Crazy Summer (19 page)

The phone rang, and Summer answered the one on the kitchen wall. “Hello.”

“How’s your mother doin’?” the voice asked from the other end.

She almost didn’t catch the voice, but it registered quickly.

“She’s fine. They’ll be keepin’ her about a week.”

“Good. Let her know she’s in my prayers.”

“I will. What about yourself?”

“This rehab mess can be aggravating sometimes, but other than that I’ll be alright. I need a change in my life anyway.”

Summer stared blankly straight ahead.
Everybody needs a change at some time in their life,
she thought. “Well, I wanna apologize for the way I acted towards you, and I also wanna thank you for helping my mother.”

“Everything happens for a reason. I really want to be a part of them boys’ lives,” Big Will said, changing the subject.

“Well, I can tell they like you.”

“So am I accepted?”

“Get yourself situated first,” she responded. “I won’t settle for anything less than the best for my kids.”

“I got access to greater things. It’s just that right now my parents don’t trust me, but when I get myself together, I can pull us all together.”

She nodded, but didn’t respond.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No…no, everything is alright.”

“Good. Listen at this, though. What kind of business plan do you have in mind?”

“I got something planned, but I don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

“How much money will it take?” Big Will inquired. Jus’ give me a rough figure.”

“I tell you what, when can you have visits?”

“Not this Sunday, but the next one.”

“Okay. I’ll bring the twins, and we’ll talk then. Do you wanna speak with them?”

“If it’s okay.”

Summer called upstairs. “Danté, tell the twins to get the phone.”  She stayed on until one of them picked up and then told him, “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, you be safe.”

“I will,” she replied before hanging up.

Alisa was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She was the spitting image of her mother––same eyes and small nose. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Summer wiped a drop of milk from the corner of her mouth before sitting down with her.

“Before school starts back, I’ma make sure your closet is on point.”

“What’s on point?” she asked, smiling.

“I’ll tell you once I get everything together. You just make sure you keep your grades up.”

“I will.”

Summer knew she had to move quickly. She at least needed an apartment where she could lay her head. She needed her own room, her own bed. She had a new life, but she wasn’t where she wanted to be.

After taking an hour nap, Summer showered, and by 3:30 p.m., she had a rental car and three new outfits she’d bought from the mall. Her next stop? Barton Village. She pulled into the driveway of a red brick house, stepped out, and rang the doorbell. A medium-built dark-skinned man answered the door. He walked with a cane and had a head full of gray hair. At first, he didn’t recognize Summer, but then he flashed a smile and opened the screen door.

“Hey, lil’ lady,” the old man said cheerfully, opening his arms to embrace her.

She fell into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist. He kissed her cheek.

“Come on in,” he told her.

Summer walked inside, and the old man closed the door. They sat down on the couch beside one another.

“When you get home?”

“Two days ago,” she replied while glancing around the living room at the photos of her, Danté, and the kids.

As she turned back toward the old man, he gave her knee a sympathy pat. “Is everything alright?” He then reached in his pocket and removed an asthma pump. After shaking it, he inhaled twice.

“My mother jus’ went in the hospital, but she’ll be alright.”

“I’m sorry to her that,” he said. Using his cane, he stood up. “I still got yo’ package you left fo’ me to put up.”

She stood up, also. “I’m not in a rush. Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“A lil’ high blood pressure, nothin’ serious. How about them kids? You gotta bring ‘em to see me.” He started walking toward the hallway.

“I will,” she responded as she walked over to the mantelpiece and picked up a picture of Danté and Rodney that had been taken in a club. They had champagne bottles in their hands. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. Another picture was taken of Summer dressed in a black dress at the funeral with Danté’s father standing next to her. With tear-filled eyes, She couldn’t help but to think about all the good times they had shared together, the heart-fluttering memories. She batted her eyes, closed them briefly, and then opened them when she heard Danté’s father coming up behind her. She turned slowly and faced him, trying hard to smile to keep from crying.

Danté’s father carried an old Nike shoebox underneath his left arm. He now had on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He stopped only inches away from her and wiped a tear from her face with his thumb.

“You don’t need to be cryin’,” he said in a low deep voice.

“Hard memories will crush a woman every time.” 

He handed her the box. “It’s seventy-five thousand here.”

She gave a confused look. “I only gave you fifty.”

“Jus’ say the other twenty-five is a gift from Danté.” He flashed an overwhelming smile. “Jus’ make sho’ you do the right thing, and call me if you ever need me.” 

