Page 36 of Isn't She Lucky
“Giada, please come back to me.”
I hang up the phone, lean over the steering wheel, and get it all out. All the tears from years of holding resentment toward him come pouring out. Pain from the years I spent without him surfaces. No matter how much I tried to suppress it over theyears, it’s right back, staring me in the face, forcing me to deal with it instead of burying it. I just didn’t know I would have to do it this way. Didn’t know my mother –my mother– was the person who came between me and my happily ever after. I loved Kasim. He was my world. When I would go to his house with my mom, excitement filled me. And when I got there, I didn’t want to leave.
I dry my eyes and sit up. I call Diedra. I know it’s late, but I need to vent to someone about all this, and it’s Saturday so I know she’s up.
“Hey, girl,” she answers. I hear music in the background. She’s probably out with Wade again.
“You’re out. I’ll call you back, Diedra.”
“No, I’m good. What’s up? Are you out with your new man, or shall I sayhusband?”
“No. I’m sitting in the parking lot at QuikTrip trying to get myself together.”
“Wait—what’s wrong, Giada? What did I miss?”
“I just left my mom’s house, Diedra. She lied.”
“About what?”
“About Kasim, all those years ago when she told me he wouldn’t fall for the poor girl…that there were prettier girls at his school. It was a lie. She made it up.”
“Wait, rewind. How did you find that out?”
“Me and Kasim got into an argument. He was saying I ended our friendship for no reason and all that nonsense. Every time we’re together, he always wants to bring up the past. So, I finally snapped and told him the reason I left. Told him about what my mother overheard him tellinghismother, and he told me those words had never left his mouth—basically calling my mother a liar. And he was adamant about it. So, I went to my mom’s house and confronted her, and sure enough, Kasim was telling the truth. My motherdidlie. She made it all up.”
“No…”
“Yes. She did.” The tears begin to flow again.
“Why would she do that?”
I sniffle and say, “Because she said me and Kasim were getting too close. Said I was going to end up being a teenage mother like her because she knew we loved each other.”
“Dang,” Diedra says. “So, Kasim has been in love with you all these years.”
“Yes.”
“Wow. That’s why he—”
Her voice trails off.
“Why he what?”
“Giada, I have to tell you something, and I’m going to preface this by saying that you know I’m your friend, and I love you like a sister. You know that, right?”
“Yes, but please don’t let it be some decade-long, dark secret because I don’t think I can handle any more of those.”
“Okay. Well, here goes. Kasim contacted me after he saw my name as one of the initial attendees for the auction. I don’t know how he knew we were friends, but he knew. He wanted to know how you were, and I knew, I just knew that man was still in love with you, Giada. So, I told him to sign up and told him I would convince you to sign up and come with me so that y’all could reunite. Something told me the moment you saw him, you would bid on him, and you did because when two people belong together, nothing will keep them apart.”
“So, it was all a setup?”
“Yes, but I only did it because I love you and I knew you were in love with him, even after all that time had passed you by. Don’t let any more time pass, Giada. He’s yours. You’re his, and that’s just what it is.”
I take a moment to breathe at this realization.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
