HOW DID I GET HERE?
Ahmad Aleem Williams
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009 Ahmad Aleem Williams
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost I have to thank and give all praises to God who has blessed me with so many gifts that I continue to discover. This is my first book and there are so many inspirations out there that I could go on about forever.
Thinking back to the beginning of this trek I have to thank my beautiful wife Crystal for instilling in me the belief that I could write a book worth reading. After hesitating for a year, I have finally taken her advice and have been more than blessed by the outcome of this work.
I would love to thank all of my family in New Jersey for helping mold me into the man that I have become today. To all of my children will continually fill my heart and who I think and pray about 24/7. Without any of you, I am not sure if I would have a life worth living for. Your smiles and your high expectations of Daddy will always inspire me to do better than I originally think.
To Cliff, Donnie, John John, Shaka, Andrea, Sonya, Audrey, Linda, Jessica, Valerie, and Wanda. You all knew me ever since I played Midget Football in Vineland. I could never forget your support, love, and persistent encouragement for me to always to better.
Dad, the wisdom you continuously pumped into my brain could never have a price tag on it. You never missed an opportunity to have the video camera on us whenever you could so that we could enjoy so many of those films today. You are not only a father to us, but you continue to be a father to all of those who never had the privilege that we all witnessed. I can’t believe how time has flown by and how we grew up so fast, but those quotes never grow old; because I can still hear them as if I were sitting at that kitchen table in Brotmanville, New Jersey on a Sunday morning. If anyone ever asks me I continue to tell them that you were my first barber, pastor, professor, architect, electrician, and favorite orator. You were the one that has always inspired me to go out and do things myself rather than depend on someone else.
Mom, who could ever forget all of the sacrifices that you continue to display on a daily basis? The persistent love that you have shown me, even in my time enlisted in the devil’s army you continued to hug me and tell me there are better days to come. Anytime I look at you, I can only think that heaven must be a wonderful place to be, because to smile after such sacrifice does not come easy.
To all of my friends at Ohio State, Syracuse, and Arthur P. Schalick High School, I love you and continue to reflect on those experiences we have shared as I put my gift of writing to work through the love of you all.
If there is anyone that I have forgotten, I am sure that this will not be my final book and that I am truly sorry and please do not hold it against me; my gratitude could never be extended enough.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
We currently live in a time where brokenness has gone unnoticed and where immoralities are so influenced by Hollywood; that the rest of the world does not recognize it is that very stigma that continues to crush our God-given purposes in life. The sin of it all, is that we think that there’s nothing wrong!
I can not express enough how every decision that we make as human beings are so critical to those that come after us. It may not seem like much at the time, but some of our decisions affect children generations long after we are gone from this place. It is said that the average human being affects 10,000 people! Could you imagine that? Just think of yourself in an open field and picture 10,000 people behind you. It’s an overwhelming thought, but we are all critical beings in this day and age called, life.
As we embark on the journey of this three part series, we will explore the ride of Preston Brown. Preston is not different from many men in today’s world. He struggles with the same issues, endures the same temptations, and has the same interests that many men do; regardless of race, economic status, or location. We will see how he twists and turns through all of the situations that he may encounter. Although, Preston is impressive, he makes some very unpopular mistakes that may make you cringe, cry, and even make you laugh. Reading Preston’s story will reveal to you that even the most polished of human beings can make mistakes, but the story does not have to end there!
IN THE BEGINNING
I tell you what; this brother Preston has the perfect life. He is intelligent, smart, athletic, compassionate, and did I mention intelligent? He has everything a twenty five year old man would want in his life a wife, house, kids, and a dog. Now how many brothers in America can sting with that? Not to mention that he is on the verge of finishing his master’s degree; in seminary! I have never seen someone so driven and persistent to defy all of the odds against him every waking day of his life. I can remember our last year at Ohio State together; Preston completed 67 hours in one school year! For those of you who don’t know 67 hours is the equivalent of two school years, in fact there are some that go to school for 4 years and don’t get that much done. He is more than dangerous, he is straight driven!
Oh, yeah excuse my manners but I’m Preston’s conscience and we have been hanging strong now for just about twenty five years and counting. But, I don’t think Preston noticed me until he was about three years old. I have always been there for him, but like most men he doesn’t always listen to me and somehow I end up paying all of the consequences along with him. Now getting back to the dangerous Mr. Preston; the man works out like an unbelievable animal. Preston is six feet tall, 220 pounds (85% muscle), caramel colored, sports a low fade, and a million dollar smile that is contagious to everyone he encounters. He’s always casually dressed, never saggin in his pants (he thinks it’s tacky) and not ashamed to wear some ten dollar shoes purchased at Wal-Mart and wear them like he bought them from Sean John himself!