She nodded and sat the box of money down. Then she hugged him. “I will,” Summer told him.

They held on to one another for a moment before the old man looked at her and said, “Stay focused and think big. It’ll come. In due time, it’ll come.’

Summer took every word in. Twenty minutes later, she was gone.

The digital clock on the dashboard read 4:20 p.m. by the time Summer pulled up in front of the tall building downtown where the bank was located. She activated the car’s hazard lights, quickly stepped out with the money now in her large shoulder purse, and sashayed through the tinted glass door. A security guard bowed as she entered and made her way toward a high marbled counter. A brunette behind the glass flashed a smile.

“Good afternoon. How may I help you?”

“I would like to purchase a safe deposit box,” Summer replied.

“No problem. What’s your name?”

By six-thirty, Summer and her kids were in Mrs. Diane’s hospital room. Since she was still connected to the IV machine, Summer helped her by combing her hair and washing her face with a warm cloth. She also changed her into a new pink gown and matching robe that she purchased earlier from Macy’s. Alisa rubbed her grandmother’s feet just the way she liked it.

“I feel a lot better,” Mrs. Diane said.

“You look a lot better, too,” Summer commented, then asked, “Did Eric call?”

Mrs. Diane shook her head. “Have you talked to him?”

Summer shook her head, as well.

Lil’ Danté came from the bathroom with a pitcher of ice cold water, poured some in a large Styrofoam cup with a straw, and held it to her lips so she could drink. A gracious smile spread across Mrs. Diane’s face as her eyes scanned her daughter and two youngest grandbabies.

“Y’all gonna spoil me with all this attention,” she said before slowly wrapping her lips around the straw and sipping a little.

Jermaine and Jeremy walked in with balloons, candy, and a few small items from the gift shop downstairs. They presented their grandmother with everything they had. She loved them, her family. From Mrs. Diane point of view, life was good. However, Summer wanted better, preferably for her kids. Summer knew the twins wanted to play high school basketball for Josey. It would be their first year there; however, she would prefer they play for a private school or somewhere where she knew they would get a better education.

When Jermaine sat a beige teddy bear next to Mrs. Diane, she couldn’t help but to smile. “Come here, Alisa,” she said.

Alisa squeezed through the crowd, and Mrs. Diane kissed the lips of her adorable granddaughter.

She smiled at her grandmother and asked, “Can I have the teddy?” 

“It’ll be ours together,” Mrs. Diane replied happily, and Alisa was content with her answer.

*****

The following morning, Summer searched the real estate section of the newspaper. There were several houses she’d seen that she would want to have, but every one of them was out of her budget. She didn’t want to move too far away from her mother, so that meant she’d have to stay within a ten-mile radius from the project, or better yet, her mother could live with her.

It was barely nine o’clock when a light knock came from the back door. Summer stood from the kitchen table and peeped out the window. She saw the van first with its large bold letters on the side that read: Augusta Boxing Club.

Before she could open the door, Lil’ Danté was already coming down the stairs at full speed. Summer couldn’t help but to notice how anxious he was.

“Slow down, buddy,” she said, then opened the door.

The driver stood before her, and his words got caught in his throat when he saw Summer. It was amazing how such a woman could make a man freeze up.

He quickly cleared his throat and said, “I’m here to pick up Danté McKey.” 

She looked back at her son. “Don’t get in no trouble.”

He shook his head. “No, ma’am, I ain’t.”

“I’m not,” she corrected.

“I’m not,” he repeated.

When they left, she took a deep breath, went back to the table, and continued flipping through the newspaper again. She turned a page, just browsing now, and then something caught her attention. The bold letters read: STACY’S, adult entertainment at its best. The phone number and address was listed at the bottom of the page. She ripped the ad out, and without hesitation, she got dressed and went to the club.

  The club was located on Broad Street, about four blocks from the bank where she’d purchased her safe deposit box the day before. The building was two stories high with gray stucco on the outside and a sign on the door that read OPEN. She strutted inside. The maroon carpet lined the narrow hallway until she came to a set of wooden double doors. She gripped one of the brass handles and slowly pulled the door open. She didn’t expect any women to be dancing at this time of morning. She didn’t see anyone. The stage was more of a runway that models would parade on. She counted the shiny chrome poles that ran from the floor to the ceiling. There were six of them, and two VIP sections upstairs with a balcony that overlooked the stage. But, none of this really impressed Summer. The decor wasn’t what she came for.