His Last Name (13 page)

C
HAPTER
26

Monique

L
ondon was great, but who knew I would return home to some foolishness? I knew something was up when Carl picked me up from the airport. I wasn't expecting him. He appeared to be angry and he wasn't happy to see all my extra luggage.

“What are you doing here?”

“Kadir called me. He was upset and asked me to drive down. He didn't think you would make it back in time for tomorrow.”

“Of course I would make it.”

“Well, I'm happy you did. You know this is all new to him. You have to give the boy a break.”

“I do and I am.”

“Plus, there is something at the house I don't think you are going to like.”

“Like what?”

“Kadir has a friend at the house.”

“Friend? What friend? I'm gone for a few days, and Kadir has a friend? Does this friend have kids? Is she a stripper? Is she a stripper with kids?”

“No, she seems nice. Her name is Abigail.”

“What? Aba-who? I never met a black girl named Abigail.”

“She is not black.”

“Oh, hell no!”

“Mo, give her a chance. You haven't even met her yet. She seems like a nice girl. She works, has one son and her own apartment.”

“She has a child? He definitely can't date her.”

“You had a kid when I met you.”

“But you weren't rich. He got every girl I've been warning him about in one.”

I wasn't a racist, but I don't want any girl—especially not a white one—trying to take half my son's money. They are raised to go to the highest bidder, and I'm just not having it. Not at all. I stomped into the house to find Kadir and his playmate in my kitchen. He was sitting at my table, and she was cooking on my stove. She had the nerve to be wearing one of my son's wifebeaters.

“Ka, this must be your mother. I'm Abigail. My friends call me Abby.” She extended her hand out to me. I just stared her up and down. Then she asked Carl if he would like dinner.

“No, he would not,” I answered for him. “Why are you walking around my house with a t-shirt on?”

“Oh, I didn't have anything else to wear. My dress is in the washer.”

I turned to my son and screamed, “Kadir Latif Hall, explain this shit to me!” Kadir followed me into the living room, and I asked him what was going on.

“Nothing. We are chilling and she is making me something to eat.”

I walked back into the kitchen and said, “Abigail, sweetie, get your stuff and please leave my house.”

Kadir came behind me and said, “Mom, this is my house. She's my friend.”

“If it's a problem, I will leave. It's cool, Kadir. I'm going to just go.”

“Yeah, that's a good idea. Do that.”

“Mom, you can't do that. You can't make her leave,” Kadir protested.

“She's going to get the fuck up out my house,” I said as Kadir ran after Abigail, and Carl looked over at me like I was in trouble.

“What? I didn't do anything wrong.”

“Monique, he is going to do the opposite of what you tell him to do.”

“I don't care, Carl.”

Half listening to him, I called for Kadir to come back and let the girl leave. She pulled off and Kadir came back in the house angry.

“Ka, have a seat. Let's talk about this.”

“I'll stand.”

“Where did you meet that girl?”

“At the mall.”

“Don't you know she saw you coming? I'm not being mean, Ka, but tell me why you need a girl with a kid? You can have any girl you want. All people see when they look at you is a check. I keep telling you that you have a target on your back that everyone is trying to hit.”

“But she's not like that. We were talking since we met and she hasn't asked me for anything.”

“She hasn't asked you for anything yet! It's all right to meet people and date pretty girls, but date the kind that have something going on for themselves, too.”

“But the thing is I'm grown and I can do whatever I want.”

“That's true, but make sure you do the right thing. You have the charity event tomorrow. Why don't you prepare for that?”

The next afternoon I was ready to go to Kadir's first official team event. It was a charity event to help Hemby's Children's Hospital. Carl drove with me to the event. He had tried to lecture me last night, but I locked my bedroom door and I think he slept in the guest room.

“So I see you bought more of the same type of clothes in Europe. Mo, seriously, you have to start dressing a little better.”

“What? Carl, shut up.”

“No, it is not just me saying something anymore. You are representing your son. This is his first team event, and you are wearing a booty dress.”

