The family decided on having the celebration and making it a reunion of sorts just to get everyone in the same place at the same time for once. They had grown quite a bit from those early days of struggle and all had lives that keep them so busy it was hard to ever catch up with any of them so the gathering to celebrate their matriarch was just what they needed.

By sunset just about everyone had arrived and the guest of honor had also made her way back to the main house. There were tons of different foods being prepared and so many different voices floating through the house and outside it was hard not to find the joy of the occasion. The kids were all running around and there was a huge sense of peace over them. By sun down they all gathered around the large family table passing around the different dishes of food. The peace Sedric had been searching for was finally real, but in the back of his mind he knew the things he left behind would not just go away. Pressing those thoughts as far back as possible he focused on the conversations around him.

‘So you two had me on pins and needles there for a couple of those games, and what was with all the winking?’ Ashley was the first to bring up the subject just about everyone was waiting to talk about.

‘What are you talking about fathead nobody was winking?’ Even after she had married and become a mother Brandon never let Ashley forget she was still the little sister and his playful jabs where always ready when they were together.

‘Don’t call me fathead…and yes you were I saw it a ton of times especially game three I was right there and saw you do it at least five times both of you…right Taye?’

‘Yea, I saw it to baby so what was it about…Sedric you even had a little smirk a couple times…let us all in on the secret.’

‘Ladies…ladies, no secret just a little friendly competition.’ He put his hands up to surrender knowing the ladies of his family did not take to being left out of things even the ones that weren’t born into it.

‘Yea but it’s not like that was one on one.’ Ashley was of course one to prove the point by not letting the subject drop she was true to her gene for sure.

‘That’s true you two seemed to forget your teammates at times…Rachel pointed that out to me a few times.’ To Brenda the best part of the endless games was having her nephew near she missed her family most of all and now with her children growing her branch so rapidly she rarely got a chance to see them all. So with Sedric around more it was comforting knowing her family wasn’t far away.

‘Auntie, you know there has to be a little something when we play it’s always on TV when we do.’

‘Yea like there has never been to people in the league related before, I mean that’s how they act don’t you remember them asking was Sedric your son mommy.’ Just about everyone at the table burst into laughter at Brandon’ comment.

‘Goodness yes I remember that my poor body could not have taken the both of you…enough about you two. Auntie did you enjoy your spa day they do a really good job at Lea’s place don’t they?’

‘Yes they do, they did my hands so nice I have to ring Marigold so she can go over I really liked that. Brenda, you know you have to come down for festival next time and bring your grand babies they will love it.’

‘Oh, I don’t know Nanny K me and five little ones I don’t think I would make it.’

They dissolved into laughter and the ladies broke off into the routine of clearing the table and conversation about their separate families. Throughout the dinner Sedric felt his phone buzz a few times in his pocket so he stepped out the front door to check it. He had put off several meetings with his agent so he figured some of the buzzing was from him.

Several of the messages were references to the “opportunities” he absolutely could not turn and a few more that were strong recommendations. That was Jakes way of saying he had already put things in motion so there was no backing out of them, for the most part things went well with him letting Jake take the reins on new deals and making sure his old ones where concrete. But there were times that he simply wanted the lights off just to have a few moments of quiet. A call came in as he read through a few emails, and appointments. When he saw the number his entire body tensed, then with a deep sigh he answered not speaking just sighing into the phone.

‘Thanks for calling and letting me know you made it down there safely. Oh and of course thanks for the invite. I’m sure your family didn’t need to meet the woman in your life.’ His only response was another deep sigh just so Kemi would know he was still on the line.

‘Sed are you still there what you still mad or whatever it was you were before you left?’ The side door swung open and Brandon stepped out taking his attention away for a few seconds but he put his mind back on track quickly.

‘Yea, I’m here and my bad my mom had a whole list of stuff she wanted me and my brother to do when I came in.’

‘Oh, how nice it must be beautiful in Trinidad…instead of rainy Chicago.’ Clearly she was hinting at the fact that he hadn’t mentioned the nearly month long trip to her until the day he was leaving.

‘Yea, it’s way better it felt better the second I got off the plane.’

The better person in him started to feel bad about how the relationship had been going. All he knew was that he didn’t want to deal with the back and forth any longer. Kemi was ninety percent around because of who he was and the perks that came along with it. That had been made clear completely in how they met and who she was dating when they met. She hadn’t come out and said the words just yet but her actions made it extremely clear.

‘Listen Kemi I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. I mean shit I know you probably already know…’

Over the phone was the worst way to say the least but he needed to get it off his chest. He needed the clean break just a chance to be and figure out his next steps. He walked to the far end of the porch so no one could hear what he was about to do. There was no way she was going to take it lightly or just let it be so he had to be prepared for that.

‘Look Kemi me and you been on a weird path for a minute now where exactly do you think this is going?’

‘We’ve been on a weird path because of you I mean….exactly why didn’t you want me to come down with you and why haven’t I met any of your family…I mean hell I have even been at games sitting right across the court from some of them and you still didn’t introduce me.’