Preston is an officer in the Army and is on his way to into the Army Chaplaincy. It is just amazing how he can stay in school, married with two kids, and still finds a way to get things done. God must really have something on hold of him, because every time there is more work to do he just prays longer and we both get through it as if there was nothing to it. His ambition is to one day become a politician to fight many of the atrocities that are imposed on families that reside in the inner city. The passion that he has for human life is great and runs deep within his daily walk! But in the meantime, it is no problem to just sit back and budget the food stamps with his lovely wife and scrape the bottom of the barrel to see how once again the rent is going to be paid. I must admit, Preston does love raising his children in Columbus, Ohio. It is a lot better than where he and his wife use to live back in Vineland, New Jersey. The cost of living was outrageous and the car insurance was unbelievable. Nevertheless, Preston could never forget all of the friends he made in Vineland and Brotmanville growing up. After all, his South Jersey slang and keen sense of humor is what attracts people toward him. In addition, who would go anywhere else other than Ohio State? The football games, the possible connections, and all of the festivities that go on in the city just couldn’t be passed up. We barely made it out of Jersey on our own terms, because someone decided to frame us with a beating in Millville the night before we caught the Greyhound to Ohio. After two days on campus, don’t you know that the State Trooper was calling the dorm room asking about coming in for a polygraph test! This even shook me for a minute, because getting involved with law enforcement is just something we do not do. I mean, Preston didn’t even have any traffic tickets in his name. But, that’s Jersey for you, when you’re trying to make it, there is always someone else watching and waiting to tear you down. After the third day on campus, when it was confirmed that he was at a girlfriend’s house and Mama Brown cussing out the trooper over the phone, Preston and I never heard any more of it. To this day, we still don’t know who told that story and the bizarre thing about it is that the law had his mama’s license plate number of the minivan he was driving that night!
Now that all of that is behind us, things were supposed to get easier, but somehow men just love to make the easy things that much more complicated on themselves. Well, I am Preston’s conscience and I will promise to tell him the truth, nothing but the truth, so help me God! Like I said I will always say what is on my mind, but if Preston chooses to refute me or not is totally up to him and the good Lord Himself! The man does seem to have the perfect life doesn’t he, but I promise you the test of time has yet to come as we will see how my man is faced with the mother of all scandals in his life and how he chooses to deal with it. Soon he will know what decisions are really his and which ones are definitely God’s. Enjoy!
I
Preston has a beautiful wife named Delight, and delightful to the eye she is. A short, slender woman standing about five feet two inches tall, long jet black hair like a stallion and the perfect set of calves that were not too big or too small, but looked like little ant hills on her legs. She was a perfect mix of African-American and Puerto Rican descent and whoever her parents were blended so nicely together. She loves to play with their children, and she especially loved to kiss on her husband in public. She had no problem letting everyone know the she was, is, and always will be Mrs. Brown. Delight Brown is older than Preston, but only looks about eighteen years old and with a size four waist that made men always take a double take when out in public. Preston never was the jealous type, he was too spoiled in high school being the man in every sport including the band, not to mention some football early on in college, but injury changed that whole story quickly. Mrs. Brown will always be the one that has his back no matter what the circumstances and being the typical Jersey girl, confrontation is not an issue. The confrontation thing could get a little out of hand, because in general men don’t like to be challenged in front of their children once something is put into place by the “king of the castle”. But, some women get it and some don’t, but in all sorts that’s why they call it marriage. Because once you decide to get married, you have officially declared war on yourself! I don’t mean that figuratively either, I am talking physically, emotionally, spiritually, and every other brink of the surface imaginable. Preston feels that once the law is laid down there should be no compromise in the word spoken, but it tends to differ once you marry a strong, African-American woman. Not to mention a strong Latino background. So fellas out there, you know there is plenty of opportunity for the house to get real loud real quick with a neighbor in the apartment complex next door ready to call the cops or put a glass up to the wall.
The greatest of confrontations happened while Preston watched the kids on Monday night; while Delight went to school. Going to school on Monday nights at Ohio Dominican University afforded Delight the opportunity to go back to school since she worked throughout high school to take care of her oldest son Simon. The kids were acting up more than typical kids that night and Preston finally had enough. He sent the kids to bed without any milk and cookies.
“That’s it, that’s it that is it!” Preston blasted. “Take y’all behinds to bed and don’t think you gonna come downstairs when mom get home thinking everything all peaches and cream.” The boys knew once it was “daddy night” there was no turning against the word and if there were it would be nothing but a butt whooping to end the conversation. So the boys with a defeated look on their faces, put their heads down in utter disgust and walked up the steps as slowly as possible to go upstairs. Typically, when things are going good it only takes about three seconds for the boys to run upstairs inside the two-bedroom townhome in Canal Winchester. But, since dad wasn’t playing around it was time to get crackin up the stairs quickly! Anyone could admit that Preston and his wife had a pretty nice apartment. The boys both shared a room, but they were only eight and five so it wasn’t like they were on the verge of puberty wanting their own space. They loved making each other miserable and hated separation. Upstairs was very beautiful inside; the master bedroom the room was so wide open it was hard to believe that it wasn’t the living room upstairs! A fresh carpet, a walk-in closet, and a nice double sink with the toilet and bathtub; both in another room all by itself. Preston loved that part of the house, that way he could hide away whenever he needed to. And oh my goodness, the central air was lovely, it was self regulated and the bill was never too high. All of the walls were a neutral color and Delight could decorate it whenever and however she wanted to. She wasn’t much of a wall decorator to begin with, but she just loved to have the option anyway. The greatest part that the Browns loved was that they had their very own bathroom and the boys had theirs. This was especially great for a very kinky night when the children were all sound to sleep and no waking surprises in sight. To cap off a romantic night was the way that the sun rose every morning in their room. Looking out of the window, you could see across a big field and it would look like the apartment was telling the sun to rise and they were the only beings on Earth God every created.