Kadir was suited up and played with patients from the hospital. I walked around the Time Warner Arena. I saw a few heads turn as I walked by in my little black dress, but that was expected. I looked good. What I didn't expect was the giggling. It was two women hating. “She's a groupie, and she needs to take that dress off. The club is not open yet.” They said a few other things that I didn't appreciate. I knew I was supposed to be a professional, but the Philly girl in me had to let them know I heard what they said.

Luckily, Carl didn't see me arguing with the other women. He would have said, “See, I told you.” I calmed myself down and had a seat on the other side of the court.

When everything was over, Carl went to the restroom and I looked for Kadir. Instead of finding him, someone found me. I felt a hand grab my waist. I knew it was him without turning around. His cologne was still so distinctive. I turned to see Dele. I hadn't thought about his six foot seven, fine, chocolate self since I left London. Well, I thought about him the entire flight home, but I wasn't sure if the feelings were mutual.

“Hey. How you been?” he asked, as he attempted to place a kiss on my cheek, but I swerved in the other direction.

“I'm great,” I answered, as if I never saw his beautiful body naked. I smiled and looked around, making sure no one was picking up on our familiar interaction.

“So, is that Kadir's dad?”

“Yeah, but he is only here for this event.”

“Okay, so when can I see you again?”

“I don't know.”

“I've been thinking about you since you left my hotel room. I need to see you again. I'm going to text you tonight and you are going to come and meet me.”

His accent made me weak. Instead of saying “no” or “I can't, it's wrong, you are my son's teammate,” I replied, “Okay.” I walked away from him before things seemed too obvious.

After the charity game, Kadir had a date. He had met the sister of one of the sick kids. I met her briefly and so far, so good. She was cute, black, and in college. I approved of anybody as long as it meant that trailer park girl wasn't ever coming back over again.

Carl dropped me off at the house and I couldn't wait to get to my date with my Dele. I could tell he was trying to hang around, but I told him I was sleepy from my trip and wanted to catch up on rest.

“Thanks for coming, Carl. If you get sleepy, pull over. Have a good evening,” I said, rushing out of the car.

“All right. Call me if you need me. I'll be up driving. I can stay if you want me to.”

“No, I'm okay. Good night.”

I ran upstairs and searched inside of my closet. I wasn't sure what I wanted to wear. Yes, I looked young—but I had to make sure I didn't look like I was trying to be young. Seeing a younger man was already playing tricks on my mind. If I was going out with Carl, I'd feel confident in a t-shirt and jeans. Now, I was sitting here debating if I looked old—or worse, like someone's old-ass auntie that thinks she still has it, but doesn't. I had so many new dresses, but nothing seemed perfect. I settled on a black skirt, heels, and a blue low-cut blouse. Once I was dressed and in the car, I dialed him.

“Where do you want to meet me?”

“At the Capital Grille.”

I arrived first so that I could get us a table in the back. He walked in with flowers and I was in love all over again.

“Monique, are you hiding?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I love your honesty and your sunglasses at night. But why are we hiding?”

“You know why I can't be seen with you.”

“I'm not that famous. People only know I play basketball because of my height. They never know my name or what team I play for.”

“I can't take any chances.”

“If it will make you feel better, we can take our food to go.”

“Yeah, let's do that.”

We took our food to go and headed to his beautiful bachelor loft in downtown Charlotte. He poured wine and offered me some of his lobster macaroni and cheese.

“I've missed you; have you missed me?”

“I don't know. Maybe.”

“So, why are you here? If you are not sure if you missed me or not . . .”

I couldn't answer that question. I wasn't sure, but I did find him very interesting, and I couldn't lie and say I didn't want a repeat of London.

“I just thought we would be friends.”

“What kind of friends? I think I want to be more than friends.”

He sat me on his lap and he kissed me. My phone rang. When I looked at the screen and saw it was Carl, I didn't answer. And when Kadir called right after him, I didn't answer, either.

