The Last Boyfriend

“Yeah. Well, it may have been sweet, but I’m not sure it was smart.” He shook his head. “By the time we got to Chicago, the Great Depression had hit. They weren’t giving the jobs to blacks no more. There weren’t enough jobs to go around and we was at the bottom of the pile. It didn’t help that neither of my friends had a high school diploma either.”

“So what did they do?” I leaned forward.

“They had some money saved, so they tried to rent an apartment in Hyde Park. It was a nice part of Chicago and they had good schools. They wasn’t segregated at the time and so we could go to them.”

“So it seems like all went well?” Zane looked at Sidney curiously.

“It wouldn’t be worth a documentary if it went well, would it?” Sidney cackled and shook his head. “At first we thought it would, we got a two bedroom place and my momma found a job as a cleaner for a nice family. But then they raised the rent. They wanted us to pay double what the whites were paying or we had to leave.”

“That’s not fair,” Zane interrupted again.

“There was no housing laws then.” Sidney shook his head. “When we said we wouldn’t pay more than the white folks, we got evicted. My parents, they tried to find another apartment in that part of town, but no one would show them any. Said we weren’t qualified. Well, we knew that what they meant was that we weren’t white.”

“It happened all over Chicago, and New York, and Boston.” I nodded. “Residential segregation was rampant after The Great Migration.”

“The Great Migration?” Zane frowned.

“That’s what they called the time period when a huge mass of blacks moved up North from the South. At first, the whites didn’t mind, they didn’t have the same institutionalized racism as they did in the South. I mean, there was still racism, but that was towards anyone new really: the Irish, the Italians—they were all met with skepticism. But the big cities, they grew too big too fast, and as jobs were lost, the new migrants were the ones that the hostilities were taken out on.”

“They lost jobs due to the migration?”

“No, do you know about The Great Depression?”

“Not really?”

“Oh.” I frowned suddenly confused. Why was Zane making a documentary on a subject he knew so little about?

“You’re very knowledgeable, Lucky.” Sidney smiled. “Unfortunately, there was a lot of corruption in Chicago and a lot of politics going on. They created a ghetto in the South side and basically all the blacks were forced to live there.”

“Forced?” Zane interjected. “How did they force you?”

“I’ll explain it, Zane.” I laid my hand on his arm and stared into his eyes. “Let’s let Mr. Johnson finish his story.”

“My pops eventually left the family.” Sidney looked at us with intense eyes. “He thought he was a failure. Momma was still washing clothes. He never got a job. My brother got recruited by the mob and became a smalltime drug dealer, and me and my other brothers, we didn’t really get no education.”

“But you got a good job?” I interjected. “How did that happen?”

“They say everyone has a Guardian Angel, don’t they?” He smiled suddenly. “One day I was walking down the street, getting up to no good, and I saw Betty running after a bag.”

“I was helping my momma and she had sent me to go pick up some shoes.” Betty interjected, rubbing Sidney’s back.

“And she looked so pretty and sweet, and she completely snubbed me.” He laughed. “She was too good for the likes of me, and she knew it.”

“I was from a good family. He was just a street boy.” Betty smiled. “It wouldn’t do for me to associate with a street boy.”

“I fell in love with her at first site. I knew I had to do whatever I could to win her heart. I went to a school one of my neighbors had set up. He was self-educated and I was able to get a job as a delivery boy for a local store.”

“He made it to college.” Betty beamed proudly. “He only started getting a real education at 14, and he made it to college.”

“Only because I knew you wouldn’t marry an uneducated man.” Sidney laughed.

“You mean date?” She shook her head, but her eyes were beaming.

“I mean marry, my love. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to marry you.”

“So you changed your life around for love?” I felt tears well up in my eyes again. We had completely veered from the residential segregation conversation, but I was caught up in their obvious love for each other. “What a wonderful love story, this is.”

“Now you’ll be telling me you want to focus the documentary on love, and not the move.” Sidney laughed and I saw him squeeze his wife’s hand.

“I love a good love story.” I smiled, and avoided Zane’s stare. “Especially when it has a happy ending.”

“Well, we have four kids and seven grandbabies, so I think it worked out pretty nicely.” Sidney chuckled and stood up. “Excuse me, I have to stand up and stretch before my old bones get locked in one position.”

“No worries.” I stood up as well. “Do you want us to reconvene next week? We can pick up where we left off.”

“You don’t have to leave.” Sidney stretched his arms, and I motioned to Zane.

“I think we have all we need right now.” I paused. “Do you have a list of names and numbers for the other people you told us about from your neighborhood?”

“Yes, Betty wrote it down for you.” Sidney nodded. “Some of them may be dead now, we’re getting on in age.”

“We understand. And thank you, Mr. Johnson.” Zane stood up and took Mr. Johnson’s hand.

“No problem, son. You be nice to this young lady here. She’s a good catch.” He winked at me. “And take it from someone that knows. don’t let her get away.”

I blushed furiously at his words, and I could sense that Zane was staring at me. “Thanks for everything, Mr. Johnson.” Zane’s voice was light, but I knew he must be feeling annoyed.

“And Ms. Lucky, I look forward to seeing you again. Let me get a hug.” Sidney gave me a huge hug, and whispered in my ear. “Your young man will come around. Don’t give up on him.”

“I what?” I looked at him in shock, and he winked.

“Just let me know when you want to come by again. Betty and I will be here.”

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.” I smiled at them as we exited the house. I got into Zane’s car in a much happier mood than when I had gotten out.

“They were nice.” Zane looked at me before he started the ignition. “And you were great.”

