Trickery & Envy (2 page)

“What? You don’t want me in yo
ur house?” Vernon said. “You abandoned me too.”

Vernon turn
ed and looked mean at her a moment. He was filled with extreme jealousy. “Can a brother get a sit down,” he added and made his way into the living room in black hard top shoes that were scuffed. The jeans he was wearing were dirty and dingy. Vivian couldn’t help but turn her nose up in disgust because Vernon was forty years old and his jeans were half way down his butt. Vernon didn’t care; sat his filthy self down on her sofa crossing one leg over the other making himself at home.

Vivian stunned by Vernon
’s tacky appearance and his rude entrance into her home was still standing with her hand gripping the doorknob. She closed her eyes a second and opened them back up. “What brings you here, Vernon?” she asked as calm as she could.

“You plan on shutting the door,”
he answered and began looking at the things around him. He then smiled taking in a deep breath. “It smells good than a mug in here, what you cooking.”

Vernon’s
smile was then cut short with a withering look at her.

Vivian ignoring his question
said, “What do you want Vernon?” and she shut her front door mad with him being in her home.
If he thinks I’m going to give him some money, he better think again because that’s not happening.

Vernon
’s eyes grew large at her. “What do you mean, what do I want? I came to visit,” and he then clasped his hand behind his head, propping his feet up on her glass cocktail table.

“
Vernon, take your feet off my furniture! I don’t know what your problem is,” a now heated Vivian said.

Vernon
slowly looked over at her with his mouth twisted and removed his feet from her table.

“What are you saying
that I can’t visit unannounced? What...a brother have to call first? In case you didn’t know this house is as much as mine as it is yours.  I know the one next door is for sure. How daddy just gone take the house from my mama. I’m his son. He should have left that crib to me or to my mother like he did this one to you.”

Vivian replied with a roll of the eyes
. “I need to check on my food,” and she walked pass him turning her nose up.
I don’t know why you insist on blaming me. You caused yourself to be cut out of daddy’s Will, coming over here like I owe you something
.

“Yeah
, you do that, make sure it’s not burned ’cause your brother is hungry,” Vernon responded and giving her the same revolted look. He grumbled, “Folks riding high while I’m down and out, that’s some shit...I will get mine.” He then spoke in a tone his sister could hear him. “Man it smells good up in here. I’ll take one of them poke chops on my way out.”

Vernon
again started observing the things around him. Her six piece living room set, the beige plush carpet, the mini stereo system on the bottom shelf of a deep brown beautifully carved television stand, which held a forty-six inch HD television.

“They
are called pork chops,” Vivian said staring at Vernon from the kitchen, vexed by his presence.

“
Whatever,” he replied just as annoyed. “What I really need are a few bucks.”

Vivian
not paying attention to the food cooking was looking furious at Vernon. His one minute intervals of calm to talking angry had made her uneasy. She turned the burners off under the skillet anticipating a showdown with her brother. She went down the couple steps walking past Vernon from behind and down the hall in the direction of her bedroom.
Whatever crack house you just came from you’ll be going back empty handed. I’m not giving you a dime.
She entered her bedroom as quickly as she exited; headed back to the living room where she stood with her arms crossed a distance away from Vernon.

“
This is the last time I’m going to ask you, Vernon. What do you want?” she said with a solid gawk at him.

Vernon
’s eyes staggered over to Vivian. “What do I want? Why the fuck you say it like that. A brother just dropped by to see how you doing. It’s not like I have a home you can stop by and visit me at. I know I look a little, what the hell word I’m looking for, unadorned, but I’ll be back on my feet. You can bet on that and to answer your question. You know why the hell I’m here.”

“One, I’d appreciate if you extend to me the same respect I give you
and cease with your profanity. Two, I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?”

“You went to college.
What, did you forget how to add and subtract. Let me help you,” he said and started explaining with his hands. “One man and two ladies equal two children. One man got business and a lot of damn money equals when you die, things get dissected. You got your portion now I want mine,” he answered with the same broaden eyes.

“
You need to leave,” and Vivian started walking over to her front door.

“
I need to leave. Why does everybody have to give me a hard time? So I messed up, but its daddy’s fault.” Vernon’s anger had him moving to the edge of the sofa to stress his point. “Daddy knows he could have paid that loan off and everything would have been straight. I fault him for the time I spent in prison. What kind of father rats on his son?”

“Vernon you forged daddy’s signature and your mothers! It could have been worse had she pressed charges against you, too.”

“I know all that! I paid my debt and he still cut me out of the Will. I’m his son,” he said with a couple pounds to his chest, “his only son. He gave me his name and he didn’t leave me shit!”

“That is not my fault, Vernon!”

Vernon eyes grew wide. “I didn’t say it was your fault!”

Vivian
then took a deep breath. She didn’t want to get into a shouting match with Vernon knowing it would only make him madder to probably doing something violent.

“
I’m asking you nicely to leave, Vernon.”

“So it’s like that
,” and he began to rise from the sofa but lost his balance and fell back down on it. “Damn, I lost my balance. But that’s alright, that’s alright,” he said standing up. “Just remember he owes me and he left everything to you and yours.” He then placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side some. “Whatever happened to caring and loving for your family, despite them being messed up? I made a mistake that he took to his grave. I come to you for vindication and this is the love I get.” Vernon sealed his lips tight and pointed his finger at his sister. “If I was you, I’d keep my door and windows closed and locked,” he warned her.