It was definitely true that he had been presented with plenty opportunities but his gut told him something different so he stayed away.

‘That is a huge step involving other people in what’s going on….or whatever this is supposed to be and …’

‘What this is supposed to be…what are you trying to say I have begged you tons of times to come meet my family and you…’

‘Yo…listen let’s not go back forth I’ve told you like a million times…it just didn’t feel right.’

‘What we’ve been doing everything else what do you mean it didn’t feel right, or is this just another excuse so you can play around like you always do?’ She was classic with claims of cheating it was comical to him really the truth was he had never stepped out on her in anyway.

‘What are you talking about….look nobody is playing around as a matter of fact I’m thinking we should just end this all now stop this game neither one of us is happy and you know it. Let’s just make a clean break so we can move on with our lives.’

The phone had gone dead silent from the moment he echoed the words
“end this all now”
so he waited. He waited for the storm to come, the rage he could feel coming through the line. He knew she wasn’t expecting it he knew she was hoping for the exact opposite.

‘WHAT?!...who is she…is it that good that she has you tripping like this…WHO IS SHE SEDRIC it better not be that damn girl from Cleveland you know I am sick of having this happen every….’

‘Yoooo…KEMI, I’m not going through this shit again there is nobody else I’m just saying I’m trying to make this less complicated so we can both be happy…I mean think about it we don’t do anything like were a couple we still live apart and I don’t even think we’ve had sex in like three months…’

‘So all this is about is sex…I asked you over and over again to find a place with me and you…’

‘We’re not married I’m not about to shack up with you…I wasn’t raised that way…I have already fucked up way to much I’m not going there.’

‘Not being married is not my fault you’re the one scared of marriage.’

‘I’m not scared of anything Kemi…there is a difference in scared and not ready. Listen at the end of the day we can go back and forth with this conversation but it’s going to end the same let’s just walk away we will be cool just friends and nothing more.’ His body seemed lighter like there had been a mass of something holding him down that finally let go. ‘Look I know we should talk more in person so I will hit you back when I’m back in the states.’ She hadn’t said anything still he knew she was calculating her next move that’s who she was. She definitely was not going down without a fight. The tricky part was anticipating her move and being able to ward it off.

‘How dare you Sedric…’ Before she could finish there was a voice in the background and then she hung up. He waited a few minutes before he walked back assuming she would call back but she didn’t so he headed back towards the house. A few seconds later he was back at the other end of the porch were his brothers and a few of his cousins had gathered. When he got closer Brandon gave him a slight nod knowing exactly what that call had been about since they had countless conversations about him dealing with women coming from every possible cut and corner. Brandon was lucky he was about to celebrate his tenth wedding anniversary and now had three beautiful girls with the love of his life it was safe to say he was beyond happy in his personal life.

To top that he was not going anywhere near any other woman because he had learned the lesson before the lights had truly turned on. So part of Sedric wasn’t exactly sure he could truly understand what it was like without that security at home. There wasn’t a home feeling to what he had with Kemi, it was simply what it was someone he occasionally slept with and had a few meals with. There was never the feeling he was expecting to have come along, possible because his feelings where settled on someone else and he wasn’t willing to admit it.

‘Sed man you look like you’re ready to burst. What got your feather rump?’ His brother Charles walked over draping his arm over his shoulder treating him just like he always had.

‘I miss you little brother what’s going on with you these days I hear your down for a whole month?’

At that news Brandon’ eyes got bigger with even more question. He remembered the days of being the new hot player so it was safe to say Sedric would have every camera and mic basically shoved at him right now so the news of him staying away for a full month had him thinking. To try and answer Brandon’ questioning eyes and fill in everyone else he decided on the diplomatic answer and get them on another subject. Waiting to have that conversation was best, there was nothing but love that filled him about his family but even they had the tendency to be a little more into his personal life than he wanted.

Once they had the house back in order the younger ladies joined them outside for a while before they all disappeared to their separate places for the night. The big celebration was the next day and they all needed to rest up for it.

The one thing he knew was that he valued things differently than Kemi, and although they physically enjoyed each other at times lately even that was different for him. Then there was Ayida his mind never let him forget her, he never lost the feelings for her. So he was mentally and physically stuck when that situation was presented to him. The biggest frustration was the battle between simply walking away and staying. Staying would mean major changes had to be made right now changes were the on the thing he hated. Right now finding peace required a six hour flight with at least one lay over so right now all he wanted was to calm his life down. By the time his head hit the pillow his mind was spent. Sleep was what he needed; the morning would bring about a new fresh mind set. Or at least that was what he was hoping for.

Two

‘Daddy…daddy Uncle Frasier says he is going to put a whole big fish on the fire…we can’t eat that can we daddy?’

If Brandon had to describe his now middle child Marie he would start with reserved as her defining factor, she was more the protector of their little family and never liked too much attention from strangers around the family. But anytime they came down to visit that all went away and a new excited version of her appear so when she came barreling around the corner with her cousins on her side he knew she had relaxed. It bought him a different kind of joy knowing he had a way to give his kids a freedom they didn’t truly have away from the lights at home.