Permanent Resident at the Purse Table (10 page)

Here it was springtime and the Houston humidity still had Ava sweating as soon as her feet hit the pavement. She changed clothes to go to her parents' house for dinner, searching for something cool but that would also make her look smaller. Her mother's critiques of every new curve were sure to be plentiful. Ava didn't want to look like she gained weight. So far she had two strikes. A third, and she'd be out. Out of going to her parents' house.

She could opt to stay home, but hadn't seen her parents or her brother and his wife in weeks. And if she continued to be too antisocial, her inquisitive mother would come at her with a list of questions.

Lately, all she wanted to do was lie in bed or on her sofa and eat, drink, and try to be merry. Going to work because she had to and church, every once in a while, because she needed to was the extent of her travels. And then of course, there were the frequent drive-through visits.

Ava desired to call Rene, but the past week every time she dialed her number she received the same response: four rings and then voicemail. Rene probably looked to see who it was and chose not to answer. So since her best friend, who was the sister she never had, wasn't speaking to her, and with good reason, Ava finished getting dressed and left her apartment to spend time with her biological family.

The door opened as she approached the front steps. Her father grinned and said, “Hey, baby girl. Glad you made it. Come give your old man a hug.”

Her father's inviting embrace was the only thing she truly looked forward to. However, she didn't need to stay there too long for fear he might sense something was wrong. He was special that way and so was their connection. “Hey, Daddy. Missed you guys.”
Well, missed you.

“We missed you too. Go on inside. Your brother and Elaine are in the kitchen witcha momma.”

Ava pulled the top of her pants across her stomach, fixing her shirt to lie smoothly over her jeans. Well, somewhat smoothly. Running her fingers through her hair, she eased into the kitchen. She wouldn't give her mother anything to pick on her about if she could help it.

“Ava's here.” Her mother smiled, put the knife down she used to cut the potatoes, and bustled around the island to give Ava a hug. “You're looking healthy.”

Gah dawg! I ain't been here two minutes.
“Thank you, Momma. Good to see you too.”

Before the moment became too awkward, her brother, Alex, chimed in. “Hey, sis. It's really great to see you. Where you been hidin'?”

“Nowhere. Just doing my same thing, work, church, and home. What up with you, bro?” She hit him in the arm then hugged him. Turning to Elaine, she said, “How are you, sister-in-law?”

“I'm good. Busy, but good.” Elaine gave Ava a hug.

Ava smiled and bounced her head. “Yeah, I bet y'all are busy. Momma told me you two were trying to get pregnant.”

“Momma, dang!” Alex frowned. “You just had to say something.”

Popping an olive in to her mouth, Ava asked, “What? Your own sister can't know?”

“It's not that.” He put his arm around Elaine.

Elaine shook her head. “It's okay, she didn't know.”

“I didn't know what?”

Rubbing Alex's shoulder, Elaine took a deep breath. “We've been trying for a while now and not sure it's going to happen. I've been to the fertility doctor and everything.”

“Oh, it will happen.” Ava needed it to happen. Her mother might get off of her case once she held her first grandchild in her arms. “God gives you the desires of your heart, right?”
I need to remember that for myself.

“Thank you, Ava.” Elaine flashed a smile. “I'll hold on to that.”

Giggling, Ava went on. “And you know I just can't wait to spoil my niece or nephew and send the little sweetie back home.”

Alex set a stack of plates on the table. “Are you going to be that type of auntie? Spoil the baby and then when he or she gets to crying and pooping, you ready to send them back our way.”

Ava's mother slapped Alex's shoulder. “Don't talk about bowel movements in the kitchen.” She picked up a casserole dish from the counter and walked it over to the kitchen table. “Ava, you better do right by your brother because if and when you ever have any of your own, Alex will do the same thing to you.”

“Now see, Momma. Why you gotta say it like that?” Ava placed her hand on her hip.

“Like what?” Her mother scrunched her face.

“If and when. I plan to have kids. Just when the time and the man are right.”

“Amen, sis. No need to rush thangs.” Her brother extended his hand in the air and high-fived Ava.

