Another Man Will (15 page)

C
HAPTER
20

Crystal

S
eventy-three hours had come and gone, and I was about to get married. I was so happy, excited, scared, even though I knew I was doing the right thing. I had never imagined myself eloping. I'd always thought when I finally got married, my dad would walk me down the aisle in my off-white dress and I would be surrounded by my family. But life didn't always turn out the way we wanted it to.

Our courtroom wedding judge read us our vows. Rell and I repeated our vows to one another, promising to cherish each other till death did us part. Rell slipped on the simple silver band that we got from Wal-Mart on the way to the courthouse. It wasn't a fancy ring or a big diamond, but it meant so much to me. By placing that ring on my finger, he shut up all the naysayers. No one could talk about me anymore. Not Syreeta, my sisters, or my dad. Once the judge pronounced us husband and wife, our lips delicately connected and the moment got the best of me.

“Don't cry. Boo, I'm gonna make you so proud to be my wife.”

“I know you are, Rell. I already am,” I said as I held back my tears.

Rell asked the judge to take a picture of us. He snapped the picture, congratulated us, and left the courthouse.

I glanced at our wedding picture. We were smiling. “Babe, we look cute.”

“We do.”

“I'm sending this picture to everyone.” I gave the picture the caption “Just Married” and texted it to him, and we shared it with all our friends and family. Instantly, congratulations started coming in, and Rell's phone rang.

“Yeah, we did it, Reef. I got a ball and chain now, too.”

I smiled and punched his arm as he put Shareef 's call on the speakerphone.

“Welcome to the family, sis,” said Shareef. “You are a Glover now. And that last name comes with a lot of responsibility. And remember, Rell, you got to do everything she says now. Happy wife equals happy life.”

“I know, man, I already told her. I'm going to make her proud to be my wife.”

“Did your parents call back yet?” Rell asked.

“No. I don't know if my mother got the message. She is really not that good at texting.”

“Now you see I love you, Crystal. Do you feel more secure now? I'm not going anywhere.”

“I do,” I answered just as my phone began to ring. “Hey, Daddy. Did you get the picture?”

My dad didn't say what a father was supposed to say to a new bride.

“Just married to who? What the hell? Are you crazy? You got married, and I never even seen this Negro before. Who the hell is he? And Dana said he doesn't have a job, so why would you marry him? Are you on drugs, Crystal? You gotta be, 'cause ain't no other explanation why you just keep making all these problems for yourself.”

I didn't want to answer my dad in front of Rell, and I wasn't about to be lectured. I was grown and able to make my own decisions, whether he agreed with them or not.

“Daddy, you don't understand what's going on. You don't know,” I said.

“I know enough. I know a man don't marry a woman he known for, like, a month unless something wrong with him. I know he better stay the hell away from me.”

I kept the phone cradled close to my ear so Rell couldn't hear what my dad was saying about him. When my dad was tired of reprimanding me, he handed the phone over to my mom.

“I guess you know what you are doing. But don't you think we would have wanted to be there?”

I heard my dad still fussing in the background, saying “I wouldn't have wanted to be there and witness that mess. It ain't going to last.”

“Mommy, I'm grown, he is grown, and we don't have to check in with anyone. I'm sorry you weren't there, but this is something we decided we wanted to do on our own.”

“Well, it doesn't make sense. I'm giving the phone back to your father.”

“Crystal, come get your children. We sure wouldn't have watch them if I knew it was because you were going to get married.”

“No problem. I'm on my way. I can't do anything right in your eyes, anyway, so does it really make a difference?”

I drove up to my parents' house, and I saw my dad's car in the driveway. I didn't want to talk to him or hear his yelling. He was not going to ruin my happiness.

“Do you want me to come in?” Rell asked.

“I don't think that's such a good idea right now,” I said as I exited the car.

I was trying to escape my father's wrath, not walk into it. I wanted to get the kids and get out the door, but I couldn't make it out of the house quickly enough. He pulled me into the kitchen. My mother was sitting at the table like she was praying, like I was the worst child and had committed an atrocious crime.

