At Last (15 page)

             
I remained silent.

             
“Did you hear me?” She asked.

             
“Yeah.”
I replied quickly.

             
“Well?”

             
“Well, did you tell him to go to Hell?”

             
“Keisha Marie Morgan…”

             
“Yes?”

             
“How can you talk about him like that? He was going to take care of you and Taylor.”

             
“So what if he was? I am not dealing with that. I’m just not going to do it.  I don’t care how much money he has or how comfortable he could make life for us.  It’s not worth it anymore.”

             
“He called here crying, Keisha.”

             
“I have a question, Momma? Was he crying when he was doing his dirt?”

             
She fell speechless.  She obviously didn’t have an answer to that.

             
“He made a mistake, Keisha.” She tried to reason.

             
“Too bad.
  It’s over. You and
him
need to realize it.” I went to my room and closed the door.  There were roses on my bed with a note attached.

“You are my World.   Love, Durran”

             
His approach of sending flowers was beyond tired.  Flowers were not going to make up for the events that had transpired between us.  You would think at this juncture he’d gotten the hint though flowers were beautiful, they die.  Just like our relationship had died.

             
The next day, since Cliff forewarned me about the effect of my attire on the customers, I decided to tone it down. I threw on a brown V-neck tunic, a pair of dark Levi’s jeans and a pair of taupe Marc Jacobs flat riding boots.

             
I pulled my long black hair in a ponytail.  Big gold hoops dangled in my ears.

             
After loading up all my equipment and products in the car, I headed for the shop. While driving I couldn’t take my mind off my mother.
             
Maybe she meant well, but how could she want me to be in a
marriage where I knew my husband would be unfaithful?  It just wasn’t right.  I knew she loved Durran, but did she love him more than Taylor and me?  This whole situation was a mess.

             
When I arrived at the shop, it was a quarter after eight.  I brought my first bag in. “Good morning,” I said with a smile.

             
Everyone looked at me.

             
“Good morning, lit
tle lady.”
An older gentleman wearing a tweed jacket with salt and peppered hair said to me.

             
I smiled as I put my bag on my chair.  I went back out to the car and got the rest of my equipment.  As soon as I returned, I began to setup my station.

             
“What’s good, Miss Morgan?” Cliff said with a smile.

             
I turned around and Cliff was standing in front of me smelling good and looking even better.

             
“You tell me?” I replied with a smile still stuck on my face.

             
“You ready for today?” He asked.

             
“As ready as I’m going to be.”  I said continuing to set up my station.

             
“Good luck.” He said before walking off to his station to an older gentleman. He’d already started cutting the man’s hair.

             
“Thanks.” I replied.

             
When I first met him, I didn’t think he was attractive at all. I just thought he had a nice smile.  But as I watched him cut hair, it was something about him that was becoming extremely attractive to me.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it stuck out.

             
I had three of my regular customers. They all got on my damn nerves.  They asked too many questions.
All I heard for the first couple of hours were questions about Durran, Atlanta, and The Grammys. They were driving me crazy.

             
It was extremely refreshing to have walk-ins.  They were quiet, didn’t ask too many questions, and more importantly, they didn’t know me. I just wanted to get used to things in a new place, and honestly I wanted to work in peace.

             
I had a minute to break, so I sat in my chair to chill for a spell.  I couldn’t help to overhear the different conversations between the men. It was interesting to say the least.

             
“On all fours, my nigga!
For real! She was all over me, boy.” 
Claimed the pimpled faced brother.
 
Negro, please
.

             
Then there was this other cat that looked like a pimp. He was seated in Mike’s chair claiming how one of his
“bitches”
paid for his ride.  His mouth was full of gold teeth.  Yuck!

             
“That bitch paying’ the note every month, mane.
  I ain’t even got to do nothing but go over to her spot every once and a while and break her off some of Daddy. Real nigga shit!” He bragged.

             
I almost burst out laughing.

             
“Well, I don’t like no skinny woman,” an older man professed “I need a woman with some meat on her bones. More cushion for the pushing. Gotta hold on to something from the back, you feel me?”

             
All the men fell out laughing but I couldn’t say a word.  I had assured Cliff that I could handle myself.

             
“Well, I like a woman who’s shaped like a Coca-Cola bottle.”  A younger brother expressed.

             
“Hell yeah.”
  All the men exploded in replies.

             
The young guy kept on talking, “You know, when they got that small ass waist and that nice phat ass! Palm it!”

             
The whole barbershop exploded in laughter.  I
peeped
Cliff’s reaction.   He just nodded his head like a typical man. I couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to go to the back.  Everyone got quiet. You could almost hear a pin drop.

