At Last (23 page)

“Eff you.”
Yvette replied.

“You packed, Ma?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.  I’ma start loading up the truck.”

“Mommy, when are you coming back?” Taylor asked.

“Soon baby. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“I guess so.”  She replied. She had the saddest look on her little face.  I really began to rethink the trip entirely.  I sat down on the couch and patted my lap so she could sit on it.

“You know Mommy loves you, right?”

“Yes.”  She said laying her head on my chest.

“Auntie Vette is going to take good care you and you’re going to have fun while I’m gone, okay?”  I said rocking her gently.

“Okay. I’ll miss you, Mommy.” Taylor said hugging me tightly.

“I’m going to miss you too, honey. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mommy.”

As Taylor let go, Clifford stood before us with a smile on his face, “Well ladies, time to make that move.”

“You okay, pooh?  I asked before picking her up and carrying her out to the truck.

“Yes, Mommy.”
She responded before laying her head on my shoulder as we walked over to Yvette’s car.

“Mommy has to go now. I love you.”  I said kissing her.

“I love you too.” She said sweetly. I knew she was going to cry once I left. I felt so bad.

I put her in Yvette’s car and looked at Yvette.

“She’ll be okay, Keish.”

“I know…”

“You just come back to me in one piece.  I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.” I said before hugging her.

“You take care of my sister, Cliff.”  She ordered Cliff jokingly.

“Of course.”
  He said before walking over to Yvette’s car and kissing Taylor on the forehead.

“I love you, Taylor.”

“I love you too, Mr. Cliffy.”

“Aiight Yvette, you be safe.” He said before closing Taylor’s door and walking with me to his Navigator.

“You too.
Bring me back somethin’, Mama K!” She said yelled at me before getting in her car. I went and hopped into the passenger side of the Navigator as Cliff climbed in on the driver’s side.  I watched Yvette and felt awful.

Cliff pulled off, “Taylor’s gonna be fine.”

“I know, but I still hate to leave my baby.”

“Come on, babe. 
We gone
have a good time.” He said smiling at me.

“Okay.” I replied.

He grabbed my hand and kissed it, “We’ll be back to Taylor before you know it.”

We hit the highway. While Clifford drove I watched his large hands glide over the steering wheel.  He looked so good.  He was wearing a navy blue New York Yankees baseball cap, a blue sweatshirt, Al Wissam leather coat, dark blue jeans and a pair of black ACG boots.  Wood framed Cartier glasses rested on his face.

We’d just entered Ohio, and I was already nervous about the trip. My mind was running rampant with thoughts. I was hoping that Cliff’s family would accept me. If they didn’t, I knew it was going to be a long trip.

“What you thinking about?”  He asked glancing over at me.

“Stuff.”
  I said smiling.

“What kinda stuff?”

“I just want your family to like me.”

“Ma, they gone love you just like I do.”
  He said winking at me.

“Tell me about them.”  I said admiring the scenery.

“They cool.  My mother is retired from the school board; she was a secretary.  My sister Chanel is a sophomore at NYU she wants to be a doctor.”

“What about
your
Dad?”

Cliff went silent for a moment. His face instantly went from joyous to scornful, “My mom divorced him when I was fifteen. 
We not all that tight.
  He stays in Harlem.”

“Didn’t you say you had another sister?”

“Yeah.
Her name’s Carmen.  She’s four years under me.  She
stay
upstairs from my mother. I don’t really fuck with her like that no more though.”

“Why not?”

“Cause
she
a muthafucka.”

“Cliff!” I said giving him a menacing glare.

“I mean, she
do
what she do, I do what I do.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Why not?
Everybody
don’t
operate like you and Yvette,” He pointed out. He was right, “Anyway, you’ll see when you meet her.”

Oh great. If I didn’t have enough to think about, now I had to worry about meeting his “muthafucka” of a sister.

I began to drift off to sleep waiting what would happen in New York.

             
When I woke up the clock read ten in the evening.  Cliff had stopped at a gas station.

“Finally up? You want something from here?”

“Yeah.”
  I said before getting out of the car and stretching.  I went to the restroom and bought a Dasani from inside the gas station .When I walked back to the truck; Cliff was standing outside of the car pumping gas.

             
“You ready?”  He asked.

“Yeah.
  How far are we?”

“About an hour and some change.  Try to stay up this time.”  He said grinning.

“Whatever.”  I said smiling before hopping in the Navigator. About a minute later, Cliff climbed inside the Navigator and we pulled off.

             
The rest of the ride Cliff told me about his best friend Jay and how they grew up together in Brooklyn.  He’d known him since he was four years old.

“Me and Jay been tight for as long as I can remember.
  I can’t even really recall a time before knowing him.  He the brother I never had. “He got this far away look expression on his face than quickly shook it off. “Yeah, that’s my dude.”

Before I knew it we were turning on to his old block the street was lined with trees and two story duplexes.  Cars were parked on each side of the street.  Streetlights lit the street.  The neighborhood appeared to be a nice even at night.  Clifford’s phone began to vibrate.

“Hey, Momma.
I’m right up the street. We’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Alright,” He said before hanging up and looking at me, “You ready?”

“Yeah.”
I said nervously.

We pulled up and a short woman, who was light caramel brown, approached us.  Her short reddish brown hair and was cut in a tapered sleek cut. She wore a light blue jogging suit.

