Continental Divide (2 page)

“Which one?” Sassa asked. “Which one could
she have asked and not had the others feeling bad, or angry? I
think she did what she did to prevent any feelings of jealousy
amongst her best friends.”

Tanya thought about that for a moment. Maybe
that was what Heaven had done. She didn’t know. But she was still
ticked at her that she hadn’t asked any of them to be godmother.
She frowned at Sassa then looked first at Ongela, then Peaches as
she made her way from the dance floor. Yeah, they would have been
fighting over it.

“I need a break,” Tanya announced. “I think
maybe I will go to Pakistan and visit Heaven. I want to see the
baby.”

“Just the baby?” Sassa asked.

“Just the baby,” she pouted, knowing Sassa
didn’t believe her for a moment. “Forget Heaven and Hamid. They
could have come back for a visit already. They’re the
millionaires.”

Sassa smiled. “Perhaps if you go to Pakistan
one of my cousins will fall in love with you and marry you. Just
think, Tanya, your dreams would come true in an instant.”

And just like that an idea was born. Tanya
looked at Sassa, he was kidding but the words were true. One of
Hamid’s brothers would be perfect. She smiled. She would give
Heaven a call and make preparations to go to Pakistan. Surely if
Heaven had found her true love, Tanya could find hers. She thought
of Hamid’s gentleness and generosity. His brothers had to be like
him, right? The idea grew deep roots. She rubbed her hand along the
side of her neck remembering the feel of Jo Jo’s chubby fingers. He
would be the first baby that she’d make sure got a good home. He’d
want for nothing.

***

The scream of joy from Heaven was so loud
that it forced Tanya to hold the phone away from her ear. She was
glad to know Heaven really did miss them and that the invitation
was not just something that one issues. The giddiness in Heaven’s
voice made Tanya laugh. Now for the test.

“Heaven, you know I have a hard time keeping
my opinions to myself. How do you think I’ll go over in
Pakistan?”

“Listen girl, if they can take me, they can
take you.”

“I want to party. I’m not coming there for
six weeks and being stuck in your home not being allowed to do
anything unless Hamid comes along with us. You know I’ll go
crazy.”

“Tanya, you make it sounds like I’ve changed,
that I’m not fun anymore. Believe me, Hamid and I have lots of
fun.” Heaven laughed.

“I’m not talking about that kind of fun,
unless you’re willing to share.”

“You’d better get that idea outta your head
fast, or I’ll whip your behind the minute the plane lands. Now cut
it out. You’re making it sounds like we have no life. Sure, we love
spending time with each other and the baby, but please, Hamid and I
go out.”

“Right. When was the last time?” Tanya
laughed and waited for an answer.

“We went to the family for a party just two
nights ago.”

“That’s not going out, Heaven. I’m serious.
Tell me something; are any of Hamid’s brothers looking for a
wife?”

“Not that I know of.”

“And none of them care that you’re Black,
right?” Tanya held her breath. As much as she wanted to have what
Heaven had she wasn’t about to become involved with anyone who had
race issues.

“Of course not.”

“Then what about me? Do you think they’d
welcome me into the family?”

The hesitation on the line didn’t bode well.
“Heaven? Be for real. Tell me, do you think one of Hamid’s brothers
might fall in love with me?”

“You’re serious. What is this about?”

“I want a husband,” Tanya said. “I want a
rich husband. I’m tired of the slow train to helping my kids. I
want an express train.”

Heaven laughed then sighed. “Listen, Tanya,
you can’t come here expecting to go home with a husband. It doesn’t
work that way. I’ll help you with the down payment on the house
you’re trying to buy. You know that. I already told you that I
would.”

“I know, but I want to do it on my own.”

“No, it sounds more like you want to do it
with a rich husband.”

“What are you trying to say, Heaven? Are you
calling me a gold-digger?”

“I’m calling it as I see it. You sound like a
gold-digger.”

“You know why I’m doing this.” Tanya
swallowed back the pain of having her best friend call her a
gold-digger. If Heaven felt that way what would others think?
“Heaven, you know I’ve always wanted to do something to help the
kids I work with.”

