Love To Luv (9 page)

MONIQUE

Auntie I am ok, but I need to apologize to for leaving without telling you. I knew that if I told you that I was leaving anyway, you would have stopped me.

Aretha grabbed Monique and gave her and huge hug.

MATTIE

So how was the sex?

Monique and Aretha looked at her in awe.

MATTIE

Chile, don’t act like you didn’t do anything. I have been eighteen before on road trips. You are glowing. Your face is clear.

ARETHA (turning to Monique)

Did you have sex?

MONIQUE (shyly)

Yes I did.

ARETHA

Monique.
Baby.

MATTIE

Was it good?

ARETHA

Mattie!!!

Before Mattie could respond there was a knock on the bedroom door. Aretha said to come in. I walked in to tell everyone that I was home. Monique raced over to hug me.

MONIQUE

How was your trip Pop?

JACOB

It was great.
Exhausting but great.
How about yours?

MONIQUE

It was exciting.

MATTIE (under her breathe)

I bet.

MONIQUE

I really loved the campus. I got some brochures and other material that I am going to read over.

JACOB

Ok cool. So Auntie, I thought that you were going to babysit but instead you had to housesit. Are you ok?

ARETHA

I am fine Papadopoulos. Mattie came over and kept me company.

Jacob suggested that they go in the living room where everyone else was. When they reached the living room Aretha saw her attorney.

ARETHA (surprised)

Mr. Hartley, what are you doing here?

JACOB

You know Dennis?

Dennis was surprise to see Aretha there.

ARETHA

Yes. He is my attorney that is handling Edgar’s estate.

DENNIS

I just bought Jacob home from the airport. We had a conference in New York.

JACOB

So this is who you where on the phone with. This is a small world.

DENNIS

Yes it is.

MATTIE

So how do you two know each other?

DENNIS

We went to college together.

MATTIE

Really?
Ok. So you knew Ellis.

DENNIS (laughing)

Yes I did.

JACOB

Ms. Mattie why are you so nosey?

MATTIE

That is my job.

Ian, Jeremy, and Teddy were killing themselves laughing at the conversation. Teddy received a text from his dad asking if they had made it back. Teddy replied with a quick yes and that he would be home soon.

             
I asked everyone were they hungry. Even though I was tired I decided to take everyone out for dinner.

             
It was a cool Friday afternoon in November when Monique came home from school. She did not speak, give me a hug or kiss as she normally does. She came in and went straight to her room.

             
I was watching the
ThunderCats
on DVD. That was one of my favorite cartoons but I was concerned about her actions. I got up to go check on her. I knocked on the door to her bedroom. A faint call said to come in. I opened the door to find her laying face down on her bed.

JACOB

Are you ok?

MONIQUE

Yes Pop.

JACOB

You didn’t speak when you came in.

MONIQUE
I didn’t see you.

JACOB

I was sitting in my chair.

MONIQUE

Pop I didn’t see you.

JACOB

Is Teddy coming to pick you up for the football game?

MONIQUE

Yeah.

Monique got up and sat on the edge of her bed. Her face was without expression.

JACOB

Monique, are you sure you are ok?

MONIQUE

Pop I didn’t go to school today.

JACOB

Why not?

MONIQUE

I wasn’t feeling well. I went to the doctor.

JACOB

What did he say?

MONIQUE (looking over to me)

I am three months pregnant.

JACOB

Say what?

MONIQUE

Pop I don’t know how this happened.

JACOB

What the hell does that mean? Either you don’t know how babies are made or you been having sex and that one time you didn’t use protection. Which one is it?

MONIQUE (walking out of her room)

You know what I mean.

JACOB (following behind her)

Whose is it?

MONIQUE (looking very upset at Jacob)

What do you mean?

JACOB

WHO IS THE FATHER?

MONIQUE

Why are you yelling? It’s Teddy. You talking like I have been fucking everyone in town.

Before I knew it I slapped Monique across the face. Monique grabbed her keys to her car. I snatched them from her.

MONIQUE (screaming)

You make me sick. I didn’t mean for this to happen.

JACOB

Monique I think we both need to settle down before we say something that we will regret.

MONIQUE

You are asking me who the father is like I am a fucking everybody in town. You know that Teddy is the only boy that I have been seeing. I go to school, work, and come home. I am not out there. If you get out the house sometime you would not worry about me so much.

JACOB

You got one more time to curse in front of me.

MONIQUE

Or else what?

