Bad Blood (19 page)

Chapter 36

Seth

I
STILL HAD MY KEY TO MY PARENTS' HOUSE, BUT
I
ALWAYS KNOCKED now.

“What's wrong with you, boy? Why don't you just let yourself in, like you're supposed to?” Mother asked, swinging open the door. “You know I gave Minnie the day off.” Minnie Finch was the woman who came to the house several times a week to “help” Mother with the housekeeping.

“Mother, this is no longer my home, and I don't feel comfortable acting like it is at my age,” I said, trying to sound firm. “I keep telling you and Father and everybody else that I want to be more independent.”

“Uh-huh. Is that why you moved in with Rachel? How do you expect to become ‘more independent' living with her?”

“I thought you liked Rachel.”

“I do. I think she's the nicest, sweetest girl you've ever brought to the house. And it's about time!” Mother brushed off the sleeve of my jacket and patted the top of my head. The same way she used to do when I was a little boy. It was no wonder I still felt like a baby when I was around her. “And judging from that muffin top around your waist, she's cooking up a storm for you!” Mother patted my belly, which had expanded considerably since I'd moved in with Rachel.

I spent the next hour playing bridge with my mother and two of her nosy friends. I had to answer every question in the book regarding my health, my job status, and my love life.

“I am so happy for you, Seth. I loved Rachel the minute I met her,” Mrs. Wilson, a plump retired doctor's wife, said in a raspy voice.

“All I want to know is, does she have any grown sisters? I'd love to see my boy Earl settle down with a nice girl with some of the same old-school virtues I hear Rachel has,” said Mrs. Carter, my mother's thin, long-faced hairdresser.

“Uh, yeah. She's got one sister around eighteen or nineteen, I think. Her name's Janet, but she lives in Alabama,” I responded.

“Is she as nice and as pretty as Rachel?” Mother asked.

“I've seen pictures of Rachel's sister, and she's even prettier than Rachel.” I paused when every woman in the room gasped. “I've talked to her on the telephone only once, just to introduce myself. I didn't talk to her long enough to determine anything about her personality. But I'm sure she's just as nice and as sweet as Rachel.”

“Does she have any brothers? I've been praying for some nice fellow to come along and take my trifling daughter Francine off my hands,” said Willena Morris, Mother's former sorority sister, shaking her head.

“She's got a brother who is a couple of years younger than she is. I don't know much about him, though . . . his education or what kind of work he does. When I asked Rachel to let me introduce myself over the phone, the way I had done with her sister, he wouldn't come to the phone for some strange reason. I haven't been able to get him on the phone yet.”

“Maybe he's shy. Anyway, from everything you've told us about Rachel and everything we've witnessed with our own eyes, she's from good stock, so her siblings have to be, too. I'm just surprised she's got a grown sister and brother who are still unmarried and still living at home,” Mother said. I didn't know how to interpret the worried look on her face.

“Mother, I'm grown and still unmarried, and I just moved away from home recently,” I reminded. “Besides, I am sure that Rachel's sister and her brother are already involved with other people.”

When Rachel arrived with Darnell an hour later, I wanted to jump up and kiss her as soon as she entered the living room. I did just that, and not just because I was happy to see her. I had a more important reason. She was a lot more patient than I was, so she could deal with these old hens and shift the focus off me and the fact that my relationship with Darnell was so shaky. Just as I expected, Rachel handled the situation like a pro. By the time we left, she had Mother and everybody else practically eating out of her hand. Especially Darnell, and that pleased me more than anything.

“I'll help you out with Darnell as much as I can,” Rachel told me when we got home that night. “As long as it's within reason . . .”

“Thanks, baby. That makes me feel so much better. So far you're the only person who seems to be able to get through to him,” I told her. “I appreciate all you do for him—and all you do for me, too. I can't tell you that enough.”

When we went to bed, I made love to her for hours.

Rachel was a woman of her word. When she promised to do something, she did it, no matter how much of an inconvenience it was to her. I could see why her friends were so crazy about her.

Rachel went out of her way to please my son. She even rearranged her schedule and canceled a few appointments so she could accommodate him. She quickly realized how much Darnell loved shopping and hanging out at the mall, and she didn't hesitate to take him. However, she made him “earn” those privileges. She came up with all kinds of incentives to make him more proactive. She had him wash our cars, wash dishes, or perform some other chore when he wanted her to take him to the arcade or anywhere else.

“I ain't never in my life done no laundry or vacuumed no floor. But Rachel said she'd pay me or take me anywhere I want to go if I did,” he told me one day, when I came home from work.

When Rachel ran out of chores for Darnell to do, she had him earn points by running errands for her neighbors. And not once did he balk. He enjoyed the challenges. He even called up some of his friends in L.A. and bragged about all the “good deeds” Rachel had him performing and his rewards for doing them.

