Trickery & Envy (16 page)

“Thank you,” Vivian said.

“I’m going to leave you, I do have other patients. Are you going to be okay?” Dr. Winfrey asked again and giving Vivian soft rubs to her back.

Vivian nods. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’
m just shocked that I was able to get pregnant.”

“
I understand,” and Dr. Winfrey left Vivian alone.

A few minutes had passed and a
fter a tap to the door by Dr. Winfrey’s assistant, she stated, “I’m sorry, but we need to set this room up for our next patient.”

Vivian
uttered something and moved from the table. She began putting back on her pink jogging suit then gathered her things.

“I can’t keep it,” she
told herself and pulled tissues from the box on the exam table to muffle her cries. She then wiped away traces of tears from her face. She walked out of the exam room with her head up.

***

Jennifer was standing at her mailbox and saw Vivian pulling into her driveway. She didn’t think to change from or cover the rose-colored pajamas she was wearing. She also had a red scarf wrapped around her head. She had not long ago come from her doctor’s office and had gone back out for the mail. Jennifer gave a weak wave then closed the lid to the empty mailbox. She then leisurely walked over the lawn to Vivian’s, who had kept the garage door raised. She was sure Jennifer was going to come over.

“Hey, girl,”
a lethargic Jennifer said watching where she stepped in her white plush house shoes.

“Hey,” Vivian said turning her head to look at her friend. “Are you okay? I’ve never seen you outside in those house shoes. You usually have on an old tacky pair.”

“I’m not thinking about what’s on my feet or my head now that I’m losing my hair. Girl, just about all my hair has fallen out.”

Vivian pushed
a button on the wall to close the garage door.

“You’ll get it back,” she said and went
inside the house. “You’ll probably grow more than you had,” she added and disengaged the house alarm.

“Stupid, stupid,
real stupid,” Vernon said with a toothpick between his thick lips. He was standing between two homes across the street. Ten minutes ago, and bold as he is, he had walked to the front door of Vivian’s home and rung the doorbell. He had done so despite having an order of protection against him. Vernon had called Vivian’s salon earlier posing as a stylist looking to rent a booth. He wanted to see if she was at her shop and if so, was going to attempt another break-in. It was spoiled when Jennifer exited her house for the mail and now was totally out of the question after seeing Vivian drive up.

“
Didn’t your mother teach you to lock the door after you leave the house,” Vernon said at the new opportunity that was now present. He popped the collar of the white dress shirt he was wearing with a gray silk tie. He also had on a black suit and a new pair of sneakers. Like last time and an unsuspecting visit to his sister’s house he was dressed to impress. The only difference this time was he had a brown briefcase. It was his defense in case someone living in the home he was hiding beside exited. He would pretend to be an insurance salesman while trying to hide his face. Vernon reached into his left jacket pocket and removed a pair of black gloves which he slid his hands into. “I guess your house is just as good as hers...it’s supposed to be my house,” he mumbled and picked up the briefcase and then cautiously moved from between the houses and across the street to Jennifer’s.

Vernon having seen Jennifer when she came out for her mail was sure she hadn’t locked the door behind her.
He also figured no one else was home because he saw Charles dropped Jennifer off, then immediately drove off again. He grabbed the knob, turned and entered her home as if it was still his and his mothers; and walked right in. Vernon nodded. “Nice,” he expressed to the beautiful looking living room. “I see you living large, too,” and he sat the briefcase down by the door. “What was I thinking? I should have gone and rented a U-haul? That’s okay. I have a better plan,” and he strolled over running his forefinger under the sixty-four inch flat screen television on the wall. “Man, I can get some serious dollars for this.”

Vernon loosen
ed his tie as he headed to the kitchen. He grinned. “All snaps...how did you know it was my birthday?” and he removed the glass lid to a triple layer chocolate and mousse cake Jennifer made yesterday. She didn’t have much of an appetite for solid foods after a treatment, though it did leave her with a craving for sweets. Only a slice had been cut from it when Vernon removed one of the gloves he was wearing and plowed into the cake with his hand. Bits of cake and mousse fell to the marbled floor as he consumed it, licking his fingers. All the while his eyes taking note of the appliances on the counter.

