A Love Like This (Book 1) (62 page)

Chapter 33

 
 
 
 
 
The minute we get back to the Bay Area
 
I have to hit the ground running.
 
 
It feels strange driving the Range Rover even though there’s no
 
evidence of the
 
graffiti.
 
I don’t have time to worry about the car because
 
I did more vacationing than studying while in Jamaica.
 
 
I
 
barely
 
squeezed by with a C average which
 
dropped my
 
cumulative
 
GPA down to a 3.2.
 
This is my last semester and I really have to buckle down.
 
I register for my
 
last four
 
classes, apply for graduation
 
then head over the bridge
 
to the City.
 
I
 
go
 
to
 
human resources
 
at the Bradley
 
building and fill out the paper work to start my internship.
 

Once all of my errands are done I drive to Room for Growth to help out and talk
 
to Joan
 
about the house.
 
I haven’t been able to get in touch with
 
Pookie.
 
 
I thought that I’d come back to the Bay Area to
 
a fabulous newly decorated
 
house.
 
 
Pookie
 
and Joan had a
 
different idea.
 
Only our bedroom was complete when we returned.
 
If the bedroom is any indication of how the rest of the house will look than I don’t mind waiting.
 
The room looks as if it should be in a magazine.
 
They even organized my clothes and shoes.

Sharon is the first person I see when I walk into Room for Growth.
 
She runs over to me and gives me a tight bear hug.
 
We head over to her work station and pick up where we left off.
 
Sharon catches me up on all of the office gossip.
 
She tells me which participants are hooking up and which staff members might be fired.
 
Joan
and
 
Pookie
 
stroll out of her office laughing like old friends.
 
They
 
wave and march over to Sharon’s work station when they see me.

“Hey I’ve been trying to reach you guys,” I say standing up to hug them both.
 
“Where’s
 
Nickie?”

“She’s been practically living with Mike since she came out here.”

“I’ve only talked to her once since we got back and where were you last night?”

“I figured you two would want to be alone on your first night back so I crashed at Joan’s house.”
 
I’m a little shocked by how close they’ve become so quickly.

“We were
 
just
 
talking about the house warming party,” Joan says.
 

“We were thinking we should do it in
 
December.
 
That will give us time to finish the house and you’ll be done with school by then.”

“That’s fine,” I say feeling ambushed.

****

I’m lying in my bed in
 
footie pajamas with the shades drawn.
 
Over the last few months the house has
 
been
 
filled with workmen.
 
 
I
 
didn’t ask for it to be
 
remodeled but
 
it seems like that’s what’s happening because
 
someone
 
is always
 
hammering
 
or moving things around.
 
I’m so thankful that the bedroom is
 
complete.
 
It’s the only place I can
 
go that isn’t loud and crowded.
 
 
Pookie
 
and Joan are always around instructing workmen and movers.
 
 
Nickie
 
is so hormonal that living with her is a nightmare.
 
She’s professing her love for Mike one minute and saying how much she hates him the next.
 
I have to admit
that her cute baby bump is making my ovaries ache.
 
Starting a family early might not be the worst thing in the world. Everyone waits on her hand and foot.
 
She’s nine months pregnant
 
and she can barely move.

It might be nice to be the center of attention
 
for once
 
because Mr. Bradley is a slave driver.
 
 
Tucker was correct about there not being any preferential treatment
 
on the job.
 
 
Every morning I wake up at six, shower and dress.
 
I make sure
 
Nickie
 
has everything she needs then
 
I drive over the bridge to the Bradley building where I sit in on meetings, fetch coffee and go over the most
 
boring
tedious
 
documents
 
imaginable.
 
I have to check everything I do twice because Mr. Bradley personally reviews
 
my work.
 
After six hours
 
of work
 
I drive back to Berkeley for class.
 
Most of the time I sit through the lecture day dreaming about sitting on the porch swing in Jamaica sketching the
 
yellow houses.

My crowded house is about to get even more crowded.
 
The decorating is
 
done so the whole family
 
came
 
out for a baby shower,
 
house warming
 
slash
 
graduation party.
 
