Mistress (3 page)

It was a cold room. Pictures of babies in the different stages of growth were all neatly plastered on the wall. I found most interesting the collage of babies Dr. Morales had delivered in all of his years. I had goose bumps all over me.

Ma got undressed from the waist down. During our last visit, the doctor could not tell the sex of the baby. Now, we were back again, wanting to know the prognosis. There was a knock on the door.

“Come in, please,” Ma stated.

“Good afternoon, Vivian. How are you feeling today?” Dr. Morales was a rather large man, reminding me of Santa Claus. Only, his beard was brown and didn’t smell of sweet candy canes.

“I’m ready to get this cookie out of the oven,” she said, lying back on the bed.

“The little one isn’t quite ready yet.”

“Hey, doc.”

“Hello, Mr. Gibbs. My wife, the kids, and I had dinner at the Chicken Shack two nights ago. Those collard greens taste as if they have been cooked all day long.”

“Thank you. I aim to please my customers.”

“Alexis, you’re even more beautiful each time I see you,” he said, patting me on the head.

“Thank you.” I blushed.

He pointed. “What do you have in your bag?”

“Lots and lots of candy. Plus, my pop brought me Strawberry Shortcake and a deluxe Easy-Bake oven. We’ll be having brownies tonight for dessert.” I smirked and held up my new items.

“Please save some for me. My wife can cook a mean roast, but brownies are not in her department.” He laughed.

“Don’t worry, I will.” I studied the recipe book.

“Please bear with me. This gel will feel cold against your stomach.”

“Don’t worry, I know the drill.” Ma took a deep breath.

“Let’s see if I can determine if this little one is a firefighter or an upcoming ballerina.”

He turned on a device that appeared to look like a mini television. I could see the head, eyes, arms, and legs of the baby. The head was large.

“It’s a boy.”

“Really? Are you sure?” Ma looked at the sonogram.

“Yes, he’s got three legs instead of two.”

Everyone started laughing. I didn’t get it.

“It’s grown-folks’ talk.” Ma rubbed my face.

I kept staring at the baby. He was sucking his finger.
I’m going to have a baby brother.

Ma and Pop were holding hands. She even let him kiss her on the cheek.

The nurse came in and placed a belt around Ma’s stomach. I began to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It was strong and steadfast.

Dr. Morales started feeling on her stomach. The baby was moving all around. “I woke the little fella up from his afternoon nap.”

Pop took us to Ma’s favorite restaurant, Atlantic Shores, where it could take at least two weeks to get a reservation. Early on, I became aware Pop had power to do almost anything, except buy me a cotton candy machine.
I’m still working on that. Sure, my father has his faults. Every man and woman does. But Robert Gibbs is my father, and I’m proud to be his daughter.
He always took care of us.
Maybe
,
that’s why Ma puts up with so much of his crap.

Women, especially those at our church, were always telling Ma how much Pop was a good man, but, it was the same women making advances for him to be their catch of the day.

Two years ago on a bright Sunday afternoon, a lady named Connie Maddox—Hmm . . .
lady
, she didn’t deserve the title. She was a woman with too many curves who was heavily involved in the church, whether it be the church choir, single’s ministry, building fund committee, and so on and so on. To be honest, I was beginning to look up to her as a role model.

Pop and I were walking to the car. I was happy because we were going to Grandma’s house for dinner. I couldn’t stop thinking about the London broil with mouthwatering homemade rolls with sweet butter.

Ms. Maddox stopped us dead in our tracks.

“Brother Robert, may I please have a word with you?”

“Sure.”

I didn’t like the way she was looking at Pop. I held a tight grip on his hands, so he would get the cue not to even think about asking me to go wait in the car.

She whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t make out what was said.

Pop began to nod his head.

I got closer to hear what she was saying. “You see, I need you to pray for me.”

“Are you sick? Is it your family?”

Why was she asking Pop to pray for her? There was a prayer box when you first walk in the church and an intercessory prayer committee. Ms. Maddox was surrounded by other “prayer warriors.”

