Page 8 of Love Me Carefully
“Where’s he been hidin’?” Nikki asked. “Him and that fake girlfriend of his still together?”
Keesha laughed. “Girl, the last time she was in here I couldn’t believe that raggedy ass weave she had.”
Nikki slapped her five as they both giggled.
“That’s not funny,” Rosie chirped, trying to hide her own grin as she called her son. “Hush, the phone’s ringing,” she whispered to them.
The phone rang three times before someone picked it up. It was a woman.
“Ah, hello? This is Rosie Pierce, I’m Terrell’s mother. Is he there?” The woman seemed angry as she called Terrell to the phone.
“Hello?” Terrell all but yelled into her ear.
“Well, hello to you too,” Rosie answered.
“Mama?”
“Yes, it’s your mama, not that you’d recognize my voice, since I haven’t heard from you in so long.” It had been at least two weeks since she’d spoken to him, and she missed him terribly.
Terrell’s tone changed dramatically. “I could never forget my mama’s voice. How are you? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong and I’m doing just fine. How are you? Did I interrupt something? You and your young lady sound a little upset.”
Terrell and Tanya had been in the middle of tidying up their last connections. She’d left some things behind the other day, he suspected purposely, and today she’d come by to get them. Her attempts to talk to him, to explain where they’d gone wrong, were lost on him, and he wasted no time telling her this. She’d retaliated by accusing him of seeing someone else, and had answered the phone in anticipation of talking to the new woman in his life. “Nah, just tying up loose ends, Mama. So what’s been going on with you?”
“Actually, a lot has been going on. I wanted to talk to you about something.” Rosie didn’t know how to begin. She hadn’t told Terrell about dating Donald, mostly because her son never asked about her love life, and probably believed she didn’t have one.
“What’s the matter? You need some money? I can come by the shop on my way to work.” Whatever his mother needed, he’d give her. She’d given him so much.
“No, no, it’s nothing like that. I, um, I just wanted to tell you what’s been going on with me.”
“Are you sick?” Terrell panicked.
“No, baby, I’m not sick. I’m getting married.” Rosie waited for his response, but didn’t get one. “Terrell? You still there?”
“I’m here, Mama.” He was quiet again, trying to digest her words.
“Well, you see, I met this nice man. Actually, I’ve known him for about five years now. He owns the beauty shop, and his wife died about three years ago. We’ve been good friends for a while now. He’s a really good man.”
“And he just up and asked you to marry him?” Terrell tried to be calm, but his hands felt numb, and he could feel himself beginning to sweat. His mother, getting married. He couldn’t see it. He didn’t want to see it, especially now.
“Our friendship sort of turned into something more about five months ago and Friday he proposed.” Her son’s silence confirmed that he wasn’t as excited about the impending nuptials as she was. Terrell had always tried to hide his feelings, but she could tell he wasn’t thrilled to hear her news. “I love him, Terrell.”
“I’m sure you do. But does he love you?” As far as Terrell was concerned, there was no man who could possibly love his mother the way his father had. No other man could marry her. She was his mother and his father’s wife. It didn’t matter that his father had been dead and gone for twenty-five years now.
“Yes, he does, Terrell. I think it’s time you two meet.” And she wanted the chance to talk to him face to face, to explain to him that this was what she really needed.
With a long, disgusted sigh Terrell asked, “When’s the wedding?”
“May 15th.”
“May? You’re not wasting any time, are you? Is he dying or something?”
“Terrell! I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear you say that. I’d like my only child to give me away. So if you can find time in your busy schedule, I’d appreciate you coming to see your mother.”
“Yes, ma’am,” was all he could manage to say. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good. Donald thinks an engagement party would be a good idea. When can you get away? I’d like to plan it for a weekend that’s good for you, since I expect you to be there.”