“Man this cake is good. Still a brother
will need something to wash it down,” and with his cakey hand opened the refrigerator and grabbed a pitcher full of red liquid. He gulped some down. “Kool-Aid,” he expressed and spit it out like it was bad coffee. Vernon wiped his mouth using his arm and staining his white shirt. “What grown ass person still drinks this shit.” The Kool-Aid he spit out landed on the floor and across one of the kitchen chairs.

Vernon sat the pitcher of Kool-Aid in the sink.
Then with two fingers swiped some mousse from the top of the cake and smeared the pitcher where he had drunk from. He swiped the cake again and covered his fingerprints left on the handle of the pitcher. He puts the glove back on with cake between his fingers and then moved over to the refrigerator. He opened it and ducked his head inside.  Vernon popped the lid off a plastic square microwavable container. “A meat lover...that’s what I’m talking about. Well I hope you had enough because I’m about to destroy these pork chops.”

Vernon removed the container sitting it in the microwave. He
set it for three minutes and walked away flattening the remnants of cake and mousse that fell to the floor. He then began to roam Jennifer’s house as if he was certain he wouldn’t get caught. It was as if he had Jennifer’s and Vivian’s visits to each other’s house timed.

In any case, he strolled into the master bedroom. “Man, a brother can turn some tricks in this bed,” he said
smiling and looking at the king size bed that was adorned with an off white spread and four fluffy pillows. Before touching anything, Vernon walked over to the window and looked out. He glanced at the few houses in sight across the street and down at his sister’s empty driveway. He then focused his attention back on the elderly man wearing blue farmer’s pants going into a house he had hid between.

When
he felt content to carry on with his prowling he turned from the window and then walked over to the dresser where one of Jennifer’s purses was. It was one of two satchels that were in plain sight. The other was on a sofa sleeper and more of an everyday bag. Vernon grabbed the satchel and dumped its contents onto the dresser. A tube of lipstick rolled out and onto the carpeted floor. “It’s got to be more than this around here,” stashing two twenty dollar bills into his front pocket. He then began to toss all but three credit cards over his shoulders from her wallet. “Oh yeah my baby is going to love me for this. Traci you are about to have a field day. Your man said he gone take care of you, then that’s what he going to do,” Vernon uttered, and stashed the credit cards into his back pocket.

Vernon heard the microwave sound
and moved over and grabbed the cloth bag from the sofa sleeper. He took it with him to the kitchen where he emptied the contents onto the kitchen table then went for the food in the microwave. Once he sat the plastic container on the table he picked up one of the smothered pork chops and took a huge bite out of it. He didn’t care that it was hot; he kept chewing and observed the papers and pamphlets that he dumped from the bag.

“All snaps
baby girl must have cancer.” He moved his head from side to side and then picked up some rice and vegetables that was also in the container with his gloved fingers. He tilted his head back to take in the food and then moved the pamphlets aside seeking something of value. “Y’all broke,” he said after not finding any money. “What your man do for a living,” and Vernon picked up the other pork chop and finished it to the bone. “I feel sorry for old boy if she’s sick because this broad can cook. Let me go take a dump and get out of here,” Vernon said, tossing the bone onto the plate. “Oops,” he mumbled and turned for the bone. He picked it up, put it in his jacket pocket and then headed for the bathroom.

***

“You want something to eat Jennifer? I’m starved,” Vivian said and she moved over to the sink from near the refrigerator to wash her hands. She had decided on her way home she would give herself time to think logically about aborting and telling Jennifer of her possible intention.

Jennifer t
ook a seat at the kitchen table while Vivian went for leftovers in the refrigerator.