Her mother moved to the stove to stir a pot that was boiling over. “You know what I mean. Don't be so sensitive.”

Ava's father put his arm around her. “Lydia, leave our little girl alone. You always say she don't come over here enough. She's here now, so let's enjoy it.”

“I am enjoying it. I'm just saying.” Her mother grinned.

Glad her father shut her mother up, Ava helped her brother set the table. Alex set the plates at each place setting, while Ava filled the glasses with ice and Elaine put out silverware. After everything was completed, they sat down as a family to eat. When Ava's father completed his prayer over the food, Ava noticed her brother rubbing Elaine's hand. He then handed her the potatoes and kissed her on the cheek.

Ava wanted that intimacy. Was it too much to ask? A man like her father or brother? In her family there were not one, but two Christian men with a sense of humor and ambition, who valued women and treated them with respect. Even though the good man count was down in the world, knowing her family produced high-quality marriage material gave Ava hope, but admittedly her hope was dwindling.

Her mother took a bite of her Caesar salad. “So, Alex, what's going on with you?”

“Same ol' same ol', Momma. Work's good. Home's great.” He kissed Elaine's hand.

“That's wonderful. You've always made me so proud.” Cutting her meat, prim and proper with her bony fingers, she looked at Ava. “And how's everything with you? Last time we talked you had broken things off with Xavier.”

Here we go.
Ava put her glass down. “We're still not together, Momma, so leave it alone.”

“Yeah, Momma. If Ava is through with him, let it go.” Alex winked at Ava.

“I just want her to be as happy as you and Elaine are. Is that such a bad thing?”

Who said Ava wasn't happy? Well, she wasn't but her mother didn't know that. “If you think I was happy with Xavier, you're going to love this.”

“What, Ava?” Her mother set her utensils down and stared at her with her frown lines front and center.

Ava paused.
Why am I opening up this can of worms?
Sadly, adding disappointment to her mother's day became a pastime for Ava. If her mother was going to continue to highlight her flaws, Ava would hold the neon marker. “Well, you're going to find out anyway.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Rene and I haven't spoken in over a month. I slept with Ishmael.”

Her father spit out his water. “You what?”

“It was just one of those things that happened. A big, bad mistake. And now she's called off the wedding and not talking to me anymore.” There. It would be in bad taste to take a picture of her mother's face, but that didn't mean Ava didn't want to do it.

Her mother hung her head. “See, that's why you need a man of your own.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “You know, Momma, your comments don't help me at all.”

“Yeah, Lydia. Leave the girl alone.” Her father put his head down, seemingly like he didn't want to make eye contact after hearing the words “I slept with” come out of his daughter's mouth.

“You're going to blame me now?”

“I'm not blaming you, Momma.” She waved her finger back and forth, while her neck swayed. “I'm just letting you know I could do without your little comments.” Ava's chair legs split. Crashing crackle sounds shuddered as she hit the floor.

“Oh, Lord!” Her father jumped out his seat. “Are you okay, baby girl?”

Alex hopped out of his seat and sprinted around the table. Lifting her up, he asked, “You all right, sis?”

Just what she needed. “Yeah, I'm fine. My tailbone and pride are damaged a bit, but I'm okay.”

Her mother shook her head. “I've tried to tell you, you need to lose weight. You broke the patio chair last summer and now this one.”

“Dat gum it, Lydia. The girl just fell. Can't you cut her some slack? Anyway, you know we've had these chairs since the beginning of time. Jesus sat in 'em chairs.” Ava, Alex, and Elaine laughed while her father sat down in his seat. “Don't worry about it, Ava. We was goin' to get some new chairs anyhow.”

“Thank you, Daddy. It was great to see you all, but I believe me and my embarrassment are going to go on home.” Ava kissed her father on the forehead, hugged her brother and sister-in-law, and patted her mother on the shoulder. “Y'all take care and I'll talk to you soon.”

“Oh, Ava, don't leave.” Her mother reached for her hand.

Jerking her hand back and picking up speed in her footsteps, Ava fled through the kitchen. By the time she sat down in her car, tears streamed down her face.