Next to her was a slender coco brown skinned woman.  Her hair was shoulder length and honey brown. She was
wearing a pink T-shirt and a pair light of colored blue jeans.  Cliff cut off the car.

“Come on, Ma.” Cliff said exiting the truck. I got out of the truck and approached them.

“Hey, baby.” The woman with the reddish hair greeted. Her eyes and smile were equally warm.

“Hey, Momma.”
Cliff said hugging her tight.

The pretty girl walked up to me, “Hey Keisha.”

“Hi.” I said as she hugged me.

“I’m Chanel.”

“It’s nice to meet you. You’re so pretty.”

She smiled graciously, “So are you.  I love your cornrows.”

“Thank you.” I said smiling.

“I like her already, C.J.” Chanel commented.

“I knew you would.” Cliff said with a smile.

His mother walked towards me, “So you’re the one who’s got my baby’s heart.”

I smiled.

“She’s so pretty, C.J.”

“Thank you.”  I said humbly.

“I’m Wilma Andrews. Welcome to our home.” She said before giving me a warm, tight hug.

“Thank you for having me.”

“Go ahead and get your bags out the car.” She instructed us.

We went, grabbed all of our bags, and entered their house. Everything was all on one floor.  It had a living room, a big kitchen, one bathroom and three bedrooms in the back of the house.  There was an entirely different section upstairs where Clifford’s other sister lived.

We put our luggage in Clifford’s old bedroom.  The bedroom had a full size bed with a medium sized TV, radio a dresser up against the wall next to the window
and a trunk. Blue curtains fell around the windows and a black and blue bedspread covered what appeared to be a queen-sized bed. There was also a nightstand next to the bed and a dresser with a mirror attached on the other side of the room.

I took off my coat and placed it on the bed. He opened up the closet and hung up his coat.

‘”So what you think?”

“About what?”
  I handed him my coat.

“About my people.”

“They’re nice.  So this was your room?”

“Yeah,” He said standing in front of me, “I’m glad you came.”

“I am too.” I said smiling.

He leaned towards me and kissed me slowly. As our tongues touched, he laid me on the bed and climbed on top of me.

“C.J, You and Keisha come and eat.”  His mother called out to us.

We stopped and laughed.

“C’mon, C.J.”
  I said laughing.

“Cut it out.”  He replied grinning.

We went into the dining room and Ms. Andrews had the food laid out.  She had the works.  Fried chicken, catfish, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, greens, yams, cornbread, rolls and on top of that sweet potato pie.

“Wow Ms. Andrews, everything looks and smells great.”

“Thank you honey, but
baby call
me Wilma.”  She said with a big smile. I nodded my head as she motioned for us to hurry up and sit down, “Come on and sit.”

“Yeah, hurry up.  She wouldn’t let me eat nothin’ until y’all got here.” Chanel said.

“C.J, will you say grace?”  His mother asked him.

Cliff simply nodded, “Thank you Lord for the food we’re about to receive.  Bless the hands that prepared it and let it be nourishment to our bodies.  I just want to thank you for watching over me and Keisha and allowing us arrive safely and we thank you for family.  All these blessings in Jesus name, Amen.”

Listening to Cliff’s grace I thought about how happy I was at this moment.  I was proud that he thought enough of me to bring me home to meet his family.  I felt comfortable with them.  I finally felt like I belonged.

Chapter Eighteen

“Wake up, Ma.” Cliff whispered as he kissed me on the forehead.

“Morning, baby,” I replied groggily before smiling and stroking his cheek. I rose up slowly out of my slumber and wiped my eyes, “What time is it?”

“Ten-o’clock.  Come on and get ready so I can show you the city.”

I gave him the biggest smile, “Oh baby, that’s so sweet.  Let me get ready.”

I climbed out of the bed in my black night gown. I caught Cliff looking at my backside and smiled.

Slap!

“Cliff!” I yelled at him with a smile.

“I couldn’t help it,” He said laughing, “Come here.”

“Baby, you said you was gonna take me on a tour.  If we get back in the bed, we’ll never leave.” I explained slowly backing towards the door.

“The city ain’t gonna go nowhere.” He said before laughing.

“Cliff,” I said with a grin, “I’m about to take a shower.”

“Aiight.”
He replied slapping me on the backside again. I smiled and put on my bath robe. I left the room and saw Cliff’s mother heading towards the front door, “Good morning Ms. Andrews.”

“Girl, you better start callin’ me Wilma,” She said before laughing, “I love that robe.”

“Thank you, Wilma,” I said before laughing with her, “I’ll send you one.”

“Bless your heart. Where’s my son? Still sleep?” She asked with a smile still on her face.

“He’s up.
Still in the bedroom.
He’s supposed to be taking me for a tour of the city today.” I informed her. I was so excited. I knew Wilma could tell by the look on my face.

“Well, I won’t keep you, Honey.  I’m going to run some errands and Chanel is gone to class. I know you’ll have a good time. See you later.”

“Okay.  Bye-Bye.” I said before walking inside the bathroom.

I removed all my clothes and let the water heat up looking myself in the mirror; it began to fog up and I hopped in the shower letting the water cascade down my body. As I began to wash up, I heard the door slowly creak open.

“Cliff?” I asked.

“Yeah.”
He said mischievously.

“
You gettin’
ready?” I asked.

“I’m about to.” He said.

Cliff opened the sliding door to the shower revealing his beautiful body. He stepped inside with a smile on his face. Water was glistening off every inch of his body as his manhood became hard as a brick.