“If you’re trying to intimidate me Vernon, it’s not working
,” and Vivian slid her hands into the pockets of her baby blue sweat top with her nostrils flared at him and his threat. She had also slid her finger into the trigger of the 32 automatic she had placed inside when she went into her bedroom. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Vernon but she knew she would have to defend herself if he became physically aggressive.

Vivian remembered how Vernon acted after learning he had been cut
from the Will. He returned a couple days later to the house he and his mother lived in and broke out most of the windows. He pelted the house with landscaping rocks from the front yard until he heard police sirens, and then took off running.

Still
, through his madness, Vernon was her half brother and she did care about him despite that they grew up in different houses. Their relationship became strained when Vernon began acting out against their father.

“I’m not trying to intimidate you. Girl, I’m crying out. If you c
an’t hear me then I guess trying to intimidate you would depend.”

“Depends on what Vernon? If it’s money I don’t have any. I used what daddy left me to open my
salon.” Vivian didn’t care if he believed her or not, she wanted him out of her house. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Vernon, especially if he felt she is liable for taking care of him. Vernon was a grown man. Not some ignored kid daddy left behind.

Vernon crossed his arms under his armpits. “So, you don’t care that some unsuspecting grandmother is getting ready to get hit upside the head for a few bucks because daddy decided to cut me out the
Will.”

“Vernon, you are a grown man and responsible for your actions. You won’t just be hurting someone’s grandmother; you’d be hurting yourself
. Each knock upside her head, will be two coming back to you. For the record Vernon, I don’t appreciate you coming here unannounced.”

Vernon began walking toward his sister and
again points his finger in her face. “Don’t think you’re going be the only one to reap from daddy’s business. Y’all owe me and I will get mine. And for your information, if our father would have taking care of me like he did you, I’d have a phone to call your ass first. Bye,” he spat at her.

Vivian d
idn’t respond and kept her eyes plastered on Vernon, hoping he wouldn’t do anything stupid on his way out of her house.

Vernon
left pulling the door closed with added force as backup he planned to return.

Vivian t
ook a deep breath and exhaled, glad that he left quietly. She then went to turn the burners back on to resume her cooking. She reached into the drawer and removed a pair of tongs to turn over the pork-chops. While turning the pork-chops over the telephone rang. Vivian laid the tongs down on a folded paper towel then lifted the cordless from its base on the counter.

“It’s not fair,” Jennifer’s whined. “Vi, what’s wrong with me? I tried creating an ambiance that I was sure
would have me in the mood to make love with my husband. I even went so far as to buy some of the toys you keep hidden.”

Vivian eyes shift
ed toward the ceiling. They had been friends since grammar school. She loved her best friend, but lately she had been getting on her nerves with the same complaint she’s had. She was not in the mood to listen to her friend complaining about her non-existing sex life with her husband. All Vivian wanted was to have an enjoyable dinner with a fine glass of wine and relax for the rest of the day.

“Excuse me. Don’t bring my way of pleasure into your relationship with your husband
,” Vivian said.

“Vi, you should have seen our bedroom it was beautiful. I dressed the bed with brand new purple silk sheets. I had the lights dimmed and had candles burning on the dresser and nightstands. I placed a cute little silver tray with a bottle of Korbel and two wine glasses in the center of the bed. Prince was doing his thing from the CD player singing
,
Do Me
.”

Vivian eyes rolled
upwards. She then observed her food cooking on the stove while Jennifer babbled on about her bedroom that she had set up romantically and in vain.

“I was getting kind of horny when I heard the garage door opening. You can’t tell me I wasn’t in the mood for my husband.”

“Look, if you did all that and it didn’t work then you really should consider seeing your gynecologist. I’ve told you before that your body is probably going through physical changes and that you need to seek professional help, Jennifer.”

“What do you mean professional help? I don’t need to see a psychiatrist just because I can’t stay in the mood to have sex with my husband.”

"I’m not calling you crazy Jen. I’m merely stating that there could be something serious going on with you. You need to talk to someone that could help you; someone trained to deal with situations like yours. I’m not saying that I’m not here for you. I just can’t help you in this particular dilemma. I told you before that it’s probably menopause that you’re going through.”

Jennifer pushed her lips out like a kid pouting. “And I told you that I’m only forty years old. There’s no way I’m going through menopause this early in life. Besides, I thought when you go through menopause you become all emotional and stuff,” Jennifer countered sounding as if she was about to cry.

“Are you listening to yourself Jennifer? It sounds to me like you’re a little emotional now. You sound like you’re about to shed tears.”

“So, I can cry if I want to and who turned the heat on,” Jennifer said and started crying.

“The heat on,” Vivian uttered and was perplexed because it was eighty-eight degrees outside.
Did she mean the air conditioner?

“Why am I crying? Okay. I’m going to make an appointment to see my gynecologist to see why I’m crying.” Jennifer sniffled. “She better not tell me I’m going through no damn menopause. I’m just emotional because I haven’t had any in a long time,” she said referring to sex. “You know how it is when you don’t get any.”

Don’t I,
Vivian thought and looked at her pork chops frying. “Girl, I’m about to burn my dinner listening to you. I’ll call you back when I’m done eating. Bye Jennifer.”

* * *

It was 9:45 the next morning and Vivian had donned a powder blue sleeveless silk shirt and dark blue-colored vest. She slid into her matching skirt and pantyhose. Instead of heels, she opted for tennis shoes.

It was a bit cloudy
out, but her outfit was perfect for the 75 degree weather. As Vivian backed out of her driveway she saw Jennifer’s garage opening. She stopped until Charles backed out and they exchanged a wave.