“Well, it’s my neck. The doctors found a lump in my neck, and it could be cancer. I go for my biopsy tomorrow. Please keep me in your prayers,” she pleaded with fake tears.

“I certainly will.” Pop gave Ms. Maddox a hug.

When he slowly let go of her, his hand was glued to her left breast, while her hand was sticking a piece of the church bulletin in his right pants pocket with her phone number jotted down on it.

I kicked her with all my might in the ankle, with my new, shiny black patent leather shoes.

“Are you crazy? Don’t do this in front of my baby girl.”

“Leave my Pop, alone!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“I didn’t do anything to your daddy,” she protested, hopping on one leg.

I kicked her in the other leg.

Pop picked me up, so I wouldn’t do any more physical damage to Ms. Maddox. He neglected to hold my hands together.

I couldn’t help but smack this ho in her face.
Wait till Ma gets her hands on you.

“Alexis!” Pop shouted.

“Let me go.” I tried to wiggle my way out of his hands. Ma must have heard the commotion. She ran over to us with chocolate chip cookies in her hands along with five other church members. (The church was having a bake sale.) She didn’t even bother to ask what was going on.

Pop let me go to hold on to Ma. It was a little too late for that.

She had already punched Ms. Maddox in the face and knocked her to the ground. Brother Carl and Brother Dennis had to block Ma from giving out any more forceful blows.

A police car happened to be driving by. I was happy and relieved because I felt as though she should go to jail for trying to break up my parents.

“Alex, don’t say anything,” Pop insisted with a stern look on his face.

The officer pulled down his window. “Is there a problem here?”

“No problem at all, officer.” Ms. Maddox tried her best to stand up with the assistance of Sister Wanda. “I haven’t eaten all day, so I just fainted.”

“Ma’am, would you like for me to call an ambulance?”

“No, sir, that won’t be necessary. It’s nothing a good Sunday meal and a tall glass of sweet ice tea won’t cure.”

“You’re making me hungry. Well, you folks have a nice evening. Ma’am, please take better care of yourself.”

No one said a word until he drove off into the sunset. “Leave my husband, alone. I thought you were my friend and a woman of God. You’re on church grounds trying to get your freak on. If all these people were not holding me back, I would have you laid out on a stretcher.”

Ma balled up her fists.

The gathered crowd just looked at Ms. Maddox in disgust.

“I wasn’t—”

“Whore, please, save your breath. I saw you with my own eyes right in front of my daughter,” Ma spat at her.

Pop didn’t even dare to try to put his two cents in.

“Robert, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. She could have pressed charges on me all of because of your dick. Are you hard now, muthafucka? Hurry up. We’re already late to your mother’s house. She hates when we’re not there on time.” Ma buckled her seat belt.

I couldn’t even eat my food. I lost my appetite and excused myself from the table.

“Honey, are you all right?” Ma was eating her last scoop of rice.

“No,” I replied with tears in my eyes running to the bathroom.

Ma and Pop followed hot on my trail.

“Baby, I know you’re upset about today. It will never happen again.” Pop embraced me in his loving arms.

“Why do you always hurt Ma? She is constantly yelling at you. I can’t stand it when you two fight,” I explained, buried deep into Pop’s chest.

“Those days are over.” Pop dried my tears with a soft tissue.

“Even though we are parents, we make mistakes.” Ma caressed my face.

“I don’t want you two to break up. Jeremy and I are the only two people in my class whose parents are not divorced. Charlotte’s parents just went through a divorce and she hates going back and forth to her each of her parent’s house. I just want to be a kid. I don’t want to have to worry about if Ma is going to try to kill you or put you out of the house on a daily basis. I need both of you.”

“Things got out of hand today. Your father and I are not breaking up.”

“We will always be a family,” Pop reassured, holding Ma’s hand.

I blew my nose in a tissue. “Promise?”

“We promise.”

“Let’s do
team
.” Pop held up his other hand. I smiled. “All right.”

Then all three of us put our pinkie finger together and said,
“T-e-a-m,”
as loudly as we could, something we used to do from ever since.

