Aftermath (34 page)

Shanda
frowned,
her friend was happy with Alfonzo. She saw the difference in Selange and smiled. Wow, if the hoodrat bitches who bullied her
in
school could only see her now.

Shanda’s
mouth
twitched. Back in the day she watched Selange suffer the abuse from
envious
girls
.
Damn, they
hated
her and she hadn’t done
anything
to anybody. She was pretty
, that was her crime and a nerd. On time every day, sitting in class,
reading, always in those books was
her offenses. Those
girls
back in the day
fucked with her
in school
, tossed crinkled papers at her, gossiped about her, called her the teacher’s pet and all types of shit. 

Selange was an individual who never faked it to fit in. She was focused and studious, loved poetry and music, opera and classical shit. They didn’t get her. The girls didn’t understand she was the real one. They were grimy, jealous, hoochie bitches who found fault in anything different. Hey, but Selange held her head up
, aced school and those nasty girls became nastier women. They’re out there, every day Shanda comes in contact with them. They’re the gossips, walking around with comments like, “
Look at her, she think she all that.”

They try to tear down a positive spirit, because their negative and vile people. They hate on their sisters because they hate themselves. She got out their clique, and when she got to know Selange, the girl was the funniest, smartest down to earth person she ever met. She was also a damn good friend. She didn’t do the low-down shit that her other friends had
, like sleeping with her boyfriend and talking shit behind her back. No, that girl stayed solid and when she opened her mouth it wasn’t to bad-mouth anybody it was to encourage and inspire. Now how fucking real is that?

Shanda could feel the burning in her eyes. Selange chose to distance herself from women to protect against their mean temperament. Women were the cruelest to each other and it’s a goddamn shame when they
needed
support
in a world
with some sick ass men.

Alfonzo was good for Selange. Yep, he loved the shit out of her and made up for all the years that girl went it alone. She’d never tell him about it, that’s how she
is;
she’ll deal with stuff and won’t share much
because she won’t want to burden anybody.

Fuck her father and the FEDS. She was taking all the money she saved, which was a whole bunch thanks to
the
woman standing in front of her with the sad face. Selange would be fine. She had fire in her soul. She wasn’t the girl in class anymore, she was the teacher and Shanda
got
the lesson. It was time for her to stop living in
side
the lines and break free from her father’s hold.

“Remember back in Brooklyn when we used to hang-out on the benches and talk about everything
…
l
ife…the future…everything?”

“Yes,” Selange sighed. Her eyes roving over her friends face.

“You were always the optimist, the one who’d say, people can change their circumstances. Many are just too scared or lazy to try, remember that?”

“Shanda, seriously what’s going on?”

“I’m trying
to tell you girl…
I’m trying
to say
…
I love you for everything. For putting up with my shit
.
Girl you’re the best friend any woman can have for real!
”

“Talk to me
Shanda, please let’s go somewhere private. I’m here for you. Whatever I can do, I’ll do
it
for you
.
”

Sh
anda suddenly
hugged Selange, catching her off guard and whispered in her ear, “
I k
now
and
I love you
, we’re BK, do or die
.
But,
I can’t lean on you anymore. I have to find Shanda.
Take
care of
the kids…do you hear me?”

Then before Selange could breathe an answer or a
sk a
quest
ion in response, Shanda hurried away
. She rushed through the crowd
leaving
Selange
standing there in shock.

Confused.

Angry.

Disappointed.

S
elange was s
addened beyond belief
by the abandonment
, because Shanda was more like a sister than a friend.

Another loss.

And it hurt because she didn’t understand.

How do you walk away from a sister-friend because of a man?

A tear dripped and she steeled. Thank goodness for her children and Alfonzo, at least they were real.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Alfonzo and Giuseppe were on the lawn kicking around a soccer ball with Sal when the car rolled through the
security
gates. It halted in the front of the house and Selange emerged alone
and ran into the house. He kicked the ball to Geo, “I’ll be back, let me go find out what’s up.”

Giuseppe nodded, he was looking forward to seeing the Shanda, but apparently, she got cold feet.
H
e didn’t need
a runner
. He would not chase a woman. If Shanda fled, so be it, he’d let her flee.

Alfonzo found Selange upstairs in
the
study. She
sat behind the desk opening her laptop.
She looked
in his direction
and he could
tell
she was angry and hurt. She hadn’t mastered
the blank
expression
. Chica couldn’t hide her emotions. He could always read her face, even when her
lips wanted to lie. If he was the cause of the dissension between
friends then it must’ve been a weak ass friendship
from the start.

