I was right. She brought me here to meet her parents but also to flunk or pass a test. It wasn’t her mother initiating this examination. She told her mother to do this. It’s a complete lawyer move, mixed in with a bit of Mama Bear persona. So, this is the shit I have to put up with, huh? Yasmine is devious. She likes getting me revved up and irritated on occasion so that I will fuck the shit out of her later. BELIEVE YOU ME, I WILL DELIVER ON THAT… I love it…
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Rollercoaster of love within Dangerous Territory
Ma sat in her favorite chair, legs crossed, snuggled in a dark brown robe over white pajamas and an anthropology magazine flipped open on her lap. Atop her head she’d tied a silk green and yellow paisley scarf, like the ones Yasmine sometimes used at night. Sprigs of soft dark brown waves with glimmers of silver crept from beneath it. Ma smelled like Halls Cough Drops as she sucked on one, trying desperately to keep a mild cough at bay.
She turned a glossy magazine page, glanced up, and acknowledged Nixon, who was trying to figure out how to broach a certain subject. The place seemed stuffier than usual, smaller. Or perhaps it was just him being smothered by his own thoughts. Drowning.
“You’re losing weight.” She licked her thumb and flipped to another page of the magazine. “I thought when people were in love, they gained weight?” she teased.
“Oh… so that’s what this is about.” He smoothed out his long white shirt and took a seat. “You’re holding a grudge.”
“All I know is that my oldest child has met someone and for the first time in his life feels compelled to bring her to a family dinner, one his father has come to town for. He’s dating steady, from what I hear, it’s been almost six months now. All of that and I’ve heard none of it.” She held her chin high, landing a death glare so intense, he felt it deep in his soul. She then casually looked away, returning her attention to what she’d been reading. “Then, that maniac, your father, gets to sit there and gloat, knowing he had one up on me.”
“I didn’t realize it was a competition.” He made himself comfortable and laid his head on a pillow along the couch. The same one he’d fall asleep on as a teenager. Ma was a bit of a collector. No, scratch that – mild hoarder with a hard case of sentimentalism. He sniffed the air and smiled. The place smelled exactly the same, all day, every day… like sage, perfume, and wheat.
“Your father isn’t aging well.” Ma was hella petty… “He looks like Frank Zappa after being run over by a dump truck,” she said with a snort. “How is he?” She peered at him, waiting.
Nixon ran his hand along his thigh as he looked up at the ceiling.
“You’ve got water damage.” He pointed to a faint stain shaped like a huge slug above his head. “Something leaked?”
“Yes, the bathroom sink in my bedroom ran over a month ago. I was filling it to soak my hands, the phone rang, and I got distracted. How is he?” she repeated.
“Do you actually care, Ma, or are you just makin’ conversation?”
She turned another page of the periodical and paused for a moment before looking back at him.
“Both.” He nodded in understanding.
“He’s not doin’ too well, Ma. Healthwise, he’s okay, but mentally he’s not. He filed for divorce and Sophie, who I refuse to call my stepmother anymore, is doing what I warned him she would do – tryna get more than she came into the marriage with. He’s got an excellent attorney though. I left him in good hands.” He gave his jaw a good scratch.
“I’m sorry to hear he’s hurtin’. I am sure it’s for the best, though.”
“That he’s hurting is for the best?” he jabbed.
“Don’t start with me, Nix. That woman had us fooled. All of us.”
“Not me. I think she cared about Dad at first, but when things got tough, the tough got going.”
“Is that statement really about me? When I decided I’d had enough and finally filed for divorce?” She didn’t look particularly perturbed, simply curious.
“No. I lived it. I saw you two at each other’s throats. It wasn’t a healthy situation.” She nodded and adjusted her position on her seat. “We all hoped for the best, I guess.”