Chapter Fourteen
By the time Charles came over, supper was halfway done since all my Mom had to do was warm things up in the oven. He and Anthony along with my Dad had been chatting left and right about their favorite bands and singers while I noticed Aunt Reva listening in. I could see when I would peek in to listen in on them talking how she kept giving Anthony the evil eye. I went over and sat down next to Anthony and Charles as I listened in.
Anthony looked over at me and smiled. “I didn’t know your Dad knew Nina Simone.”
I chuckled and moved in a bit to whisper, “Well, he always says that but he actually knew a cousin of hers but he did get the chance to meet her one time.” We both ended up laughing.
This of course got Aunt Reva’s attention.
Anthony noted this too. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you Ms. Reva that I really like your car, is it a sixty six right?”
Whenever Aunt Reva got a compliment about her car, she lit up like a kid in a candy store. “Why yes, it is a sixty six.”
Joining in I told him, “My Uncle Roy had given her that car for her birthday. Auntie, why don’t you tell Anthony the story,” I knew that this could be the only chance he had as far as getting in on her good side.
“Well, I don’t tell the story often but I had always loved that car when it first came out. I really didn’t learn to drive until I was in my forties since I lived in New York and basically, I would either take a cab or the subway. So when I moved here, we needed a car. We had Roy’s truck which he drove me around town when I needed to but I would always be telling him about how much I wanted that Camaro. Well Roy had a friend who would go to these car auctions in Vegas since he collected cars. Well he told Roy about this auction that had a white sixty six and Roy told him that he had the money and to go and try and get that car. He went on to Vegas and of course, he did get the car. Now Roy knew that since I was AKA, say, do you know what AKA means?”
“Of course.”
She sat there looking at him, waiting for him to say something.
Good grief man, why don’t you say something!
“AKA is the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority founded in January nineteen hundred and eight at Howard University by Ethel Lyle?”
Wait….WHAT! I did a double take, staring at him
“How did you know all of that?” Charles asked who looked just as shocked as the rest of us.
“My ex-girlfriend was also an AKA, so she told me all about it.” He smiled.
This statement had me looking over at Aunt Reva who was still awestruck by what just happened.
“So you have dated a black woman before huh?” She looked directly at me when she said this.
Oh yes, I knew what she was thinking.
Don’t even think about getting with that boy!
“Alright everyone, dinner is ready.” Mom popped in with a smile on her face and an apron around her waist.
“Great, because I am starving.” Aunt Reva quickly got up and made her way ahead of my dad and Charles.
Anthony got up along with me and smirked. “Round two has been won by yours truly.”
Lord help us all.
When I say that Mom literally threw down on Sunday supper, I meant that, from the heart, because she LITERALLY killed it. Garlic Roasted Chicken with Vegetables, Butter Steamed New Potatoes, Okra and Tomatoes along with my Mom’s famous yeast rolls with homemade honey butter and for dessert. She made homemade Banana Pudding and her Buttery Pound Cake. My God to say that I was completely stuffed would have been the understatement of the year but man it was a good feeling.
Then Anthony couldn’t stop praising my mom for her food which of course made her extremely happy. Before we went back to sitting down in the living room after we had finished our supper, Anthony told everyone, “I will be right back, I forgot something in my car,”
I sat over on the loveseat.
Charles sat on the edge of the couch nearby and he whispered to me, “I think Reva is starting to like her but of course it’s a bit too soon to be thinking that its true or not.” He chuckled.
I wanted to elbow him, cause I did NOT think any of this was funny.
When we heard the door open again, and saw him coming into the living room, he made his way over to my mom and dad with what looked like a CD case in hand.
“Well what is this?” my Dad asked.
“I had wanted to bring you both a gift since you were so nice to invite me to your church as well as into your home for supper. So I decided to bring you this token of my appreciation for having me here today. I hope you enjoy it.” He handed the case to my mom.
She was smiling at it and then up at him as he came over and sat down next to me. “What is that?”
“You’ll see.” He gave her a wink.
Mom handed it over to Dad who went to put it into the CD player. Once he hit the button for it to play, I was shocked when I heard my voice starting to sing my parents favorite song Summertime. Looking over at him, Anthony was smiling and when he looked over at my parents, they both were gazing lovingly at each other as he took her by the hand and kissed it. It was always sweet seeing my parents being affectionate with each other. Sure, most kids would have wanted to gag when they saw their parents all cuddling and kissing one another. I had always enjoyed their showing of affection. I often times even was envious of them when I got older as I had yet to find a love like theirs.
“You sound beautiful baby,” my dad told me still smiling at my mom as I saw him get up with her hand still in his as he took her in his arms and began to dance. All along, they kept staring into each other’s eyes, swaying slowly to the music while I continued to sing.
“I can’t believe you did this for them,” I told him, still watching my parents dancing.
“Well, I thought that since you said this was their favorite song then it might be nice that they could have a copy of it, something they can have to listen to always. It seems they like it.”
I looked over at Charles who was still watching over me and Anthony while Aunt Reva had been watching my parents with a smile on her face like the rest of us.