Another night with Dele felt right, but I knew that it wasn't. It was the next morning and I wished I had someone to confide in. I was so confused. And felt so guilt-ridden. On one hand, I wasn't hurting anyone because we were two consenting adults. On the other hand, he was just off-limits because he was my son's teammate. There must be a rule somewhere that mothers shouldn't fuck their son's coworkers. Still, it would've been great to dial up CeCe and get her opinion. I just couldn't risk anyone finding out. I looked over at Dele. He was still asleep. I took that as my opportunity to sneak out. I jumped up, got dressed, and walked out of his apartment. I thought I was quiet, but Dele caught me at the elevator.

“Why did you leave without saying good-bye again? I wanted to make you breakfast.”

“I have to go. And, well, I don't know how all of this will work out. I will call you later.” I pushed the elevator down. He leaned and kissed me on the lips and asked me to stay once more. “No, I really have to go.”

C
HAPTER
27

Zakiya

I
pulled out Jabrilah's nightclothes and gave them to my new part-time nanny, Octavia. She was a forty-five-year-old mother of two. She became a nanny after her youngest son went away to college last year. She was referred by an agency and had been working on a trial basis for two weeks. So far she was okay, but no one would be able to replace Lena.

“Octavia, I'm going to be going out for a few hours. You can give Jabrilah a bath and a bottle, and she should be ready for bed.”

“Okay, we will be fine. Have a good time.”

I took advantage of Octavia's presence by attending Dawn's girls' night in. I'd enjoyed myself at her daughter Jaylen's Doc McStuffins birthday party. She was such a good mom, and her children were sweet and well-mannered. Our husbands were out of town, and this was going to be the first time I could meet all the other wives.

Dawn's home was a huge house in a gated community. I came into her living room and her housekeeper handed me a peach Bellini. I took a sip and spoke to all the other wives and girlfriends. They were staring at their phones and oblivious to my existence. No one bothered to introduce themselves. They were white, black, and Asian. Dawn introduced each woman and told me who she was married to and what position her man played. The young pregnant white one was Cara, who looked to be about twenty; the black one, Aniqua, was pretty, but she looked a little tired; and the older Asian woman, Jessica, had to be in her thirties. “Hey everybody. This is Jabril Smith's wife. The trade.” I squinted my eyes and she corrected herself. “I mean, the guard that we just got from OKC.”

My introduction was returned with weak “hellos” and a “nice to meet you.” They silently assessed my ring, shoes, and bag. After a subtle evaluation, they returned to their previously interrupted conversations.

“Did you see my new car? It's an ‘I'm very sorry. It will never happen again.' present,” Jessica said. She was pretty, but she did too much contouring to her face. She almost looked like a drag queen.

“I have a couple of those,” Aniqua chimed in.

“Well, this is an ‘I don't know that girl, she is lying' ring.” Cara laughed as she extended her ring finger, displaying a clear princess-cut diamond.

“Let me see. Wow, that is a sparkler,” Dawn said.

“Ring so bright I can't see the past.” Jessica laughed.

They all started laughing.

“So how about you? Any big gifts after a cheatathon?” the woman named Jessica asked me.

“Nope,” I said and smiled. I was not talking about my man with these women I had just met.

“So he has never cheated before? Don't answer that question. I know he has, they all do on the road. I know you just got married, but nothing changes after the wedding but your last name and what you're entitled to when you get a divorce,” Dawn said.

“I don't agree with that,” I responded. “There have to be some good marriages in the league. I don't believe all men cheat. Some couples are happily married.”

“True, I'm very happy. Happy with my furs, Giuseppes, Louboutins, and my summer house.” Jessica laughed.

“She's right. I said fuck it a long time ago. I let my husband's girlfriends spend the night, right down the hall. I know where he is and I know he is safe. And I rest easy. Every once in a while if I want to get my pussy ate and let my husband watch, I'll knock on the door. Sometimes, I'll suck on a tittie or two, but I'm not doing anything else. But the point is, my husband knows I will ride for him. And it's no other chick that can take my place. That's why we are happy,” Dawn said proudly.

That was a little too much information for me. I felt like I was talking to Nichelle and Christie again. Straight from the gate, they were talking about cheating, sex, sharing groupie stories, talking about how somebody from another team could get it, whose man wasn't shit, and a bunch of other things I wasn't prepared to hear. I didn't join in on the conversation, I just listened.

