Chapter Three

  I got in the car, as I was still in the airport parking lot. I got my phone out and called my dad to see what he was up to, “ Hey dad,” I said, once he answered.

“ Hey, Karenile. How are you?"

“ Good. What about you?”

“ Good, I guess. What can I do for you?”

“ I was wondering if you wanted to come over and we could you know just hang out together, and I’ll cook you a nice dinner,” I replied.

“ Why?” he sounded confused.

“ Well, we haven’t talked just one on one lately and I know the other night we didn’t really have time to, so I was thinking this would be a good time, since mom hasn’t really been around for you, but you know I am,” I explained.

“ Yeah, well I guess that would be a good idea. So, what time?”

“ Tonight at 5:00pm. What would you like for me to make you? Anything special for my special father?”

“ Nope. Whatever you feel like making,” he told me.

“ Alright, well I’ll see at five then,” I ended the call with a I love you and headed on down to the nearest Wal-Mart.

       I was walking down the aisle of the canned foods and I ran into an old friend. Devin. Devin was one of my friends that you knew that you could go to and get anything. I’ll share something with you, in my past I never did really revolve my life around God. I did everything negative. Drugs, sex whenever I could find a nice looking guy that would look like he would be perfect in the bed, to drug dealing with Devin. Devin was always with me when I did those kinds of things. He was always my go to man. Anytime I wanted anything, he always there.

I passed him and I guess it took him awhile to notice who I was,” Karenile?” he turned back around and came back my way. I looked him up and down, “ Wow! Devin!” I had to act surprised.

“ Yeah, yeah. What’s up baby?” I guess he doesn’t remember me informing him that I’ve changed. That I’ve changed my life around for the better. I didn’t want to kill his mood, so I just went along with it, “Nothing much, what about you?” I asked in return.

“ Doing me, what you mean what have I been doing,” he started laughing.

“Well I thought you would’ve put yourself together. I mean the last time that I’ve saw you, you were nothing, but destruction. I thought may be you we’re doing better,” I said.

“ Well you thought wrong, baby. Do you wanna hang out some time?” he questioned. I knew where that question was leading. I knew exactly what he was talking about.

“ I’m busy tonight and I don’t know what I’ll be doing for the next couple of days. I’m going through some things right now in my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever have any free time, Devin.”

“ Well here put my number in your phone,” I took my phone out and I handed it to him to enter his number. I’m only letting him do that, so it’ll make it look like I really care, but really I don’t want to tie the knots with him again, “ Now, make sure that you hit me up some time, alright?”

“ I would never forget to and you know that, Devin,” I took my phone back and placed it back in my purse that was hanging on my shoulder, “ Well, I got some groceries to grab, so I’ll see you later, Devin.”

“ Alright, baby. See you later.” I walked off, replaying the recent moment, but for sure it would definitely be a past a moment.

      I got home to unpack the groceries and start dinner. I heard my phone again, and deep inside I was hoping that it would be Jake, but really it was my mother. Sadly, “ Hello?” I answered.

“ Hey. So, you’ve asked your father to come over for dinner?” Man, she was being nosy.

“ Yes, why? Do you have a problem with that?”

It’s like she skipped right over my question, “ Why? You didn’t invite me,” she pointed out.

“Mom, last time you told me you wanted to be separated from him. Why do you want to be here with him? Are you scared that I’m going to let your little dark secret out to him?”

“ Yes and you better not.”

“Who said I was?”

“A mother's instinct.”

“ Well, all I’m going to say is mind your own business and that’s where I’m ending this conversation,” I tapped the end button and sat the table for me and my dad.

    As I was filling the glasses up with water, because I know that my father’s not a big fan of champagne, I hear the doorbell ring, “ Come in!” I yell for him to come in. I heard my father’s voice yelling, “ Smells great in here, darling,” he walked into the kitchen and reached for a hug,

“ Oh’ it’s nice seeing you again,” he said into my shoulder.

“ Yes,” I giggled. “I fixed some chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes and of course with water as well, because I know that’s what you would prefer to have.”

He walked over to the table and took a seat across from where my plate was sitting, “ Looks wonderful, Karenile.”

“ Thank you,” I said, as I was taking a seat. I watched him take a bite out of the chicken and he glanced back up at me,” How is it?” I asked, curiously.

“ Great. You have your mother's ability to cook.” From there I started going silent. My mother. I dreaded  the thought of her coming up in my head. I was hoping to bring this conversation up later on in the night.

“Look dad, the reason why I wanted you to have dinner with me, was so that I could tell you something and maybe ask you some questions that are on my heart,” I took a sip out of my glass of water. He put down his fork and looked at me concerned for my way of thinking and looking at me confused on what it could be. Wondering what was there to talk about. “What’s going on, Karenile?”