“Crystal, we raised you so much better,” she said. “It's like you don't have any values. You let a stranger you don't even know marry you, and look at that worthless piece of metal he put on your hand. Don't you know you deserve better?” my mother said scolding me.

“Forget the cheap ring. He didn't have the decency to ask me, your father, if he could have your hand.”

“Daddy, I live by myself with three kids. It is not like I'm a little girl on a farm. This is not back in the day. I pay my own bills. I didn't need your permission.”

“You didn't need my permission? Fine. But how can you marry a man that you just met? I understand if you want to be dumb, but why not think about your children?”

“He is really good with the children.”

“Most child molesters and pedophiles are good with kids, Crystal!” my mother screamed. “Do you know anything about him? Where is he from? Who is his family?”

“Yes, I do know all of that.”

“How is he going to support you, Crystal?” my father said. “Where are y'all going to live? A real man don't move in with a woman. A man is supposed to move you out, not move in.”

“Daddy, you always come down on me. You always have something to say about what I do. You never say anything to Dana, and you especially don't say anything to the princess child, Yvette.”

“I wish you'd stop saying that. I love all you girls the same. If it was Dana or Yvette, I'd tell them the same thing.”

“That's a lie. The only one you always come down on is me.”

“That's not true, Crystal,” my mother asserted.

“Mom it's true. I'm done. I'm getting my children and leaving.” I called up the steps. “Jewel, get Kori's bag and tell Nasir to come on.”

“Mommy, you married to Rell?” Nasir asked when he came downstairs.

“Yes.”

“Mom, now that you married Rell, is he going to take my room, or do I have to share one?” Nasir asked as I tied his shoe up.

I looked over at my dad. He was still staring down at me. “No. He is going to get his own bed in my room. Don't worry. It's going to be a little different, but a good different.”

“See? This is what I'm talking about. You didn't even sit these kids down and talk to them. They are already confused. I just don't understand you, girl,” my dad yelled loudly as he stomped up the steps.

The questions hadn't stopped by the time we reached the car. Jewel asked if I was having another baby.

“No, Jewel. Why would you say something like that?” I asked.

“That's what Pop Pop and Mom Mom said . . . that you were probably going to have another baby real soon.”

“That's not true.”

It was amazing. My dad was always saying, “You need a husband. I don't want to meet any more boyfriends, just fiancés and husbands.” And now that I had a husband, no one was happy for me.

C
HAPTER
21

Crystal

T
o celebrate our new life together, we invited our families to breakfast. It was sort of our reception, but we weren't expecting any gifts. We just wanted everyone to meet. It was Rell's idea, but I knew once my parents met Rell and his family and saw him interacting with the children, they would have a change of heart. I was sure of it. I even forgave Dana and invited her. I was just ready for my family to meet my new family.

I wanted everything to be perfect, and I'd been up since six preparing everything. I feverishly chopped onions, green peppers, two five-pound bags of potatoes, and I cooked two cartons of eggs. I boiled some of the eggs, scrambled some, and made omelets. I also made turkey bacon, hot beef sausage, pancakes, grits, and waffles. It was a feast, and there was enough for everyone.

I came to the door and saw Big Shareef, Little Shareef, Angel, and Ms. Cheryl. Ms. Cheryl gave me a big hug and handed me a gift bag.

“Thank you, Ms. Cheryl. Come in. You can have a seat. There's orange juice and apple juice on the table.” I could see them eyeing the food in the dining room and hovering around it. “We'll start eating in a few. I'm going to give everyone else a few more minutes to arrive. Babe, get some more spoons, while I call everyone to see where they are.”

I stepped into the kitchen and dialed my parents. Angel came in the kitchen, asking me if I needed any help with anything.

“No, thank you,” I said as I looked in the refrigerator and pulled ketchup and hot sauce out. “Mommy, where y'all at?” I said into the phone.