With every story, Dawn became more unrecognizable. She wasn't the cool chick from the game who took up for me or the great hands-on mom. She became one of them, a shallow, materialistic type that I could do without.

Aniqua excused herself to the restroom. As soon as she left, her friends started talking about her.

“When she comes back, tell her she needs to go shopping. I'm tired of seeing those sweat pants. She comes out of the house all the time with no makeup.” Cara sighed.

“Yes, I'm like, girl get a stylist and someone to beat your face.” Jessica laughed.

“How is your husband a millionaire, but you're raggedy? We all have kids, but damn, comb your hair, bitch,” Dawn agreed. I couldn't believe they were talking about their friend like that. Aniqua came out of the bathroom and Dawn asked her if she was okay.

“Yeah, I just had another procedure a few days ago.”

“You were pregnant again? You better get on some birth control or make him use a condom.”

She coughed and then said, “He doesn't like condoms.”

“He better start liking them. You can't be having abortions every month. Well, I was at the abortion clinic recently, too, but not for me. I had to take Thaddeus's little jump-off. I told her, girl, you don't have time for a baby and Thaddeus don't want any more kids. Soon as she got rid of it we dropped her ass and never called her again. You not having no baby by my husband.” Again all the woman laughed like what she was saying was normal and funny.

Dawn stood up and commanded everyone's attention: “So let me tell y'all how I had to check that rookie's mom and they had to call security. Her ratchet ass tried to come for us. First of all, she had on cheap-ass shoes with a white sticker on the bottom. And her outfit was basic as hell. Carrying a Louis Vuitton bag like it was her first Louis bag. So I said something and she heard me and tried to get loud. She got in Zakiya's face and I stopped her and told her I said it.”

“Are you serious? Where were we?” Cara asked.

“I don't know where y'all were, but when she came over I was like, no, bitch. We don't do that shit here. You look a mess. You need to go change. My husband is the captain, which makes me the co-captain. And she was like, I'm Kadir Hall's mom. And I was like, and? You're not a wife or girlfriend. Go have several seats. Why are you even here? Zakiya, tell them about the mom.”

“Yeah, she was crazy . . .” I said uncomfortably, looking down at my drink. I didn't want to participate in any part of this conversation.

“So, I was like, bitch, this is my city, we run this house, and I don't approve of the way you are representing us. I told her she better not come to any more games that way.” Dawn was exaggerating how and what she said to the rookie's mom. She did get with her, but it went down a lot different than she was claiming. I decided I didn't like her anymore. And I really didn't like her annoying, ignorant friends. I was uncomfortable.

“I'll be back,” I said as I guzzled down the last of my drink. I had every intention of going to her restroom, but her front door looked more appealing. I didn't say good-bye, I just left.

The next thing I knew, I was in my car. I turned on my radio and looked at the time on the dash. I hoped Jabrilah was still up. I would rather spend time with my daughter than be with negative women like that. On the ride home, I checked in on Lisa.

“Hey, little sis. Me and the boys will be down the week after next.”

“Okay. That's great. We can drive down to Disney World. I can't wait until you come. It's so hard to have a real conversation with real people.”

“What are you talking about, Zakiya?”

“I don't know, Lisa, I just don't like these other players' wives. They are all the same. All they talk about is their expensive shallow lives. There is more to life than games, makeup, and shoes.”

My sister began laughing hysterically. “This is coming from the person whose daughter has a better shoe collection than most adults.”

“That's true, but there's a difference. I know what's important. And I don't ask Jabril for these things, he just buys them. I would much rather have a regular life.”

“So, everyone is striving for extraordinary, and you are longing for regular. You are crazy, and you do not make any sense, Kiya.” My sister continued to laugh at me.

“I know what I'm talking about. Lisa, I need more. Something more.”

“Good night, girl. I'll talk to you soon.”

