What We Learned Along the Way (11 page)

“Sounds pretty cool. I could use this CD in
the house,” he said. Jaime walked over to the closet and pulled out
a CD case and tossed it to him.

“Take that. It’s another one of his
CD’s.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll copy it and bring it
back.”

“No need. Keep it. I have tons.”

“Come on, Langston. Come get this beating,”
Isaiah yelled from the living room.

“Yea, we’ll see,” Langston said as he walked
back to finish his game.

By the time everyone was ready to go, it was
1’oclock in the morning. Aliya went into the bedroom and found
Jaime sleep next to Harlem.

“Jaime?” Aliya whispered as she picked up the
child. We’re gonna go.”

“How long have I been sleep?” she asked.

“Hours. You must have been pretty tired,”
Aliya said.

“I guess so.” She went into the living room
to say her goodbyes. After everyone was gone, she sat on the sofa
and put her hands on her slightly rounded belly.

“We had a long night,” she said. “Now we’ve
got to get this place cleaned up.” As she picked up the games and
food, she thought about how she was going to break the news to
everyone. She was four months along and was starting to show. She
still couldn’t believe she was pregnant. One mistake was going to
change the rest of her life. How was everyone going to take it? How
were her parents going to take it? How were the girls going to take
it? What was Rashad going to say? She didn’t know how much longer
she could wait to tell him, but his and Mariam’s wedding was
quickly approaching. She thought he should know before he got
married.

It took her another week to muster up the
courage to tell him. She held the phone for five minutes before she
could bring herself to dial. As soon as she heard the phone
ringing, she wanted to hang up; but he answered on the first
ring.

“Hello?” he said.

“As salaam alaikum, Rashad. This is Jaime.
Boy, you sure answered fast.”

“Yea, I was just about to make a call.
Wasup?”

“Oh, if you’re in the middle of a call, I can
just call you back later.”

“No, it’s cool. You got me on the phone now.
What’s going on?”

“I need to talk to you about something. It’s
pretty important. I think I should come over so we can talk in
person.”

“I’m pretty busy. What is it? I’m sure we can
talk about it on the phone, whatever it is.”

“Please, Rashad. I need to come over,” she
pleaded.

He didn’t like the sound of this. “I’ve got
to be to work in an hour. Can you make it quick?”

“I’ll be right over.” She hung up the phone
before he could change his mind.

Jaime had never been to Rashad’s house. When
she pulled up, she wasn’t sure if she was at the right place, until
she recognized his red Toyota in the driveway.

“This is it,” she told herself.

Rashad already had his chef’s uniform on when
she walked in.

“So what did you need to talk about?” he
asked as he stepped into the bedroom. “Sorry if I’m being rude. I’m
just kind of in a rush.”

“It’s okay,” Jaime said. She was too nervous
to make small talk, so she got right to it. “I don’t know how to
say this but,” she took a big breath, “I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant? Uhh, okay. I didn’t know Joseph
had it in him. Tell him I said congratulations, I guess. I’ll be
sure to buy the baby a nice gift. You came all the way over here to
tell me that?” he said as he walked through the living room and
into the bathroom.

“No, you don’t understand,” she said. “It’s
not Joseph’s. It’s yours,” she said softly.

“Mine?” he said as he walked out of the
bathroom and stood directly in front of her. “That’s
impossible.”

“Is it really?” she said, looking him dead in
the eyes.

Rashad hesitated. “But, but it was only one
time and that was, what, four months ago?”

“And I’m four months pregnant,” she said,
pulling her abaya tight so he could see the shape of her small,
round belly.

“How do you know it’s not Joseph’s?” he asked
as he paced the room.

“I don’t know what kind of girl you think I
am, but I do not go around having sex! I didn’t mean to do it with
you. It was such a horrible mistake.”

“Damn!” Rashad muttered. “How could you let
this happen?”

“Me? You were the extra friendly one that
night. I should have never let you give me that ride home.”

Rashad had to sit down. He thought back to
that night he had been watching movies with Mariam. When he found
Isaiah’s number on the napkin, he assumed the worst. He tried to
play it cool and give her a chance to explain, but she didn’t say
anything. He went to Starr to blow off some steam. He hadn’t
planned on seeing Jaime, and he definitely hadn’t planned on
sleeping with her. He was just so angry with Mariam. The whole
thing was a huge mistake.