“Sweetheart, we are not coming.”

“You're not?”

“No. I tried to convince your father, but he is still very upset.”

“Well, Mom, can you come by yourself?”

“I can't do that. Your father will have a fit. I think Yvette is still coming. I don't know about Dana.”

“That means no one is coming. I'll talk to you later.”

I hung up and called Yvette; she said she couldn't make it and Dana didn't answer her phone. Oh well why was I shocked—no one ever supported me anyway. I felt like crying, but I had to put on a happy face for my husband and family. I held my tears back and walked back into the dining room and announced to everyone that they could help themselves and placed more plates on the table.

“You don't want to wait on your family?” Rell asked.

“No, they are . . . Uh, my mother said they are stuck in a little traffic. She said for us not to wait on them.”

“Oh, okay. Well, everyone, grab hands,” Ms. Cheryl said. “Rell, come bless this food.”

Rell walked over, grabbed my hand, and then his mother and everyone closed hands, and Jewel and Nasir closed the circle on the other end.

“Thank you, God, for bringing us together and blessing us with this amazing food. Thank you for my mother, my brother, and family. But most importantly, thank you for bringing my wife and our children into my life. Please bless our lives and our marriage. Amen.”

Everyone said, “Amen,” after we let go of each others' hands, and charged the food on the table. As everyone made their plates, I made an effort to remain composed. I didn't want to cry. No one noticed when I left the room. I needed my family to be here. I tried my mom again, hoping that she would change her mind.

“Mom, can you please come? Can you do this for me? Can you support me this one time? I look foolish in front of his family. His brother and mother are here supporting him, and I don't have one person from my family here for me.”

“Crystal, congratulations. I love you, but I'm not coming.”

C
HAPTER
22

Dana

A
fter a little over a month of knowing a man, she married him and got mad because no one wanted to support her. Crystal was an idiot. I loved my sister, but she was the same moron that just had to establish her baby's paternity. I called Yvette to inform her of her sister's latest idiotic decision. My mom said I needed to apologize, but I didn't apologize to stupid people. The only people I felt sorry for were our poor nieces and nephew. They had to pay for their dumb momma's mistakes.

“So, I know your little sister is a newlywed.”

“Yeah, I got her text message, but I didn't know what it was about,” Yvette replied.

“She eloped, and Mommy and Daddy are mad. They haven't even met him yet. I asked Mommy if Crystal got dropped on her head as a baby, because I really can't understand her thought process. She makes these irrational decisions.”

“Yeah, well, it is her life. That's on her. I have so many things happening, I really can't concentrate on anyone else. I'm still trying to find another job and figure out a way to get my money back.”

“Really? Well, if I come across anything, I will let you know. Have you been on any interviews?” I questioned her.

“Not yet.”

“Well, if you need anything, I'm here,” I said.

“Thanks, that is good to know. I'll talk to you later.”

After I hung up with Yvette, Leah came in my office, smiling like a deranged person and I knew she was up to something.

“What's your sneaky smile about?”

“Well, apparently, you should be smiling, too, because of the love connection you made with Adam,” Leah revealed. “He wants to know how he can contact you again.”

“That's nice. Give him my number and e-mail.”

“Okay. I'm so excited and glad you guys are going to be a couple. Now we can all go on a double date.”

“Leah, we haven't even talked yet.”

“But you will, and then you'll go out, have a great time, fall in love, get married, and have the next president.”

“Okay, that is enough. Out of my office.”

 

 

Adam and I were going on our first unofficial date. Due to our hectic schedules, we would have our first official date sometime next week. I met Adam in Rittenhouse Square, a little park downtown. People were sitting on park benches, reading books, walking dogs, and throwing Frisbees, taking in the last warm days of the year. Adam was dressed in a collared blue shirt, navy slacks and black shoes. He took his sunglasses off and gave me a soft hug.

“Well, don't you look like nice,” I joked admiring his good taste in clothing.

“Yeah, have to wear a suit to the job.”