10 o’clock finally rolled around and any minute Delight would be walking through the garage door to greet Preston. Finally, Preston heard the garage close and sees Delight as sexy as their wedding night and without looking for two seconds…
“Mommy, we missed you!” blurts out Simon, the older of the two. Simon was very clever whenever it was time to go to bed, because he could make it seem like that he was starved by old dad or that he stayed up almost home sick to see mom come back home; even though he knew that bedtime was at 8 o’clock. You see, Simon was Preston’s step son ever since he was two, so being the new man coming in always made it some sort of dilemma going on with the power struggle in the house. The over protective mom and the singled out stepson; it was a classic American family.
“I thought I told y’all to go to bed an hour ago? No one told y’all to come downstairs when mom came home!! See ya, peace, be gone!” Preston blared nonchalantly.
Simon glanced at Delight with puppy eyes before he turned his back towards the kitchen like an orphan on one of those missionary commercials that you see 4 o’clock Sunday morning on TBN.
“Papi, you don’t have to go anywhere give mommy hug. Did you guys get milk and cookies?”
“Hell no they didn’t get any milk and cookies and Tiger shouldn’t be downstairs!” Preston blurted out.
Delight frowned and said, “Well it’s a tradition that we all have in my family and I always give them milk and cookies before they go to bed.”
“I already told them no and I don’t think that it is appropriate to override what I say in front of the kids, I told you about that numerous times before and you just can’t seem to get that through your little head, you know what, bump it, let them do whatever they want the rest of the night.”
“Don’t get an attitude, because you know that’s what I do with them.”
“Oh no, I don’t have an attitude about the cookies, I have an attitude about the crap that you just pulled out of your butt less than a minute ago”, Preston huffed. Preston’s eyes were real narrow and it’s a stitch of anger that rarely comes out of Preston when he is more than a little upset…… And wham! The chair goes tumbling across the kitchen and living room floor, knocking over the lamp stand, coffee table in the living room, and almost taking out the patio door. Whenever Preston gets mad, Delight has no problem rising to the occasion in trying to show her equal position in the house.
“Well if that’s what you wanna do well stay yourself downstairs on the couch and I will take myself to sleep comfortably”, Delight proudly announced. Preston sometimes just wanted to grab her by the face and just choke slam her, but he knew he could already beat her in a fight and that he would feel like an idiot once he did it, so once again he just let the thought go.
“Alright, go upstairs and don’t ask me to get anything out of the kitchen in the middle of the night, because I really don’t want to answer anyone that can’t listen to their husband, when I can get a whole bunch of strange women to listen to me in a classroom!” Preston you know you shouldn’t have said that. That could mean a shoe, a pan, or something that will just prolong the night. Preston knew he was wrong, but he really knew this could strike a nerve to get Delight’s attention at some point and time, so he just stayed on the couch with a grin on his face waiting for that famous thumping of the feet down the stairs and waiting for those famous words….
“What did you say? I think you better take that back?” Delight snickered to Preston with her finger on his nose. She knew that Preston hated fingers in front of his face and Delight wanted him just to do something that would give her a reason to go off. She straddled him on the couch with her celadon Victoria’s secret lingerie outfit that she just bought for his birthday last week. She was small enough to fit just about anywhere and she cornered him on the couch and only the dog could watch and the kids listened upstairs. She pushed her finger up to forehead like she was his drill sergeant and said, “Mr. Brown, listen up and listen real good, the next time you want to go comparing your wife to some ditzy school girls, you’re going to wish your mom was here to save you. She will have a dead son and I will have no remorse; you hear me?”
“Yeah, okay. And the boys will have no parents, because mom will straight kill you three times the same way she wanted to kill you when you finally told us about Squire. Yeah, you forgot all about that didn’t you? Just because we married doesn’t mean you did anything any better, girl you been trippin’, just act like you wanna get dumb and see how it goes down in this joint tonight!” Preston threw Delight off of him like a little rag doll and rolled over on the couch to go to sleep.
