His Woman, His Wife, His Widow Read online

  Poor Shaun. He doesn’t even know what he’s in for. It could be likened to a police interrogation. When Mama wants to know something, she doesn’t hold back. She’s straightforward with her questioning no matter how stupid the questions sound or how embarrassing they can be.

  Oh snap! What if Mama found out Shaun has a kid? Shoot! I forgot all about that. “Please God, don’t let Mama take it there,” I prayed out loud. That is a fact about Shaun I want to keep hidden as long a possible.

  Shaun rang the doorbell at exactly five o’clock. When I went to let him in, terror dominated my features. He could have seen it even if he had been a blind man. I guess he assumed I looked this crazy because he was late.

  “I’m sorry I’m a little late, Lindsay. Something came up at the last minute that I had to handle. I didn’t realize it would take me as long as it did or I would have called you. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Please just wipe that angry look from your beautiful face,” he said sympathetically.

  “Listen, Shaun, this look has nothing to do with you being late,” I tried to explain quickly. “My mother wants to meet and talk with you before we go out. I want to make sure you don’t—” Before I could finish my sentence, Mama walked up behind me to introduce herself. She stepped around me and started talking.

  “Hello, young man. I’m Mrs. Westbrook, Nay-Nay’s mother. How are you today?” she asked in her sugary sweet voice.

  “Hello, ma’am. My name is Shaun Taylor. I’m fine today and yourself?” Shaun extended his hand for Mama to shake. Mama accepted his hand and led him toward the living room.

  “I am blessed, Shaun. And you don’t have to call me ma’am. Mrs. Westbrook will be fine.”

  I am glad that I am a praying child because I was sure doing some heavy silent praying, asking God to let Shaun tap into his uncanny ability to read my mind. If my mother finds out he’s a dad, she will probably denounce her Christianity and cuss him out for even trying to take me out on a date.

  It’s kind of ironic though. Shaun is older than both my parents were when they had me. Although I don’t think it would make a’am—Gran-ny’s word which she says means less than na’am—bit of difference if Mama found out. Instead of worry about the negative, I decided to concentrate on the fact that Mama was at least polite to Shaun for now. I also found relief that she had not called him Rock-head.

  “If you don’t mind, I would like you to have a seat, Shaun, so that we can talk for a moment or two.”

  Shaun obliged my mother’s wishes and sat in the chair by the window. Mama and I sat on the sofa. As soon as we were all settled, my mother started shooting straight from the hip. “I’m a little concerned about the age difference between you and my daughter. I realize Nay-Nay can act like a very mature young lady at times, but the fact remains that she is only sixteen-years-old.”

  Dang! What did she mean act? Mama made it sound as if my maturity was a front or something. I knew this was going to be embarrassing.

  “I must also admit that the fact that the two of you have only met once bothers me somewhat. What could she possibly know about you after only two brief conversations?”

  Shaun positioned himself in the chair like he was on the witness stand. He sat very straight, looking at Mama like she was a Supreme Court judge. “I understand both of your issues, Mrs. Westbrook. If you don’t mind, I would like to address the one concerning our age difference first. It is true most guys my age are not looking to go out with young ladies still in high school. I found out when we met, however, that Lindsay isn’t your typical sixteen-year-old. She has an extraordinary vocabulary. I was actually rather surprised to find out she was only sixteen.”

  Mama looked at me, and I could read the expression on her face like an open book. She couldn’t believe I told Shaun my real name and allowed him to call me by it. I looked away and stared at the dust on the coffee table to avoid having to give an explanation right then and there.

  “I would also like to say Lindsay was hesitant about talking to me once she found out my age.” He looked over at me and smiled. Mom didn’t seem overly impressed with his little show of affection, but I was ready to melt. I do so love his smile.

  While not overwhelmed by his smile, I could tell she was warming to his personality. Shaun talked to my mom as if he had his speech rehearsed. Of course she was not going to let him off that easily. Mama still had some things she wanted to discuss. “Shaun, do you and/or your family attend church regularly?”