I said, “Good night” and ended the call. I placed the phone down and realized the car in front of me had suddenly pushed his brakes. I tried to push on my brakes, but it was too late. The car in front of me crashed into the one in front of it. I was seconds from joining the pile-up. I tried to avoid the wreckage in front of me by steering the car away from the accident. I veered out of the way, but the car behind me tried to move out of the way, too. I turned left, he turned right, but still lost control. The car behind me came cruising sideways right toward me. There wasn't enough time to move. I prepared for impact. “Oh, God. Please help me, please help me. Don't let me die,” I prayed aloud as the car slammed into the side of my car. The force of the car hitting mine flung me into the passenger-side window. I hit my head, my car cruised a few feet, and then slowly stopped on its own.

Moments later, I was in a daze. I heard sirens and saw smoke coming from all the other cars. I was shaking. People were running up to my car banging on the window asking me if I was okay. I looked up and tried to speak, but I couldn't answer them because I was still in shock.

I was transported to the hospital. I heard cries and felt panic all around me. There were hurt people everywhere. I was in a hospital bed and had come around and realized I was okay. The nurse told me I was brought in for observation, but that I didn't have one bruise on me. I knew I had been saved. I knew God had answered my call. I called Jabril and my sister. Jabril was ready to come home, but I told him not to. He didn't have to because—unbelievably—I didn't have a scratch on me and felt fine. I was released from the hospital.

The next morning, I felt the need to be near the house of the Lord. God saved me from the accident, and I had to thank him. I looked online for a church and I found the Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church. They had three services, and I planned on making their eleven o'clock program.

I drove thirty minutes to the megachurch nestled in the middle of a big baseball-size field. I walked in and immediately felt at home. The women were beautifully dressed in dresses of all different colors, and the men were in nice-fitting suits. The choir was singing melodically, swaying back and forth to “God in Me” by Mary Mary. When they were done singing, the pastor began speaking. He was young and vibrant and so was his wife. He preached about having a purpose and being the person God wants you to be. His words reached me and I knew it was meant for me to be there.

After the service, the First Lady Elise spoke and asked for volunteers to feed the homeless. I walked up to an older, round woman in her forties who was taking names, and told her I wanted to sign up to volunteer.

“I would like to volunteer.”

“Welcome! What's your name, sweetie?”

“Zakiya Smith.”

“Well, sign up right here. We will be meeting at our sister church, Rockclave Baptist. It's kind of a bad neighborhood, so make sure to leave your good jewelry and bags at home. We will contact you with the time and date.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Excited about the service, I came home, prepared dinner, and waited for Jabril to come home. Jabrilah played on the floor with her toys making a big mess. Jabril rushed in the door and hugged me. “Kiya, are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine. God saved me.”

“He sure did. You're lucky.”

“I know. I went to church today. So how's everything going? Are you adjusting now?”

“It's okay. I'm still getting to know their system. Everyone is hype over the rookie, Kadir Hall.”

“Is he any good?”

“Yeah. He's good, but a little cocky, and the assistant coach acts like he's his fan and wants to be his friend. He is sucking up to him already.”

“Well, you know who you are and what you can contribute, Jabril. And once you prove yourself . . .”

“When the season starts, I just hope I'm not on the bench, Kiya. It's like ego aside, I can watch the game from home.”

“You won't be, Bril.”

“I hope not. I can't be on the bench. I've never been on the bench.”

“You won't be on the bench. All we have to do is pray. Speaking of prayer, you have to go with me. The pastor at the church is young. He's funny and hip. It's really nice.”

“Well, pray I can get some minutes on the court.”

“I will.”

I fed and bathed Jabrilah. Once I put her to sleep I walked into our bedroom and smelled weed coming from the bathroom.

I opened the door and saw Jabril puffing on a blunt. “Why are you smoking, Jabril? What is wrong with you?”

“I need something to relax me, Kiya.”

“I don't care. Our daughter is asleep, and she can smell that mess! It can get into her system.”

“Chill, Kiya! I'm stressed the fuck out for real. You don't know what I'm going through.”

“And when you stressed out, you don't smoke. You ask God to help you.”

“Really, Zakiya? You go to church one time and now you want to preach? Man, close the door. I don't smoke all the time and if I want to chill, let me chill out.”