Delight hopped on his back and commenced to repeatedly smack him in the back of the head, while Preston laughed in between his elbows and shook his head in bewilderment. After Delight ran out of breath she huffed and stomped up the stairs and slammed the door. Now that was not the thing to do, especially when a romantic night is brewing, we’ve been celibate for three days and that was not the way to cap it off. Go upstairs in about two hours and throw that lingerie off to the side and make magic tonight! Preston just listen to me this one time, let your pride down and do something that will look past all of that anger, come on; do it for us.
After about five hours Preston decided to go upstairs and romanticize his wife. He crept up the stairs very slowly, taking off each article of clothing with each step he took upstairs. He creeked the door open slowly to see his beautiful gift from God sleeping as if she were waiting for him to come from behind and caress her. She really was one of the most beautiful creatures that God has ever created, but she just gets on my last nerve sometimes, Preston thought. Well, at this point it was show time and Preston had to fulfill his duty as husband and off to an intimate night he went.
II
The sun shone brightly through the window the following morning and it was just about time to get Simon and Squire some cereal before they had to run off to school. Preston hated waking them up in the morning, but since he didn’t have to be anywhere until about 10a.m. he figured it just helped him sneak in some more quality time with Delight.
“Rise and shine soldiers!” Preston yelled. He knew that really got on the kids nerves every Tuesday morning so he kind of got a kick out of it. “Those boys sure do know how to stay up late at night and have the nerve to try and act like they are tired in the morning” he yelled to Delight from the hallway.
“They better get out of here, because I am not getting out of this bed as sore as I am to try and run them to school this morning”, Delight added hastily. “I am as tired and sore as three football players after an NFL playoff game. My thighs feel like they took a pounding. When you go in overdrive you have no regard for human life!”
Preston liked it when Delight boosted his ego every now and then. It made him feel like he was worth something and that there was some sense of control that he owned in the household. It made us feel like King of the Jungle!!!!!!!! That’s all a black man ever wanted every now and again was a little respect. Not let me walk all over you, but respect my ground and acknowledge me when I put in a little work, Preston pondered. He was so lost in her words that it sent him into a deep daydreaming spell of what the perfect marriage was supposed to be like.
“Uh-Umm”, Delight snarled snapping Preston out of his daydream. “We have to discuss some of your attitude from last night.”
“Oh boy, here we go……” Preston replied rubbing his head and wondering what she was going to come up with now. Every time they got done having sex it always seemed like Delight found it to be the most opportune time to interrupt his flow of a perfect beginning. “Okay let me have it” Preston stated in a defeated tone.
“See you’re starting already. Every time we get ready to have a serious conversation you just want to say whatever I want to hear just to get the conversation over with” Delight yelled with her forehead at his chin. “Every time you get some you start acting stupid like you just had the “get dumb” with Delight juice. Just because we have sex doesn’t mean it solves all of our problems. Well, if you don’t want to talk about it just go ahead and do what you going to do this morning and don’t think you going to be getting some any time soon”.
Before she could finish Preston already had his book bag on and was on his way out the door with his keys dangling to put in the ignition. She is so good to kiss on, but a ridiculous nag when it comes to the minutest things that don’t go her way, Preston thought. “I’m sure that the cell phone will soon be ringing at least eight times before I even get down the street.” Preston why don’t you just listen to her and hear her out sometime before you go storming out the door like that? You know that she won’t let it go until you open yourself up and address the issue. But when I address the issue she finds a way to make it like she is the one that is always right and she tries to argue me down about how wrong I am and the conversation just goes her way anyway if we are at it long enough, Preston kept replaying in his mind.
The cell phone began to vibrate in Preston’s pocket once again and he couldn’t believe it…..three voice mails already since he got down the road! Preston figured she would just cool down after a little while and just leave the cell phone at Delight’s mercy. Preston just couldn’t figure out what it was about women and cell phones. Sometimes they would call and text so much that it would make someone just want to throw it out the window and feel the freedom from the thing for a few hours. But, no excuse exists for saying I threw the cell phone away for awhile and Preston is sure that no female could ever believe that. It’s a nice day here today in Columbus, Preston twirled in his mind as he blasted Da Truth in his CD player on the way to school. “As a matter of fact it is so nice, that I think I will give Longs a call and see if he wants to play a little bit of Playstation 3”.
Longs has been one of Preston’s best friends ever since they started seminary together. Knowing Longs was more than a blessing. For one, Longs was born and raised in Columbus and he graduated from Wilberforce University with a computer science degree. Everyone knows that in this day and age of computer programming there is lots of money to be saved when you know someone personally that can handle all of your IT problems. If there was ever a problem Preston had personally, financially, or humanly; Longs was there to help out any way that he could in any capacity. To make short work of it, Longs was down for whatever Preston had going on.
