Xenia turned the corner, eager to drop her mother off as soon as possible. Usually she could keep her cool, but today, her nerves were a wreck. Sinclair had seen to that.
Pam twisted her neck and looked at the sleeping children, all three of them knocked out as if they’d been on the bad end of a swinging two-by-four.
She let the window down, allowing cool air to eddy and churn while she lit up. Xenia sighed loudly. “Mama! Saint doesn’t smoke his cigars around the kids, and neither should you smoke your cigarettes. You just don’t respect me, not one tiny bit, do you?”
“Cool your damn jets. ” Pam rolled her almond shaped eyes. “I was finna ask you to let me out right here on the corner.” She pointed out the window toward a stop sign. “You done got my nerves all bad, all worked up. I need to get a lil’ relief. I’ll only be a minute.”
On a sigh, Xenia pulled over to the curb. Her mother made a series of dramatic grunts as she got situated to leap off the seat. She pulled her bright red skirt to the side and, whispering expletives under her breath, slid off the cushion like a child from a bar stool and quietly closed the car door behind her. Xenia observed her mother walk a few feet away and stand by a bus stop in her sparkling, matching red heels as if she were waiting for a John and went by the name, ‘Dorothy’ from the ‘Wizard of Oz’.
After a few moments passed , Xenia reached for her cell phone.
“I bet Saint’s butt isn’t even home yet,” she mumbled under her breath. I shouldn’t call him now though anyway; he may sense something is wrong and I’d rather tell him this face to face. She looked at the time. Well, it’s late. I better go ahead so at least he’ll know where I and the kids are.
She cleared her throat and dialed his number, looking at her mother intermittently as th e older woman shook like a leaf. Suddenly Pam began doing the cabbage patch, her arms moving as if she were churning butter, causing Xenia to burst out laughing.
“I knew that would make you laugh! Cheer up!” Pam called out. She took another drag of her nicotine treat and turned away, twisting her lips to the side as puffs of smoke twirled up toward the night sky.
“Sup!” Saint answered, seemingly out of breath.
“Nothing, just calling to let you know I’m dropping my mom off at her friend’s house and the children are with me. Are you still at the restaurant? What are you doing? ” Xenia asked. “You sound like you just finished running a marathon.”
“Uh, just at the gym with Lawrence, Raphael and Jagger... we’re just hangin’ out, you know...warming up.”
Xenia couldn’t put her finger on what it was specifically, but of all these years knowing her husband, she now could often detect when he was hiding something. It was almost indescribable, but his tone gave it away, ever so subtly.
“Okay,” she huffed. “What are you up to, Saint?” she looked back at her boys and Isis in the middle, all fast asleep in their car seats.
“ ...Nothing, baby! We, uh, are just here at the gym is all.”
“I know you are, and I know the facts of what you are saying are true, but what are you doing at the gym?”
Just then Pam swung the car door open and plopped down in the seat. “Some man wit’ a pink and yellow polka dot cowboy hat and bright green mittens on just took a piss on that storefront not less than ten feet from me! Lock tha damn doors!” the woman barked as she clumsily fumbled around with the locks, causing all of the windows to go up and down in her apparent fear and frustration.
Xenia sighed and locked the doors, still gripping her cell phone while she watched her mother flutter about.
“ He was gigglin’ and bouncin’ around, makin’ little bird like noises, chirp mothafuckin’ chirp,” Pam continued, looking Xenia sharply in the eye. “What is a grown ass man doin’ with mittens on and taking a piss out in public?! Is he baking a cake tonight right after he
Pam twisted her neck and looked at the sleeping children, all three of them knocked out as if they’d been on the bad end of a swinging two-by-four.
She let the window down, allowing cool air to eddy and churn while she lit up. Xenia sighed loudly. “Mama! Saint doesn’t smoke his cigars around the kids, and neither should you smoke your cigarettes. You just don’t respect me, not one tiny bit, do you?”
“Cool your damn jets. ” Pam rolled her almond shaped eyes. “I was finna ask you to let me out right here on the corner.” She pointed out the window toward a stop sign. “You done got my nerves all bad, all worked up. I need to get a lil’ relief. I’ll only be a minute.”
On a sigh, Xenia pulled over to the curb. Her mother made a series of dramatic grunts as she got situated to leap off the seat. She pulled her bright red skirt to the side and, whispering expletives under her breath, slid off the cushion like a child from a bar stool and quietly closed the car door behind her. Xenia observed her mother walk a few feet away and stand by a bus stop in her sparkling, matching red heels as if she were waiting for a John and went by the name, ‘Dorothy’ from the ‘Wizard of Oz’.
After a few moments passed , Xenia reached for her cell phone.
“I bet Saint’s butt isn’t even home yet,” she mumbled under her breath. I shouldn’t call him now though anyway; he may sense something is wrong and I’d rather tell him this face to face. She looked at the time. Well, it’s late. I better go ahead so at least he’ll know where I and the kids are.
She cleared her throat and dialed his number, looking at her mother intermittently as th e older woman shook like a leaf. Suddenly Pam began doing the cabbage patch, her arms moving as if she were churning butter, causing Xenia to burst out laughing.
“I knew that would make you laugh! Cheer up!” Pam called out. She took another drag of her nicotine treat and turned away, twisting her lips to the side as puffs of smoke twirled up toward the night sky.
“Sup!” Saint answered, seemingly out of breath.
“Nothing, just calling to let you know I’m dropping my mom off at her friend’s house and the children are with me. Are you still at the restaurant? What are you doing? ” Xenia asked. “You sound like you just finished running a marathon.”
“Uh, just at the gym with Lawrence, Raphael and Jagger... we’re just hangin’ out, you know...warming up.”
Xenia couldn’t put her finger on what it was specifically, but of all these years knowing her husband, she now could often detect when he was hiding something. It was almost indescribable, but his tone gave it away, ever so subtly.
“Okay,” she huffed. “What are you up to, Saint?” she looked back at her boys and Isis in the middle, all fast asleep in their car seats.
“ ...Nothing, baby! We, uh, are just here at the gym is all.”
“I know you are, and I know the facts of what you are saying are true, but what are you doing at the gym?”
Just then Pam swung the car door open and plopped down in the seat. “Some man wit’ a pink and yellow polka dot cowboy hat and bright green mittens on just took a piss on that storefront not less than ten feet from me! Lock tha damn doors!” the woman barked as she clumsily fumbled around with the locks, causing all of the windows to go up and down in her apparent fear and frustration.
Xenia sighed and locked the doors, still gripping her cell phone while she watched her mother flutter about.
“ He was gigglin’ and bouncin’ around, makin’ little bird like noises, chirp mothafuckin’ chirp,” Pam continued, looking Xenia sharply in the eye. “What is a grown ass man doin’ with mittens on and taking a piss out in public?! Is he baking a cake tonight right after he
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