It was around eight before Aunt Reva and Charles left but Anthony didn’t leave until about a little after nine which my Mom was sad to see him go, even though I had caught her yawning off and on. “You will have to come back by and have dinner with us again sometime. I can say that we’ve enjoyed you so much with us today.” My mom told him while he held her hand at the door.
“Again, I thank you both for having me in your home this evening and getting the chance to meet and talk with you both. I really had a wonderful time and I plan on having some of this pudding tomorrow for dinner, heck I probably will end up having it for breakfast. I wish you both good night.”
My mom gave him a big hug while dad shook his hand.
Pressing the button on his key bob, we made our way towards his car. I began yawning because I was growing tired from all that I had eaten earlier.
“Dinner got you too huh?” He smiled.
“Yeah Mom sure knows how to make a good meal,” I told him as he opened the car door. “So tomorrow we will get back to work then huh?”
“That’s right, but I have to say that I think this demo will be the best I’ve made so far.” He nodded.
“Oh really, I would have thought that with all of the others you’ve done over the years, that mine would be just one of the many.”
“Not really, I think out of all the ones I’ve done, I only have five that I really loved, and so far yours is one of those five. I’ll see you tomorrow, same time.” At that moment, he brought out his hand for me to shake it and when I did, he ended up kissing it instead to which I couldn’t help but laugh a bit by this display. He got into his car as I waved when he pulled off down the street. It wasn’t until I got back in and passed by the living room when I heard, “He’s a very nice fella.”
Looking over I saw my dad sitting in his chair with a contented smile on his face. I knew he was full and happy from not only the meal but by what had happened earlier when they danced. “That he is.” I leaned up against the side of the opening into the living room. “I wasn’t expecting him to do that tape though, that was a big shock that’s for sure.”
“Well, I can tell you that he did well and you did beautiful as always baby. I really can’t wait to hear the demo he does for you.”
Walking over to him, I bent down to kiss his forehead as he took my hand and kissed it.
“Headed for bed?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got to rest my voice and mind before heading into work. Don’t stay down here too long.”
“I won’t Butterbean, I promise. Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams.” I made my way upstairs as I passed by my parent’s room, watching as my mom was getting her gown from behind the door of the bathroom. She always hung her nightgown on the back of the door when she had taken her bath in the morning and would put it on after she took a bath at night. She was very religious about doing that which growing up I found odd but as I got older, I found this useful myself because I had picked it up when I would wear the same pajama top for a day or two before I would put something else on.
“I’m headed for bed.”
“Alright, sweetheart.” Fixing her gown, she gave me a hug and then a kiss on the cheek as she looked at me. “I think he’s a keeper.”
“What?”
“He’s most definitely a keeper sweetie, if he asked you out on a date. I would go for it in a heartbeat.”
“You know you are crazy momma, I love you to bits, but you are crazy.”
“I saw how he looked at you when we were eating, when you both were talking at the dinner table and especially while you both were sitting in the living room. I could see it in his eyes how much he admired you.”
I really didn’t want to believe what my mom was telling me but when I knew she was telling the truth, I would notice that playful twinkle in her eye. You would think that it was just the sun in her eyes casting off a twinkle but of course, that wasn’t the case.
I saw that twinkle….she isn’t lying.
Before I could say anything, she said, “Just head for bed sweetheart, just think on it for a while and eventually, you will see it for yourself.” Giving me another kiss but this time on my forehead, she shooed me out of her room.
For the rest of that week, I couldn’t get what my mom had told me that Sunday evening….
Just think on it for a while and eventually, you will see it for yourself
So that’s what I did while I worked and when we did our sessions during the week. I would watch his mannerisms while I sang even though when I would be singing, I rarely looked at him, or what he was doing. But this time I did, and I could see him watching me intensely with a smile on his face which made me feel kind of shy, a feeling that I hadn’t felt in years. I would notice this throughout our session time, how he would look at me with eyes of admiration.
After redoing about three of my songs that week, on Friday we ended up just chilling around his loft while he played some Miles Davis. I was sitting in his living room when he brought over a tray with some tea for me and coffee for him along with some shortbread cookies he told me had gotten from a local bakery. “So how much longer do we have until the demo is done?”
“Actually we are coming into the home stretch with this really, I think after I go over some of the songs again and listen to them, then we should be done. If not, then I’ll let you know for sure but really and truly I think we are almost done.” He took a sip of his coffee while I grabbed a cookie, dipping into my tea and taking a bite. “How are the cookies?”
“Delicious, really buttery too, you should dip it into your coffee,” I suggested.
So, he took it and dipped that cookie into the coffee and ate it. “Damn, that is good.”
I chuckled while taking another sip. “So what do you have planned for Saturday?”
“Well, just like I told you, my friend has something going on and I plan on taking you there. A friend of mine told me the exhibit is amazing and I should know because my friend, she does beautiful work. She was always artistic when we were growing up, me with my music and she with her paints and clay.”
“I can’t wait to see her work. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to an art exhibit.”
“So I’ll pick you up at say around six and we can have dinner if you like.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
I watched him and had to admit his hair always looked amazing. “I’d like that.” I smiled “And I live over at Garden Hills Condos at Apartment C eighteen. You can call me on my cell and let me know and I can come out.”
“No we don’t have to do that. I’ll come and pick you up myself.” He gave me that dazzling smile of his.