Longs had his own house, the only child, and only one son to take care of. Some would say that he is spoiled, but Preston would just say that his mom and dad were real good at making plans together. He was ten years Preston’s senior, but spiritually they could speak about anything and could say anything to each other; because they worked on a straight “keeping it real” basis. In other words, confidentiality and vulnerability was not at all foreign to in their relationship to one another. Although, it was cool with Preston, Delight really didn’t like the fact that he was single, had his own house, and multiple women in and out of his life like music CD’s. But she could appreciate the fact that Preston knew someone that wouldn’t charge an arm and a leg to get the computer fixed if need be.
“What’s going’ on black man?” Longs yawned into the phone.
“Nothin’, bout to swing your way to see if you wanna get whooped up on some Madden since I’m not going to my first class.”
“Come on I’ll be right here on Deshler in the basement cat!”
“Aight. I’m headed down the Pike right now getting ready to jump on 104. Peace.”
For Longs getting a game on the big screen in the basement was never a problem. He loved the fact that he could sit down with someone black and could talk politics about the poverty that went on in the country affecting the black community on a consistent basis. Not to mention their theological debates on the latest subject in class. Is the New Testament absolute truth? Why do we Christians even bother with the Old Testament? If it’s so old, why do we take bits and pieces out of the Bible and not just make it all anew? Those were just a couple of the questions that turned into seminary career debates between the two of them.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
“Hold on black man”, Longs yelled up the stairs to come open up the door on the side of the house. “Man, I told you to just open the door, I unlocked it when I got off the phone with you!”
“Oh, my bad I didn’t hear you say anything over the phone, I guess I just had a weak signal on the way in.”
“No, before I could call you back, you left your Blackberry on and I heard you singing every damn song on the Tom Joyner Morning Show”, Longs replied irritably. “Anyway, what brings you on down with such short notice? I know something on your mind, because any other time I can’t beg you to take a break from that seminary library. I didn’t think all of that reading in the world could help me remember a thing”, Longs nodded with his head in between his legs with the joystick.
“Well, once again your prediction is on point and I am just getting so sick of Delight giving me a headache every time we get done doing the nasty. I mean, I watch the kids while she’s in school, the house is clean, and she still finds something to rant and rave about. So I just had to get out of the house and relieve some stress for a couple of hours and there was no way that I could just sit in there another minute while she yelled up and down my neck like I stole her hair conditioner or something.”
“But you have to think about it like this Preston. She just got home from class and that’s the only place where she can actually socialize outside of church and she was probably stressed out after dealing with that crazy cohort group of hers she keeps complaining to me about when I go over there. See, you don’t get. You don’t know how to let a woman talk and keep your damn mouth shut until she done and you just finish the conversation with a simple, “okay”. But no! You gotta be Super Negro exchanging lyrical blows with the wife left and right until you find yourself over here playing some video games like your sons will be doing in a few hours,” Longs said with a smile. Longs knew that he was getting into Preston’s head, because Longs just scored on an interception and ran a kickoff back upon recovery. What made it worse was that Preston was playing with the Eagles against Longs’ faithful Cleveland Browns.
“I don’t know how I’m lettin’ you beat up on me with a sorry Ohio NFL team. The only thing professional in this state are the Buckeyes and they can barely show up when it’s time to get into a championship game” Preston slammed down the joystick in cheerful disgust.
“It sounds like your cell phone going off you might want to answer it”, Longs said eyeing the flashing red light from the Blackberry that kept disturbing him in the dimly lit basement.
“Man, I have been avoiding that for the last hour, let me turn this thing off so I can keep my sanity. I meant to keep it in the car until I got ready to go to the afternoon class. This is the last week before finals so I don’t even know if I’m goin’ to hit that one up.” Preston you know you are the only black person in that class and everyone will know that you are the only one missing if you don’t go. “As a matter of fact, I think I will go, because the devil ain’t about to take me down, he just gonna get another egg in his face after this round”, Preston stood up confidently getting his bag ready to head out the door.
“Awe, here you go trying to run out of the door just because you getting whooped up on like Big Daddy on his baby last night,” Longs said waving his hand back and forth across his mid section. “Anyway, I might be up there a little later on so if you go the computer lab save me a seat, because you know most of the white folks at the seminary don’t care for me, because I tell it how it is.”
“Aight, but if you don’t show up you know you sold me out like a Tyler Perry movie on Friday night”, Preston smirked on his way to the car in the driveway. “Tell your mom, dad, and little man I said what’s up.”
III
This Christian Ethics class is boring, Preston thought to himself seated in the front row of the classroom. What does it really matter if a female is trying to stay from an unwanted pregnancy by taking some birth control pills? Is it more Christian to get pregnant during high school and have a baby?
“And that is what the Christian pastor in today’s world is called to address in the context of the 21st century,” the red headed female instructor concluded. “Well, this quarter has been lots of fun and remember to email me all of your finals exams that must be at least 6-8 pages addressing one of the discussion questions I have listed on the sheet of paper at your disposal. I will not be on campus at all during the last week and I will be at home in Chagrin Falls taking time out to do some housework and doing things with my full time job there.”