”I am so dumb,” he said. “I was already a
little on edge because of the Bertino’s incident. When I saw that
napkin with the number on it fall out of her pocket, I jumped to
conclusions. I tried to give her a chance to explain, but she
didn’t say anything. I was so mad. I didn’t even bother to ask what
it was for. I just assumed she was cheating. If I just would have
asked, she would have told me the number was for Malikah,” he said,
shaking his head in disgust.

“I’m no smarter,” Jaime said with her head
hung low. “I remember that night, too. I was so excited about
finally standing up to my parents. It was like an adrenaline rush.
I wasn’t even thinking straight. I can’t believe this. So, when are
you going to tell Mariam?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t lose her.”

Jaime felt awkward. She didn’t know what to
say.

“You’ve got to get to work,” Jaime said
finally. “I’m going to head home. Joseph still doesn’t know. No one
does.” She stood up and walked toward the door.

“Jaime?” Rashad called from the sofa.
“Please, don’t tell Mariam. She needs to hear it from me.”

“I know,” Jaime said.

It was the day before the wedding and Mariam
had tons of things to do. She was meeting her bridesmaids at Sister
Rose’s for a final fitting. She was running a little late, so when
she and Nadia showed up, everyone else was already there, except
Jaime.

“I hope Jaime’s on her way,” Mariam said
looking at her watch. I know Sister Rose has to leave by
1’oclock.

“I got a voicemail from Jaime this morning.
She said she isn’t feeling well and won’t to be able to make it,”
Malikah said.

“She sounded pretty bad the last time I
talked to her, too,” Aliya said. “Seems like she’s always sick
these days. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was
pregnant,” Aliya joked.

“I hope she’s okay in time for the wedding
tomorrow,” Mariam said. She sounded worried.

“Mariam, you are my girl,” Nadia said as she
walked out in her light yellow bridesmaids dress. “You picked out
the perfect dress. It fits in all the right places,” she said,
checking herself out in the full length mirror.

“Yea, you did it with this one, Mariam,”
Aliya said. “I’m so glad you’re not one of those brides that try to
make her bridesmaids look bad, just so she can look better.”

Nadia looked Aliya up and down. “Uhm, your
dress sure is tight,” she said with an attitude.

“Nadia!” Mariam said, embarrassed.

“No, she’s right.” Aliya said. “It is a
little tight. You think you could let it out a bit?” she asked
Sister Rose.

“Sho, baby. That’s what this fitting’s fo’.”
Sister Rose was as good a seamstress as any professional, but she
was extremely country. She was one of those women that spent most
of the day in her rocking chair on the porch, gossiping about her
neighbors. Most of her sentences started with “Now, you ain’t heard
this from me…” She was the woman that could tell you everybody’s
business, but kept her mouth shut about her own.

While Sister Rose let out Aliya’s dress,
Mariam went over all the things she had left to do.

“I have to pick up the linen from the Paper
House, drop a payment off to the caterer, make sure Rashad gets his
tux, give his family directions to the mosque, print out the
programs, get my nails done and I have a back massage scheduled at
5 o’clock.”

“I’m free the rest of the day. I can help
with anything you need,” Malikah offered.

“You mean you don’t have to meet Isaiah for
anything? You guys are practically attached at the hip.”

“He’s visiting his parents in Austin. He
doesn’t get back until tomorrow morning.”

“So, should I be getting ready to be a
bridesmaid in your wedding?” Mariam asked with a smile.

“Girl, I don’t know. He’s so iffy. One day he
wants to be a personal trainer, the next a coffee shop owner. I
love him, but I can’t take him borrowing money from me all the
time. My wallet’s never been so empty.”

“Isn’t he in college? What’s his major?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think he even knows.
He’s just as clueless about his future plans as I am about mine,”
Malikah answered.

“Then it sounds like you two are made for
each other. I think Rashad is getting cold feet,” Mariam said,
changing the subject. “He’s been so quiet lately. I think it’s
really starting to set in that he’s about to be married.”

“I can see how that might be a little scary,”
Malikah said.