“So when do you plan on telling me
?” Jennifer said and then coughed. She was actually feeling a bit lightheaded. Outside of losing hair and being fatigued, queasiness was another side effect she would experience from her treatments.

“Girl what are you talking about?” Vivian remove
d a pot from the top shelf in the refrigerator. “It may be a couple days old, but I’m going to eat it anyway,” and she went for a microwavable plate after setting the pot on the counter.

“You know what I’m talking about. You can’t be but two
, two in a half months top,” Jennifer said, watching her friend carefully. She recorded the pause when Vivian opened the cupboard for a plate.

“Exactly two
months,” Vivian confessed and removed the plate. She set it on the counter and then turned, leaned back against it. “What am I going to do? I’m afraid, Jennifer. Too, I miss him,” she said, her eyes cast desolately toward the floor. “I don’t understand what’s going on. How can you feel deep about a person you barely know? I’ve been hiding my feelings. And what if my child is born the same way?”

“
Hold up, slow down. You’ve made three, four statements. Let’s take one at a time. First, that’s nothing but love you feel for Toni and there’s nothing wrong with that. I told you that. There isn’t any time limit on how soon a person should care deeply about someone. He may feel the same way. Secondly, there’s no proof that your child will be born a hermaphrodite. Even if it is, I’m sure you’re going to love your child, just as you love Toni.”

“
I don’t think I’m going to keep it Jen,” Vivian informed her.

“
Why wouldn’t you when you’ve always wanted kids.”

“I still do. I didn’t want any out of wedlock.”

Jennifer then placed her hand to her mouth looking as if she was about to barf.

“Are you okay Jennifer,” Vivian said
and now concerned about her friend.

Jennifer wait
ed for her stomach to settle. “Yeah” and she blew out a gush of air. “If I can get through these next four weeks I think I’ll be fine.”

Vivian turn
ed to the stove to put some spaghetti from the pot onto her plate.

“I’m just shocked
,” she said. “Even after vomiting a few times, it didn’t cross my mind that I could be pregnant. It wasn’t until my assistant saw that I had thrown up and asked me if I might be.”

“Neither one of you used protection?”

Jennifer was surprised that her friend hadn’t taken precaution not just for the sake of getting pregnant, but for prevention of an STD. Jennifer was baffled by something else. “Still, how did that happen? Didn’t you have your tubes tied? You said you had been on birth control pills a long time and wanted to get off of them. I’m confused.”

Vivian open
ed the microwave and placed her plate nearly full of spaghetti inside.

Before Vivian could answer,
Jennifer said, “Yeah, you’re pregnant with that mountain of spaghetti on your plate.”

“
Actually I opted for the ring insertion. It shifted.” Vivian went and took a seat at the table while her food heated. “Dr. Winfrey noticed it during my Pap smear. She asked me when the last time I had intercourse was and I told her a little over a month ago. She asked me if I was sure I had a cycle last month.” Vivian with her arms crossed looked in a stupor. “Then it dawned on me that it had been two months since my last period?” She requested I have a pregnancy test before having the ring removed and another one inserted.”

While Jennifer sat l
istening to her friend Vernon was on the bus halfway to wherever he was going when he realized he left the briefcase behind. “Oh snaps,” he declared. He thought about it a few second and said, “Bump it. Wasn’t nothing in it but candy bars anyway. Man, they were my favorite,” he said of the three Snickers bars. “Oh snaps for real,” he declared again and this time drawing attention from a guy who glanced over at him from across the aisle. He thought out his next words,
I’ve got to get that briefcase. My inmate number is etched inside. But I think I scratched them. Damn, what if they can make the numbers out.
Vernon shook his head at his blunder and then stood to get off the bus at the next stop.

Jennifer
scratched at an itch in the top of her head. “Vi maybe you should think about it first. This could be a blessing for the both of you if you can get pass that he’s different. I think he really cared about you and I know you liked him, a lot. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never invited a man to your home as quick as Toni was invited over.”