Preston was good for taking a full load of classes and working a part-time job. Today was Tuesday and it was his day to be on call at OSU hospital as the Chaplain. Preston really felt that he didn’t want any calls, because it was usually over someone that wanted a newspaper at two in the morning, even though it was the nurse’s job to handle that. It was a good job, just for the simple fact that Preston got paid just to hold onto a pager no matter if he got called or not! No matter what the money was rolling on in for a graduate student. Preston just sat back and thought how the Lord blessed him and his wife from virtually having nothing to sleep on, to being able to go to school, have two vehicles, and two jobs. He could remember those long nights as an undergraduate at Ohio State when he use to have to work at UPS from 10pm-3am Tuesday through Saturday and then go straight to a Saturday morning computer class from 8am-12pm. Thank God Preston enlisted in the Army so that he could get away from working from working for $8.50 an hour throwing boxes in and out of a truck with supervisors just yelling to go faster and faster like they were the ones doing all of the work. “Life sure does have its twists and turns” he began to ponder into one of his infamous daydreams of philolosophical thought. “Why does God make it so hard just to get where we need to go. If I knew I were going to do so many things before hand, I would have never been in undergrad school for five years nor would I have taken out so many loans to accumulate all of this debt for wanting to be an educated brother.” Some of the brothers back at home call it wanting to be “white” for hitting the books. I call it staying out of slavery. It’s so sad to look out the window at so many brothers and sisters that have warped their entire lives around twenty six inch rims and Cadillac Escalades. “Those vehicles are gas guzzlers, and who wants a guzzler during a recession? I will never come to understand the day where it actually makes sense for a brother to continuously sag in his pants like some toddler that has “doo-doo” all in their diaper. It just doesn’t make any logical sense for someone to walk abnormally and wear your shorts like long pants in the summertime.” Preston just shook his head in confusion as he looked up and down Main Street on his way back to Longs’ house. “If this is the future that I have to look forward to, I am not so sure that I really want to see it” Preston thought in oscillating fashion. It’s a good thing that you are married and living in the same house as your children; it’s just something we fail to see in America anymore. In some respects, that is the very reason why people envy you and your wife. You two are doing something that Christ loves and what the world hates.
That was an encouraging thought, despite the fact that Delight has been running him up the wall since last night. Sometimes he felt like he was working more than one job, because every time he worked hard at making her happy she always found something negative to say about something. Pulling up to Longs’ house in his Chevy Cavalier Preston already knew he had to turn around because one of Longs’ playmates already took up the driveway stepping up to his door in stiletto boots and freshly manicured nails and open toe shoes to show off her pedicure. Lisa was up and at him as soon as she drug herself up the steps in a seductive state. Frankly I don’t know why he just doesn’t marry the girl. She cooks and cleans his house everyday and she is over his house everyday before and after work. I never knew someone so dedicated to just making someone happy. His mom and dad loves her, but I think he is just trying to find the perfect that is out there, even though that person does not exist. If there were such a thing as perfect, I am sure there would be no reason for God to exist. After all, wouldn’t that just defeat God’s purpose?
Preston and Lisa both knew this drill all too well, Preston would go and act like he forgot something, say hello to Lisa out of respect and march back on home; because Longs was the only person Preston ever thought was worth hanging around. “Hello, Miss Lisa”, Preston waved from the open window in his car.
“Hey nerd number two, next to my number one”, Lisa hissed sarcastically rubbing on Longs chest. Longs whispered in her ear so that he could come to the car and make parting words with Preston.
“Hey black man, you know what it is, Lisa got some tricks planned for me to help her out with so give me a holla once you get settled in at home.” Preston and Longs both knew they both weren’t going to say anything to each other once Preston’s car started to head back up Winchester Pike.
“Alright man, take it easy and I got some viruses I need you to check out on my laptop, I’ll call you.” Preston had a sign of defeat on his face………. Now he had no choice but to go back home and listen to his wife, to pick up right where they left off this morning.
IV
“Alright, if that’s the way he wants to play, then we are definitely going to have a long talk or his behind can sleep on the couch for the rest of the week. He is going to stop disrespecting me and treating me like I am one of his little brothers or sisters and understand that I am his wife!” After Preston not answering any of Delight’s calls all day she was frantic and really didn’t know what to do with herself. All day she was cleaning and grocery shopping so that everyone could eat once the kids got out of school. There really wasn’t much else going on during the day, besides taking care of the house once everyone was gone and to make sure none of the teachers called for any of the boys. “I don’t know what I would do with more than two kids,” she thought. “All of this cleaning after them, my husband, and the dog is a fulltime job. I don’t see how any mom has the time to work when there is so much that needs to be done on the home front. But, I do know one thing… once Preston Brown gets through that door; he is going to have more than a little bit of explaining to do. I am tired of this bull crap every week. He is just going to have to understand that God does not like the way he is treating me and that is not the intention in God’s plan. As a matter of fact, I am so frizzled I think I am going to have to call his mom”.