Toni and Eric sat on the patio of an Italian bistro in downtown Houston awaiting the arrival of Rene with Eric's court papers. When things got out of hand at Ava's apartment, Toni and Rene were not able to exchange paperwork and information concerning his charges and Roderick's attempted rape.

Toni drummed her finger on the table, looking at Eric. “Talk about Ava? Don't talk about?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. See how the conversation flows, I guess.”

Toni spotted Rene's car. She watched Rene park in the open parking space in front of the patio, wondering if she and Eric sat there looking like a couple, and if Rene would say anything about them resembling a couple again.

Rene exited the car with her briefcase in hand, and closed the car door. Opening the gate that separated the bistro from the sidewalk, she made her way toward Toni and Eric's table. “Good to see the two of you.” Rene turned to Eric. “Glad you could make it. Wasn't sure you'd be here.”

“Yeah, I was supposed to show a million dollar home today, but I pushed it back an hour.” He smiled. “I felt this was more important.”

“I thought it was too.” Toni tapped her fingers on his hand, then moved her eyes to Rene. “Good to see you, girl. Can't wait to hear this good news you have for me.”

“Well, most of it is good news.” Rene placed her briefcase on the table. “Like I told Toni, the charges were dropped against you, Eric; but, Toni, you will have to face Roderick in court.”

“No problem. I can handle that. Eric said he'd be there with me as a witness and a support system.” Toni pointed at Eric's chest. “He'll be the one we need to watch.” She wasn't sure what Eric would do when he laid eyes on Roderick. His protective demeanor was flattering, but she didn't want to see him in handcuffs. Again.

He sipped his tea, then said, “I'll be cool as long as the court handles it like they should.”

The waitress interrupted their conversation to take their orders. Toni and Eric asked for a refill of iced tea and Rene ordered a glass of water. The ladies chose grill chicken salads, while Eric ordered nothing.

Rene removed her shades, unhooked the latch on her briefcase, and gathered a small stack of papers. “Okay. Here are the documents you need to look over, Eric. Basically, it says you are aware of the charges and that they've been dropped. Sign the last page and have it notarized. Then all you have to do is drop them off at the police station to be filed, and your part is done.”

Eric took hold of the papers. “Thank you, Rene. Sounds easy enough.”

“You're welcome. The sooner you take care of it, the better.” Rene turned her attention to Toni. “And as for you, Toni, your court date has been set for July twenty-second.”

Toni frowned. “Why so far away? What's the hold up?”

“Girl, that's good. The courts are so backed up, you usually have to wait a lot longer. But I have a friend in the records office who moved your case up as high to the top of the pile as he could.”

“Well, be sure to thank him for me.” Toni needed this debacle to be over. Roderick, a fake and a phony, had wasted enough of her time with his lies and violent ways. Not only was he not a production assistant at a TV station, he didn't own the Range Rover he drove that night either. Turned out he was a small-time drug dealer and a frequent visitor of the county jail.

Rene dug into his background while working the case, and found all sorts of holes in his story. Something told Toni to cancel on him that night. She wished she would've listened to her inner voice.

“There's not much to your case. We'll need to meet a time or two before to go over questions the defense may ask you. Just be honest and it'll go smoothly. And with you, Eric, giving your testimony of what you heard and rolled up on, it should be a piece of cake.”

“Ooh, cake.” Toni's eyes lit up. “That sounds good. Since I've been off work, my sweet tooth has gone wild. I may have to do some of that cardio you were telling me about.”

Rene smiled and leaned in to examine Toni. “Your face looks a lot better. Will you be able to go back to work soon?”

“Hope so. I went in a week ago after I could hide the bruise with make-up, but wasn't sure I was ready emotionally.”

“I can understand that.”

Toni cleared her throat. “I feel like posing for pictures gets guys like Roderick thinking they can attack me just because I flaunt my body in front of a camera. Well, that's how I felt the first time I went to see my agent. But it's all I know how to do.”

