basis. You come from privilege. As soon as you walk out the door, you’re given the benefit of the doubt. As soon as I do, I have to prove myself innocent, because it’s assumed I’m guilty of any charges hurled my way by White child, woman, or man. I think I’ve made my point. We’re done now.” The man started to walk out once again.
“Daddy, you’re dead wrong.” Lauren stood from her seat, her voice shaking with rage, and perhaps sadness, too. The older man huffed and glared at her. “I love you, but this isn’t right, and you know I’m going to be the one to tell you. Mama doesn’t like upsetting you. She walks around on eggshells half the damn time in here, and you always want to put somebody in their place but never look at what you do and say to get people going. Aries has been good to me. I love him, and—”
“Was he good to you when you were cryin’ that night in your house as you figured out there wasn’t a lawyer in the land gonna fool with no Creed business?”
“And I guess you’ve never made a mistake, Daddy? You’ve never messed up, huh?” The two stared one another down, and pain filled that room. Fire filled that room. Rain didn’t dare extinguish it. It just got hotter and hotter with two flames wrestling, twisting around one another and igniting into an inferno.
“Lauren, you can do whatever the hell you want to do. You’ve proven that over the years. Had you listened to me more, you wouldn’t have been in some of the positions you’d gotten yourself into.”
“Landon, please don’t start any mess right now!” Doris belted, clearly beside herself.
Ignoring her, he continued, “Now, I’ve got not one, but two children who’ve gone this route. Plenty of good Black men like Nehemiah out there for you to choose from. You didn’t learn from ya brother, so I guess you’ll have to learn the hard way.”
“Daddy, here’s a newsflash for you. This isn’t the first White man I’ve ever dated, just the first one that I was in a serious relationship with and this is exactly why I—”
“We raised y’all to not treat people bad based on their race, but I never told you to take it this far, girl. They can’t understand us, Lauren. Not the so-called liberal ones, either.”
“Who’s to say that? You?”
“How much proof do you need? One minute, this motherfucka is bustin’ in your store telling you to get out; and the next, y’all all cuddled up together like Siamese snakes. You might be fooled, but I’m not, and I’m not going to mince words and play around with either one of you. Doris isn’t, either.” Aries glanced over at the poor woman who was now so red in the face, she rivaled a beet. It was a miracle the packet of crackers she held in her hand didn’t turn to dust. “Landon made his choice and now, so have you. But when the consequences come knocking, and believe me, they will, just remember.” He waved his finger at her.
“I warned you. If this here boy doesn’t take you to the family gatherings or slips up and calls you a nigger like ya sister-in-law did to your brother during a drunken argument on Thanksgiving, don’t come crying to me about it. That’s what they do. They show their true colors in times of distress and pressure. Users. That’s what they are. He probably asked you for some sort of favor, and knowing you, Ms. Helpful, you jumped right on it after how he’d done you, didn’t you?” Lauren glared at him, her fist shaking at her side. “That’s what I thought.” He chuckled mirthlessly. “End of story.”
Lauren screamed and cursed and before Aries knew it, the two were in each other’s faces like pecking hens. Doris jumped between them, her arms flailing and flapping, that ream of crackers rocking back and forth like a pendulum. Aries started to intervene, but when his eyes locked for a brief spell with Lauren’s, he understood her, without her having to say a word. He took a step back. Then another.
Nah. Fuck this shit. I’m not backing down.
“I’m done!” Aries shouted. The outburst rang across his throat and burned. “Let’s stick a fork in this. To argue with someone who doesn’t want to listen or learn would make us fools, Lauren.”