“ Mom.”

“ What about your mother?” he sounded confused, like what could there be to talk about my mom.

“ Do you not know what’s going on?”

“ What do you mean?”

“ I don’t know how to say this, dad, but mom is seeing someone else.”

“ Do you know who?”

“ She said a guy down the street. A neighbor,” my face I knew that he could tell I was upset about this, “ She told me this the other night. Ya’lls 30th anniversary. Dad, she didn’t want me telling you this, because she didn’t know when it would be a good time to tell you and how to tell you, herself. You know me, I don’t want to see ya’ll fall apart. I want my parents together.”

“ What?” he hung his head, because he couldn’t believe this.  “ Where did I go wrong?”

“That’s the thing that leads me to the questions. Dad, she claims that you hit her. Her and this guy named, Greg went to the police station today and wrote a statement about you hitting her. She’s trying to fill me with lies, dad. I know you too well, to know that you would never hit her,” I explained.

“ I know, honey,” he shook his head and looked up at him,” Please tell me that you believe that I would never hit her,” he pleaded.

“ I don’t know what to believe and I know that sounds bad. I’m ya’lls daughter and her am I stuck in the middle of it all. By the way, I’m the only one that knows. Taylor and all them don’t know. She says that there are marks on her, from you. Dad I don’t know. Half of me believes you, but I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors when no one is there. Then half of me wants to believe you, because I know that you wouldn’t do that, not to her or anyone. Dad? Why do you think she’s doing this?”

“ I know why,” he reasoned.

“ Why, dad?”

“ Because the other night we got into an argument and I said the wrong thing.”

“ What did you say?”

“ I said sometimes I don’t even know how I wanted to marry her in the beginning.” My jaw pretty much dropped.

“ Dad, really?”

“ Yes.”

“ Dad, when did this argument happen?”

“ Around two or three weeks ago,” he grabbed his fork and took a bite out of his potatoes.

“Dad, I don’t know. Let’s just drop it for now, OK? Honestly I need some time to think about this all, you know? I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. I can’t go to bed, without crying and so on and so forth,” I explained. I finished off the last thing that was on my plate, which was the mashed potatoes. I placed my fork and knife on top of the plate. I got up from the table and went to the sink to wash off the plate. I looked at my dad that was still sitting at the table. He was there all alone. This is how it would be for from now on. I turned the faucet off, “ Look dad, if you need a place to stay, you know you can always come and stay with me. I know that house can get pretty lonely and if I were you, I would want off that street, period. Knowing that my wife is down the street with another man, it would make me sick to my stomach. Dad, now that you know, I’m sure that inside, you’re gonna want someone to be there for you.” I just couldn’t let him stay in that house like that. Especially him knowing that my mom is down the street loving some other man!

He got up from the table with his plate in one hand and his glass in another. “ I can’t stay here with you, Karenile. You and Jake are doing so well. I can’t interrupt that. Plus you, yourself said that you wanted to move to New York when you’re finished off with school. I’m not here to crush the plans God put in place for you,” he came and wrapped his arm around me, “ I’ve always knew you were a daddy's girl, but sometimes your big man can fight his own battles, without his side kick.”

I looked up at him, “ Dad, I just don’t want to see ya’ll fall apart. Growing up and seeing ya’ll smile everyday and really, I enjoyed hearing you say that you loved her. I always dreamed of having a man just like you. A man that would treat me just as well, as you treat mom.”

“ And you do. Jake is a wonderful man. I can tell how much that man loves you, Karenile.”

“ I know. How about we drop the pity party for now and sit down and watch a movie? I don’t want you to go home just yet,” I suggested. “

You never did like me leaving you,” he laughed, which of course made me laugh as well.

Reviews

[Vaibhav Singh Thakur]

All I could say was WOW! Sometimes words the only way to express the emotions erupting inside and I appreciate your skills to pen down those emotions beautifully. Keep going :-)

[Heartful5160]

Thank you so much!! I really do appreciate you taking the time to checking out my work! Thank you for the comment!!

[Coyote Poetry]

A serious conversation in the chapter. Very hard for the children in the divorce. Hard to stay neutral. I like the father and daughter conversation. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote

[Heartful5160]

Oh you're very welcome and thank you for reviewing and reading and it really does mean a lot to me...this book may not be the best of my writing, but I was just kind of excited to post for everyone to read and enjoy!! Thank you very much for the reading and the awesome review!!!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome. I like how you are writing the story.

[Heartful5160]

Thank you very much!!!