Let Me Just Say This (7 page)

“And what idea would that be.”

“That a young, attractive woman, is available, if you know what I mean.”

“No, I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean. I am not available and I am not looking for anything from anyone. Look, Kevin is still inside if you are looking for him.”

“No ma'am. I was heading home, since my buddies think that a good time means hitting on any and everything in a skirt.”

“Well, isn't that what you guys do?”

“No ma'am. Well, not me anyway. I like to come out, dance a little, have some nice conversation and something to drink, then head home.”

“Well, aren't you special? Look, have a good night,” she said as she continued past him and looked down the street. She started shuffling back and forth and wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to keep warm.

“Well, this isn't the best place to stand outside. Can I offer you a ride somewhere?”

“I don't even know you.” She said with attitude.

“I'm sorry. My name is Matthew.”

“Nice name,” she said sarcastically

“Do you have a name?” he asked

“Yes.”

“Mind telling me?”

“Why?”

“Cause I introduced myself. Now it is only common courtesy to introduce yourself.”

“I didn't ask you to tell me your name. So, consider this as me being rude.”

“Wow. Didn't know a woman as fine as you could be so cruel.”

“Whatever.” She said as she turned her head while rolling her eyes at him.

“Well, the offer stands, Ms. No-name, if I can drop you somewhere, I will.”

“No thank you. I called my girlfriend; she should be here in a little while.”

“Ok. Well, have a good night,” he said as he walked away.

He pulled out his cell and she noticed a limo stop in front of him and he got in.

She started walking back towards the carry out. She went in and asked the person at the counter if she could wait for her ride. The woman behind the counter shrugged her shoulders so Cheryl sat down by the window.

She went back out to the payphone, still kicking herself for leaving her purse in the car but after an hour and trying one more time to ring her friend. Just then a limo stopped, and the back window came down.

“Excuse me. Would you like a ride somewhere?” asked the familiar face.

“No thank you. I thought I said that a little while ago.”

“Well, it looks like you still don't have a ride and I don't feel comfortable leaving a pretty young woman out here by herself. You never know who could be lurking in the dark.”

I guess you would know because you the one lurking,
she thought to herself but her options had run out and she couldn't see any other way of getting home. She started to walk towards the car.

As she got closer, the driver got out and opened the door and Matthew got out.

“Carl, take her wherever she needs to go. I'll get a ride,” he said.

“You don't have to do that. I don't want to put you out.” She said as she stepped down from the curb.

“It's no bother. I'll have another drink while I wait.” He said as he guided her into the back seat.

“Ms…? What's the address?” Carl asked.

“14400 Albrook Drive, please.” she said as she climbed into the back and leaned against the back of the seat.

“If you give me your address, I'll cover whatever extra this is going to cost you.” She said.

“No need to do that.”

“Are you sure? I don't like owing anyone anything.” She said as he stepped away from the car.

“Yes, I'm sure. I got this. Just have a good night.” He said.

“Thank you.”

“Here, in case you are ever in a jam. You can call them; they are very reliable and prompt.”

M & T Car Service. Call us when you want to feel like a star.

MPerry/TWayne/owners

Cheryl and her parents arrived at the school about twenty minutes early. They had to wait for the principal to finish up with some things before they could see him. They walked in and the principal asked her to tell her version of the story. After telling her side of the story, they asked her to wait in the hall. After about twenty minutes they called her back in.

“The decision has been made that you will be off of the bus for one week,” Mr. Dayes said. “You will also need to stay away from Brenda.”

“I didn't start it,” Cheryl whined.

“Well as far as we can tell you are telling the truth, but we don't know how she sustained such serious injuries. Her mother was ready to press charges because of the endangerment of her daughter and grandchild, but she has since changed her mind. We are asking that you stay as far away from her as possible. Is that too much to ask?”

“As long as she doesn't bother me,” Cheryl said with more attitude than she really should have had.

“Well, even if she does, you need to walk away.”

“I'm not going to let her hit me.”

Mr. Daye's eyes frowned. “It seems like you do not understand me…”

Cheryl interrupted him. “Yes I do. But if she hits me, like she did this time, I am not walking away.”

Her dad spoke up. “Surely you don't expect my
daughter to let someone hit her and she not defend herself.”

“No, I am not. I am asking that she is not the aggressor.” Mr. Dayes responded.

“My daughter was not the aggressor this time. This other girl, who doesn't ride my daughter's bus, rode her bus home and hit my daughter before my daughter had a chance to get off of the bus.”

“I understand that, and we have spoken to her about that and she won't be allowed on any bus for at least a month.”

After another few minutes of talking, they were free to go. Upon leaving the office, Brenda's mother came walking up to them.

“I just want to apologize for the stupid actions of my daughter. Ever since she found about, well anyway, she has been acting out and I am just glad my grandchild is ok.”

“Well, I am sorry it became physical,” Cheryl's mother said. “It's just sad that two young ladies were acting like they didn't have home training and settling it with violence.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes at her mother for making an assumption, just as she had the day before.

“Are you staying or do you want to go home?” her dad asked her.

“No sir. I already missed three classes today. I would rather stay.”

“Ok, see you later then,” he said and her parents started towards the parking lot.

“Girl, what in the world is going on?” Dee started the questions as soon as she saw Cheryl.

“Nothing, I just can't go around Brenda and vice versa, and I can't ride the bus for a week. Have you seen Shaun today?”

“Naw, why?”

“I need to talk to him.”

“If I see him, I'll tell him,” Dee said and they walked their
separate ways. As she got her books from her lockers she heard people in the hallway talking about yet another girl being pregnant.