“Stop, because I already know what you’re trying to do”, Preston yelled bursting through the door before Delight could press talk on the cell phone. Shocked at his entrance she dropped the cell phone, and suddenly regurgitated her anger towards him.
“Let me tell you something Mr. Brown, I don’t know who you think you are or what kind of game you are trying to run on me, but it is going to stop and stop right now! I did not walk down the aisle with you and move a quarter of the way across the country with you so that you could treat me like crap for the rest of my life. So whatever attitude you just walked in with, you better just turn it right on around and go out that door, change it, and come correct!” Delight snapped.
Now this was something that Preston could not take. As a man he could not just let a woman in his own house just wiggle her finger in his face and talk to him like she was running the joint. “What if my dad and brothers were looking at me right now”, Preston thought. “They would just be like who trained this fool and where is his manhood?”
For Preston, at this point there had to be some leverage shifting and it all had to lean towards him. There was no way that this could go down like this all day long and there be no say so from the king! Preston just could not fathom the thought of being “down-graded” in front of the boys and his dog. He just put his hands down in his face, took a deep breath and sighed, “I am going to take a walk around the complex and when I get back I hope that at least dinner is cooked and that I can actually walk into a peaceful house to enjoy for at least fifteen minutes.” Preston walked out and closed the door gently trying to keep himself composed so that they would not have another one of their frequent outbursts in front of the kids and have the dog choosing sides of who to bark at first.
Taking a walk was always a relaxing feeling for Preston, he could take in all of the sights and breathe easily. Most of the people that were outside always had a kind word to say or at least waved from time to time. The lakes were very beautiful during the summertime and the only thing that spoiled the mood was the maneuvering around the goose dung that existed all around the area. “Man, I don’t even see how women live with themselves! If it’s not one thing, it’s always another. This world is crazy. I am sure that all of those preachers that I thought had it perfect at the crib are definitely getting chewed out just like I am. There is no such thing as a woman who can keep her mouth closed. I wish that I could just snap my fingers and have Halle Berry appear for a few hours and snap back whenever she began to get on my nerves.” Preston felt that he cooled down enough and was ready to go back inside and face the music that awaited him inside his own castle.
As soon as Preston opened the door with the kids having their backpacks on the floor inside the kitchen Delight snapped, “Well, I hope you got the stupidness all out of your system and that you are ready to eat and stop acting like an immature punk!” Preston could not believe that after having such a pleasant walk where strangers were smiling that he was about to succumb to this melee that he tried to distance himself from to begin with.
Delight would not be denied that she ruled the household and that Preston had no choice but to comply. She knew it would be a struggle for him, but she figured that after a couple of years of marriage that he would finally get the point. What frustrated Delight even more was that he would not engage in the conversation once she demanded a response. If there was anything that Preston could do to tick off Delight more than swinging on her it was the silent treatment. Knowing that she could talk more than a little bit, she just could not contain herself to be quiet and drop the subject once Preston shut down internally. The more she talked to bring Preston in, the more it drove him to shut Delight out.
Preston could not think of anything else to do except go upstairs forget about dinner and pray in the closet for a better day tomorrow. As Preston got down on his knees to pray he knew it was the only thing that could shut Delight up. Once the “G” word came up that was the only thing that could draw a stalemate for an argument in the Brown household. But before Preston uttered the first word, the phone rang………….
V
“Hey, what up Rafiki!” Preston answered the phone in relief. Rafiki was Preston’s twin that has done everything with Preston ever since their birth. Rafiki was a little darker, taller, and teeth shown to be a little bit whiter. The man was just sharp and the two of them together in the same place was something to marvel. The two of them would have went to the same college together, but Rafiki fell in love with his baby momma and decided to stay home in Jersey. Needless to say, the relationship didn’t work out and Rafiki was now paying back student loans and working trying to get himself back into college. “Man, I was just thinking about you, what’s good?” Preston began to walk outside to get out of Delight’s hearing range.
“You know me man, I just keep it gangsta, never sleepin’ and tryin’ to get this paper.”
“I heard that, I still can’t get Delight to even get a part time job to help me out and she only doing the school thing just one day a week. I mean this is ludicrous! How does this sound? Grown woman with two kids and all she do is go to school one day a week! Not to mention we on food stamps and Medicaid. I could see if we were both ballin’, but we both in school. I could have done this all by myself. So I’m just like I’m ready to be out and find someone that’s at least trying to help me and not sit on me. She brings up all of this God stuff, but don’t know she sinning by sitting on her butt when God gave her the ability to get out there and work!” It felt good for Preston to vent a little bit instead of just arguing with himself day after day and Delight thinking he’s crazy when she catches him off guard.
“Brother, that’s why I am just fooling around with these freaks that are trying to help me out. If they don’t want to help me pay child support, then I am out. Like your boy, Tyler Perry say, I can do bad all by myself. These bills are crazy and I am just looking for a rich chick with family so that I can inherit my cut. But anyway, I got some vacation time coming up and I want to come on through. I was thinking about next weekend if that’s cool with the both of you?”
