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“Moe,” Bee cried. “Thank you so much. I promise I am going to pay you back. Tell the girls…”
I disconnected the call.
I let out a deep breath and leaned against the building. I wasn’t relaying any messages to my girls from Bee. She could tell them herself when she saw them.
I thought back to the first time I met Beatrice. Madear was over a church friend’s house that lived in the projects. Madear ordered the children to go outside while she and her friend talked grown folks business. I saw Beatrice jumping double dutch with some other girls and thought she was pretty. I thought her li’l attitude was sexy; the way she rolled her neck and popped her lips, and she was streetwise, having grown up in the projects. We dated off and on throughout high school and even maintained somewhat of a relationship after I left for college. The summer before her senior year of high school, which was my sophomore year of undergrad, I got her pregnant.
I was scared to death of becoming a father, but I manned up, found me a job on campus, and took care of my first little princess. Fee came two years later. I went home as often as I could to spend time with my babies. Being young parents living in two different cities put a considerable strain on our relationship. I was growing in college and having new experiences while Bee was in St. Louis, virtually a single mother. I knew it wasn’t fair to her, but I didn’t have a choice, I had to finish college.
Bee was a great mother at first. The girls were well cared for and well-groomed. I worked through undergrad and grad school to make sure they had what they needed. I sent money for the girls and for Bee. I paid her rent and used one of my college refund checks to buy her a car, figuring that if she was okay, the girls would be okay.
The distance and stress both Bee and I experienced caused us to have epic arguments. We both realized that we were no longer any good together. We promised each other that we would work together and remain friends for the sake of the kids. We both honored that agreement for a while, then she met her current boyfriend, Tony and things had been very different. I couldn’t say that Tony was the reason she changed, but she didn’t change until she got with him.
After several more minutes of deep breathing, I went back into the shop. The girls had finished their food, and the table was cleared of any leftovers except my plate. Skye was back in the chair, but her hair looked to be completed.
“Everything okay?” Cam asked.
“Yeah, a client,” I vaguely responded on purpose.
“A lawyer’s job is never done, huh?” Cam remarked.
“Yeah, something like that.”
She finished the girls’ hair, and both girls were beautiful. They smiled at themselves in the mirror and posed while I took several pictures of them. I loved seeing them smile. Anything I could do to keep them happy I would, including giving their mother money to get out of jail.
“Morris, let me show you how to tie their hair down at night,” Cam said while beckoning me to her chair.
She retrieved three unopened packages from a drawer behind her.
“I have three colors; pink, black, and red. Pick the color you want,” Cam said to the girls.
“Pink!” Fee said first.
“I will take the black, so it won’t get dirty,” Skye responded.
Cam opened the package and pulled out a new headscarf.
“This is satin. It’s important to use satin to tie their hair down. At night, spray a little braid spray and oil on their scalp and then tie this scarf like this,” Cam said while resting the scarf on Skye’s forehead and tying it in the back.
“That’s simple enough,” I responded.
“Let me see you do it,” Cam said while handing me the other scarf.
I mimicked Cam’s instructions on Fee.
“That’s not too tight, is it?” I asked Fee.
“No, sir,” Fee responded.
“Good job, Morris,” Cam smiled.
Cam removed both scarves and tucked them into a bag along with the oil and braid spray she mentioned. She handed the bag to Skye.
“Thank you, Ms. Cam.” Both girls smiled and gave her a hug.
“You are very welcome. I will see you in a week or so to touch up the front, okay?”
“Okay!” the girls said, still admiring themselves in the mirror.
