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I had told Saundra’s mother that I was an orphan and never bothered to correct the lie with my daughter.
“You’re caught in a web of lies, Phil,” Hugo said gently. “I’m really sorry for you, my friend.”
“Maybe telling Saundra about my family is the way to start when I finally tell her the secret.”
Hugo’s dark eyes filled with sadness. “You wonder if she’ll feel sorry enough for you about the family thing that she will forgive the rest. Guess what, old buddy? She won’t.”
I swept the cards off the table and sank back against the pillows.
Chapter 25
EVELYN
Saundra and I have a great relationship. Hugo says that I’ve modeled her in my own image but, if that is true, I didn’t do it deliberately. She was searching for a mother figure when we met. All I did was just be myself. Share my views with her. I’m genuinely flattered that she liked me enough to embrace a holistic lifestyle for herself. I guess Saundra has become the daughter that I will never have. Somewhere after the misery of my own first pregnancy, I decided that I would never try again. Not because I don’t like small children. It’s probably because I joined the police force. Even though female officers rarely get killed in the line of duty, why take the chance on leaving an orphan behind for my mother to care for?
It’s interesting that Phil hasn’t changed one bit since the day we met. He never stopped eating meat. Never stopped drinking. Never got into yoga. Never started meditating, and has absolutely no patience with what he calls “new age nonsense.” But what would have been the point of leaving him? It’s not like there is a surplus of African-American men who don’t mind being in a relationship with a woman who carries a pistol and studies Eastern philosophy.
I’ve often wondered why he has stayed with me for so long but that is not a smart question to ask a mate. I just chalk it all up to “opposites attract” and enjoy the time we spend together.
Sex is the only area of our relationship where Phil was totally open to my viewpoint. Sex and money cause most of the world’s problems and I had to be totally honest about how firmly I believe this. When we first met, I told him that sex should not be the glue that holds a relationship together. He agreed with me that we should abstain from intercourse with each other for months at
a time to make sure that we genuinely loved, respected, and cherished each other as human beings.
Sometimes, he takes the abstaining from sex thing too far. Tonight is an example. There are certain days of the year that no woman should have to ask for what she needs. It is my birthday but he is bringing Saundra with him to the celebration. What he should do is leave her back at the house with Yero, then spend time with my family and friends and whisk me out of here to a nice hotel right after I blow out the candles on my birthday cake. I mean, come on!
When Phil and Saundra pulled up in the driveway, my little party was in full swing. Mama had decorated our little home in purple. Purple crepe paper streamers. Purple balloons. A purple piñata. Purple party hats. Purple plates and cups. Even purple noisemakers. Josephine, her husband Charles and their two boys had joined us along with Mama’s “friend” Tim from the butcher shop. We were eating pasta, sipping apple juice and moving our bodies to the music from a jazz CD.
Mama opened the front door and Phil lifted her right off the floor and swung her around. She playfully swatted him on his big bear chest and demanded to be put down. He and Saundra were bearing gifts. Boxes decorated in purple paper.
Phil looked a little sad and I made a mental note to question him about it some other time. He definitely worked too hard and I’d be happy when Saundra’s wedding was over so he wouldn’t have to pull so many double shifts. Saundra, as always, was sweet and cheerful.
Phil sat down beside me and whispered, “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” into my ear as the others laughed and joked with each other.
I squeezed his hand. “Thanks. Are you hungry?”
“Starved.”
In the kitchen, I was fixing him a plate of food when I heard Phil mention the retreat.
Charles voice was loud and firm. “These women of ours just can’t be satisfied with what they have.”
Phil started laughing. “Oh, don’t sweat it, man. They’re going to do a great job. In fact, we men should be grateful. Women go up to their place, chill out and come home happy. No attitudes. No slammed doors. I tell you, it’s a blessing.”
“Come on, brother! How long do you think this thing will last?”
I made a plate for Saundra, too.
“It’ll be a huge success!”
Charles sounded annoyed. “Well, maybe Evelyn has money to burn but I certainly don’t. I told Josephine last night that she’s going to have to put this dream on the back burner for a while.”
He what? And when was Josephine planning to tell me?
I put a smile on my face and swept back into the living room, handing out plates like I was dispensing gold bars.
Josephine avoided my eyes and, for the next hour, I had to party like nothing was wrong. Finally, it was time for the Happy Birthday song. Then I took a deep breath, wished for inner peace, and blew out every candle on the first try.
Chapter 26
