The Realest Ever - By Keith Thomas Walker Page 0,49
to believe, but it’s true. I didn’t break up with Brianna for Kyra, and I’m not going to get in a relationship with Kyra now that I’m single. She’s my best friend. The one time we kissed turned out horribly, and we’ll never do that again.”
Beverly finally accepted what her son had been telling her all along. And it was painful. “Oh my God, Donovan. I’m sorry. I was so wrong about y’all.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, Donovan. I don’t think it is. I feel bad about what I did. I feel like I should do something to make up for it.”
“Do you really want to make it up to me?”
“Yes, baby. I’ll do whatever you want. Tell me.”
“Stop hating on Kyra,” Donovan said. “That’s what you can do for me. She’s had a rough time, pretty much her whole life. She has always respected and looked up to you. When you let her live with us, that was the best time of her life. She loved you like her own mother. She loved the time you spent with her, taking her to get her hair done and stuff like that. The only thing she ever did wrong was kiss me one time. And if you want to know the truth about that, I was the one who kissed her, Mama. My life would be so much better if you stopped hating on Kyra.”
After a pause, Beverly cleared her throat and said, “Alright, baby. I’m sorry I was mean to her. I won’t do it again.”
Donovan noticed a change in the quality of her voice. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was crying.
“Thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. And, could you tell Kyra I said I’m sorry.”
Donovan smiled. His whole body was warmed by her comment. “Sure will. She’ll be glad to hear it.”
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
Donovan didn’t talk to Kyra until later that night. He knew she was upset from the moment she said, “Hey, what you doing?”
“Nothing,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
“My damn aunt,” Kyra said and blew out a sigh.
Donovan was grading papers. He pushed them aside and reclined in his computer chair. “What’d she do?”
“Just bitching about everything,” Kyra complained. “She said I wasn’t keeping my room clean, but I do clean it. I clean it every day. It’s just that we got three people in one room, so obviously it’s gonna look junky, especially with Q’s school papers and stuff.
“I asked her again if I could clean out that spare bedroom so we could get some breathing room, but she won’t let me. And she won’t do it herself! She don’t like nobody going in there. Why would she keep a room full of junk when it’s three people squeezed in one little bedroom?”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Donovan agreed. “Did she tell you she only had one room available before you moved down here?”
“No! She said she had a three bedroom house, and she had plenty of room for us.”
“Where are you?” Donovan asked, noticing Kyra wasn’t trying to keep her voice down.
“Down the street,” she said. “Just walking.”
“Just walking?” It wasn’t completely dark yet, but the street lights were on. Donovan immediately feared for her safety.
“I can see the house from here,” Kyra said. “I just walked to the corner. I’m on my way back. Just had to get out of there for a second, get some fresh air.”
“Oh, alright.”
“I can’t wait to move out of here,” Kyra grumbled.
“I know you can’t,” Donovan said. “Have you heard back from any of the schools you applied for?”
“No.”
“Did you apply for the office clerk job at J.T. Elder?”
“Yeah.”
“I know the vice principal there. I’ll call him and put in a good word for you.”
“Thanks,” Kyra said.
“As far as your aunt, I think she’s just a hater,” Donovan said. “She doesn’t have anything good going for herself, and she don’t like to see other people trying to make something of themselves. I saw it in her eyes when we brought groceries that time. She didn’t look like she appreciated it at all. It was like she wanted to have something to complain about.”
“I think you right,” Kyra said. “That’s why she doesn’t like you.”
“Me?”
“I know, right. How could she not like you? You’re the most likeable person I know.”
“Aww, gee, thanks. But for real, she doesn’t like me?”
“She hasn’t came right out and said it. But you can tell by the way she acts every time I bring up your name.”