  I don’t know why this question worried me so much, but it did. Mama loved the Lord, and it was her opinion that everyone else on the planet should also. Although she was not a preachy person, she would certainly not hesitate to tell anyone willing to listen how good God had been to her and her family. I appreciate how well we have been taken care of in spite of my disappearing dad, and I credit God for the blessing too. But I understood that there were a lot of people who may not feel so obligated to praise God because they were not properly taught about His goodness. What bothered me about Mama’s question, I guess, was I didn’t know how Shaun felt about God, or even if he were a believer.

  “Well, ma’am, I mean Mrs. Westbrook, I can’t honestly say that me or my family are members of a church. Unfortunately, we only seem to visit actual church buildings when we are attending a funeral. But I will say that I do believe in God, and I do feel that I have a spiritual connection with Him. I’m certainly not against stepping up my church attendance. Perhaps I could join you and your family as a guest one Sunday morning. That is if you allow me to see your daughter beyond today.”

  His answer left me still a little nervous. I didn’t know how Mama was going to react to him not going to church on a regular basis. Her facial expression gave away nothing. She remained unmoved and went on with her questioning.

  “Are you currently attending college or a university?” Mama sounded like a judge trying to get information for a pre-sentence report. In a sense, this entire scene could be viewed that way. My mother was sizing Shaun up to see if he should be given “time” to spend with her daughter. I chuckled to myself at my own joke as Shaun answered my mother.

  “Again the answer to that question is no, at least not at this moment. Presently I work for my Uncle Robert at his collision shop. I attended Wayne State University the semester after I graduated high school and stayed in school for two semesters before I left. During that time my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I thought it best that I let it go for a while so I could help at home with paying the bills and taking care of my two younger sisters.”

  Wow! I suddenly felt very bad for Shaun and his mom. A glance at Mama, and I could see that she was concerned as well. Shyanne had an aunt that died last year from breast cancer. I surely hoped that his mother wasn’t going to die.

  “I’m very sorry to hear that, Shaun. How is she doing now?” My mother asked, expressing her concern.

  I, too, was very anxious to hear the answer to that question. I was suddenly so worried I almost cried. I said a silent prayer, asking God to please let his mother be okay.

  “She is doing much better now. Thank you. Luckily they caught her cancer early. She had a mastectomy to remove one breast, then a few rounds of chemotherapy. It’s been a year and a half, and so far, none of the cancer has resurfaced.”

  Mama looked visibly relieved. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until after he finished speaking and I exhaled in relief myself.

  “That is wonderful news, dear. I’ll say a prayer for your entire family tonight. But I want to say something to you right now. The fact that your mother’s cancer was diagnosed early and she is now doing fine has nothing to do with luck. What your mother and your family experienced was a firsthand blessing from God. Even though we may not all acknowledge Him and His goodness, He loves us all the same. And what He will do for one, He will do for another. God is no respecter of persons.” Then Mama smiled for the first time since we sat down. That gave me so much hope.

  “
Listen to me carefully, Shaun. I am going to go against my initial qualms about you dating my daughter. You seem like a pretty decent young man. I’m impressed with your obligation and your responsibility to your family. A lot of nineteen-year-old men are selfish. I don’t see that in you. So I give you permission to take Nay-Nay out tonight. I am also going to hold you to the offer you extended of joining us in church soon.” Mama then turned and gave me instructions.

  “As far as you, Nay-Nay, since this is your first day off punishment and your first date with this young man, I am going to impose a ten o’clock curfew instead of your normal eleven o’clock school night curfew. I don’t want you to come in this house a minute later, is that understood?”

  It took everything in me not to jump up and start dancing when my mama said it was cool for us to go out. Instead I just smiled coolly and agreed to her jacked up curfew. I also thought about my granny’s rules, and I didn’t want Shaun to realize how important her saying yes was to me. It was probably not a good idea for him to know that it was the best thing that happened to me in a long time. At least, not just yet.