 
It was initially only supposed to be a house warming
 
party.
 
I agreed to the other
 
social gatherings under duress.
 
I dragged myself in the front door after fifteen hours of work and school
 
one afternoon.
 
Joan,
 
Pookie
and
 
Nickie
 
were sitting on the couch making plans.
 
 
They immediately started hurdling questions at me.
 
 
I was so tired that I just wanted them all to shut up so I
 
agreed to everything they asked.

It’s Saturday and my parents, Keisha and her family, my grandma Bes and a few other relatives all drove up
 
for the celebration.
 
There’s a knock on my bedroom door and my mom sticks her head in the room.

“
Momma
,” I say.
 
She crosses the room and comes over to hug me.

“Girl you have a house full of people out there.
 
Why are you in bed?”

“I don’t know
Momma
.
 
This whole being a grown up thing is a bit overwhelming.”

“Yep, child I’m more than twice your age and it still seems like too much for me some times.
 
You just have to learn to enjoy yourself more.
 
Not everything has to be so intense.
 
Live in the moment and
 
enjoy your life because you only get one.”

“I know your right
Momma
.
 
Well I was happy that
 
Pookie
 
invited you and daddy up here.
 
Is he talking to you guys more?”

“Yeah we’ve talked but he and your father don’t seem as close as they once were.
 
It’ll happen, it just takes time.”

“What
 
I don’t understand
 
is
 
why
 
he
 
was
 
so mad at you and daddy but not grandma.
 
This whole ordeal seemed to be mostly her doing.”

“You know that boy can’t stay upset with his
Momma
.
 
No matter what
 
she did she was the one that
 
raised him.”

“Alright now you need to get
 
up,” She says smacking my bottom. “The house is filling with people and that busy body lady is ordering everyone around.”

“What busy body lady?”

“That Joan woman,” She says with a scowl.
 
“She tried to keep me from coming back here, talking about you’re resting.
 
I was about to knock that woman down.”
 
My mom and Joan seem so much alike.
 
It never occurred to me that they might not get along.

“Oh
 
Momma
 
please,” I say sitting up.

“Don’t worry I didn’t say anythi
ng to her.
 
I just walked by
her and found you.”
 
 

“Where is daddy?”

“He and the rest of the family are checking into a hotel.”

“A few of you could have stayed here.”

“No baby you have
 
Nickie
 
and Jermaine here.
 
I don’t want to put you out.
 
 
I’m going to check out what they’re serving.
 
You know I would have been happy to cater.”

“I’m sure
 
Pookie
 
and
 
Nickie
 
just wanted you to come and enjoy yourself.”

“Uh huh,” She says as she walks to the door.
 
I lie in bed thinking
 
I hope she knows I had absolutely nothing to do with the planning or preparation of this
 
party.
 
Tucker walks in as my mother walks out.
 
He hugs her as they cross paths.
 
He
 
strolls
 
over
 
and
 
climbs into bed behind me.

“It’s insane out there.”

“I figured it would be.
 
I’ll come out when everything’s done.”
 

“We’d better get out there before our mothers kill each other,” He says.

****

I take my time
 
getting dressed and when I leave the room the party is in full swing.
 
The house is gorgeous.
 
They paid attention to every detail.
 
The window sconces, the rugs even the lighting fixtures seem to fit the house perfectly.
 
 
I hug family and friends as I
make my way through the group towards Tucker.
 
 
They are all smiling and offering
 
congratulations on my upcoming graduation.
 
Shauna is here with a very handsome guy.
 
 
Pookie
 
and my dad are talking in a corner of the room.
 
Sarah and
 
Nogood
 
are making out and Mike and
 
Nickie
 
seem to be getting along.
 
Even Keisha and Doug are having a rare moment of peace. As I walk through the crowd someone
 
catches my eye.
 
I know that I’ve seen one of the servers before.
 
I rush over to Tucker and pull his arm.
 
“Tucker is that the
 
debutant,” I say pointing to the woman who is smiling brightly while handing out
 
horderves.