“I can't wait to tell Mama how much fun I had and how much money I made for vacuuming floors and doing other things for Rachel, and for running to the store for old people next door that she hooked me up with,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “Daddy, I hope you and Rachel never break up!”

“I hope we don't, either,” I said.

Chapter 37

Rachel

I
WAS NERVOUS ABOUT GOING TO
S
ETH'S PARENTS' HOUSE WHEN
Darnell and I finished our shopping. I took him back to my apartment first so he could change into some of the cute clothes I had purchased for him. I didn't even want to think about how Seth's mother would react if he showed up in the baggy, shabby clothes he had brought with him from L.A.

“Do I have to go over to my grandparents' house?” Darnell asked with frown.

“Yes, honey. If you behave over there, I'll take you swimming tomorrow. Now go change your clothes and let's get going. The sooner we get over there, the sooner we can leave.”

“Cool!” Darnell yelled as he laid out his new clothes so he could decide what to wear.

 

Seth's father answered the door when Darnell and I arrived. Before I realized what was happening, he draped his arm around my shoulder and kissed me on the cheek, which was the way he always greeted me. But this time, before I could pull away, his hand brushed the side of my hip. He looked away too fast, so he didn't see the scowl on my face. He gave Darnell a brief hug and walked away, but not before winking at me as I followed him into the living room.

“Rachel, honey, I don't know what you're doing to my son, but whatever it is, please keep doing it. I've never seen him so happy,” Seth's mother told me. For a woman of means, she sure looked downright cheap to me most of the time. She wore way too much make-up and too many outlandish outfits. Today she had on a flowered muumuu, and her make-up was so thick, it looked like clay.

“Well, Seth deserves to be treated well. By the way, Vivian, you look as glamorous as ever.” It was so easy for me to lie to a woman like Seth's mother. I liked her, but because of some of the things she'd said to me the first day I met her, I didn't trust her and never would.

“Thank you, sweetie. So do you,” she squealed. A split second later, she narrowed her eyes and looked me up and down. “How do you breathe in those tight jeans?” Then she made a clucking noise and promptly turned to Darnell and opened her arms. “Come give your granny some sugar!”

Darnell rolled his eyes and reluctantly went up to her and gave her a hug, one of the weakest I'd ever seen.

“I'm so glad to see you in some decent clothes for a change.”

“Rachel took me shopping,” Darnell announced, looking around the room. I had a feeling he was just as uncomfortable about being around his grandmother and her friends as I was.

“Rachel, we were just talking about you, honey,” the retired doctor's wife said with a hiccup. She had very light brown skin, but because her nose was as red as a cherry, I could tell she'd had several daiquiris already. The empty pitcher and empty glasses on the table were an indication that the rest of the old ladies had, too.

Things went downhill from there.

I liked Seth's parents and their friends, but I dreaded spending a Saturday afternoon with them. The first time I excused myself to go to the bathroom, Conrad was standing in front of the door when I came out.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked, nodding toward the end of the hall.

“What about?” I wanted to know, backing away from him.

He took my hand and pulled me down the hall. Since I didn't want to create a scene, I followed in silence.

“Rachel, when can we get together?” he whispered.

“Huh?” I gasped and shook my head. “Get together for what?”

“You don't fool me, girl. I've seen the look in your eyes every time you look at me. I know you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. I know a place—”

My life had improved so much in the past few years that I was a lot more mellow than I used to be. I had learned how to control my temper and my mouth. The “old” me probably would have slapped Conrad and cussed him out. I didn't want to go back to my old ways, and I didn't want to make myself look like a fool in Seth's parents' home.

“I'm going to pretend this didn't happen. But if it does happen again, I will tell your son and your wife.”

Conrad's mouth flew open, and an angry look appeared on his face. “I know you're not threatening me!”

“I don't fool around with other women's men!” I hissed.

“Since when? What about Skirt?”

“Skirt?” I gasped again.

“This is a small town, young lady. Men talk. I know how you used to lay up with Skirt, and all during that time he was involved with several women. Don't you stand here and tell me you don't fool around with other women's men! I'm sure my son would love to know what a slut you really are!”

If Seth's lecherous father didn't deserve to be slapped, I didn't know who did. I was surprised that I was still able to control my temper. But I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to do so. I decided to end this encounter as soon as I could. I leaned closer to Conrad and poked him in the chest with my finger. “If you ever approach me again like this, you will be very sorry.” I walked away and went back into the living room.

A few seconds later, Conrad returned, grumbling about an appointment with a friend that he'd just remembered. I was glad when he left the house, but I had a feeling I was going to have another encounter with him. If so, I wouldn't be as nice to him as I'd been a few minutes ago.