“No, you look really nice.”

“I do? Well, you look very beautiful yourself. You are a little taller than I recall. Maybe it's those nine inch heels you're wearing.”

“They are five inches.”

We traveled down the street to a small café. It was an easy breezy type of place with a Starbucksesque quality. People were typing on laptops, listening to iPods, and reading books.

“I know this is different, but I wanted us to be able to meet up quickly before next week.”

“No, I think this is fine; I like this place. I'm glad you were able to squeeze me in.”

“No, you're squeezing me in, remember? So how is your knee doing?” he asked.

“It feels fine now. But I've had recurring nightmares of coming down that mountainside. Only Stephen and Leah would think any of that was a good time.”

“Yeah, Stephen and Leah are an interesting couple.”

I didn't know what I wanted to order. I looked at the menu, then back at my lunch date.
Cute,
I thought. He ordered the brick-oven pizza, and I had a salad. We took a seat by the window and the waitress brought over our food.

“So tell me something I should know about you,” I said.

“What do you want to know?” His eyebrow rose, and he smiled.

“Have you ever dated someone like me?”

“Are you asking me if I ever dated someone stunning? No, not as beautiful as you.”

“Cute, but you know what I mean.”

“No, I've dated just about every race except African American,” he said. “Have you dated a white guy before?”

“Does summer camp count?” I joked.

“No, it doesn't.”

“Then, no, so we will be each other's experiment.”

“I wouldn't say experiment, because then it is like a trial period.”

“I think you are correct about that one.”

“I am right. Most of the time I am, anyway. No, I'm kidding—is there anything else you would like to know?”

I shook my head.

“Because I'm really not that interesting. I'm an accountant, and my uncle Henry is an accountant. I've been working with him every summer since I was sixteen. I have two sisters, was raised by the greatest woman in the world. I'm the middle child. I have an older sister—she is an actress—and a baby sister about to go to art school.”

“I have two sisters, also, and I'm the baby of the family. Middle children are usually the weird ones.”

“Yeah, they are, but I'm not. I was the only boy, so my mother gave me attention. Let's see, I'm gradually taking over my uncle's business, because it is time for him to retire and see the world. He has a bunch of his older clients that have been with him for the last twenty, thirty years or so. What else? I've been single a few months, because my last girlfriend was a bit off.”

“Now, Leah did mention that. How exactly was she off?” I asked.

“Let's just say she used to have auditory hallucinations.”

“What is that?”

“She used to hear voices. I hate even talking about it.”

“You started. Now you have to complete the story,” I insisted.

“Okay, I met a normal girl. We were going out for a few months. Pretty good relationship, and then one day she just wasn't there anymore. I was out with her, and she went into the restroom. I was waiting for her, and she was taking a long time to come out. I approached the restroom, and I heard her crying and screaming. I knocked on the door a few times, but she didn't answer. So I had security open the door. I went inside, and there she was, having the biggest argument with herself. I thought maybe someone gave her something. So I'm freaking out. I called her parents. They met us at the hospital, and they broke the news to me that she was bipolar and schizophrenic.”

“That sounds like a lot to deal with.”

He nodded. “It was. At first I didn't want to stop dating her because of it. So when she would have her episodes and she forgot to take her medicines, I would just go along with it.”

“That seems crazy. How did you go along with it?”

“She would say, ‘Did you hear that?' I would just say, ‘Yeah, yeah, I heard it.' But eventually it just got too heavy, and I couldn't do it anymore.”

“I bet.”

“But enough about that. Let's plan our official date before we both go back to work.”

“I'll let you take the lead with the planning. Just tell me where to meet you, and I'll be there. By the way, I prefer steak over seafood.”

“Okay, sounds good to me, I'll think of something.”

Our lunchtime date was different and cute. I learned a lot about him in a short period of time. A love connection? I was not sure about that, but he was fun and interesting. I'd be glad when I never had to go on any more first dates and I was in my relationship, happy and satisfied. Then I could call off my man hunt.