“I know it’s for the kids, but your methods
are crazy. You can’t just come here, make one of Hamid’s brothers
fall in love with you, and expect to marry them and have them
finance your dreams. They have no desire to live in America. They
visit, but that’s about it.”

“They should want to leave. There’s a war in
that country.”

“I know. But this is their home and they have
no plans on leaving. So, you’d better take that into
consideration.”

Tanya was silent. She knew her friend was
right but still she wanted to try, she had to try. “Listen, Heaven,
I’ve being playing the lottery, twenty dollars a week. I haven’t
won a dime.”

“I’m sure you haven’t. But if you’d put away
that twenty dollars, look how much fatter your bank account would
be now.”

For some reason Heaven’s attitude was pissing
Tanya off big time. “You’re talking that way because you can.
Hamid’s a millionaire. You can have anything you want. Are you
jealous that I might be able to have the same thing?”

The moment the words were out Tanya regretted
them. “Heaven, I’m sorry. Listen, I really do want to come out and
visit you and Hamid. I want to see that baby of yours.”

“And?”

“And I want to make one of Hamid’s brothers
fall in love with me. Dag! Why did you make me say it? Heaven, help
me okay. You can talk me up to the brothers before I get there. If
you put in a good word for me… then who knows?”

“Don’t you want to see which you’d prefer?
Who lights your fire?”

“They’re all millionaires, right?”

“Right.”

“And they’re all handsome right?” Tanya held
her breath and waited.

“Yes.”

“One last question,” Tanya said. “Are they
nice?”

“Yes,” Heaven laughed. “They’re all very
nice.”

“Then, Heaven, either one of Hamid’s brothers
will do. So go ahead and talk me up to all of them and let me pick
the one that picks me.”

“This is so crazy. If Hamid finds out what
you’re coming here for or that I knew anything about your crazy
plans you’re going to make problems between us.”

“Please, Heaven, Hamid adores you, and you
know it.”

“Yeah and I want to keep it that way,” Heaven
laughed. “Maybe part of the reason my husband adores me is because
I’ve never done anything to trick his brothers. He can trust me and
that’s important in a marriage. Tanya, I know how much you want to
help the kids, but what about love?”

“What about it?”

“I have a better idea. Hamid has a cousin I
think will be perfect for you.”

“Is he a millionaire?”

“No, but…he’s such a nice guy.”

“And broke.”

“Tanya.”

“Don’t Tanya me. I can love a rich man as
well as a poor one. So start working on Hamid’s brothers. I’ll
start preparing for coming and I’ll let you know when I've made the
final arrangements.”

Tanya ignored the long sigh from Heaven. She
was doing what she had to do, the same as Heaven did what she had
to do in order for Hamid to be happy. No one had complained when
she’d just up and followed him to Pakistan. Well they had, but it
hadn’t done any good. And Heaven’s badgering her about finding
someone to love wasn’t going to do any good. Besides, if Hamid’s
brother were anything like Hamid she didn’t think there’d be any
problems.

She thought of baby Jo Jo. He deserved a
better life. While it was a long shot at best that she would ever
have him as her own, it was a real possibility that she would one
day be raising her cousin Lettie's six kids. Lettie was fighting
cancer and Tanya had promised her that if God forbid she didn’t
make it, she would step in. For now she didn’t want to tell Heaven
that.

“Tanya, stop ignoring me. Your plan is crazy.
Just come and visit me and have a good time. Forget about Hamid’s
brothers.”

“Okay, Heaven, enough. I have to go,” Tanya
said deciding to end the conversation.

“Don’t forget to go to the health department
for shots. Your insurance won’t cover everything, so I’ll pay for
the things that it doesn’t.

“Dag, Heaven, I’m not a beggar. I can pay for
the shots myself. You’re already paying for the ticket.”

“You can get mad at me for offering to pay
for your shots but you tell me outta your own mouth that you’re
going to come visit me so you can get a rich husband. And I
offended you? Tanya you’re crazy,” Heaven laughed. “You’d best be
glad you’re one of my best friends and that I love you. See you
soon.”

Heaven disconnected and Tanya stared for a
moment at the phone. She shook her head. Yes, what she was planning
was crazy but if she worked it right it could be the perfect
thing.

