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Josephine was still a brainwashed sistah. Meaning that her hair was streaked with a red that is unnatural to African-American women and it was also chemically relaxed. She flipped it over one shoulder now. “Fine. Call him now and tell him to jump up and marry you next Friday. I’ll g
o with you.”
“Phil is one of the last good men left and I don’t plan to lose him by listening to you,” I said.
“Don’t get me wrong, Evelyn. I like Phil and everything, but something just isn’t right. I think he must be one of those commitment-phobic men who I read about in this book called Men Who Can’t Love.”
“Phil definitely loves me!” I protested.
She took a long swig of Sunny Delight. “Yes, he loves you, but the idea of saying “I do” probably makes him wake up screaming in fear. I’m not putting him down. It’s a serious emotional condition and he’ll need to see a shrink to get over it.”
“How can you drink that stuff? Why not just buy orange juice?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Actually, I am going to change the subject.”
“Fine. Just ask Phil to set a date and see what he says.”
“I don’t want him to feel pressured.”
“Pressured? After six years? Puh-leeze, girl. He’s lucky you haven’t shot his ass.”
“Josephine, I’ve been married before and it flopped. Plus, it’s not like I don’t have any life outside of Phil.”
“Something just doesn’t seem right to me, Evelyn.”
I’d had enough. “How are your boys?”
She sighed. “You just saw them yesterday. They’re fine.”
“Look, Josephine. I believe in Phil and you’re just going to have to respect that.”
She clicked the remote and started surfing for something enlightening to watch. “Fine. I’ll never bring it up again.”
“Good.”
Josephine and Mama need to handle the procrastinators in their own lives. Mama and the local butcher have been flirting with each other for the past ten years. She spends hours standing in that store talking to him about God knows what and sometimes he comes to our house and they yammer some more. Has he ever taken her to the theater, out to a nice romantic dinner or held hands and traded kisses with her during a movie? No. Does he buy her a card and a gift on her birthday? No. Does he show up with candy and flowers on Valentine’s Day? No. So, what is she pushing me for? The butcher has it made. Mama listens to and counsels him about all his personal problems. They cheer each other on. Talk about their disappointments and sharing what few dreams they each have left. In other words, he has a free girlfriend without any of the responsibility (financial or sexual) that goes along with a real romantic relationship.
And Josephine? She and I have plans to quit the police force and open up a weekend spiritual retreat for women in upstate New York. But every time we get ready to file for incorporation and move forward, her husband convinces her to wait. I listen to her complain endlessly about how tired she is of him holding us back. Then she’ll stiffen her backbone and promise me that we’re really going to do it. Next month. He drags around looking sad for a few days and when that doesn’t work, he becomes mean and starts nitpicking at everything she does until her migraines start up again. This has been going on for over a year. I’m beginning to think that I should just start the retreat by myself but Josephine and I have been friends since high school and I don’t want to alienate her.
Today I wrote an advertisement for what should be our first program:
Real Life Retreat Center, Irvington, New York
Ever feel like you aren’t living for yourself? Just going along with someone else’s program? Living by someone else’s standards? Traveling on someone else’s schedule? It isn’t too late to turn your life around. Wake up! Take a few baby steps toward living the life you want to have. During this weekend, we will unpack some of your old dreams and look at what you’d really like to do with your life. We will visualize a happier life for you and explore ways for you to get it. It’s not too late if you start right now. Cost: $495.
Mama can’t get the butcher to commit to simply being her boyfriend. Josephine can’t get her husband to leave her alone long enough for us to find out if our idea has merit. Why should I listen to either one of them and start nagging Phil about a wedding date?
Chapter 6
SAUNDRA
Medical studies have proved that vegans are up to 40 percent less likely to die of cancer and 30 percent less likely to get heart disease. We are also less prone to high blood pressure and diabetes. This is one reason why Yero, Evelyn, and I don’t eat flesh. The other reason is that veganism is not just a diet but an attitude of reverence for the sanctity of life. It is a spiritual appreciation and acknowledgement of all God’s creatures.
So the three of us are having veggie burgers and vegan pizza for dinner.
I was chopping up the green peppers, celery, pecans and parsley. Yero was mashing the chickpeas and Evelyn was spreading the vegan pizza dough when Daddy walked in with his friend, Hugo.