Vivian ordered me to sit down and join the bridge game, which was one card game I had never really cared for. Darnell plopped down on the couch, grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and turned the TV on. About ten minutes later, he jumped up and danced a jig to the music of a popular commercial. He accidentally knocked a vase off one of the end tables. It didn't break, but Vivian almost had another heart attack.

“Darnell, you have to act more civilized when you're in this house!” she yelled. “Now, you pick up that vase and put it back where it was, and then sit down and stay still until your daddy takes you home.” She turned to one of her guests and said something I never thought a grandmother would say in front of her grandson. “With Caroline for a mother, no wonder this boy is such a savage.”

I looked at Seth. He stood behind the chair his mother occupied, with his hands on her shoulders. I had never seen him look so hurt. He blinked and offered me a weak smile, but I knew him so well by now, I could still see the pain in his eyes.

“Daddy, when can we leave?” Darnell asked, totally ignoring his grandmother. “I don't like it over here. It smells like bug spray.”

Vivian gasped and gave her guests an apologetic look. “See what I mean?” she said, shaking her head. “My other grandson never behaves like this. . . .”

“Mother, Darnell is not used to being in such a rigid setting,” Seth said, using a tone of voice he rarely used with his mother.

“Well, he doesn't have to come to this ‘rigid setting,'” Vivian said, something else I had never expected to hear a grandmother say in front of her grandson.

I felt so sorry for Darnell. Even more so for Seth. The poor thing was trying so hard to please his mother, but it seemed like it always backfired.

To add insult to injury, when we prepared to leave a couple of hours later, Darnell stumbled over to Vivian and kissed her on the cheek. “Bye, Grandma. It was good to see you,” he said with a grimace on his face. Vivian wiped her cheek with a napkin as soon as Darnell turned away from her.

“Yeah,” she muttered. “It was good to see you, too,” she added after hesitating for a few moments. She sucked in her gut and turned to me, flipping on her smile as if she'd used a light switch to do so. “I'll see you again soon, I hope, Rachel. It's always a pleasure to see you. Let me know when I can come over this week so you can show me how to make hush puppies.”

“Come over this Monday evening, around six thirty, Vivian.”

I wanted to show that woman how to make hush puppies as soon as possible and get it over with. Why she had to come to my place for that was a mystery to me. “She just wants to keep tabs on how clean you keep your place,” Lucy had told me when I'd mentioned it to her the other day. I knew that I would keep as much distance between myself and my potential future mother-in-law as I could. And because of the way she treated and spoke to Darnell, I shuddered when I thought about how she might treat Seth's children by me if they didn't suit her. . . .

 

I couldn't take off from work to spend the days with Darnell, so I took him to a child-care center owned by a woman who lived in my neighborhood on my way to work the first Monday of his visit. I wanted to help Seth out as much as I could.

“Baby, I really appreciate what you're doing for me,” Seth told me when he called me from his job at around ten that morning.

“Seth, it was no trouble at all for me to take Darnell to the center. And don't worry about the payment. My neighbor is giving me a ten percent discount for braiding her hair last month.”

“That's wonderful.” His silence told me there was something else on his mind. “In a few weeks, I'll have my business up and running. I'll be able to help out more with our finances.”

“Seth, I'm not used to lending money or helping people out financially, but I'll help you when I can, if it's not a hardship, and as long as you agree to pay me back when you say you will.” It seemed like every time I uttered words like these, it led to another one of his financial situations. This time was no different.

“That's why I hate to ask you for more,” he started, speaking slowly and in a low voice. “But I swear I'll pay you back when I say I will.”

“What else do you need?”

“Could you cover my child support payments for this month and next? I'll pay you back in about three months, when I cash in some bonds my grandmother left me. I'd like to go ahead and get some better transportation now. It makes no sense for me to keep spending money on repairs for that damn jalopy I have now. It broke down on the freeway twice last week, and I'm sick of having to call tow trucks.”

“I guess I can,” I replied with hesitation. I took a deep breath and smiled to hide my concern. I promised myself that the very
first
time Seth didn't keep his end of a repayment agreement, I'd never help him out financially again. “I'm glad to hear that you've decided to go ahead and get a new car. Not only do you really need one, but you deserve one.”

Seth financed most of the things we did to entertain Darnell. We went to every animated movie there was, the video arcade several times, McDonald's, and we went shopping to get him some more new clothes and some school supplies. I was glad Seth didn't ask me for even more financial assistance. I was nervous about the sixteen hundred dollars I'd already lent to him and my agreement to cover his child support payments for a couple of months. My money was a major part of our relationship, but I let that slide because I knew Seth was doing the best he could. If a man couldn't count on his woman when he was in a financial bind, who could he count on?