“Why are y’all crowded in here? Is there a meeting I don’t know about? Please move because I’ve got to use the bathroom. What’s wrong with my grandbaby? Alex, you barely touched your plate of good food. Robert, I will hurt you if anything is wrong with my grandbaby,” Grandma ranted, barricading the door.

“Nothing, Grandma. I’m fine.”

“Good. Now I made your favorite, peach cobbler smothered in vanilla ice cream.

“Do you have Breyers All Natural vanilla ice cream?”

“Of course. I know what my baby likes.”

“Thanks, Grandma.” I smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

The clock read 11:45. My throat was dry. I went down the kitchen to get a glass of Welch’s grape juice. As I walked back upstairs, I could hear moans and groans coming from my parents’ bedroom. I ran into my room and turned up the volume of the television show,
Saturday Night Live
, to drown out their sounds. Ma and Pop were doing it.
Yuck! Well, that’s better than Ma beating him down.

* * *

Four hours later, I awoke to use the bathroom. My bladder was full. After I came back to my room, I felt the need to kneel down at the side of my bed. “God, I know I don’t say my prayers or read the Bible as much as You, Ma, and Grandma would like me to. Plus, my attitude does need to be a little better on Sunday mornings going to church. You see, Pop lets me stay up as late as I want, to watch scary movies and mysteries. He knows those are my favorites. If Ma happens to come in my room to check on me, then I just act as if I’m already ’sleep. She’ll have my behind and Pop’s throat if she knew how late I was staying up at night. Anyway, I wanted to pray tonight for my family. I’m so sick of the yelling and the fighting. Most of all, Ma cries over and over again. Please help my family. Please fix my family so that we can be normal. I’m afraid Ma will either hurt Pop to the point where she may have to go to jail or they’ll split up for good. Please, God, my heart can’t take it anymore. Thanks for listening and keeping my family together. By the way, I’ll read two extra Bible verses for the six months in Sunday school. Amen.”

When I turned around, I saw Ma and Pop in their bathrobes in the doorway of my room, in tears.

“Gosh, I didn’t even know my eight-year-old daughter could even pray like that,” Pop cried out.

“I didn’t realize what a toll our fighting was taking on you, Alex. Baby, your father and I will fix this so we can be a family. It’s what we all want.” Ma gave me a hug, and Pop quickly joined in.

I looked up to the ceiling and said, “Thank you,” to God.

* * *

“Alexis, Alexis, wake up,” Pop shouted.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, barely awake. The sounds of sirens were coming closer.

“Your mother is having extreme pains in her stomach.”

“Is she having the baby?”

“Let’s hope . . . because she’s not due for another two months.”

“Are we going to the hospital?”

“I’m going to the hospital with Ma. You’re going to stay here with your Aunt Cecily and Uncle Freddy.”

“No, Pop. I want to go to the hospital, please.”

“You stay here, Alexis.”

Pop only called me my full name when something was wrong.

“Honey, it’s so late. Besides, you have school in the morning. I don’t want you to worry.”

“Pop, please let me go with you. I promise I won’t complain. Let me bring my blanket, coloring books, and crayons.”

“Well, all right. I guess we all can go. Your pajamas are good enough to wear. Go find your sneakers, put them on, and meet me downstairs.” Pop placed my blanket, crayons, and my two Barbie coloring books in my book bag.

Even though, Aunt Cecily, Uncle Freddy, and Pop were covering it up, I knew something was wrong. Pop got into the ambulance with Ma, speeding to Chesapeake General Hospital.

“Is Ma going to be okay? Is my baby brother going to be okay?” I asked Aunt Cecily in the car.

“Alex, your mother is in a lot of pain due to the pregnancy. Your brother and she are going to be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“Honey, will do me a favor?”

“What do you want me to do, Aunt Cecily?”

“I want to lay back and think nothing but good thoughts. Think about all the times you’ve spent having fun with your mother and father. Also, imagine how your life is going to be even more exciting since you’re going to be a big sister.”