“Thanks. They were amazing.” I sighed. “What a perfect couple they are. And man, that story. How sad. But yet, so sweet.”

“It’ll make a good documentary.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go on.” His voice was tense.

“Why are you making a documentary on the Civil Rights Movement when you obviously don’t know anything about it?” I looked down at my lap.

“I guess I owe you an answer, don’t I?” He sighed. I looked up at him, and he was staring at me with emotional eyes.

“If you don’t mind.”

“My brother studied history as well.” He half-smiled. “I still don’t know much about it though.”

“Noah?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “When we were younger, we watched a movie called Imitation of Life. I thought it was terribly depressing, but he loved it. He always wanted to make a movie about that time period. Like a look at race relations during the Civil Rights Era—he was almost obsessed with it.”

“Oh?”

“I think we were so young when our mom left. And we had so many unresolved issues. Well, I think he wanted to displace his hurt. He wanted to understand the human psyche. Why people treated others the way that they did.”

“I’ve always wondered that as well.”

“Yes. I could see that.” He sighed. “Noah would really like you.”

“Will I get to meet him?” I asked softly.

Zane looked up at me with a pained glance. “No.”

“Oh okay.” Why? I wanted to ask him, but I wanted him to talk about his brother when he was willing to talk to me about him.

“We should really pull out of their driveway.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah.” I was disappointed. Just when we were beginning to get somewhere, he clams up again.

“Noah died last year.” Zane’s voice was low as he started the car, and I stilled at his words. “I found all these notes for this documentary in his stuff. I wanted to make it to honor him.”

“I’m sorry.” I wanted to reach out to him, but I didn’t know how he would respond.

“He was my little brother.” He clenched the wheel. “He was all that I had. And now he’s gone. I’m making this for him.”

“That’s a nice way to honor your brother.” My voice was soft and I reached over and squeezed his hand.

“He loved soccer. He was obsessed with it. When he was 18, I flew him to London and we watched a Chelsea and Tottenham match.”

“Who?”

“They are two British football teams. He loved it.” His voice cracked. “He said it was the best present I could have ever given him. Better than taking him to Amsterdam and getting him some weed and prostitutes.” He laughed.

“Wow, he really loved soccer.”

“He wasn’t like me. He loved everything I didn’t. He was a good kid. His biggest goal in life was to have a family. He was going to have the kids and I was going to be the uncle that spoiled them.”

“The single uncle.”

“Well, you know.” He sighed. “Want to grab a bite before we go home?”

“We need to get you place ready for the party tonight.”

“Dang. I forgot about the party.”

“I can make you something to eat if you are hungry.” I offered.

“That would be nice. Noah would have loved you.”

“He sounds like he was a great guy.”

“I’m sorry I made you upset, Lucky.” He paused. “I didn’t mean to make you think I don’t love our time together, or that I don’t want you. Because that is not true. I just don’t want to end up hurting you. I can’t do forever. And you’re the sort of girl that needs a forever.”

“You don’t know that,” I whispered.

“I don’t know what? That you deserve a forever, or that I can’t give it?” His voice was pained. “I know both of those things. But I’m selfish, and I want you. I don’t want this to end just yet.”

“Neither do I.” I never want it to end. Never. I stifled a sigh and stared at his side profile. This man was reaching out to me finally—slowly, but surely—and I wanted to hold on to him and never let him go. But I knew there was an expiration date to our relationship. That one day—maybe in a month, maybe in a year, maybe tomorrow—would be the day it would be all over, and I would never be the same again.

“So you’re willing to give me another chance.”

“I never stopped giving you a chance.” I laughed.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Have you ever been in love?” I asked quickly, anxiously hoping he would answer.

“I don’t know if I should answer that.” His voice trailed off. “Can I plead the 5th?”

“I’m just curious.” Please say no. Please say no.

“I was in love once. And she broke my heart.” His voice was light. “And no, it wasn’t worth it.”

“Are you still in contact with her?” Please say no. Please say no.

“It’s funny you ask that. I saw her recently.”

“Oh.” I looked out of the window. So I guess it was true. Maybe Braydon had been telling the truth. Maybe Angelique was his ex and she had broken his heart. “So did Noah know Angelique?” I asked softly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” His voice was strained. “I’m sorry, Lucky but I just can’t talk about it right now. Please don’t take it personally.”

“Okay.” My voice cracked. I didn’t know how to not take it personally. “Is there someone else you’d rather be with?” I couldn’t stop myself. “I don’t want to be a girl of convenience.”

“Lucky, I can honestly tell you that right now, there is no one I’d rather have in my bed.”

“Okay.” I bit my lip and tried not to let him see how hurt I was by his words. I didn’t want him to want me just in his bed; I wanted him to value me in his life.

Chapter 13

“Zane darling, you look so handsome tonight.” A beautiful redhead kissed him on the lips as she entered the house. “And your place, just look at it. It’s marvelous.”

“Gina, so great to see you. You’re looking as sexy as ever.”

“Well I do try, my dear.” She twirled around and laughed. “And now a glass of champagne. Where is the champagne?”

“Follow me.” He laughed, and I watched as he took her arm and led her to the kitchen. I felt the stirrings of jealousy erupt in me again, and sighed as I leaned against the mantelpiece. I looked around the room and smiled at how cozy it looked, filled with Zane’s friends. They were all laughing and drinking, and they all looked glamorous and rich. To say I felt overwhelmed, was an understatement—I recognized half of the room from TV and movies, and they all looked even more beautiful and handsome than I remembered from the screen.