“Can you believe it…her of all people?” said the girl with the braids and pink shirt.

“Ew, no. And who in the hell would want a baby with her. She sleeps with any and everybody.” Said the girl with the jeans so tight Cheryl could see her panty line.

“Well, whoever it is; I bet he wished he would have worn a rubber.”

She sat in class for a while and kept replaying the conversation in the principal's office over and over in her head. She decided that the one person that knew all there was to know at this high school would be Dee. She knew everyone's business and what she didn't know, she found out.

Cheryl didn't see Shaun for almost a week but then he bounced up to her and wanted to take her to their favorite spot. She was a simple girl, and by her own admission, simple minded at times. She loved walking in the park with him and just holding hands and listening to birds sing their songs. She decided it was now or never.

She steered him over to the park bench and sat on top of it.

“Shaun, have you heard what people are saying about you?”

“Yeah, so what, It's just talk.”

“It doesn't bother you?” she said as he sat down in front of her and she put her hands through his hair.

“No, you know how people talk.”

“Yeah, but they are saying that you got somebody pregnant. Now we both know it ain't me, so why they saying that?”

“I don't know. Why don't you ask them if you are all concerned?” he said as he turned around and looked up at her.

“Don't be getting all testy with me. I was just asking a question. Damn. Unless you keeping something from me.”

“W-what is that supposed to mean.” He said as he jumped up from his spot on the bench.

“Nothing. God, can't anybody joke around with you.” She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him close to her.

“Not about that!”

“Well, I should ask Dee. She knows everything, then we will go and tell them to stop spreading lies about you.”

“What would you do that for? You know Dee is just plain nosey anyway and likes to keep shit stirred up.”

“Dang, I was only kidding. Don't bite my head off.” Shaun started kicking leaves and looking a little uncomfortable.

“Hey, you know I love you, right?” he said looking up at her.

“Yeah, Yeah.”

“No seriously. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, just remember that.”

“As long as you don't forget it,” she said as she poked him in his chest.

“Let's get out of here; do you mind if we stop by my house first?” he asked her as he led her to the car.

“Nope, as long as I'm home before eight, that's fine.”

They pulled up to his apartment building and got out and Paul walked up to him.

“Hey, B said to call when you got here.”

“Whateva, Nigga,” Shaun replied.

“Well, I'm only the messenger. And the message has been told.” Paul said, and walked away.

“Who is B?” I asked.

“Nobody.”

“Well, nobody wants you to call.”

“Yeah, I got that.” he said and started toward the door.

They got on the elevator and as the doors closed the smell hit her like a brick upside her head. The urine smell and the dingy carpet were enough to make her move closer to Shaun. The lights in the elevator didn't work so
once the doors closed you were in darkness. Luckily it wasn't night yet so it didn't bother her. The people in the building must have taken the stairs all the time at night. They got to his floor and he opened the door and she barely made it in before the door shut.

So much for manners, she thought to herself.

“Baby, I know you must be crazy, to walk up in here and not speak to your grandmamma,” she said as Shaun breezed by her on his way to the back.

“Granny, I was just thirsty,” he said while walking back into the living room. “I was going to speak.” He bent over and gave her a kiss.

“That's better, ‘cause I would hate to have to get up out of this chair,” she said while swatting at him.

“And do what. Need more oxygen?” He laughed, but Cheryl cringed at the disrespect she felt he had just shown to his grandmother.

“Don't look so serious, baby,” the older woman said. “If I thought that boy was serious, I would be whooping his ass right now.”

“Grandma, why you always trying to get a look at my butt.”

“Boy, I diapered your black ass when you was a baby. The only thing different now is the size…I guess.” She laughed.

“Whatever you say grandma,” Shaun said as he walked back towards his bedroom. “Cheryl, I'm going to change my clothes real quick. Be right back.”

She sat down in the living room, on plastic no less. She thought to herself: What is it with black folks and plastic on the furniture? All it does is make the furniture look more dingy once the plastic turns yellow. His grandmother was watching an old black and white movie. She could have at least offered her something to drink. She guessed she wasn't like most grannies.

“Baby, you can go on back. That boy will be forever if you don't hurry him along.”

She walked back into his room and he had on his jeans
and shoes, but no shirt. She finally saw him as most girls did. He was the color of a Hershey's bar, had a flat stomach, muscular arms, and a short haircut.

“Grandma wouldn't think you were such a nice girl if she saw you now,” he walked up to her and kissed her on her neck and face.

“Oh really, what would she think if she saw this.” She said as she kissed him back with lust.

“Babies, I don't hear no talking going on in there.”

“Yes grandma,” he yelled back.

“Hey, I want to give you something.” He walked over to his dresser and came back with a black opal ring.

“This is my grannies. She told me to give it to whoever I wanted to spend my life with.” He put it on her right hand, middle finger.

“You know that's the wrong hand.” She said

“Dang, why can't you just take it? God, why does it have to be on the right finger, I gave it to you; ain't that enough?” he asked as he dropped her hand and walked over to his chair.

“I'm sorry. I just thought you should know that if you want to get married, you need to ask me first,” she said walking over to him.

“Look I know. Can you let me just be the man for once and stop trying to be so damn bossy. God! Now I see what my dad was talking about.”

“What does that mean?” she said with her hands on her hips.

“Just that…well sometimes a woman gotta let a man be a man and stop trying to be the woman AND the man.”

“What! That is just stupid.” She said as he walked away from her. “Besides I was only making a point. You don't have to bite my head off about it.”

“Whatever.” He grabbed his shirt from the chair and walked out of his room.