“I just can’t wait for our honeymoon. I can’t
believe I’m going to Hawaii!” she screamed. “And you should see the
lingerie I bought. It’s so sexy. He’s gonna die.”

“Well, you said he’s been quiet. I’m sure
that’ll get him talking again,” Malikah said with a smirk.

The two of them spent the next few hours
driving through the city, completing the rest of the wedding-day
tasks.

“Since you’re here, you should get your nails
done, too,” Mariam suggested. Malikah inspected her nails before
answering.

“I’m going to have to take you up on that
offer.” As they waited for the next available table, a tall woman
came storming through the door.

“I guess he thinks I’m a fool!” she said
aloud as she stomped up to the counter.

“You need nail done?” the desk clerk asked
with a think Chinese accent.

“Yea, toes too. Hook it up.”

Before the small woman at the front desk
could say anything else, a man with braids and an oversized white
tee came into the salon.

“Baby, wait. Now, why you gotta act like
this? You gon’ take the word of some ho’ over ya man?” The man was
sweating and breathing hard. Mariam didn’t know where the man had
come from, but from the looks of it, he had run the entire way.

“Some ho’?” the woman said in disbelief. She
left the counter and walked closer to the man. She got very close
to his face. “Some ho’?” she repeated. “Tyneesha ain’t no ho’.
That’s my girl and I know she ain’t gon lie. The ho’ is that trick
she saw you wit!” the woman yelled as she used her index finger to
poke him in the forehead.

“Oh okay, so you can put yo’ hands all up on
me, but if I touch you, you gon call the police.” The man took a
few steps back to put some space between them.

“That’s right,” she said stepping closer. “I
can do whatever I want, and ain’t nothing you can do about it!” She
punctuated each word with another poke.

“Woman, you need to get yo’ hands off me! I’m
warning you.” The man seemed like he was trying to stay calm, but
wasn’t exactly succeeding.

Malikah watched the two intently. Mariam was
worried. They were getting pretty intense and she didn’t want
anyone to get hurt. She wondered why the salon staff hadn’t done
anything yet. She looked around at the Chinese women that ran the
shop. They looked just as scared as she was. One leaned over to
another and whispered something in Chinese. Mariam didn’t know what
she said, but she figured it was something like, “I’m sick of these
ghetto, black people coming in our shop.”

After being cursed out and poked enough times
to leave a mark, the man finally stormed out, but not before
grabbing her by her shoulders and shaking her.

“Well, I was going to watch a movie tonight,
but I feel like I just saw one,” Malikah said jokingly.

Mariam couldn’t see how Malikah was taking
this so lightly. She hated to see couples arguing and cursing each
other out.

“Why can’t a black man and woman love each
other in peace? Why does it always have to be yelling and fighting,
neck bobbing and finger waving?” she asked Malikah.

“Because you had to get your nails done in
the hood. What do you expect? The shop is call ‘Nails in da’ Hood.’
”

“No, I’m serious, Malikah. Every time I turn
around, I see families falling apart. Everyone’s cheating.
Everyone’s yelling. No one is being respectful. No one’s trying to
make things work anymore. Is that what Rashad and I have to look
forward to?”

“Come on, Mariam. You know there’s a big
difference between you and Rashad and those two that just
left.”

“Yea, I know, but I still hate to see it. It
makes me uneasy, like a normal relationship would be too much to
ask for.” On the way out of the salon, Mariam called Rashad to see
if he had picked up his tux.

“I got it,” he said.

“Great. Don’t get it wrinkled, and keep that
rental tag so we don’t have any problems returning it.”

“Okay,” Rashad said.

“Are you okay, honey? You sound tired.”

“I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Oh, I know. You’re thinking about our
honeymoon. You can’t wait, can you?” Mariam said with a huge
smile.

Rashad let out a pathetic little laugh. “I’m
sure it’ll be nice.” Rashad hadn’t slept much since he’d gotten the
news about Jaime. He knew he had to tell Mariam, but he couldn’t
bring himself to say the words. Every time he looked at her, she
seemed so happy. She had sent wedding invitations to his whole
family in California. She even sent one to his sister studying
abroad in Italy. Every time he had planned to tell her, he
chickened out. Now here he was a day before his wedding, and his
wife-to-be had no idea he was having a baby by her best friend.