             
“New booty got a body like a muhfucka!” Someone exclaimed behind me.

             
I turned around.  Everyone had blank looks on their faces.  No one wanted to take responsibility for the comment. There was a guy who looked to be about nineteen or twenty sitting there grinning.
Dumbass.

             
“Was that directed at me?” I asked him.

             
“Keisha.” Cliff called out to me.

             
I stared his ass down.

             
“You the only one standing here.
It’s a fuckin’ compliment. Fuck you trippin for?” He responded.

             
No the hell he didn’t.  He wasn’t about to disrespect me in front of all these fools. Once he did it, these other niggas were gonna think they could do it too.

             
“I would appreciate if you kept your comments about me to yourself.”  I said trying to be civil. I turned back around and walked away.

             
“You want somebody to say something wearing that tight ass shit. You asking for a nigga to comment, you want a nigga to notice you-so I did.”

             
“Oh okay. So you want me to comment on your busted ass clothes or your run over shoes? What the fuck are those, Filas? You look like you shop at the gas station. Nigga, you don’t know me, so keep your comments to yourself.”

             
“Alright, that’s enough. It’s over.” Cliff said as he walked towards us.

             
“You need to control this-.” The guy said before Cliff cut him off.

             
“Chill out playboy.” Cliff warned. By now he was
towering
over the guy.

             
“Chill Cliff, I ain’t even worried ‘bout her.” He replied.

             
I walked back to my station disregarding the bullshit.

             
“Don’t ever disrespect my employees like that.
Male or female, my nigga.”
Cliff said deliberately. He made it as clear as possible. It actually sounded threatening.

             
Everyone in the shop was waiting for someone to say something. You could hear a pin drop.

             
“We clear?”  Cliff asked him.

             
“Yeah.
I got it.” The guy replied.

             
By now, I was standing at my station mad as hell.  Cliff made his way over to me.

             
“You alright, Keisha?”
He asked.

             
“I’m fine.”  I said turning to walk to the back again.

             
“Stuck up bitch.”
I heard.

             
I turned around, picked up my hot curlers from the stove and headed towards the asshole.

             
“Bitch!?
  Fuck you.
You the bitch!”

             
Cliff got between us.

             
“Come on, bitch!” the clown dared.

             
“Break out, my nigga.”  Cliff ordered.

             
“I’m a paying customer. You can’t just tell me to leave.” He replied.

             
“Your money ain’t good here no more.  Fuck outta here.” Cliff demanded again.

             
The dude bumped Cliff walking towards the door.

             
“Don’t take it where it
don’t
need to go.” Cliff warned.

             
“Whatever, nigga.”
He replied pushing the door open and leaving.

             
Cliff and I just stood there while everyone discussed what had just transpired.  I was so mad my mocha skin was a shade of red now.  I turned to go to the back, opened and slammed the door behind me.  All I could hear was the customers yell, “Damn!” in unison.

             
I already hated it here.   Bullshit on the first day.  Damn I couldn’t catch a break. Being disrespected on my job was just something I was not going to take. 
Bills or not.
  It was just unacceptable.

             
I wish I had never agreed to marry Durran.  I should have never moved to Atlanta.  I would still have my job that I loved.  I would’ve still had my house and I wouldn’t have had to rely on my mother again.

             
I still had too much emotion bottled up. I couldn’t hold back anymore, so I began crying.  I was seated on the green ass couch contemplating packing up my shit and getting the hell outta here. The door opened and Cliff walked through it.

             
“Keisha…you straight?”

             
“I’m cool.”

             
I sat there with my face in my hands.  He sat down next to me, “I told everybody he ain’t allowed in here
no
more. You ain’t gotta deal with him.”

             
“Thank you.  I appreciate it, but don’t worry about it.  I think this is going to be my first and last day.”

             
“What? Don’t your clients pay in cash?” He said imitating me, “Don’t you pay me booth rent in cash?”

             
He flashed me that infectious smile of his.  I couldn’t help but laugh.

             
“You held your own Ma—pardon me, I mean Keisha.” He corrected himself still smiling.

             
“Ma is fine.”

             
“You sure?
  I can remember Keisha.” He smiled.

             
“Well, you’ve been having a hard time remembering up to now.” I replied laughing.

             
“That’s my fault.”  He said with a chuckle, “I know things been a little crazy, but don’t quit.”

             
“I don’t know.” I replied.

             
Cliff began to laugh again, “I thought you was gon’ kill ol’ boy.”