  Chapter Five

  Shaun and I had dinner at TGI Friday’s restaurant in Southfield. When our meals arrived, I grabbed Shaun’s hand and said my customary blessing of the food out loud. Shaun seemed a little uncomfortable by my actions, but he didn’t say anything about it. He gave me an awkward smile, then began to dig in to his dinner.

  While eating, we talked a lot about his family. I discovered the names and ages of his two sisters: Francine, seventeen, and Tameeka, fifteen. The older sister had a four-month-old son. Even though she had a kid, Shaun made sure Francine continued her education. She was due to graduate with her class in June. He also told me about his Uncle Robert, a.k.a. Bobby. Shaun’s middle name was Robert after his uncle, and they were very close. He was the father he never had.

  Shaun said he started working for his uncle after he left Wayne State. He was extremely grateful to Uncle Bobby for giving him an opportunity to earn some money and provide for his family during his mother’s illness. Shaun was accepted at Wayne State on a full academic scholarship. He said he always enjoyed school and most people were then, and are still, amazed at how intelligent he is. It was also during his first semester that he found out Rhonda was pregnant and moved her into his house.

  I guess you could color me guilty of shortchanging Shaun’s intelligence because of his looks. I remembered how surprise I was that he spoke so maturely when we first met. When I think of an honor roll student, my mind conjures up a picture of Steve Urkel from the television show, Family Matters, not the rapper, LL Cool J. Shaun looked more like a male supermodel than a bookworm.

  After dinner, as we walked through the parking lot, Shaun asked me if I wanted to drive his car. I was so excited I almost screamed. I loved the thought of getting behind the wheel of his beautiful machine. I settled myself in comfortably, adjusting the seat, steering wheel, and the mirrors. Shaun’s next statement almost deflated my mood as quickly as the invitation to drive his car inflated it.

  “Why don’t we go by my house? I want you to meet my son and the rest of my family if they’re around,” he said.

  Shaun’s suggestion totally surprised me. My hands gripped the steering wheel in a death grasp. “Shaun, I’m not sure I’m ready to meet your son just yet. This is only our first date. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. And what if Rhonda is at your house? I am sure that she and I are not ready to get acquainted.” I wanted my first date with Shaun to be perfect. I think being involved in a confrontation with his baby’s mama would surely put a damper on an otherwise good time.

  Shaun pulled one of my hands from the steering wheel and kissed the back of it, then looked directly into my eyes. “Listen, Lindsay. I want you to know how much I’m enjoying our time together. I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed and natural being with anyone. I know it’s kind of soon to introduce you to my family. But because of the way you make me feel, I already know I want you to be a very special part of my life. I want to share you with the other people in my life that are special to me. Lindsay, I want you to be my woman.”

  Oh my goodness. Did he just say what I think he said? My eyes grew big as saucers, and my mouth suddenly became very dry. I was so shocked I couldn’t have spoken one word if my life depended on it. I couldn’t even breathe without thinking about it first. Earlier in the week when he said something about me being his future woman, I had no idea he meant today; this near in the future.

  Shaun realized that I was stunned and he took full advantage of my open mouth by planting a very wet kiss on my lips. He gently placed his lips on mine and his tongue inside my mouth. I was not a very experienced kisser, so I was a little slow in responding, but after a few seconds of his slow coaxing, I was putty in his hands. By the time the kiss ended, Shaun could have offered to take me straight to the moon, and I would not have had the will to object.

  Shaun informed me that he lived near the Southfield Freeway and Joy Road on Piedmont Street. I pulled from the parking lot and headed to his house. I had never driven any vehicle other than my mama’s Ford Taurus, so I was a little nervous behind the wheel of this beautiful car. I drove about ten miles below the speed limit. When Shaun noticed my paranoia he put on a jazz CD.

  “This will help mellow you out while you’re driving. Just pretend you’re driving your mother’s car. There really isn’t much difference. I want you to get used to being behind the wheel of my ride. My plan is for us to spend a lot of time together, and I may not always feel like driving.” He smiled. I smiled right back. And at that point, I could have driven his car to California and back without needing a break.

  I had never heard the music playing on the CD player, but I found myself enjoying it. “Shaun, whose CD is playing?”