JACOB

Lil girl you are getting beside yourself.

MONIQUE

Tell me Pop – Why did Dad kill himself? Huh?

JACOB

Monique, get the hell out of my face.

MONIQUE

Is it because he caught you fucking your ex. See Pop, we all make mistakes.

Before I knew it my hands were around my own child’s neck. Something in me snapped. It was not until I saw tears coming from her eyes that I pulled away.

             
Monique ran out the door, got in her car and sped off. I grabbed a bottle of Conjure Cognac, a Sprite and went into my bedroom. I sat in the chair that was beside the closet. I popped a Gladys Knight CD into the player.

             
I was half way finished with the fifth when I heard Gladys singing,
“Neither One of Us”.

I called Monique’s cell phone several times but she did not answer. I left several voicemails. I called Ian but he said that he had not seen her. My last try was Teddy. Although I did not want to talk to him I knew that I had to locate my daughter.

Teddy answered on the first ring. I asked him had he seen Monique. He told me that she was asleep on the couch. I felt better knowing that she was safe.

After I ended the conversation with Teddy my doorbell rung.
I was not in the mood for company.
The doorbell rung again.
I took the remote control and turned the volume up on the system.

I heard the alarm chime meaning that someone had entered the house. I heard a voice under my music calling my name. I did not care as to who it was.

Aunt Aretha entered my room. She came over to my chair and kicked my foot.

ARETHA

What is wrong with you?

JACOB

I don’t feel like talking Auntie.

ARETHA

Well you are going to. Monique called me crying and then she hung up. I tried calling her back but she didn’t answer. I called you and you didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to think.

JACOB

Auntie, please just leave.

ARETHA

Not until I get some answers. Have you
drank
this whole bottle? What is going on Jacob?

JACOB

Monique is pregnant.

ARETHA

Huh!

JACOB

Three months.

Aretha is stunned. She sat down on the edge of my bed. The look on her face could not be explained.

ARETHA

Is it Teddy’s?

JACOB

She says that it is.

ARETHA

I can’t believe that this baby is having a baby. Wait a minute…if she is three months, I bet you anything she got pregnant in Nashville.

JACOB

Not now Auntie.

ARETHA

I knew that trip was a bad idea. I knew it. See if you would start listening to me…no I said that I wouldn’t do that.

JACOB

She asked me about Ellis’ death.

ARETHA

What did she ask?

JACOB

Why did he kill himself? How would she know that he killed himself? She was only three when that happened. I never talked to her about that.

I begin to cry when I was thinking about it. Ellis and I spent some great years together and I truly missed him.

             
I got up and pulled my shirt off. I looked at the scar from when I was accidentally shot by Ellis. As I rubbed the scar tears begin to flow from my eyes. The shot of the gun was still ringing in my head.

             
Aretha came over to console me.

JACOB

I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am losing my mind.

ARETHA

Papadopoulos everything is going to be ok. She will have a healthy baby, finish school, go to college, and continue to have a great life. She has a supportive and understanding father. You both have a gorgeous, intelligent aunt that is here.

JACOB (still sobbing)

I need to find love. I want someone that will be there for me, someone to love me, hold me. I want to be there for them. I want someone to grow old with.

             
Ian was putting his books in his locker when he felt someone pop him on his neck. He turned to see who it was. There stood Jeremy with a big smile on his face.

JEREMY

What are you up to?

IAN

About to knock the hell out of you if you hit me like that again.

JEREMY

You would rather tongue kiss a rattle snake than hit me.

IAN

Whatever dude. I am about to leave for work.

JEREMY

Can u help me a brother out?

IAN

How? What are you talking about?

JEREMY

Help me get on at Eco-Tech. I am good with computers. I need the extra money. I didn’t know that being a senior was so expensive.

IAN

I know man. We got the Winter Ball coming up, senior portraits, senior trip, senior skip day, cap and gown, and all that other shit to pay for.

JEREMY

My pockets are dusty. I know my mom is going to pay for it but I want to do it on my own. Especially since we are not
seeing eye
to eye right now.

IAN

Everything is going to be ok. I will ask and see if there is any other part-time work available.

JEREMY

Thanks man. Will I see you tonight?

IAN

Yeah.

JEREMY (smiling shyly)

You
gonna
let me hit?

IAN

Man, whatever.

JEREMY

You know you love me tapping that ass.

IAN
If
you say so. I don’t have time to sit here and play with you. I have got to get to work.