***

Tanya glared at Sassa as he gave her his
wrapped gift for Heaven’s baby. “Sassa, you’ve already sent a ton
of gifts to Pakistan. You even went to see the baby. Why are you
giving me more packages?” She looked around the room at her
friends. “If I have to pay for over the limit you all are going to
pay me back.” She glanced at Peaches. “I thought you guys wanted me
to pretend to snub Heaven’s baby.”

“We do, but just for a minute,” Peaches
explained as though Tanya should have already known what they’d
meant. “Then we want you to give her our gifts. Tell her that she
was wrong for not naming one of us as the godmother.”

“Hey,” Ongela chimed in. “Tell her we all
hate the baby’s name that she should have given him an American
name.”

Tanya couldn’t help laughing. They all missed
Heaven and wanted to see the baby and be a part of it. She’d
decided like the rest of them to razz Heaven and Hamid a bit. It
might be fun.

“Don’t you all forget, technically Heaven’s a
black belt in karate. What are you all going to do if she decides
to kick my behind all over Pakistan for talking about her son?”
When everyone shrugged and started laughing Tanya gave them a look
and an ‘I-thought-so’ and laughed with them.

The blowing horn of the taxi didn’t stop last
minute messages everyone wanted her to give to Heaven and
Hamid.

“Enough,” Tanya said hugging each of them. “I
have to go before I miss my flight.” She waved and blew more kisses
at them as the taxi took off for the airport. Then she settled back
to think about what she was doing. A two month leave of
absence…burn out, she’d cited and not a peep was made. It happened
a lot in her field. She had gone to check on Jo Jo, who was doing
well. She’d also called all of her kids letting them know she would
be gone for a time, telling them who their new social worker would
be. And telling each of them that she would bring them back a gift
from Pakistan. She had thirty kids. That was a lot of money, but
she was determined to keep that promise.

Chapter Two

Hamid’s brothers had better be worth it,
Tanya fumed silently after her third trip from the tiny airplane
lavatory. At least the thought of thinking of it as that, made
Tanya smile. Her idea of a lavatory was something a lot bigger than
what she’d been using to puke her guts out. That was one little
piece of information Heaven had managed to keep to herself—the side
effects of all the medications she’d needed to make the trip to
Pakistan. If she didn’t leave the country with one of Hamid’s
brothers falling madly in love with her, Tanya just might not ever
speak to Heaven again.

Luckily, when the plane landed the rumbling
in her stomach dissipated. Grabbing her bags from baggage claim she
made a mad dash through the airport heading through customs,
ignoring the way the custom agent looked at her gaily painted
fingernails in varying colors and moved his gaze over her in
disapproval.

Forget him and what he thought about her
clothes. She was American, baby, and she was going to let everyone
in Pakistan know it. She had no plans to wear anything other than
what she wanted to. In her opinion Heaven had gone soft since she’d
moved to Pakistan. Tanya's plans didn’t include living in the
country. She was there strictly to ‘bag em and tag em.’

Retrieving her passport Tanya admitted that
she did like traveling and if she were being honest she’d have to
acknowledge that she’d always wanted to visit a Moslem country. She
glanced around the crowded airport and finally spotted Heaven and
Hamid. Tanya squealed and raced toward them.

“Look at you two. I can’t believe it.
Heaven, you’re a mommy now. And, Hamid, you’re a daddy.” She lunged
herself at Hamid knowing that within seconds Heaven was going to
pull her away from her husband.

“Down girl,” Heaven laughed. “This one’s
taken.”

This time when Tanya hugged Hamid it was
more sedate. She grinned at him as he smiled at her, then looked at
Heaven, his look clearly saying, ‘Pakistan is not ready for your
crazy friend.’

With a bold gaze she appraised Hamid. Tall,
drop dead gorgeous, long, black, curly hair, eyes that sparkled,
and a behind that was perfect for the black jeans he was wearing.
She then turned her gaze to Heaven, short, beautiful and stacked.
She grinned and touched her hand to her friend’s hair. “You’re not
wearing your twists anymore,” she said looking at Heaven’s pony
tail.

“I haven’t been able to find a beautician
here who can do it. Maybe before you leave you’ll twist it for me.”
Heaven turned pleading eyes on Tanya and put her hands together,
bringing them under her chin in a sign of supplication.