  “Kenny G. He’s a jazz saxophonist. I love his stuff. Whenever things get too heavy for me, I just hop in my ride, pop in Kenny, and all is right with the world again.”

  I made a mental note to go through my mother’s music collection when I got home to see if she owned any Kenny G. Jazz is about the only music other than Gospel that she really listens to these days.

  We jumped on the John C. Lodge Freeway heading south to the Southfield Freeway, exiting on Joy Road. Shaun’s house was about eight miles from the restaurant, so by the time I pulled into his driveway, I felt pretty relaxed. For the duration of the drive, Shaun kept complimenting me on how pretty I looked and how everyone in his family was going to love me.

  Shaun got out of the car and came around to the driver’s side door to let me out. A few days ago, he instructed me that I was never to open a door for myself while I was in his presence. He felt it was a man’s job to open doors for his lady.

  We held hands as we walked up the steps to the front porch. He kissed me lightly on the cheek, then used his key to unlock the front door. Once we entered the house, we were standing directly in his living room, unlike our house where we have a vestibule. The living room was furnished with startling loud lemon yellow colored leather furniture. I had never seen furniture that color before. The walls were painted dull blue so the contrast was shocking. The color scheme of this living room was somewhat unsettling, and the relaxation I achieved on the ride over was gone. I was now twice as nervous as I was before.

  Shaun’s mother was sitting on the sofa watching a very large screened television. His son sat comfortably in her lap. I could have picked this little boy out of a room full of one-year-olds. Sha’Ron was the spitting image of his father.

  Shaun began making the introductions. “Hey, Ma. I want you to meet Lindsay. She would prefer you to call her Nay-Nay. She doesn’t like her first name, so calling her by it is a privilege reserved only for me. I want you to get used to seeing this lovely face because I plan to spend a great deal of time with this young lady. Lindsay, this is my mother, Patricia Taylor.”

  Shaun’s mother was pretty. She was very light-skinned and she owned the same
green eyes and jet black hair as Shaun. She wore her hair in a ponytail that reached to the middle of her back. Unlike Shaun, his mother appeared to be short and had a tiny build. Patricia also looked rather young. If I could remember correctly, I think Shaun told me she was only fifteen when he was born, but she barely looked twenty five. She also looked to be bi-racial, but Shaun had never mentioned it.

  Ms. Taylor raised her eyes and gave me a very casual once over, making me feel as though meeting Shaun’s girlfriends was an everyday experience for her. My nervousness tripled.

  “Hi, Nay-Nay. It’s nice to meet you,” she said without ever changing her facial expression. No smile, no frown, nothing. Patricia looked me straight in my face, shook my hand, and returned to her television program.

  I had so many butterflies in my stomach my voice cracked when I began speaking, so I had to clear my throat. “Hello, Ms. Taylor. It’s nice to meet you too,” I lied as politely as I could.

  Patricia’s vibe was saying I don’t appreciate you trying to take Rhonda’s place. I silently prayed it was just paranoia on my part, but my gut told me this woman was not going to like me. Shaun had one more introduction to make.

  “And this here is my little man, Sha’Ron.” He picked his son up from his mother’s lap and tickled him under the chin. The baby giggled, and then held a steady smile as he looked at his dad. I put my finger inside the baby’s hand and he began to squeeze it.

  “Hello, Sha’Ron. You are so cute. You look just like your daddy.” For that I was rewarded with a big four-toothed grin.

  “Hey, little man, don’t be grinning at my woman like that. You’re going to make your daddy jealous.” Patricia coughed as he called me his woman, and I turned to look at her. She cocked one eyebrow then rolled her eyes at the comment.

  While looking at Patricia, I noticed that she only had one breast. Like I said, she was a petite sized woman, but the remaining breast was at least a C cup, making the missing lump even easier to detect. I tried very hard to concentrate on something else so I wouldn’t get caught staring. Sha’Ron provided me with the perfect diversion when he pulled my hair, then extended his arms, reaching for me to take him from Shaun. I graciously pulled the baby into my arms, ecstatic at his timing.