We reached the hospital and got out of the car. I quickly grabbed Aunt Cecily’s hand. She stopped, looked at me, and kneeled down to hug me.

I started to cry because I was scared for Ma.
What if she dies or my baby brother does? All the fights Ma and Pop have had, could it have hurt the baby?
I had so many questions, and I knew Pop, Aunt Cecily, and Uncle Freddy were trying their best to be strong for me and my mother.

In the waiting room, I colored for two hours and then drifted in and out of sleep with my Strawberry Shortcake blanket. Pop was pacing the floor back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. I had never seen him so stressed and helpless. Each minute felt like ten minutes. Aunt Cecily kept looking Pop up and down. She said, “You know, Robert—”

“Can you lower your voice, please. I don’t want to wake my daughter up,” Pop whispered, cutting her off.

“You know, Robert, if anything happens to my sister, I’m holding you responsible.”

“I’ve got enough to deal with. Please, I don’t need this drama.” Pop sat in the chair.

I kept pretending to be ’sleep.

“Look, I’ve said my piece. Something you will never have if my sister and my nephew don’t pull through.”

“Cecily, you can leave.”

“I left Vivian at your doorstep, and you put her in the hospital. You promised you would take care of her.”

“I do take care of her. She doesn’t want for nothing.”

“You paying all the bills is not what I’m talking about.”

“What are you talking about, Cecily?”

“I’m talking about how my sister is an emotional wreck. She gets up every day wondering whether you’re going to come home. If you do come home, will you bring her herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, crabs, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome? Do you even wear condoms?”

“This is not the time or the place,” Pop spat back. He got up pacing the floor and rubbing the back of his head even harder.

“Vivian wonders, do you even love her any more. You have hurt her so many times. Love isn’t supposed to hurt. Love is supposed to cherish, and lift up a man and woman together. I’m surprised she can even stand to look at you. If you wanted to play the soccer, football, and baseball field, then you shouldn’t have got with my sister. She don’t deserve this. Now your ass put her in the hospital.”

“I’m a good man, a damn good provider, and father.”

“Like I said before, anyone can pay bills on time. I’m not taking you being a provider away from you, or a good father to Alex. Robert, you are good father. Let’s be clear—you treat my sister like shit. This time, I hope you haven’t killed her.”

“Vivian is pregnant. She is supposed to have pains in her stomach.”

“Robert, your wife and my baby sister awoke to a pool of blood in your bed two months prior to her due date. She was bawling over the bed in pain. That kind of pain she is not supposed to have. Maybe if you bothered to show up to more Lamaze classes and doctor’s appointments, you would know these things. I’ve been holding this anger and frustration with you for so long. You needed to hear this. I hope you can get your ass in gear and be there for my sister. Not to mention, karma is a muthafucka.”

“All right, that’s enough, Cecily. We need to keep our focus on Vivian and the baby. I know you’re pissed off at Robert, but let’s discuss it later. Besides, I think you two may have woken Alexis up,” Uncle Freddy said.

The doctor headed toward us. He let a deep sigh and took off his blue paper-like mask.

I sat and rubbed my eyes.

“Well, doc, what’s the prognosis?” Pop asked.

“Vivian is fine, and so is your son. I had to do an emergency C-section. Jason is only five pounds, but I’m sure once he starts eating, he will be fine. I’m going to keep him in an incubator for the next thirty days for observation. Vivian should be able to go home in two weeks. I just finished stitching her stomach back up. She’s very groggy and disoriented. She is being wheeled into Room 228. You may see her but not for a long time, because she needs her rest.”

“Thanks, doc.” Pop gave him a hug.

Aunt Cecily gave Dr. Morales a hug, and Uncle Freddy shook his hand. Maybe, Aunt Cecily and Pop were going to make amends . . . because she hugged him.

Uncle Freddy scooped me up in his arms and hugged me. I was so happy. Ma and Jason were going to be okay.
Now, hopefully, this will teach Pop a lesson, and we can get back to being a family.