Years of a solid relationship shouldn’t dissolve
into quicksand because somebody thr
o
w
s a little
water on it. Shanda was the selfish type, always had been
and always will
.
He stroked his chin, “So, no Shanda, why’s that?”

“I don’t know,” she pout like Allie. “I get there and she gives me this lame excuse about being sick and she came to say hi because she didn’t want to waste the ticket.”

“Yeah, that’s weak.” He said crossing the distance and peering down as she typed in her password. “
You
’re
pretty pissed
,
huh
babe
?”

“To hell with it.”

“I
apologize
if I had anything to do with the rift
.
”

“Alfonzo, there’s something else going on. Shanda wasn’t herself. It might have something to do with Geo. She’s pregnant and she thinks it’s his.”

Alfonzo scoffed, “You gotta’ be kidding, mujer, right?”

“I’m not.”

“Babe, shit.
Now I wish I didn’t know because it puts me in a bad spot.
G
eo
’s my brother
.
”

“That’s why I’m angry. I’m in a bad spot, too. I thought she was coming here to talk to
Geo
and have him
agree to
a paternity test but then she bounce
d,
now what
do I do
?”

He shook his head
. The news was a shocker. Shanda and Giuseppe possibly having a kid, ah man, God help their offspring.
Look at what a lawyer and a killer
spawned in that one Aaron.
Giuseppe
’s
a nut and Shanda, equally ridiculous. A killer clown
is
likely the result.
Two fucked up people having a kid is a
goddamn nightmare!

“Damn, Geo’s going to
go hard when he finds out.”
Alfonzo blew air, “All right babe,
I’ll handle my big bro. Fick it, i
t is what it is
!
” She typ
ed furiously
and he
switched gears to ask,
“Are you work
ing
?”

“No I’m checking my
midterm
grades.”

“You passed.”

“How do you know?”

“One thing I know about you is you’re smart.” He said
. He
turned to leave and bumped his knee on the edge of the
hard
desk, “Ah, shit!”

He rubbed at it and she frowned, “You okay?”

“I’ll live.”

He walked out grunting and she turned her attention to the screen.

Critical Theory –A

Elementary School Science: Content & Pedagogy –A+

Facilitating the Arts in the Classroom –A

Elementary School Social Studies: Content & Pedagogy –A

She smiled
and let out a celebratory
shout
, “Alfonzo I passed. I passed!’

He
hadn’t
traveled far because his head
appeared in the door. He laughed and
winked, “Told you
. I’m marrying a smart-ass chic
a
!”

                  
                         ****

A few days before Thanksgiving Maria prepared to leave for Bayamón. The entire
family was
converging
at Alfonzo’s to celebrate. The renovations were complete
and t
he spacious home
of her son is where
the Diaz
’ agreed to
gather
.
When Alfonzo proposed the idea she was happy, ecstatic in fact that he’d finally come to terms with her and Bruno and
began
to act like a loving son. Of course, she invited
Bruno;
Italians did not celebrate the American and Canadian holiday. Having him there to meet
the entire
family was very important to her
.
Bruno had become a very special person in her life.

He traveled to New York
regularly
and only weeks ago
invited her to his lavish
mansion
in Italy. The apprehension to go was replaced when he arrived to collect her
. He
brought
another
lavish bouquet of flowers, joked with Carmen and
her sister e
ncouraged her to go.

She
’s
glad she
did
. The week spent with Bruno was unlike anything she experienced before. Helicopter rides to Milan for the opera, introduction to his influential friends and strolls through his immaculate garden were the scenes within a romance book
.

The overwhelming calm being
with Bruno wasn’t anything she felt before, or that she remembered.
The
sweet man assembled h
is entire family at the home o
n the last day of her visit for a special dinner in her honor.

“New beginnings,” he toasted and his sons and
daughter Bianca
raised their fluted glasses in acknowledgment.

“To Maria and to my father, may they find joy and love in friendship. Salute!” His eldest son exclaimed and Maria blushed.

It was the grandchildren who giggled at her embarrassment and she thought how similar they were to her family, except their manners were more refined.
The Diaz’ cu
rsed too much, drank
a
nd was
a
raucous
bunch in comparison, but they were family and she loved them despite their irksome ways
!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The day preparing for the convergence of the Diaz’
kept
Selange busy. The spare bedrooms were given new drapes, and toiletries were stocked as instructed. Selange thanked Anita as she peeked in the large pantry where the woman and
the
housekeeper were stacking
food items on
the shelves
.
She had recently spoken to Amelda and hearing the woman’s fear over natural in
fant things made Selange laugh, before sharing some vital parenting tips. They promised to get together and the sting of not having her best friend to talk to anymore lessened.