“Word! That’s what’s up, because right now I need somebody to kick it with and Delight isn’t doing nothing but trippin’ out tryin to argue with your boy every chance she get. So yo, do it like this, come in Southwest from Philly on a Thursday morning and roll out like a Monday afternoon. That should work real good around my class schedule. Because as soon as you get in here, I am out like a “choo-choo” train steam rolling out the door.”
“Alright my brother, I will do that on line like right now and email you the confirmation.”
“Alright man, just holla at me when you get ready to come through.”
“Alright man, be easy.”
“Peace.”
As soon as Preston closed his cell phone, put it in his cargo pocket, he saw Delight dart out of the blinds of the window as he proceeded back to the front door. “So what did Rafiki want”, she asked in a surprisingly subtle tone.
“Oh, he said he’s going to be flying in next week so get the house cleaned up like you know how and stay out of sight”. Preston knew it sounded somewhat harsh, but he needed some type of statement to push her buttons so he just let it come out as vague as he needed it to.
Delight’s eyes began to narrow and Preston knew it was on now! “So you did not think to consult me or even say let me check with my wife?”
“Look, girl as far as me talking to you right now that will wait until I am re-energized tomorrow and besides he finally got some vacation time at his new job and you know we really only get together once or twice a year.” Preston that was not a smooth move at all now you know you just fueled the fire and all of the peace that you have just built up is about to be diminished.
Delight tapped her fingers on the kitchen table and let out a devilish laugh. “Oh, okay I see where this is going; you want to make a b%$# out of me, well now you have her! Kids go upstairs while I talk to Daddy and make sure that you turn the video game up real loud we are about to have some very intense fellowship.”
Preston’s heart began to thump a little bit, because he didn’t know what kind of rabbit she was about to pull out of the bag, but whatever it was he needed to be ready!
VI
As Preston waited in great anticipation of what the next emotional flare-up would be he played cool like he was filing his nails and breathed easy like he was just in a normal occurrence. He was a firm believer in the “don’t let them see you sweat” technique. Although he could play such a role with the best of them, Delight knew that it was his coping mechanism for pressure situations. In essence, she had him right where she wanted him; quietly sitting down and no place to flee.
“So did you really think that this stuff you pulled would actually go uncontested?,” Delighted interrogated. As she spoke to him she gently walked in tight circles around him while Preston just posed even more cavalier. “So, you just wanted me to show my tail and now you got it. This is another issue I have with you; when it comes to your family everything is okay, but let Delight’s family say their coming it turns into World War III. See, this is what I’m talking about with you. When you do the same thing its okay, but when it’s you that’s the problem you never want to admit that you are wrong. You’re not right! You are not right!”
Preston would just not act phased at this point. His main concern was when she was going to be done, because no matter what she was saying it was not stopping Rafiki from visiting Columbus. But, out of spite Preston replied, “That’s because when my family comes over it is only for a few days, but when your people come it’s always a month, three weeks, or something crazy like that. You already know my introvert rule; if they are here for more than four days it’s time to hand them the broom!”
“Preston that is besides the point and you know it. You are not the only one that has a right to make the rules in this house. We both live here and my name is on the lease just like yours-“
“But mine is on their first!” Preston interrupted. “Besides, whose pay stubs do you think they took to use on the rental application? Not to mention that I am the one who has to go out every other week and get a cash advance while you scream up and down every time we get into a financial jam, like you gonna be able to do something about it.” Preston could just feel the rage building up inside, and out of nowhere he picked up a plate full of chicken and flung it into the living room giving the dog a reason to choke on a chicken bone.
Delight began to cry and just walked out of the house to gather her emotions. Preston never knew why she always went outside if she was the one always starting the heated conversations. She paced back and forth fidgeting her fingers and looking up and down rapidly. Finally, she came back in and dropped the bomb on Preston. “I’m two months pregnant”, she whispered.
“Say, what?” Preston said in bewilderment. “How are you going to be pregnant and you’re on the pill? I already know what you are going to say, you forgot to take them one day. You know my pops told me about women like you. Always throwing up the baby game to get out of a situation. Anyway, I take care of mine. So are we going to be having twins tomorrow? Well, isn’t this a happy family. Two college students, on food stamps, two kids, with one in the oven, and only one working a part-time job. The classic black family of the new millennium!” Preston spoke sarcastically.
“Well if it’s what God wants, then we have no say in the matter. We’ll be alright. I just want you to start respecting me like I am your wife, that’s all”, Delight spoke apologetically.
Preston clapped his hands in applause, “You know what, this conversation is over and Rafiki will be here and the brothers will do it up like no other! Good night.” Preston stomped up the stairs and plopped himself on the bed to go to sleep without taking a shower. Delight was so mad at him all she could do was sit downstairs and watch television until she fell asleep.
VII
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