“Girl, you can't let that fool put a negative spin on your dream job. He's crazy and guys who think like that are crazy. You have the right to model and no idiot can take that from you. And you are not flaunting, offering free advertising, or anything else. That's why he's going to jail for what he's done.” Rene placed her hand on Toni's leg. “You've done nothing wrong.”

“Well, thank you for that. After I leave here, I'm headed to my modeling agency to meet with my agent. He wants to see the physical damage and if it's healed completely.
And
if I'm completely healed as well. Hopefully, I can start going out on jobs next week.” Toni couldn't wait to get in front of the camera again. Posing for pictures was all she'd ever known. And with that not an option for the past month or so, boredom ruled her daily life.

“I received a copy of the pictures of your injuries taken the night the attempted rape happened, and with you having to take off work because of your bruises, Roderick doesn't stand a chance.”

After Eric thanked Rene again and excused himself to get to his real estate meeting, the waitress returned with the ladies' grilled chicken salads. As they ate, they discussed the happenings in their families. Toni missed Ava's presence. She wanted to throw Ava's name in at several pauses in the conversation, but couldn't find the right words to ease into their chat. Or she could've just been scared to utter the three little letters that would probably send Rene to her unhappy place. Either way, Toni's curiosity was heightened.

After her last bite, Toni couldn't take it anymore. “So, you still giving Ava the silent treatment?”

Rene scowled, looking at her like she was crazy. “You know I'm not talking to her.”

“I was just hoping you had a recent change of heart.”

“Not a chance.”

“I know she misses you.” Toni sipped her tea.

“She should have thought about that before she slept with Ishmael.”

“I know, Rene.” She shook her head. “Ava is real sorry and ashamed about what she did. She feels terrible for hurting you like that.”

“I really don't care how she feels.” Rene placed her shades back on her face. “And if you're going to start talking about Ava, we can end this conversation right now.”

Taking a deep breath, Toni put her hands up as if to surrender. “Okay, my bad. I thought you might want to know how your girl was doing. I mean she seems depressed and barely leaves the house.”

“She brought it on herself. Now let's change the subject.”

“No problem.” Toni tried her hand at mediation. But maybe it was too soon. “Have you been to church lately?”

“I went a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't want to have to answer questions about why my engagement ring wasn't on my finger. I'll go when I'm ready.”

“Yeah, I understand. Well, I went yesterday and Pastor Monroe was on it. As always. His message was extremely timely. It was about putting action behind your faith from the Book of James, I think. Faith without works is dead.”

Rene sheepishly laughed. “Yep, could've used that.”

“Also, he touched on relationships and having faith in God and what He can do to heal your marriage. He spoke specifically to those who are considering divorce. You know he jacked me up on that one.” Toni promised herself at that very moment to read over her notes from the sermon later. Perhaps the words would sink in better.

Eyebrows raised, Rene asked, “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Sort of. I want to believe Eric's changed, but I'm not interested in getting hurt again if he hasn't. He did ask me if we could go to church together some time, and if I would go to couples counseling with Pastor and his wife, Sandra.”

“Do you want to go?”

“I'm thinking about it.” Toni shrugged her shoulders.

“Let me know how it goes.” Rene took her wallet out of her purse. “Well, girlfriend, I gotta run.” She laid a ten dollar bill on the table.

Toni snatched it up and handed the bill back to her. “I got it. It's the least I can do. I truly appreciate you taking this on, Rene. I know you're a busy lady.”

“Thank you for the lunch and you're welcome. And it's not a problem, really. The busier I am these days, the better. Like I said, piece of cake.”

“I think I'll order that piece of cake now.” Toni smirked. “It goes great with salad.”

“Enjoy, and hope all goes well at the agency.”

 

 

Rene walked through the gate and got into her car. Leaving the eatery, she dug her cell phone out of her purse when she was out of Toni's sight. Rene scrolled through her contacts to Ava's number, imagining Ava sitting at home alone. Part of her was disheartened for her friend and even missed Ava's companionship. But then she envisioned Ava and Ishmael in bed together. Rene smacked her lips and tossed the phone back into her purse.